(SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA) – Day two of the CCL State Championship presented by Firestone Walker Brewing Company ended with a highly-anticipated matchup featuring the #1-seeded Conejo Oaks and #2-seeded Healdsburg Prune Packers. The game was up for grabs until Healdsburg’s offense came to life, notching 11 runs in the final five innings on the way to a dominant 13-4 victory.
The Pack didn’t skip a beat, as Zach Vooletich (Texas Tech) drew a walk before advancing to second thanks to a balk. Joey Kramer (CSU – Northridge) then knocked a double into deep right field, allowing Vooletich to score and helping Healdsburg draw first blood for the second straight game.
While much of the focus was on both teams’ explosive offenses, it was pitching that stole the show early in this one. Healdsburg’s Marvcus Guarin (Pacific) was dialed in from the get-go, tossing two strikeouts in the first inning to keep Conejo off the board.
Oaks’ starter Michael Alan Stanford (College of the Desert) countered Guarin with a lights-out second inning, picking up three K’s while walking a single Prune Packer.
In the third, Jake Holcroft (Portland) was walked and Joey Kramer singled to put runners on first and second. Braydon Runion (New Mexico) smacked a grounder that Conejo shortstop Gavin Grant (Oregon) was unable to corral, buying Holcroft enough time to cross the dish and put the Prune Packers up 2-0.
Stanford continued to dominate on the mound, fanning five Packers in the third and fourth frames to keep the deficit at two. In 4.0 innings on the hill, the left-hander from Thousand Oaks, Calif. recorded nine strikeouts, three hits and two earned runs.
While both teams’ bats were mostly quiet throughout the first five innings, the Prune Packers blew the game wide open in a wild sixth frame. Kimble Schuessler (Texas) and Sam Hunt (Kansas) reached base via walks before an error by Oaks’ reliever Daniel Veloz (LA Valley College) cleared the way for Schuessler to score.
A two-run blast from Jake Holcroft capped off a three-spot and increased the lead to 5-0. Holcroft explained once he got ahead of the count, he was looking for a fastball and simply tried to put a good swing on the 1-0 pitch.
“I got two balls, so I got ahead of the count… I was looking fastball, got a fastball and luckily put a good swing on it,” said Holcroft.
In the bottom of the sixth, Gavin Grant drew a walk and capitalized on an error by Prune Packers’ shortstop Lauden Brooks (Texas Tech) to make it to third. A sacrifice fly by Zach Daudet (Regis) drove in Grant and dashed Healdsburg’s shutout hopes.
However, the Packers responded during the seventh as Braydon Runion and Sam Brown (Washington State) were walked. Runion made it a 6-1 game when he advanced to third on a fielder’s choice before scoring his second run of the postseason due to an errant throw by Oaks’ reliever Wesley De La Torre (Uncommitted).
Healdsburg’s offense kept rolling in the next inning. Lauden Brooks, Jake Holcroft and Zach Vooletich quickly loaded the bases, and Joey Kramer’s second walk of the contest scored Brooks. Runion then knocked a sacrifice fly into right field to bring in another run.
Sam Brown was walked for the second time of the evening to re-load the bases before Kimble Schuessler sent a grand slam sailing down the left-field line to put his team up by 11. The second-year Prune Packer explained he planned to get a swing off, and was fortunate to take a whack at a juicy pitch.
“I just went up there knowing I was going to get my swing off,” said Schuessler. “I got my swing off and got a good pitch to hit, and got a good result.”
The Packers added one more in the ninth courtesy of an RBI single by Braydon Runion. Conejo wouldn’t go down without a fight, however, as Jack Brooks (Oregon), Zachary Crandall (Orange Coast College) and Gavin Grant all scored runs in the tail-end of the inning. But the Oaks’ efforts proved too little and too late, as closer Caden Bugarske (Concordia) was able to put the finishing touches on a 13-4 win for Healdsburg.
With the victory, the Prune Packers have punched their ticket to the CCL State Championship for the second straight season. Following the game, Packers’ manager Joey Gomes had a simple message for fans in the ‘Burg, saying, “We’re going to empty the tank tomorrow.”
Conejo will now face the Orange County Riptide on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. PST. The winner will earn the right to face Healdsburg in the CCL’s title game, which is set to begin at 6:00 p.m. PST. Stay up-to-date on all the action by following the CCL on Instagram and Twitter, or tuning into the league’s YouTube broadcast.
Player of the Game: Kimble Schuessler (Texas)
2-4, 2 R, 4 RBI, Grand Slam
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(SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA) – After defeating the Crawdads, San Luis Obispo faced off against the Orange County Riptide for their second game of the day. An offensive explosion helped power the Riptide to a 17-8 win, eliminating the hometown Blues from championship contention.
The first inning was quiet, with the pitchers for both teams facing the minimum in the opening frame. This would not remain the case for long, however.
The Riptide broke the game wide open in the top of the second. The bases were quickly loaded as Nathan Manning (UC Berkeley) walked, Blake Penso (UC Irvine) singled, and Gavin Mez (UNLV) singled as well.
Anthony Angel Jr. (CSULA) picked up the team’s third consecutive single in the inning, keeping the bases loaded as he brought in one run.
Isaiah Morales (Saddleback CC) then sent a bases clearing double into the outfield, scoring Penso, Mez and Angel Jr.
Morales has been a big run producer for the Riptide during the CCL Tournament, with five runs driven in and six runs scored so far. “Anything I can do to get the team going, keep getting the next guy up,” Morales stated. “Really just simplifying, just clear my head,” Morales said about his process during this hot streak.
Gavin Haimovitz (Uncomitted) put the runners at first and third with a single. He proceeded to steal second, putting both runners in scoring position.
Santino Panaro (UNLV) brought the runners around with a single, picking up his first two RBIs of the day. Panaro also made it to second on an error in the outfield.
Dominic Souto (UC Berkeley) kept the train rolling and brought Panaro home with an RBI single, closing out scoring for the Riptide in the second inning.
The Blues picked up a run of their own in the bottom half. Tate Samuelson (Cal Poly SLO) put a charge in one for his first homerun of the tournament.
San Luis Obispo chipped away another run in the third. Nathan Cmeyla (Dartmouth) drew a two out walk, and scored after Kody Darcy (UTSA) sent a double into the gap.
The Blues slow and steady strategy continued in the fourth, as Zach Toglia led off the inning with a double. Toglia reached third, and CJ Masciel (California Baptist) got him across the plate on an RBI ground ball.
San Luis Obispo’s biggest inning came in the bottom of the sixth. Masciel led off the frame with a single, and Cole Gabrielson (USC) followed Masciel with a single of his own. After Collin Villegas (Cal Poly SLO) walked to load the bases, Cmeyla scored Masciel on an RBI ground ball.
Kody Darcy then picked up a single that brought Villegas around to score and put Cmeyla on third base. The final run came when Darcy gave himself up in a rundown so that Cmeyla could bring the Blues within two runs.
The Riptide struck back in the seventh inning, scoring a colossal six runs. Blake Penso (UC Irvine) led off the inning with a walk. The bases were then loaded when Gavin Mez picked up a single and Anthony Angel Jr. drew a walk of his own.
Isaiah Morales again picked up a bases loaded knock, keeping the bases juiced and bringing Penso across the plate.
With ducks on the pond, Gavin Haimovitz then sent a towering blast over the left field wall for the first grand slam hit in the 2022 CCL State Championship Tournament.
“I knew he was going to leave something up with,” Haimovitz said about the at-bat. “I tried to just hitting it in there and getting one out.”
One more run one come across to score as Shane Taylor (Utah Tech) hit a triple. He turned it into a little league home run, scoring on an error on the throw to third base.
Noe Novella came into the game for the Riptide, and finished off an all-round team performance in the inning. Novella faced only four batters and struck out two coming in after the six-run inning.
The eighth inning was dead silent, but the offenses erupted again in the ninth inning for a combined five runs.
Shane Taylor led off the inning with a walk, and soon enough there were two men in scoring position. Blake Penso then stepped up and delivered a two-run single for Orange County.
Anthony Angel Jr delivered the final run of the game for the Riptide. After putting a ball in play, an error by the shortstop allowed Blake Penso to cross the plate to give Orange County their 17th run.
The Blues were not quite done yet either, with Samuelson leading off the inning with a double. After a Zach Toglia single, Samuelson was in position to score on a wild pitch.
Toglia was brought around to score for the final run of the afternoon after CJ Masciel shot out a single.
Haimovitz is proud of the way that his team has played thus far. “This is big for us; we’re fighting with limited guys right now. We’re trying to grind away at-bats and keep winning,” Haimovitz said.
Riptide Head Coach Tim Brown echoed similar sentiments. “A lot of determination; there was some luck in there. We’re just glad to be here, we’re glad to be playing our last game,” Brown said.
Brown also said that the Riptide will be looking for another offensive performance similar to the one in this game.
Orange County will play again in the semi-final matchup on Saturday at 12 p.m. PST against the winner of the Oaks-Prune Packers matchup on Friday night.
Impact Player of the Game: Gavin Haimovitz
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(SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA) – The San Luis Obispo Blues entered Friday’s opening game needing a victory to stay alive. And that’s exactly what they got, as a late-game comeback lifted the Blues to a dramatic 4-3 tenth-inning win over the Walnut Creek Crawdads.
Pitching was king early in Friday morning’s game, as the teams combined for five K’s and only two baserunners through the first two frames. Crawdads’ starter Mark Perkins (Rice) struck out eight and relinquished two hits in 7.0 innings. His counterpart Cameron Mabee (Illinois State) ended his 7.0 innings on the hill with seven strikeouts, six hits and three earned runs.
Crawdads’ second baseman Taison Corio (Cal Poly SLO), shortstop Cameron Calvillo (Ohlone College) and first baseman Brian DuRoff (Chabot College) helped keep the contest scoreless, putting together a 4-6-3 double play to end the first.
Blues’ first baseman Zachary Toglia (Utah) picked up the game’s first hit in the bottom of the fifth, extending the inning with a single.
Walnut Creek’s offense came to life during the next frame as Joseph Barnhardt (San Joaquin Delta College) and Coleman Schmidt (St. Mary’s) recorded consecutive base knocks. The ‘Dads finally broke through when DuRoff and Joey Donelly (UC Berkeley) singled and doubled respectively to bring in a run each and give the visitors a 2-0 advantage.
In the seventh inning, Schmidt smacked an RBI double into the center, scoring Cummings and extending the Crawdads’ lead to 3-0.
But San Luis Obispo battled back during the eighth, as Cole Gabrielson (USC) was hit by a pitch and Jake Simons (CSU – Northridge) doubled. Chase Gallegos (UNLV) then logged a double of his own, driving in two runs and narrowing the Crawdads’ lead to one. However, Walnut Creek’s defense then picked up three consecutive outs to stay ahead by a run.
With their backs against the wall in the ninth frame, the Blues continued rally when Kody Darcy (UTSA) reached via a single and capitalized on an error by ‘Dad’s third baseman Ryan Ellis (St. Mary’s) to reach second. Down to their final out, Gabrielson slammed an 0-1 pitch from Crawdads’ closer Gabe Tanner (Chabot College) into center field, scoring Darcy and sending the contest to extra innings.
The Blues’ left fielder said that keeping things simple allowed him to pick up the game-tying hit.
“Coming up in the ninth inning, two outs, obviously with a runner on second, not trying to do too much. First pitch I got I could handle and fouled it straight back, and kind of had an idea he [Tanner] was going to give me something to hit,” Gabrielson said. “And he left a slider up, put a good swing on it… I’m just glad I could pull through for my guys…”
With Casey Cummings as Walnut Creek’s ghost runner in the tenth, Jack Ben-Shoshan (Rice) was dinged by a pitch. However, Coleman Schmidt knocked a line drive right into the glove of Blues shortstop (name), who then tagged second base to complete a timely double play and keep the game tied.
In the tail-end of the inning, Jake Simons, the Blues’ extra inning runner, stole third before a wild pitch by Walnut Creek pitcher Noah Nordell (San Joaquin Delta College) allowed him to cross the dish, seal win the and keep his team in the tournament.
A big reason why the Blues remained within striking distance on Friday was reliever Kevin Lyons (CSU – Chico). Through 3.0 innings of work, the right-hander picked up a strikeout and walked a single Crawdad, and stated that his goal was to simply hold the opposition off the board.
“At that point when I went in, it was just ‘put up zeros and let the team make their way back into this game.’ We thought we were going to do it in the eighth, ended up doing it in the ninth… pretty happy because we played well today,” said Lyons.
When asked about his team’s mindset heading into their next game against the Riptide, San Luis Obispo manager Bob Miller said he expects the Blues to continue battling through adversity, something they’ve done for most of the season.
“It’s been a scrappy team for most of the year. We’ve hit a lot of roadblocks, but we’ve battled through those and look forward to the opportunity to continue to play and what the next game presents here for us, so we’re excited about doing it,” explained Miller.
While the Crawdads will head home after dropping two straight games, the Blues will face Orange County for the second contest of the day at 2:30 p.m. PST. Stay up-to-date on all the action by following the CCL’s Twitter and Instagram accounts, or tune into the league’s YouTube broadcast.
Impact Player of the Game: Cole Gabrielson (USC)
1-3, 1 R, 1 RBI
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(SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA) – In a rematch of the 2021 CCL State Championship Game, the Healdsburg Prune Packers faced off against the hosting San Luis Obispo Blues in a primetime matchup on the first day of the 2022 CCL State Championship Tournament. With 177 combined years of baseball between the two plays this game was nothing short of dramatic, with the advantage falling to the reigning champions as they defeated San Luis Obispo 8-3.
Healdsburg wasted no time scoring in the first, jumping out to an early lead.
Zac Vooletich (Texas Tech) drew a walk and Joey Kramer (CSUN) sent through a single to put two men on. Braydon Runion (New Mexico) then shot a double into the alley to bring both around to score.
The game stayed quiet until the bottom of the third, when Healdsburg struck again. With two outs, Runion picked up a single to extend the inning. Samuel Brown (Washington St.) then sent a long double of his own, bringing Runion around the score.
San Luis Obispo picked up their first run in the top half of the fifth inning. With two outs Jake Simmons (CSUN) sent a triple off of the center field wall. After an error by the Healdsburg shortstop, Simmons crossed the plate.
The Prune Packers responded quickly. With two outs Braydon Runion grabbed a single to reach base for the third time in the game. A double by Samuel Brown brought Runion around to score to keep their lead at three runs.
Caden Noah (UT Arlington) exited the game with one out in the seventh inning. After just over six innings in the game, Noah allowed only three hits and zero earned runs to put the Prune Packers in a position to win their first game of the tournament.
“To be honest my fastball command was pretty horrible, but my off-speed pitches were working,” Noah said. “Joey [Gomes] had a lot of faith in me to go out there game one and get the job done … I just thank Joey for giving me that opportunity.”
San Luis Obispo made the game interesting in the top of the eighth inning. Jake Simmons grabbed his second hit of the day with a double to lead off the inning. Tate Samuelson drove Simmons in with a two out double.
After advancing to third base on a wild pitch, Samuelson crossed the plate to bring the Blues within striking distance.
Healdsburg would not stay quiet for long, and refused to settle after giving up the pair of runs. Sam Hunt (Texas Tech) entered the game and immediately picked up a leadoff single. Lauden Brooks (Texas Tech) then reached base on an error as Hunt crossed home.
Jake Holcroft (Portland) drew a walk to load the bases, and Vooletich sent out a sacrifice fly to score Kimble Schuessler (Texas). Runion struck again one final time, driving in two runs with a single to extend the Prune Packers lead to five runs entering the final frame.
“Toward the end of the season I was kind of struggling, but something about the playoffs. Everything means a little bit more,” Runion said. “Just try to lock in that much more, help my team win it all again.”
Devin Kirby entered in relief in the second and threw just under three innings. One of his most dominant innings, however, was the top of the ninth inning. Kirby needed only 11 pitches to retire three batters in a row and strike out one on his way to closing out the game for good.
Braydon Runion said that this team has a true desire to become back-to-back champions. “It kind of started off a little bit slow … [Gomes] pressures on us to just keep going,” said Runion. “This being my last year out in Healdsburg, it’d be really nice to go out as a champion again.”
Prune Packers Head Coach and General Manager Joey Gomes spoke highly of sticking to a daily routine as a team.
“I’d like to credit just our daily routines,” Gomes explained. “Really, it’s just sticking to a really strict routine.”
Gomes also recognizes the importance of grabbing that first victory, and the importance of not becoming complacent afterward.
“The first thing that we all talked about when we got back there was the job’s not done,” Gomes stated. “But absolutely getting the first win is certainly nice.
The Prune Packers will play again on Friday at 7:00 p.m. PST against the Conejo Oaks, while the Blues will be back in action on Friday morning at 10:00 a.m. PST in an elimination game against the Walnut Creek Crawdads. Follow the action on the CCL’s Twitter and Instagram pages, or tune into the broadcast on the CCL YouTube.
Impact Player of the Game: Braydon Runion (New Mexico)
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(SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA) – The Conejo Oaks came int the 2022 CCL State Championship presented by Firestone Walker Brewing Company as the #1 seed and certainly played like it on Thursday, posting a six-run first inning en route to an 8-2 victory over the Orange County Riptide.
Conejo’s colossal opening frame began with Oregon teammates Tyler Ganus (Oregon) and Gavin Grant (Oregon) both reaching base via walks. Josiah Chavez (Cal Baptist) gave his squad a 2-0 lead when he knocked a two-RBI single into left-center field.
A groundout by Brendan Durfee and a single by AJ Salgado (UCLA) scored Chavez and Zach Daudet (Regis) respectively, adding a pair of runs. With two outs, Raul Sandoval (UC Davis) then sent a two-run shot over the center-field wall to put the Oaks up 6-0.
When asked about his first-inning bomb, Sandoval gave all the credit to Salgado, who beat out a throw for a tough infield single and kept the opening frame alive.
“Honestly, that home run wasn’t even on me,” recalled Sandoval. “That was good hustle on the batter before, he beat out a third to first, so he actually gave me a chance to get to the plate… Great job to him.”
Strong pitching from Riptide reliever Matthew Gaunt (Golden West College) helped stop the bleeding. The sophomore right-hander tossed two strikeouts while limiting Conejo to five hits and an unearned run through 6.0 innings pitched.
Orange County’s defense showed some flash in the fifth with two runners on, as second baseman Anthony Angel (CSU – Los Angeles) caught a line drive from Jack Brooks (Oregon) before tagging second, completing an impressive solo double play to end the inning.
Riptide catcher Jimmy Zakhar (Dayton) ended the shutout in the eighth when he slammed a solo home run into left, cutting the deficit to 7-1. However, Conejo responded in the bottom of the frame in the form of Tyler Ganus, who was hit by a breaking ball before stealing second and capitalizing on two wild pitches to cross home plate.
After a dominant start on the mound, Oaks’ starter Alexander Rivas was replaced by Charlie Adamson (Santa Barbara CC). Rivas dished out three K’s, relinquished seven hits and picked up the win in 8.0 innings of work. The Reseda, Calif. native said that he was ready to play in a high-stakes contest, but also praised his teammates for putting him in a good situation.
“Came in here today, it’s the biggest game of the summer, so came in here today competing… competed every single pitch,” Rivas said. “Obviously all my pitches were working today, but couldn’t have done it without my offense, and then my defense behind me, just making plays, getting me that confidence all day long.”
While Anthony Angel brought in Isaiah Morales (Saddleback CC) with an RBI double during the ninth, Adamson ultimately did his job, recording a strikeout, allowing two total baserunners and sealing an 8-2 victory for the Oaks.
After an impressive eight-run performance, Oaks’ manager David Soliz said he wants his team to continue stick with every pitch, something they’ve done for the entire season.
“What we’d like to carry over is the feeling the guys have of being with every pitch, every inning of every game. We’ve done that all summer and today we did it, and hopefully we carry that over tomorrow,” said Soliz.
The Oaks will square off against the winner of tonight’s the Healdsburg Prune Packers – San Luis Obispo Blues game tomorrow evening at 7:00 p.m. PST.
Be sure to follow the CCL on Twitter and Instagram or tune into the YouTube broadcast to stay up-to-date on all the playoff action.
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(SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA) – The 2022 CCL State Championship Tournament presented by Firestone Walker Brewery got kicked off on Thursday morning as the Crawdads took on the Riptide. The game was highly contested but the Riptide knocked the Crawdads off 6-4 to take the Wildcard Game.
Reed Schaefer (Arizona) took the mound in the bottom of the first, striking out two Crawdad batters.
“Fastball, felt good, curveball felt good, just felt good overall,” Schaefer stated.
The Riptide drew first blood, with Gavin Mez (UNLV) scoring after roping a double off of the left field wall.
Jack Ben-Shoshan (Rice) sent Walnut Creek’s first hit out into the right field for a single, but was picked off of first base on an impressive move by Schaefer.
The name of the game continued to be defense and pitching through the early stages. Walnut Creek had an acrobatic catch to record the second out of the third inning, and followed it up with a unique 1-6-3 double play in the fourth.
The Crawdads took the lead in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Ryan Brome (Texas Tech) led off the inning with a single. Brome was then brought around to score after Ryan Ellis (St. Mary’s College) singled to put men on first and third.
The Riptide picked off Ellis for their second of the day, but in that effort Jack Ben-Shoshan took home as the inning ended.
The Riptide took the lead back in the fifth, as back-to-back hits by Isaiah Morales (Saddleback CC) and Gavin Haimovitz (Uncommitted) put two men in scoring position.
Sacrifice flies off the bats of Shane Taylor (Dixie St. College) and Santino Panaro (UNLV) brought the pair around to score and restore the one run lead for Orange County.
Walnut Creek threatened again in the bottom half of the inning. Casey Cummings (Univ. of San Diego) walked to start the inning, and Zachary Teijerio (Uncommitted) reached on error while bunting to move Cummings over.
A balk put the duo on second and Ryan Brome drove in a run of his own with a sacrifice fly ball to center field.
Only one scoreless frame happened before the Riptide regained the lead in the seventh. Isaiah Morales got the party started, sending a single into shallow right center. Shane Taylor then ripped a single of his own, bringing Morales around to take the lead.
Walnut Creek refused to roll over in the bottom half. Coleman Schmidt (St. Mary’s College) one hopped a ball off the center field wall to begin the inning. Ryan Brome then picked up his second RBI in three innings, tying the game up.
This game was back and forth the entire time, and the eighth inning was no different. Blake Penso (UC Irvine) led off the inning with his first hit of the game. After getting around the third, Isaiah Morales picked up his third hit of the game as Penso took back the lead.
“I was struggling for a while actually,” Morales said. “I just wanted to clear my head, simplify it. Hit the ball hard, anything that I can do to help.”
The final run was scored in the top of the ninth by Orange County. Santino Panaro reached base on an error with one out. Panaro took second with a steal, and Dominic Souto (Cal Berkeley) shot a single through the gap in the left side to put the final nail in the coffin.
Matt Maloney (New Mexico St.) earned his first save of the postseason. Entering the game in the bottom of the ninth and striking out one en route.
Striking out seven batters, Reed Schaefer was ecstatic to have received the ball for the Wildcard Game. “It felt good, knowing that I was gonna come out first game of the playoffs,” Schaefer said.
Schaefer and Morales both placed importance on the team playing loose, saying that this is something they have done lately and is part of their success.
Orange County Head Coach Tim Brown was proud of the way that his team played in the game. “It was a little bit different for us getting up at 7:30 in the morning,” Brown said. “We came out, we were focused, played good defense, and got pretty good pitching.”
Brown was also excited for Gavin Mez, who got his first double of the year in the game against Walnut Creek. “He’s been one of my most prolific hitters but it’s all been singles,” Brown stated. “That’s what we had, we had two or three really timely doubles today. It made a big difference.”
The Riptide will play their second game of the tournament at 2:30 pm PST against the Conejo Oaks on Thursday, August 4.
The Crawdads will be back in action on the fifth of August at 10:00 am PST.
Follow the CCL on Twitter and Instagram to follow along with the games, or tune into the broadcast on the CCL Youtube!
Impact Player of the Game: Isaiah Morales (Saddleback CC)
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(SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA) – Five teams will compete in a double-elimination tournament capped off by a winner-take-all title game to determine who will take home the 2022 CCL State Championship presented by Firestone Walker Brewing Company.
COMPTON, CA – The CCL’s talent was on full display Wednesday evening during the 2022 CCL Showcase Game presented by ABDG. Nominees from all 11 teams headed to the MLB Youth Academy in Compton, Calif. to showcase their skills in front of fans, scouts and a national audience on Bally Sports TV. Several key defensive plays along with offensive contributions from shortstop Miguel Santos (Foresters, Dallas Baptist) and right fielder Tyler Ganus (Oaks, Oregon) helped the South Division blank their counterparts from the North 2-0.
Santos’ clutch homer to extend the South’s lead to 2-0 earned him Offensive Player of the Game honors. Shortstop Kyson Donahue (Saints, Hawaii) won Defensive Player of the Game as he made two big assists to help keep the North Division off of the scoresheet. Receiving Pitcher of the Game honors was Matthew Maloney (Riptide, New Mexico State), who recorded three strikeouts while relinquishing two hits in an inning of work.
Jared Sundstrom (Prune Packers, UC Santa Barbara) and second baseman Hunter Baldwin (Mudcats, Harvard) also shined for the North Division during Wednesday’s game. Sundstrom went 1-2 at the plate with a double while Baldwin finished the evening with five assists, two putouts and a part in all three of his team’s double plays.
Much like last year, it quickly became apparent that both teams’ defenses came ready to play; the sides combined for one base knock, one walk and four strikeouts through the first two frames.
The contest opened up in the third when Ganus reached first due to an error by shortstop Alex Gouveia (Stompers, UC Davis). After third baseman Drew Cowley (Saints, Oregon) and catcher Griffin Everitt (Foresters, Nebraska) both picked up base hits, a fielders’ choice allowed Ganus to score and put the South Division up 1-0.
Despite giving up a run, the North Division got out of the half-inning in style, as Baldwin, Gouveia and first baseman JT Waldon (Potters, Undecided) combined for a flashy 4-6-3 double play.
With two outs in the bottom of the third, Gouveia and center fielder Jake Holcroft (Prune Packers, Portland) picked up the North Division’s first two hits. However, Maloney’s third strikeout of the inning helped keep the opposition off of the scoresheet. The junior right-hander stated that he was successful on the mound because his main goal was to “fill up the zone and throw strikes.”
The South Division threatened to score again in the fourth when first baseman Gavin Kash (Foresters, Texas Tech) doubled and center fielder TC Simmons (Riptide, Connecticut) drew a walk. Donahue then popped out before the Baldwin, Gouveia and Waldon trio struck again, combining for another inning-ending double play.
Relief pitcher Chris Stamos (Saints, California) was called upon in the sixth to preserve his team’s narrow 1-0 lead. And the left-hander did just that, retiring three of the four batters he faced in a dominant inning pitched. The North Division got their lone base knock of the frame when third baseman Trey Furrey (Potters, Oklahoma Baptist) sent a single into center field.
Both sides’ offenses then stayed quiet until the ninth, as there were only two hits during the sixth and seventh innings, both from the CCL South.
However, the final frame of the contest proved to be the most exciting. In his second at-bat of the evening, Santos launched a leadoff home run off of the left field scoreboard to increase the South Division’s lead to two. The Fort Worth, Texas native recalled that he saw the pitch all the way but initially wasn’t sure his homer had enough height on it.
“I saw it [the first pitch] pretty well, so I was just thinking low middle. [Davis] threw a slider outside and I put a swing on it. I didn’t know if it was going to be high enough but luckily it was,” said Santos.
Second baseman/pinch hitter Kamau Neighbors (Barons, Long Beach CC) followed up the homer by slamming a single over North Division second baseman Ryan Ellis’ (Crawdads, St. Mary’s) head. But Neighbors’ most impactful play came in the tail end of the inning.
After closer Nick Proctor (Foresters, California) picked up two straight K’s and was replaced by Aaron Rosales (Barons, Santa Anna College), first baseman Ryan DuRoff (Crawdads, Chabot) and designated hitter Cole Santander (Mudcats, Long Beach State) drew consecutive walks to keep the game going. The next batter, Ellis, sent the second pitch he saw sailing into right-center field. Standing in the way, however, was Neighbors, who leapt up and made a miraculous grab in midair, sealing the victory for the South Division.
Following the conclusion of the Showcase Game, the teams will enter into a two-week stretch leading up to the CCL State Championship presented by Firestone Walker Brewing Company, which is set to take place from August 4-6.
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Contributors:
CCL North Division:
Healdsburg Prune Packers: 27-5 overall, 6-0 Week 6
The Prune Packers once again achieved perfection this season, going undefeated in Week 6 and winning against the Mudcats, Crawdads, Novato Knicks and Stompers three times.
A major contributor to the Packers’ offense this week was Carson Crawford (California). In 14 at-bats, the sophomore infielder recorded six hits, a home run, and eight RBI. Samuel Brown (Portland) also had a big week at the plate, as he went 11-23, scored three runs and drove in seven more.
Right-hander Mason Dillow (Virginia) was a strike-throwing machine for Healdsburg, picking up nine K’s and only relinquishing three hits in 5.1 innings pitched. Jason Franks (Cal Poly – SLO) maintained a perfect 0.00 ERA on the season in 4.0 innings during week 6, as he struck out seven batters and only conceded two hits.
The Packers will open up Week 7 in Walnut Creek on Sunday before heading to Sonoma on Monday. Healdsburg will then return home for three games against the Potters, West Coast Kings and Stompers.
Lincoln Potters: 28-15 overall, 5-1 Week 6
Week 6 was Lincoln’s most successful since opening their season with a 12-2 record. After a 16-5 drubbing by the Foresters, Lincoln defeated the Crawdads, Mudcats and Medford Rogues three times.
Nolan McCarthy (Kentucky) was nothing short of electric for Lincoln over their last six games. The Kalamazoo, Michigan native went 7-18 with two bombs, four runs and seven RBI. Infielder JT Waldon (Undecided) continued to put up solid numbers, going 6-19, scoring five runs and bringing in two more.
On the mound, Kaden Riccomini (UC Davis) made the most of his 6.0 innings pitched in Tuesday’s 2-1 victory over Medford. The right-hander recorded eight strikeouts, three hits against and only one earned run. Ryan Sturgeon (LSU – Shreveport) shined on the mound during Week 6, recording three strikeouts and limiting the opposition to one hit in 6.1 innings.
The Potters will play the Packers as well as the Crawdads and Stompers twice each during Week 7.
Sonoma Stompers: 12-21 overall, 2-4 Week 6
Sonoma opened and closed Week 6 with victories over West Coast Kings and Crawdads. However, the games in between didn’t go the Stompers’ way, as they were bested by the Mudcats and Packers three times.
Alex Gouveia (UC Davis) stayed hot at the plate this week, going 8-17 with six runs and driving in eight more. Michael Bell (Cal Poly – SLO) was another impact player on offense for Sonoma, as he also recorded a team-leading eight hits while contributing two runs and five RBI.
Despite pitching being his secondary position, Alex Leopard (Santa Rose JC) led the Stompers in K’s during week six, retiring five batters in 2.0 innings on the hill. Noah Larkin (Cal Poly – SLO) was also solid through 6.0 innings, allowing seven hits, conceding two earned runs and picking up three strikeouts.
Next week, Sonoma will take on the Menlo Park Legends, Packers twice and Potters twice.
Walnut Creek Crawdads: 19-15 overall; 1-5 Week 6
The Walnut Creek Crawdads opened their week with a tough 9-6 loss against the Blues. They were able to come back stronger the next game against the Mudcats and won 16-3. Unfortunately, they could not start a winning streak as they lost against the Mudcats in the next contest 6-1. The Crawdads had a tough outing against the Packers losing 12-0 before dropping a game against the Potters 4-2. They ended their week with a close game against the Stompers, but lost 4-3.
Despite a week of many tough losses, Coleman Schmidt (St Mary’s College) won many battles at the plate. Schmidt is a consistent hitter for the Crawdads and this past week, he hit two bombs. He has had an impressive season and has a total of nine home runs and 32 RBI.
The Crawdads will begin Week 7 with a game against the Packers on Sunday the 17th at 12:03 pm.
Solano Mudcats: 13-18 overall, 3-2 Week 6
The Solano Mudcats had a solid five games with a 3-2 record for week 6. They opened up their week against the Packers but lost 8-2. They went on to play the Crawdads and lost 16-3 but beat them the next game 6-1. They finished their week with a loss to the Potters, 10-2.
Hunter Baldwin (Harvard) has proved himself again this week with an RBI in the Mudcats’ game against the Potters and many singles throughout the week. On the mound, Caleb Davis (San Joaquin Delta) has been a strong player with four strikeouts during the Mudcats’ win over the Stompers.
Solano will begin a new week with a game on the 18th against the WC Kings.
CCL South Division:
Santa Barbara Foresters (21-10 overall, 5-0 Week 6)
The Foresters were another perfect team during Week 6, winning all five of their games. Santa Barbara picked up victories over the Potters, Riptide, Barons and Saints twice.
Gavin Kash (Texas Tech) was explosive on offense for the Foresters this week, going a combined 8-17 with six runs, 10 RBI and 3 homers. Infielder Will Pendergrass (Louisiana – Lafayette) had an exceptional performance in Santa Barbara’s 12-0 win over the Barons. In three ABs, the Missouri City, Texas native logged two hits, three runs, four RBI and a bomb.
Nick Griffin (Arkansas) appeared nearly unhittable in 4.0 innings, as the Fayetteville, Ark. native struck out five batters while only conceding a single hit. Senior left-hander Graham Osman (Arizona State) was also solid on the mound this week, picking up four K’s and allowing one hit through 5.0 innings pitched.
Santa Barbara is set to take on the Blues, Oaks, Barons and Riptide twice next week.
San Luis Obispo Blues (16-20 Overall, 4-2 Week 6)
The Blues started Week 6 with an interleague matchup against the Crawdads, defeating them 9-6 on Sunday. They then traveled to Orange County, Calif. and fell to the Riptide in a close 2-1 game. They followed that up with a 14-6 win in the second game of the road trip down to Great Park. They took home their second straight win in a home game against the Barons with a 9-5 victory. The streak was not made complete when they were shutout 8-0 by the Oaks on Friday night. They ended the week with a win, defeating the Saints 7-6 back home at Sinsheimer Park on Saturday evening.
Kody Darcy (UTSA) and Nathan Cmeyla (Dartmouth College) carried the Blues to one of their best weeks all season. Darcy had seven hits, three RBIs, and scored twice in 17 at bats. Cmeyla did not want to bested, grabbing eight hits, five RBIs, and scoring four times in 20 at bats. Cameron Mabee (Illinois St.) was the best pitcher for the Blues in Week 6. Mabee picked up a win in his outing against the Saints, throwing 7.0 innings and striking out five with only one earned win.
San Luis Obispo will have matchups against the Oaks and Foresters next week.
Orange County Riptide (15-14 Overall, 2-3 Week 6)
The Riptide began the week by traveling to Compton, Calif. and falling to the Barons 8-6 on Sunday. They followed that up by hosting the Blues back home at Great Park and defeating them 2-1 in a low scoring affair Tuesday night. On Wednesday they hosted San Luis Obispo for the second game of the set, and lost a high scoring affair against the Blues 14-6. Orange County headed up to Pershing Park in Santa Barbara, Calif. and faced off against the Foresters in a Friday night matchup, falling 10-6. The Riptide rounded out their week in Thousand Oaks, Calif. for a late afternoon game against the Oaks, and defeated them with ease 8-1.
Nathan Smith (Tennessee) was getting hits left and right for Orange County, picking up nine in 17 at bats. He also drove in two runs and scored twice during the week. Blake Penso (UC Irvine) also made a huge impact, picking up six hits in 17 at bats while driving in two runs of his own and scoring four times. Matt Maloney (New Mexico St.) was the pitcher of the week for the Riptide, earning his fourth win of the season giving up no runs in his outing.
The Riptide will play the Oaks, the Foresters, and the Saints in Week 7.
Conejo Oaks (17-10 Overall, 3-2 Week 6)
The Saints led off Week 6 with a tough 7-5 loss against the Saints on Sunday afternoon. They bounced back against the Saints during a Tuesday night away game, winning 10-8. They then went back home and beat the Barons 9-1 on Wednesday. The win streak continued against the Blues on Friday night, shutting them out 8-0. Their good fortune ran out on Saturday night, losing 9-1 to the Riptide at home in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Brendan Durfee (Cal Lutheran) was the batting leader for the Oaks in Week 6, picking up seven hits in 16 at bats. He also hit one homerun and drove in five runs. Gavin Grant (Oregon) was the main producer for the Oaks, with one homerun and six RBIs. He also picked up six hits and scored four times. Michael Alan Stanford (College of the Desert) was on fire for the Oaks, throwing 6.0 innings and giving up no runs to earn one of the Oaks wins.
The Oaks will face off against the Riptide, Foresters, and Blues in the coming week.
Arroyo Seco Saints: 12-16 Overall; 1-5 Week 6
The Arroyo Seco Saints had a difficult week of games. The Saints played six games in a row this past week and have been challenged as a team. They opened up their week with a game against the Conejo Oaks on the 10th and beat the Oaks, 7-5. They were able to have Monday off before heading into back-to-back games. On Tuesday the 12th they played the Oaks again but lost 10-8. The Saints went on to play two games against the Foresters on the 13th and 14th and lost the first one, 7-3, and the second one, 9-7. The next day the Saints played the Barons and lost a tough close game 4-3. They ended their long week with a game against the Blues and like their previous game the day before, fell short only by one run, losing 7-6.
Wichita State Shockers Cooper Harris (Wichita State) and Jordan Rogers (Wichita State) have continued to be all-around players for the Saints and performed well again this week. Harris has been consistent all season behind the plate and this past week has even improved his hitting with 2 RBIs this past week. Jordan Rogers had another outstanding week and one of his highlights from these past games was when he sent the first pitch of the game over the fence for a solo home run against the Foresters.
The Arroyo Seco Saints will open Week 7 with a game against the Barons on July 17th at 6:05 pm.
Academy Barons: 10-16 overall; 2-4 Week 6
The Academy Barons went 2-4 this past week and struggled to win games. As the season is coming to an end the Barons are pushing through but had a difficult week. They opened up with a win against the Riptide, 8-6, but lost the next game against the Oaks, 9-1. They faced the Blues the following day but were not able to pull off a win, losing 9-5. They got their second win against the Saints, 4-3, but ended their week with a rough game against the Foresters losing 12-0.
Kamau Neighbors (Long Beach CC) was a standout player this week with several big hits and an RBI in the game against the Blues. In that same game Evan Adolphus (Cypress) also had a great day on the mound with four strikeouts and put in the work for the Barons.
They will go on to start the new week with a game against the Arroyo Seco Saints.
July 16, 2022
The California Collegiate League Showcase Game Selection Committee has announced the participants for the 2022 CCL Showcase Game presented by the Amateur Baseball Development Group (ABDG):
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Team Designations // MLB – MLB Academy Barons, AS – Arroyo Seco Saints, CON – Conejo Oaks, HLD – Healdsburg Prune Packers, LIN – Lincoln Potters, OCR – Orange County Riptide, SLO – San Luis Obispo Blues, SBF – Santa Barbara Foresters, SOL – Solano Mudcats, SON – Sonoma Stompers, WCC – Walnut Creek Crawdads