National High School Invitational Championship: Venice (FL) vs. Orange Lutheran (CA)
· Yahoo Sports
The 13th edition of the National High School Invitational, one of the most premiere high school baseball tournaments in the country, will come to a close on Saturday in Raleigh, North Carolina and the championship game will pit a couple of the country’s top programs, according to the latest Rivals Top 25 Rankings.
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On Saturday, the undefeated nationally No. 2 ranked Venice Indians (Fla.) will take on No. 4Orange Lutheran Lancers (Calif.) in the championship game. The Indians are looking to repeat as invitational champions, awhile the Lancers are taking aim at winning for a fourth time. The matchup between the two elite high school baseball teams will determine who takes the No. 1 ranking in the nation come Sunday as top-ranked St. John Bosco Braves (Calif.) bowed out in the single elimination tourney.
We give a preview of the National High School Invitational title game as the bout between Venice and Orange Lutheran shapes up as a mid-season national championship tilt of sorts.
Venice Indians (Fla.) (19-0)
What has really separated the undefeated Venice Indians (19-0) from most opponents this season is their pitching staff. The Indians are solid at the plate, with a respectable team average but only having yielded 22 runs through 19 games is what sticks out. Class of 2028 pitcher Kohen Poplin shutdown the Baylor School (Tenn.), holding the Red Raiders to one run on the dais. The older brother, Kasen Poplin (Liberty commit), has been every bit as good and could likely be on the mound for the Indians on Saturday. LSU commit Graham Houston‘s bat could come into play as the junior has belted a grand slam already in this tournament.
Orange Lutheran Lancers (Calif.) (6-1)
Back to attempt and win a fourth invitational title, Orange Lutheran (6-1) will need to crack the code of Venice’s pitching staff if they look to have a chance against a Venice pitching staff that’s yielded only one run through three games. The Lancers could be sending out to the mound is senior pitcher Gary Morse, who is already committed to the University of Tennessee. Morse led the Orange Lutheran pitching staff last season with a 8-2 record and a 0.94 ERA. The Lancers are batting over .300 as a team and scored eight runs during this tournament. Though the bats haven’t been exactly hot as of yet, Orange Lutheran’s lineup is primed to have a big day at any time.
About the National High School Invitational
“The USA Baseball National High School Invitational presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance and Netting Professionals brings together 16 of the top prep teams in the country to compete against each other in what has become the premiere event on the high school baseball calendar. As no event currently brings in a level of talent from top to bottom that the NHSI promises, the eventual tournament champion will kick off their respective season with recognition as the top high school baseball team in the country.
The NHSI is a 16-team, single-elimination championship tournament held at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. Each participating team is guaranteed to play four games. The NHSI will present participating athletes with national exposure in addition to providing the opportunity for the best teams in the country to compete against each other.”