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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.  

We continue with the Gahr Gladiators, a CIF-Southern Section Division II school out of Cerritos competing in the Gateway League. Led by 19th year head coach Gerardo Perez, the Gladiators went 23-7-1 last year turning in a quarter-final appearance in the playoffs.

Gahr enters the 2024 season with returning impact players '24 C Jose Pacheco Perez (Long Beach State), '24 OF Mike Lee (Uncommitted), '26 1B/RHP Bryce Morrison (USC), '26 SS Andres Gonzalez (USC), and '24 RHP Andrew Gonzalez (Uncommitted). Perez said, "The list of seniors is short... we will have to rely on some proven, household names."

Even without a big senior class, Gahr has tons of underclassmen who have varsity experience.

Newcomers to the varsity team looking to make an impact by filling vacancies or platooning with upperclassmen include '26 C/SS Oscar Grijalva, '25 OF/INF Aiden Baysa, and '25 LHP Matthew Sandoval.

And while they may be a year away in some instances, the Gladiators have some underclassmen looking to break into the lineup and rotation including '26 RHP Jake Ourique and '26 LHP Jorge Valdez.

Perez finished by saying, "The team is loaded with young talent and physicality and will have to play tight defense to help a young staff."

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

College Commitments:

'24 C Jose Pacheco Perez - Long Beach State - 6'2 210 lbs.

'26 1B/RHP Bryce Morrison - USC - 6'0 180 lbs.

'26 SS Andres Gonzalez - USC - 6'0 180 lbs.

Top Uncommitted ‘25s:

’25 LHP Matthew Sandoval - 5'10 175 lbs.

'25 OF/INF Aiden Baysa - 5'10 165 lbs.

Top Uncommitted ‘26s:

’26 C/SS Oscar Grijalva - 5'8 160 lbs.

'26 RHP Jake Ourique - 5'11 190 lbs.

'26 LHP Jorge Valdez - 6'3 175 lbs.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

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