On Saturday, April 12, varsity baseball followed in the footsteps of the team many players grew up idolizing. As part of the 2025 High School Baseball Showcase, Burlingame faced off against Capuchino High School at Oracle Park in San Francisco, the home stadium of the Major League Baseball team, the San Francisco Giants. The matchup between the Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) rivals was the final matchup of a high school baseball triple-header.
For the players, playing a game in a professional baseball stadium as high school athletes was a memorable experience and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“It’s really cool [having] a bunch of fans here…we played really good as a team. We had a lot of energy. That kind of brought up the energy…it’s a really cool experience just to be out here where the Giants play. I’ll always remember it,” junior first baseman Slade Flores said.
Senior pitcher Dionisios Vorrises, who got the start against the Mustangs, enjoyed the rare and unforgettable opportunity.
“Not many people get to play here, and it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I had a great time,” Vorrises said.
Before the game, players from each team got to hear their names announced over the loudspeaker as they ran from their dugout onto the field. The bigger stage and crowd of around 500 people brought increased excitement and nerves for the Panthers, more than any usual game.
“We don’t usually get this many fans, so the pressure is definitely on,” Vorrises said.
In the top of the first inning, Capuchino jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, scoring the game’s only run, as both offenses struggled throughout the rest of the game.
The Panthers recorded just one hit through the first four innings, but Vorrises kept the team in the game by only allowing one run through over six innings. Burlingame escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh inning after sophomore pitcher Mark O’Grady relieved Vorrises.
The Panthers had opportunities to tie the game in the sixth and seventh innings, but failed to convert, leaving a total of four runners on base throughout the game. Burlingame had some loud contact late in the game that either went just foul or was hit directly to an outfielder.
“We actually hit a couple balls pretty good, kind of right at them, toward the outfielders. If a couple of those fell, we probably could have won that game, or been in the game even more, we could have tied it,” Flores said.
One bright spot for the Panthers’ offense was junior second baseman Jean-Luc Uharriet, who recorded two of the four hits for Burlingame.
Even in the loss, Vorrises credits his teammates for their effort and attentiveness.
“I think O’Grady always shows up. Oscar [Osuna Lopez]’s one catch or one throw down that he had. Grayson [Howard] always shows up too. But overall, I think everybody was ready to play,” Vorrises said.
On the field following the game, the players took team photos and celebrated the occasion with family.
After the loss, the Panthers are now 7-9 overall and 2-5 in league play, placing them in seventh place out of eight teams in the PAL Bay Division standings. Moving forward, Flores believes the team needs to improve its situational execution and awareness.
“Just keep working and practice some situational stuff, try to get it down. Definitely get our bunts down and all that, because that can make a difference with the defense and all that. Just got to keep working on it,” Flores said.
Coach Shawn Scott’s message to the team in the post-game meeting was to keep their heads up with plenty of games still ahead to try to clinch the Central Coast Section playoffs.
“It’s a long season, we still have a chance to make playoffs, we just got to keep working,” Vorrises said.
