Orange Lutheran Wins NHSI Championship

CARY, N.C.—Senior shortstop Tristan Hanoian remembers the last time he was at the National High School Invitational with Orange (Calif.) Lutheran—they aren’t great memories.

Lutheran won only once in the 2014 edition of the NHSI when Hanoian was a freshman. A few weeks prior to the 2017 tournament, the Texas Christian commit wasn’t happy with how his team was playing, citing selfish at-bats as the main factor.

Now, sitting at the podium, celebrating a 3-2 win over Dana Hills (Dana Point, Calif.) in the championship game, Hanoian can look forward to replacing those memories.

“This week we really took team at-bats and we played probably the best baseball we’ve payed in a long time,” Hanoian said. “. . . This has probably been the best team I’ve ever played for, too.”

Orange Lutheran was the last team standing in a 16-team field after an exceptionally strong defensive showing Saturday, backing up senior starter Nicholas Janowicz (who threw two no-hit, shutout innings) and senior Zach Busalacchi, who tossed the remaining five innings and also drew a pair of crucial walks.

“What a game,” Lutheran coach Eric Borba said. “It was wild. Ups and downs . . . every way you’d want a championship game to be. We didn’t pitch as well as we could, but we found ways to get out of innings. We played great defense and we got the big sacrifice fly there at the end.”

That sacrifice fly was a perfect example of the team-oriented approach that Hanoian was looking to see out of his teammates. After a successful sacrifice bunt by Brenden Avventino, Borba called on Jasiah Dixon, a sophomore Southern California commit.

“Coach told me to go swing a bat, and I was pretty excited,” Dixon said.

Perhaps too excited at first. Dixon chased a ball low in the dirt, and found himself backed into a 1-2 count. The next pitch he saw was up. So he took it.

“And then it came, the moment,” Dixon said. “I was just telling myself I’ve got to mentally prepare for a team at-bat right now. And once I saw that fastball up, I knew I had to go get it and put it in the outfield. Score that run.”

Junior catcher Caleb Ricketts tagged from third and score the winning run.

For Dana Hills, the loss was stinging, as Lutheran had already beaten them twice in a double header earlier this season. But it still showed that the Dolphins were able to hang with some of the top talent in the country.

“You know, I think they can see their potential now,” Dana Hills coach Tom Faris said. “At the beginning of the year when we were scuffling, there wasn’t a lot of energy in the group . . .  And I think we beat some good teams here. We’re a heartbeat away from winning that baseball game.”

They were.

In the top of the seventh inning, sophomore Zachary Waters—who had already made several strong plays at shortstop to keep Dana Hills in the game—fouled off four pitches before drawing a one-out walk and threatened as the tying run.

But Lutheran shortstop Tristan Hanoian was ready put his 2014 NHSI experience in the rear-view mirror. And that would have to come at the expense of Walker and Dana Hills. Busalacchi induced a ground ball up the middle from Jordan Matthews, who already had two hits in the game, and got ready to celebrate.

“I knew (Hanoian) had it,” Busalacchi said afterward.

Hanoian ranged to his left, nonchalantly fielded an awkward hop—”I wasn’t really thinking about it, just reacted”—and tagged second while simultaneously firing a strike to first base for the game-ending double play.

Orange Lutheran: 2017 National High School Invitational champions.

“This win was huge, especially as a sophomore,” Dixon said. “I know for (Busalacchi and Hanoian) it’s their last year playing so it means a lot to them. Just being so young and being able to experience it at this age is amazing, especially with this great group of guys.”

After beating Merritt Island (Fla.), Trinity Christian (Jacksonville), South Hills (West Covina, Calif.), and finally Dana Hills, Orange Lutheran now has a claim as the best high school baseball team in the country.

“We knew going into this year we were going to have a strong team with all the experience we have,” Borba said. “I think this is a momentum builder. A confidence builder knowing that we can play with anybody in the country.

“And when we sacrifice ourselves and play for something bigger, we have a chance to beat anybody.”