Prep Baseball Report

2024 Spring Invitational Preview: Corona


Matt Monk

 

   

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. - For the third consecutive year, the 2024 CIF-Southern Section high school baseball season will again kick off with the premier spring high school baseball tournament in Southern California, the Prep Baseball California Spring Invitational.  The 16 team field will compete in a bracketed, winner-take-all format that will once again feature many of California's top prep baseball teams. This tournament holds massive implications for our Power 25 State Rankings and annually gives pro scouts an early glimpse into how some of the area's top draft prospects perform out the gate.  

Today, we continue with the Corona Panthers, a CIF-Southern Section Division I school out of Corona competing in the "Big VIII. Led by 15th year head coach Andy Wise, the Panthers went 22-11 last year turning in a first-round exit in playoffs.

Corona enters the 2024 season with returning impact players: '24 LHP Ethan Schiefelbein (UCLA), '25 SS Brady Ebel (LSU), '25 SS Billy Carlson (Vanderbilt), and '25 RHP/1B Seth Hernandez (Vanderbilt). Wise said about expectations for 2024, "High end returners to go with high end newcomers will have high expectations."

And while some may be a year away in some instances, the Panthers have some underclassmen looking to break into the lineup and rotation including '26 INF Trey Ebel, '26 OF/RHP Anthony Murphy, and '27 LHP/OF Mason Sims.

Wise also said, "[We have a] Deep pitching staff, long line up, speed, power, defense, experience. Hard working multi talented group of ballplayers that get along real well."

We will get to see a full range of players and the first test of Corona's depth at the Preseason Invitational as the Panthers look to solidify and define their lineup and rotation for the 2024 season. 

College Commitments:

'24 LHP Ethan Schiefelbein - UCLA - 6'1 185 lbs.

'24 C/3B Josh Springer - Oregon - 6'2 200 lbs.

'24 LHP/1B Sam Burgess - TCU - 6'0 185 lbs.

'25 SS Billy Carlson - Vanderbilt - 6'1 165 lbs.

'25 RHP/1B Seth Hernandez - Vanderbilt - 6'4 190 lbs.

'25 SS Brady Ebel - LSU - 6'3 185 lbs.

Top Uncommitted ‘26s:

’26 INF Trey Ebel - 5'11 175 lbs.

'26 OF Anthony Murphy - 6'1 180 lbs.

Top Uncommitted ‘27s:

’27 LHP/OF Mason Sims - 5'10 150 lbs.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Showcase State  Date  Location
Orange County Preseason ID CA 01/04 JSerra High School - San Juan Capistrano
SoCal Preseason All-State: Underclass (Invite-Only) CA 01/06 Temescal Canyon HS - Lake Elsinore, CA
SoCal Preseason All-State: Upperclass (Invite-Only) CA 01/07 Temescal Canyon HS- Lake Elsinore, CA
Fresno Preseason ID CA 01/14 Fresno Pacific University - Fresno, CA
Bay Area Preseason ID CA 01/21 College of San Mateo - San Mateo, CA
Inland Empire Preseason ID CA 01/21 Santiago High School - Corona, CA
NorCal Preseason All-State (Invite-Only) CA 01/27 Mission College - Santa Clara, CA
Sacramento Preseason ID CA 01/28 William Jessup University - Rocklin, CA
East Bay Preseason ID CA 02/04 Chabot College - Hayward, CA

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