Breakthrough players in Oregon high school baseball: Meet the new stars of 2025

Who are some of the breakthrough players that baseball coaches throughout the state praised for their performance this spring?

Wilsonville senior Drew Hall has emerged as one of the state's top leadoff hitters for the undefeated Wildcats this spring. / Dan Brood

Earlier this season, we highlighted some of the top senior baseball players in Oregon.

This week, we asked coaches from throughout the state to highlight the breakthrough player on their team who has emerged to become a critical part of the team's success.

P Cole Hawkins, West Linn, senior

The Lions graduated a couple of all-state hurlers from a team that won an unprecedented third consecutive 6A state title last June, but Hawkins has helped fill the void while throwing to a new battery mate — sophomore Gavin Thaut (.409-1-11), taking over for all-state catcher Ryan VandenBrink. The lefty has four wins and an 0.20 ERA, striking out 21 and walking six in 27⅔ innings. 

P Cole Newton, Tualatin, sophomore

Newton has emerged as a solid member of the Timberwolves rotation this spring, going 2-1 with a 2.52 ERA in 36 innings, allowing just 30 hits and six walks and striking out 44. Tualatin coach Jake Austin said his “competitive nature and tough demeanor have helped him break out this year as a competitive 6A pitcher. His exceptional control has made it tough for teams to generate big innings against us.”

OF Drew Hall, Wilsonville, senior

Hall has thrived since moving to the leadoff spot under first-year coach Jason Rasco, batting .556 with a 1.497 OPS in 62 plate appearances, hitting three home runs and stealing 16 bases for the unbeaten Wildcats. “He’s played solid defense, and more than anything has developed into one of our team leaders,” Rasco said.

C Eli Sledge, Dallas, senior

Dragons coach Keeton Luther knew Sledge was ready for a big senior season with what he saw during fall drills, when Sledge “set the tone early with his leadership and expectations for his teammates to put in the work needed to be successful.” Sledge has delivered this spring, batting .390 with a .591 on-base percentage, helping Dallas to a 14-3 start — already matching the program's most wins since 2018. “He has emerged as a vocal leader for our team, and it has been the difference for us thus far,” Luther said. “Never too high, never too low, he is always ready to set the tone.” 

Pendleton senior Evan Lehnert / Courtesy Pendleton High School

P/IF Evan Lehnert, Pendleton, senior

Lehnert has shined wherever Buckaroos coach Justin Speer has put him — he’s played all nine positions this season — and is batting .380 (.957 OPS) in 70 plate appearances, scoring 23 runs, driving in 10 and stealing eight bases and going 4-1 in six starts on the mound, striking out 58 and walking five in 36 innings with an 0.97 ERA. “His ability to excel wherever he is needed makes him a true asset and a remarkable example of leadership and adaptability in high school baseball,” Speer said.

OF Gavin Riley, Sunset, senior

Riley has heated up for the Apollos over the past 12 games, walking off a win over Aloha in Metro League play and hitting .375 (.364 in league play) through April. “He has come on the scene to be one of our clutch hitters,” Sunset coach John Barnes said. “He continues to be a consistent contributor at the plate.”

IF/P Gianni Lombardi, Marist Catholic, junior

Lombardi has played a key role to help the Spartans reload after graduating several critical players last year, filling in at third base and shortstop when not on the mound for the No. 1 team in the OSAA’s 4A rankings. He's batting .396 (1.035 OPS) with 21 RBIs and 14 runs, and he's 4-0 with an 0.56 ERA in five starts, striking out 32 in 25 innings. 

3B Hunter Hedlund, Santiam Christian, junior

Hedlund missed last season after undergoing an emergency appendectomy in early March, but after shifting from second base to third this season, he has provided a steady presence in the middle of the lineup (.528 with eight doubles, 26 RBIs, 22 runs and 10 stolen bases) and at the hot corner (.923 fielding percentage). “We knew he could hit, but he has been terrific this year,” Eagles coach Matt Nosack said. “He has a great attitude and mentality. We are really glad he’s back with us this year.”

P Jack Aleskus, Lincoln, sophomore

The lefty has helped the Cardinals absorb the loss of four all-PIL pitchers from a year ago, going 2-1 with a 2.78 ERA in his first 27⅔ innings, striking out 30 and walking nine.

CF Jackson Poole, Wells, senior

Poole started for the Guardians as a sophomore, but last season was derailed by a football injury that cost him the first 20 games. He came back in the fall to have a big season for the two-time reigning PIL champion football team as a first-team all-league defensive back, and he’s poised to make the all-PIL first team in baseball, shaking off a slow start to hit .607 with a 1.493 OPS in his past nine games. He’s thrown out four runners at home and is batting .426 (1.101 OPS) in the leadoff spot with three doubles, a triple, 11 RBIs, 17 walks, 20 runs and seven stolen bases.

P/SS Jake Sproul, Myrtle Point/Pacific, junior

The Bobcats program has experienced a resurgence over the past three seasons, with their 15 wins this season already approaching the school record of 17 set during their only state final appearance in 1961. A big reason is Sproul, whose breakthrough season has made him “a cornerstone of our team’s success,” said first-year coach Sebastian Watson. On the mound, he’s struck out 109 and allowed just three earned runs (0.40 ERA) in 52⅓ innings, including a perfect game and a no-hitter in his nine starts (6-2). At the plate, he’s batting .475 (1.089 OPS) with 21 RBIs and has not taken a called third strike in 68 plate appearances. “His two-way performance has elevated the entire team, setting a tone of excellence and grit that’s fueled our success,” Watson said. “He’s locked in every single day, showing an incredible work ethic and a deep commitment to constant improvement.”

P James Ruona-Banister, McDaniel, junior

The lefty made the all-PIL honorable mention list as a reliever last season, and he’s filled many roles on the Mountain Lions staff this spring, going 3-1 with a 1.07 ERA in 19⅔ innings, allowing just three earned runs and a .178 batting average and striking out 14 as they’ve already notched their most wins (10) in a season since 2018 and are positioned to make the 6A playoffs for the first time since 2016. “He has done an amazing job for the team this year,” coach Chase Franks said.

South Salem's Kellen Bowman / Dan Brood

P Kellen Bowman, South Salem, sophomore

The right-hander was the Saxons’ No. 3 starter as a freshman, going 5-1 with a 4.78 ERA as they reached the 6A semifinals for the first time since 2019. Now, he’s turned into the team’s ace, going 5-0 with a save in six appearances, striking out 31 and walking 10 in 28 innings while dropping his ERA to 1.25 with a 1.06 WHIP and allowing opponents to bat .184 against him. While Bowman has added several miles per hour to his fastball, coach Max Price credits his improvement to “his ability to keep hitters off-balance by being able to throw multiple pitches for strikes in any count. His ability to go deep in games has given us such a boost, not only in what he can do, but in how it saves our pitching staff from needing stacked relievers to get through games.” 

P/CF Landen Scott, Sisters, senior

Outlaws coach Matt Hilgers tried Scott on the mound last season, but with little success. This season, though, “he is a completely different kid on the mound,” Hilgers said, going 4-2 (his only losses were to 4A No. 2 Junction City and 3A No. 2 Blanchet Catholic) with a sub-2.00 ERA and averaging more than nine strikeouts per outing. “He has really stepped up as one of our leaders this year,” Hilgers said.

3B/P Landon DuChene, Tigard, senior

DuChene split time between JV and varsity last spring, but he seized a starting job this season and has been a reliable glove at the hot corner and a key middle-of-the-order bat, hitting .405 (.966 OPS) with 10 RBIs. He also has made several spot appearances out of the bullpen for the Tigers. 

P/SS Logan Anderson, Umpqua Valley Christian, senior

Anderson is a three-year starter for the defending 2A/1A champion Monarchs, with coach Dave York calling him “a key leader in our program. His competitiveness makes his all-around game unique.” Anderson is 5-0 with an 0.38 ERA, striking out 55 and walking six in 37 innings, and at the plate, he’s batting .441 with 31 runs and 19 RBIs.

C/OF Matsen Saruwatari, Central Catholic, senior

Rams coach Justin Barchus called Saruwatari his team’s Swiss Army knife in carving a role for himself in his first significant varsity action. He hit .394 through April, including .421 in Mt. Hood Conference play, with three doubles, a triple, 13 RBIs and nine runs. “He has provided stability in the middle of the batting order and come up with some huge at-bats in big spots for our team,” Barchus said. “He’s also provided experience behind the dish while sharing catching duties and is athletic enough to be a good outfielder for us when he's not catching. His leadership and great energy have also been a huge plus so far.”

IF Nathan Kim, Westview, junior

It’s been a rebuilding year for the Wildcats (6A quarterfinalists in 2024), with Kim proving himself as a capable leadoff hitter and everyday player in the infield after playing a part-time role last season. He led the team in runs through April and is batting .370, striking out two times in 56 plate appearances.

3B/SS Quinton Olson, Scappoose, senior

Olson might be the best all-around athlete in his town, winning Cowapa League defensive player of the year for the 4A semifinalist football team and league player of the year for the state tournament-qualifying basketball team. Now, he’s starting for the fourth year for the two-time defending 4A state champion baseball team, breaking through this spring with a .536 batting average (1.577 OPS) with eight doubles, three triples, three home runs, 23 RBIs and 31 runs. “He has continued to get better every single year,” Scappoose coach Cameron Webb said of the Lane Community College commit. “He has also been a great leader. His competitiveness and work ethic set the tone in practice, but he also helps keep things light and selflessly uplifts all of those around him.”

C Sean McFall, Eagle Point, junior

Eagles coach Tyson Wolfe called McFall “the straw that stirs the drink, becoming a breakout player this year by leading our team on and off the field.” He primarily plays behind the plate, although he occasionally pitches, and he is batting .429 with two doubles, two triples, 16 RBIs, 16 runs and 10 stolen bases through April.

3B/P Trace Esterbrook, South Umpqua, sophomore

Esterbrook was expected to be a major contributor for the Lancers as a freshman, but he battled an injury all season and never got on track. This season has been a different story. He’s one of three sophomores (and two freshmen) in the starting lineup and has thrived in the cleanup spot, hitting .389 with six doubles, two triples, a home run, 19 RBIs, 18 runs and just four strikeouts in 54 at-bats. He’s stolen six bases in six attempts.

SS Ty Sconfienza, Reynolds, junior

Sconfienza is a three-year starter at shortstop who has grown into a solid two-way player for the Raiders, batting .490 this season (24 for 49 with a .574 OBP) with three doubles, two triples and 12 stolen bases. “We rely heavily on him for our success,” Reynolds coach Kyle Swoboda said. “We go as he goes offensively.”

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