The 2025 National High School Invitational is underway in Cary, North Carolina, as elite high schools from around the nation vye for the title of champion. Top talent and promising prospects are set to make their mark at the USA Baseball National Training Complex as fans and scouts alike set their sights on players chasing their dreams during a week when the standard has never been higher.
From coast to coast, America’s pastime is well represented by eight states and 16 elite programs. Among the field, there are five nationally ranked schools and 135 student-athletes committed to playing baseball collegiately. In addition, eight participating players are featured on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Draft Prospects list. There is no better time for players and teams to garner national recognition than at the renowned NHSI. Follow along as top performances and statistical leaders are updated with big names and star-studded rosters that are sure to make an impact.
DAY ONE
Day One of NHSI did not disappoint; through eight games played on the first day at the National Training Complex, 72 total runs were scored and three walk-offs took place. Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.) was the lone team to put up double-digit runs (10), while Collierville (Collierville, Tenn.), Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.), and Venice (Venice, Fla.) each allowed one run or fewer. There were plenty of close contests as well, with five games being decided by two runs or less. Corona del Sol brought the bats, picking up a tournament-leading 13 hits as a team while Regis Jesuit brought the arms, allowing only three hits en route to a 3-1 win against Wesleyan Christian (High Point, N.C.).
Casteel’s (Queen’s Creek, Ariz.) Ryan Harwood, Collierville’s AJ Greene, and Huntington Beach’s (Huntington Beach, Calif.) Evan Porter each picked up three base hit outings to kick off the tournament. Harwood went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored while Porter also went 3-for-4 with three RBIs in addition to 1.1 innings pitched. Poly Prep’s (Brooklyn, N.Y.) Justice de Jong and Trinity Christian’s (Jacksonville, Fla.) Aaron Watson each fired 7.0 innings while **Zane Burns (**Corona del Sol), Ari Berthea (Collierville), and Luke Reasbeck (Regis Jesuit) hurled 6.0 frames apiece. Watson led all pitchers in the strikeout category with 10 punchouts on the day.
To no surprise, players posted outstanding performances and astonishing numbers both at the plate and on the mound. See below for advanced analytics from day one of the NHSI!
It was all gas, no brakes for three pitchers in particular on Wednesday, as the trio of pitchers including Miguel Sime Jr, Aaron Watson, and Otto Espinoza accounted for the top 50 of the fastest pitches tracked at the complex. Sime Jr., who is committed to Louisiana State University, came on in relief for Poly Prep in its contest against Huntington Beach and averaged an astounding 96.6 mph with his fastball. On the other side of the ball, Texas A&M commit Ryan Harwood registered the most hard hit balls, with three batted balls at 100 mph or greater exit velocity.
Top 5 Batted Ball Exit Velocity:
- Josh Hammond (Wesleyan Christian) - 110.6 mph
- Ethin Bingaman (Corona) - 109.9 mph
- Christopher Reali (Trinity Christian) - 108.1 mph
- Kevin Jeon (La Mirada) - 106.7 mph
- Billy Carlson (Corona) - 106.5 mph
Top 5 Hit Distance:
- Aiden Arnett (Trinity Christian) - 363 feet
- Kevin Jeon (La Mirada) - 354 feet
- Aiden Aguayo (Trinity Christian) - 351 feet
- Matthew Fernandez (Christopher Columbus) - 350 feet
- Ryan Harwood (Casteel) - 349 feet
Top 3 Fastball Velocity:
- Miguel Sime Jr. (Poly Prep) - 97.7 mph
- Aaron Watson (Trinity Christian) - 95.8 mph
- Otto Espinoza (Huntington Beach) - 95.1 mph
Top 5 Breaking Ball Spin Rate:
- Ethan Porter (Huntington Beach) - 2704 rpm
- Ari Bethea (Collierville) - 2658 rpm
- Aaron Watson (Trinity Christian) - 2563 rpm
- Reece Denman (Collierville) - 2561 rpm
- Jayden Daya (Corona) - 2510 rpm
DAY TWO
Pitchers stole the show on the second day of the National High School Invitational, as high velocity arms and durable hurlers were seen throughout the USA Baseball National Training Complex. In all eight games played on Thursday, the losing teams were held to two runs or less while six of those contests featured teams who were held to one run or fewer. In addition, half of the games on today’s slate were decided by three runs or fewer. On the contrary, both Huntington Beach (Huntington Beach, Calif.) and Stony Brook School (Stony Brook, N.Y.) put up double digit runs on second day victories. Granada (Livermore, Calif.) tossed a shutout in a 1-0 victory over Holly Springs (Holly Springs, N.C.) as Tyler Kennedy and Connor Raridan combined for 13 strikeouts.
High caliber arms were on full display, as five different pitchers tossed 7.0 innings or more, including Corona del Sol’s (Tempe, Ariz.) Brett Crossland, who fired 8.0 innings while allowing only four hits and one run to score. A pitchers’ duel ensued in the first quarterfinal matchup of the day between Ethan Wheeler of Trinity Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Hudson Alpert of Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.). Wheeler hurled a complete game by throwing 7.0 innings of four-hit ball while allowing only one run and striking out 11. Alpert went toe-to-toe with Wheeler, spinning a complete game of his own in a 7.0 inning, three-hit and one run allowed performance. Seth Hernandez powered Corona’s quarterfinal win over Christopher Columbus (Miami, Fla.) by striking out 11 batters in his complete game, 7.0 inning outing while Jackson Lucas shined for Venice (Venice, Fla.) in its quarterfinal contest, throwing 7.1 innings of two-hit ball.
Plenty of offense was witnessed as well; Ryan Harwood of Casteel (Queens Creek, Ariz.) posted another outstanding performance at the plate and went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Mateo Lopez for Stony Brook also went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs while his teammate and 12U National Team alum Julian Martinez went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored.
It was impossible to miss Seth Hernandez on the bump for Corona, as the Vanderbilt baseball commit threw nothing but heat all day. Hernandez accounted for 42 of the top 50 fastest pitches among all players on Thursday. Hernandez's fastball averaged 96.3 mph and he threw his four-seam for strikes 80% of the time. He showcased a five-pitch arsenal which mostly consisted of fastballs, changeups, and sinkers, while both of his hits at the plate surpassed 100 mph off the bat.
Looking at Ethan Wheeler's performance, it makes sense he was able to notch double-digit strikeouts. His utilization of a fastball that hovered between 89-91 mph was complemented by an impossible-to-hit curveball that averaged 2673 rpm, resulting in an eye-boggling 66.7% whiff rate on those breaking balls. Wheeler needed 94 pitches to complete his outing and he threw strikes 74% of the time.
Top 5 Batted Ball Exit Velocity:
- Anthony DeCesare (Stony Brook) - 104.8 mph
- Cole Bowman (Wesleyan Christian) - 104.2 mph
- Seth Hernandez (Corona) - 103.8 mph
- August Backman (Venice) - 103.3 mph
- Win Gurney (La Mirada) - 103.2 mph
Top 5 Hit Distance:
- Joshua Sur (Corona) - 352 feet
- Trent Grindlinger (Huntington Beach) - 350 feet
- Gavin Flores (Corona) - 349 feet
- Aiden Colasante (Poly Prep) - 349 feet
- Billy Carlson (Corona) - 347 feet
Top 3 Fastball Velocity:
- Seth Hernandez (Corona) - 98.8 mph
- Josh Hammond (Wesleyan Christian) - 96.1 mph
- Sam Cozart (Wesleyan Christian) - 95.5 mph
Top 5 Breaking Ball Spin Rate:
- Seth Hernandez (Corona) - 2794 rpm
- Ethan Wheeler (Trinity Christian) - 2791 rpm
- Hudson Alpert (Regis Jesuit) - 2776 rpm
- Sam Cozart (Wesleyan Christian) - 2773 rpm
- Donald Murray (La Mirada) - 2766 rpm
DAY THREE
The third day of the National High School Invitational was highlighted by two semifinal games between four elite programs. Venice tossed a shutout and downed the previously unbeaten Corona Panthers en route to securing a spot in the championship while Trinity Christian walked-off Huntington Beach to advance to the title game. Four teams won by four or more runs while Casteel put up a tournament-leading 15 runs against Holly Springs.
On the bump, Christopher Columbus’ Dayan Viciedo was lights out, tossing 7.0 innings of no-hit ball, punching out five batters in the process. Regis Jesuit’s starter, Michael Kroll, also went the distance and hurled a complete game of 7.0 innings while allowing four hits and no earned runs.
At the plate, Ryne Barker for Casteel posted a 3-for-3, three RBI and two runs scored stat line. Huntington Beach’s Trevor Goldenetz also delivered a three-hit performance while Aquiles Arzeno (Christopher Columbus) went 3-for-5 on the third day of action.
Top 5 Batted Ball Exit Velocity:
- Liam McNierney (Holly Springs) - 105.3 mph
- Ryan Harwood (Casteel) - 105.1 mph
- Anthony Murphy (Corona) - 104.8 mph
- Brady Ebel (Corona) - 103.9 mph
- Christopher Reali (Trinity Christian) - 103.8 mph
Top 5 Hit Distance:
- Aidan Colasante (Poly Prep) - 391 feet
- Tommy Brown (Granada) - 358 feet
- Brady Harris (Trinity Christian) - 352 feet
- Jason Dunham (Huntington Beach) - 341 feet
- Ethin Bingaman (Corona) - 340 feet
Top 5 Fastball Velocity:
- Ethin Bingaman (Corona) - 94.2 mph
- David Hinojosa (Poly Prep) - 92.5 mph
- Christopher Nell (The Stony Brook) - 91.5 mph
- Gavin Flores (Corona) - 91.4 mph
- Tyler Bellerose (Huntington Beach) - 91.2 mph
Top 5 Breaking Ball Spin Rate:
- Ethan Porter (Huntington Beach) - 2783 rpm
- Brennan Bachtell (Trinity Christian) - 2771 rpm
- Ridge Harvey (Collierville) - 2770 rpm
- Ryan Caruso (Corona Del Sol) - 2732 rpm
- Ethin Bingaman (Corona) - 2707 rpm
Tournament Leaders:
HITS: Ryne Barker, Ryan Harwood, Ethan Porter (5)
RBIs: Ethan Porter (6)
OPS (min 6 PA): Jose Bingochea (1.550)
3B: Many tied (1)
HR: Eddie Zaun, Hayden Short (1)
ERA (min 7.0 IP): Many tied (0.00)
IP: Brett Crossland (8.0)
Ks: Seth Hernandez, Ethan Wheeler (11)
BA AGAINST (min 7.0 IP): Dayan Viciedo (.000)
To see more statistics from the NHSI, click here.
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