Photo Credit: Jordan Georgeson-Gold Country Media
By CCL Reporters Sean Brennan, Sam Nute, and Dylan Wickman
The first week of the CCL’s 30th year is officially in the books, and it did not disappoint. From 15-inning thrillers to shutout pitching performances to six-run innings, the opening week had it all. See how each team performed to start the season.
CCL NORTH DIVISION
Healdsburg Prune Packers
The Prune Packers have had a light league schedule to start the season only playing two games in the first week. The Packers’ first league game of the year saw the offense explode for 13 runs while the pitching was dominant in a 13-0 win against the Mudcats.
Cameron Nickens (Houston) and Connor Charpiot (Undecided) both hit their first homers of the season and starting pitcher Andres Galan was masterful in 5.0 IP, striking out five and only allowing one base runner. Left-handed-pitcher Myles Patton (Long Beach State) had his first start of the season in the Prune Packers 6-4 win over the Potters in game two of the CCL league season. Patton was dominant, striking out seven and allowing just two hits in 4.0 innings of work.
Offensively, Healdsburg had four different players with multiple hits as they continued their undefeated streak to begin the season. Next week the Packers will wrap up their series with the Potters, playing three more games against their North Division rival early next week.
Lincoln Potters
In their first week of CCL League play, the Lincoln Potters got off to a 3-2 start, taking three out of four against the Sonoma Stompers, including a 15-inning thriller. The Potters rounded out the week with a 6-4 loss to the Prune Packers.
Over the first week, pitchers Anthony Susac (Arizona), Gabriel Maya (Loyola Marymount) and Woody Brennan (Cuesta College) combined to throw 14 shutout innings, striking out 20 allowing just two hits.
Offensively, Ben Romano (Tulane) went 5-for-17 with 3 RBI as well as walking five times. Leading the team in hits this week, Zachary Chamizo (UC Riverside) went 8-for-18 with 2 RBI plus walking four times.
Next week, the Potters will play a three-game set with the Prune Packers and a four-game series with the Mudcats.
Solano Mudcats
After winning their first game of the season against the San Luis Obispo Blues, the Solano Mudcats have dropped five straight games over the first week of the 2023 CCL Season.
The Mudcats opened the season with a 9-3 win over the Blues that saw starter Chase Banks (Sonoma State) give the team 5.0 solid innings, allowing three runs and striking out 4. Banks was followed by Anthony Galindo (Texas A&M Texarkana) who was excellent in 3.0 innings giving up just one hit and striking out four.
The Mudcats MVP early on in the summer season has been Jake Tandy (Pacific). The freshman delivered on both sides of the ball, throwing 3.1 scoreless innings along with a .409 batting average at the plate with two doubles and two RBI.
Next week, the Mudcats continue league play with a three-game set against the Lincoln Potters.
Sonoma Stompers
The Stompers had a grueling first week in league play this season, going to extra innings in three of their six contests. Sonoma started the season with a three-game series against the Potters, which included two extra-inning games. They had an exciting walk-off win in the opener 4-3 in 10 innings, but dropped the next two, including a 12-9 thriller that saw the Potters win in 15 innings. The Stompers then played another 10 innings against the Mudcats to win 10-9 before dropping another game to Lincoln. They ended the week with a 6-1 win over the Crawdads, a much-needed stress-free victory.
Catcher Omar Gastelum (San Jose State) leads Sonoma with a .353 batting average. Shortstop Brandon Marion (Diablo Valley College) also has had a great start this season, accruing seven hits, seven runs and five RBI in the opening week while batting .333. He had some major plays in the 15-inning loss to Lincoln, including a two-run homer in the seventh to take the lead and a double to tie the game in the 12th.
Righties Jonathan Clark (San Jose State) and Bryant Thornton (Undecided), and lefty Jacob Verwiel (Undecided) all stood out on the mound for the Stompers. In the final game against Lincoln, Clark struck out nine batters in 5.0 innings while only giving up four hits and one run. Verwiel pitched in the 15-inning loss, giving up two hits and a run while also throwing nine strikeouts. In the win against Walnut Creek, Thornton pitched 4.0 innings only surrendering a hit and a run. The Stompers will play the Crawdads this week in a four-game series that started on Sunday.
Walnut Creek Crawdads
The Walnut Creek Crawdads opened the season winning a series against CCL affiliate, the Bay Area Admirals, before getting CCL league play started with one off games against the Mudcats and Stompers. In a 5-3 win over the Mudcats, the Crawdads used five different pitchers in the win. After a solid 3.0 innings from starter Austin Berggren (Nebraska), the Crawdads’ bullpen was lights out, allowing zero runs and just three hits over 6.0 shutdown innings. Offensively, Ryan Brome (Texas Tech) went 1-for-3 with an RBI double and a walk, and Tyson Pointer (Texas Arlington) added three RBI’s for the Crawdads’ first league win of the season. Walnut Creek then hosted the Sonoma Stompers, but fell 7-1 as the Crawdads’ offense went quiet. Next week, the Crawdads will play four games against the Stompers to wrap up their series.
CCL SOUTH DIVISION
MLB Academy Barons
The Academy Barons went 0-2 against the Oaks this week, but both losses were tightly contested and remained within reach the entire way – something to build on during week two.
Despite two tough results to start the summer, the Barons seem to have instantly found an offensive stride thanks to multiple contributors. Headlining the Academy’s solid lineup is infielder Chrixtian Taveras (Compton CC), who went 4-for-7 this week with a home run, double and four RBI. Infielder Dylan Lina (Golden West College) enjoyed a similar start, recording two hits, a home run and four RBI in two games.
Junior right-handed pitcher Rene Julian Galvan (Cerritos College) was lights-out during his opening night start, retiring nine and holding the Oaks offense to a lone walk in 3.0 innings. On Sunday, righty Harold Boyce (Undecided) allowed just two hits and struck out three in a three-inning relief appearance.
The Barons have a relatively light week ahead, as they will play two-game sets against the Riptide and Saints.
Arroyo Seco Saints
Despite kicking off the season with a decisive non-league victory, the Arroyo Seco Saints didn’t find the same fortune in their first two CCL contests, dropping both legs of a home-and-home with the Riptide. After suffering a 7-4 defeat on the road, the Saints responded, doubling Orange County’s hit total in game two. The two teams stayed tied for most of the night, but a late ‘Tide run proved the difference in a 3-2 defeat.
A member of the Saints’ 2022 squad, infielder Max Blessinger (Belmont) wasted no time during his second go-around in Pasadena, starting league play 4-for-7 with a double. Outfielder Kyte McDonald (Wichita State) and infielder AJ Ortiz (Biola) have also seen results at the plate thus far, each recording three base knocks in two games against Orange County.
Right-hander Carter Herrera (Cal State Fullerton) pitched three strong innings on the mound in Friday’s loss, striking out five while relinquishing a single walk. Saturday saw a dominant appearance from southpaw Peyton Cariaco (Kent State), who struck out six of the seven batters he faced in two frames of work.
The Saints are slated for two more home-and-home series with the Foresters and Barons before finishing the week against the Riptide.
Conejo Oaks
In their league opener against the Barons on Saturday, the Conejo Oaks overcame multiple deficits (2-0 and 6-2) to eventually take the lead for good in the seventh. Conejo won in come-from-behind fashion again during the next day’s rematch at the Academy, plating five runs in the ninth for a 9-6 victory.
Going 3-for-6 with four RBI in two league contests, infielder Zach Daudet (Regis) is quickly becoming a key force in the Oaks’ lineup. Catcher Max Aude (Los Angeles Valley College) and infielder Zachary Shwartzberg (Undecided) have also provided an offensive punhc, each with three hits in the last two victories.
Left-hander Tobias Plotkin (Glendale CC) helped fuel the late-game rally on Saturday, getting through three innings in just 34 pitches while fanning three. During the final two innings of Sunday’s contest, right-handed pitcher Jaxon Jordan (Moorpark College) faced the minimum and tossed three strikeouts, a pivotal performance that kept Conejo within striking distance.
Next week, the Oaks will only face two opponents – they are set to play two and three-game sets with the Blues and Foresters respectively.
Orange County Riptide
The Riptide began league play winning two games against the Arroyo Seco Saints. Orange County won the first game 7-4, thanks to a 6-run third inning. The offense did not have that same spark in game two, totaling just five hits, which was half as many as the Saints had. However, the Riptide posted runs when they needed to most to pull out a 3-2 victory.
The Riptide has had a balanced scoring approach on offense, with outfielder Nick Upstill (Pepperdine), outfielder Cary Arbolida (Houston), center fielder Grady Morgan (Fresno State) and second baseman Owen Fuller (North Carolina Charlotte) all batting over .400. The offense caught fire in the third inning of the first matchup, scoring six runs. A double from Fuller and then five singles that followed kept the offensive momentum flowing.
Lefty Evan Vasiliou (Utah Tech) and righty Jack Kirrer (Cal) were the starting pitchers in their respective games, and both provided solid performances. In the first game, Vasilou gave up just one hit in three innings while striking out two batters. Kirrer also shut out the Saints in three innings, giving up three hits while throwing five strikeouts.
Next week, the Riptide will play two games against the MLB Academy Barons and then two more against the Blues.
San Luis Obispo Blues
The Blues were faced with a tough matchup against the Santa Barbara Foresters to start league play. San Luis Obispo dropped the first game 6-1 as the offense couldn’t find its rhythm. It looked to be a similar story in the next game until the Blues exploded for five runs in the seventh to secure a 5-3 victory.
Outfielder Luke Pemberton (Pepperdine) started the rally, smacking a double to drive in two runners. Center fielders Trevor Adams (Arizona) and Jeriah Lewis (San Jose State) followed that up with a pair of singles to build the commanding lead.
Lefty Robinson Lardner (Cuesta College) was spectacular on the mound, throwing five strikeouts in five innings while only giving up two hits. Right-hander Lucas Alaniz (Modesto Junior College) had a more up-and-down performance in the first game, giving up nine hits in 4.2 innings, but only allowing three runs.
The Blues will go on to play two games apiece against the Oaks and the Riptide next week.
Santa Barbara Foresters
The Santa Barbara Foresters appeared to be in midseason form on Saturday, commencing the 2023 campaign with a decisive 6-1 win over the Blues. San Luis Obispo would flip the script at home a day later, however, moving the Foresters to 1-1 on the young CCL season.
Through two games, infielders Giovanni Horvat (UNLV) and Ryan Black (Texas Arlington) have spearheaded Santa Barbara’s offense. Both have maintained a .429 average and accounted for four RBI. Outfielder Max Belyeu (Texas) has been consistent at the dish, finishing week one with a 0.555 on-base percentage.
Lefty Samuel Garewal (Northwestern) had a solid start on Saturday picking up four strikeouts in 3.0 shutout innings. Despite allowing two hits and three walks, starter Kolby Kmetko (Nevada) kept the Blues off the scoresheet in his four frames of work.
Next week, Santa Barbara will play a home-and-home against the Saints followed by a three-game set with the Oaks.
(LOS ANGELES, CA)
CCL CELEBRATES 30 YEARS
To kick-off its 30th year, the California Collegiate League released its slate of games for 2023 summer season. All CCL teams will play 35 league games plus select non-league matchups.
2023 CCL POSTSEAON
New for the 2023 summer season will be an updated postseason format. The CCL’s 11 teams will vie for a spot in the 2023 CCL State Championship, a best two-out-of-three game series Friday to Sunday, August 4-6.
Following a coin flip at a regular offseason league meeting, the South Division representative will serve as the State Championship host this year. The North Division will host next year and rotate back and forth between Northern and Southern California in subsequent years.
To get to the State Championship, the CCL’s second and third place teams from each division, North and South, will take part in the 2023 CCL Division Wild Card Round on Tuesday, August 1.
The winners of these two Wild Card games will then play the first-place teams in their respective divisions on Wednesday, August 2 for a chance at taking home the CCL’s 2023 State title.
2023 CCL SHOWCASE GAME
The 2023 CCL Showcase Game will be held at Major League’s Baseball Youth Academy on Wednesday July 12. Close to 60 of the CCL’s best players will be in attendance showing off their skills and talents.
NEW CCL COMMISSIONER
Executive Director, Aaron Milam, announced the addition Dr. Michael J. Simpson as new commissioner earlier this month.
“I am looking forward to celebrating the 30th year of the CCL,” said Simpson. “Collectively we will have an opportunity to reflect on the league’s historic accomplishments and anticipate the excitement of a new season. This summer our teams, players, partners, fans and communities can expect to enjoy an entertaining time at the ballpark and an exhilarating brand of baseball.”
#CCL30Years & #CCLBaseball
Follow all of the action all summer long using the hashtags #CCL30Years and #CCLBaseball.
(LOS ANGELES, CA) – California Collegiate League Executive Director, Aaron Milam, has announced the selection of Dr. Michael J. Simpson as the new commissioner. The CCL’s Board of Directors enthusiastically approved Simpson’s appointment at its last league meeting.
Simpson comes to the CCL with more than 40 years of high-level leadership experience in educational administration, college and professional baseball, and the military.
“I’m eager to get going,” said Simpson. “I am appreciative of the opportunity the Board of Directors as given me to join the ranks of the prestigious CCL. I look forward to collaborating with the board, staff, coaches, players and fans to continue to grow and enhance the League. I am particularly enthusiastic about the prospect of impacting the development of the student-athletes as baseball players and model citizens.”
During his impressive career, Simpson served as Director of Athletics at San Francisco State University for 16 years.
Before overseeing the Gators’ athletic department, Simpson was the head baseball coach for three collegiate programs and a national team.
During his 12 years as headman at SFSU, Simpson amassed 326 victories from 1985-1997, most by any coach in any sport at the university. Simpson and the Gators secured three conference titles and two berths into the NCAA Division II National Championship. He was named Coach of the Year in 1986, 1989, and 1995.
In 2022, SFSU inducted Simpson into its Hall of Fame for his close to 30 years of service to the Northern California institution.
Simpson led the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos from 1978-1980 and Westmont College Warriors from 1973-1977. In 1992, the Austrian National Baseball Federation named Simpson the head coach of its national program.
Simpson is no stranger to collegiate summer baseball. In 1978, Simpson managed the Humboldt Crabs to a 40-10 record.
“Mike’s on and off-the-field resume speaks for itself, and I, along with our league members, are looking forward to him joining the CCL,” said Milam. “He is a leader in every way, and I am confident that our players, teams, and partners will benefit from his decades of experience.”
As an associate scout, from 1983 to 1985, Simpson helped the New York Yankees identify amateur baseball players with professional potential.
Bill Pintard, current Yankees’ scout and Executive Director and field manager of the CCL’s Santa Barbara Foresters has known Simpson for many years.
“The CCL got even stronger today,” said Pintard. “I’ve known Mike for a long time, and for our league to add someone of his caliber, experience, and integrity makes us all better.”
In addition to Simpson’s administrative and baseball work, he is a proud United States veteran. From 1969-1975, Simpson served in the 425th Civil Affairs Company for the United States Army Reserve. There, he held the roles of Chief Administrative Officer, Personnel Officer, and Finance Officer.
Simpson has served on numerous national associations and committees, including the American Baseball Coaches Association, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, and the United States Baseball Federation. While at SF State, Simpson served a term as President of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA, NCAA Division II). He spent four years on the NCAA DII National Baseball Committee and chaired the West Regional Committee.
Simpson holds three degrees from UCSB: a doctorate in Educational Policy and Organizational Studies, a master’s in Education, and a bachelor’s in Geography and Physical Education.
(SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA) – The Healdsburg Prune Packers and Conejo Oaks faced off in the 2022 CCL State Championship presented by the Firestone Walker Brewing Company on Saturday night. The Packers jumped out to an early lead, and defeated the Oaks 14-1 to defend their 2021 title.
After Sam Stoutenborough (TCU) struck out with two to start the game, Healdsburg jumped out to an early lead. Jake Holcroft (Portland) led off the inning with a double. Zac Vooletich (Texas Tech) shot a single out to bring him home.
Joey Kramer (CSUN) then picked up a double of his own, bringing Vooletich around to score. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Samuel Brown (Washington St.) drove him in with a single.
“I was just trying to stay calm and within myself,” Kramer stated. “Just really trying to put a good swing on the ball, happened to hit a double.”
Healdsburg had their biggest inning of the game in the second, scoring five runs all with two outs. Holcroft got the line moving by drawing a walk. Vooletich picked up a single, and an error by the left fielder put the two on second and third.
Joey Kramer picked up his second and third RBI of the game as he sent a double deep into the gap. Braydon Runion (Univ. Of New Mexico) followed Kramer up with a double of his own, bringing Kramer around to score.
“It’s really just mentality,” Runion said. “Nobody is better than you, nobody is guarding you. Best moves only in the box.”
Blake Burke (Tennessee) picked up a single, bringing Runion in for the fourth run of the inning. After Samuel Brown and Jared Sundstrom (UCSB) loaded the bases with a single and walk respectively. The final run of the inning came as Kimble Schuessler (Texas) drew a bases loaded walk to bring Blake Burke across the plate.
Sam Stoutenborough came out for another inning of work in the third, and struck out his fifth batter thus far.
Healdsburg became the owner of their sixth run in the fourth inning. Runion got the Packers going with a leadoff walk. After two outs, Sundstrom picked up an RBI single to extend the lead.
The Packers struck again in the fifth. Jake Holcroft started the inning with a one-out single. With two outs, Braydon Runion then shot a double in the gap and scored Holcroft to push the lead to 10 runs.
The Oaks picked up some momentum in the sixth when Tyler Ganus (Oregon) singled before an error by the shortstop allowed him to advance to second. Ganus then reached third on a fielder’s choice and capitalized on another miscue by the shortstop to cross the dish and score Conejo’s lone run of the night.
Stoutenborough ended his start with two outs in the sixth inning after striking out eight batters and not allowing an earned run.
“Kimble and I were pretty much on the same page all game,” the right-hander said about his success. “It helps him having caught me most of the summer, we were on the same page all night.”
The Packers responded in the bottom of the sixth with four runs of their own. Samuel Brown led off the inning with a walk. Jared Sundstrom kept the line moving with a single, and Sam Hunt (Texas Tech) pinch hit and loaded the bases with a walk.
With the bases loaded, Vooletich hit a clutch double, clearing the bases. Vooletich then scored as well, as Joey Kramer picked up yet another RBI for Healdsburg’s final run of the game.
Oaks’ closer Jaxon Jordan (Moorpark College) entered the game in the seventh and put together a solid performance on the mound. The right-hander from Simi Valley, Calif. retired four batters via the strikeout while only relinquishing two hits and two walks in 2.0 innings of work.
Healdsburg closed out the game with a staff effort in the final free frames. Mason Dillow (Long Beach State), Morgan White (Nevada-Reno), and Christian Becerra (UC Berkeley) finished the game for the Packers, striking out a combined seven batters and only allowing one hit.
The Packers Head Coach Joey Gomes said that this group was remarkable in terms of “the work put in.”
Gomes continued, saying that this team never let up. “They never came off the gas pedal,” Gomes said. “We talk about emptying the tank … and they did that. They responded to challenges all summer.”
The game ended in the Prune Packers taking home back-to-back State Championships.
Most Outstanding Player of the Game: Joey Kramer (CSUN)
Most Outstanding Pitcher of the Game: Sam Stoutenborough (TCU)
Contributors:
(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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Contributors:
(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
Contributors
(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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