Nation's No. 1 high school baseball team rolls to Boras Classic championship victory

1st round MLB prospect Billy Carlson belted a three-run HR in the first inning to help Corona High defeat La Mirada in the tournament final.

Corona High's Billy Carlson (3) celebrates after rounding the bases from a home run against La Mirada in the Boras Classic final / Greg Stein

The Corona High baseball team is that good. In fact, they're the best.

The nation's No. 1 high school baseball team knifed through the Boras Classic with ease this past week. The Boras Classic is touted as one of the best prep baseball events on the West Coast, considering the top-level programs that compete in it each year.

JSerra. Santa Margarita. Huntington Beach. Mater Dei — it didn't matter.

The Panthers put a bow on their dominate stretch with an 8-3 victory over La Mirada in the Boras Classic championship game Friday night at JSerra High School to stay unbeaten at 11-0.

Senior shortstop Billy Carlson, who is one of high school baseball's top-rated players and projected to be a 1st round selection in the 2025 MLB Draft this summer, belted a three-run homer in the first inning to get Corona going.

Starting pitcher Jason Gerfers gave up just three hits in six innings of work and struck out three.

Corona has now outscored its opponents 68-4 this season, including this week's victories over some of SoCal's top programs: 6-0 over Gahr; 5-0 over Santa Margarita; and 9-0 over JSerra, a California baseball blue blood, so to speak.

The team's roster is loaded, starting with the monster trio in the 2025 class: Seth Hernandez, Billy Carlson and Brady Ebel — all projected to be first-round draft picks, which would be the first time in MLB history a high school would have three players taken in the opening round.

• HERNANDEZ IMPRESSES ON DAY 2 OF BORAS CLASSIC

Juniors Anthony Murphy and Trey Ebel are standouts, too.

Corona is the defending CIF Southern Section Division 1 champions. It also was crowned the 2024 mythical national champions by various outlets. Despite not winning anything in 2023, the talent-laden roster made them the hunted last season. Now, after winning everything, they're wanted at all cost.

Corona High poses for a championship photo after winning the 2025 Boras Classic. / Greg Stein

"We knew we had the talent. We knew we had enough. I challenged these guys to just be themselves every day. We didn't need anyone to be Superman or do anything extra. Just be themselves," Wise said after winning the CIF title last year.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Corona will head to North Carolina in a week or so to play in the National High School Invitational where it will open up against Casteel High of Arizona on April 9.

The Panthers are the defending NHSI champions. Ironically, they beat Huntington Beach — another SoCal power — in the final, 3-0.

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