Sacred Heart Prep senior Daniel Gee, left, Menlo-Atherton senior Ronan Cutright, middle, and Menlo junior Chuck Wynn will square off in the season-opener ‘Battle for Atherton,’ a six-team tournament starting Tuesday.
The 2025 high school baseball season is jumping right into a rivalry theme, as three Atherton-based teams square off in the “Battle for Atherton.”
Menlo-Atherton, Sacred Heart Prep and Menlo School will each host home games through the first two rounds of the six-team tournament, opening Tuesday at their respective campuses at 3:30 p.m. Serra, Los Gatos and Scotts Valley will round out the field. Pool play continues Thursday, while the final round will be played Saturday exclusively at the newly turfed field at Menlo School.
“All of our kids know all the SHP kids and all the Menlo kids, so yeah, there’s definitely a competitive rivalry there,” M-A Bears manager Jordan Paroubeck said.
SHP has traditionally held its Gator Classic tournament midseason, but will forgo it this year in place of the new season-opening format.
“To have so many teams in the CCS in one tournament is a great way to kick off the season and see where you’re at,” SHP Gators manager Sean McMillan said.
Two of the Atherton teams will play in “A” leagues this year. SHP and M-A have each been in the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division in recent seasons, while Menlo returns to the PAL Ocean Division after its second-place finish in the “B” league last year.
SHP is the most projectable of the three, as McMillan returns six of his eight starting position players.
“That’s huge to have that many at-bats returning,” McMillan said.
Yet, the bat McMillan is highest on heading into the season is his new starting senior first baseman Thomas Moldow, who got just 17 at-bats last year but has been swinging it well as of late.
“In our two scrimmages, he’s been kind of our best hitter and our most consistent hitter,” McMillan said. “He’s really grown and taken on a leadership role, so we’re really going to count on him this year.”
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The other newcomer to the starting lineup is a newcomer to the team, and to the school. Freshman Sully Fischbein not only figures into the opening-day lineup, he is set to split time behind the plate with junior Nico Pollioni. The two will switch between catcher and third base, McMillan said.
The Gators’ lineup rounds out with returners Connor Schmalzle — who will alternate in the first-base/designated hitter role with Moldow — Casey Parker at second base, Thomas Barton at shortstop, Daniel Gee in left field and Max Courson in center field. Returning outfielder Jackson Selcher will eventually take over in right field, but he will join the team late as he is currently on the SHP boys’ basketball roster. Senior Alex Daheb will start the year in right.
On the mound, SHP returns its 1A and 1B pair of aces, senior left-hander Devin Saltzgaber and junior right-hander Rallin Covey.
M-A will be counting on a younger contingent of players, but will be anchored through the middle by third-year starting varsity shortstop Will Roberts. Senior Jack Molise will see two-way duty as a pitcher and outfielder. The right-hander will be complemented on the mound by Duke commit Wes Peterson, and Half Moon Bay transfer Anthony Kabrich.
“Going into the year, I do feel we have arms to compete to put us in a good spot, and a good supporting cast with our defense and our offense,” Paroubeck said.
“We have some emerging juniors who I really think can emerge and help us, so I think we’re really set up for a three-game week,” he said. “But again it’s that first week, so who knows.”
Pool play in the “Battle for Atherton” will take place concurrently at each of the three Atherton campuses Tuesday and Thursday. Serra opens its season Tuesday at Menlo, and will be at Sacred Heart Prep on Thursday.
Saturday action at Menlo School will open at 10 a.m. with the third-place game; the championship game is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.; and the fifth-place game is scheduled for 3 p.m.
“Hopefully it stays dry and we’re going to have a good showing here,” McMillan said.
The original content of the article has been edited to correct an error. The article misstated the league in which Menlo School baseball will play in 2025.
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