Orange Lutheran baseball is back on the field this week, and after finishing second in the Trinity League last season and advancing to the second round of postseason play, the Lancers are looking to build on that momentum and take the next step toward a championship-caliber season.
OLu opens the season ranked No. 1 in Orange County by the Orange County Register, No. 2 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports and No. 3 nationally by Perfect Game. The program will field more than 70 players across three teams this year, including a varsity roster with 15 seniors and 12 NCAA Division I commits.
The group will be led by senior catcher Brady Murrietta (Texas), senior outfielder Hamilton Friedberg (UCLA) and 2025 Orange County pitcher of the year, senior Gary Morse (Tennessee).Â
Transfers added to the roster this year include senior right-handed pitcher Cooper Sides (LSU), senior outfielder Eric Zdunek (Notre Dame) and senior second baseman CJ Weinstein (LSU).
Four-year varsity infielder Gavin Hottle (USC), junior leadoff hitter Ricardo Hurtado, junior Jordan Kurz and sophomore Zion Avina are also expected to be strong contributors.Â
Head coach RJ Farrell believes the Lancers once again have one of the toughest schedules in the country this season. Early games include traveling to Las Vegas to take on Basic Academy (March 6) and Bishop Gorman (March 7).
OLu will then head back to Cary, North Carolina, for the 2026 National High School Invitational (NHSI), held from March 25-28 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex, where they are three-time champions (2017-19) and hold a 20-3 all-time record. The Lancers will also compete in the Boras Classic from April 7-10 hosted at JSerra.
The season begins February 27 with a road game at Crespi. Trinity League play opens March 31, when the Lancers take on preseason No. 1 St. John Bosco, the top-ranked team in the nation.
Farrell said the expectations for this year's team remain the same as always: compete for a Trinity League title and make a deep playoff run, goals the Lancers can achieve when they put the team first.
"We have enough talent to do it all," says Farrell. "It's just going to be a matter of if we can stay focused, buy into our own roles and and play for a common goal."
