2025 High School Previews: Huntington Beach Oilers
December 22, 2024
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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 Huntington Beach Oilers.
2025 TEAM OUTLOOK
High School: Huntington Beach Oilers
Head Coach: Benji Medure
CIF Section: Southern
Division: Division 1
2024 Record (Playoff Finish): 24-10 (Semis CIF-SS D1 (Lost to Corona) Semis CIF- Southern Regional (lost to la mirada))
Key Players Lost: Nathan Aceves, Tony Martinez, Travis Curry
+ No. Returning Positional Starters: 7
+ No. Returning Pitchers: 6
+ Team Strengths: 1-9 lineup that can hit, good defense in the middle, solid pitching both right and left
ROSTER PREVIEW
+ Key Players:
Seniors:
+ '25 C Trent Grindlinger Mississippi State commit
+ '25 1B Jayton Greer USD commit
+ '25 SS/2B Cole Clark UC Irvine commit
+ '25 3B Ethan Porter Oregon State commit
+ '25 OF Trevor Goldenetz Long Beach State commit
+ '25 OF John Petrie Oregon State commit
+ '25 RHP Tyler Bellerose Oregon State commit
+ '25 RHP Otto Espinoza Cal Commit
Juniors:
+ '26 SS/2B CJ Weinstein LSU commit (Prep Baseball All-American Game alum)
+ '26 INF/RHP Dane Cunningham Cal Poly SLO commit
+ '26 Jason Dunham SS/2B
+ Projected Starters: Tyler Bellerose, Otto Espinoza, Jared Grindlinger, Tanner Brown
+ Projected Relievers: Jake Frohn, Ashton Arroyo, Dane Cunningham, Freddie Angiuli
IMPACT UNDERCLASSMEN
+ '27 LHP/OF Jared Grindlinger (#1 ranked '27 by Prep Baseball California)
+ '27 OF/LHP Tanner Brown TCU commit
BOTTOM LINE
Our lineup is loaded from top to bottom with players who can put up offensive numbers that should give us plenty of opportunities to score runs. Backed up by strong defense and a deep pitching staff, our club is in a good spot heading into the 2025 season. - Coach Medure
PREP BASEBALL CA STAFF’S TAKE
Coach Medure is being modest in the above comments, a good spot would be a team that will compete for a league title. The Oilers are amongst the best, and deepest, teams in the entire state of California. Anything can happen in high school baseball, but the Oilers have the type of roster that can easily respond to an opponents best punch. The lineup is deep and balanced top-to-bottom with no glaring holes. It's so deep that bottom-of-the-order hitters in this lineup will have the opportunity to play in college at some level. It's that good. The rotation is equally as good led by as many as four Division I collegiate level arms, including the No. 1 2027 player in the country. We'll take Coach Medure's modesty as we've become accustomed to it over the years, but make no mistake, this Oilers team is as good a bet as anybody to be the last team standing on May 31st. - Les Lukach
Learn more about California’s 2025 spring season below:
+ Follow Huntington Beach on X: @hbhs_basebll
+ Find more team previews on the Prep Baseball California Power 25 homepage
FOLLOW US THROUGHOUT THE SPRING
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+ Prep Baseball California on Facebook
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MORE 2025 TEAM PREVIEWS
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Novato Hornets 2/09/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) Knights 2/09/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Rocklin Thunder 2/08/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Harvard Westlake Wolverines 2/08/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Villa Park Spartans 2/07/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Franklin Wildcats 2/07/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Ayala Bulldogs 2/03/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Buena Bulldogs 2/03/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Paso Robles Bearcats 2/02/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Amador Buffaloes 2/02/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Folsom Bulldogs 2/01/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Corona Del Mar Sea Kings 2/01/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Petaluma Trojans 1/30/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Clovis West 1/30/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Foothill Knights 1/30/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Oak Ridge Trojans 1/29/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Fullerton Indians 1/29/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Granite Hills Eagles 1/28/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: St. Francis Salesian Prep Sharks 1/28/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Santa Margarita Catholic Eagles 1/27/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Patrick Henry Patriots 1/27/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Mater Dei Monarchs 1/25/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: St. Augustine Saints 1/25/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: San Marcos Royals 1/24/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Cabrillo Conquistadores 1/23/25
Upcoming Events
Showcase | State | Date | Location |
Orange County Preseason ID | CA | 01/02/25 | JSerra |
San Diego Preseason All State (Invite Only) | CA | 01/04/25 | Maranatha Christian High School |
Central California Preseason All State (Invite Only) | CA | 01/05/25 | Antelope Valley College |
Central California Preseason ID | CA | 01/12/25 | Ventura College |
North Bay Preseason ID | CA | 01/25/25 | Novato High School |
Northern California Preseason All State (Invite Only) | CA | 01/26/25 | Ohlone College |
East Bay Preseason ID | CA | 02/01/25 | Pittsburg High School |
MORE PREP BASEBALL NEWS
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Novato Hornets 2/09/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) Knights 2/09/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Rocklin Thunder 2/08/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Harvard Westlake Wolverines 2/08/25
- CA Central California Preseason ID: Infielder Analysis 2/07/25
- CA Central California Preseason ID: Catcher Analysis 2/07/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Villa Park Spartans 2/07/25
- CA 2025 High School Previews: Franklin Wildcats 2/07/25
- CA Sacramento Preseason ID: Preview Story 2/07/25
- CA Sacramento Rising Stars ID: Preview Story 2/07/25