3/15: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, California Champions, Roadrunner Baseball, NFL/MLB Chatter...and the Undefeated East Bay Pioneers!

 Broadcasting Schedule for the Week of March 16-22:

*CSU Bakersfield Baseball on ESPN +; Friday, March 20 vs. Long Beach State, 6:30 p.m.

 The "Dirtbags" visit Bakersfield for a 3-game series Friday-Sunday, March 20-22. The Roadrunners can knock the ball around the yard, and have a knack getting plunked (hit-by-pitch.) by opposing pitchers...Bako leads the Big West in batters HBP, and in steals. The 'Runners are tied for first in runs scored, while they are second in on-base-percentage and hits. Leading the way is senior first baseman Evan Cloyd...Cloyd is carrying a .411 average, to go along with a lofty .547 on base percentage. The Senior who attended high school at Bakersfield Christian has also clobbered 4 home runs, and driven in 23 rbi's, while being drilled 12 times (ouch)...Junior catcher Konoa Morisaki has been stellar at the plate--the switch-hitter is third in the Big West in both batting .380 and reaching base .523...Morisaki has blasted 4 home runs to go along with rbi's...Bakersfield dropped 3 thought games to Cal Poly SLO over the weekend to fall to 1-5 in the BW, 7-13 overall...they will travel to USC Tuesday to battle the red-hot 19-1 Trojans...The "Beach" rolls into town after taking 2 of 3 from Hawaii...Long Beach sports a 6-13 record, 2-4 in the BW...Dylan Lina smacked his 5 HR of the season, while Freshman Pitcher tossed a 4-hit complete game in the Beach's 2-1 win over the Rainbows on Sunday...Speaking of talented freshman pitchers, the Roadrunner feature former Buchanan (Clovis) State, Ethan Myers. Meyers owns a 3-1 record, striking out 11 in 17 innings pitched. I will be filling in on the broadcast for Bakersfield legend Vance Palm...my next outing will be a softball doubleheader on April 7, when Bakersfield will host the Trailblazers from Utah Teach (formerly Dixie college, located in St. George Utah). The softball team appears to be hitting their stride, as they took 2 of 3 this weekend at home from Cal State Northridge (CSUN.). 

Cloyd HR vs. Fullerton

*San Joaquin Delta & Fullerton Capture Community College Basketball Crowns

Delta College (Stockton) captured the Women's Title, while Fullerton edged out last year's champion San Francisco City College on the Men's side...The COS Women made quite a run-winning 9 of their last 10-before falling on the road at Delta in the Regional Finals 67-61...Fresno City knocked on the title door, falling in the semi-finals to Mira Costa (Oceanside). Alex Fletcher's Rams finished the season 24-8...I would expect the Rams AND Giants to be in title contention next season! On the Men's side, the COS Men were upended by Yuba in the Regional Semi-Final...Dallas Jensen's squad finished 23-7, even though nagging injuries plagued the Giants throughout the season...Columbia College also made a deep run, before facing San Francisco City in the Regional Final...it's only a matter of time before Claim Jumper's Head Coach Rob Hoyt makes the Elite 8. I am looking forward to season #3 of calling COS Men's and Women's Hoops next fall. It doesn't get much better from my perch in the Porter Field House...COS will once again be the host for the State Finals in 2027. 

https://3c2asports.org/sports/mbkb/2025-26/releases/20260315w4az7j

https://3c2asports.org/sports/wbkb/2025-26/releases/20260315d1czh4

** A Tip of the Cap To:   Cal State East Bay Men's Basketball

 The Pioneers improved to 32-0 with a 76-67 with a come-from-behind win on Saturday Night (March 14). East Bay will host Pt. Loma (San Diego) tonight (Monday, March 16) with a trip to the Division 2 Elite Eight in Indianapolis on the line...Head Coach Bryan Rooney (@CoachBRooney on X) is no longer the Bay's Best Kept Secret! For the Old-Skoolers in the house, CSU East Bay was once called Hayward State. Here is winning it all East Bay-and finishing the year 36-0...Also a shout-out to Garret Brown (@coachgbrown33) Boy's Coach at Bakersfield, and Cooper Steele (@CoachSteeleCHS) Girl's Coach at Clovis High. Both of these Dudes are two of CenCal's finest on the hoop sidelines!

***Update 3/16 9:50 p.m., PST: CSU East Bay improves to 33-0 with a 73-58 win over Pt. Loma. The Pioneers remain unbeaten, improve to 33-0! Senior Tyree Campbell scores a game-high 20 points, grabs 6 rebounds, and for good measure adds 3 steals and 2 assists! East Bay is now on the way to Indianapolis for the Division 2 Elite 8!

*Mendoza Mania

Cue Fernando by Abba (Fernando)7--the hope and hype is real in Raiders land! After years of meandering off course it looks like maybeeee, just mayyyyybe, the Silver and Black is back on track! The signing (some might contend overpaying!?!) of former Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum can only help!...the dance with Crosby and draft picks and the Ravens...well, for Mad Maxx, all I can say, is sometimes the thought of leaving is actually better than leaving it itself!?! A super motivated Crosby, well that can't hurt either...and doesn't it appear the title in the NFL is up for grabs? While the championship belt most likely goes through the NFC West-Seattle, Rams, 49ers, however it looks like the race to the top is wide open...#MendozaManiaFirst2Worst for the Raiders...I mean, why not!?! The draft should be a hoot once again this year, and it is always my wife's favorite TV event, just ask me!

*Around the Horn...

Opening Day for the MLB is coming down Broadway fast...the World Baseball Classic seems to have grabbed the attention of baseball players near and far--from my shoes, it feels like the WBC has fed of the momentum of the Olympics, and in particular the epic hockey tilt between Canada and the USA...why not just leave as is, and "pair" the WBC with the Olympics every 4 years? If it ain't broke...speaking of broke, the A's in Sacramento is an absolute mess, however, the young Dudes sporting the Green and Gold could be pretty good. If Nick Kurtz (KurtsHurts) continues to mash like he did a year ago, the luvable big fella may just carry his mates to the postseason...playoff MLB baseball in Sacramento-who had that spot on their Bingo Card!?!

It's the Most Wonderful Time...

Green is my favorite color, thus I absolutely luv, luv, luv St. Patrick's Day, and the NCAA March Madness. You still have a couple of days to work on your brackets...here again, I feel this is the year where anyone can hoist the cup...thus on the Men's side, perhaps this is the year the Zags reach the mountain top?!? On the Women's side, how about UCLA--what can I say, West Coast Bias!!! Enjoy the madness.

                                                                 

From Viejas Arena in San Diego, 2022, NCAA 1st/2nd Rd,-Notre Dame knocked off Alabama on this day. 

3/1: March Madness Time! COS & Central Valley Conference Updates, Roadrunners, Gaels & Bulldogs on the Diamond, Along With A Rockie Prospect with NorCal Roots

 March Madness is upon us!

It has been a busy stretch the last 14 days, I have served as play-by-play announcer for CSU Bakersfield (including a 12-inning affair with Utah Tech!); a healthy dose of COS hoops, and...I snuck in 4 Sac-Joaquin Section Soccer Championships on the NFHS/ABC Jam Co. Production Company on 2/21 in Sacramento! Here are a few notes, and my upcoming schedule...

COS & CVC Hoops:

The #8 seeded COS Women knocked off Sierra (Rocklin, just outside of Sacramento) to advance to the California Community College (32CA) Regional Final...Freshman Demi Boykin filled up the stat box. The freshman from Marysville High scored 18 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, dished out 5 assists, and collected 4 steals...that my friends is balling! Sierra's Brooklyn Nordquist (Pondersosa H.S. Placerville) led all scorers with 21...COS is heating up at the ideal time--the ladies have now won 9 in a row! The Giants will travel to Stockton, to face the #1 seed, San Joaquin Delta. The Mustangs are led by long-time and highly successful Coach Gina Johnson..the tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m. Check out the 32CA website for all of the details (3c2asports.org). #4 Seed Fresno City upended Taft, and will host #5 Santa Rosa for a spot in the State Championships.. Here is clip featuring Boykin of our broadcast on the Sequoias Sports Network

 Boykin Nails The Trifecta!

The COS Men saw their season come to an end, falling to #6 seed Yuba, 68-63. The #11 seeded Giants knocked off Delta on Wednesday, Feb. 28 to advance to the Regional Semi-Finals...the Giants finished the season at 23-7, co-champions of the CVC with Columbia...Head Coach Dallas Jensen was named Co-Coach of the Year, along with Columbia College's Rob Hoyt...in 7 seasons at COS, Coach Dallas has captured seven consecutive titles!...And speaking of "Rob the Rocket" Hoyt, his Claim Jumpers knocked off Cosumnes River (Sacramento) on Saturday, and will travel to the Bay, to take on #1 ranked, and defending state champion, San Francisco City College...

The California State Community College Championships coincidentally, will be held at COS on          March 13-15.

*On Tuesday, March 3, I will have the play-by-play as Fresno State visits CSU Bakersfield. This will be my first softball game on the network!

**On Saturday, March 7, I will be back in the booth as Fullerton State rolls into Bakersfield...this will be Game 2 of a 3-game set, that also kicks off Big West Conference Play. Back on February 24, I was thrilled to be on the broadcast as the 'Runners lost to St. Mary's in 12 innings! Holy Toledo!!! The Gaels feature one of the country's leading home run hitters in Jacob Johnson...the Redshirt Sophomore walloped a ball, that still might be in orbit! Bakersfield features a Dude of their own, Senior Evan Cloyd. Cloyd has blasted 3 home runs, and has driven in 16 RBI's. Currently the first basemen possesses a stellar slash line:                     .378 BA (Batting Average)/.509 OBP (On Base Percentage)/and a .622 Slugging Percentage (a measure of a batter's power), good for a 1.131 OPS (On Base plus Slugging). Cloyd led the currently in 2025, as he was hit by a pitch 33 times during the regular season--yikes! Every time Cloyd steps up to the plate, there is a chance the ball will be launched a longgggg way! On a CenCal note, it will be fun to watch the progress of Freshman Fireballer Ethan Meyers. The right-handed pitcher, prepped at Buchanan High School in Clovis...Meyers was regarded as one of the top players in the Fresno area a year ago...

More on Mendoza Mania and the Raiders as the draft roll nears in April...Spring Training is rolling along for those who like to take in a little of America's Pastime...I have kept on eye on Colorado Rockies Prospects over the year...one player to keep an eye on with Northern California Ties, pitcher Fidel Ulloa...Fidel grew up in Lodi, and attended Delta College before becoming a LSU Tiger...the right-hander will most likely start in High-A Spokane, or possibly AA Hartford...his ERA a year ago, a stingy 1.46. 

Tip (s) of the Cap:

This one hits close to home--your son Noah, was accepted into Fresno State. We are all proud and happy for our Big Bear...his GPA while attending Reedley College has landed him on the Dean's List. Oh My! Also a shout out to all of the Section Champions near and far...and since we have talked several times about Stockton--I will give a shout to Coach Alle Moreno and her St. Mary's Rams...the Rams captured a San-Joaquin Section title...Alle's parents are from Rio Vista, and back in the day my parents watched her play a time or two. Well Done Alle, Very Well Done! Alle by the way, was a baller for St. Mary H.S, and Sac State! While we are on it...Kudos to CSU Bakersfield for announcing $1.1 Million Dollars of worth of renovations to their current baseball home, Hardt Field...and to Sac State for joining the MAC in football. The Hornets are taking a mighty swing, and quite simply, why not!?!

For now...on to March Madness! See you on the courts and diamonds, and remember, please say hello!

                                                              Good Sport Everyone!

                                                       

                                                    My view from the booth in Bako: Play Ball!