San Diego HS Notebook

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. - We are into the final week of the San Diego Section playoffs, and the matchups have been very exciting to say the least. I have seen a number of impactful players over the last two weeks, and below are six uncommitted players that caught my eye:

‘23 Daniel Mora - Eastlake

• Uncommitted senior Daniel Mora is a shifty, lean MIF that has present athleticism. In the playoff game I took in vs Rancho Bernardo, he went 4-5 with 4 hard hit singles. Mora stood out as a coach’s dream leadoff hitter, as his aggressive plate appearances sparked momentum for the Titans, leading off the game with a line drive base hit to LF. He has a rhythmic load with the hands, and the swing is a quick, level stroke that is short to the baseball. Along with this, his speed was displayed with 4 SB’s to put pressure on the RB pitching staff. Mora’s speed defines him as an offensive athlete, stealing at least 1 base in every game for Eastlake this season. Mora has had quite a successful season offensively at the plate, hitting .392 thus far. Defensively, he showed light, quick feet, as well as a solid arm. 

‘24 Sutton Bassett - Sage Creek

• Bassett is a two-way, uncommitted C/RHP out of Sage Creek HS. At 6-0 175, he holds a medium/strong build with above average mobility behind the dish. His stance begins closed, and sits balanced with knees slightly bent. The swing is long and connected, with a level path that results in a whippy stroke. The hip rotation is quick and forceful, coming through and generating powerful bat speed. In the playoff matchup vs Coronado, Bassett broke open the tie game with a 2 RBI base hit to RF, and went 2-4 on the day. He demonstrated good catch/throw ability behind the plate, as well as present mobility with sticking pitches in the lower half of the zone. Bassett has capitalized on his plate appearances this season, hitting .367 with 5 XBH’s and 10RBI’s for the Bobcats.

‘23 Henry Gibson - Carlsbad

• Gibson is an uncommitted INF out of Carlsbad HS that is an intriguing player to watch. He has a tall/lean build, and present strength at the plate. In the playoff game I took in vs Torrey Pines, Gibson showed out to me as the player of the game. He crushed a 3-run moonshot to LF, giving the Lancers a 2 run lead, which ended up being enough to secure the win for Carlsbad. The swing is of high intent, and in each plate appearance resulted in hard contact, putting pressure on the defense. As a RHH, Gibson has fairly low hands, drawing them slightly back through the load with a simultaneous stride. Gibson’s swing is quick, simple, and short to the baseball. The swing starts down and finishes up and out through the zone w/ a two handed finish. From freezing in the box to watch the ball, as well as with the bat flip, it's evident that Gibson plays with lots of passion and sparks momentum for his team. He’s had a successful season offensively, hitting .283 and demonstrating raw power with 6HR’s thus far.

‘25 Zane Nordquist - El Camino

• Nordquist is one of the better ‘25 arms I’ve seen in San Diego this season. He’s a crafty LHP that does an above average job of keeping hitters off balance. In the game I took in vs Vista, he dominated while going 7 innings w/ 9K’s, 2BB, and 1ER. The arm action is very short and compact, and he hid the ball well. The delivery is clean and consistent, looking repeatable each pitch. The FB was up to 83, while the CB sat 68-71. Nordquist’s CB caught my eye, as he showed present ability to locate it for either a first pitch to get ahead, or as a pitch to bait a strikeout swing. Along with this, the shape showed out to have a large/rolling vertical break that was daunting to hitters. Nordquist has led the Wildcats pitching staff this season, holding a 1.49 ERA in 61IP w/ 85K’s and only 15BB’s. He’s an up and coming arm that will be interesting to watch as we head towards the summer.

'26 Parker Smith - Poway

• Smith is an uncommitted OF out of Poway HS, and has a projectable build at 6-2/170. He has above average speed/strength for a freshman, and from the eye plays with the confidence of an upperclassmen. In the Division 1 Semifinals vs Patrick Henry, Smith belted the ball into the left center gap for a standup double. He showed the ability to keep the hands inside on a ball in the inner half of the zone, barreling it for the Titans second hit of the day. Smith maintains strong balance in the back leg with the front side drifting forward, while keeping the hands back. The swing plane matched that of the incoming pitch and his hands continued to stay tight while the ball was on the inner half of the zone. The bat speed was legit, and definitely above average for a ‘26. Overall, Smith had a successful spring for Poway, hitting .277 with 8 XBH’s, 2 HR’s, and 11 RBI’s. He’ll be an interesting one to keep an eye out for next spring.

‘24 Daniel Herrera - Scripps Ranch

• Uncommitted ‘24 Daniel Herrera is a MIF with a lean/athletic build out of Scripps Ranch HS. He’s a toolsy player, with a projectable bat from the left side, as well as above average speed on the basepath. Herrera begins with wide feet, and a balanced stance set with a still, upright bat. He times with the hands drawing back, and rotates the front foot slightly to load. The bat path is slightly uphill, and he demonstrated quick/whippy hands to generate bat speed. In the playoff game vs Mission Hills, Herrera recorded a double to the RF fence for his 5th XBH of the season. In the field, he demonstrated quick, nimble feet, while also demonstrating the ability to cover a wide range of the infield. Overall, Herrera is a projectable athlete that has some valuable tools as a ballplayer.