Pictured Above: Cathedral Catholic baseball players from left, Jonas Nalu, Shoei Darvish, Alex Harrington, Ty Daniels, Hunter Harrington, Joshua Priest, Jose Partida, Nick Ruder, Xavier Nady and Griffin Brown on April 8, 2026 in San Diego, CA. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

The following article is from The San Diego Union-Tribune, “Best and brightest: Top-ranked Cathedral Catholic is sending 13 baseball players to college.”
By John Maffei | john.maffei@sduniontribune.com | San Diego Union-Tribune

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For your average high school baseball player, statistics class might be a place to figure out batting averages and ERAs.

An Advanced Placement stats class? Maybe on-base or slugging percentages.

But there’s nothing average about the players at Cathedral Catholic High School, on the diamond or in the classroom.

The Dons are 18-1 and ranked No. 1 in San Diego and No. 6 in California. Eleven of Cathedral Catholic’s 23 players carry a 4.0 GPA or higher. Thirteen have received college scholarships. Three are headed to Ivy League schools.

“Academics are prioritized here the same as athletics,” said Christine LaPorte, Cathedral’s mathematics department chairperson and the public-address announcer for Dons’ home games. “Certainly, we’re known for our athletics — boys and girls. But the kids here push themselves in the classroom. They take a hard schedule and challenge themselves. We have athletes taking Pre-Calculus. Believe me, that is a very difficult class.

“We have athletes taking AP Stats. It’s really tough.”

Cathedral coach Gary Remiker teaches AP Statistics, a college-level, non-calculus-based course covering data collection, analysis, probability, and simulation. He has had a number of his players in class.

“No one gets grades handed to them here,” Remiker said. “If I gave grades to my players, I wouldn’t be working here. If you take a tough class, whether you’re an athlete or not, you earn your grade.”

Remiker is one of many Cathedral coaches who also teach on campus. That includes head football coach Sean Doyle and defensive coordinator John Montali.

The way Montali explained it, Cathedral is preparing students for college.

“College athletics is big business. You produce, or you’re gone,” he said. “The biggest thing is time management. Don’t fall behind. Stay up with the material. Ask for help.

“We stress that here because we want our students to succeed.”

Here’s a look at Cathedral Catholic’s 13 scholarship players and where they’re headed:

Griffin Brown, RHP, Sr.
College: Biola
College ranking: No. 242 nationally, according to U.S. News & World Report, with a 76% acceptance rate.
High school GPA: 3.9 weighted
Projected major: Communications
Favorite class: Cathedral Catholic TV

Why Biola? “I looked at a lot of schools, went to a lot of campuses. Biola showed genuine interest in me. Everyone there was very welcoming. I want to stay in the sports field. I want to be an on-camera person. I feel I’m ready for college because the classes here challenge you, and you’re surrounded by college-type students.”

Stats: 0-0, 7.00 ERA

 

Ty Daniels, RHP, Sr.
College: Columbia
College ranking: No. 15 nationally with a 4% acceptance rate.
High school GPA: 4.4 weighted
Projected major: Finance/economics
Favorite class: AP Psychology

Why Columbia? “My dad told me to go to a great school. My family has always emphasized academics. I looked at Penn and Yale, but I really like New York City. I lived in the States until I was about 9. Then we lived in Australia — Melbourne specifically — for seven years. This is only my second year back. The teachers here are great, but the coaching is even better.”

Stats: .357, 1 HR, 10 RBIs

 

Shoei Darvish, RHP, Sr.
College: UC San Diego
College ranking: No. 29 nationally with a 27% acceptance rate.
High school GPA: 4.3 weighted
Projected major: Business/economics
Favorite class: AP Statistics and AP Government

Why UCSD? “I want to focus on baseball, and I love the UCSD coaching staff. I want to get drafted, but they also care about education at UCSD. Going there, for sure, will help me get an education, but also help in the MLB draft.”

MLB connection: Son of Padres pitcher Yu Darvish.
Stats: 5-0, 0.57 ERA. 37 IP, 34 K

 

Evan DePodesta, C, Sr.
College: Rice
College ranking: No. 17 nationally with a 8% acceptance rate.
High school GPA: 4.0 weighted
Projected major: Business
Favorite class: Business/Economics

Why Rice? “There is a saying: ‘Iron sharpens iron.’ At Cathedral Catholic, you’re surrounded by great people … teachers, coaches, classmates. That’s iron. You’re encouraged to push yourself. I was looking at Duke and Stanford, but felt Rice had the perfect balance of academics and athletics. Rice is the No. 1 school in the country for sports management. I want to stay in sports, so I feel I’ve chosen the perfect school for me. That’s iron.”

MLB connection: Son of Colorado Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta.
Stats: .231 0 HR, 4 RBIs

 

Alex Harrington, SS, Sr.
College: Stanford
College ranking: No. 4 nationally with a 4% acceptance rate.
High school GPA: 4.5 weighted
Projected major: Undeclared, but looking at science and technology
Favorite class: AP Government

Why Stanford? “Yes, I want to get drafted and play in the big leagues, but the university values education as well as athletics. Stanford is at the top of the food chain. Someday, I can see myself getting involved in government.”

Stats: .333, 2 HR, 14 RBIs

 

 

Hunter Harrington, SS, Sr.
College: Stanford
College ranking: No. 4 nationally with a 4% acceptance rate.
High school GPA: 4.43 weighted
Projected major: Science and technology, but also looking at finance and economics
Favorite class: AP Government

Why Stanford? “We looked at Vanderbilt and Ivy League schools, but Stanford has been the dream school. It affords us the best of both worlds … baseball and academics. The schedule there is very rigorous. The classes I’ve taken at Cathedral Catholic have started to shape me politically. My parents saw the value of the education here. By going to Stanford, I could change the world.”

Stats: .254, 1 HR, 12 RBIs

 

Trey Kotsay, 3B, Sr.
College: Princeton
College ranking: No. 1 nationally with a 5% acceptance rate.
High school GPA: 4.57 weighted
Projected major: Economics/business
Favorite class: Math

Why Princeton? “I wanted an Ivy League school and felt Princeton was the best combination of academics and athletics. My parents are big on education. Princeton doesn’t take transfers, so if you stay, if you can cut it, you build relationships. Like every kid here, I want to play in the big leagues, but no matter what, I want to stay in sports, probably in the front office.”

MLB connection: Son of Athletics manager Mark Kotsay.
Stats: .468, 1 HR, 13 RBIs

 

Kaden Kuhn, 3B/RHP, Sr.
College: Cornell
College ranking: No. 1 nationally with a 8% acceptance rate.
High school GPA: 4.37 weighted
Projected major: Engineering
Favorite class: Math classes

Why Cornell? “I take pride in challenging myself, so I was looking at Ivy League schools. I was looking at Dartmouth, USD, and Lafayette, but Cornell stood out. The baseball coaches liked the way I played at a camp, but stayed in the dugout to see how I interacted with the rest of the players. That impressed me. I want to get more out of life. I like to see how things are built … bridges, buildings. Things people depend on. That’s why I chose Cornell. Plus, I’m confident I can play there.”

Stats: .263, 1 HR, 10 RBIs/ 1-0, 3 saves, 1.77 ERA, 24 IP, 5BB, 35 K

 

Xavier Nady, OF, Sr.
College: NYU
College ranking: No. 32 nationally with a 9% acceptance rate.
High school GPA: 4.60 weighted
Projected major: Finance with a focus on investment banking
Favorite class: Sociology and AP Statistics

Why NYU? “I want to pursue a career in business, build a career, and NYU is one of the best in the country. I want to challenge myself. Cathedral Catholic offers college-prep classes. The teachers don’t walk through the material. I’ve taken a ton of math classes, but also taken Art History. And every class is rigorous. I feel I’m prepared for college. Plus, there is a certain excitement about going to school and living in New York.”

MLB connection: Son of longtime major leaguer Xavier Nady.
Stats: .100, 0 HR, 1 RBI

 

Jonas Nalu, INF, Sr.
College: Colorado School of Mines
College ranking: No. 36 nationally with a 12% acceptance rate.
High school GPA: 4.55 weighted
Projected major: Engineering
Favorite class: Calculus

Why Colorado School of Mines? “Playing baseball in college was a childhood dream. Doing it at a school like Colorado Mines, known for its academics and engineering programs, is a really good situation. I’ve always been a math guy. I love calculus. It’s tough, but once you get the hang of it, it’s fun. My grandpa is a math whiz. He helps me a lot now. I’m going to have to FaceTime him to get through college. I want to get into engineering — mechanical or aerospace.”

Stats: .327, 1 HR, 7 RBIs

 

Jose Partida, 1B/LHP, Jr.
College: Arizona State
College ranking: No. 117 nationally with a 90% acceptance rate.
High school GPA: 3.90 weighted
Projected major: Construction management
Favorite class: AP Statistics and Pre-Calculus

Why ASU? “ASU treated me as family. ASU was different from the schools I was looking at. I prayed about this and believe ASU offers me the best opportunity to play beyond college.”

Stats: .419, 0 HR, 7 RBIs/ 4-0, 1.44 ERA, 34 IP, 8 BB, 35 K

 

 

Joshua Priest, OF, Jr.
College: Arizona State
College ranking: No. 117 nationally with a 90% acceptance rate.
High school GPA: 4.0 weighted
Projected major: Construction management
Favorite class: AP Psychology

Why ASU? “I want to play pro ball, and ASU gives me the best chance. My family has a real estate background. We’re blue-collar people, and I really had to buckle down and get my academic priorities straight. I finally got my GPA to 4.0. I take a lot of pride in that.”

Stats: .550, 4 HR, 26 RBIs

 

Nick Ruder, RHP, Sr.
College: University of Chicago
College ranking: No. 6 nationally with a 4% acceptance rate.
High school GPA: 4.17 weighted
Projected major: Economics
Favorite class: AP Macroeconomics

Why University of Chicago? “There is no guarantee baseball is my future, but academics sets you up for the future. So I wanted the best academic school. I’m interested in how the financial world comes together. I was at a baseball showcase, and they actually reached out to me. I have family 45 minutes from the school, and things happened really fast. Of course, the weather is going to be different. Actually, my freshman and sophomore years were only OK academically. But I’ve ramped it up the last two years.”

Stats: 0-0, 2 saves, 0.00 ERA