A freshman made the save of the year to ignite Norco's rise to No. 1 in high school baseball

Dylan Seward doesn’t pitch for Norco High, though he has the exceptional arm strength of a closer. He’s the slick-fielding, switch-hitting shortstop considered among the top baseball prospects from the class of 2027.

It was the summer of 2024 when he contributed the biggest save for Norco's baseball program.

For those who don’t remember or never knew what happened, he was the 14-year-old freshman who exposed on a social media post an attempt to oust veteran head coach Gary Parcell.

Many parents are afraid to go on the record against a school or coach for fear of retribution against their son or daughter, so for a teenager to go out on the limb and put himself up to possible ridicule was both stunning and courageous.

The post began: “I have always been advised by my parents to be mindful of what I post online as it may offend others, affect my reputation or baseball career. However, after much thought and guidance, I write this post today to express my disappointment with the athletic director and principal at Norco High’s decision to fire coach Gary Parcell after 35+ years of dedication and commitment.”

Officially, Parcell was never fired. He was being pushed out and encouraged to retire. It was Seward’s words that alerted those who had been coached by Parcell through the years to break out their pitchforks and come to his rescue.

Seward was only getting started in his words. “This wasn’t just a job or coaching role for him, it was much more. He was a teacher and mentor to many generations of young men that came through Norco. He taught us how to play the game with integrity, accountability and respect not only for our team but others as well.”

Junior shortstop Dylan Seward of Norco. (Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Seward thanked Parcell for giving him the chance to start on varsity as a freshman even though he knew “it wasn’t the most popular decision,” with juniors and seniors resisting.

“The thought of you departing this way is horrible,” he wrote.

Seward’s honesty and heartfelt message provoked action. Parcell got his job back, allowing him to coach for year No. 33 in 2025 and year No. 34 this season.

Last week, the Cougars clinched the Big VIII League championship and will be one of the favorites to win the Southern Section Division 1 championship when the playoffs begin next week. Seward is hitting .443 with 39 hits and six home runs.