Dave Roberts, manager of the World Series champion Dodgers, meet Andy Wise, your high school baseball counterpart at Corona High.
Like Roberts, Wise had the best team on paper last season and won the Southern Section Division 1 championship. Like Roberts, he has so much talent that not winning a title this season would be considered a failure. Like Roberts, he has his own version of Shohei Ohtani in pitcher-first baseman Seth Hernandez, Mookie Betts in shortstop Billy Carlson and Freddie Freeman in third baseman Brady Ebel.
“Honestly, our whole infield is pretty unbelievable,” Hernandez said. “It’s unreal to have that support system behind you.”
It’s clear the two best teams in L.A. baseball for 2025 should be the Dodgers and Corona High. They’re both ranked No. 1 in America with no debate needed.
Of course, unlike Roberts, who might need to win a seven-game series to win a championship, Wise has a more challenging task. The high school playoffs are win or go home. You can’t have an off day and get a second chance. That’s where Corona’s opponents have a fighting chance. One good pitching performance can ruin the Panthers’ season no matter how dominant they might be during the regular season.
“Everything is magnified and there’s pressure,” Wise said. “There’s so many good teams in Division 1 that you really have to have some things go your way and luck on your side.”
There’s plenty of teams capable of making Corona go home without a trophy. Huntington Beach lost to the Panthers in the semifinals last season and is loaded with pitching, hitting and 13 players committed to four-year schools. Orange Lutheran has 6-foot-8 pitcher Gary Morse and fabulous power hitter Josiah Hartshorn. The Mission League is armed from top to bottom to take on any and all teams. La Mirada opens its new $20-million field and has a lineup filled with top hitters.
And yet, it would not be unwise to bet the house and your Taylor Swift T-shirts on the Panthers.
Hernandez has the pitching skills to be a top-five selection in this summer’s MLB amateur draft. Carlson is an exceptional shortstop and likely first-round selection who hits for power and possesses nasty stuff when he takes the mound as a closer. Ebel would be playing shortstop if not for Carlson. He’s the son of Dodgers’ third base coach Dino Ebel, so baseball runs through his veins and brother Trey is the starting second baseman.
Outfielder Anthony Murphy can hit, run and field. Arrowhead Christian transfer Ethin Bingaman is an Auburn commit who will play right field when he’s not pitching.
Asked if he’s going to consult with Roberts on dealing with pressure and expectations, Wise said, “I almost wish I could. High school baseball is playoff baseball. When you get to the CIF playoffs, every game is truly the World Series.”
Helping the Panthers is the chemistry and confidence of the players. Every practice, they compete.
“Having so much talent at one school pushes you to do better every day,” Carlson said.
The Panthers know they will be the hunted with every opponent hoping to make their season with a victory over Corona.
“I like the competition,” Hernandez said. “I like everyone coming after us with their best.”
Carlson, who sometimes gets a little emotional when he’s closing games, admitted, “I’m a real competitive guy. Sometimes when the moment gets big, I like to let the other team know I struck them out.”
About the only uncertainty for the Panthers is at catcher, where four-year starter Josh Springer has moved on to professional baseball. Chosen to replace him is junior Jesiah Andrade, who didn’t play high school ball last season after playing at Yucaipa as a freshman. “His development has been great,” Wise said.
From fans to scouts to players, when Corona comes to town, people will want to see them play.
Hernandez will be under the microscope most of all, but it’s not like he isn’t prepared for the spotlight.
“Because I’ve been blessed doing this for a while, I’ve always had people watching me,” he said. “It’s nothing new. You keep coming with your A game.”
