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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 continue with the Santa Margarita Eagles, a CIF-Southern Division I school out of Rancho Santa Margarita competing in the Trinity League. Led by seventh year head coach Chris Malec, the Eagles went 29-7 last year, turning in a CIF SoCal Division I Championship Title.

Santa Margarita enters the 2024 season with returning impact players, including a number of arms that saw some significant time on the mound last year. Starting with ‘25 RHP Hayden George (UCLA) who brings back 41 innings from last year. ‘25 RHP Brennan Bauer (Uncommitted) will also be a key piece to the Eagles’ staff, as he returns a 1.05 ERA from 27 innings of work. ‘25 RHP Chris Saucedo (Uncommitted) and ‘25 RHP/UTIL Trevor Banning (Uncommitted) are two other experienced arms who are expected to play big roles for the Eagles. Offensively, Santa Margarita returns Trinity League Co-MVP from 2023, ‘24 OF Logan DeGroot (UCLA). ‘24 C/OF Jake Lavin (California) is another key offensive returner, according to Coach Malec. Malec also added “Despite graduating 18 from last year's team, we have several key contributors back from last year's Trinity League champs.”

Newcomers to the varsity team looking to make an impact by filling vacancies or platooning with upperclassmen include ‘25 RHP Ethan Russell, ‘25 LHP/1B/OF Ben Finnegan, ‘25 C Carter Enoch, and ‘25 UTIL Lucas Owens.

And while they may be a year away in some instances, the Eagles have some underclassmen looking to break into the lineup and rotation including ‘26 OF Jacob Wicker, ‘26 LHP Noah Darnell, ‘26 C/3B/RHP Warren Gravely, ‘26 UTIL Andre Owens, and ‘26 MIF Brody Schumaker (TCU).

Despite graduating a large chunk of last year's successful team, Coach Malec is enthusiastic about this year's squad and added “We are very excited about the young group of players coming up to fill the varsity holes. As a whole we are athletic with a lot of team speed. We have several players who can play multiple positions, and defend very well.”

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

College Commitments:

‘24 C/OF Jake Lavin - California - 6’0 180 lbs.

‘24 RHP Cade Townsend - Mississippi - 6’1 180 lbs.

‘24 OF Logan DeGroot - UCLA - 6’4 199 lbs.

‘24 1B Aidan Stevenson - Trinity College - 6’0 195 lbs.

‘25 RHP George Hayden - UCLA - 6’3 195 lbs.

‘25 SS Gavin Spiridonoff - Cal Poly - 5’11 175 lbs.

‘26 Brody Schumaker - Texas Christian - 5’9 145 lbs.

Top Uncommitted ‘25s:

’25 RHP Ethan Russell - 6’0 165 lbs.

‘25 RHP/UTIL Trevor Banning - 6’0 180 lbs.

‘25 LHP/1B/OF Ben Finnegan - 5’7 140 lbs.

‘25 C Carter Enoch - 5’11 178 lbs.

‘25 UTIL Lucas Owens - 5’11 165 lbs.

Top Uncommitted ‘26s:

’26 C/3B/RHP Warren Gravely - 6’0 180 lbs.

‘26 UTIL Andre Owens - 5’11 155 lbs.

‘26 OF Jacob Wicker - 6’1 150 lbs.

‘26 LHP Noah Darnell - 6’0 155 lbs.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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