Lake Elsinore Storm vs. Ontario Tower Buzzers – California League Playoff Preview
Graphic Credit - D. Garcia - EVT Sports Images Credit - Lake Elsinore Storm, Ontario Tower Buzzers
For the first time since their 2024 Finals run, the Lake Elsinore Storm are back in the California League Playoffs. Their opening series is set to be absolute cinema, as the Storm are set to face the Ontario Tower Buzzers, the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Lake Elsinore Storm had themselves a season that can best be described as a tale of two halves, but even so, the team made the postseason after a year away. Their first round matchup is against the Ontario Tower Buzzers, with the Storm holding home field advantage. Lake Elsinore will be on the road for Game 1, while hosting Game 2 and Game 3, if a Game 3 is needed. The Storm won the season series against the Tower Buzzers, going 14-10 against Ontario on the season.
Lake Elsinore is likely to lean heavily on their top three arms for the series. Jesus A. Castro is set to start the opening game of the series, with Lan-Hong Su and Kruz Schoolcraft in line to start Games 2 & 3 (if the third game is needed). Ontario is likely to counter with three of their own young arms as well, so here are projected pitching matchups for the three-game series.
Game 1 (9/8) – LE @ ONT – RHP Jesus A. Castro (3-5, 4.18 ERA) vs RHP Jack O’Connor (0-3, 7.11 ERA)
Game 2 (9/10) – ONT @ LE – RHP Marlon Nieves (3-3, 5.22 ERA) vs RHP Lan-Hong Su (0-4, 5.63 ERA)
Game 3 (9/11 if needed) – ONT @ LE – TBD vs LHP Kruz Schoolcraft (3-7, 5.90 ERA)
Both teams are coming into the playoffs hot, as both engaged in high-scoring series against divisional opponents. If the Storm want to return to the California League Championship Series, they will need to take care of business against the 2nd half division champions. And just how can they do that?
Keys to the Series
1. Use the starting pitching advantage to their favor
Lake Elsinore’s first two starters for the series have swing and miss stuff despite their different approaches. Ontario as a team posted the second-highest strikeout rate in the California League at 26.5%, which is first among California League playoff teams. On the mound, despite fielding the league’s youngest pitching staff by average age, Storm pitchers ranked 5th in the California League with a 24.4% cumulative strikeout rate.
Despite not being in the top half of the league in K%, the Storm’s starting staff has fared well against Ontario this season. Jesus A. Castro, their projected Game 1 starter, has struck out 21 batters while walking just eight in three starts (11 IP) against Ontario this season. Despite facing the team twice this season, Lan-Hong Su has struck out five in four combined innings against Ontario, so he is a fairly unfamiliar arm for the Tower Buzzers. Su struck out nine Inland Empire hitters in his last start, and has really come into his own since August 1.
Since then, Su has a 29/3 K/BB ratio in 17.1 innings, allowing just 15 hits. Kruz Schoolcraft has made four starts against Ontario this season, and while the first two were rough (4.1 IP, 9 ER, 6 K, 7 BB), his last two have gone much better (10 IP, 2 ER, 13 K, 4 BB). The Storm’s staff has the advantage on paper, as their starting pitchers have lower walk rates compared to the Ontario staff. If Lake Elsinore is to win the series, they will need their starters to pound the strike zone and set up good chase pitches. While high strikeout totals are not required, they would be a sign of success for Storm pitchers.
2. The offense keeps Storming
In case you missed it in our Daily Farm reports during the season, “Storming” is the act of scoring five or more runs in an inning. The term comes from this very team, as the Storm scored five or more runs in one inning in an astonishing 28 games during the 2026 regular season. When the Storm had those kinds of innings, they had a 24-4 record in those games. To emphasize the team’s run-scoring ability, their +24 run differential on the season was the second-highest in the California League for the entire season. The Storm will likely use a lineup similar to their lineups this past week, as there are likely no incoming roster moves for the team. Joe Tiroly, Elliot Lascelles, Jorge Quintana, and Nu’u Contrades are likely to comprise the team’s infield, with some combination of Alex Conover, Dawson Willis, Qrey Lott, and Jesmaylin Arias in the outfield. The Storm have options for the DH spot, with Chris McHugh, Truitt Madonna, and Augie Lopez likely to receive at-bats there. Ty Harvey will likely start behind the plate, as he has caught Jesus A. Castro’s last six starts.
3. Which version of the Storm bullpen will be seen?
The Storm’s bullpen was one of the younger units in the California League, and has recently rounded into form. Lake Elsinore’s bullpen is running with a mostly revamped staff, as Yoesmerli Beltre, Jordan Valenzuela, Adler Cecil, Rordy Mejia, and Zimo Qin are the only arms who have been on the Storm roster since the start of August. The Storm bullpen is chock-full of 2026 draftees making their first appearances, including left-handers Rob Evans, Sean Fitzpatrick & Andrew Wright.
Right-handers James Guyette, Tyler Pitzer, and Albert Roblez supplement this bullpen, and though unlikely, there is a chance that starters Luis Maracara & Tyler Schmitt could come out of the bullpen in the series. Wright, Cecil, and Beltre have pitched well in the last two weeks of action, albeit in limited action. Michael Salina would’ve been on the roster, but the right-hander was placed on the injured list on September 3. The Storm’s bullpen will likely be a new sight for Ontario, as most of the arms have not yet faced the Tower Buzzers. This unfamiliarity could be an advantage, but one only knows when the games are played.
This series is a matchup of two talented teams, both coming in on similar trajectories on offense. While it is too soon to tell, the talent on both rosters screams that this series will go to three games.
A return to the playoffs is nice. Making noise in the postseason is even nicer. The Storm open their postseason on Tuesday September 8 in Ontario. First pitch is set for 6:35pm Pacific.
A born and raised San Diegan, Diego Garcia is a lifetime Padres fan and self-proclaimed baseball nerd. Diego wrote about baseball on his own site between 2021-22 before joining the East Village Times team in 2024. He also posts baseball content on his YouTube channel “Stat Nerd Baseball”, creating content around trades, hypotheticals, player analyses, the San Diego Padres, and MLB as a whole.
A 2024 graduate of San Diego State, Diego aims to grow as a writer and content creator in the baseball community.