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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 Paso Robles Bearcats.

2025 TEAM OUTLOOK

High School: Paso Robles Bearcats
Head Coach: TJ Durfee
CIF Section: Central Section
Division: Division 1 (2024)
2024 Record (Playoff Finish):  16-12 (CCAA-Ocean Champions, Central Section D1 Playoffs)
Key Players Lost:  Kade Mitchell

+ No. Returning Positional Players: 13
+ No. Returning Pitchers: 9
+ Team Strengths: Deep pitching staff with experience and talent, versatile offense with emerging talent.

+ Key Players: 

Seniors:

+ '25 Braydon Hoier

+ '25 CJ Mercado

Juniors:

+ '26 Talen Frietas

+ '26 Cole Walker

+ '26 Marcus Garcia

+ '26 Chris Glover

+ Projected Starters: Braydon Hoier, Marcus Garcia, Talen Frietas or CJ Mercado

+ Projected Relievers: Jaiden Soboleski, Casey Prieto and TBD

IMPACT UNDERCLASSMEN 

+ '27 Jaiden Soboleski

+ '27 Casey Prieto

+ '27 Xander Hermanson

+ '27 Emmett Debroth

+ '27 Blayne Lowry

+ '28 Ethan Rendon

BOTTOM LINE

Coming off a year in which we claimed the CCAA-Ocean league title and competed against Bullard in round 1 of the CIF-Central Section D1 playoffs we are looking to take the next step this spring. We will rely on the strength and depth of our pitching staff to guide us through the spring and the effectiveness of a versatile offense to see if we can build on the success of last year. 

PREP BASEBALL CA STAFF’S TAKE

I'm excited to see TJ Durfee take over his alma mater as the head baseball coach at Paso Robles High School. TJ was a tremendous player at the collegiate level who brought talent, work ethic, toughness, drive and a fantastic personality as a player and undoubtedly many of those traits will carry into his presence as the Bearcats Head Coach. He has a roster that is filled with young talent especially in the Soph. class with 4 players who gained valuable experience in 2024 and had flashes of success while his Jr. class features plenty of talent that also put together strong 2024 campaigns. Then a pair of Sr. arms fronted by Hoier who was dominant as JR. for the Bearcats and should be vital to their success again this year. Keep your eyes on this program to make noise again during the CCAA league schedule and on the grander stage in the Central Section not only this year, but also going forward. - Steven Hardesty Assistant Scouting Director

Learn more about California’s 2025 spring season below:

+ Follow Paso Robles on Instagram: @prhs_athletics
+ Find more team previews on the Prep Baseball California Season Previews homepage

FOLLOW US THROUGHOUT THE SPRING

+ Prep Baseball California on X
+ Prep Baseball California on Instagram
+ Prep Baseball California on Facebook
+ Prep Baseball California on YouTube

MORE 2025 TEAM PREVIEWS

Upcoming Events

Showcase	State	Date	Location
East Bay Preseason ID	CA	02/01/25	Pittsburg High School
Sacramento Preseason ID	CA	02/09/25	McBean Park
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