BRIAN GIRARD, Garden Grove High’s boys’ basketball head coach, is stepping down. Under him, the Argonauts in three years won two Golden West League titles and one CIF-SS crown (Orange County Tribune photo by Jim Tortolano).

Huntington Beach High School’s baseball team won its opening game Wednesday in the National High School Invitational tournament 3-1 over McQuaid Jesuit of Rochester, New York.

Other Orange County teams in the tournament are Orange Lutheran and Servite. The Lancers defeated Hanover of Virginia 6-3 and the Friars lost 8-4 to St. John’s Country Day School of Florida.

Huntington Beach won the title in 2016 and were able to claim the mythical national high school baseball championship. Orange Lutheran has won the last three NHSI tournament crowns.

Argo hoops coach steps down

Brian Girard, who coached the Garden Grove High School boys’ basketball team to a first-ever CIF-SS title, is stepping down.

According to published reports, he is doing so to spend more time with his three sons.

The Argonauts won Golden West League titles under Girard in 2020 and 2022. This past season saw Grove post a 22-9 record overall and defeat Fullerton High in the 4AA title game by the score of 54-50.

Mariners fall to Tillers 4-0

The Pacifica High baseball team is one of the better squads in Orange County and is ranked 14th in CIF-SS Division II.

But the Mariners play in the tough Empire League and lost to another good team on Wednesday, falling 4-0 in Tustin. The M’s are now 13-7 overall and 1-2 in league. Cypress (4-0, 16-3-2) leads the league, followed by Tustin (2-1, 13-6) and Crean Lutheran (2-1, 9-9-1).

Pacifica, which started the season by winning eight of its first nine games, can square its league record Friday visiting Tustin at the Tiller field.

Here are area high school baseball and softball scores from Wednesday.

Baseball

Empire League

• Tustin 4, Pacifica 0

Non-league

• Huntington Beach 3, McQuaid 1
• Marina 7, Yorba Linda 2

Softball

Golden West League

• Garden Grove 1, Ocean View 0

Orange Coast League

• Costa Mesa 14, Orange 8.