SANTA ANA – Mater Dei’s baseball team won the first Boras Classic South in 2013.
Now 11 years later, the Monarchs have won it again.
They defeated Corona 5-3 on Friday night in the Boras Classic South championship game at Mater Dei High.
Mater Dei enjoying the win over Corona in @TheBorasClassic South championship game… pic.twitter.com/AUxK1aN2PE
— Steve Fryer (@SteveFryer) April 6, 2024
Mater Dei (12-6) will play Granite Bay (13-1) in the Boras Classic championship game April 20 at Santa Clara University. Granite Bay won the Boras Classic North title on March 28.
Corona (15-2) entered the game ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division 1 and with a 12-game winning streak.
The Monarchs were trailing 3-0 in the second inning when they turned to sophomore pitcher Jackson Campbell. The bases were loaded and there was one out. The right-hander struck out the first two batters he faced to end the inning.
From there, Campbell gave up two hits and two walks and struck out four more batters — six overall — in 5 2/3 innings.
Campbell said he “had some sort of idea” that he would be called upon to take the mound Friday.
Postgame with Mater Dei sophomore Jackson Campbell who pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings in the Monarchs’ 5-3 win over Corona in @TheBorasClassic South championship game … pic.twitter.com/3KKQYdW57K
— Steve Fryer (@SteveFryer) April 6, 2024
“Just come in and help my team win it in a big tournament,” he said. “Just back my teammates up and do the best I can.”
“Campbell’s a really tough kid,” said Mater Dei coach Richard Mercado. “I knew what we were going to get out of him. He’s a hyper-competitive kid.”
Campbell shared player of the game honors with sophomore left fielder Ezekiel Lara, who was 3 for 3 with a double and an RBI.
Mater Dei won back-to-back 11 inning games, over La Mirada and Huntington Beach, in the tournament to get to the championship game.
The Panthers took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Josh Springer drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly. Junior Billy Carlson, a Vanderbilt commit, doubled to send in the other run.
Corona made it 3-0 in the second inning. Starting pitcher Sam Burgess, a Texas Christian University signee, singled and later scored on a base hit by Brady Ebel.
Mater Dei scored twice in the fourth inning. Lawson Olmstead hit a double to drive in Lara and Dylan Wetzel to trim the lead to 3-2.
The Monarchs took the lead with a three-run fifth inning. Austin Palmares rolled a single through the hole between first and second base. Brody Connors sent a 3-2 pitch into the gap in right-center field to send home Palmares to tie the game 3-3. Brandon Thomas’ single put Connors on third base.
Lara’s single brought in Connors to give Mater Dei a 4-3 lead and Thomas scored, making it 5-3, on Treson Aritz’s ground out.
Campbell enjoyed splendid fielding support. In the sixth inning, third baseman Brody Connors made a dove to his left to snag Daniel Rivera’s line drive for the inning’s first out. Second baseman Dylan Wetzel then made a backhand grab and a leaping throw to first to get Trey Ebel for the second out.
The Monarchs also turned two double plays, including one for the final two outs of the game.
JSerra and Mater Dei, partnering with The Boras Foundation, have been co-hosts of the Boras Classic South since it started in 2013. With no CIF State champion in baseball, the Boras Classic was conceived to fill that void. It consistently has attracted an outstanding field of state-ranked teams every season.
After winning the first Boras Classic South tournament in 2013 Mater Dei went on to beat Pleasant Grove in the tournament’s overall championship game.
Mater Dei, No. 6 in the Orange County Top 25, returns to Trinity League play Tuesday with a game at St. John Bosco that starts a three-game series with the Braves. The Monarchs are 2-4 in the Trinity League.
Corona is now 1-2 this season against Trinity League teams. Corona beat JSerra 4-1 in a tournament on Feb. 15. Corona lost to Orange Lutheran 4-2 the next day in the same tournament.
Corona is 9-0 in the Big VIII League. The Panthers begin play in the National High School Invitational in North Carolina on Wednesday.
They resume league play with a home game against Centennial on April 15.
