Marcus Semien, Evan Longoria among former California (CIF) high school stars in 2023 World Series
The 2023 World Series gets underway Friday night and it's no surprise that California is well represented on both sides.
The Rangers and Diamondbacks both have several players and coaching staff members that were high school standouts in California before going on to make their mark at the Major League level.
TEXAS RANGERS
Marcus Semien - Second Baseman - St. Mary's College High School
Semien was a sixth round pick out of Cal in 2011 and was in the Major Leagues with the White Sox two years later. Now in his 11th season, Semien has made two All-Star games, finished third in MVP voting twice and has missed only one game since 2020.
Austin Hedges - Catcher - JSerra High School
Hedges signed with the Padres in 2011 instead of going to UCLA. He's played for the Padres, Guardians, Pirates and Rangers and has developed the rep as one of the league's top defensive catchers.
Will Venable - Associate Manager - San Rafael High School
Venable played baseball and basketball at Princeton, averaging double digits in basketball during each of his final three seasons. He was drafted by the Padres in 2005 and made his way to the Major Leagues by 2008. He played nine season before beginning his coaching career that has led him to the Cubs and Red Sox before arriving in Texas.
Donnie Ecker - Bench Coach - Los Altos High School
Ecker played college baseball at both Long Beach State and Lewis-Clark State before being drafted by the Rangers in 2007. He finished up his playing career in 2011 and began coaching at the high school and collegiate levels before joining the Cardinals organization in 2015. He's in his second full season with the Rangers Major League staff.
Brett Hayes - Bullpen Coach - Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High School
Hayes was an All-Conference player at Nevada following his high school career. He was drafted in 2005 and played seven Major League seasons before transitioning into scouting and coaching in 2017.
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Kevin Ginkel - Right-handed pitcher - El Capitan High School
Ginkel played at Southwestern College and the University of Arizona after graduating from El Capitan. He made his Major League debut inn 2019 and had tossed a career high 65.1 innings this season out of the bullpen for the Diamondbacks.
Kyle Nelson - Left-handed pitcher - Galileo Academy of Science and Technology
Nelson played at UC Santa Barbara after high school and was a 15th round draft pick in 2017. He debuted for the Guardians at the end of the 2020 season and has pitched in 68 games for the Diamondbacks this season, making two starts.
Evan Longoria - Third Baseman - St. John Bosco High School
Longoria played a season at Rio Hondo College after high school before transferring to Long Beach State. He went on to be the third overall pick in the 2006 MLB Draft and was American League Rookie of the Year in 2008. He's a three-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner and has 342 career home runs.
Torey Luvullo - Manager - Montclair College Prep
Luvullo was a two-time Pac-10 Player of the Year at UCLA and a consensus All-American in 1987. He played for seven teams over his right Major League seasons, seeing time at all four infield positions as well as left field and right field. He began coaching with the Blue Jays in 2011 and has been the Diamondbacks manager since 2017.
Brent Strom - Pitching Coach - San Diego High School
After leaving San Diego High, Strom played at both San Diego City College and USC. He played five Major League seasons, playing the final three for the Padres. He began coaching in 1996 and spent eight seasons with the Astros before joining the Diamondbacks in 2022.
Barry Enright - Assistant Pitching Coach - Stockton St. Mary's High School
Enright was a second round pick out of Pepperdine in 2007 and made his Major League debut in 2010. He played four seasons for the Diamondbacks and Angels and began his coaching career in 2019.
Damion Easley - Assistant Hitting Coach - Lakewood High School
Easley was a 30th round pick out of Long Beach City College in 1988 and made his Major League debut with the Angels in 1992. He played for six teams over 17 seasons and made the All-Star game in 1998. He began coaching with the Padres in 2019 and is in his second season with the Diamondbacks.
Drew Hedman - Assistant Hitting Coach - Shasta High School
Hedman was a 50th round pick out of Pomona-Pitzer in 2009 and spent four minor league seasons with the Red Sox organization. He began coaching at Vanderbilt before joining the Diamondbacks as a scout in 2018.
Tony Perezchica - Third Base Coach - Palm Springs High School
Perezchica was a third round pick out of high school in 1984 and debuted with the Giants in 1988. He played four Major League seasons, finishing with Cleveland in 1992. He began his coaching career in Double-A in 1997 and has been the Diamondbacks third base coach since 2017.
(Feature photo by MLB.com)
-- Bodie De Silva | bodie@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveca
