2024 Team Preview: Corona Del Mar

March 7, 2024
By: Maddox Durst
Staff Writer

Follow @PrepBaseballCA Follow @LesLukach Follow @PBRmonk Follow @hardy03bsbl

New Episode LIVE now! - At The Yard Podcast

The 2024 California high school baseball season is quickly approaching and, as usual, excitement is abound throughout the state. Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season and, as is the case each year, there are some very talented players and teams across California.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in their respective CIF Section Championship Game, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes reality. We hope to familiarize our readers with many of the teams across the state as we preview individual teams across California. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews, eventually releasing our Preseason Power 25 rankings that’ll carry us into the opening week of action and the Third Annual Prep Baseball California Spring Invitational.

Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across California. Each week we will be releasing our Power 25, Players of the Week, Diamond Notes, Podcasts and much more.

Our 2024 season coverage continues today.

High School: Corona Del Mar Sea Kings
Head Coach: Kevin McCaffrey
CIF Section: CIF-SS, Division 2
Conference League: Sunset - Wave
2023 Record: 13-14-1, 3-6
Team X Handle: @CDMBaseball

Team Strengths: A deep pitching staff
No. of Returning Starters: 5
No. of Returning Pitchers: 2
Areas of Improvement: Finding ways to score runs

COMMITTED PLAYERS

+ ‘24 RHP Nick Salmon - UC-Santa Barbara

TOP UNCOMMITTED SENIORS

+ ‘24 C Dillon Lane
+ ‘24 OF Carter Danz

TOP UNCOMMITTED JUNIORS

+ ‘25 INF/RHP Vince Menard
+ ‘25 LHP Brady Andrews
+ ‘25 OF/RHP Marcello Anelli
+ ‘25 OF Brady Gadol

TOP UNDERCLASS FOLLOWS

Class of 2026

+ ‘26 LHP Stevie Jones
+ ‘26 RHP Ben Stone

TEAM OUTLOOK

Things are looking up for Corona Del Mar in the 2024 season, as the Sea Kings return a plethora of prospects after hanging around the .500 record for a majority of the past year. It starts with their leader and ace of the bunch in ‘24 RHP Nick Salmon, who will be taking his talents to UC-Santa Barbara once he graduates this upcoming spring.

Surrounding him is their third year catcher ‘24 Dillon Lane—anchoring the dish once again for one of the favorites in the Sunset - Wave Conference. ‘25 OF/RHP Marcello Anelli is an athlete to watch out for, as the junior is currently ranked No. 302 in Prep Baseball California’s 2025 rankings. Anelli put up quality numbers in a showcase earlier in his prep career, as he looks to build off of that here in the 2024 season.

A pair of left-handed pitchers in ‘26 Stevie Jones and ‘25 Brady Andrews will round out the pitching staff that looks to guide the Sea Kings to victory. Jones showed well over this past summer on the mound—navigating opponents’ lineups with a mature breaking ball and a little zip on his fastball.

Corona Del Mar and head coach Kevin McCaffery predict to be right in the conversation for a Sunset - Wave title, as the Sea Kings look to make a splash in the Los Angeles area throughout the regular season and beyond.

Coach Kevin McCaffrey’s Expectations: “We are excited about our pitching staff. We are filling a few key positions in the infield. We have a very good three-year starting catcher in Dillon Lane. We will be scrappy on offense. Nick Salmon will lead the pitching staff. Junior LHP - Brady Andrews and sophomore LHP Stevie Jones will be the other two starting pitchers. Vince Menard will lead the team offensively.”