Former Eastlake star took winding road to weekend's draft; now, he hopes to get picked

If you have talent, it doesn’t matter where you play.

After a highly successful career at Eastlake High School, one year at the University of Oklahoma and a big 2025 season at the University of San Diego, shortstop Isaiah Lane seemingly disappeared.

He left the Toreros and ended up at Hope International, an NAIA power in Fullerton.

Lane’s talent traveled. He hit .356 with 18 extra-base hits in 39 games for the Royals.

Word spread - and scouts found him.

The well-traveled Lane is likely to be taken during this weekend’s amateur draft.

“I’ve heard everything from the fourth round to fifth or sixth to late,” Lane said. “It’s out of my hands now. I have a great agent in (San Diegan) John Boggs. He has been amazing walking me through the process.”

And it has been quite a process.

Lane hit .321 in 26 games as a freshman at Oklahoma.

“I learned a lot there, met a lot of really good people, but I was 18 years old and it was a different lifestyle there,” he said. “The writing was on the wall and it was time to transfer. Being in Oklahoma showed me just how special San Diego really is.”

Lane returned home and landed at USD, where he hit .328 with eight home runs and 53 runs scored.

Lane did not return for the 2026 season for reasons he’d rather not divulge. Multiple reports said he violated team rules.

“I enjoyed my time at USD,” Lane said. “Really, it was amazing. But something happened. It was unfortunate, and I’d rather leave it at that.”

Lane moved on to Hope International, where he hit seven homers, eight doubles and three triples for a team that went 39-15 and made a deep run in the NAIA playoffs. He was successful on all 16 of his stolen-base attempts, struck out just nine times in 168 plate appearances and committed just four errors in 157 chances.

“Being positive doesn’t always work out, but negativity never works,” Lane said. “Negativity will take over if you let it. Hope was a very positive experience. Coach Larry (Mahoney) was awesome. So I’m positive something good will happen in the draft.”

The draft will be held on Saturday and Sunday.

Barring a miracle, San Diego high schoolers will be shut out of the draft’s first round for the fifth straight year.

San Diego hasn’t had a high school player picked in the first round since 2021, when the Boston Red Sox took Eastlake shortstop Marcelo Mayer No. 4 overall and the Tampa Bay Rays took Torrey Pines shortstop Carson Williams 28th.

Right-hander Tyler Bremner, who played at Scripps Ranch High School and UC Santa Barbara, was taken No. 2 last season by the Angels.

“Nothing like that will happen this season,” a scout from one team said.

UCSD right-hander Steele Murdock could be the first San Diego player taken. His fastball touched 99 mph, and he had 104 strikeouts in 74 innings.

Murdock finished the season with a 5.23 ERA, “but a lot of us saw him strike out 17 against UC Santa Barbara and beat Jackson Flora, who will be a top 4-5 pick,” a scout said

University City left-hander AJ Curry could be the top San Diego high school player taken. But he’s committed to the University of Tennessee, and it will take big money to buy him out of his NIL deal.

Injuries appear to have hurt the draft stocks of high school pitchers Justin Jutronich of Torrey Pines, Shoei Darvish of Cathedral Catholic and Owen Oswald of Mission Bay.

San Diego State center fielder Jake Jackson, who played at Madison High School, hit 15 home runs in 2026 and is a premier defender. But he struck out 23% of the time.

Right-hander Max Bayles of Santa Clara, who went to Cathedral Catholic, will likely be taken early on the draft’s second day.

Elijah Stephens, the 6-foot-8 first baseman from Palomar College who played at Sage Creek, hit .469 with 18 homers, 14 doubles and 82 RBIs in 2026. But he may go undrafted: Stephens struck out just 37 times in 254 plate appearances and was 4-0 as a pitcher with a 2.85 ERA.

“I don’t know if he has four-year (college) options,” a scout said.

Most of San Diego’s other top high school players are likely to go to college.

“There will be a lot of players with San Diego ties taken,” a scout said. “Most of those will be college players - kids like Murdock, Tristan Moore from Point Loma Nazarene, Bayles, Alex Fernandes, Kevin Takeuchi, Gabe Camacho, Rohan Lettow.

“It’s a thin draft for the local high school kids.”

San Diego’s 2026 draft prospects

Name;Position;School(s); Projected round; Comment

Steele Murdock;RHP;UC San Diego;4-5; Fastball touches 99 mph.

AJ Curry;LHP/1B;University City HS;4-5;Big, strong player with 91 mph fastball. Tennessee commit.

Max Bayles;RHP;Santa Clara/Cathedral Catholic HS;5-7;Struck out 104 in 71 innings.

Rohan Lettow;RHP;San Diego State;10-12;Struck out 92 in 78 innings.

Justin Jutronich;LHP;Torrey Pines HS;10-12; UC Santa Barbara commit touches 93 mph.

Kevin Takeuchi;INF-OF;USC/Rancho Bernardo HS;11-13;Hit 10 homers, 19 doubles with Trojans.

Maddox Haley;OF;Gonzaga/Madison HS;11-13;Hit 10 HRs and 14 doubles with 44 RBIs.

Isaiah Lane;SS;Hope International/Eastlake HS;11-13;Slick fielder with a big bat.

Andrew Gauna;OF;USD/Patrick Henry HS;12-15;Gap hitter, but an older player.

Alex Fernandes;OF;San Jose State/San Marcos HS;12-15;Hit .401, can run.

Gabe Camacho;C;UC San Diego/La Costa Canyon HS;15-20;Lefty hitter with big power.

Anthony Potestio;SS;UC San Diego;15-20;Good fielder who can run.

Jake Jackson;CF;San Diego State/Madison HS;15-20;Scouts love his power and defense, but hate strikeouts.

Elijah Stephens;1B-LHP;Palomar College/Sage Creek HS;15-20;Huge numbers, big power, RBI machine.

Jayden Parker;SS; University City HS;15-20;Indiana commit who can field and hit.

Joey Navarro;RHP;Palomar College/Mission Hills HS;15-20;Went 10-2 with 73 Ks in 43 innings.

Jayden Lobliner;C;USD;15-20;Great defender who has power.

Alex Harrington;SS;Cathedral Catholic HS;18-20;Stanford commit is a speedster.

Hunter Harrington;CF;Cathedral Catholic HS;18-20;Vastly improved Stanford commit.

Shoei Darvish;RHP;Cathedral Catholic HS;18-20;Injury cut senior season short. Is a UC San Diego commit.

Derek Silva;RHP;Point Loma Nazarene/Southwest-El Centro;18-20;Went 11-1 with 102 Ks in 92 innings.

Devin Norton;RHP;Point Loma Nazarene;18-20;Went 10-2 with a 2.26 ERA.

Tristan Moore;OF; Point Loma Nazarene;18-20;Big power, but an older player.

Owen Oswald;LHP-OF;Mission Bay HS;18-20;Committed to Portland.

Parker Smith;OF-3B;Poway HS;18-20; Hit .400 hitter. Is a Michigan commit.

Tyce Peterson;INF;San Diego State;18-20;Has power.

Adam Magpoc;INF;San Diego State;18-20;Plus runner.

Ryall Campbell;SS;San Pasqual HS;18-20;Hit .526. Is a San Diego State commit.

Mateo Villanueva;RHP-1B;Coronado HS;18-20;Fastball hits 93 mph. Is a San Diego State commit.

- JOHN MAFFEI

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