Prep Baseball Report

2024 Spring Invitational Preview: Ayala


Matt Monk

 

   

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. - For the third consecutive year, the 2024 CIF-Southern Section high school baseball season will again kick off with the premier spring high school baseball tournament in Southern California, the Prep Baseball California Spring Invitational.  The 16 team field will compete in a bracketed, winner-take-all format that will once again feature many of California's top prep baseball teams. This tournament holds massive implications for our Power 25 State Rankings and annually gives pro scouts an early glimpse into how some of the area's top draft prospects perform out the gate.  

We start with the Ayala Bulldogs, a CIF-Southern Section Division I school out of Chino Hills competing in the Palomares League. Led by 2nd year head coach Brad McGuire, the Bulldogs went 15-8 last year qualifying for the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

Ayala enters the 2024 season with returning impact players '24 RHP Jeremy Byers (Brandeis), '24 RHP Matthew Yarc (New Mexico State), '24 OF/1B Andrew Torres (Uncommitted), '25 OF Aiden Erlandsen (Uncommitted), '26 RHP/3B Caleb Trugman (Uncommitted) and '24 RHP Bryan Yang (Brown). McGuire said, "Entering the upcoming season, our team boasts a dynamic mix of experienced upperclassmen talent and youthful vigor, fueled by freshmen classes last year and the current year."

Newcomers to the varsity team looking to make an impact by filling vacancies or platooning with upperclassmen include '27 C Codey Brown, '26 OF Jaden Valenzuela, and '26 MIF Eric Hernandez.

And while they may be a year away in some instances, the Bulldogs have some underclassmen looking to break into the lineup and rotation including '26 Elijah Duarte, '27 OF Aiden Granados, and '27 OF Brody Gomez.

We will get to see a full range of players and the first test of Ayala's depth at the Preseason Invitational as the Bulldogs look to solidify and define their lineup and rotation for the 2024 season. 

College Commitments:

’24 RHP Matthew Yarc - New Mexico State - 6'0 160 lbs.

'24 RHP Bryan Yang - Brown - 6'2 175 lbs.

'24 RHP Jeremy Byers - Brandeis - 5'10 180 lbs. 

Top Uncommitted ‘25s:

'25 OF Aiden Erlandsen - 5'10 165 lbs.

Top Uncommitted ‘26s:

'26 OF Jaden Valenzuela - 6'2 160 lbs.

'26 MIF Eric Hernandez - 5'9 150 lbs.

'26 INF Elijah Duarte - 6'2 175 lbs.

'26 RHP/3B Caleb Trugman - 6'4 205 lbs.

Top Uncommitted ‘27s:

'27 C Codey Brown - 6'1 165 lbs. - McGuire spoke very highly of the Junior Future Games alum, "we have high expectations for freshman Codey Brown, foreseeing a standout performance both behind the dish and at the plate."

'27 OF Aiden Granados - 

'27 OF Brody Gomez - 5'9 165 lbs.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Showcase State  Date  Location
Orange County Preseason ID CA 01/04 JSerra High School - San Juan Capistrano
SoCal Preseason All-State: Underclass (Invite-Only) CA 01/06 Temescal Canyon HS - Lake Elsinore, CA
SoCal Preseason All-State: Upperclass (Invite-Only) CA 01/07 Temescal Canyon HS- Lake Elsinore, CA
Fresno Preseason ID CA 01/14 Fresno Pacific University - Fresno, CA
Bay Area Preseason ID CA 01/21 College of San Mateo - San Mateo, CA
Inland Empire Preseason ID CA 01/21 Santiago High School - Corona, CA
NorCal Preseason All-State (Invite-Only) CA 01/27 Mission College - Santa Clara, CA
Sacramento Preseason ID CA 01/28 William Jessup University - Rocklin, CA
East Bay Preseason ID CA 02/04 Chabot College - Hayward, CA

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