PRESEASON PRIME: 31-26

31. Teddy Lewis

Sacred Heart Cathedral - senior - shortstop

The Skinny: Teddy Lewis is a natural shortstop who spent last season out of position at third base. “Playing third was weird because it was not as straight forward as playing shortstop,” he said. “The adjustment that was the trickiest to make was playing tighter and more reactive I’m used to being able to play loose and get around balls at shortstop.” Lewis is back home at shortstop this season and ready to anchor an infield that he says will be better than it might get credit for being. The Irish, with a three-man rotation and enough talent returning, believe they have the talent to be a dark horse in the always-tough WCAL. “There are some seniors on the team with huge potential to do damage,” he said. “I think we’re going to be really good this year. Our offense isn’t talked about nearly enough.”  If the senior come through and Lewis puts together a season as good as last year, Sacred Heart Cathedral could be one of the surprise teams of 2026. At the plate, Lewis is keenly aware that he has a weakness at the top of the strike zone. “I have a problem with my discipline with high pitches,” he admitted. “But if I see a pitch I like, I let instincts take over and I look to crush a fastball anywhere in the zone.

He Said It: “Being a good shortstop takes a strong mental game. As a shortstop, you need to be able to bounce back from any errors and continue to be a leader on the field no matter what.”

The Numbers Tell the Story: Lewis hit a team-leading .366 with 26 hits, including two home runs, and 11 RBI.

Eye-Popping Stat: Lewis’ two homers led the Irish last year.

30. Preston Pera

Bellarmine Prep - pitcher - junior

The Skinny: The biggest objection for the discontinuation of the WCAL tourney this year might have come from San Jose. Scheduling made it difficult a year after Bellarmine Prep became the Bells of the Ball by winning three straight road games against Saint Francis, Serra and Valley Christian to win the crown and claim a Central Coast Section-Division I tourney berth. “Now we want to win it all,” says junior pitcher Preston Pera. “We want to prove that (the tournament) wasn’t a fluke and we are a legit program. ... We know we’re a good team and we believe we can win the WCAL outright as long as we just do our jobs and play our game.” For Pera, that means getting back on the mound and continuing to improve. As a sophomore, he was a pleasant surprise for Nate Sutton’s squad, teaming with Christian Duarte and Apollo Lopiz to give the Bells the pitching depth that made them dangerous in May. “I think I had a great season, but it’s just the start,” Pera said. “It was great to get big-game experience as a sophomore and that will only make me stronger going into this season.” Pera worked hard in the offseason refining a pitch repertoire that includes a sinker, slider and changeup to go along with his fastball. “I’m not happy with my walk numbers last year so I worked on my mechanics being more repeatable. … It was small things, but it took time to get it down.”

He Said It: “Above anything, I am just chasing outs. Of course, I love striking people out, but I aim to get people our as efficiently as possible. That starts with a first-pitch strike and working ahead in the count.”

The Numbers Tell the Story: Pera went 4-3 with a 0.73 earned-run average. He struck out 26 batters in 38.1 innings.

Eye-Popping Stat: The sub-one ERA came despite surrendering 22 walks last year, something he knows must get better. However, few of those free passes came around to score because the opposition hit his .169 against him.

29. Chuck Wynn

Menlo School - catcher - senior

The Skinny: There’s a vibe at Menlo School these days, Chuck Wynn says, an excitement that the Knights are ready to make some noise in their promotion to the PAL-Bay Division while making a run at a third straight CCS championship. “We’re definitely looking forward to moving up a division and facing some better competition,” said the senior catcher who is still in the process of choosing a college and baseball program for the next four years. “We’re ready to compete at the higher level.” Menlo returns just about everyone from a team that got off to a slow start and then was virtually unbeatable in winning a CCS-Division V crown and topping that off with a NorCal Division IV championship. So, how does he top that in 2026? “I want to enjoy my last year of high school baseball and leave it all on the field with no regrets.” He’d also like to repeat last year’s title runs. Wynn played a key role in Menlo’s tourney runs. He anchored the middle of the lineup, from behind the plate handled a young pitching staff and steadied the Knights defensively. In an area loaded with catching talent – including The King’s Academy’s Nate Plata, Saint Francis’ Gino Cappellazzo, Terra Nova’s Joey Donati and Palo Alto’s Carter Bader – Wynn is honored to be mentioned. “I definitely appreciate the acknowledgement,” he said. “It motivates me to keep working and that my work is paying off. There’s always room to get better.”

He said it: “The last six weeks of last season were definitely a peak in my high school baseball career. Going back-to-back in CCS and finally coming through with the win in NorCal. We played extremely well together and every single one of us came through when it really mattered.”

The Numbers Tell the Story: Wynn his .360 with 31 hits, including six doubles and two homers, and 16 RBI.

Eye-Popping Stat: Wynn didn’t make an error in 141 chances in 2025. His 1.000 fielding percentage, almost unheard of for a catcher, included 16 assists.

28. Brody Finale

Terra Nova - shortstop - junior

The Skinny: Brody Finale was the key piece in Terra Nova’s Sophomore Revolution last year. He, along with left fielder Wes McDougal and pitcher Jessie Martinez stepped up to the varsity level and seamlessly led the Tigers to a second-place finish in the PAL-Ocean Division and a berth in the CCS-Division V tournament. The shortstop anchored the infield and batted in the top one-third of the batting order, going through a mid-season stretch where he was leading the Ocean Division in batting average. There’s no sneaking up this year. No surprises. The Tigers suddenly find themselves the team to beat. “We all know the standard we have set for ourselves,” he said. “That’s making a run at a CCS championship.” The Tigers haven’t won a CCS crown in 46 years. “We also don’t want to get ahead of ourselves and continue refining the little aspects of our game.” Finale brings a polished look to the Tigers. He is smooth to the ball with a strong arm and at the plate has “an old-school approach,” he says. “I take pride in being able to utilize all parts of the field.” The mental part of hitting excites him. He takes pride in “being a tough out,” he says. “There’s nothing I love more than a 10-pitch at-bat ending in a knock.”

He Said It: “I’ll do anything to win games for us, no matter the cost. We have nine seniors this year and I don’t want them to have any doubt in their minds that I left it all out on the field for them.”

The Numbers Tell the Story: Finale hit .411 with 30 hits, 18 runs scored and 21 RBI as a sophomore.

Eye-Popping Stat: In addition to his 31 hits, Finale drew 21 walks and finished his first varsity season with a .536 on-base percentage.

27. Riley Lim

Serra - pitcher - senior

The Skinny: In the span of three months, Riley Lim went from an unknown to being Serra’s starting pitcher in the CCS-Division I championship game. He debuted with a huge splash, a combined no-hitter in the season-opening victory over Sacred Heart Prep and finished his junior season by holding Valley Christian to two first-inning runs in the Padres 3-2 victory over the Warriors that gave them their first CCS crown in 16 years. On a team loaded with senior leadership, it was the unknown junior who set the tone for Serra’s pitching staff and he doesn’t hesitate when he says that season-opening victory over the Gators in late February was the inflection point. “That game helped a lot,” he said. “I feel that was the game me and Jack (Armstrong, the Padres’ catcher) really became one while me and him were 60 feet apart.” There were flashier pitchers – a bevy of fireballers – in the WCAL last year. The list of guys now pitching at the collegiate level is lengthy but Lim brough a proven no-frills approach to the mound. Throw strikes and rely on the defense and it’ll get a pitcher deep into most games he throws. “Honestly, I just have to keep doing my thing on the mound and keep being confident in my abilities.

He Said It: “No matter how big the game is, just stick to the same warmup and have the same mentality every game. … If you care about something so much, you’re going to get nervous. That’s OK.”

The Numbers Tell the Story: Lim went 7-0 with a 2.45 earned-run average. He struck out 60 batters in 65.2 innings.

Eye-Popping Stat: In 14 starts, Lim threw 1,009 pitches, or nearly 400 more than anyone else on his team.

26. Christian Nevarez

Valley Christian - senior - first base

The Skinny: Christian Nevarez has a new role this year that goes deeper than playing first base and hitting near the top of the Valley Christian batting order. He’s a leader, one of the seniors called on to guide a team that, unlike last year, will feature a roster of players most have never heard of. “I feel like we’re a much closer team this year,” Nevarez said. “During the offseason, we focused more on building personal connections off the field. The leaders have made it clear that the spring is dedicated to our team. We have to start fresh from last season, but this year, we’ve built a stronger team from the ground up.” Nevarez is a returning all-WCAL first baseman who provides the Warriors with a consistent bat. His preparation begins when he’s in the hole, watching what the pitcher is throwing. “Then once on deck, I focus on my breathing and get mentally ready to hit. … Once I step up to bat, I’m ready to do my job.” With him and teammates Colton Hadfield and Logan Mull in the lineup, Valley will continue to be a team to watch this season. “I believe we can be one of the top teams this year. We’ll be competitive.”

He Said It: “I am looking forward to getting back on the field with all my guys. It’s definitely more challenging than last year.”

The Numbers Tell the Story : Nevarez hit .347 with 26 hits, 19 runs scored and 10 RBI.

Eye-Popping Stat: Nevarez was hit by nine pitches in 2025.