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High School  | General  | 2/10/2023

Pacific Region Preview

David Rawnsley     
Photo: Cole Schoenwetter (Perfect Game)
High School Preview Index

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The Pacific Region and California in particular likely boast of the most talent of any region in the country in 2023 and it doesn’t look like it’s going to drop off at all looking at the 2024 and 2025 classes, either.  California has 15 players at the 2022 PG All-American Classic and three of them couldn’t even find their way onto the All-Region team, OF Will Gasparino (Harvard-Westlake HS), RHP Justin Lee (Notre Dame HS) and SS Carl Schmidt (Marin Catholic HS). 



California also has a list leading nine teams in the pre-season Top 50 High School Team Rankings, led by number two JSerra High School, with sixth ranked Huntington Beach HS and ninth ranked Harvard Westlake HS following close behind.

Hawaii shortstop Nolan Souza (Sr., Punahou HS, Ha.) just missed inclusion on the All-Region team and the left-handed hitter and Arkansas commit is one of the best prospects to come out of Hawaii in the past decade.

Pacific Region Dream Team

C –  Raffaele Velazquez (Sr., Huntington Beach HS, Calif.)
 The left-handed hitting Velazquez made a swing adjustment late last spring that opened up his huge power, enabling him to hit .535-5-16 with seven doubles in the playoffs to lead Huntington Beach HS to a SoCal Division One championship.  He then homered at the PG National Showcase and won the Rawlings Home Run Derby at the PG All-American Classic.

1B –   Nolan Stevens (Sr., Franklin HS, Calif.)
 Stevens is a two-way standout and a PG All-American with a big left-handed bat at the plate.  He also went 9-1 on the mound for Franklin High School with a fastball that reaches the low 90’s.  Stevens is signed with Mississippi State.

MIF –   Bryce Rainer (Jr., Harvard-Westlake HS, Calif.)
 Rainer started for the powerhouse Harvard-Westlake team as a freshman and hit .393-5-21 as a sophomore while continuing to play outstanding defense in the middle of the field.  A Texas commit, Rainer is the seventh overall ranked player in the 2024 class nationally.

MIF –  Roman Martin (Sr., Servite HS, Calif.)
 Martin is the highest ranked player in California in the PG 2023 class rankings at 16th overall.  He was named the co-Most Valuable Player of the prestigious Trinity League after hitting .422 as a junior and standing out with his smooth and polished defense at shortstop.

3B –   Eric Bitonti (Sr., Aquinas HS, Calif.)
 The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Bitonti is one of the youngest top prospects in the 2023 class but is also one of the strongest and most physical.  The left-handed hitter posted .526-8-41 numbers as a junior to go with 55 runs scored and 17 doubles while also going 6-2, 0.62 on the mound.

OF –  Gavin Grahovac (Sr., Villa Park HS, Calif.)
 Grahovac was named the Player of the Year by the Los Angeles Times and the Orange Park Register after hitting .376-5-24 with 17 doubles and playing all over the field on defense.  The Texas A&M signee’s most promising future defensive position might actually be behind the plate at catcher.

OF –  Derek Curiel (Jr., Orange Lutheran HS, Calif.)
 Curiel has been the top ranked player in the 2024 class for the last two years and he hasn’t even began to tap into his big power potential at the plate.  He has an argument as the top defensive outfielder in all of high school baseball with his high-end speed and route running, with his speed also being a high impact tool on the bases.

OF –  Brandon Winokur (Sr., Edison HS, Calif.)
 The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Winokur is still listed as a primary shortstop but also plays the outfield and profiles best there in the future defensively with his 6.5 speed and 95 mph outfield arm.  Winokur’s power potential really jumped out at the PG All-American Classic and he enjoyed one of the best high profile tournament performances of the year, hitting .647-3-14 with 12 runs scored 7 games at the WWBA 17U National Championships

LHP Boston Bateman (Jr., Camarillo HS, Calif.)
 Bateman stands out for his 6-foot-7, 250-pound frame and intimidating presence on the mound.  He’s topped out at 93 mph already with plenty more there but his best pitch may be an upper 70’s curveball that he tunnels exceptionally well with his fastball.  Bateman struck out 41 hitters in 20 innings as a sophomore at Camarillo HS while going 3-1, 1.40.

RHP Gabe Gaeckle (Sr., Aptos HS, Calif.)
 Gaeckle is the opposite of Bateman, standing 5-foot-11, 185-pounds, but has an electric right arm that produces a fastball that tops out at 97 mph to go with one of the best breaking balls in the country.  He was named the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League MVP last year, going 4-0, 1.03 on the mound with 92 strikeouts in 40 innings while hitting .373-5-24.

RHP Aidan Keenan (Sr., Live Oak HS, Calif.)
 Keenan has one of true power arms in the 2023 class nationally, with a fastball that has topped out at 95 at PG events and up to 98 at other major events.  His curveball is a plus second offering and both pitches create tons of swing and miss.

RHP Cal Randall (Sr., De La Salle HS, Calif.)
 Randall is the third All-Region pitcher from Northern California, a rare show of talent for that often over-looked part of the state.  Randall works in the 92-94 mph range with his fastball to go with a sweeping breaking ball from a mid-3/4’s arm slot that is especially tough on right-handed hitters.  He had a dominant PG All-American Classic performance and followed that up by striking out eight in five one-hit innings at the WWBA World Championships.

RHP Cole Schoenwetter (Sr., San Marcos HS, Calif.)
 Schoenwetter is the top ranked pitcher in California and the fifth ranked right hander overall in the national rankings.  He generally works in the 91-94 mph range with his fastball, with some projection left in his 6-foot-3, 195-pound body, and has outstanding command of a big breaking curveball and solid change up.  He struck out 50 hitters in only 21 innings in PG play in 2022, including 24 in 10 innings at the WWBA 17U National Championships.

UT –  Trent Caraway (Sr., JSerra Catholic HS, Calif.)
 Caraway earned his All-American status as a strong armed shortstop/third baseman with a very mature approach at the plate but he also has a chance to step forward as a two-way prospect this spring.  He has relatively limited experience on the mound but was 90-92 with an outstanding curveball and command at the PG National Showcase.


Pacific Region Top Tools

Best Hitter for Average: Derek Curiel (Jr., Orange Lutheran HS, Calif.)
 Curiel’s left-handed swing is so smooth and low tension that more strength is really going to translate into even more bat speed.  He already has a very advanced and calm approach in the box.

Best Hitter for Power: Raffaele Velazquez (Sr., Huntington Beach HS, Calif.)
 Velazquez’s big power surge in the summer has proven to be no short-term blip on the map, as he’s already shown up big in early season California play in 2023.

Best Runner: Matthew Priest (Jr., Maranatha Christian School, Calif.)
 Priest’s 6.15 sixty mark speaks for itself but if anything that speed plays up in the games.  He’s hyper-aggressive on the bases and regularly runs about 4.05 home to first from the right side despite taking a big swing at the plate.

Best Defensive Catcher: Ryder Helfrick (Sr., Clayton Valley HS, Calif.)
 Helfrick was named the MVP of the 2022 PG All-American Classic due to his exploits as a hitter but he stands out as one of the top defensive catchers in the 2023 class as well.  A 6.77 runner who would be a top level third baseman as well, Helfrick has a plus arm behind the plate and outstanding lateral agility.

Best Defensive Infielder: Charlie Bates (Jr., Palo Alto HS, Calif.)
 Bates has a chance to become the top shortstop in the 2024 class nationally with additional strength and more national exposure.  He’s extremely athletic defensively and has all the tools to be a standout at the position for a long time.

Best Defensive Outfielder: Derek Curiel (Jr., Orange Lutheran HS, Calif.)
 Curiel is a natural center fielder who gets outstanding jumps and covers vast amounts of ground with his long and easy strides.  His arm is more solid than plus but he makes extremely accurate throws.

Best Defensive Arm: Trent Caraway (Sr., JSerra Catholic HS, Calif.)
Caraway has been gunned at 94 mph across the infield and his throws definitely pass the eye test, as he gets outstanding carry while maintaining accuracy.

Best Fastball: RHP Aidan Keenan (Sr., Live Oak HS, Calif.)
 Keenan’s fastball velocity is elite but what really sets the pitch apart is the big diving life he creates from an extended ¾’s arm slot.  His fastball picked up nine swing and misses in just two innings at the PG National Showcase due to that late life.

Best Off-Speed Stuff: Gabe Gaeckle (Sr., Aptos HS, Calif.)
 Gaeckle’s 80 mph curveball has exceptional hard biting action to go with its power velocity and regularly registers spin rates in the 2,900-3,000 rpm range.  His change up is a nice third pitch that he doesn’t often need to use in games yet and he commands both pitches well.

Best Pitchability: Cole Schoenwetter (Sr., San Marcos HS, Calif.)
Schoenwetter’s extreme strike out numbers (he also struck out 70 in 38 high school innings) are more due to his command and his ability to change speeds than from a dominating fastball.  His breaking ball doesn’t have plus power, mostly around 75 mph, but it has big vertical break and induces lots of swing and miss.

Best Multi-Sport Athlete: Will Burns (Sr., Trabuco Hills HS, Calif.)
Burns is signed to play both baseball and football at Texas Tech and it will be interesting to see which sports wins out in the end.  A speedy middle infielder with a strong arm, Burns is ranked 239th in the 2023 class in baseball.  On the football field, he threw for 2,762 yards and 25 touchdowns in 10 games as a senior along with averaging over 10 yards a rush and scoring nine times on the ground.
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