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Dana Hills Baseball and senior pitcher Andrew Nesson (pictured) look toward a new start in the South Coast League this week. Photo: David Gangloff

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Baseball Ready for Reset in South Coast League

The early portion of the 2023 season has been a rough go for the Dana Hills baseball team.

As of press time on Thursday, March 23, the Dolphins (2-8) had only played one game in the past 14 days—a one-run tournament loss to Yorba Linda, 7-6, on Saturday, March 18. That was Dana Hills’ sixth loss in a row.

Those six runs were the most Dana Hills had put up in this losing skid, with 40 runs against and just 17 for the Dolphins. Dana Hills was shut out twice in that stretch.

Amid the unceasing rain in Southern California, the Dolphins look to finally put the nonleague schedule behind them and put together a run in the South Coast League.

Dana Hills was set to open the South Coast League at Tesoro (4-5) on Thursday, but results were not available at press time. Due to rain pushing back that league opener, the Dolphins are scheduled to host a doubleheader against Tesoro on Friday, March 24. First game is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and the second at 3:45 p.m.

Opening with Tesoro could be what the Dolphins need to get back on track. The Titans eliminated Dana Hills from playoff contention at the end of last season, which gives the Dolphins plenty of motivation to strike back early in this league campaign.

Next week, Dana Hills will play a three-game series with Mission Viejo. The Dolphins will go to the Diablos on Tuesday, March 28, host Mission Viejo on Wednesday, March 29, and finish up back at the Diablos on March 31.

Softball Set to Finally Open League Play

Like their baseball counterparts, the Dana Hills softball team hadn’t been able to play a game in 16 days as of press time.

The Dolphins (5-4) last took the field on March 7 in a 9-0 loss at JSerra, which snapped a four-game winning streak. The rain then displaced a home game against San Clemente on March 16 and the prospective South Coast League opener against Mission Viejo on Tuesday, March 21.

Dana Hills was then set to open South Coast League play on Thursday, March 23, at Tesoro (6-3-1), but results were unavailable at press time.

If the Dolphins avoided the weather and got in that league opener on Thursday or if they don’t play until next Tuesday, March 28, against Capistrano Valley Christian, it will only be Dana Hills’ third game under new/old head coach Brandon Cosenza.

Cosenza resigned as the head coach of the Dolphins in May of 2022 after nine seasons at the helm, but he remained as a teacher at Dana Hills. Natalie Mills was subsequently hired as the head coach and opened the season with the Dolphins. However, Mills has since left the program, and Johnny Perryman stepped in as interim head coach.

Cosenza regained the reins as head coach officially on March 6, as the Dolphins shut out El Toro, 2-0.

Dana Hills will resume league play next Thursday, March 30, at home against San Juan Hills ahead of spring break. The Dolphins won’t return to action after that until April 11 at Aliso Niguel.

Distance Runners Take Top Spots at Laguna Beach Trophy Invitational

The Dana Hills distance runners continue to be the track and field program’s mainstay early in the 2023 spring season.

Evan Noonan, coming off CIF-SS and CIF State cross country championships in the fall, earned the Dolphins’ only solo race victory in the Laguna Beach Trophy Invitational on Saturday, March 18. Noonan, a sophomore, posted a personal record in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 9:08.

Noonan was closely followed in second place by junior Garrett Woodruff, who also posted a personal record at 9:12.

Dana Hills also earned victories in both the boys and girls 4×800-meter relays.

The only other Dolphin to find the podium at Laguna Beach was sophomore jumper Gabriella Salinas. Salinas took second place in the girls triple jump with a mark of 35 feet, 3 1/4 inches and set a personal best in the girls long jump with a third-place mark of 17 feet, 3 1/4 inches.

Boys Volleyball Wins First League Games in Four Years

The Dana Hills boys volleyball program has had its struggles in recent years.

The Dolphins haven’t had a winning record overall since 2019—the last time Dana Hills had won a league game—and hadn’t had a winning record at any point in league play since 2017, under the late, great Oz Simmons.

While the Dolphins (5-10) have some ways to climb for an overall winning record, Dana Hills can wipe those league blemishes out of its ledger.

Dana Hills won its first league game in four seasons in its Sea View League opener with a sweep of El Toro on March 14, and while the Dolphins lost in four sets at Mission Viejo on March 16, the Dolphins are back over .500 in league play with a sweep victory at Capistrano Valley on Tuesday, March 21.

Dana Hills played El Toro for the second of three matches on Thursday, March 23, at El Toro, but results were not available at press time.

The Dolphins host Mission Viejo on Tuesday, March 28, and Capistrano Valley on Thursday, March 30.