Spring is a time for new beginnings, from the winter thaw to flowering fields.
East County athletes have become reacquainted with baseball, softball, boys volleyball, lacrosse, swimming and diving and track and field, among others, as the calendar has turned from February to March, and now to April.
Granite Hills remains a perennial high school baseball power within the San Diego Section and the Eagles’ 6-0 start to the 2025 hardball campaign seems to validate that.
Granite Hills has rounded the bases against Rancho Buena Vista (2-0 win on March 4), La Costa Canyon (6-5 win on March 10), St. Augustine (10-4 win over March 17), Coronado (5-0 win on March 19), Scripps Ranch (7-1 win on March 21) and Pt. Loma (6-2 win on March 24) in non-league games through March 25.
Team leaders include senior Tommy Entreken (0.476 hitting average, six RBI, one home run), senior Brenden Lewis (0.471 hitting average, eight RBI, two home runs) and junior Anthony Miotti (0.333 hitting average, five RBI).
Lewis is 2-0 with one save in three pitching appearances with a spotless 0.00 earned-run average and 25 strikeouts in 15 innings. Senior Josh Butters sported a 1.31 ERA and 1-0 record in two outings while senior Luke Bailey was 3-0 in three appearances with a 1.37 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 15.1 innings.
As a team, the Eagles staff had compiled a 0.83 ERA with 50 strikeouts in six games.
El Capitan boasted a 4-3 record in non-league play, followed by Grossmont, Mt. Miguel and West Hills all with 4-4 records. Helix and Valhalla were both 3-5 to start the new season.
Valhalla senior Mace Wheeler had batted 0.556 through seven games for the defending CIF champions while El Capitan senior Landon Harbach was hitting 0.444 through seven games.
Mt. Miguel hitters have been on a tear with five players at or over the 0.400 mark in the early going: senior Angel Delgado (0.524 hitting average), senior Pierson Williams (0.500 hitting average), senior Braylon Cardwell (0.440 hitting average), senior Mike Yancy (0.438 hitting average) and senior Joe Kellogg (0.400 hitting average).
The Matadors won last year’s Division V championship while Valhalla stole home with the Division III title.
West Hills had two players hitting over the 0.500 mark to start the season: seniors Carson-Kai Lewis (0.577 hitting average) and Joey Monetti (0.519 hitting average).
A pair of Foothillers also showed they can smack the ball: senior Durante Martinez with a 0.444 hitting average in seven games and sophomore Logan Struck with a 0.400 mark through eight games.
Monte Vista’s Alex Vargas was hitting 0.429 through five games.
Much like basketball, the opening month or so of the baseball season is relegated to tournament play and non-league contests. Granite Hills kicks off Grossmont Hills League play with a two-game series against Helix April 9-11.
