PREP PREVIEW: Baseball

MaxPreps.com ranked San Diego as the No. 1 city for high school baseball; here are the tournaments, players and programs to watch heading into the 2023 season First contest: Feb. 17

CIF Finals: May 27

Defending champions: La Costa Canyon (Open), Eastlake (Division I), Canyon Crest Academy (Division II), Mar Vista (Division III), Mission Bay (Division IV), Palo Verde Valley (Division V)

2022 Player of the Year: Grant MacArthur, Granite Hills

Top tournaments

Dennis Pugh Invitational: Wednesday-March 4, includes University City, Mission Bay, Sweetwater, Lincoln

Saints Bill Whittaker Classic: Feb. 28-March 10, includes St. Augustine, Christian, San Marcos

Kendra Couch Classic: Feb. 28-March 10, includes Patrick Henry, Point Loma, Mt. Carmel

Hilltop-Lolita Tournament: Feb. 28-March 11, includes Granite Hills, La Costa Canyon, Santana, Del Norte, Cathedral Catholic, Poway

Pirate Classic: March 4-11, includes Santa Fe Christian, Carlsbad, Maranatha Christian, Oceanside

GMC Tournament: March 13-26, includes Eastlake, Santana, Granite Hills, Patrick Henry, St. Augustine

Lions Tournament: April 3-6, includes 140 teams in 10 divisions. Top division includes La Costa Canyon, San Marcos, Rancho Bernardo, Granite Hills, Christian, St. Augustine, Cathedral Catholic, Eastlake

MLB sons

MJ Sweeney of St. Augustine is the son of Mike Sweeney. MJ is committed to Texas.

Nico Newhan of Maranatha Christian is the son of David Newhan. Nico is committed to Arizona.

All 22 return

Christian returns all 22 of its 2022 wins — Shane Bailey (9-1), Ashton McCurty (7-1), Vaughn Major (4-0), Aiden Hley (1-0).