By CCL Reporter Sean Brennan
(SANTA BARBARA, CA) – When it comes to on-the-field success in collegiate summer baseball, few teams have a richer past than the Santa Barbara Foresters.
The eye-popping list of accolades speaks for itself.
Since co-founding the CCL in the mid-90s alongside the San Luis Obispo Blues, Santa Barbara has amassed a 1,099–330 overall record and is near the top of the league’s standings year in and year out. It didn’t take long for the six-time CCL State Champion Foresters to also become regular invitees to the National Baseball Congress (NBC) World Series, a prestigious end-of-summer tournament comprised of collegiate baseball teams around the nation. Since 2006, the Foresters have reached 12 title games, winning ten times, the most by a single team in the NBC’s 87-year history.
One of the key reasons behind the ‘Sters’ success is how the organization is run from the top down. Sitting in the driver’s seat is Executive Director and Manager Bill Pintard, whose resumé is just as decorated as that of the team he’s coached for 28 years. The former Los Angeles Angel and current New York Yankees’ MLB scout has led Santa Barbara to 21 CCL titles while also securing 11 CCL Coach of the Year awards, seven NBC Coach of the Year honors and a spot in the NBC World Series Hall of Fame.
Pintard’s work in the community resulted in him being selected as an Olympic torchbearer in 2000. He was named a “Local Hero” by the Santa Barbara Independent newspaper in 2003. Six years later, he received the prestigious Sparky Anderson Award from the Association of Professional Ballplayers for his continued contributions to baseball player development. Pintard is on the board of the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table and became a member of its Hall of Fame in 2011. He also arranged the Foresters’ two trips to Cuba to play the nation’s top teams.
Above all, Pintard’s decades of baseball experience allow him to connect with players and help them reach their potential. New York Mets outfielder Jaylin Davis, a member of the 2014 NBC World Series-winning Foresters team, continues to marvel at the coach’s uncanny ability to elevate players’ games.
“[Pintard] brought the best out of everybody,” Davis said. “Some guys came out there that were having bad years, but they went out there and tore it up. He finds a way to get the best out of every player. And as a coach, that’s unreal.”
Despite being one of summer collegiate baseball’s most storied organizations, the Foresters’ end goal each season remains consistent with its counterparts – putting the players first and developing them in a professional environment. For Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jon Duplantier, Davis’ teammate and holder of the second-most single-season strikeouts in Foresters’ history, Santa Barbara provided a taste of the big-league experience.
“First and foremost, [Pintard] and his staff set a precedent of treating us like men,” Duplantier said. “I can play baseball and make it my job and start treating it like a job. That really started in Santa Barbara – coach Pintard treated us like professionals. Shoot, when I got there, I was 19 years old, turned 20 that summer, and I remember feeling like a professional. That’s the way he handled us.”
There’s more to this approach, however, as treating athletes like professionals is only one part of the equation. Another integral part of Pintard’s system is fostering a laid-back atmosphere revolving around giving players freedom on the field – a philosophy that often leads to improvement across the board.
“Our number one philosophy is to get our players better, to send them back to their [college] coaches a little bit better,” Pintard said. “We also give them the freedom to play, to find out who they are as players. We don’t call every single bunt, we don’t call every pitch. We give them green lights to run.”
Even with the level of success attached to the Foresters’ name, Pintard’s coaching staff embraces failure. Allowing athletes to polish weaker parts of their game has become the standard. If a player has speed but doesn’t know how to steal bases, the Foresters will help them develop that skill… but only if the player wants to.
“When you’re at practice in college, what coach says goes,” Duplantier said. “With Santa Barbara, it was always a conversation… It was always respectful in that manner. Coach made it clear early on that he treats you like a pro,‘We’re going to treat you like adults, but we also have expectations… you need to respect those expectations.”
Needless to say, being a collegiate summer baseball blueblood with a developmental-oriented approach comes with its rewards. For Santa Barbara, the big prize is the high-end talent they bring to California’s Central Coast every summer. Over 50 current and former MLBers, including household names like St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryan Helsley and New York Mets and 2023 World Baseball Classic second baseman Jeff McNeill, have played under Pintard during their college years.
Even after players have been in the Big Leagues for a decade, they never forget the summers they had in Santa Barbara. Former Boston Red Sox first baseman and Los Angeles Dodgers hitting coach Aaron Bates’ (2003-04) time with the Foresters will always hold a special place in his heart, and not just because of the memories made on the diamond.
A focal point within the Foresters’ organization is hard work, even when it’s being done outside of Pershing Park. In 1995, Pintard founded the Hugs for Cubs Foundation, which is dedicated to helping children battling cancer. Through the foundation, Foresters players participate in charity events throughout the season that only add to the overall experience.
“It was two of the greatest summers ever,” Bates said. “It was pretty special because of all of the stuff [Pintard] does for the guys, and how hard he works for the kids. It was definitely a blessing that I got to do that.”
In late February, Bates, Davis and Duplantier became the latest inductees into the Foresters’ Hall of Fame, which was started in 2010. All three were extremely honored to become cemented in Foresters’ history.
Even when players’ careers with the ‘Sters end, their relationship with the city and teammates does not. Duplantier and Davis, who won an NBC World Series side-by-side, are still friends to this day. Pintard has made the two-hour drive to Dodger Stadium to visit Bates, and still keeps in contact with alums across the country.
“You gravitate towards him as soon as you meet him,” Davis said. “I still talk to him, like all the time. He calls me all the time and we’ll sit there and talk for hours.”
By CCL Reporter Sam Nute
(HEALDSBURG, CA) – When athletes are lacing their shoes up before the game begins, they are thinking about one thing: What can I do to help my team win? However, it is never quite that simple, as winning requires the perfect combination of skill, effort, and just a little bit of luck.
Winning in the California Collegiate League is even harder because teams are tasked with assembling a completely new roster every year. The 11 CCL teams must form their rosters and then the chemistry of that roster must be formed in the little time they have together before the two-plus month season begins.
Over the last two seasons, one team has risen above the others, claiming both previous two CCL State Championships. The Healdsburg Prune Packers have been the dominant team in the last two years of the CCL, winning 85 of their 102 games and the team dogpiling at the end of both seasons.
“Number one, it’s built on the relationships that we have with the programs that place their players with us,” Healdsburg head coach and general manager Joey Gomes said. “We’ve made some incredible relationships over the years. I think it starts with trust, trust the players are getting better. We try to return the players a little better than we got them. We are just a small piece to the players developmental pie, and we try like heck to get it right!”
Last year’s championship roster bolstered players from some of those elite connections that Gomes was referring to. The Prune Packers had 13 players that came from a Power 5 baseball conference, including Tennessee, Texas Tech, and Texas. Coming into 2023, Healdsburg has brought in 17 Power 5 players, adding Ohio State, Alabama, and Arizona State to its already impressive list of schools.
“When it comes to the summer season, Healdsburg has everything a player would need to continue their development,” Gomes said. “Including a staff that cares about preparation and winning. Max Shupe will get to the field for home games at 1 p.m. for pre-practice defensive work. Followed by early hitting at 2 p.m. with me and pitchers do their daily’s with (Jared) Noonan. Then the team meets for the pre-game workout.”
Getting to the field at the right time is one of the things that the Prune Packers preach to their players. Routine has become one of the Healdsburg trademarks. They will be in the right place at the right time at the same time every day.
Creating that routine is something that Gomes takes pride in. The Prune Packers have partnered with two gyms in Healdsburg that give their players full access to all the weightlifting equipment that they need. Before every road game, Gomes and Shupe will bring players to their indoor hitting facility in Santa Rosa, hitting up to three times and then taking vans over to the game.
With so many games to play in so few days, off days are few and far between, but Gomes and his staff try to give his players as much time for recovery as possible. Every Monday is deemed as an off day for the Prune Packers, but that doesn’t mean that they are used to just sitting around.
“Monday means they go to gym,” Gomes said. “They use the sauna, and hot tub, get in the cold tub, and swim some of the lactic acids away. They just lay out a foam roller all day and get ready to go again. We call them recovery days, not off days.”
This routine has become the base of everything Gomes and the Prune Packers do.
“It really goes into the preparation and the routines that we have every day,” Gomes said. “The game is the bonus. It’s the work that we do before the game that is the real testament.”
The Prune Packers have done a lot of winning, especially over the last two years. Adding that drive to win to the already fantastic recruiting, and the routine that the Prune Packers take pride in becomes not just a routine of work, but a routine of winning.
“Winning matters. Everything should lead to a positive outcome,” Gomes added. “Nine dogs are going out there. Then the leash comes off, and they can have at it.”
By CCL Reporter Sean Brennan
(VACAVILLE, CA) – Alex Crosby, a Solano Mudcats alum (2013) and current professional baseball player, has dreamed of representing his British roots on baseball’s biggest international stage for a very long time. For the 29-year-old, few experiences could top donning Great Britain’s colors and standing on the field while “God Save the King” plays before a World Baseball Classic game.
On February 9, his name was among the 29 announced on Great Britain’s 2023 WBC roster, quickly transforming Crosby’s lifelong fantasy into a reality.
“It was just an honor to get the call to come play,” Crosby said. “Every time I’ve put on the Great Britain uniform, I’ve been super proud, just because that’s what made me who I am today.”
Crosby’s love for his heritage first stemmed from being around his mother, who he says is ‘super British.’ And once he saw Great Britain’s support of its soccer team, he knew what country he wanted to eventually represent on the diamond.
“I think growing up watching football – you say American soccer – just seeing the pride for the World Cups and stuff like that, growing up is where I got a real good sense of it,” Crosby said. “I see how they support, they come behind it. It’s just so awesome to watch and I always wanted to be a part of something like that.”
This pride was clearly contagious. Current Mudcats Vice President Gordie Clary, who also spent the summer of 2013 in Solano, described Crosby as an outstanding teammate who always had a great deal of pride in his British roots.
Crosby showcased more than just his off-the-field qualities during his time with the Dirty Fish. He was described by team President Ben Crombie as one of the best players to ever take the field for Solano, and rightfully so. To date, Crosby has recorded the second-most hits, doubles, and RBI in a single season in Mudcats’ history.
While there’s no doubt he was a key contributor to the 2013 squad, Crosby’s experience with the Mudcats holds a bit more meaning. Raised just up the road in Vacaville, spending the summer in Solano meant that Crosby could develop his skills while staying close to home. His decision was ultimately the right one, as the Mudcats have developed a team culture built around helping baseball players grow both on and off the field.
The organization’s philosophy and proximity to home, along with the opportunity for Crosby to play with childhood friends like Clary, turned that 44-game season into one of the best experiences of his baseball career.
“That was probably one of my favorite experiences…because I got to play with guys that I was best friends with growing up,” Crosby said. “So that was probably the most fun baseball because we got to always joke around with each other. But we were all super serious and wanted to get to that next level, so that was one of the best experiences I’ve had.”
For Crosby, the WBC experience is already special, even though Great Britain has yet to play its first game. So far, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind, as the players learned they were on the team just about a month ago. However, this isn’t the first time Great Britain’s group played together, and Crosby already understands his personal goals for the tournament.
“I just want to help the team win,” Crosby said. “Whatever I can do, if that’s moving a runner over, scooping a ball or making a play (…) It’s time for me to prove who I say I am on the field and try to be the best player on the field.”
On the international stage, Crosby has already proven himself and shown he can be relied on, especially when the lights are brightest. Just this past September, he was responsible for a crucial tenth-inning sacrifice fly to defeat Spain and punch Great Britain’s ticket to the big dance. And with at least four games to play in the WBC, Crosby has an opportunity to cement his name once again into Great Britain Baseball history, just as he did with the Mudcats.
Even in the midst of his professional career, Solano still holds a special place in Crosby’s heart. If he isn’t watching the Mudcats’ games online, he’s following along on social media or checking in with current and former members of the organization. No matter where Crosby’s incredible baseball journey takes him next, he’ll always have time to keep up with a team that provided him with an unforgettable experience.
“I’ve definitely checked in, I always do,” Crosby said. “I feel like, my generation, we were part of the first step to keep growing, and we had a really good team with the Mudcats, so it was a lot of fun.”
Photo source and credit: Getty Images
By CCL Reporter Sean Brennan
(LINCOLN, CA) – California Collegiate League baseball has quickly become the main event during summers in Lincoln, Calif.
On most nights from late May to early August, fans from all over Placer County pack the historic McBean Stadium to support the Potters, Lincoln’s CCL team.
Fans have mostly been treated to success during the CCL’s first three seasons in the Clay City – you’ll likely be hard-pressed to find a lot of empty seats when the Potters are playing at “The Bean.”
Though every summer of Potters’ baseball is memorable, the upcoming season will hold even more significance. That’s because the organization is dedicating the 2023 campaign to honoring baseball in Lincoln, which has a rich history dating back an entire century.
America’s favorite pastime has been ingrained into the fibers of the city since the early 1900s. In 1875, the establishment of Gladding McBean & Co., a renowned pottery company, put the then-small Northern California town on the map. The company assembled and funded a ball club years later in 1923, and just like that, a rich tradition of baseball in Lincoln was born.
“It [the club] wasn’t called the Potters for the first few years,” Potters general manager Matt Lundgren said. “The Potters came in with a similar logo to us and everything in the 40s (…) The Potters went all the way through the 60s and into the 70s. And then it [the club] went away for almost 50 years.”
The original Potters remained a mere memory in Lincoln until 2016, when the city, along with other entities, put money into revamping an outdated McBean Stadium that hadn’t seen renovations since the 1950s.
A revitalized ballpark and Lincoln’s interest in hosting a summer baseball team proved too lucrative of an opportunity for Lundgren’s camp to pass up. Then came the question – what would the team be called? But for Lundgren, the answer was a no-brainer.
“We’ve obviously adopted the name ‘Potters,’” Lundgren said. “We wanted to keep that tradition alive. We put in our logo,‘Established 1923.’ We’d like to pay homage to that. We still put the Gladding McBean patch on all of our uniforms, just like they did back in 1923.”
With a five-decade hiatus sandwiched between two iterations of the club, the Potters technically haven’t been around for 100 years. However, the celebration goes beyond just the team on the field. Look no further than the Lincoln community, which welcomed a new team in its city with open arms.
“When we started rebuilding everything at the end of 2016, it was very early on that we realized we were going to have the community’s support,” Lundgren said. “They came out, showed up and backed us from the beginning.”
Even with a strong base in Lincoln, Lundgren knew it was in the organization’s best interest to reach the surrounding communities. This proved a difficult task due to people in the area generally staying within their own towns. However, the fans in Lincoln helped “set the tone”, and all of Placer County soon became Potters Country.
“We just provided something that those communities didn’t have,” Lundgren said. “And once we got them out to the ballpark, you see the energy and the community coming together. So it’s really taken off and become a regional thing rather than just a Lincoln thing, which has been pretty cool.”
So what (and when) will this highly-anticipated 100th-year extravaganza be? According to Lundgren, the entire season will be one big celebration. The Potters will don a 100-year patch on their hats, and will hold other promotional events, such as giving away commemorative pins and a replica of McBean Stadium, throughout the summer.
Despite a milestone season just around the corner, the Potter’s main objectives remain player development and success on and off the field, with the hopes of winning the CCL State Championship. Last August, Lincoln hosted the West Coast World Series at McBean Stadium and went all the way, which is no minor feat. But Lundgren admits that earning the CCL Trophy would be even more special to his team and community.
“We want to win a championship,” Lundgren said. “You might think our sole care is how we do financially, which is super important. But we’re as competitive of a group as you can find, and we really want to bring a championship home to this community.”
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA — The Conejo Oaks and Orange County Riptide faced off on Saturday, playing for the final spot in the CCL State Championship Game. The Oaks took a 3-1 lead in the third and never looked back, cruising to a dominant 10-2 victory.
The Oaks’ offense looked ready to go in this one. After Tyler Ganus (Oregon) was hit by a pitch, fellow Oregon Duck Gavin Grant (Oregon) singled and Josiah Chavez (Cal Baptist) smacked a single to bring in the game’s first run.
The Riptide quickly struck back in the top of the second. Nathan Manning (Cal Berkely) led off the inning with a single into center field. Isaiah Morales then singled to right, and an error by the right fielder allowed Morales to move up to second, and Manning to tie the game.
The Oaks pulled ahead during the bottom of the third when a grounder by Grant gave Ganus enough time to tally his second run of the afternoon. Chavez then ripped an RBI-double into center field, scoring AJ Salgado (UCLA) and increasing the lead to 3-1.
Salgado delivered another blow to the Riptide in the next frame, as he singled to drive in Austin Carrillo (Uncommitted).
Oaks’ starter Thomas Brandenburg (Oregon) appeared seemingly unhittable through 5.0 innings on the mound. The Kalama, Washington native logged seven strikeouts while conceding only two hits and a lone earned run. Brandenburg said that he felt good Saturday, especially with an explosive offense to back him up.
“It’s been that way all season, they’ve had my back. It was really big to get those two runs in the bottom of the third after they [the Riptide] tied it up in the second… I have a lot of confidence in them too,” said Brandenburg.
Conejo’s biggest inning was the fifth, which began with Zach Daudet (Regis) and Raul Sandoval (UC Davis) reaching base via singles. Two consecutive walks drawn by Carrillo, David Whittle (San Diego State) and Jack Brooks (Oregon) helped Daudet and Sandoval cross the dish and extend the Oaks’ lead.
The scoring spree continued when Tyler Ganus hit a grounder that brought in Carrillo. AJ Salgado was then walked before an error by the second baseman allowed Whittle and Brooks to cash in, rounding out a mammoth five-run frame for the Oaks.
Orange County scored their final run in the top of the sixth inning. After Nathan Manning singled with one out, a pair of errors by Conejo’s pitcher and shortstop allowed Manning to cross the plate.
The Oaks got one more punch in during the seventh as Salgado crushed a solo shot, putting his team into double digits. Salgado said he was looking for a fastball, and was ready for a pitch to swing at after getting ahead in the count.
“I was really hunting the fastball. First pitch was up and away for a ball, and I was really geared up for that middle-in fastball, and that’s what I got,” recalled Salgado.
Matt Maloney (New Mexico State) entered the game in the eighth inning for the Riptide and stopped the bleeding at the end of the game. Having already pitched in the tournament, Maloney could only throw one inning. The right-hander faced the minimum, and struck out a pair of Oaks batters along the way.
The Oaks’ defense, along with closer Nick Rincover (UC Irvine), was able to close out the Riptide and secure a 10-2 victory.
With the win, Conejo punched their ticket to the CCL State Championship game, where they will face the North Division powerhouse Healdsburg Prune Packers. The two teams met in Friday’s semifinal game, which resulted in a 13-4 victory for Healdsburg. When asked about the rematch, Salgado said that he trusts his team but wants to see them be more aggressive at the dish.
“Honestly, for all of us, just more aggression at the plate than last night when we played them [Healdsburg],” Salgado said. “I think if we do that, our pitching will be fine, and we’ll do well.”
Conejo’s rematch against the Packers is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. PST. Follow the action on the CCL’s Instagram and Twitter accounts, or tune into the league’s YouTube broadcast.
Impact Player of the Game: Thomas Brandenburg (Oregon)
5.0 IP, 7 K, 2 H, 1 ER, Winning Pitcher
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Contributors:
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):
[+ CLICK HERE TO VIEW ROSTERS]
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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
LOS ANGELES, CA – The week of July 18 will be a memorable one for baseball fans in Southern California and around the world. For the first time in 42 years, Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game will take place at historic Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, July 19.
On Wednesday, July 20, some of college baseball’s top players will compete in the California Collegiate League’s premier event—the CCL Showcase Game presented by the Amateur Baseball Development Group (ABDG)—down the 110 Freeway at the MLB Academy in Compton, Calif. Sixty of the CCL’s most outstanding collegiate players from all across the country will display their talents before a national audience on Bally Sports TV. The first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST. Tickets may be purchased at the gate.
California Collegiate League team managers have submitted their prospect list to the Showcase Game Selection Committee. Final North and South Division rosters will be announced on Saturday, July 16. The head coaches of the game will be decided by the winning percentage based on league wins up to July 15.
Los Angeles Angels radio broadcaster Trent Rush will be working with Denny Hocking, current USA Baseball 18u manager, and reporter Anna Connelly, to cover the CCL Showcase Game live on Bally Sports. Replays of the game will be broadcast regionally in July and August. Check your local listings for viewing instructions.
As part of USA Baseball’s Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP), CCL Showcase Game position players will take part in pre-game workouts at 2:30 p.m. in front of MLB scouts and college coaches. The PDP is a collaborative effort between Major League Baseball and USA Baseball that establishes an official identification and player development pathway for amateur baseball players in the United States.
There is a strong connection between the CCL and the MLB’s 93rd Midsummer Classic. Three CCL alumni – New York Mets left-fielder Jeff McNeil (Santa Barbara Foresters), St. Louis Cardinals reliever Ryan Helsley (Santa Barbara Foresters), and Colorado Rockies first baseman C.J. Cron (San Luis Obispo Blues) – were named to this season’s National League All-Star roster.
The CCL will be represented in the 2022 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, which is set to for Saturday, July 16, at Dodger Stadium. Three-time World Series Champion and Conejo Oaks co-founder, Mike Scioscia, will be at the helm of the National League Futures squad, while MLB Academy Barons manager and former MLB player, Kenny Landreaux, will serve on the coaching staff. Former Forester and Oregon Duck, Spencer Steer, now a Minnesota Twins prospect, has been selected to play in the game.
By CCL Reporter, Nicola Iannelli —
Santa Barbara, Calif. is not only home to picturesque white sand beaches, palm trees, and Mediterranean-style stucco buildings that reflect the city’s Spanish colonial heritage, but also to CCL perennial power—the Santa Barbara Foresters.
The Foresters are led by manager Bill Pintard and hold the most titles in the California Collegiate League with 11 under their belt since the league’s founding in 1993. Pintard has been the tenacious leader of this team since 1995 and has developed the Foresters into the organization they are today. Santa Barbara has chalked up over 1,000 victories including nine National Baseball Congress World Series Championships in 2021, 2020, 2018, 2016, 2014, 2012, 2011, 2008, and 2006.
But it was not always that glamorous starting out.
For Pintard, it all started in 1994. When he took over the Foresters with his then assistant Pat Burns, he had the goal to become the leader of a nationally recognized team. To accomplish this, Pintard knew they had to recruit the best players, so they took to the road. Pintard and Burns traveled from San Diego to Sacramento, spending up to 15 days non-stop on the road. The duo talked to coaches at USC, San Diego State, UC San Diego, Palomar Junior College, UCLA, and many more up and down the coast.
Pintard recalls traveling to UC Berkeley where his son was a student. “We slept on his couch for four days because there were a bunch of junior colleges and Stanford University up there,” said Pintard.
Both Pintard and Burns spent countless hours watching practices and inter-squad games scouting for their summer league team. Those long days of travel and patience paid off because Pintard made lifelong connections with many coaches and players. This period also served as the building blocks for what the Foresters are today.
Coaches took note of Pintard’s dedication and persistence. In 1995, one particular coach from Sacramento said, “You’re going to get my best players because anybody that’s going to work that hard and be that dedicated deserves to train my players.”
For 27 years Pintard has instilled into his teams hard work and perseverance.
No challenge is too big for Pintard and his club. Even with the setback of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Foresters fought through challenge after challenge. Though collaboration with the CCL, the Foresters put together a COVID-19 protocol that kept players, coaches, and staff members safe during the 2020 summer season. Remarkably, the Foresters had zero positive cases when the disease was at its peak and spreading rampant.
During that time, Pintard and the Foresters were able to accomplish an improbable feat. Santa Barbara was the only team in the league that played a full season of games that included non-league teams and a non-league schedule. Pintard reflected, “[That] was a tremendous achievement because there weren’t many teams playing that year, and we were able to play teams from all over the country, like Texas, and even won the [NBC] national championship that year in 2020.”
The success during the pandemic season carried over into the following year. The CCL resumed competition in 2021, and fans were able to come back and watch collegiate summer games again which made a tremendous difference. Pintard shared that playing without fans in 2020 felt abnormal and different. “There was no interaction before or after the games which was hard to adjust to because when the fans rally with the team, it gets everyone to be a part of the game and creates excitement in the air,” said Pintard.
In 2021, the Foresters won the CCL Southern Division championship highlighted by a 21-game winning streak toward season’s end, despite an initially slow start. Santa Barbara then headed to Wichita, Kan., at the conclusion of the CCL’s regular season for the National Baseball Congress (NBC) World Series. The trip resulted in back-to-back championships just like in 2011 and 2012. According to Pintard, the Foresters became the first team to win multiple back-to-back titles in the history of that tournament. “That was another one of the major highlights of the 2021 season,” said Pintard.
Another bright spot for the Foresters was the Hugs for Cubs, a program that supports children fighting childhood cancers, was back up and running again. Like in year’s past, Pintard arranged for a trip to Angel Stadium. Kids battling cancer were able to take their mind off of their day-in and day-out challenges and enjoy a Major League Baseball game in Orange County.
The 2021 summer season produced many highlights both on and off the field for the Foresters. They’re striving for 2022 to look the same.
By CCL Reporter, Sean Brennan —
Since joining the CCL in 2016, the Healdsburg Prune Packers have posted an impressive record of 191-56. In 2021, the team won their first CCL State Championship. While the Packers have enjoyed immense success during their first five seasons in the CCL, General Manager Joey Gomes does not see winning as his number one priority. Instead, his primary focus is to help his players develop as much as possible during their time in Healdsburg.
And Gomes says that developing players goes hand-in-hand with winning baseball games.
A large component of the Packers’ culture is putting their players first. The team encourages players to continue individualized training routines they bring from their colleges. Every season, Gomes makes it clear the organization’s primary focus is player development.
“When we first meet with the team, we let the players know, ‘We’re here for you; you’re not here for us… Whatever message your staff in the spring was trying to emphasize with you, let us just be an extension of that voice,’” said Gomes.
Gomes’ professional baseball background also shapes his method of developing players. Throughout his career, he noticed that many of the experienced coaches that influenced his coaching style were patient with their teams as long as there was progress. This understanding proved to be an important learning experience for Gomes, as he integrated patience into his own coaching philosophy.
“Over the years, I’ve grown as a coach to allow me to be more patient as long as progress was in the process,” explained Gomes.
The implementation of daily routines is another instrumental part of the Prune Packers’ culture. The team shows up at the field six hours before home games to go through position-specific drills and multiple batting practices. Daily routines like that, according to Gomes, benefit player development and are extremely rewarding when the team reaches the postseason.
“For our program, we do these daily routines to get a little bit better every day. At the end, if we’re fortunate enough, the work culminates in a postseason opportunity,” Gomes said.
Gomes went onto share, “A dividend from this summer-long process, hopefully culminating in a championship, is that the player returns to his school 10% better than last spring.”
Gomes acknowledged that his players will need to work extremely hard during the Packers’ season, as they will play 47 games in about two months. Going through the 10-week grind with a common goal will be extremely helpful in building team chemistry. While Gomes doesn’t think synergy alone wins championships, he says that not having it can be detrimental to a team’s success.
“We’ll say things like, ‘Look, we get that synergy doesn’t win a championship.’ But I remind guys that if you don’t have it, that will be the reason you won’t win one,” said Gomes.
There’s no doubt that the Prune Packers’ approach has resonated well with his players. This summer, 14 players from last season will rejoin the squad, many of whom specifically asked to return to Healdsburg. Gomes is extremely humbled by this, and views it as a testament to the Packers’ winning culture.
In 2022, the Packers will look to defend their CCL title and bring another championship back to Wine Country. Heading into the season, Gomes is most looking forward to meeting the new group and “seeing what they’re made of.”
For Gomes, it’s clear, the biggest victory of this summer will be improving his players as much as possible.
By CCL Reporter, Sean Brennan —
As the Orange County Riptide gear up for the 2022 CCL campaign, General Manager Moe Geoghegan is striving to create an identity for his team. He wants the Riptide to eventually become known as the best summer baseball team on the West Coast.
“Our goal is to be the gold standard, we want to be the top team in the CCL year in and year out. We’re not there yet, but we’re working on it every year to try and make that happen,” said Geoghegan.
One of the most important parts of the Riptide creating its brand will be coaching. During this past offseason, Tim Brown became the organization’s sixth head coach in seven years. However, Geoghegan believes that Brown’s coaching experience and care for his players make him the perfect candidate for a long-term coach.
“I think coach Brown understands players’ needs. I think he’s good at being that father figure, kind of the mature adult in the room,” explained Geoghegan. “He cares about his players…I think players like to play for a coach that actually cares about them.”
Geoghegan understands that keeping a coach with the team for multiple seasons is very important to recruiting. He looks at teams that have been successful in the CCL over the years and says that most of them have had the same coach for at least three years. In addition to helping with recruiting, coaching stability also helps management know what to expect for upcoming seasons.
“It would be nice to know what to anticipate the next year as a general manager, what you’re going to get out of your coaching staff, to have the same guy for a couple years…I’m hoping to have that with Tim,” said Geoghegan.
While coaching will be a vital component of the Riptide establishing its identity, Geoghegan also acknowledged the importance of off-the-field advantages. For example, the Riptide’s location greatly helps with recruiting, as Orange County is a popular area for collegiate baseball players to train during the offseason.
“I think that Orange County is a destination that players like to spend their summer…I’m not going to lie, that helps a lot with recruiting…We get a lot of players that call us and email us because they want to be in Orange County,” Geoghegan said.
Another victory for the Riptide has been improved fan engagement. Last season, the organization began selling alcohol and making food trucks available to fans. This decision, along with the team leaving a positive impression on baseball fans in the area, helped attendance at home games increase by 50% in 2021 despite the Riptide missing the playoffs.
The Riptide will look to returning players, such as outfielder T.C. Simmons (Connecticut) and catcher Blake Penso (UC Irvine), to help the team establish its identity this season. Geoghegan says that all of the players rejoining the team are ‘good foundation guys’ and will be role models for the new faces on the squad.
“These were dudes that were the first guys at the ballpark,” recalled Geoghegan. “Guys that never complained, even in a bad season…that’s important that you have a core of guys like that, that’ll set the standard for the new guys.”
Heading into the 2022 season, the Riptide’s management is optimistic about almost every aspect of the team. Geoghegan hopes that stable coaching, continued off-the-field victories and talented rosters each year will help his organization eventually become the gold standard of Summer League Baseball. And while he is looking into the future, he believes that this season will be the beginning of a new era for the Riptide.
Photo courtesy of Alina Nelson