2024 California preseason high school baseball all-state team: Corona leads with three selections
The high school baseball season is underway in the Southern and LA City Sections with the rest of California not far behind.
Here is SBLive's 2024 California preseason all-state high school baseball team. The 21-player were selected by SBLive reporter Bodie DeSilva.
PITCHERS—
Austin Steeves – Casa Grande – Senior
Steeves was named California Pitcher of the Year by SBLive last season after finishing with a 0.39 ERA and 158 strikeouts in 89.1 innings. He has signed with Stanford.
Ethan Schiefelbein – Corona – Senior
Schiefelbein went 7-1 with a 0.64 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 55 innings. The UCLA-signee held his opponents scoreless in eight of his 11 appearances this season while issuing only 15 walks.
Nic Abraham – Franklin (Elk Grove) – Senior
Abraham went 10-0 with a 0.61 ERA for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 1 champions. He's signed with Tennessee.
Levi Sterling – Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) – Senior
In 15 appearances as a junior, Sterling had a 0.55 ERA and struck out 59 batters in 38 innings. He's signed with Texas.
Boston Bateman – Camarillo – Senior
An LSU-signee who stands at six-foot-eight, Bateman has struck out nearly two batters per innings over the past two seasons. As a junior, he struck out 60 batters in 37 innings, finishing with a 1.70 ERA.
Mason Brassfield – Bakersfield Christian – Senior
Brassfield has 253 strikeouts over three varsity seasons. As a junior the TCU-signee had a 2.07 ERA while striking out 145 batters in 67.2 innings. He's also hit eight home runs over the past two years.
Tommy Bridges – Harvard-Westlake – Senior
Bridges, a TCU-signee, finished 7-1 with a 0.59 ERA and 87 strikeouts last season. He pairs up with Duncan Marsten to five Harvard-Westlake one of the nation's best pitching duos.
Matthew Champion – JSerra – Senior
Champion went 8-1 with a 1.65 ERA, striking out 59 batters. He did not allow a run during 16 postseason innings.
JSerra's Matthew Champion helped the Lions win a second straight CIF title in 2023
Photo by Heston Quan
CATCHERS—
Dylan Fien – Great Oak – Senior
Fien, a UCLA-signee, has a .459 average over the past two seasons with 16 extra-base hits. In 150 career plate appearances, he's struck out only 11 times.
Nick Montgomery – Cypress – Senior
Montgomery has big time power from the right side and is capable of playing catcher, first base or the outfield. He's signed with Arizona State.
Kalen Applefield – La Costa Canyon – Senior
Applefield finished with a .552 on-base percentage as a junior, walking 31 times. The Cal-signee has 26 extra-base hits over his first three seasons.
INFIELDERS—
Bryce Rainer – Harvard-Westlake – Senior
Rainer, a Texas-signee, gives the Wolverines an excellent third option on the mound. Last season at the plate, he hit .436 with nine doubles and three home runs.
Brady Ebel – Corona – Junior
Ebel has a .477 on-base percentage and 25 extra-base hits over his first two seasons. He'll have to sit out the first 30 days this season after transferring from Etiwanda in the offseason.
T.P. Wentworth – Central Catholic (Modesto) – Senior
A two-way standout who also stars for the Raiders in football and basketball, Wentworth has signed to play at Clemson. He has a career on-base percentage of .534 over his first three seasons with 30 extra-base hits. On the mound last season, Wentworth went 9-0 with a 1.29 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 70.1 innings.
Charlie Bates – Palo Alto – Senior
Bates, an elite defensive shortstop, has hit .375 over three varsity seasons. As a junior, the Stanford-signee had four home runs, five doubles and walked more than he struckout.
Carter Johnstone – Los Gatos – Senior
Johnstone hit .464 with a .591 on-base percentage while striking out just three times as a junior. The Cal State Fullerton commit also had 11 doubles, four home runs, two triples and six stolen bases.
Addison Klepsch – Del Norte – Senior
Klepsch hit .365 with a .504 on-base percentage during his first season at Del Norte. The Auburn-signee had 11 doubles, five home runs and two triples while stealing 23 bases.
OUTFIELDERS—
Derek Curiel – Orange Lutheran – Senior
Curiel is a four-year starter for the Lancers with a career on-base percentage of .427. The LSU-signee had a home run and eight doubles last year and enters his final year with 41 career stolen bases.
Anthony Murphy – Corona – Sophomore
Murphy quickly made a name for himself as a freshman, hitting .342. He finished the year with six home runs, five doubles and a triple.
Jack Haferkamp – Santa Fe Christian – Senior
Haferkamp made a big jump forward as a junior, hitting .493 with a .614 on-base percentage. He hit six home runs and six doubles while stealing 20 bases for the second straight season.
Tatum Marsh – Valley Christian (San Jose) – Senior
Marsh hit .350 with a .496 on-base percentage for the Central Section Division 1 champions. The Stanford-signee had eight doubles and three home runs while stealing 38 bases.
