RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA – Santa Margarita played like a contender for what again might be the best high school baseball league in Orange County.
The Eagles did just about everything well Tuesday in a 6-2 win over Mater Dei in a Trinity League opener for both teams at Santa Margarita High.
Austin Gerken (21) of Mater Dei is tagged out at second base by Gavin Spiridonoff (2) of Santa Margarita during a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) Austin Gerken (21) of Mater Dei backs up to the right field fence to catch a fly ball hit by Ben Finnegan (7) of Santa Margarita and was able to throw the ball back to first catching Brody Schumaker (5) of Santa Margarita off base for the double play during a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) Chase Marlow (30) Santa Margarita races for third base on a hit by Andre Owens (4) in game against Mater Dei during a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) Mater Dei first baseman Brandon Thomas (34) catches the throw from the pitcher in an attempted pickoff of Gavin Spiridonoff (2) of Santa Margarita during a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) Blake Ankrum (6) Santa Margarita beats the throw to catcher Lawson Olmstead (9) of Mater Dei for the score during a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) Santa Margarita first baseman Blake Ankrum (6) keeps an eye on the ball during an attempted pickoff of Brady Guth (2) of Mater Dei during a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) Brody Schumaker (5) of Santa Margarita fields a grounder hit by Brandon Thomas (34) of Mater Dei then throws him out at first to end the game during a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) Brody Schumaker (5) of Santa Margarita bunts the ball and making to first ahead of the throw loading the bases in a game against Mater Dei during a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) Left fielder Giovanni Rudisill (44) of Mater Dei fields a ground ball hit by Gavin Spiridonoff (2) of Santa Margarita during a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) Brandon Thomas (34) of Mater Dei connects with the ball but grounds out to third in a game against Santa Margarita during a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) Brody Schumaker (5) of Santa Margarita reacts after hitting a double, scoring three runs against Mater Dei during a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) Dylan Wetzel (17) of Mater Dei tags out Ben Finnegan (7) at second during a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) Santa Margarita starting pitcher Ethan Russell (14) pitches against Mater Dei during a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) Mater Dei first baseman Brandon Thomas (34) reaches to catch a throw from right fielder Austin Gerken (21) forcing out Brody Schumaker (5) of Santa Margarita to complete the double play during a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) Mater Dei starting pitcher Landon Gordon (14) pitches against Santa Margarita during a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) Santa Margarita outfielder Lucas Owens (8) catches a fly ball hit by Brandon Thomas (34) of Mater Dei during a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) Show Caption1 of 16Austin Gerken (21) of Mater Dei is tagged out at second base by Gavin Spiridonoff (2) of Santa Margarita during a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG) ExpandSanta Margarita junior second baseman Brody Schumaker was 2 for 4 with three runs batted in. Senior third baseman Lucas Owens had two hits and scored twice. Senior first baseman Blake Ankrum had two hits, drove in a run and scored a run, and junior left fielder Luke Blanchard hit two singles and walked.
Eagles senior right-hander Ethan Russell pitched six innings, mostly spreading out Mater Dei’s eight hits off of him.
Senior righty Brennan Bauer finished up, blanking the Monarchs in the seventh inning.
Santa Margarita’s defense played errorless baseball and turned two double plays.
Santa Margarita, No. 3 in the Orange County Top 25 behind top-ranked Huntington Beach and the Trinity League’s Orange Lutheran, is 8-4 overall. No. 4 Mater Dei is 10-3.
Santa Margarita and Mater Dei each went 2-2 in the prestigious Boras Classic South tournament last week.
Eagles coach Chris Malec was pleased with what he saw his team do Tuesday.
“Ethan Russell threw the ball really well,” Malec said. “He attacked the zone. Our defense took care of the baseball and we had some clutch some hits 1-9 in the order. Overall, really good baseball from our guys.”
Shumaker said the Eagles’ game plan is simple.
“Put the bat on the ball,” he said, “and see what happens.”
Mater Dei took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Senior catcher Lawson Olmstead led off the inning with a single, advanced to third base on sophomore third baseman Brady Guth’s double and scored on a fielder’s choice.
In the Santa Margarita half of the second inning, with two outs, Owens and Ankrum hit back-to-back singles. Blanchard walked to load the bases. Schumaker pulled a double down the right-field line to drive in Owens and Ankrum for a 2-1 Eagles lead.
Mater Dei tied it in the fourth. Senior second baseman Dylan Wetzel and senior designated hitter Bradley Beaudreau started the inning with back-to-back singles. Wetzel scored on Olmstead’s sacrifice fly.
The Eagles scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Junior right fielder Chase Marlow walked and went to third base on Owens’ double. Marlow scored on Ankrum’s infield single, Owens scored on Blanchard’s single into left-center field and Ankrum scored the third run on a bunt single by Schumaker for a 5-2 lead.
Santa Margarita’s sixth run came in the bottom of the sixth inning on senior center fielder Ben Finnegan’s RBI single.
It was the first game of a three-game league series between the Eagles and Monarchs. They play each other Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Mater Dei, then return to Santa Margarita for a 2:30 p.m. game Friday.
Not every league plays weekly three-games league series. Schumacher, All-Orange County first team last season and son of former MLB player and manager Skip Shumaker, is happy that the Trinity League does.
“You get to see everyone three times,” Schumaker said. “You just get to know the guys more and get to know the pitchers more.”
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