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The562’s coverage of Millikan athletics in the 2023-24 school year is sponsored by Curtis Boyer.
Most high school baseball programs would be pleased and content with a 20+ win season that included a CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoff win, but Millikan doesn’t want to be most programs because the Rams want more.
“I kind of look at it as a growth year,” said Millikan coach Ron Keester. “It’s not rebuilding, it’s kind of retooling. At the end of the year we were playing really good baseball. We’re looking to get back to that level, we’re not there yet. It’s going to take a little while to get there.”
This Rams roster is full of returning juniors who want to use last year’s experience as a stepping stone to winning a second Moore League title in the last three years. They already started the season 4-0 with wins over Fountain Valley, Warren, Edison and Villa Park.
“We’re more of a team this year, last year we weren’t a set team and we were kind of all over the place (with positions and roles), but we’re starting to figure it out and coming together,” said Millikan senior Anthony Minton. “It’s a trust thing, trusting everyone in their position and trusting the process of where we’re going.”
Leading that junior class is center fielder Anthony Pack, who participated in the MLB Top Prospects showcase in September and had an RBI single in a game that featured some of the best high school baseball players in America. He even won an MVP award that got him invited to the World Series. But it hasn’t gone to his head.
“I think he’s actually more humble this year than he was last year,” said Keester of Pack. “I think he’s kind of seen that to be good at something you have to continue to get better, and he’s taken that approach of just trying to grind it out and get better. He knows it’s not just this year and next year, it’s about him over the course of his baseball career.”
The 5’10” 170-pound Pack (pictured above) will be Millikan’s left-handed leadoff hitter and emotional leader a year after hitting .321 with 17 runs scored in 28 games as a sophomore.
“The ball just comes off his bat differently and he’s able to run at a different speed,” said Keester of Pack. And he’s just a good kid. A lot of people are pulling him in different directions but he’s handled it pretty well. He’s eager to help others and be a good teammate.”
Pack, a Texas commit, is actually a perfect fit to lead this Millikan team because it’s full of guys who want to play the game hard and with a lot of emotion.
“They are an energetic bunch,” said Keester. “They seem to really like each other. Pack is one of our leaders because he is so energetic and outgoing. They are a fun bunch that likes to be around each other.”
“We’re a group of competitors,” added Minton. “Everyone is pushing each other trying to be the best baseball player and person in general.”
Minton is a tough-nosed second baseman who will hit in the middle of the order and play up the middle with fellow returner Andrew Perez. Keester called the junior his best infielder because of his smooth, quick style and good baseball IQ. Perez will bat towards the top of the order after hitting .362 last season.
Millikan is obviously very strong up the middle including returner Connor Patten behind the plate. The left-handed hitting catcher has a great presence behind the plate.
Junior Ben Keisler will also be key to the Rams offense in the three or four hole. As a sophomore starter he hit .372 on the season and had a .471 on base percentage during league play. Keisler is a tall, lean athletic third baseman who is quietly consistent at the hot corner. He is the only returning first team All-League selection on the roster.
At the other corner infield spot the Rams have good options with senior Jacob Robinson and sophomore Adrian Ramirez. Both returns can play first base and will be the top option for designated hitter when they’re not in the field. Robinson is a power hitting righty and Ramirez is a consistent lefty who had a .440 on base percentage in league play as a sophomore starter.
Senior Enrique Lopez will be in left field and take backup catching duties while Matthew Ness takes over in right field. He is another left-handed hitter in the Rams lineup that Keester is excited to move around in order to exploit matchups.
“We might start four or five left-handed hitting guys, so it opens up holes with guys on base for lefties to hit through the 3-4 hole,” Keester said. “It also opens up small ball with lefty drag bunts, and forces the other team to make decisions and allows us to maybe be a little bit more aggressive and play to our strengths.”
Right now, Keester said he feels like his pitching staff is, “Three number twos, and we’ll figure out who our number one is as league approaches.”
Those top three arms are senior Nolan Patterson, junior Owen Waytas and senior Troy Sonoqui. Waytas tops out in the mid-80s and can locate three pitches. Sonoqui is a lefty who has a good change up. Patterson is crafty and Keester said, “He has a lot of confidence when he pitches and guys believe in him.”
The recent rain storms have forced most baseball teams to find different ways of preparing for the season, and for Millikan that’s been attention to detail and using mental lessons from everywhere. Keester even shows his team MLB clips of good and bad plays he can teach with because he knows the league race is always close.
“We noticed last year that especially in the Moore League that the games are decided by like three plays… If you get two or three of those you’re going to win the game,” he said. “A few plays is the difference between an okay year and a really good year. It’s going to be a four-team race.”
Minton (left) thinks the mental work has helped him and his teammates grow together, and it’s something they talk about during team meetings.
“Baseball is a big mental sport, you’ve got to see the bigger picture of things in baseball,” said Minton. “We’re coming for the Moore League title.”
Millikan is the only Moore League team in Division 1 this season where they had a first-round upset win last year.
Millikan Starting Lineup
P- Nolan Patterson, Sr./ Owen Waytas, Jr. / Troy Sonoqu, Sr.
C- Connor Patten, Jr.
1B- Jacob Robinson Sr. / Adrian Ramirez, So.
2B- Anthony Minton, Sr.
3B- Ben Keisler, Jr.
SS-Andrew Perez, Jr.
LF- Enrique Lopez, Sr.
CF- Anthony Pack, Jr.
RF- Matthew Ness, Jr.
