Two years after Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, Aidan Martinez returned to the mound for Birmingham High on Monday in the closer’s role and responded with three strikeouts and three walks and no hits in 1 1/3 innings in the Patriots’ 7-4 win over Ventura in the Easton tournament.
It’s another positive development for a Birmingham team that already has two productive starters in sophomores Carlos Acuna and Nate Solis. Freshman Ivan Rivera started on the mound for Birmingahm against Ventura.
“He’s getting better every day,” coach Matt Mowry said of Martinez. “He looked good. He was just a little rusty. He has a good arm and is going to help us out.”
There was a brief delay before the game when Ventura High went on lockdown when a police chase of a possible stolen vehicle ended outside of the school, with suspects getting out and running into the school before being captured.
Villa Park 12, Downey 3: Aiden Young had an RBI double and Gunner Santillo had three hits for Villa Park.
Easton tournament semifinals are set for Wednesday: Calabasas at St. Francis (former Calabasas coach is at St. Francis), Oaks Christian at Bishop Alemany. Winners play at Birmingham on Friday night.
Bishop Alemany 1, Culver City 0: DC Ravago threw a one-hit shutout with seven strikeouts for 3-0 Alemany, which hosts Oaks Christian in the Easton tournament semifinals Wednesday.
Calabasas 5, Rio Mesa 4: Connor Kingston got out of a bases loaded situation in the seventh to pick up the save for Calabasas, which faces host St. Francis on Wednesday in the Easton tournament semifinals. Evan Barak had two hits and two RBIs.
Cleveland 6, Camarillo 4: Josh Pearlstein had two hits and two RBIs for Cleveland.
Agoura 4, Mira Costa 3: Tyler Starling contributed two hits for the Chargers.
Valencia 2, Oxnard Pacifica 1: Dexton Otton threw four scoreless innings for the Vikings.
Dos Pueblos 9, Granada Hills 3: Liam Shea gave up one hit and no runs in five innings for Dos Pueblos, which had a six-run second inning.
Simi Valley 6, Highland 4: Andrew Nicklaus had two doubles and three RBIs for Simi Valley.
North Hollywood 7, Taft 6: Despite scoring five runs in the seventh, Taft couldn’t come back from a 7-1 deficit.
Westlake 9, Chatsworth 1: Holden Backus finished with three hits and three RBIs for Westlake.
Arcadia 6, San Dimas 2: Peter Cuoco struck out eight in five innings and Damian Catano had two RBIs for the Apaches.
Thousand Oaks 11, Saugus 5: Dylan Sax had two hits and three RBIs for the Lancers.
The duo of pitcher Jordan Ayala and shortstop Dylan Seward is going to do big things for Norco High baseball.
A little peek into their potential could be seen on Saturday against Great Oak. Ayala, a sophomore, gave up one hit in six innings striking out five and walking none. Seward, a junior committed to Tennessee, had three hits as the leadoff batter. Norco won 9-0. Jayden Serna had a three-run home run.
Bishop Alemany 9, El Camino Real 1: Brody Thompson and Daniel Aceves each had two hits for the 2-0 Warriors.
Loyola 9, West Ranch 5: Bobby Rapp, Mac Taw, Matthew Favela, Brandon Bendel each had two hits for Loyola.
Huntington Beach 3, Servite 0: Four pitchers combined for the shutout, striking out nine for Huntington Beach.
Garden Grove Pacifica 3, Corona Centennial 1: Pitchers Cade Tessier, Cash Matlock and Brody Jakel combined for eight strikeouts for Pacifica.
Oaks Christian 8, Buena 2: The Lions (3-0) two hits each from Ryan Sheffer and Jack Brinkman. Christian Ipsen had eight strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
Calabasas 2, Cleveland 1: Jayden Singer had no walks in five innings and Harrison Beck contributed three hits for 2-0 Calabasas.
Simi Valley 8, Granada Hills 2: Evan Rodriguez had two hits and two RBIs for the Pioneers.
El Dorado 6, Sierra Canyon 3: Julian Rodriguez struck out six in five innings for 2-0 El Dorado.
Long Beach Millikan 10, Murrieta Valley 0: Daunte Bell had 10 strikeouts in five innings.
Fullerton 11, La Palma Kennedy 1: Noah Wise recorded six strikeouts in three innings for Fullerton.
Quartz Hill 3, Camarillo 1: Parker White threw six scoreless innings and Cole Gregory had three RBIs for Quartz Hill.
Flower Mound (Texas) Marcus 6, Cypress 5: The Centurions dropped to 1-1.
Mira Costa 3, Crossroads 2: Emmett Maloney struck out four and gave up one hit in three scoreless innings of relief for Mira Costa. Ace Tarango had three hits.
Paraclete 10, Valencia 1: Mason Jacobo threw six innings to pick up the win for Paraclete.
Carson 11, Hawthorne 0: James Markel had two hits and two RBIs.
Foothill 8, Long Beach Wilson 7: Presley Gaborno had the game-winning sacrifice fly in the eighth inning for Foothill, which rallied from a 5-0 deficit. Evrett Rycroft had three hits and two RBIs. James Mirabile had three hits and four RBIs for Wilson.
Westlake 21, Oxnard Pacifica 2: Dylan Lee hit two home runs for the Warriors and finished with four hits and seven RBIs. Blake Miller had five RBIs.
Softball
Long Beach Millikan 7, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 0: The Rams scored seven runs in the seventh inning. Two doubles and two RBIs from Abby Everrett were key. Riley McAndrew threw the shutout. Earlier, Notre Dame defeated Huntington Beach 13-1. Keira Luderer had four hits, including a home run.
Granada Hills 15, Irvine Valley 0: Zoe Justman contributed four hits and five RBIs for Granada Hills.
In his varsity debut, sophomore second baseman Auron Blackledge of Calabasas made quite a first impression on Friday. On the seventh pitch of his first at-bat, he hit a home run.
He finished with three hits and three RBIs in the Coyotes’ 7-0 win over Castaic.
Luke Szymanski struck out five with no walks in five innings.
Gahr 16, Santa Margarita 3: Andres Gonzalez and Bryce Morrison each had three hits for Gahr.
Harvard-Westlake 8, Texas Marcus 5: Ira Rootman hit his second home run of the season and finished with two hits and three RBIs for the 2-0 Wolverines.
Mira Costa 4, Westlake 1: Three pitchers combined on a four-hitter for the Mustangs (2-0).
El Camino Real 9, Culver City 1: Shane Bogacz had four RBIs and Andrew Katzman threw 4 1/3 innings of no-hit relief for the defending City Section champions.
Bishop Alemany 7, Newbury Park 1: Brody Thompson hit a two-run home run and Noel Barrientos threw five scoreless innings with five strikeouts for the Warriors.
Chaminade 4, Hart 3: A three-run rally in the seventh lifted the Eagles to victory. Robby Morgan finished with three hits.
Mission Viejo 5, Corona del Mar 1: Aiden Chapuis struck out seven in five innings and Joey Pallone had two hits for the Diablos.
Oxnard Pacifica 3, Chatsworth 1: Isaiah Sanchez struck out four in six innings for Chatsworth.
Anaheim Canyon 4, Redondo Union 2: Logan Adams had two hits and two RBIs for Canyon.
Oaks Christian 4, Paraclete 3: Carson Sheffer hit a home run and Dane Disney had two hits for Oaks Christian (2-0).
Rio Mesa 3, Cleveland 2: A bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning lifted Rio Mesa to victory. Grant Oh had three hits for Cleveland.
Narbonne 3, Palos Verdes 2: Joshua Minor had an RBI single during a two-run sixth for Narbonne.
Valencia 8, Buena 3: Tyler Wertz had two hits, including a home run, and Evan Conrad added three RBIs for Valencia.
Camarillo 4, Sun Valley Poly 1: Turner Hothan gave up one hit in four innings for Camarillo.
Granada Hills 4, Highland 1: Cayden Lazar struck out seven and gave up one hit in six innings for the Highlanders.
St. Francis 6, Santa Barbara 1: Daniel Izaguirre went three for three for 3-0 St. Fancis.
Softball
Norco 3, Aliso Niguel 0: Peyton May struck out 12 and threw an eight-inning no-hitter.
JSerra 2, Chino Hills 1: Annabel Raftery had a walk-off sacrifice fly in the eighth for the win.
Known for producing first-round draft picks as pitchers, Harvard-Westlake has assembled a group of hitters this season that look capable of producing lots of offense after a 15-1 season-opening five-inning win over Southlake (Texas) Carroll on Thursday at O’Malley Family Field.
Just look at the first five hitters in the lineup: Shortstop James Tronstein is headed to Vanderbilt; outfielder Ethan Price is committed to Santa Clara; center fielder Ira Rootman is a Texas commit; freshman third baseman Louis Lappe is the Little League star from El Segundo; designated hitter Jake Kim is a UCLA commit.
Freshman Louis Lappe of Harvard-Westlake got an RBI double in his first high school at-bat on a 3-and-2 count.
(Craig Weston)
Kim led the Mission League in home runs as a sophomore with seven and hit his first home run of 2026 to right field with a little help from the wind on Thursday. Rootman hit a ball so far over the left-field fence for a three-run home that it might have gone out of a big-league stadium. Lappe, in his first high school at-bat, delivered an RBI double.
“It was cool,” Lappe said. “A lot of pressure came off. I got that weight off my shoulders.”
The Wolverines have been focused on getting stronger in the weight room and no one has benefited more than Rootman, a junior who added 10 pounds and can’t wait to see how his improved strength is going make him a better hitter.
As for first impressions of Lappe, Rootman said, “I think he’s a very special kid and has so much talent it’s unbelievable.”
Justin Kirchner struck out nine in four innings. He’s a junior committed to Yale.
Boys soccer
El Camino Real 1, Palisades 0: Defending champion El Camino Real advanced to the City Section Open Division championship game with a victory in overtime. Jayden de la Cruz scored the overtime goal. El Camino Real will face the winner of Friday’s semifinal between South East and Marquez.
Venezuela’s Navegantes del Magallanes were crowned champions of the 2026 Americas Series. (John Requena)
Caracas, February 17, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuela’s Navegantes del Magallanes claimed the 2026 Serie de las Américas baseball tournament after defeating Colombia’s Caimanes de Barranquilla 10–9 on Friday, February 13, at the Estadio Monumental Simón Bolívar in Caracas.
The Colombian squad stunned fans with a commanding 5–0 lead in the opening inning and maintained a five-run advantage for much of the game. However, Magallanes engineered a dramatic comeback that will become one of Venezuela’s most celebrated baseball victories, scoring seven unanswered runs in the eighth inning to overturn the deficit.
The Venezuelan team, representing the host nation for the tournament held from February 5 to 13 in Caracas and La Guaira, stumbled in its opening match against Panama before rallying and stringing together consecutive wins. This included a decisive 9–1 semifinal victory over Cuba to book a place in the final.
The 2026 Serie de las Américas—the second edition of this regional international baseball competition organized by continental baseball league associations—brought together national teams from Cuba and Curaçao, and the winter league champions from Venezuela, Panama, Nicaragua, Colombia, and Argentina. The tournament featured a round-robin phase followed by semifinals and a championship game.
Navegantes del Magallanes secured its place in the tournament after winning the Venezuelan league in early February.
Venezuela’s participation in the Serie de las Américas became possible after the country opted out of the February 1–7 Serie del Caribe, following decisions by that event’s organizers to relocate the tournament amid claims of “political conflicts” linked to the January 3 US military strikes and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro.
The Venezuelan professional league initially suspended its Round Robin phase following the attacks, though play resumed on January 7 and continued through the Serie de las Américas.
On Saturday, the champion Magallanes were welcomed at Miraflores Palace by acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who praised the team’s achievement.
“When they achieved victory, I felt the joy of seeing a country rise up and demonstrate its winning spirit. The most important jersey we Venezuelans wear is that of Venezuela; you wore it and showed that there is no adversity we cannot overcome,” Rodríguez said.
The Venezuelan leader also formally expressed Venezuela’s desire to once again host the regional tournament in 2027.
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. The high school baseball season begins this week, and it’s the sport that produces the most future pro athletes in Southern California. While everyone thinks they are a scout and thousands of dollars are spent on private coaches, travel ball and showcases seeking any kind of edge, the bottom line is whether a player can produce results against quality competition. And throwing 90 mph without throwing strikes means nothing to the programs that win.
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St. John Bosco High teammates celebrate with a dogpile on the field after winning the regional baseball title last season.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Baseball is the sport in Southern California where you think the best team can win a championship but doesn’t because there’s always another team with equally good pitching Corona was the certain team last season to win it all (just like the Dodgers), but St. John Bosco beat the Panthers in the playoff semifinals and won the Southern Section Division 1 championship.
Now St. John Bosco is the Corona of 2026: Everyone’s No. 1 team to start the season because of numerous returnees, including the Clark twins, James and Miles; closer Jack Champlin; top hitters Jaden Jackson and Noah Everly; plus the addition of a healthy pitcher, Julian Garcia, who was supposed to be the No. 1 thrower last season until an injury.
Just like Corona, however, St. John Bosco is no sure thing because there’s lots of teams with the kind of standout pitching to beat the Braves in a one-game playoff situation.
The Mission League alone has so many pitchers throwing 90 mph and above that if you don’t have a radar gun at a game, you look out of place. Harvard-Westlake, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Sierra Canyon and Loyola all have formidable pitchers capable of winning big games against top opponents.
St. John Bosco faces immediate challengers in the Trinity League, led by Orange Lutheran, which has another team filled with all-star players, including 6-foot-8 pitcher Gary Morse and Huntington Beach infielder transfer CJ Weinstein. Texas commit Brady Murrietta will be a four-year standout. The Lancers can tell anyone that being ranked No. 1 hardly guarantees success in the postseason. They haven’t been able to win a section title despite lots of great teams.
Royal has a group of pitchers with big arms ready to see where they stand. Who’s going to inflict a loss on Huntington Beach junior Jared Grindlinger? Striker Pence of Corona Santiago has been clocked throwing 101 mph.
Cypress, El Dorado, JSerra, Santa Margarita, Mater Dei, Aquinas, La Mirada, Arcadia, Norco, Gahr and Huntington Beach have no fear of taking on the big boys this season.
As far as pro prospects, outfielder Blake Bowen of JSerra, outfielder Anthony Murphy of Corona, infielder Trey Ebel of Corona and infielder Brody Schumacher of Santa Margarita are among the top players to watch.
And prepare for one of the most talented group of players from the class of 2029, led by the hero of the El Segundo Little League World Series team,Louis Lappe, who makes his freshman debut for Harvard-Westlake.
OJ Popoola of Palisades has made major contributions after transferring with his twin brother from Detroit.
(Nick Koza)
The City Section Open Division semifinals are set for Saturday at L.A. Southwest College. Palisades will face San Pedro at 6 p.m. and Cleveland will take on Fairfax at 4 p.m.
Fairfax upset No. 3-seeded Birmingham. San Pedro eliminated Coliseum League champion Washington Prep. San Pedro has the kind of veteran team that might be able to stay with the top-seeded Dolphins for a little bit if its zone is working.
The top seeds are mostly holding in Division I. The semifinals will have No. 3 Venice at No. 2 Chatsworth and No. 5 L.A. Jordan at No. 1 Granada Hills.
In Division II, No. 10-seeded Marquez is making noise behind football standout Elyjah Staples, upsetting No. 2 Eagle Rock 57-50. Marquez will be at Sylmar in the semifinals. King/Drew coach Lloyd Webster has his team in semifinals after a 52-50 win over Downtown Magnets. He also was smiling because his son, Josahn, scored 22 points for Rolling Hills Prep in its win over Orange Lutheran in Southern Section Division 1.
La Mirada got a breakthrough win in the Southern Section Open Division. Here’s the report. On Tuesday, Corona Centennial is playing at Redondo Union to determine No. 1 in its pool and ditto for Harvard-Westlake at Santa Margarita.
Blair upset top-seeded Bonita in Division 4. Blair is coached by Derrick Taylor, who’s won championships at Taft and St. John Bosco. Here’s the report.
Mater Dei and JSerra continue to dominate in Division 2 and Division 1, respectively. JSerra will face a challenge in the quarterfinals on Tuesday from Rolling Hills Prep at North Torrance. Rolling Hills Prep inflicted a loss to Orange Lutheran last week.
Girls basketball
One of the best coaching jobs this season has been turned in by Birmingham’s Victor Koopongsakorn. The Patriots are 27-3 and seeded No. 2 in the City Section Open Division despite being a young team with few returnees. Next up is a semifinal game against Hamilton on Saturday. The other semifinal has top-seeded Westchester facing Venice. Three of the four remaining teams are from the Western League.
In the Southern Section Open Division, there’s no sign any opponent is going to threaten Ontario Christian, Etiwanda or Sierra Canyon among the 12 teams in pool play. All three are preparing to inevitable meetings in the next two weeks.
Oak Park came through with a 67-44 win over Corona Centennial to make itself the likely No. 4 team to challenge the big three. Karisma Flores had 17 points and Ava Rogerson 15.
Two veteran coaches, Charlie Solomon of Brentwood and Kevin Kiernan of Troy, faceed with their teams on Saturday in Division 1. Troy won 61-48. Kiernan is the winningest coach in California history. He came out of retirement to return for a second stint at Troy. Mei-Ling Perry had 19 points and nine rebounds to advance Troy to the quarterfinals. Kelsey Sugar had 20 points for Brentwood.
Softball
Garden Grove Pacifica continues to take pride in all of its former players playing college softball. The list is at 16 for this season. As they say, “Once a Mariner, always a Mariner.”
Norco, the defending Southern Section Division 1 champions, is expected to be the preseason No. 1 with the return of pitcher Coral Williams. The Cougars open the season Tuesday at home against Aquinas.
Defending City Open Division champion Granada Hills has to find a pitching replacement for Addison Moorman, but has lots of hitters, including Zoe Justman, who batted .442, and Elysse Diaz, who hit .470. The Highlanders will try once again to prepare for City competition by playing Southern Section teams in nonleague and tournament games.
Wrestling
Birmingham’s Henry Aslikyan, seen here last year, became a four-time City Section champion on Saturday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Henry Aslikyan of Birmingham capped off a remarkable four-year run in City Section wrestling by winning his fourth City individual title. This time it was at 120 pounds, sending him on to the state championships. He has won two state titles but the 120-pound division will be the toughest in state with three returning state champions competing.
El Camino Real, South East, Marquez and Palisades are the four teams that have made it to the City Section Open Division boys soccer semifinals. On Thursday, top-seeded El Camino Real will host Palisades and No. 2 South East will host Marquez.
On Wednesday in City Open Division girls semifinals, No. 1 Cleveland plays host to Palisades and Thursday, No. 6 New West Charter hosts Granada Hills.
In Southern Section Open Division boys, the quarterfinals begin Tuesday with Orange Lutheran hosting Placentia Valencia and JSerra hosting Mater Dei. In Division 1, Servite is the fourth Trinity League still alive and plays host to Santa Monica.
In Southern Section Division 1 girls, Mission League rivals Harvard-Westlake and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame will face off in Wednesday’s quarterfinals at Harvard-Westlake.
Competitive equity playoffs
The CIF governs high school sports in California.
(CIF)
There’s still coaches unhappy with the Southern Section competitive equity playoff system using computer algorithms to place teams in divisions.
The Southern Section says no system is perfect, but it’s clear the system used for basketball is flawed. How in the name of sanity (just go ask coaches) was Mater Dei placed in Division 2? They were in Division 1 all season until taking a free fall from Jan. 27 until the time the next rankings were released during seeding announcements. They happened to need an at-large berth to qualify for the playoffs and wouldn’t have earned one in Division 1, causing conspiracy theories. I don’t believe there was a conspiracy, just that the computer system got it badly wrong. Mater Dei has won its first two Division 2 playoff games by scores of 83-63 and 85-59. And look for more to come because they are a Division 1 team.
St. John Bosco has already won the transfer portal in high school football with the announcement that standout sophomore offensive tackle Elisha Mueller of Servite has arrived at the Bellflower school. Leuzinger sophomore quarterback Russell Sekona has transferred to Mater Dei. Leuzinger sophomore defensive back Pakipole Moala has transferred to Santa Margarita. Here’s the transfer portal list. . . .
Russell White has stepped down after 10 years coaching eight-man football at Flintridge Prep. He’d like to try 11-man football. White led Crespi to a Division 1 football title in 1986 playing running back and went on to star at Cal before being drafted by the Rams. . . .
Rick Garretson is the new football coach at Servite. He’s a 1974 graduate of Servite, was once a long-serving assistant coach and served as head coach at Chandler in Arizona from 2019-2024. Here’s the report.
Kicker Jacob Kreinbring of Loyola has committed to Stonybrook. . . .
Chaparral returns receivers Tycen Johnson (Arizona State commit), Michael Farinas (UCLA) and Eli Woodard (USC), all of whom get to catch passes from quarterback Dane Weber. If the line can block, maybe Corona Centennial will get some competition this fall.
Football coach James Stewart of La Quinta has resigned. Lucas Alexander will be the new coach. . . .
Randy Luna is the new football coach at Canoga Park. . . .
Fred Gambrell has resigned after two years as head football coach at Sunny Hills. . . .
Junior receiver Eli Woodard of Chaparral has committed to USC. . . .
Golfer Charlie Woods, the teenage son of Tiger Woods, has committed to Florida State as part of the class of 2027. . . .
Two top high school baseball tournaments for this spring have been finalized. The Boras Classic will begin April 7 at Mater Dei and JSerra. The National Classic also will be held in Orange County starting March. 30. Here’s the link.
St. John Bosco twins Ethan and Justin Coach, standout linebackers, have committed to Washington. . . .
Henry Polanco is the new girls flag football coach at Schurr. . . .
Kiyoshi Harris is the new football coach at JW North. . . .
Benjamin Siff, an assistant baseball coach at St. Margaret’s since 2016, has been named the head coach effective at the end of the 2026 season. Long-time coach Scott Wallis is leaving out of Orange County at the end of this season. . . .
Richard Masson has announced his retirement from coaching basketball. What a journey he’s had coaching boys and girls after winning more than 700 games. He was boys coach at L.A. Jordan for seven years, Carson boys coach for 22 years, Rolling Hills Prep girls coach for seven years, Carson girls coach for four years. He’s won championships and coached lots of great players. “Blessed to have had great players, assistant coaches and support system,” he said.
From the archives: LaMelo Ball
Chino Hills guard LaMelo Ball pulls up for a shot over Mater Dei’s Michael Wang and Matthew Weyand (21) in 2017.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
It’s been nine years since LaMelo Ball scored 92 points as a 15-year-old sophomore for Chino Hills in a 146-123 win over Los Osos in February of 2017, so why not look back.
The big debate was whether it was an accomplishment that should be celebrated or criticized.
“As a coach, if I see a player doing well, who am I to stop his shine?” Stephan Gilling, Chino Hills’ first-year coach, said in 2017.
“About the third quarter, my dad said, ‘Keep shooting,’” LaMelo said during a radio interview on KLAC-AM (570). “If I knew I was going to score that much, I would have shot more in the first half.”
From the Seattle Times, a story on former NBA guard Jamal Crawford coaching his son in high school.
From the Tennessee Bar Assn., a story on how the state is moving to loosening transfer rules with one free sports transfer.
From the Pleasantonweekly, a story from last December from a high school sportswriter detailing his frustration with the transfer issues in California high school sports.
From the Los Angeles Times, a story on how Brentwood School’s athletic facilities are facing a challenge from the Veterans Administration.
Fram Angelusnews, a story on the turnaround at St. Bernard.
Tweets you might have missed
This week Clippers host NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome. Time to give kudos to Steve Ballmer. He has virtually every high school in California represented by their jersey in exhibit. Team is giving away thousands of free hoops to L.A. County residents. He’s making a difference.
Being in Los Angeles, 2026 baseball season is rizz. The Dodgers, UCLA, St. John Bosco, Mike Trout, Roch Cholowsky, elite freshmen like Louis Lappe and Jordan Leon. Enjoy the weather and the baseball.
Redondo Union coach Reggie Morris Jr. is the guest on Friday Night Live Thursday at 5 p.m. via X. Here’s a tribute clip to his father, Reggie Sr., a City Section coaching legend who was at Manual Arts. pic.twitter.com/Lr7UoRqSM3
Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.
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From his first day attending classes at Harvard-Westlake’s middle school campus, which includes seventh- and eighth-graders, Louis Lappe was being recognized as a celebrity.
“A few of the seventh graders I guess they know me kind of,” Lappe said humbly.
Not kind of.
“Every day, I hear them,” freshman teammate Nate Englander said. “‘Are you Louis Lappe, the kid who hit the walk-off home run in the Little League World Series?’ Every grade, seriously.”
It’s time for the Louis Lappe Show to hit the high school ranks. The national hero as a 12-year-old who led El Segundo to the Little League world championship in 2023 is now 15 and set to begin his first year of high school baseball. He’ll be starting at third base for the Wolverines. He’s 6 feet 2 and is joined by two other top freshmen on Harvard-Westlake’s varsity team, the 6-2 Englander, an outfielder-pitcher, and the 6-2 Mateo Mier, a pitcher.
This reminds scouts of the spring of 2021, when Bryce Rainer, Tommy Bridges and Duncan Marsten started on the Wolverines’ varsity team as freshmen. Rainer became a first-round draft pick, Marsten is a standout pitcher at Wake Forest and Bridges went to Northwestern.
Englander still hasn’t forgiven Lappe for eliminating him and Sherman Oaks Little League in the 2023 regional playoffs.
El Segundo’s Louis Lappe celebrates as he rounds second after hitting a solo walk-off home run off Curacao’s Jay-Dlynn Wiel during the sixth inning of the Little League World Series championship game in 2023.
(Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press)
“Obviously, it was difficult at the time,” Englander said. “We’re boys now. It’s amazing to reconnect. It’s going to be fun.”
During fall and winter ball, Lappe displayed occasional power, similar to what he did as a 12-year-old that allowed him to hit five home runs at the 2023 Little League World Series, including his walk-off home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to beat Venezuela.
He had a .445 batting average in winter ball, second only to Vanderbilt-bound senior James Tronstein.
It’s still going to be a transition season for Lappe.
“It’s a whole new game. A whole new chapter I have to get used to,” he said. “The main thing will be getting used to the speed of the game. It’s much faster than 14-, 15-year-old travel ball. Everyone runs faster, throws harder. When we get used to that, we’ll be just fine.”
Lappe and Mier won gold medals during the summer playing for the USA 15U national team.
Mier is going to be placed immediately on the mound as part of a three-man starting pitching rotation used by pitching coach Joe Guntz to deal with some of the best hitters in the Southland.
“I think it’s more about finding your spot on the team,” Mier said. “It’s a team game. Travel ball is very self-centered. The challenge is learning how to pitch and not be a thrower. I feel coach Guntz is the right person to teach me that.”
All three look like they could be playing basketball or football with their physical statures. That will mark them early on as no ordinary freshmen.
“We’re in the Mission League, which is one of the most difficult and prestigious leagues in the country,” Englander said. “There’s a lot more talent, whether it’s guys throwing harder, hitting the ball farther.”
The Mission League has had an influx of outstanding players from the class of 2029, including Jordan Leon at Sierra Canyon and Brody Brooks at Loyola.
“I think we’ll hold our own,” Englander said. “We look the part. Hopefully we can play the part.”
Mark down Harvard-Westlake’s games against Loyola because the Cubs have four former El Segundo players on their team, including the manager, Danny Boehle. Imagine the trash talk that might be transpiring with Lappe on second base talking to Brooks, one of his best friends who plays shortstop.
“It will be fun to mess with them and also beat them,” Lappe said.
It’s going to be a memorable four years of high school baseball for Lappe and his fellow class of 2029 players.
PALM BEACH, Fla. — As Major League Baseball closes in on an agreement for its players to participate in the 2028 Olympics, Commissioner Rob Manfred said the controversy surrounding LA28 chief Casey Wasserman would not impact the league’s final decision.
“Our dealings are not with Casey,” Manfred said Thursday at the MLB owners’ meetings. “Our dealings are with the institution of the Olympics.”
In recently released emails, Wasserman was linked to Jeffrey Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. The board retained a law firm to investigate, the statement said, and the review did not uncover any behavior beyond what was already known: a “single interaction with Epstein” on a plane flight for a humanitarian mission and raunchy emails with Maxwell, both two decades ago, before the “deplorable crimes” of both became public.
“Based on these facts, as well as the strong leadership he has exhibited over the past ten years, Mr. Wasserman should continue to lead LA28 and deliver a safe and successful Games,” the committee statement said.
Epstein died by suicide after his indictment on sex trafficking charges in 2019. Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021.
Manfred declined to say whether he was concerned that an association with Wasserman could be detrimental for baseball.
“I’m going to pass on that one,” Manfred said. “People much closer to that situation are better to opine on that.”
Mark Attanasio, the Los Angeles-based owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, is a member of the LA28 executive committee. Attanasio said he would let the statement speak for itself.
While baseball is not new to the Olympics, the participation of major leaguers would be. In past Olympics, MLB declined to interrupt its season so its players could travel halfway around the world, and Team USA featured minor leaguers and college players.
MLB players already travel to Los Angeles every summer, and Wasserman has pitched Manfred and MLB owners in a variety of meetings on the benefit of using major leaguers at a time the league is focused on broadening its international appeal.
“What an incredible opportunity to elevate the sport in a city where you have one of the great cathedrals of the sport,” Wasserman told The Times last year. “There is no better chance to tell the global story of baseball than from the Olympics in Los Angeles.
“They understand that. We could have another Dream Team, or two, depending on the countries. That is a vehicle to tell the story of baseball around the world, and that is really powerful.”
MLB and LA28 officials have worked out a tentative timeline under which the All-Star Game would be played in its usual mid-July spot in 2028, most likely in San Francisco, followed by a six-day, six-team Olympic baseball tournament at Dodger Stadium.
“I think people have come to appreciate that the Olympics on U.S. soil is a unique marketing opportunity for the game,” Manfred said Thursday. “We’ve got a lot of players interested in doing it, and I feel pretty good about the idea we’ll get there.”
Are the Dodgers good for baseball?
Outfielder Kyle Tucker adjusts his Dodgers cap during his introductory news conference at Dodger Stadium on Jan. 21.
“I think great teams are always good for baseball,” Manfred said. “I think, with respect to this particular great team, it added to what we have been hearing from fans in a lot of markets for a long time about the competitiveness of the game. But great teams are always good for baseball.”
MLB officials have cited that fan concern repeatedly over the last year, prelude to an expected push for a salary cap. Manfred declined to discuss the owners’ labor strategy but said he expected negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement to begin after Opening Day and said he would not talk about MLB proposals until they are presented to the players’ union.
The current agreement expires Dec. 1, and a lockout is widely expected.
Where can you watch the Angels?
Angels star Mike Trout celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Houston Astros on Sept. 28 in Anaheim.
(Wally Skalij / Associated Press)
The Angels already are in spring training, and yet their fans have no idea where to watch their games on television this season.
The Angels have agreed that MLB will provide a streaming option, and a team official confirmed they are still deciding whether to let MLB sell their telecasts to cable and satellite distributors or reinvent what remains of the FanDuel Sports channel already part-owned by the team, with the Kings joining the Angels.
The Angels’ situation is not unique. Three years ago, MLB did not provide broadcast services to any team. Today, amid the collapse of the cable and satellite universe, MLB provides broadcast services to 14 of its 30 teams — 15, if the Angels go that way.
In 2028, Manfred would like to sell national streaming packages, in the hope that more bidders would mean more revenue, a particularly acute need for the teams losing revenue as guaranteed rights fees are cut or eliminated altogether. The challenge: how to convince the Dodgers and other big-market teams to sacrifice their still-lucrative local rights so MLB can sell a 30-team package.
“Ideally, I’d love to get there,” Manfred said. “I don’t need to get all the way there to accomplish most of what I am thinking about.”
On Thursday, Manfred cited one way he could get close enough: have rival owners vote to expand the number of games — for the Dodgers or anyone else — that would be classified as national rather than local.
“We can take as many games as we want from any club in a national package,” Manfred said, “with a majority vote of the clubs.”
I just read Bill Shaikin’s excellent column contrasting the Dodgers’ option to visit the White House with Jackie Robinson’s legendary civil rights stands throughout his life.
As a lifetime Dodger fan who has tried to stay as apolitical as possible, I would be absolutely ashamed of my Dodgers if they were to attend this photo op. I was ashamed last year, too. But nowhere near as much as this year.
Please don’t go.
Eric Monson Temecula
Just to let Dave Roberts know, there is something bigger than baseball. On the wall in my den are my father’s medals: a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star from when the United States sent my father, Marcelo Villanueva, and others like him, to fight Adolf Hitler.
When our freedoms are being taken away, it’s not OK if you go to the White House and visit the man who is taking them away. Which means my father fought for nothing. You should be ashamed of yourself. You don’t deserve to wear the same uniform Jackie Robinson did.
Ed Villanueva Chino Hills
I agree with Bill Shaikin that for the world champion Dodgers to visit the fascist friendly White House would be an implicit contradiction of Jackie Robinson’s legacy. Most of the players probably don’t care, but you wish a manager like Dave Roberts (in L.A.!) were as smart and sensible as Steve Kerr. Apparently he is not.
Sean Mitchell Dallas
I couldn’t disagree more with Bill Shaikin and his stance that the Dodgers should decline the opportunity to visit the White House. In a world of increasing stresses and dangers, sports is, or should be, a reprieve from the news reported on the front pages. After 9/11, for example, we celebrated the return of baseball as a valued respite from the tragedies we were dealing with. Allow baseball to continue to be this respite, Bill, and stop trying to drag sports into the fray.
Steve Kaye Oro Valley, Ariz.
Bad look, Dave. It doesn’t help to invoke Jackie Robinson, then in the next breath, “I am (just) a baseball manager.”
Can’t have it both ways. Shaikin is right. Decline.
Joel Soffer Long Beach
If Roberts feels he needs to go, he should. But the rest of the team should not. Dodger management should support them. Roberts conveniently thinks that going is not a political statement. It is. Roberts’ going supports Trump. The man who raised him and served this country did not do so to see it under the thumb of a corrupt man who attacks all that it has stood for. Today we are all politically identified by the choices we make. There’s no avoiding it.
Eric Nelson Encinitas
Bill Shaikin nailed it when he talked about and quoted Jackie Robinson and compared him to Dave Roberts’ spineless decision to take the Dodgers to the White House. It’s “only” sports? A team of this renown, in a city terrorized by ICE, in a state directly harmed by Trump? Thank you, Mr. Shaikin, for calling Roberts out.
Ellen Butler Long Beach
Thank you, Dave Roberts, for making the decision to go to the White House and celebrate our Dodgers’ victory in the World Series. It’s a thing called respect for the office of the president no matter what political party is involved. I don’t care about the L.A. Times sports writers’ politics, so keep your political opinions out of the Sports pages.
Times keep changing in high school sports, but some things stay the same, such as neighborhoods embracing their local sports teams whether they win or lose.
In the city of South Gate, there’s three high schools nearby one another, which draws fans to gyms, football fields, soccer fields, baseball and softball diamonds.
South Gate and South East are set to play in a Friday night Eastern League basketball game. Legacy is also in South Gate.
Steven Reyes, an assistant basketball coach at South Gate, offered an observation about participating in the rivalry games:
“This is a really strong local sports story because it’s not just about basketball — it’s about the city. In South Gate, three high schools are battling for city bragging rights, and every matchup feels like a playoff game. The gyms are packed, the community shows up, and the players know they’re representing more than just a team.
“What makes it special is the rivalry. These kids grow up playing against each other, they know each other, and when they face off, it’s personal — but in a competitive, respectful way. Each school has a different style, different identity, and it creates real drama throughout the season.
“It’s the kind of story that shows how sports bring a city together. Parents, alumni, and students are all invested, and the outcome actually matters to the community. This isn’t a one-game story — it’s an ongoing battle for pride, momentum, and respect. That’s why it’s compelling.”
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Díaz, who signed a three-year, $69-million contract in December as the most sough-after reliever in free agency, pitched for Puerto Rico in the 2023 WBC but sufferd a right patellar tendon tear while celebrating a win over the Dominican Republic that pushed the team into the quarterfinals. He missed the entire 2023 MLB season as a result.
His announcement comes days after it was revealed Dodgers teammate Shohei Ohtani will not pitch in the WBC in order to focus on ramping up to pitch during the season without restrictions. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will pitch for Team Japan and catcher Will Smith and recently-retired left-hander Clayton Kershaw will be on the Team USA roster.
The 2023 World Baseball Classic ended with a matchup between then-Angels teammates, Shohei Ohtani on the mound against Mike Trout. In a showdown between two MVPs, Ohtani struck out Trout on a 3-2 slider, giving Japan its third WBC championship.
There will not be similar dramatics for this edition. During DodgersFest on Saturday, manager Dave Roberts cleared up one key question heading into spring training and the tournament.
“[Ohtani’s] not gonna pitch in the WBC, but he will be ramping up his arm to get ready for the season,” he said, adding that the player made the call.
“I wasn’t surprised,” Roberts said. “I can’t even say I was relieved. Understanding what he did last year, understanding what he had to go through, to then how best to prepare himself for ’26 to do both, it just seemed like the right decision.”
Ohtani said in November he would participate in the WBC but did not signal at the time whether he would pitch. When Team Japan’s roster was announced Monday, manager Hirokazu Ibata did not say if Ohtani would pitch, only saying they would get a better sense in spring training.
While speaking with reporters before Roberts, Ohtani said he wasn’t sure if he would pitch during the tournament.
“In terms of the World Baseball Classic, I just have to see how my body feels, continue to feel the progression and see what happens so I’m gonna be fully prepared as a DH,” he said.
The expectation going into the season had been he would be able to pitch without restrictions from the start for the Dodgers.
“I’m not going to manage him differently as far as each outing,” Roberts said. “There’s certainly going to be extra time, it’s not a five-day, six-day rotation. So there’s going to be rest in between. But outside of that, it’s not going to be the two-inning, three-inning [start], he’s just going to be used as a normal pitcher.”
In the 2023 WBC, Ohtani won tournament most valuable player with a .435 batting average and 1.86 ERA, helping Japan to the title. Five months later, Ohtani was pulled from a start at Angel Stadium against the Cincinnati Reds for what ultimately was revealed to be a torn UCL.
During his first year on the mound for the Dodgers, Ohtani finished the regular season with a 2.87 ERA in 47 innings. In the playoffs, Ohtani posted a 4.43 earned run average in 20.1 innings over four starts — including one in Game 4 of the NLCS in which he struck out 10 batters while hitting three home runs, a performance Roberts called “probably the greatest postseason performance of all time” and earned him the series MVP.
MLB players like Ohtani and Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto are expected to join Team Japan for exhibition games on March 2. Japan will open WBC play on March 6 against Taiwan.
Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki, who will be returning to the starting rotation after missing most of last year’s regular season because of a shoulder injury, said on Saturday that the Dodgers made him unavailable for the WBC. Sasaki was on Team Japan in 2023, starting two games — including a dramatic semifinal win over Mexico.
An anonymous pitcher whose entire life changed with four innings is standing in a crowded Dodger Stadium bullpen in the middle of winter when he hears a voice from the stands.
“Will, thank you so much!” shouts a fan, and underneath his thick beard, the pitcher blushes.
“This is something I’ve never had before,” said Will Klein.
And this is ruining baseball?
On a crowded concourse in the middle of a Saturday morning two months before the start of the season, fans are chugging beers, scarfing Dodger dogs, and even doing a line dance.
The queue at the elevator is endless. The screams from the crowd are constant. Blake Snell is walking along one of the barriers giving every nearby fan — every one — a fist bump.
The Dodgers officially opened their doors for the 2026 season Saturday, holding an annual Dodgerfest that has sent a clear message to a landscape of whiners.
This is what winning looks like.
This is why winning is worth it.
The baseball owners will likely lock out the players after this season in hopes of installing a salary cap that will curb the sort of spending that has fueled the Dodgers’ consecutive championships.
They don’t get it. In hoarding their revenue-sharing money, the owners don’t realize the benefits of reinvesting that money in the players and, by extension, the fans.
The Dodgers do that more often, and more effectively, than anyone.
The result Saturday was a mid-winter party that felt different than any of their previous bashes. Some years they spent this day apologizing for their playoff collapses. Last year they spent the afternoon tentatively talking about going back-to-back.
Fans pack into Dodger Stadium for Dodgerfest on Saturday.
(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
This year the constraints were off, the party was on, and they all spoke freely of becoming the first time in National League history to win three consecutive World Series titles.
”I don’t mind the ‘three in the air’ as a carrot,” said manager Dave Roberts, adding, “There’s a challenge we’re not going to run from.”
And so the players showed up brandishing hope for this summer while sweetly admitting the emotion that still lingers from last fall.
Klein, who came out of nowhere to rescue the Dodgers with four scoreless innings in the marathon Game 3 of the World Series, was still pinching himself about being recognized in public.
“A guy told me I looked like me,” he said. “I said, ‘Thank you.’”
”The most important part is that everybody continues to say that is the best moment that they have in their life, the best moment of sports they watched,” said Rojas. “That makes me feel really good, because we were part of something bigger than just a home run.”
And Rojas said he hears that a lot.
“I waited 20 years in professional baseball to have that moment … something different happened to my life,” he said. “I’m walking around Rome, I’m seeing Dodger fans saying thank you for that home run. It’s crazy, it’s overwhelming.”
Equally overwhelmed was Freddie Freeman, who grew tearful on the stage when talking about hitting the winning homer in the 18th inning of the World Series Game 3 and the impact of winning two titles in his four years here.
“I’m home playing baseball in front of the best fans day in and day out,” he said. “I couldn’t even wrap my mind around coming back and signing here and being part of this. This has blown me away.”
Even the struggling players seemed thrilled to be here, Tanner Scott acting amazingly relaxed when asked for his 2026 goals.
“Not being as bad as last year,” he said. “I was terrible.”
OK, then.
Bottom line, on a midwinter day when most of this country’s major-league baseball stadiums were empty, Chavez Ravine was full of life and wonder and winning.
“Today we see a lot of fans and that really gets me going,” said Shohei Ohtani.
And this is ruining baseball?
“This organization is never ready to be done … they continue to add players, they continue to add talent, that is a good thing,” said Rojas. “We push ourselves … we believe we can always get better.”
Like he said, a good thing.
“I like winning,” said Klein. “People are always going to be jealous of teams that try to win when they feel like others aren’t. Everybody can go out and do the same thing.”
Spring is here, the haters are out, and the Dodgers are ready.
Seeing players here, seeing their energy, obviously seeing the energy of the fans, its certainly time,” said Roberts.
If you want to watch top pitching in high school baseball this season, stop by a Bay League game. During Thursday’s media day at Mira Costa, three outstanding senior pitchers look physically and emotionally prepared to show how good they are.
Garrett Jacobs from Mira Costa, a UCLA commit, Robby Zimmerman from Redondo Union, a UCLA commit, and Kai Van Scoyoc, a USC commit, are coming off good junior seasons. Add junior Jonah Cohen, a UCLA commit at Palos Verdes, and you have to feel sympathy for Bay League hitters this season.
Jacobs was the best of all last season, going 11-1. He had 103 strikeouts and 13 walks in 70 innings. Zimmerman, a 6-foot-6 left-hander, is the best pro prospect because of his size and potential. Van Scoyoc and Cohen will be a formidable one-two duo for Palos Verdes. They all know and like each other, so it should be fun for fans and players when they face off.
Zimmerman is a cousin of Redondo Union girls’ volleyball standout Abby Zimmerman. Most of the Zimmermans are volleyball players except for Robby and brother Danny, who used to play baseball at Michigan. Yet invite him to the beach and he’ll be happy to join in the family fun using his size to his advantage.
Torrance and West Torrance also figure to be competitive in the Bay League. Torrance returns its top pitcher in junior Aiden Anaya, who’s playing soccer right now. Joey Kim is expected to be a key pitcher for West Torrance.
Mira Costa players have the advantage of walking around or going to the store and running into a Dodger or pro player in Manhattan Beach. The school is holding its alumni game on Saturday and honoring five grads who have played in the major leagues in Kyle Karros, Chase Meidroth, Petey Halpin, Joe Moeller and Jim Pena.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
