From Injuries to Brotherhood: How One Team Found Unity and Success Beyond the High School Baseball Field

The 2024-2025 Bonita High School baseball, from La Verne, CA, lost the Palomares League title to Ayala baseball for the first time in over 3 years. Yesterday, they got knocked out of CIF in the first round of playoffs. This was not the ending to the season they had hoped for.

The season started with hope. Their starting ace, Camden Farina, looked good at the November 2024 Baseball Generations (BBG) All-Star Game on Team Dom Smith, after working out at the PFA summer pitching program 5 days a week for several hours a day with fellow pitcher Samuel Duenas. 6'5 lefty, Dan Nageer, was fresh off a strong BPA summer and was regularly topping 90. Returning extremely talented shortstop Austin Owens was back at leadoff. They added Josh Angely, an Altuve like short stop that transferred to Bonita this year that always puts in extra work in the cages, and it shows. They had some big bats in Andrew Sanchez, Carlos Arrendondo and Jarret Kozma. Another quick midfielder in Dominic Garcia and a consistent bat and glove in center fielder Cody White. You add to that a couple of other unexpected transfers in Landon White and Joaquin Corrovubias, and a lot of other talented players and the season was looking hopeful.

But, the season was plagued with injuries. I don't mean the usual injuries we expect. I mean the stuff that takes players out. We had one back injury that required shots and was close to surgery, a knee injury that needed weeks of rehab, a fractured ulna, a fractured clavicle, and most recently, an emergency appendectomy.

In addition to that, the season was hit by unexpected CIF obstacles. One kid applied for a hardship transfer after the awful hazing incident that happened at Upland High School last year. He was in no way involved in the hazing, but due to a combination of events including the way the interim administration treated him after this event and multiple social media threats simply because he had been on the team at the time of the hazing, he decided to transfer. Despite this, CIF denied his hardship transfer, allegedly because he was not the principle in the incident.

Next, league games were changed from 2 to 3 times per week during the 23-24 season. During the 24-25 season, Saturdays were added as a game day due to umpire shortages in the area. They played their league games on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday all season. Additionally, transfers had a longer sit-out period this season compared to last (about 20% more). But to make it worse, CIF never adjusted their state guidelines to account for the Saturdays. Then, CIF-SS refused to count the mandatory Saturday league game day towards the total days the transfers were required to sit-out. This miscommunication resulted in the players, including 2 seniors, missing about 10 more days of potential game play than needed.

But, that's NOT where the story ends.

Almost 4 days a week, most of the seniors and many juniors found themselves at Camden Farina's house for lunch where they could make their meals, relax, play with the pups, and sneak in some poker or bones (dominoes) before heading back to 6th period and practice.

A culture of tough love emerged from the Bonita dugout. By tough love, I mean a culture where they would hold each other accountable, push each other to be better, but do it in a way that uplifted each of them at the same time.

But, that still isn't where the story ends.

Last year at this same time, Bonita was in the 4th year of CIF-SS D1 playoffs. They faced 2 time CIF-SS powerhouse, JSerra in round 1. JSerra had a stacked team full of commits, Bonita had a couple. Everyone counted Bonita out.

The bearcats took JSerra down that night 15-2. If I recall correctly, I believe James Escarcega, a local San Gabriel Valley sports reports from the SGV Tribune, stated in a X post, "Something special is happening here in La Verne tonight". Yes James, it did.

Well, that day was when the vision of FAM came to Coach Kim. She couldn't believe that Bonita didn't have more commits with such a talented group of kids. She and fellow Bonita parents decided to take a more proactive approach to college recruiting and not wait, hope, and rely solely on current coaches. With a lot of hard work, dedicated parents, and help from coaches, here is the story of where these players are truly ending the season.

Daniel Nageer, LMU

Austin Owens, GCU

Josh Angely, Queens

LJ Vasquez, Rio Hondo CC

Carlos Arredondo, Rio Hondo CC

Camden Farina, Westmont

Jarret Kozma, Westmont

Andrew Sanchez, Riverside CC

Samuel Duenas, Riverside CC

Cody White, Vanguard

Landon Lambert, Mt. SAC

Dominic Garcia, Southern Nazarene

So as you can see, the 24-25 Bonita High School bearcats baseball team are no longer in CIF contention and the seniors just played their final high school game. But folks, that's not what these fellas will remember.

They will remember the tough love brotherhood they have for life. They will always be each other's biggest fans, and, harshest critics.

They will remember those lunches, team dinners, laughter, poker games, domino competitions, and senior assassin moments that they had together.

They will remember that they were the bearcats that ended the season with most seniors, and some juniors, with a plan to play college baseball.

And, this was done during a unique time in baseball where new NCAA roster limits are expected and 22 year old college portal transfers are fighting them for the remaining roster spots.

Now, that's a story to remember.