Anaheim’s Lilyana Balderas, Esperanza’s Sammy Sanchez are No. 1 seeds in CIF State wrestling meet

• February 27, 2025

Lilyana Balderas of Anaheim and Sammy Sanchez of Esperanza are the top-seeded wrestlers in their weight divisions in the CIF State Championships this week in Bakersfield.

The state meet, at Mechanics Bank Arena, begins Thursday and concludes Saturday. The NFHS Network will carry live streaming of the meet.

Sanchez, a freshman, is seeded No. 1 in the boys 106-pound weight class. He won championships at the prestigious Doc Buchanan tournament in January and was a CIF Southern Section Masters champion last week.

Balderas, a junior, is the No. 1 seed in the girls 125-pound weight class.

Trabuco Hill senior Kylee Golz is seeded second at 120 pounds. The top-seeded girl at 120 is Clovis East senior Isabella Gonzales, who defeated Golz last year year in the state 115-pound final.

Balderas and Golz were CIF-SS Masters champions last week.

Esperanza junior Olivia Davis is seeded No. 2 at 145 pounds.

Fountain Valley senior Khale McDonnell is seeded second at 215 pounds. In the same half of the 215-pound bracket is Mayfair senior Kayden Cartee, who beat McDonnell in the CIF-SS Coastal Division finals two weeks ago.

​ Orange County Register 

CIF-SS boys soccer: Previews for JSerra, Anaheim, Laguna Beach and St. Margaret’s in CIF-SS finals

• February 27, 2025

CIF-SS BOYS SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS

Open Division

Loyola (20-0-4) vs. JSerra (16-0-1)

Where, when: El Modena, Friday, 5 p.m.

Outlook: JSerra has won two CIF-SS boys soccer championships, the most recent in 2023. The Lions are led by seniors Gavin Allegaert, who has scored a team-high 19 goals, and Jake Tatch, who has scored 16 goals with 13 assists. JSerra won the Trinity League and in the Open Division playoffs defeated Arlington twice by 3-1 scores, tied Santa Monica 0-0 and defeated Santa Monica 3-2. Loyola has won four championships, the most recent in 2016. The Cubs went 10-0 in the Mission League. In the playoffs they tied Mater Dei twice 1-1 including a win on penalty kicks in their second game, and beat Hart twice by 1-0 scores. Loyola senior goalkeeper Chris Stillwell has 15 shutouts. Senior forward Will Hoshek has scored 20 goals for the Cubs.

Division 3

Anaheim (10-3-6) vs. Warren

Where, when: Veterans Stadium, Saturday, 10:30 a.m.

Outlook: Anaheim has won two CIF-SS boys soccer championships, the most recent in 2014. The Colonists finished second to Magnolia in the Coast League. In the playoffs they beat San Marcos 1-0, Saugus 4-3, Katella on penalty kicks and Montclair 2-0. Anaheim is led by seniors Rodrigo Estrada, Josue Mendoza and Antonio Villafana. Warren won the Gateway League championship. The Bears in the playoffs defeated Fountain Valley on penalty kicks, Banning 5-0, Beaumont 2-0 and Torrance 3-1. Warren’s top players are senior Ezequiel Santana and junior Alexander Berelleza.

Division 4

Laguna Beach (15-5-5) vs. Yucaipa (14-7-4)

Where, when: El Modena High, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Outlook: Laguna Beach has won five boys soccer championships, with the latest one in 2002. The Breakers won the Pacific Coast League championship this season. In the playoffs they defeated South Hills 1-0, Indian Springs 3-2, Long Beach Poly 2-1 and Santa Ana 2-1. Senior Julian Reichel has scored nine goals with six assists. Senior Dylan Petrie-Norris has scored seven goals with nine assists. Yucaipa finished fourth in the six-team Citrus Belt League. In the playoffs the Thunderbirds beat Dos Pueblos 2-0, Pacifica 1-0, California 2-1 and Beckman 2-1.

Division 6

Channel Islands (11-6-4) vs. St. Margaret’s (11-6-5)

Where, when: St. Margaret’s High, Saturday, 6 p.m.

Outlook: Channel Islands won a CIF-SS championship in 2020. The Raiders finished third in the seven-team Citrus Coast League. In the playoffs they beat Windward 3-0, Riverside Prep 2-0, Amino Leadership 1-0 and Hillcrest 3-0. St. Margaret’s is in a CIF-SS boys soccer final for the first time since 2019. The Tartans won the championship in 2003. St. Margaret’s finished third in the eight-team Pacific Coast League. The Tartans have playoff wins – all by 1-0 scores – over Segerstrom, Garden Grove, Lawndale and Pioneer.

​ Orange County Register 

Coached by their parents, Santa Ana High’s Serratos sisters dominate girls wrestling

• February 27, 2025

The three Serratos sisters of Santa Ana High are a force to be reckoned with in high school girls wrestling.

The sisters — Alicia, Anabelle and Angelica — took a combined record of 104-12 into last week’s CIF Southern Section Girls Masters Meet at Sonora High in La Habra. Two of the sisters, Alicia and Angelica, won their respective division and will compete this week in the CIF State Championships in Bakersfield. The meet begins Thursday and ends Saturday night.

Their parents, Fernando and Monica, who are both former wrestlers and are now coaches for Santa Ana, have been guiding them along the way, celebrating every victory and providing support in the rare low moments.

At the Masters Meet on Feb. 21, Alicia, 18, a senior, won the 105-pound title (Blue Division), Angelica, 15, a freshman, won the 100-pound title (Blue Division), and Anabelle, 17, who is a sophomore, finished out of the top spots at 125 pounds (Gold Division).

That was against the top wrestlers in the CIF Southern Section.

There is a good chance there will be more celebrations this weekend at the state meet for the Serratos family, which is enjoying its journey together — and all of its successes — on the wrestling mat.

Alicia Serratos of Santa Ana, center, is moments from winning by decision 7-0 over opponent Olive Lechiara of Temecula Valley to win first place in the 105 pounds Blue Division at the CIF Southern Section Girls Masters Meet at Sonora High School in La Habra on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

​ Orange County Register 

After promising start, James Outman trying to find his place again with Dodgers

• February 27, 2025

GLENDALE, Ariz. — James Outman’s big-league career couldn’t have gotten off to a much better start.

Called up from Triple-A in July 2022, Outman hit a home run in his first major-league at-bat then became the first Dodgers rookie to have three (or more) hits in his MLB debut since Mike Piazza in 1992.

Outman was 6 for 13 in a four-game major-league cameo that year and won a job out of spring training the following year. He hit .292 with seven home runs and a .991 OPS in the first month of the regular season on his way to a third-place finish in the National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2023.

He broke camp last spring as the Dodgers’ everyday center fielder, but that promising start soon dissolved. His batting average quickly sank below .200 and never recovered. In mid-May, he was batting .147 and was sent to the minors, passed by Andy Pages on the Dodgers’ depth chart of young outfielders.

“Yeah, it was frustrating,” Outman said this spring. “But I just kind of take it in stride. Use it as fuel. Learn from it. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

He’s done more than that.

In January, Outman went to the Maven Baseball Lab in Atlanta with the Dodgers’ hitting coaches. Outman has described himself as “a caveman” in his hitting approach when he entered professional baseball. The visit to Maven was a deep dive into the mechanics of his swing seven years later. They suggested he flatten his barrel in his setup, holding it close to parallel. The change is supposed to make his upper and lower body more connected during his swing.

“The super vertical barrel was kind of throwing off my sequencing. By the time it was coming back to this position (the start of his swing), my hips were gone so my bat was dragging through a lot.”

Outman had worked with hitting guru Craig Wallenbrock in the past “but that’s all his eye – this was a lot more data-driven. So they were presenting me with stuff I couldn’t really argue with.”

The adjustments are still a work in progress. Outman has started the spring 2 for 10 with six strikeouts in Cactus League play.

“I think his posture is better, which should be able to cover the top half of the zone a little bit better, which has been a place that he’s been exploited,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think last year he certainly needed to make an adjustment, and he did.”

How Outman got so far off track after his initial success, Roberts said he didn’t know. But it certainly doesn’t make Outman unique among young players.

“I think that, like a lot of young players, when you start to scuffle, you just can’t stop that spiral,” Roberts said. “I think that there is a little feeling of the pressure of trying to perform bled into last year. And I just think that we couldn’t slow it down. I think that this year, he’s in a healthy competition. I think that’s good. I think he looks good physically, as always, and he made the swing change, so he’s holding his own right now.”

With most of the 29 other MLB teams, Outman would probably also be holding onto a roster spot right now. But he finds himself with an uncertain path back into the Dodgers’ plans.

“Maybe. But that’s not the situation I’m in so there’s no sense wasting any energy on it,” Outman said.

“My job is still the same. My job is to play baseball. I can’t really read into anything like that. My job is to be James Outman.”

OHTANI DEBUT

Shohei Ohtani took live at-bats against a minor-league pitcher and did some baserunning drills on a back field at Camelback Ranch on Wednesday morning. He saw 37 pitches, swung at 14 and hit one over the fence.

Roberts said Ohtani will see his first game action of the spring on Friday night when the Dodgers face Ohtani’s former team, the Angels, in Glendale. Ohtani will be at DH with left-hander Yusei Kikuchi scheduled to start for the Angels. Ohtani and Kikuchi are from the same hometown in Japan (Iwate) and went to the same high school a few years apart.

Ohtani has thrown four bullpen sessions since the start of spring camp, building up to 30 pitches and touching 95 mph in his most recent session. The Dodgers do not plan to have Ohtani pitch in any Cactus League games and will set up simulated games for him to prepare for a return to the mound in MLB games sometime in May.

“There’s still a process that we all have to go through,” Roberts said. “Obviously, Shohei is very anxious in everything. But, he’s bought into the program on the progression. Swinging of the bat, I expect him to be in a major league game very soon. And then pitching, he’s just understanding that we got a long season to go, so he’s sort of bought into whatever we need from him.

“But (I’m) very surprised how quick it’s gone and seamless. It’s great.”

Ohtani had surgery on his right elbow in September 2023 and on his left shoulder last November.

ALSO

Right-hander Bobby Miller remains in concussion protocol but is expected to throw a bullpen session during Friday’s workout. Miller was hit in the head by a line drive last Thursday.

​ Orange County Register 

CIF-SS boys basketball: Previews for Sage Hill and Santiago in CIF-SS finals

• February 27, 2025

CIF-SS BOYS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Division 3AA

Knight (25-5) vs. Sage Hill (18-9)

Where, when: Edison High, Saturday 8 p.m.

Outlook: Knight of Palmdale won the Golden League championship. In the playoffs the Hawks defeated Arcadia 63-55, Hesperia 56-53, Price 68-67 and Maranatha 58-56. Knight is the alma mater of Clippers star Paul George. The Hawks are led by 6-2 junior forward Amare Larane, who is averaging 17 points a game, and 6-2 senior guard Da’vian Brooks, who is averaging 15 points a game. Sage Hill, a private school in Newport Beach with an enrollment of 590, lost to Long Beach Jordan in last season’s 4A final. The Lightning this season were third in the Pacific Coast League. All of Sage Hill’s wins in the playoffs have been close — Oakwood 44-39, West Torrance 42-39, Tustin 43-39 and San Gabriel Academy 45-43. Lightning coach D’Cean Bryant said the team’s top players are 6-3 sophomore guard Tre Cradle, 6-10 senior forward Jackson Cryst and 6-foot senior guard James Karahalios.

Division 4AA

Ramona (26-6) vs. Santiago (21-11)

Where, when: Toyota Arena, Saturday, 9:30 a.m.

Outlook: Ramona of Riverside finished second in the River Valley League. The Rams have playoff victories over Serrano 73-60, Santa Paula 64-53, Whittier 85-72 and Elsinore 82-80. Ramona 6-4 senior guard Troy Terrell averages 18 points a game and 6-5 senior forward Andrew Green averages 15 points and 12 rebounds a game. Santiago is in a CIF-SS boys basketball final for the first time. The Cavaliers finished third in the Coast League before playoff wins over Coast League champion Los Amigos 45-42, Flintridge Prep 47-37, Workman 66-64 and Pacifica 44-41. Santiago 6-2 senior guard Jorden De La Mora scored 36 points against Workman in the quarterfinals and 25 points against Pacifica. Jayden Baude, a 6-2 senior guard, and 5-6 senior guard Anthony Bermudez also have been key players for the Cavaliers.

​ Orange County Register 

David Bote drives in 4 runs with HR, double as Dodgers beat Brewers

• February 27, 2025

THE GAME: The Dodgers scored six runs in the fourth inning and went on to beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 9-3, on Wednesday afternoon at American Family Fields of Phoenix.

HITTING REPORT: The Dodgers’ first hit of the game didn’t come until Chris Taylor doubled with one out in the fourth inning. But they sent 11 batters to the plate in the inning and scored six runs. … Two hit batters loaded the bases after Taylor’s double and David Bote drove in three runs with a double. … Hunter Feduccia drove Bote in with another double. The catcher has gone 5 for 9 this spring with a team-leading six RBIs. … Outfield prospect Josue DePaula had an RBI single and Miguel Rojas drove him in with the Dodgers’ fourth double of the inning. … Andy Pages and Bote hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning. Bote has started the spring 8 for 12 with two doubles, a home run and six RBIs.

PITCHING REPORT: Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched into the third inning, giving up three runs on four hits and two walks in 2⅓ innings. He gave up solo home runs to Vinny Capra and Garrett Mitchell and an RBI double to Jorge Alfaro. … Tony Gonsolin retired six of the seven batters he faced in two innings. He gave up a double to Mitchell and struck out one. … Giovanny Gallegos pitched around a walk and a single in his scoreless inning.

DEFENSE REPORT: A non-roster utility infielder, Bote made his mark with the glove as well. He started at first base Wednesday and made a nice diving stop on Brice Turang’s hard ground ball down the line in the first inning. He also handled a low throw from Max Muncy in the third inning.

UP NEXT: Dodgers (RHP Landon Knack) at Colorado Rockies (RHP Bradley Blalock), Thursday, 12:10 p.m. PT, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, SportsNet LA, 570 AM

​ Orange County Register 

Fate of Orange County judge charged with murdering his wife now in jury’s hands

• February 27, 2025

Juror on Wednesday afternoon began deliberating the fate of an Orange County Superior Court judge on trial for murder after he shot and killed his wife at their Anaheim Hills home following a heated argument.

The jury must choose between finding Judge Jeffrey Ferguson guilty of second-degree murder or a lesser count of voluntary manslaughter, or acquitting him entirely of any criminal charges. The jury ended deliberations for the day at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and are scheduled to resume their work Thursday morning.

That Ferguson fired the gunshot that killed his wife, Sheryl, on Aug. 3, 2023 has not been disputed. The prosecution contends the judge purposely fired the fatal gunshot during a heated argument, while the defense counters that Ferguson accidently shot his wife.

The prosecution and defense agree that an argument over finances between the couple began at their home and then continued while the couple had dinner with their then 22-year-old son at a restaurant and after they returned home to watch some of the final episodes of the television show “Breaking Bad.”

While at dinner, Judge Ferguson made a “finger-gun” motion at his wife, both sides agree. The prosecution described it as a threatening motion, while the defense contended it was his way to indicate that the wife had won the argument. There was no dispute that Judge Ferguson was drinking alcohol at home and at the restaurant, and was drunk by the time they were watching television.

The couple’s adult son later described hearing his mother say “Why don’t you use a real gun?” to his father, an apparent reference to the “finger gun” motion earlier in the evening. Senior Deputy District Attorney Seton Hunt told jurors that Ferguson responded by immediately pulling a Glock .40-caliber pistol out of his ankle holster and shooting his wife.

Ferguson testified that his wife actually said something like “Why don’t you put the real gun away from me” and then made her own “finger gun” motion at him, addding “Pshew! Pshew!” sounds to apparently mimic gunfire. Ferguson said he took his gun out of the ankle holster and was trying to place it on a coffee table when his bad shoulder gave out and he fumbled the firearm and accidently hit the trigger, firing the weapon and fatally injuring his wife.

Shortly after the shooting, Ferguson texted the clerk and bailiff that worked for him in his courtroom at the Newport Beach courthouse, telling them “I just lost it. I shot my wife. I won’t be in tomorrow. I will be in custody. I’m so sorry.” The prosecutor described that text — along with many seemingly incriminating comments Ferguson made to police both outside his home and at the Anaheim Police station — as an effective confession.

“We all know what this means,” Hunt told jurors during closing arguments in a Santa Ana courtroom. “You lost your temper and you shot your wife.”

Attorney Cameron Talley, who is representing Ferguson, noted that Ferguson never told police that he murdered his wife or that he shot her on purpose.

“On this night, between episodes of ‘Breaking Bad’ with his son in the room, he decides this is the night I kill my wife?” Talley asked.

While he denied intentionally shooting his wife, Ferguson during his testimony admitted repeatedly breaking the law by carrying a concealed weapon while consuming alcohol, a violation of his concealed carry permit. The judge also admitted to drinking during lunch breaks once or twice a week before going back to court to hear criminal cases.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge is presiding over Ferguson’s trial in order to avoid a conflict of interest with Ferguson’s Orange County judicial colleagues.

​ Orange County Register 

Mike Trout hits first homer of spring but Angels fall to Reds

• February 27, 2025

THE GAME: Mike Trout hit a home run but the Angels lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 9-4, in a Cactus League game on Wednesday at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.

PITCHING REPORT: Left-hander Tyler Anderson gave up one run in two innings, but he would not have allowed any if not for a misplay in the outfield. Anderson struck out one and walked one. “I actually felt pretty good about it,” Anderson said. “Obviously you don’t feel like you’re ready to go start the season right now, but luckily that’s not where we are. I felt like the things I wanted to accomplish are headed in the right direction.” … Right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn pitched a scoreless inning against the top of the Reds’ order, working around a leadoff double. He struck out Gavin Lux, got Elly De La Cruz on a grounder up the first base line and then got Spencer Steer on a flyout. … Right-hander Victor Mederos gave up three runs in an inning, including homers from Matt McClain and De La Cruz.

HITTING REPORT: Trout hit his first homer of the spring, a solo shot to left field. “Just having some good at-bats, seeing some pitches, and got a good result,” Trout said. Trout also walked and he was called out on strikes on a pitch that he clearly thought should have been ball four. Trout said it “would have been interesting” if that happened in a game using the automated ball-strike challenge system. Trout is 1 for 3 with two strikeouts and two walks this spring. Trout also attempted a stolen base, but he left too early and the pitcher threw behind him at first. He was thrown out at second. … Jo Adell went hitless in two at-bats. He’s is 0 for 9 this spring, with two strikeouts. … The Angels parlayed three ninth-inning walks into three runs.

DEFENSE REPORT: Left fielder Taylor Ward misplayed a fly ball over his head. It was scored a double. … Third baseman Yoán Moncada had a ground ball hit off his glove and deflect directly to shortstop Kevin Newman, who threw out the runner at first. … Catcher Travis d’Arnaud lost a pop-up in the sun. It dropped in foul territory. … First baseman J.D. Davis made a diving stop to prevent two runs from scoring. Davis is primarily a third baseman, but he’d likely be used at both corners if he makes the roster.

UP NEXT: Angels (TBD) at Chicago Cubs (LHP Jordan Wicks), Thursday, 12:05 p.m. PT, at Sloan Park, FanDuel Sports Network West, 830 AM

​ Orange County Register