Three more commitments

The Saddleback baseball team was back in the news this past week with the announcement that three more players from the state championship squad had committed to play at four-year universities.  Andrew Nykoluk, Ben Castelli and Tyler Byrns all made their choices to run the total to six for the off-season.

Saddleback's success on the field has now spilled over into the recruiting world as scouts have been taking the opportunity to recruit players from the 2024 state title team.  Three more players have signed in the past two weeks, and it shouldn't be the end of the recruiting barrage. 

Nykoluk committed to Hawaii-Pacific University, located in Honolulu, Hawaii.  The Sharks play an NCAA DII schedule within the PacWest Conference.  Nykoluk played in 47 games this season at Saddleback, batting .284 with a .341 on-base percentage.  He was third on the team in stolen bases (7) and led the team in defensive assists (127).

Castelli committed to California Baptist University, located in Riverside, California.  The Lancers play an NCAA DI schedule within the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).  Castelli had an incredible run down the stretch, bringing home MVP honors at the state tournament.  He batted .330 for the season with a .440 on-base percentage.  Castelli led the team in triples (4) and was second in hits (68), doubles (14) and runs-scored (55). 

Byrns will play at San Francisco State University, located in San Francisco, California.  The Gators play an NCAA DII schedule within the California Collegiate Athletic Association.  Byrns finished the season 5-1 with a 5.09 ERA.  He led the team in innings pitched (81.1) and was third on the staff in strikeouts (68).

2024 COMMITMENTS (in alphabetical order):