The Titans are off to a great start in the 2024 baseball season, with a current record of 8 and 2. Riding off an exciting 2023 season, this year’s team hopes to recreate the same atmosphere as the year before and show fans how thrilling and nerve racking baseball can be. Varsity Head Coach John Franklin, and Assistant Varsity Coach Wes Frias were able to rebuild the program from a team that finished last in league, into a well disciplined, hard working, team that had a semi final finish in CIF, in a mere two years. Now with the addition of JV head Coach Mike Patterson, the 2024 Titan baseball team will be stronger than ever.
Throughout the fall and winter, coaches were struggling to find a much needed right fielder for Varsity, luckily a Freshman was the answer. Chase Mena,9, was pulled up from JV to start in right field for Varsity in his first year of high school baseball. When Chase was asked what he thought about playing against kids three years older than him, he stated, “When playing against upperclassmen and lowerclassmen, I realized the age didn’t matter as much as I used to think. I’ve seen tons of young guys outclass juniors and seniors.” Chase is currently batting .294 in 21 plate appearances with an on base percentage of .429. Mena is not the only freshman to be on varsity in his first year of highschool. Parker Wilson, 9, was on varsity since day one. Since Dante Negroe,12, Saint Francis transfer, had to sit out half of the season due to CIF ruling, the team was looking for who would fill in the catching spot. Ultimately Parker earned his place as starting catcher, being able to play alongside his older brother JJ Wilson, 11. With a caught stealing percentage of .250 in 13 attempted steals and a 1.000 fielding percentage, coaches knew they made the right decision.
The Titans first game of the season would be against Providence High School, where the team would bury them 9-0. Tomas BIlvado,11, ace pitcher, looked more dominant than ever. Going four innings with zero hits allowed, and ten strikeouts, Bilvado would be credited with his first win of the season. Jamie Bercaw,11, and Liam Van Fossan,12, would pick up two RBIs each, to start off their Varsity careers. This 2024 roster was seen by many as the favorites to win the Rio Hondo League and were guaranteed to have an electrifying season. Arguably, the titans performed even better in their first league game against Monrovia, where Bilvado threw a complete game shutout with seven strikeouts and 0 runs allowed. When Tomas was asked what his mindset is when he is on the mound, he stated, “I’m about being as competitive as possible and doing my job. I know that I have the best defense behind me so I trust them to make every play. That makes it really easy to pitch. The JV team also looked promising with a record of 7-4. When ace pitcher of the JV team, Colin Wildeman,9, was asked what he thought of San Marino Baseball, he expressed, “I think the Baseball Program is very efficient and successful. Practices are fun and I get a lot of work in.” Recently the JV team faced off against Maranatha High School, a team renowned for its baseball program, and managed to have an incredibly close game, losing by a single run. The future of San Marino Baseball is bright. After winning six games in a row, the Varsity team were confident that they could beat Temple City in their next league game. Unfortunately, after a grueling 9 inning game, the Titans would come up short after a run scored on a passed ball. The Titans would learn from their mistakes, and continue on with the same energy and confidence into their next games. Many are looking forward to what this team will accomplish. With lots of talent and hard working individuals, this 2024 roster will be cemented in San Marino Baseball culture forever. Titan baseball is back and better than ever.
