The562’s season previews for the 2022-23 school year are sponsored by Vertical Raise, the official team fundraising partner of The562.
The562’s coverage of Millikan athletics in the 2022-23 school year is sponsored by Curtis Boyer.
If you were asked to describe the past two seasons of Millikan Baseball using only punctuation, there’d likely be a lot of exclamation points and very few question marks.
A core of talent that included the co-Moore League Players of the Year–ace Myles Patton (now at Long Beach State) and infielder Sam DeCarlo (Washington)–didn’t leave a ton of wiggle room or variability in the lineup card, but did produce some impressive results. The Rams were Division 3 CIF champions in 2021, then went 11-1 against the Moore League last season to reel in the program’s first league title since 2018.
That success has seen Millikan once again move up a division, and the Rams are now the only Long Beach baseball team assigned to Division 1. With a majority of the roster turning over this season, that leaves a lot of questions surrounding these Rams: Can they maintain the upward trajectory of the program? Will they be able to hang against D1 competition? Are they still the best team in the Moore League? And who will replace Patton on the mound once the lights come on at Blair Field?
Those are all questions that head coach Ron Keester and his coaching staff will be grappling with this season. There will likely be a handful of sophomores and freshmen in the lineup for Millikan, but with the talent that has been collecting at Spring & Palo Verde lately, it could look a lot more like a reload than a rebuild in 2023.
“We are excited that they are a very talented group, and we think they’re ready,” said Keester of his new-look roster. “But we don’t know how long it’s gonna take for them to get game-ready. So we’re hoping that by the time Moore League starts they will be ready to go, but there’s gonna be a learning curve. We’ve experienced that over the last couple of months, so we know it’s gonna be a lot more coaching.”
Pitching coach Keven Gail has a stable of arms with a lot of potential, but none with much big-game experience. Such is life when a Division I-caliber ace hogs most of your key innings for two seasons.
“That’s been a great problem to have,” Keester said of having an ace like Patton to rely on. “But now we face the back end where it’s time to pay the bill, where they don’t have the experience that other seniors might have … They are quite different from our pitchers that we’ve had in the past, they’re not going to strike a bunch of guys out, and that leads us to our defense where we’re young. But if we can get them playing right, I think we’ll be fine.”
The Rams’ starting rotation will have a couple of seniors in Demetri Syrengelas and Austin Paul, who both pitched in some key games last season. They complement each other well, and could be utilized as a one-two punch rather than a traditional “ace” role.
Sophomore Thomas Ramsey has good size at 6-foot-1 that allows him to really get downhill on hitters. He could develop into an impact arm over the course of the season after showing some good things over the offseason. Junior Troy Sonoqui is the lone southpaw on the roster who can be used in key situations out of the bullpen.
Senior Cameron Hegamin is the only returner to the Millikan lineup, but he’s a pretty good piece to build around. Hegamin has been a varsity contributor the last two seasons, and now gets to be a clear leader for the Rams as they bridge to the next generation of stars. Hegamin admitted that his transition to a leadership role caught him a little off guard.
“It wasn’t exactly what I expected, because we have a lot of really, really good players who kind of surprised me,” said Hegamin, who is himself being recruited by a number of Division I programs going into his senior year. “We have like five or six sophomores that really give you a run for your money. I feel like it’s more of a mental thing than a physical thing, so I feel like I’ve gotta just lead the guys in the right direction. I’m not worried about our ability this year. I don’t think we’ve lost any talent at all.”
That’s pretty high praise coming from Hegamin, who will bat in the heart of the Millikan order and hold down right field. He’s got confidence in the new-look pitching staff and their ability to keep the ball over the plate.
“I’m really confident,” said Hegamin of this year’s pitchers. “As a fielder especially, I just love guys who throw strikes and that’s what they do. And they just put us in positions to win … I trust them as much as I trust anyone.”
Playing next to Hegamin in center field is a major up-and-coming talent in sophomore Anthony Pack. The left-handed speedster will cover a ton of ground in center while batting leadoff for the Rams this year. That’s a lot to ask of a 10th grader, but Keester considers Pack a five-tool player who can help lead this crop of talented youngsters for the next three years.
Pack is already committed to play college baseball at UCLA, and will be a major key in Millikan’s Moore League title defense this season.
“Pack is phenomenal. I mean, he is lightning in a bottle,” said Keester of his super sophomore. “He can run, he can hit, he can hit for power, he can throw. He’s gonna be fun to watch. And he’s just a good kid, too. He doesn’t have an ego per se, he’s just kind of happy-go-lucky. And he knows he’s good, but doesn’t really have to act like he’s good.”
Some familiar last names will adorn the diamond for Millikan this season. Sophomore Connor Patton–younger brother of Myles–will start behind the plate, while another Ram legacy in senior Wyatt Ormonde–Dean’s little brother–will start at first base.
The left side of the infield will be extremely young, likely with sophomores Ben Keisler and Andrew Perez starting at third base and shortstop, respectively. Freshman Adrian Ramirez, who was Millikan’s backup quarterback in the fall, will also be in the mix at third base.
Ultimately, the success of this season’s group depends on how quickly the next generation of Millikan Baseball gets up to speed. The Rams have posted a 47-14 combined record the past two years, and are looking to prove they’ve built a sustainable program in East Long Beach, not just a couple of successful seasons.
“The kids want to come here, and that’s what’s made the difference,” Keester said. “These sophomores that are very talented, they want to be here, they want to play Millikan Baseball, and I feel like they’re going to carry us forward.”
2023 Millikan Starting Lineup
C – Connor Patton (So.)
1B – Wyatt Ormonde (Sr.)
2B – Demetri Syrengelas (Sr.) / Anthony Minton (Jr.)
SS – Andrew Perez (So.) / Ben Keisler (So.)
3B – Ben Keisler (So.) / Adrian Ramirez (Fr.)
LF – Ethan Emami (Sr.)
CF – Anthony Pack (So.)
RF – Cameron Hegamin (Sr.)
DH – Anthony Minton (Jr.) / Demetri Syrengelas (Sr.)
SP – Austin Paul (Sr.) / Demetri Syrengelas (Sr.) / Thomas Ramsey (So.)
