The Faces of the CCL: An Inside Look at this Season’s Top Talent
As California Collegiate League play enters full swing this upcoming week, there is no better time to highlight some of the league's best as the CCL kicks off its 33rd season. This year, players voyaged from every corner of the United States to join the prestigious league. Last season, the Conejo Oaks repeated as champions for the first time in the organization's history. As the Oaks seek a three-peat, the rest of the CCL is packed with talented, accomplished players from an assortment of leagues, conferences, and divisions who are eager to continue their success through the summer.
Southern Division
Conejo Oaks
Coming off their second consecutive CCL championship, the Oaks – loaded with local talent – have their eyes on a three-peat.
At the plate, rising senior third baseman Rider Gordon is fresh off an elite season at Claremont McKenna College, where the Stags were one game away from making the Division III World Series. Gordon hit .343 in 201 at-bats, racked up 69 hits with eight doubles and 14 home runs while walking more than he struck out. Gordon is joined in the infield by Caden Stillwell from Avila University and Grant Rodriguez from Ventura College. In his first season at Avila, Stillwell hit .280 with seven home runs and 41 RBIs. Rodriguez hit .310 with two home runs and 33 runs scored while playing elite defense up the middle. Behind the plate, rising junior Brady Francisco just completed his first season at Oklahoma State University after transferring from Yavapai College. In limited at-bats, Francisco hit .241 with elite defense, throwing out five of nine would-be base stealers.
On the mound, the Oaks are led by a pair of Ventura College right-handers, rising redshirt junior Johnny Levelis and rising redshirt sophomore Will Kacsynski. Levelis spun 51.2 innings with a 5.40 ERA and added 42 strikeouts. Kaczynski, in his first year with the Pirates after a redshirt season with Westmont College, tossed 51 innings with a 3.53 ERA while posting a 1.22 WHIP and striking out 44. The Pirate duo is joined by rising sophomore Arnold Wu. In Wu's freshman campaign at Pepperdine, the Taipei, Taiwan native threw 20.1 innings, accumulating 13 strikeouts.
Academy Barons
Coming off a 13–21 record last summer, good for last in the Southern Division, the Barons are reinvigorated with returning high-level talent and new faces.
In the box, two returners, rising senior Jason Del Villar at Cal State Monterey Bay and rising junior Antonio Lujan at Azusa Pacific are expected to carry a heavy load. This spring, in his first season with Otters, Villar was named an All-California Collegiate Athletic Association second-team selection thanks to a .318 average and 1.002 OPS. He recorded 64 hits, including 14 doubles and 12 home runs. His 66 RBIs were the third most in program history and second most in the CCAA this season. His fellow returner was sidelined with an injury much of this past spring. However, in his freshman season, he hit .284 with 44 total hits and ten home runs. The duo is joined by rising junior Elijah Clayton. In Clayton's first year with Campbell University after transferring from Cal, the utility man hit .256 with four doubles and 17 stolen bases.
On the bump, the Barons return rising junior Shamir Marshall. This past season with Vanguard University, Marshall posted a 6.04 ERA in eight appearances (six starts) and struck out 21 in 25.1 innings of work. Joining him is rising senior Jaedeyn Edwards, who posted a 4.93 ERA in 38.1 innings this past season at Jackson State University. The right-hander struck out 39 in 22 appearances and notched four saves.
Arroyo Seco Saints
Coming off a 17–20 season that saw them finish fourth in a crowded Southern Division, the Arroyo Seco Saints look to make a push towards the top half of the ever-competitive Southern California league.
At the plate, rising sophomore outfielder Evan Reiter is coming off a dominant spring at Santa Ana College. Hailing from Culver City High School, Reiter hit .371 across 48 games while launching eight long balls, driving in 49 runs, and scoring 59 runs. Joining Reiter in the lineup is rising senior infielder Dylan Immel. The El Segundo native hit .370 across 184 plate appearances at Wagner College in his first season with the Seahawks after transferring from Cerritos College. He tallied 68 total hits, 18 doubles, and took eleven bags without being caught once. Fellow rising senior outfielder Carson Panarisi is also a name to watch after a strong spring at Cal State Los Angeles. He hit .331 in 136 at-bats with 11 doubles and excellent defense in the outfield. Rounding out the outfield, rising senior Isaiah Rios hit .328 this past spring at Azusa Pacific University with seven doubles and 12 home runs.
On the bump for the Saints, rising junior Lincoln Lyons is coming off a big workload at Occidental College this past spring. The right-hander threw 76.1 innings in 13 games (all starts) to the tune of a 7.31 ERA with 32 strikeouts. Lyons is joined by his college teammate Griffen Rogers on the Saints staff. This past season, the rising junior posted a 5.65 ERA in 18 appearances (one start). Primarily used as a reliever, Rogers threw 28.2 innings and struck out 39; he was named the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference pitcher of the week on Feb. 9 after spinning two scoreless innings with five strikeouts while only allowing one baserunner.
Santa Barbara Foresters
As legendary Head Coach Bill Pintard enters his 27th season at the helm for the Foresters with 25 alumni currently in the MLB, Santa Barbara looks to build on a 23–9 season last year that saw them finish with the best regular season record in the Southern Division.
At the plate, the Foresters are backed by a plethora of power four position players. Rising sophomore Jorian Wilson had a standout rookie season at Texas A&M. The outfielder hit .284 with six doubles, two triples, and 12 home runs. A Hallettsville, Texas native, Wilson was named to the Freshman All-SEC Team and earned a 2026 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Training Camp Invite. Wilson is joined by his Aggie teammate, rising junior Sawyer Farr, who is back for his second season with the Foresters. In 40 at-bats, the infielder hit .250 with three doubles. Joining Wilson and Farr is rising Baylor University sophomore outfielder Brady Janusek. Competing in the BIG 12, Janusek hit .297 with 11 doubles and 14 home runs in his first season with the Bears. From the University of Arkansas, rising sophomore catcher Carter Rutenbar joins the Foresters. A Midlothian, Texas native, Rutenbar led off at points in the year for the Razorbacks and hit .286 with ten doubles, two big flys, and 29 walks.
On the mound, the Foresters are led by rising senior Christian Lim. A two-year weekend starter for Stanford, Lim compiled 117 innings over the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons to the tune of a 5.15 ERA. The left-hander racked up 114 strikeouts in that span compared to only 51 walks. For his performance in the 2023-24 season, Lim was named to the Freshman All-American second team by Baseball America, D1Baseball, and Perfect Game. Lim is joined by the Reigning Southern California Position Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year – voted on by the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association – Wyatt Nelson. In Nelson's first season with Santa Barbara City College, he dazzled with a 2.61 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 103.1 innings. The two-way player struck out 97 batters while only walking 31. At the plate, Nelson led the Vaqueros in at-bats with 184 and hit .353 with 11 doubles and seven home runs. In Nelson's 16 starts on the mound, his average rose to .438 with a 1.147 OPS.
Orange County Riptide
Coming off a 23–15 season which saw them finish third in an extremely competitive top half of the Southern Division, the Riptide have assembled a high-powered offense as they look to make a deep run this summer.
Leading the charge for the Riptide is left-handed corner infielder Landry Stamps. Ranked as the No. 31 JUCO player in the preseason by Prep Baseball, this past season at Tyler JC in Texas, Stamps hit .333 in 45 games with 13 home runs, 45 RBIs, and nine stolen bases. Stamps, who will be playing at South Carolina next fall, is joined by rising sophomore first baseman Tomas Cernius. In his freshman season at Princeton, the left-hander hit .308 in 39 games, tallying five home runs and 24 RBIs while walking more than he struck out. Joining the duo is Slater Nunez, a middle infielder who is taking his talents to the University of Washington in the fall. This spring at El Camino College, Nunez hit .364, knocked 16 doubles, and launched seven home runs while walking 21 times compared to ten strikeouts en route to earning South Coast Conference Player of the Year honors.
On the mound, the Riptide returned Tommy McGuire for his third summer with the team. In the past two summers, McGuire compiled a 2.80 ERA in 35 innings with 38 strikeouts. Redshirt junior Jack O'Malley from San Jose State University also returns this summer for the Riptide. The right-hander was a Showcase Game Nominee last season, powered by his 95-97 mph fastball. Rising senior Jack Wade joins the Riptide for his first season after a successful junior campaign at the University of Washington, where he struck out 33 batters in 21 innings out of the bullpen.
Northern Division
Menlo Park Legends
Fresh off a 15–22 season, good for fourth place in the Northern Division, the Legends seek a postseason birth for the first time since 2023.
At the plate, the Ohlone College duo of rising sophomore Jordan Medina and rising junior Joaquin Stuart posted eye-popping stat lines in the spring. In Medina's rookie campaign, the outfielder hit .385 with 14 doubles and three home runs. His vision at the plate was elite, walking 29 times to 19 strikeouts. In total, Medina tallied 77 hits and added 19 stolen bases. Stuart was not to be outdone by Medina; the infielder hit .384 with 13 doubles and three home runs. The Albany, California native drove in 51 runs and registered a .535 slugging percentage. Rising Menlo College senior infielder Oliver Hogan is fresh off a big campaign with the Oaks. The Seattle native hit .372 with 11 doubles and nine home runs with a 1.133 OPS. The Northern Colorado outfield duo of rising sophomore Mason Griffin and rising redshirt junior Ethan Mooser are coming off successful seasons with the Bears. Griffin hit .267 with eight doubles and five home runs, and Mooser hit .276 with seven doubles and four long balls.
On the bump, right-handed rising junior Vincent (Vinne) Braga is coming off a successful second season with Santa Clara University. The Palo Alto native made 16 appearances, all in relief, spanning 19.1 innings and striking out 13 to the tune of a 4.66 ERA. Joining him is rising sophomore Henry Harding at The College of Holy Cross. This past season with the Crusaders, Harding threw 30 innings across 17 relief appearances. A fellow Palo Alto native, Harding struck out 29 with a 6.30 ERA. Further strengthening the staff is rising junior Dane LeBlanc, who is currently undecided. This past season at Ohlone College, the right-hander whose fastball reaches 92 mph, made 14 relief appearances and struck out 29 in just 18.2 innings to a 4.34 ERA. They are joined by 6'6" rising sophomore Christian Duarte from Santa Clara.
Sonoma Stompers
One summer removed from taking home the North Division crown, the Sonoma Stompers – armed with 17 returners – are looking to make their way back to the CCL Championship series. Although they were swept by the Conejo Oaks in the Championship, the Stompers finished last year's regular season 24–15, tied with the San Luis Obispo Blues for the most wins in the CCL.
After sending the Stompers to the championship with a walk-off blast in the divisional round a year ago, the Sonoma Valley native Nic Sebastiani from Santa Rose JC is back for another season. He is joined by rising junior Hunter Carlson at Georgia State and rising sophomore Misael Uriepero at Youngstown State who look to lead the Stompers at the dish. Carlson, in his first year with the Panthers after transferring from Wichita State, hit .290 with seven home runs and 12 doubles while appearing in 53 contests. Uripero, hailing from Caracas, Venezuela, hit .250 with eight doubles in his freshman campaign while supplying steady defense in the infield.
Uripero's teammate at Youngstown State, fifth-year Luke Zmolik, headlines a strong, veteran staff. In his first year with the Penguins, Zmolik posted a 5.80 ERA in 35.2 innings while racking up 33 punchouts. He is joined by the duo of Shawn McBroom from California State University San Marcos and Justin Jones (undecided), who both pitched in the Stompers 3–2 divisional round victory last season. This past spring at San Joaquin Delta, Jones posted a 4.22 ERA in 53.1 innings. The right-hander started 11 games and struck out 43 en route to a 5–5 record.
San Francisco Seagulls
Coming off a season where they finished tenth in the California Collegiate League with a 10–27 record, the San Francisco Seagulls are poised to have a bounce-back season under Head Coach Marc Caviglia's third year at the helm.
Offensively, rising redshirt senior Davis Germann from Morehead State, rising senior Armando Hurtado from Coppin State, and rising junior Caid Heflin from Whelen University are players who have turned heads during their collegiate seasons. Germann, a reigning All-OVC Second-Team selection, is back for his second season with the Seagulls. The Canada native is coming off a season where he hit .336, laced 18 doubles, and blasted nine long balls. Hurtado hit .288 this spring with the Eagles and launched eight home runs while starting 44 games behind the dish. Helfin, a quick-twitch outfielder, hit .328, stole 11 bags, and ripped four home runs for the Cardinals.
On the bump for the Seagulls, the rising sophomore duo of Finn Whalen and Declan Mendal from Skyline College headline a strong staff. Whalen is back for his second season with the Seagulls. The San Francisco local was a Showcase Game Nominee after posting a 3.91 ERA and striking out 41 in 30 appearances. Mendel is looking to build on a strong freshman campaign where he posted a 4.38 ERA and struck out 38 while compiling a 4–2 record for the Trojans in 14 appearances (four starts).
San Luis Obispo Blues
A year removed from finishing tied with the Sonoma Stompers for the most wins in the CCL regular season, the Blues look to keep that momentum as the 2026 season begins.
Offensively, the Blues' rising senior outfielder Caesar Chavez is expected to put up big numbers. This past season at Cal State Los Angeles, Chavez hit .349 with 11 doubles and 13 stolen bases, highlighted by a five-hit day against Stanislaus State. Rising sophomore utility player CJ Moran from the University of California San Diego is coming off a huge spring in his first season with the Toreros. After transferring from San Diego State after a dominant freshman season where he hit .377 in 44 games, Moran hit .330 with 14 doubles and six home runs and nine stolen bases. Rising sophomore catcher Miles Mador from Indiana University and rising junior outfielder Mason Ashlock from Rice are also names to watch.
On the bump, rising sophomore Corbin Giesen is coming off a very strong season at the College of San Mateo. Giesen appeared in 13 contests, making 11 starts. He threw 46.1 innings in his rookie campaign to the tune of a 5.44 ERA and a 4–4 record while striking out 34. Joining him is rising redshirt sophomore Justin (Moose) Cuellar from Fresno State. In the left-hander's first season with the Bulldogs after transferring from UCLA, he appeared in 15 games and made three starts. He recorded 30.1 innings and racked up 26 strikeouts.
Walnut Creek Crawdads
Coming off a 23–14 regular season last summer that saw them narrowly edge out the Sonoma Stompers for the regular season crown in the Northern Division, the Walnut Creek Crawdads look to stay atop the standings in 2026.
Offensively, rising senior Kam Taylor is back for his second season with the Crawdads. After transferring from Eastern Kentucky University, Taylor hit .377 at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. The Lithonia, Georgia native hit 11 doubles, three triples, and five home runs in his first campaign with the Thunder. Taylor is joined by Daniel Polasek, a rising junior outfielder at the University of California Irvine. In his first season with the Anteaters after transferring from Los Medanos, Polasek hit .330 in 94 at-bats with seven doubles and one home run. Rising sophomore Shane Aldridge from Menlo College is also coming off a strong spring season. The Hayward, California native hit .333 with 14 doubles and six home runs.
On the mound, senior Kody Perry is freshly removed from an effective spring at Claremont McKenna. The right-hander had a 4.79 ERA in 73.1 innings of work with 76 punchouts. His season was headlined by a complete-game shutout against Chapman University with 11 strikeouts. A trio of Division 1 relief arms joins Perry on the staff. Rising sophomore Devin James threw 17.2 innings with a 6.62 ERA in his first season at Sacramento State. Another rising sophomore, Weston Thornbury, tossed 28 innings with a 7.39 ERA in his opening campaign with Fresno State. Rising junior Paul Wheeler hurled 13 innings and compiled a 6.23 ERA with 13 strikeouts at the University of San Francisco.
by Micah Rodriguez