Daily Pilot Baseball Dream Team: HB's Danner did it all

By David Carrillo PeñalozaAssistant Editor, Fast Break Desk

July 1, 2017 4:30 PM PT

Right after Hagen Danner played his last high school baseball game for Huntington Beach in late May, he began to think about what was next for him. At the time, he didn’t want to start looking ahead.

This was not the way Danner believed his senior year would end. His first loss on the mound eliminated him and his Oilers, the top-ranked team in the nation.

His perfect season was over. His team’s dream season was over, too.

The setback came in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs at home. There would be no second title run for Danner.

“It still hasn’t hit me yet, but [I’m] definitely sad,” Danner said after El Dorado upset the top-seeded Oilers 4-1 on May 26. “It’s probably going to hit me either tonight or tomorrow morning, when I realize I don’t have practice in the morning at 6.

“We’re going to be going off in the world. Most of us don’t know what it’s going to be like yet.”

For Danner, the Daily Pilot Baseball Dream Team Player of the Year, he had a future in baseball. As for whether his next step would be in college or the pros, Danner found out 17 days after his final outing with Huntington Beach.

He waited longer than he had hoped.

Family, friends and teammates gathered at the Danner family home for the Major League Baseball Draft on June 12. The day Danner dreamed about as a kid turned out differently when he slid out of the first round.

“Before the draft, I was told I was looking [to go in the] No. 28 to No. 34 range, and when none of those picks [involved me], I was just getting stressed out,” Danner said. “I was standing outside with my parents, and everything was good, everything turned out well.”

Danner wound up going in the second round as the No. 61 overall pick to the Toronto Blue Jays. Danner found out on TV around the same time his adviser told him Toronto was drafting him as a catcher.

“It was more of just a stress relief,” Danner said.

Danner would be the second member on this year’s Huntington Beach team to get picked in the draft. Nick Pratto, a first baseman, went to the Kansas City Royals in the first round, No. 14 overall.

Unlike Pratto, who signed his contract before the Royals played a home game at Kauffman Stadium on June 19, Danner’s signing experience with the Blue Jays was a little bit different.

Nine days after Danner graduated from high school, he was in Florida signing with the Blue Jays.

“They don’t have you go to the stadium because it’s in Canada,” Danner said. “They have it here [at their minor league complex in Dunedin, Fla]. They give you a shirt and a hat. They don’t give you a jersey like the other teams. But it was cool being able to sign for the [$1.5 million] signing bonus and have my parents there with me.”

Scott and Lisa Danner saw their son sign well above the $1 million value at his spot in the draft.

Danner proved his worth at Huntington Beach. The Oilers won three Sunset League titles with Danner, as well as a section crown during his sophomore year and a National High School Invitational championship during his junior year.

In his senior year, Danner produced as a hitter, pitcher and catcher, even seeing a little time at second base, third base, and in the outfield for the Oilers. Whatever coach Benji Medure asked of Danner, he performed at a high level.

Danner’s curveball was as devastating as his fastball, which he threw anywhere from 90 to 94 mph. Not many could hit him, as Danner struck out 92 and only allowed 34 hits in 63 1/3 innings. The right-hander finished 11-1 with a 1.22 earned-run average.

While he enjoyed success on the mound, opposing pitchers did not when throwing to Danner. He hit a Huntington Beach single-season record 12 home runs and batted .350 with 40 RBIs and eight doubles. He had a .790 slugging percentage, scored 22 runs and walked 23 times.

“I don’t know how you get a better one than that,” Medure said. “But the legend grows with Hagen Danner. He’s such a special kid on the field. You guys see what he can do, all the dynamic [things] he does on the field, but let me tell you something, he’s a better kid than he is a baseball player, he is a better man than he is a baseball player, and that’s what I’ll remember most about him.”

Another memorable Danner moment for Medure was watching him pitch at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium on May 6. Medure is a big fan of the Dodgers.

While Danner will never get to suit up for UCLA, the school he committed to the summer going into his freshman year at Huntington Beach, Danner got to play on the field where the Bruins play their home games. And he delivered his best performance, almost throwing a no-hitter in the Boras Classic state tournament championship.

Danner was two outs away from recording his first no-no, but he lost it. More importantly, Danner went the distance, lifting the Oilers to a 4-1 win against San Jose Bellarmine Prep.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder won a lot on the field with Huntington Beach, which went 28-5 overall and 13-2 in league this year. It seemed as though he almost won as many awards.

Danner was the Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year, the Los Angeles Times Baseball Player of the Year, the Orange County Baseball Player of the Year, the Orange County Athlete of the Year, the Sunset League Athlete of the Year, and the Boras Classic Defensive MVP. He made the All-CIF Southern Section Division 1 first team and shared the Sunset League MVP honor with Pratto.

There aren’t many players who can say they have won at every level like Danner, who is 18. He played a vital role to a couple of historic runs in Huntington Beach, leading Ocean View to a Little League World Series championship in 2011 and helping the Oilers win their first section title in 2015. He has also contributed to the U.S. under-18 team’s gold medal finishes at the COPABE Pan American “AAA” Championships in Mexico in 2016 and at the World Baseball Softball Confederation World Cup in Japan in 2015.

As for what’s next for Danner, it’s him getting used to playing baseball in the summer in Florida. He’s with the Blue Jays’ rookie level team in the Gulf Coast League.

“It’s humid. It’s a lot different than California,” Danner said with a laugh. “Right as I step outside of the hotel room, I start sweating.”

While it will take some time to adjust to the heat, helping Danner get situated is Dominic Abbadessa, a former Huntington Beach teammate.

The two last played together with the Oilers in the spring of 2016. Now, they’re roommates and trying to work their way up to the big leagues.

“It’s great for me because I have my friend from high school,” Danner said of Abbadessa, the outfielder the Blue Jays selected in the 23rd round last year. “It’s comforting to have him here and being able to have someone to talk to.”

——

Below are the rest of the members on this year’s Dream Team:

Coach of the Year

Cameron Chinn

Edison

It took a rocky start in Sunset League play for Chinn to lead the Chargers to their best finish in league under his watch. In his fourth year at Edison, the Chargers overcame a 0-5 record by winning eight of their final 10 games in league to share second place with Los Alamitos. Edison turned things around by winning its final six league games, beating Newport Harbor twice, Los Alamitos twice and Marina twice. During the stretch, the Chargers outscored their league foes by an average of seven runs per game. The runner-up finish marked Edison’s best since 2011, when it won the league title. The pitching, defense and timely hitting carried over to the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs, as the Chargers won 4-2 at Long Beach Wilson in the first round, then they upset No. 2-seeded Moorpark in the second round at home to reach the quarterfinals for the second time with Chinn. Edison finished 20-13 overall, its second 20-win season in four years, and 8-7 in league.

Cory Lewis

P | Marina | So.

Behind Lewis, the Vikings got off to a 5-0 start in the Sunset League as the right-hander won every game, three coming in starts and two out of the bullpen. The Sunset League Pitcher of the Year finished 8-2 with a 1.33 ERA, striking out 47 in 63 innings. Lewis, who made the All-Orange County third team, hit .312 with one home run, 12 RBIs and six doubles.

Vince Inman

P | Edison | Sr.

The senior left-hander threw a complete game in the Chargers’ 2-1 upset of No. 2-seeded Moorpark in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs. Inman played a big role in Edison winning eight of its final 10 games to share second place in the Sunset League. The first-team All-Sunset League pick went 5-2 with a 2.06 ERA, striking out 44 in 44 1/3 innings.

Brett Super

P | Sage Hill | Sr.

Super tossed two no-hitters, giving him four no-nos during his career with the Lightning. The senior finished 9-3 with a 0.77 ERA, mowing down 104 in 82 1/3 innings. The right-hander garnered first-team All-Academy League, third-team All-Orange County and second-team All-CIF Southern Section Division 3 honors. Super, bound for Pomona-Pitzer College, hit .418 with 25 RBIs, eight doubles and five triples. Super is a four-time Dream Team selection.

Chazz Martinez

P | Corona del Mar | Jr.

The left-hander helped the Sea Kings finish first in the Pacific Coast League for the first time since 2006. Martinez, a UC Santa Barbara commit, went 6-4 with a 2.11 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 63 innings, earning the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year award. The junior batted .383 with two home runs, 25 RBIs, eight doubles and one triple. Martinez is a two-time Dream Team selection.

Ashwin Chona

P | Sage Hill | So.

Chona made CIF Southern Section history by throwing no-hitters in three consecutive starts for the Lightning. The sophomore left-hander tossed four no-hitters, one shy of tying the section single-season record set 60 years ago. Chona finished 8-1 with a 1.27 ERA, striking out 90 and walking 19 in 60 2/3 innings. The first-team All-Academy League pick hit .339 with 11 RBIs. Chona is a two-time Dream Team selection.

Justin Mazzone

C | Fountain Valley | Sr.

Mazzone earned first-team All-Sunset League and third-team All-Orange County laurels. The senior hit .360 with three home runs, 16 RBIs and 10 doubles, and he was hit by a pitch 10 times. The left-handed hitter is heading to Seattle University to continue his playing career. In the Orange County All-Star Game, Mazzone started, catching four scoreless innings and going two for three with an RBI and a walk.

Nick Pratto

1B | Huntington Beach | Sr.

Scouts considered Pratto to have the best left-handed bat in high school. The Kansas City Royals drafted the first baseman with the No. 14 overall pick in June. The senior batted .330 with nine home runs, 22 RBIs, six doubles, one triple and 33 runs, to go with a .691 slugging percentage. As a pitcher, he went 5-1 with a save and a 0.99 ERA, striking out 66 and walking seven in 49 1/3 innings.

Trevor Windisch

2B | Huntington Beach | Sr.

Windisch played shortstop for the Oilers, but with the kind of season he had, he deserved a spot on the first team, so he made it as a second baseman. The Oregon-bound Windisch hit .341 with three home runs, 17 RBIs and six doubles. Two of his homers came during the Boras Classic state tournament title run. He made the All-Sunset League first team and All-Orange County second team.

J.T. Schwartz

SS | Corona del Mar | Jr.

The UCLA commit was the Pacific Coast League MVP, making the All-Orange County second team and the All-CIF Southern Section Division 2 first team. Schwartz led the Sea Kings with a .459 batting average, a .520 on-base percentage and 11 doubles, tying for the top spot with 28 runs, to go with four home runs, 24 RBIs and a .729 slugging percentage. Schwartz is a three-time Dream Team selection.

Dante Faicchio

3B | Laguna Beach | Sr.

The Breakers reached the CIF Southern Section Division 2 quarterfinals because Faicchio scored twice and drove in a run in a 3-1 upset of No. 4-seeded Newbury Park. He earned Orange Coast League MVP, All-Orange County third team and All-CIF Southern Section Division 2 first team honors. He batted .439 with three home runs, 27 RBIs, 21 doubles and one triple, scored 49 runs, and had a .719 slugging percentage.

Preston Hartsell

OF | Corona del Mar | Jr.

Hartsell turned in a remarkable year, making the All-Pacific Coast League and All-Orange County first teams, as well as the All-CIF Southern Section Division 2 second team. The center fielder hit .427 with six home runs, 22 RBIs, six doubles, three triples, scored 28 runs, and had a .510 on-base percentage and a .764 slugging percentage. The junior is committed to USC. Hartsell is a two-time Dream Team selection.

Ben McConnell

OF | Huntington Beach | Sr.

McConnell set the table for an explosive lineup, which led to the Oilers averaging 6.2 runs per game. The senior scored 33 runs and had a .444 an on-base percentage, getting on with 34 hits, 15 walks, seven times he was hit by a pitch, and twice he reached on errors. McConnell, who batted .330 with four home runs and 15 RBIs, garnered All-Sunset League and All-Orange County first-team accolades.

Trent Sievers

OF | Fountain Valley | Sr.

Sievers will be playing baseball at Long Beach State, which almost reached the College World Series this year. The senior was one of the top center fielders around, receiving first-team All-Sunset League and third-team All-Orange County honors. Sievers hit .395 with 13 RBIs, 13 doubles, four triples. He scored 25 runs, stole 13 bases, and had a .494 on-base percentage. Sievers played in the Orange County All-Star Game.

Josh Hahn

U | Huntington Beach | So.

The versatile sophomore played in the outfield, at first base, and closed for the Oilers. The left-hander went 1-0 with seven saves and a 0.95 ERA, striking out 20 in 22 innings. When he wasn’t on the field, Hahn usually was the team’s designated hitter and batted cleanup. The Sunset League Rookie of the Year hit .266 with five home runs, 24 RBIs and six doubles.

Cade Seabold

DH | Newport Harbor | Sr.

Seabold continued to hammer the ball for the Sailors, hitting .333 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs, and he had a .696 slugging percentage. The senior played right field, throwing out three runners at the plate and two at third base. He picked up first-team All-Sunset League and second-team All-Orange County honors, and played in the Orange County All-Star Game. Seabold is a two-time Dream Team selection.

SECOND TEAM

Position, Name, School, Year

P Nate Madole, Huntington Beach, Jr.

P Riley Haddon, Edison, Jr.

P Blake Burzell, Laguna Beach, Jr.

P Adam Carles, Ocean View, Sr.

P Jack Loechner, Laguna Beach, Jr.

C Connor Aoki, Edison, Jr.

1B Brian Rodriguez, Estancia, Jr.

2B Sebastian Murillo, Fountain Valley, Fr.

SS Kyler Arenado, Edison, Sr.

3B Colin Gardner, Estancia, Sr.