ORANGE COUNTY BASEBALL PREVIEW 2026
Orange Lutheran has fielded many outstanding baseball teams over many seasons.
The 2026 edition could be as good as any of them.
“It’s one of the deepest teams we’ve had here,” said Orange Lutheran coach RJ Farrell, who is going into his second season as the team’s coach after serving several years as an assistant coach under Eric Borba.
Orange Lutheran brings back many of the top players from last season’s team that finished 23-7 overall and was 10-5 in the Trinity League. The Lancers finished second in league to St. John Bosco, which went on to win the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship.
Senior right-handed pitcher Gary Morse was last season’s Orange County pitcher of the year. He committed to Tennessee.
Senior infielder Hamilton Friedberg was All-Trinity League second team last year when he batted. 341 with 28 RBIs. Friedberg committed to UCLA.
Senior catcher Brady Murrieta was All-Orange County third team and All-Trinity League first team last season. He is a four-year starter. Murrieta committed to Texas.
Junior right-handed starting pitcher Sam Principe was all-league second team last year when he posted a 1.58 ERA. Infielder Ricardo Hurtado, a junior, was all-league second team last season.
Incoming transfers include senior second baseman CJ Weinstein, a senior who was a starter at Huntington Beach last year; Cooper Sides, a senior right-handed pitcher from Red Bluff who committed to LSU; and senior outfielder Eric Zdunek, a Notre Dame commit from Maranatha.
NOTES
• The Loara Tournament, in its 46th season, began Tuesday. It is a 32-team tournament with eight pools of four teams each. Among the tournament’s teams are Newport Harbor and Villa Park. …
• Two early-season tournaments in the past did not return this season: Newport Elks Tournament and the Prep Baseball Report Tournament. …
• The Boras Classic South tournament is April 7-10 at JSerra and Mater Dei. Orange County’s Nos. 1 and 2 teams in the preseason rankings, Orange Lutheran and Huntington Beach, are in the field of teams, along with St. John Bosco, Fountain Valley, Newport Harbor, Corona, Corona Centennial, Ayala and Norco. …
• The massive Anaheim Lions Tournament begins March 2. It has 71 teams. …
• The RLF Spring Invitational tournament is March 28-April 1 at Great Park in Irvine. …
• The National Classic tournament is March 30-April 2 at El Dorado, Villa Park and Yorba Linda. Among the 16 teams in the field are the host schools along with Cypress, Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, Arcadia, Centennial and Aquinas. …
• The 65th Santa Ana Elks Tournament is April 4-April 8 at Century and various sites. Among the teams in it are Beckman and Laguna Hills. …
• Angel Stadium is the scheduled site for four high school baseball games: Laguna Beach vs. Costa Mesa, March 14; Brea Olinda vs. El Modena, March 17; Irvine vs. Beckman, April 11; and Troy vs. Marina, April 13. …
• The Orange County All-Star Baseball Game is June 3 at Great Park Stadium in Irvine. The coaches are John Weber of Cypress for the North team and Chris Price of Foothill for the South team.
PRESEASON TOP 10 TEAMS
1. Orange Lutheran: The Lancers, 23-7 last season, have a loaded lineup that includes last year’s Orange County pitcher of the year, Gary Morse. Also returning is four-year starting catcher Brady Murrieta, and the Lancers have added three impact transfers.
2. Huntington Beach: The Oilers, who finished 24-5 overall last year, have a deep pitching staff, led by senior pitcher Jared Grindlinger who was All-County first team last year. They have two standout sophomores, too, in Parker Leoff, who has committed to UCLA, and Ely Mason, who is committed to Oklahoma State.
3. Santa Margarita: The Eagles bring back a strong group from last year’s team that finished 20-14 and advanced to the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game. Senior shortstop Brody Schumaker is a two-time All-County selection. Senior catcher Warren Gravely IV, who committed to Notre Dame, was All-Trinity League second team last year, as was senior outfielder Chase Marlow.
4. JSerra: The Lions, 10-17 in 2025, have a top prospect in senior outfielder Blake Bowen and an outstanding leadoff batter in junior Shane D’Arcy. The pitching staff is young and inexperienced but has plenty of potential.
5. Mater Dei: The Monarchs return a fine group of players from last year’s team that finished 19-15 overall and was a CIF-SS Division 2 finalist. Sebastian Navarro, a junior, was All-Trinity League first team last season. Senior pitcher Jackson Campbell, who committed to Notre Dame, was all-league second team last year and senior outfielder Ezekiel Lara is a four-year starter.
6. Cypress: The Centurions bring back back several of their top players from last season’s team that went 18-11. Senior catcher Noah Johnson was the Crestview League MVP, and junior pitcher Tate Belfanti had a 1.30 ERA last season.
7. El Dorado: The Golden Hawks, 21-9 in 2025, should excel again on the mound and in the field. Senior infielder Lorenzo Favela and senior outfielder Xavi Cadena were all-league second team last season.
8. Newport Harbor: The Sailors, who were 22-7 last season, bring back senior pitcher/infielder Gavin Guy, who batted .333 with a team-high 17 RBIs last season and had a 1.10 ERA. Senior outfielder Ryan Williams was All-Sunset League first team last year.
9. Fountain Valley: The Barons were 18-15 last season. They were led by All-CIF first baseman Josh Grack, who batted .337 with 21 RBIs. Seniors Andrew Harviston and Billy Kutsch lead the team’s deep pitching staff.
10. Villa Park: Senior outfielder Aidan Young was All-County second team last season. Senior pitcher Jack McGuire was the Crestview League pitcher of the year for the Spartans, who went 25-8 overall. Outfielder Dom Gutierrez and infielder Gunner Santillo were all-league first team selections last season.
TOP 10 PLAYERS
Blake Bowen, JSerra, OF, Sr.: Bowen was All-County third team last season. He is a likely early-round selection in this year’s MLB Draft.
Carson Etnire, Aliso Niguel, OF, Sr.: Etnire was All-County third team last season when he batted .375 with 33 hits and 16 RBIs.
Jared Grindlinger, Huntington Beach, P, Sr.: He was 5-0 last season with a 0.87 ERA. Grindlinger was a sophomore last season, but has reclassified as a senior this year to make himself eligible for the 2026 MLB Draft.
Gavin Guy, Newport Harbor, P/Inf, Sr: Guy was named to the All-CIF Division 1 team, the All-County second team and was All-Sunset League first team. He committed to UC Santa Barbara.
Noah Johnson, Cypress, C, Sr: He was the Crestview League MVP last season. Johnson was All-County second team and has committed to Cal State Fullerton.
Gary Morse, Orange Lutheran, P, Sr.: Morse (6-8, 220), who committed to Tennessee, was the Orange County and Trinity League pitcher of the year. He was 8-2 with a 0.94 and 65 strikeouts in 52⅓ innings.
Brady Murrieta, Orange Lutheran, C, Sr.: A four-year starter for the Lancers, Murrieta was All-County third team last season and All-Trinity League first team. He committed to Texas.
Sebastian Navarro, Mater Dei, INF, Jr.: He was named to the All-Trinity League first team and All-CIF Division 2 team last season.
Brody Schumaker, Santa Margarita, INF, Sr.: Schumaker was All-Trinity League first team and All-County second team last season. He also was selected to the All-CIF Division 1 team.
Aidan Young, Villa Park, OF, Sr.: Young was All–County second team last season and was named to the All-CIF Division 1 team. He batted .406 with 23 RBIs in 33 games.
