Prep Baseball Report

2025 High School Previews: Valencia Vikings


Steven Hardesty
Assistant Scouting Director

 

  

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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 Valencia Vikings.


2025 TEAM OUTLOOK

High School: Valencia Vikings
Head Coach: Tim Pennell
CIF Section: Southern Section
Division: Division 2 (2024)
2024 Record (Playoff Finish):  15-13-1 (CIF-SS D2 round 2)
Key Players Lost: Aiden Voyles, Chad Stanchfield

+ No. Returning Positional Players: 2
+ No. Returning Pitchers: 3
+ Team Strengths: Defensive ability all over the field and pitching staff.

ROSTER PREVIEW

+ Key Players:

Seniors:

+ '25 INF Lincoln Hunt

+ '25 OF/RHP Noah Jaquez

+ '25 Conor Crawford

+ '25 INF Colton Biggs 

Juniors:

+ '26 LHP/1B Justin Gaisford


+ '26 C Tyler Wertz

+ '26 Zach Davis

+ '26 Dexton Otton

+ '26 Carter Lawson

+ '26 Kyle Joising

+ '26 Paco Valaquez 

+ Projected Starters: Justin Gaisford, Noah Jaquez, Dexton Otton, Connor Crawford
+ Projected Relievers: Grey Lewis, Charlie Rominelli 

IMPACT UNDERCLASSMEN

+ '27 Cole DeYoung 

BOTTOM LINE

The 2025 Vikings squad features a large depth of upperclassmen especially with the SR. class being very solid and a strong JR. class behind them. We are going to play defense at a high level across the board and we boast a deep strong pitching staff which will make us tough to score on. But, how well we produce on the offensive side of the game is going to go a long way to determining if we get back to the playoffs again in 2025. - Coach Pennell

PREP BASEBALL CA STAFF’S TAKE

The Vikings put together a solid 2024 campaign in which I got multiple looks at them over the course of the fall/spring and then pushed the eventual CIF-SS D2 runner up Moorpark squad in the playoffs. Now with some new faces taking prominent roles in their lineup their ability to produce on offense is going to be a key part of what they do both in league play, but also in trying to make a return trip to the playoffs. I'm a big fan of Sr. 2-way Noah Jaquez and what he can do both to guide their offense, but also how valuable he will be to their pitching staff. Jr. 2-way Justin Gaisford is a talented/polished player who will be also vital to their offensive and pitching success. I got a quick look at Hunt in 2024 and his RH hitting profile could be a big piece of the offense plus I've gotten some good reports coming back on Wertz and DeYoung as potential key pieces. All in all the Foothill League year in and year out is difficult to find success in as one of the best public school only leagues in my region, but the Vikings have the pieces in their program to make some noise towards the top of the league again in 2025. - Assistant Scouting Director Steven Hardesty

Learn more about California’s 2025 spring season below:

+ Follow Valencia on X: @valenciabasebal
+ 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
North Bay Preseason ID CA 01/25/25 Novato High School
Inland Empire Preseason ID CA 01/26/25 Ganesha High School
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