2018 NHSI Team Preview: Santiago

USA Baseball’s annual high school tournament, the National High School Invitational, is one of the premier high school tournaments in the country and one of the biggest events on the draft schedule as well, bringing together 16 of the top teams in the country. This year’s tournament will have some of the most impressive talent in the event’s seven-year history and will take place in Cary at USA Baseball’s National Training Complex from March 28-31. Baseball America will preview teams as we lead up to the event.

Overview

Santiago enters the 2018 NHSI field with one of the top prospects in the country in prep shortstop Brice Turang, and has a strong southern California team around him which has won the Big VIII League each of the past two seasons and five times since 2003.

Pitching will be one of Santiago’s strengths during the NHSI, with a projected pitching staff that includes seniors Taylor Frazier, Cruz Barrios and Alex Benter as well as juniors McKay Knoll and Brice Read. The Sharks have six returning players including Turang—who has been an All-State player the last two years and is committed to Louisiana State—and four players committed to play at the next level.

Santiago does have a few holes to fill in its lineup this season after losing Cole Cummings (New Mexico), four-year starter Ryan Williams (Cal State Fullerton) and Casey Dykstra (Azusa Pacific) to the collegiate ranks, but Turang and catcher Jacob Shanks—committed to UC Riverside—offer the team strong leadership and a deep pitching staff give them a chance for success in Cary.

Head Coach: Ty De Trinidad

2017 Record: 19-10 (Co-conference champions)

Projected Lineup

• C: Jacob Shanks (2018)
• 1B: Daryl Ruiz (2019)
• 2B: Noah Brockway (2018)
• 3B: Noah Matsumoto (2018)
• SS: Brice Turang (2018)
• LF: Cole Jordan (2019)
• CF: Dylan Gairing (2018)
• RF: Taylor Steig (2019)
• #1 P: Taylor Frazier (2018)
• #2 P: Cruz Barrios (2018)
• #3 P: McKay Knoll (2019)
• #4 P: Brice Read (2019)
• #5 P: Alex Benter (2018)

 

College Commitments: 4

Division I Commitments: 3

Returning Starters: 6

Top draft prospects:

• 2018: Brice Turang, Jacob Shanks

Multi-Sport Athletes

• Alex Benter (football)

BA 300 Prospects

• Brice Turang (5)