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The 2025 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 these individual programs across California. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews, eventually releasing our Preseason Power 25 rankings.

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 2025 preseason coverage continues today with a preview of the Harvard Westlake Wolverines.

2025 TEAM OUTLOOK

High School: Harvard Westlake Wolverines
Head Coach: Jared Halpert
CIF Section: Southern Section
Division: Division 1 (2024)
2024 Record (Playoff Finish):  25-5-1 / 15-1-1 Mission League Champs / CIF-SS D1 Runner Up
Key Players Lost:  Bryce Rainer, Duncan Marsten, Tommy Bridges, Jacob Magna

+ No. Returning Positional Players: 13
+ No. Returning Pitchers: 7
+ Team Strengths: Offensive talent/depth/experience, athleticism, defensive ability and deep strong pitching staff.

+ Key Players: 

Seniors:

+ '25 INF Jack Laffitte Michigan Commit

+ '25 INF Cade Goldstein UCSB Commit

+ '25 1B/RHP Miguel Villegas

+ '25 RHP Jackson Alex

+ '25 INF Brooks Fischer

+ '25 RHP James Min

Juniors:

+ '26 OF/INF James Tronstein Stanford Commit

+ '26 OF Ethan Price

+ '26 RHP/INF Evan Alexander Penn Commit

+ '26 RHP Jake Chung

+ Projected Starters: To Be Determined

+ Projected Relievers: To Be Determined

IMPACT UNDERCLASSMEN 

+ '27 OF Ira Rootman

+ '27 C Drew Rico

+ '27 RHP/C Nate Blum 

+ '27 RHP/INF Justin Kirchner

BOTTOM LINE

The pitching staff will have some questions marks heading into 2025 with the loss of front line starter Marsten, closer Rainer and the highly talented experienced Bridges, but the Wolverines don't lack for quality arms that can fill the rotation and bullpen throughout the spring. How quickly those arms perform to their potential in non-league play and during the grind of the uber-competitive Mission League schedule will be vital to their success. The Wolverines grind out at bats game in and game out making any pitchers day against them difficult, but this lineup adds top to bottom talent to the grind those pitchers will face and has a chance to be the focal point of another strong season in the powerhouse programs history. 

PREP BASEBALL CA STAFF’S TAKE

"While any program losing the star power of a Rainer and a Marsten is sure to miss the production of that each provided to the previous years squad, but the 2025 Wolverines do not lack for high end talent. Their pitching staff will be a collection of strong arms with the addition of Alexander (transfer into program) giving them a boost on the mound. As well, with pitching coach Joe Guntz working with this group day in and day out there is plenty of reason to believe the front line guys are going to make big steps this spring and pieces behind them are going to jump on the scene this spring. But, the strength of this team might shift from that star power arms of 2024 to the depth/talent of the lineup in 2025. Fronted by one of the best hitters in the '26 class both in California/Nationally in Tronstein and then the experienced trio of SRs. Villegas, Goldstein and Laffitte, plus a rising group of pieces behind them like Price, Rootman and Rico. The top to bottom depth of the Wolverines lineup is going to make them extremely difficult to face for any pitching staff and with Coach Halpert steering the offensive ship of Harvard Westlake they have as good a chance as any program of claiming the Mission League title." - Steven Hardesty Assistant Scouting Director

Learn more about California’s 2025 spring season below:

+ Follow Harvard Westlake on X: @hwbaseball
+ Find more team previews on the Prep Baseball California Season Previews homepage

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+ Prep Baseball California on X
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MORE 2025 TEAM PREVIEWS

Upcoming Events

Showcase	State	Date	Location
Orange County Rising Stars ID	CA	03/02/25	Mater Dei High School
Inland Empire Rising Stars ID	CA	03/30/25	Corona High School
Los Angeles Rising Stars ID	CA	04/27/25	O'Malley Field

MORE PREP BASEBALL NEWS