JJ Hollis throws complete game in JSerra's 4-1 Boras Classic semifinal win over Orange Lutheran

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. -- JSerra head coach Brett Kay has seen his fair share of elite high school pitchers in his 15 years in charge of the Lions' program. And according to Kay, junior pitcher JJ Hollis possesses a trait that all of the great Lions hurlers have had as well. Guts.

“He wants the ball," Kay said of Hollis. "I put him up with the likes of Keaton Siomkin, Gage Jump, Eric Silva, Trevor Charpie, Grahamm Wiest and Joe Kurrasch. Guys in our lineage of JSerra history that want the ball and want to perform at the highest level. He wants it. He’s not going to sit there and wow you with velocity and things like that, but he’s going to will himself and put his teammates on his back and just perform."

In an all-Trinity League Boras Classic semifinal, Hollis threw a complete game against Orange Lutheran on Wednesday night to win 4-1. It's the second time this season the junior UC Santa Barbara commit has thrown all seven innings and recorded a win against the mighty Lancers, the first place team in the Trinity League and preseason No. 1 team in America. In JSerra's league series against Orange Lutheran back in March, Hollis tossed the first complete game in a 2-1 Lions' win. 

So what's Hollis' secret? 

“It starts with Coach Kay and [Brandon] Chang behind the plate," Hollis said. "They called a great game the whole time. Our defense played their butts off the whole time. It was all I could ask for.”

But of course there's a little more to the story.

"I hit the spots, threw all of my pitches for strikes and just competed," Hollis added. "Everybody competed and that was a big part of it for sure.”

The only real jam Hollis got into in the game came in the top of the second inning when Orange Lutheran scored on a beautifully executed squeeze play to take a 1-0 lead. Jacob Pereda bunted down the first base line and JJ Robles beat the throw home to give the Lancers a 1-0 lead. Orange Lutheran only managed four hits off of Hollis in the game. 

In the bottom of the second inning, JSerra plated four runs, which was all of the support Hollis needed. Chang hit an RBI double and then scored on a wild pitch and later on, Lou Fujiwara connected on an RBI single in the frame. 

JSerra will face Villa Park in the Boras Classic South Tournament championship on Friday night at Mater Dei. Villa Park beat Notre Dame 2-1 to advance to the title game. 

The Boras Classic last took place in 2019 and JSerra won the championship so the Lions will be defending their title tomorrow night. JSerra has won three Boras Classic South tournaments under Kay. 

“We always play well in this tournament," he said.