Stompers stumble, fall 7-4 to Seagulls as playoffs loom

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

After scoring four runs in the first three innings, the Stompers stranded a runner in each of the next six innings to eventually fall 7-4 to the Seagulls.

A break. Finally, a time for the Stompers to prepare for an opponent not knotted up at the top of the CCL North. It’s been a battle, but standing-wise, the Seagulls pose no challenge. They’re a win, as their 8-24 record entering Wednesday shows.

Yet with five games to play until the postseason, each one matters, especially with Sonoma, the Blues, the Merchants and the Crawdads all in playoff contention. And for some reason, the Stompers had struggled to figure out San Francisco. On June 6, they’d fallen 9-0 at Arnold Field. Sonoma was nearly no-hit until Anthony Scheppler singled in the seventh inning.

The following two days couldn’t have been more different, with the Stompers cruising to 14-3 and 14-0 wins.

“That’s the great thing about this game. Every day’s brand new,” manager Zack Pace said after claiming the series on June 8.

But since then, Sonoma’s core has depleted, and every game seems more and more unpredictable. Wednesday was more of the same.

In what should’ve been a must-win contest, the Stompers (27-17, 22-15 CCL) crumbled under the pressure and fell 7-4 to the Seagulls. They jumped out to a four-run lead, committed zero errors and tallied 11 hits, but a three-run seventh inning put San Francisco ahead, and it never looked back.

“Every game’s a big game, and we gotta be ready to show up,” Pace said postgame. “We just couldn’t put a (run) across. We need to go win all three phases of the game.”

Traffic can mean two things. There’s the good and the bad. On offense, Sonoma prefers traffic on the base paths. When on the mound, it’d like to avoid traffic as much as possible. Early on in Wednesday’s contest, the former was most present.

Maxwell McGrady’s last outing was nearly exceptional. The Santa Barbara City College righty pitched a season-high 6.2 innings while allowing just one run against a potent San Luis Obispo lineup. Yet thinking about the Stompers leaves a bad taste in McGrady’s mouth.

On June 7, he was the Seagulls’ starting pitcher but couldn’t escape the first inning. Sonoma’s offense annihilated him, scoring six runs — all earned — in what turned into a slugfest.

The next day, McGrady relieved Ben Eisenhauer in the third inning and surrendered three earned runs without recording an out. The outing raised McGrady’s ERA to 53.99. Now, he’s worked it down to 7.34. Still far from perfect, but a change from what the Stompers had previously seen.

At first, complacency was not in Sonoma’s vocabulary. Xander Sielken walked to open the second and was brought home three batters later on a groundout by Quinn Medin. In the next inning, newly-appointed leadoff hitter Cam Hegamin singled to jumpstart an eventual three-run rally.

A wild pitch moved Hegamin to second, and he scored when Kyle Olimpia doubled. Paul Lizzul and Sielken walked to load the bases, and Gabriel Tapia drove Olimpia and Lizzul home on a base hit.

“They’re outstanding ballplayers. I’m really excited to see them going forward,” Pace said of newcomers Sielken, Medin, Olimpia and Tapia. “They’re gonna do anything to help the ball club. They’re all in on helping us win.

Then came the latter. Devon Laguinto’s been one of the Stompers’ primary starting pitchers. His year’s been highlighted by a complete game shutout on July 1 against the Legends. But other than that, Laguinto’s been streaky.

Originally a CCL Showcase Game selection, Laguinto’s shown he has what it takes to compete with the best. His 32 strikeouts rank ninth in the league. Meanwhile, his 31.1 innings stack up at sixth. Laguinto’s been a workhorse, though it’d be a stretch to call Wednesday superior.

After two scoreless innings, the Seagulls jumped on the Delta College transfer in the third. Kadyn Victorian opened with a double before Alan Ramirez and Ethan Johnson matched him with two-baggers of their own. After Ethan Bergan grounded out, Jaxon Byrd roped the fourth double Laguinto allowed that inning.

That was nearly it for him. Derek Waldvogel singled to score Byrd, and while Ryan Seo came in and escaped the inning unscathed, the ballgame was back to square one, knotted at four.

Now tied, a new theme emerged. Offensive traffic persisted for the Stompers, but it eventually came to a standstill. Sonoma stranded at least one runner in every inning, finishing the game with 16 left on base.

In the fourth, the bases were loaded, yet Sielken grounded out to end the frame. A new pitcher replaced McGrady in the fifth, but Medin was held on second base. After Lizzul singled in the sixth and Esteban Sepulveda reached third in the seventh, San Francisco finally broke the deadlock.

After replacing his brother, Kyle Seo cruised through the fifth inning, and Micah Marquez pitched a scoreless sixth. In the seventh, though, he was missing his spots, and the Seagulls capitalized. Johnson doubled once again, followed by a Byrd single that scored a run. Waldvogel and Justin Sechler added insurance with more extra-base hits, bringing San Francisco’s run total to seven while Sonoma remained with four.

Max Handron was in scoring position in the eighth. Medin found himself there in the ninth, but neither could capitalize.

Now with a non-league game against the California Tigers before rematching the Seagulls on Friday, the Stompers have a chance to get back on track and keep their first-place spot entering the final weekend of CCL baseball.

“Maybe we’ll take a little bit different of an approach,” Pace said. “I don’t think we played horrible.”

Jones, 1st-inning offense delivers under pressure as Stompers reclaim control of CCL North

Powered by a six-run first inning, the Stompers reclaimed control of the CCL North with a 7-3 win over the Crawdads.

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

Stompers manager Zack Pace enjoys shuffling his lineup each day. He’s constantly aiming to find the right combination to what seems like a broken lock. Inside the box that lock protects are a few things: a reliable run producer, an error-free game, an unrelenting lead and maybe, just maybe, a spark that puts Sonoma’s destiny in its own hands.

Pace may have unlocked the box Sunday against the Crawdads. Last season, the manager had mixed emotions following the Stompers’ CCL playoff defeat to Walnut Creek. He was filled with joy from their deep run. A bitter taste also lingered as he knew they could go further. The squad had one hit before the ninth inning; They’d relied on their offense before.

So when Sonoma battled the Crawdads for the first time this season on June 22, Pace was eager to erase the past and build something new. He wanted to break the norm and put the Stompers on the map. A 10-4 Sonoma win surfaced, but Walnut Creek continued to present problems.

Fast forward to game No. 9 between the two teams — the season series finale — the Crawdads had the Stompers’ number. On Saturday, they’d clinched the season series with a 9-1 win in front of Arnold Field’s second-largest crowd of the season. Postgame, Pace emphasized Sonoma’s need to get back on track Sunday. It couldn’t let one loss spiral into a premature exit.

The Stompers didn’t just hear Pace’s words; they responded. Guided by a six-run first inning — boosting its record to 18-4 when it scores first — Sonoma (27-16, 22-14 CCL) beat Walnut Creek 7-3. The team looked in sync. It used just two pitchers and didn’t commit an error, handing it sole possession of first place in the CCL North with four league matchups to go.

“It’s great to have it in your hands. It’s awesome,” Pace said postgame. “Hopefully, we can win the week, that’s the idea.”

Justin Jones had rarely started for the Stompers this season. He opened a June 8 matchup with the Seagulls, which Sonoma won 14-0. Since then, he’s been a middle-inning to set-up pitcher who Pace slots in regularly when Jayden Harper starts. But with Harper absent this week, Jones was thrust into the high-pressure stakes of Sunday’s matchup.

The Los Medanos senior didn’t just shut down Walnut Creek’s lineup; he did it with ease, surrendering just three hits in four innings. Yet, while the stakes were high, Jones was handed a cushion from the beginning.

Monte Vista High School has been a friendly place to play for Sonoma. It took three of five matchups at the Danville school this season, scoring 37 total runs. Trent Keys kept the trend going in the first with a leadoff single. He was Pace’s decision at the start of the lineup, which has shuffled from Landon Akers to Colton Boardman. Heeryun Han and Cam Hegamin have seen action there, too. Now it was Keys’ turn.

A walk to Max Handron followed the right fielder’s base hit. Kyle Olimpia was then hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Paul Lizzul punched a fielder’s choice back at Walnut Creek starter Dylan McShane, which scored two runs.

Connor Pawlowski then walked to reload the bases. Xander Sielken drove Olimpia in by forcing an error on first baseman Brady Wilson — one of his three on the day. Anthony Scheppler scored Lizzul on a sacrifice fly. Gabriel Tapia plated Pawlowski, and Hegamin doubled to score Tapia.

“Having scored those runs already, you can be more aggressive in the way you play. On the pitching side, you can fill up the zone,” Pace said of the team’s approach moving forward. “When you put balls in play, it puts the pressure on (the opposing team).”

The six-spot was more than enough for Jones, who breezed through the Crawdads’ order. He gave up his only run in the bottom half of the first — his first earned run of the season — on a Zach Justice double, but it was smooth sailing from there.

While Sonoma’s offense fell stagnant, Jones went 1-2-3 in the second. He walked one in the third but silenced Walnut Creek besides that. The fourth, another three-up, three-down inning, punctuated his impressive start.

“He just mixed up his fastball and slider and was really effective with both,” Pace said of Jones’ performance. “He did an outstanding job attacking those hitters and putting them on the defensive mode.”

Pace flipped things around, then inserting David Howard, who’s started five games for the club this season. The way he pitched looked like an entire start within itself. The Sonoma State southpaw picked up where Jones left off by recording a strikeout in a scoreless fifth inning. He gave up a run in the sixth but retired the Crawdads in order in the seventh and eighth before allowing one more run in the ninth.

Still, it was too little, too late. Handron put the finishing touch on the victory by sprinting home on a Stompers’ special — a passed ball — in the ninth.

The win, combined with the Blues’ loss, takes the pressure off Sonoma as it prepares for a Wednesday matchup with the Seagulls. But one victory won’t keep Pace away from that lock, searching for the right combination to bring a CCL title to Wine Country.

“We’re just gonna take it one game at a time and try to go get San Francisco,” Pace said.

Stompers struggle amid roster shakeup, suffer 9-1 defeat against Crawdads to drop season series

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

With four players making their Stompers debut, Sonoma’s offense looked out of sync in its 9-1 loss to the Crawdads.

Akers. Han. Sebastiani. Libby. Boardman. Malton. Scheppler. Keys. Duncan. Harper on the mound. The Seo brothers in relief.

Stompers manager Zack Pace finalized his lineup minutes before first pitch on June 3 in the team’s CCL opener versus the Blues. He had dozens of names at his disposal: a Second-Team All-Atlantic Sun selection, an up-and-coming middle infielder headed to Louisiana Tech, a second baseman who appeared in 35 games as a freshman at Cal State Northridge. On the bench sat a 6-foot-2 Greek God-esque outfielder with the raw power of a Major League product.

Pace now prays for continuity. For consistency. In a time when Sonoma’s fighting for first place in the CCL North, the names of the past are what the Stompers wish were their future. Landon Akers, McCann Libby, Colton Boardman and Brady Shannon, among others, are a memory. Pace now writes “Sielken,” “Olimpia,” “Medin,” “Tapia,” players making their Sonoma debut with six games to go.

But the mentality doesn’t change. And while Pace and his staff continue to form the right group to build a championship-level team, the focus remains on maximizing what they have, game by game, lineup by lineup.

“I got a lot of (players) right now that I’m trying to evaluate and see what the best plan is for us as a team. Trying to get used to who they are as a hitter and as a person and just go from there,” Pace said of what needs to be done with the newcomers.

Late additions can sometimes bring a spark to a struggling squad, but Sonoma isn’t in that position. With four players making their summer debut, the Stompers (26-16, 21-14 CCL) looked out of sync as they fell 9-1 to the Crawdads Saturday. Lifted by just five hits while surrendering 11 walks and 10 hits, Sonoma didn’t stand a chance against Nebraska’s Aiden White on the mound and Walnut Creek’s bolstered lineup.

“We want to get some swings off if we can,” Pace said postgame. “We gotta get on base when nobody’s on base and get them in when they are on base. Unfortunately, we just didn’t do a good job with that today.”

On June 25 and July 9, White shoved against the Stompers. He allowed just one earned run across nine innings and, entering Saturday, held a 0.79 ERA. With the Cornhuskers, the southpaw pitched once. In the CCL, he’s been a workhorse. White’s ERA ranks third in the league. He’s struck out 28 hitters while walking 14 and gives up just over one base runner per inning (1.15).

Sonoma’s bats looked completely overmatched. Throwing mid to high 80s, White’s stuff threw off hitter after hitter. The Stompers threatened in the first with runners in scoring position, but Paul Lizzul and Kyle Olimpia grounded out to end the frame.

That was one of Sonoma’s lone opportunities. The following inning, Anthony Scheppler was hit by a pitch. Esteban Sepulveda singled to move him to third, and Trent Keys softly grounded out to second base to plate Scheppler. The offense was moving in the right direction. It was just the second inning, and the Stompers had scored 10-plus runs in three straight games.

But White wasn’t messing around. After Max Handron singled to open the third, Xander Sielken flew out and Lizzul grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. While Sonoma’s offense searched for answers, the Crawdads kept offering reminders.

They immediately punished Harun Pelja, with Zach Justice blasting a two-run home run into the left field trees to open the scoring in the first. Each inning, Pelja ran into a jam. He gave up a leadoff double to Joe Coupland in the second. Coupland became one of two runners in the frame left on base.

The third was Pace’s last straw with Pelja. He hit Cam Calvillo and Joey Donnelly singled. Pelja looked back at first, firing over a pickoff which skipped off of Lizzul’s glove; Calvillo scored on the play.

“I thought he had some really stress innings,” Pace said of Pelja’s performance. “All three of them. It was time for him to come out.”

That was just the way things were going. Olimpia recorded his first knock as a Stomper in the fourth but was stranded after Scheppler, Sepulveda and Keys each struck out in order. Meanwhile, Nico DeFazio doubled to score Kam Taylor.

Though Pelja was relieved, Sonoma’s bullpen wasn’t any better. Micah Marquez allowed his first earned run of the season. Nick Poulus’ ERA ballooned to 6.23 after he gave up two runs in 1.1 innings. Luke Duncan recorded three Ks to halt the Stompers’ errant crew, but Jaxen Rowland surrendered three more in an inning of work to cap an already dominant showing by Walnut Creek as Sonoma remained deflated.

When White was pulled in the seventh, the Stompers were trailing 6-1. A five-run comeback isn’t unheard of. It would’ve been a storybook close with a nearly new squad. But the ending felt all too familiar.

Gabriel Tapia, replacing Kieran Baker, struck out. Cam Hegamin, now in the leadoff spot, was retired on strikes, too. Sielken was put away in the eighth. Same with Olimpia. The new guys couldn’t find a rhythm.

As Sonoma walked twice and singled in the ninth, maybe a late comeback was to come after all. Instead, Tapia grounded into a 1-2-3 double play with the bases loaded. Hegamin struck out to shut the door.

With the Blues’ 6-4 win over the Merchants, Alameda is slipping out of the playoff picture while SLO rises to the top. Now tied with Sonoma for first place, the Blues will watch as the Stompers face the third-place Crawdads one last time on Sunday.

“It’s just about approaching each day just like we do all year long and not changing anything. No panic button,” Pace said. “Trying not to get too high or too low. We’ll be in a decent spot.”

5-run 9th inning powers Stompers to 10-6 victory over Crawdads

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

After the Crawdads scored two runs in the eighth to tie the game at 5-5, the Stompers exploded for five runs in the ninth to regain the lead and seal the victory.

It was the ninth inning, and Sonoma’s momentum had vanished entirely. It held a 5-3 lead entering the eighth, but Heeryun Han surrendered his first two earned runs of the season, evening the score at five. The game’s fate was in the Crawdads’ hands.

However, before Walnut Creek could even attempt to take its first lead, the Stompers’ offense awoke. Facing Jackson State’s Micah Billings, Sonoma exploded for five ninth-inning runs. In the frame’s bottom half, Brandon Leon held it down, boosting the Stompers (26-15, 21-13 CCL) to a 10-5 win, which kept them in first place in the CCL North.

“Getting those contagious hits, backing up each other,” manager Zack Pace said postgame of what worked in that inning. “We did a really good job of taking quality at-bats, really getting us a good lead to win the game.”

Friday wasn’t Han’s night. He gave up two runs in the eighth inning and, despite batting leadoff for Sonoma, was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts heading into the ninth.

The Stompers needed momentum, and Max Handron provided it. With years of experience at UC Berkeley, Handron knows pressure, so though he didn’t record a hit against Walnut Creek, when he reached on an error after Han struck out, the floodgates opened.

A wild pitch advanced the third baseman to second, and he moved to third when Cam Hegamin also reached on an error. Paul Lizzul momentarily halted the rally when he was put away on four pitches, but there are few people Sonoma would then want up besides Connor Pawlowski.

Pawlowski leads the squad in two-out RBIs, and his at-bat in the ninth was an opportunity to add to that number. He fouled off two pitches before ripping a single to score Handron and move Hegamin to third.

“(Connor’s) been clutch for us all year,” Pace said. “He’s been our two-out RBI horse, and he did it again when we needed it.”

Anthony Scheppler walked, and another error plated Hegamin and Pawlowski. Ben Sebastiani then reached on an error to score Scheppler and Kieran Baker — making his first appearance since July 6 — singled to bring Trent Keys in. Han struck out again to end the inning, but the Stompers’ lead had ballooned.

Leon gave up two base hits in the bottom half, which brought in a run for Walnut Creek, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Sonoma’s high-scoring frame.

“Guys were excited. They were happy, pulling for each other,” Pace said of the energy in the dugout. “Everyone was really excited we were getting results.”

Leon’s lone inning reflected the overall pattern of the Stompers’ win. Shawn McBroom started on the mound with four scoreless innings before giving up two runs in the fifth. He was relieved by Andrew Valentine — a recent addition to the roster — who allowed one run over 1.1 innings. Lucas Alaniz, Han and Leon followed, combining to give up three runs across the final three frames.

But when the Crawdads jogged, Sonoma sprinted. It opened the scoring with a three-spot in the fourth. Handron scored on a sacrifice fly from Scheppler. Keys singled to score Lizzul, and Baker walked, which brought home Pawlowski. In the fifth, Lizzul homered to extend the Stompers’ lead.

He stayed hot two innings later with a double that drove in Hegamin, giving Sonoma its fifth run. The ninth inning sealed the victory.

With the Blues defeating the Merchants and the Stompers’ win over Walnut Creek, Sonoma remains in first place in the CCL North with just seven games to play.

“It was really a team effort. These guys did outstanding,” Pace said. “It was fun to watch and get everyone involved.”

Breaking down the 1st half of the Stompers’ 2025 campaign

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

Colton Boardman and Max Handron have anchored the left side of the infield, combining for just nine errors over 265 innings. Their defense will be crucial as Sonoma pushes for a playoff run.

With most players departing the Stompers following last year’s 30-win campaign, manager Zack Pace and his staff were faced with starting fresh, a challenge considering 2024 was Pace’s best season in his six years at the helm.

Nic Sebastiani was a name that signaled consistency. The left fielder spent most of last summer batting eighth or ninth in the lineup. Yet he was one of the youngest players on the squad, showcasing a youthful energy and mature bat; Sebastiani hit .345 with two home runs in 16 games.

A slow start for Sebastiani nearly plagued Sonoma. The Wine Country native hit sub-.200 through seven games. However, Bellarmine’s Landon Akers stepped up and hit almost .300 in that span. Now, nearly two months after the Stompers’ first game, both players are hurt, and Pace was searching for help.

Luckily, he’s found the answers. Cam Hegamin has held it down in center field. Brady Shannon is displaying Division I power by leading the CCL in home runs and RBIs. Max Handron and Colton Boardman are playing lockdown defense on the left side of the infield. The result? Sonoma leads the CCL North with just eight games to play.

Here’s everything to know from the first half of the Stompers’ (25-15, 20-13 CCL) 2025 summer:

Winning the week

Since Sonoma began CCL play on June 3, Pace has keyed in on “winning the week.” He reminds his team to stay focused on the present, taking each game one at a time. The Stompers have embodied Pace’s message. With just two weeks to go, Sonoma’s won every week of league play. It’s boosted them to a 20-13 record.

“In the end, you’ll be right where you wanna be,” Pace said of the importance of winning each week. “I feel like we’ve had a bit of a rollercoaster ride, but we’re winning weeks and that’s the goal.”

The season didn’t begin as smoothly as the record suggests. The Stompers defeated the Blues 7-1 on June 3 to open CCL play. They then lost three straight contests, two of which were one-run games, in which Sonoma displayed persistence.

Since the early stretch, the Stompers have breezed through their schedule. A significant reason why is the Legends. Menlo Park’s been a difficult place for Sonoma to play in the past, Pace said, but this season was different. Following the conclusion of their season series on Saturday, the Stompers officially took eight of the nine games between the two squads.

The other CCL teams haven’t given Sonoma many problems either. With two games remaining, the Stompers own the season series versus the last-place Seagulls. They split the four-game stretch with San Luis Obispo, defeated the Merchants and are currently two games behind in a series with the Crawdads, yet three games remain.

1-2 punch

Since Handron joined Sonoma on June 13, there’s been a piece of offense no other player can replicate. Handron is different, Pace says. He remains calm and serves as a leader to the younger players. The UC Berkeley infielder has also filled a void at third base, which Anthony Scheppler previously held. Scheppler struggled at the plate, but Handron provided relief.

He’s currently hitting .426 with a 1.145 OPS. One of Handron’s most dominant showings was Saturday against the Legends, where his five hits paced the game and willed Sonoma to a 17-13 win.

Batting right before Handron is Boardman. A freshman from Cal State Northridge, Boardman’s experience isn’t nearly as advanced as Handron’s, but the shortstop is hitting .282 and was selected to represent Sonoma in the 2025 CCL Showcase Game.

“Getting out to that early start is huge. Those two jumpstart it,” Pace said. “They do an outstanding job with their quality at-bats each time. They’re two great ballplayers.”

While Handron and Boardman’s contributions on offense are apparent, their work anchoring the left side of the infield often goes unnoticed. Handron’s made one error in 47 innings at the hot corner. Boardman has committed just eight while playing 218 of Sonoma’s 236 innings at shortstop.

Key departures

When Alijah Ramos and Trent Abel left the Stompers after last season, Pace was left with finding replacements for the two all-star middle infielders. He thrived with Boardman. And his selection at second base ended nicely, also. Hailing from Frisco, Texas, McCann Libby played 198 innings at the keystone and held down the three or four-hole in Sonoma’s lineup.

Hitting .229, Libby sometimes struggled to find consistency at the plate but showed flashes of potential in key moments. Coaches often say availability is the best ability, and the incoming Louisiana Tech infielder led Stompers hitters in at-bats (118). He will leave the squad to begin his first D-I season, but he ended his time in Sonoma with a bang, recording a season-high three hits versus the Merchants on Sunday.

On the mound, the Stompers will deal with the departure of Nick Santivanez. The CSUN starter placed third in innings pitched (24.0) and sported a 2.63 ERA. Each time he pitched, Sonoma won. Santivanez surrendered just seven runs, recording a team-high 34 strikeouts while allowing 14 hits. He wraps up his stint with the squad at 4-0, leading the team in starts.

Playoff picture

With just eight games to play, the Stompers are in an ideal position to make the CCL playoffs as one of the North’s three teams. They’re atop the group for now, but only 1.5 games separate them from missing the postseason.

Currently, Alameda sits one game below Sonoma. The Merchants have battled the Stompers well all season, with five of their seven games decided by two or fewer runs. Sonoma ultimately ended the series on a high note, though, steamrolling Alameda 17-1 on Sunday.

Tied with the Merchants are the Crawdads, who’ve given the Stompers their most troubles this season. Walnut Creek eliminated Sonoma in the playoffs last year and has taken four of six games between the squads this time around. On July 9 and 11, the Stompers fell to it twice after giving up crooked numbers in the first inning of both games. The teams will play three more times, but if Sonoma wants to see the playoffs, it needs to silence the Crawdads early.

Hovering right outside the picture is the Blues. Due to their far distance from Arnold Field, the Stompers and SLO only battled four times. The series was split, and Sonoma won’t play San Luis Obispo again this season. The Blues will face the Merchants for a three-game set before playing numerous teams in the South, a stretch that will largely impact the Stompers’ playoff spot.

“Us four are battling it out at the top,” Pace said. “I feel they’re all really good teams. It’s good to have that competition, and hopefully we’re at the top. I feel pretty confident about our guys and where we’re at.”

Stompers send 5 players to 2025 CCL Showcase Game

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

The Stompers will be well-represented at the 2025 CCL Showcase Game, with Luke Duncan, Harun Pelja, Braden Guentz and Colton Boardman playing for the North Division, while Brady Shannon will participate in the Home Run Derby.

Four Sonoma players have been named to the 2025 CCL Showcase Game roster, and Brady Shannon will participate in the Home Run Derby, the league announced Monday. Braden Guentz, Luke Duncan and Harun Pelja will represent the Stompers on the mound, while Colton Boardman will play shortstop for the North Division.

Hailing from Los Medanos College, Duncan has received time pitching and behind the dish this summer. In eight relief innings, the San Ramon, California, native has racked up 14 strikeouts without allowing a run; He’s given up just five hits. When Esteban Sepulveda or Connor Pawlowski are unavailable to catch, Duncan steps in. He boasts a .313 OBP and has committed only one error in 30 defensive innings at the plate.

Pelja, a senior from Youngstown State (Ohio), made 15 relief appearances and two starts for the Penguins in 2025. Despite posting an 8.28 ERA in the Horizon League, the Melbourne, Australia, native has been dominant for Sonoma, leading all pitchers with at least 20 innings in ERA at 1.46. He’s made seven appearances this summer, three as a starter, and holds a 21-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Opponents are hitting just .172 against Pelja, and three of his seven outings have been scoreless.

Rounding out the Stompers’ pitching selections, Guentz will help the North Division out of the bullpen. He’s been Sonoma’s go-to guy in the late innings and in nine appearances, has a 2.84 ERA. The Pepperdine sophomore has earned two saves, he’s struck out 11 hitters and has surrendered just seven hits.

Boardman has been the Stompers’ defensive anchor in the infield. The freshman from Cal State Northridge hit .277 with 13 hits in Big West play and is slashing .282 over 32 games with Sonoma. His 117 at-bats rank second on the squad, while his 33 hits pace the team. Boardman leads the Stompers with 24 walks, ranks second with 22 RBIs and has been hit by 11 pitches. At shortstop, he’s played 218 of Sonoma’s 236 innings and has made just eight errors.

Shannon, a teammate of Pelja’s at YSU, will represent the Stompers at the 2025 CCL Home Run Derby. Also a Division I football player for the Penguins, the right fielder leads the entire CCL with 33 RBIs and five home runs. After a slow start, he’s improved his batting average to .255, displaying power with Sonoma’s most extra-base hits (10). He’s also been flawless defensively, logging 163 error-free innings in the outfield.

With five players heading to Compton, the Stompers will be well represented when the league’s best take the field on July 16 at the Major League Baseball Youth Academy.

Stompers rout Merchants 17-1, enter All-Star Break in 1st place in CCL North

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

After scoring 17 runs against the Legends on Saturday, the Stompers repeated and scored 17 more against the Merchants on Sunday to take sole possession of first place in the CCL North entering the league’s all-star break.

Fifteen-plus runs in one game may take luck. But against a stronger opponent and for the second straight night, it indicates much more than that. The Stompers’ offense has been shaky down the stretch, putting up two and three runs on Thursday and Friday against the Leghorns and Crawdads.

Then came demolition. Sonoma’s offense exploded for 17 runs Saturday against the Legends. While it took an 11-0 lead through three innings, Menlo Park clawed back to cut its deficit to as low as four, which ultimately resulted in a 17-13 win for the Stompers.

Sunday was more of the same. But the stakes were higher, and Sonoma’s pitchers turned to silencers to shut down the Merchants. With a convincing 17-1 win, the Stompers (25-15, 20-13) claim sole possession of first place in the CCL North heading into the league’s all-star break.

“They’ve done a good job of getting a good pitch to hit,” Sonoma manager Zack Pace said postgame of his offense. “Yesterday, we had a lot of free passes that really helped us out. And today, we hit a little bit more.”

While the offense rolled through Ball State’s Jaden Bitter on the mound for Alameda, Jayden Harper cruised through his first five-inning outing of the summer. When Harper pitches, good things happen. It’s been displayed in the Stompers’ four wins prior to Sunday on Harper-bump days.

The one time Sonoma lost with Harper on the rubber, he allowed a run. If the Stompers wanted to stay hot entering the break, Harper would need to be nearly perfect. He did just that, but the first inning was a challenge.

Sitting with a three-run cushion, Harper had room to work. Colton Boardman had walked before Max Handron followed up his five-hit day on Saturday with a two-run home run to give Sonoma an early lead. McCann Libby — in his final game of the summer — then singled, and Heeryun Han drove him in with a base hit. 

In one instant, however, the lead looked like it’d disappear. After recording a quick out on Dominick Najar, Jack Bollengier singled, Jackson Nystrom walked and Aidan Taclas was hit by a pitch. Matteo Mendoza — who carried a .932 OPS and .320 batting average entering Sunday — was at the plate. But despite Mendoza’s statistics, Harper struck him out on five pitches.

Then, with Chase Ditmar up and one strike, the Merchants began to run. Shuffling his feet, Bollengier was gunned by catcher Connor Pawlowski at third, getting Harper out of the jam.

The last play fired up Sonoma’s offense. It added to its lead again with Boardman singling, Handron walking and Libby driving both in with his second base hit of the day. Paul Lizzul then singled, taking Bitter out of the game.

After a 1-2-3 inning from Harper, the Stompers stalled. Reliever Luke Giotta surrendered a leadoff single to Han but shut down Pawlowski, Trent Keys and Cam Hegamin. In the fourth, though, Sonoma saw a completely different Giotta.

He struggled to find his spots, working up his pitch count, and the Stompers pounced. After Boardman popped out, Handron singled — his third time reaching base. Lizzul was hit, and Brady Shannon continued his tear, annihilating a three-run home run to extend Sonoma’s lead and stand atop the CCL with five long balls.

“It’s huge to have that big threat in the middle of the order. He can be dangerous with any swing,” Pace said. “At any time, he can do that. It’s really good to get (Shannon) going.”

Nick Fenton replaced Giotta, but he wasn’t any better. Han recorded his third single. Pawlowski advanced him to third with another base hit. Keys then kept it going with a third straight knock to plate Han. Fenton’s faltered command allowed Pawlowski and Keys to steal home, giving the Stompers an 11-0 lead through four innings. 

Harper’s day was done after the fifth. Justin Jones, making just his fourth appearance of the summer, shut down Alameda with three strikeouts in the sixth. He struck out two more in the seventh, finishing with five Ks in two innings of work.

Chris Albee replaced Jones in the eighth and gave up the Merchants’ lone run of the day. Hayden Jung-Goldberg walked before Kaleb Latimer tripled to score him. But that was all Alameda would get, as its next two hitters were retired and Braden Guentz went 1-2-3 in the ninth to close things out.

While the Stompers’ staff excelled, their offense added more to the scoreboard. Hegamin singled in the sixth to score Shannon and Keys. Boardman then doubled to plate Hegamin, and Handron followed it up with a base hit to bring in Boardman — Sonoma’s 15th run of the game.

“He does a really good job of taking pitches that might be borderline pitches and just being on time to a pitch middle of the plate,” Pace said of Handron.

Sonoma hit through its order in the frame, scored one in the seventh on a Boardman base hit and one more in the eighth on a knock from Pawlowski. 

After losing three of their first four matchups against the Merchants, the Stompers have won the last three and take the season series. Now, they head into a weeklong break before taking on the Crawdads Friday.

“Really proud of our guys. We’re hitting the right buttons and playing our best,” Pace said. “Hopefully, we can keep it rolling into next weekend.”

Stompers survive offensive shootout with 17-13 win over Legends

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

The Stompers’ offense recorded 15 hits, 10 walks and seven hit-by-pitches, fueling their 17-13 victory over the Legends.

Complacency was a word echoed through Arnold Field Saturday. The Stompers were facing the Legends in their penultimate matchup before the All-Star break, and Sonoma had Menlo Park’s number. It led the season series 7-1 entering the final contest between the two squads.

But manager Zack Pace emphasized his squad couldn’t express contentment. To jump back up to first place in the CCL North, it’d need to keep its foot on the gas the entire game. In its two matchups against the Crawdads this week, it found itself clawing back from behind after allowing five and two runs in the first innings.

Both contests resulted in losses, dropping the Stompers from solely in first place to less than two games from not reaching the playoffs. With consistent success over the Legends all season, Saturday was a chance for Sonoma to get back on track.

“We’re playing baseball. We’re trying to do a good job today,” Pace said pregame. “Focus on ourselves. Hopefully, we just stay in the moment and stay locked in on every pitch.”

Four hours and four minutes after Pace’s sentiment, the Stompers (24-15, 19-13 CCL) returned to the win column. Twenty-four hits, 13 pitchers and 71 at-bats later, Sonoma found itself ahead 17-13 when Devon Laguinto recorded the final out.

“We did a good job of winning our at-bats and keeping the line moving,” Pace said postgame. “We took what (Menlo Park) gave us and strung it together.”

Right from the get-go, it looked like the Stompers’ bats would be the game’s storyline. Nick Santivanez was on the mound for Sonoma, but after shutting down the Legends’ first three hitters, the Stompers’ offense exploded.

Hit-by-pitches have been a hot commodity in Sonoma all summer. The Stompers have been hit 95 times. Next up in the CCL is the Merchants, who have been beaned just 56 times. At first, it meant free base runners for the orange and blue. Now, it’s putting Sonoma’s lineup at risk.

In that fashion, Colton Boardman led off the first inning by getting hit on the second pitch from UCSB’s Paul Wheeler. Max Handron singled to push Boardman to third, and McCann Libby walked to load the bases.

What followed for the Stompers was a mix of highs and lows. Matthias Haas fouled a ball off his hand. He never returned to the game. After Brady Shannon singled to score two runs and continue to pace the lineup in RBIs, Anthony Scheppler was hit in the back. Pace was livid.

“We got guys dropping. They’re getting hurt from these things,” Pace said. “I had to stand up for them. If you’re still hurting our guys, you gotta throw outside. You can’t throw inside if you can’t control it.”

Pace went to speak with home plate umpire John Pierce, but the situation didn't change. The next batter, Heeryun Han, was hit. Will Marlin replaced Wheeler, but Sonoma added three runs off him, bringing its first-inning run total to eight.

Santivanez stayed in control, and when the Stompers came back to the plate, they kept punishing Menlo Park’s mistakes. Trent Keys — who leads Sonoma with 17 hit-by-pitches — was nailed. Esteban Sepulveda also succumbed to the trend, this time with the bases juiced to score a run.

“We’re ball magnets out there,” Pace joked.

The third inning saw the Stompers’ lead continue to grow. Handron led off with a single and moved to second when Paul Lizzul walked. A wild pitch advanced them both 90 feet, and the UC Berkeley senior scored on Shannon’s sacrifice fly to left field. Han then singled to score Lizzul but ended the inning when he tried to stretch it into a double.

An 11-0 lead indicated dominance. Lopsidedness. Over an hour had passed, and Menlo Park had already used three arms. Then, the Legends began to mount a comeback.

In the top of the fourth, Santivanez walked the first two batters. Will Anderson cranked a home run to left field to cut Menlo Park’s deficit to eight. Jaden Mason replaced Santivanez but wasn’t much better.

He allowed two singles and a run scored on a fielding error by Libby in left field. Mason then threw a ball Sepulveda couldn’t handle, which plated another to cut the lead to six.

For the first time after the Legends’ five-spot, Sonoma didn’t score. But in the fifth, after Keys was hit for the second time, Han doubled to drive him home. The Stompers hadn’t lost a seven-run lead all season, yet each time Menlo Park was up, it looked more and more likely.

The following frame saw Quincy Via double and Charlie Deggeller walk off Kyle Seo. Mitchell Birdsall then smoked his first home run of the summer over the left field trees. But Sonoma kept fighting. It added five more in the bottom half when Boardman, Handron and Lizzul singled.

“I don’t really change much when I go up there,” Handron said postgame following his eventual five-hit performance. “I just see the baseball and put a move on it.”

After the three base hits, Shannon drove them in with a three-run home run, his third long ball in six games.

The lead was built, but Menlo Park responded with five of its own. Ryan Seo faced five batters, allowed four runs and didn’t record an out. He was replaced by catcher Connor Pawlowksi, who escaped the inning after giving up just one base hit and a run.

Three hours had passed. But all at once, both offenses came to a halt. The Stompers went with Luke Duncan and Laguinto on the bump to close out the game. Duncan allowed a double in the eighth but struck out three. Laguinto recorded two Ks and went 1-2-3 in the ninth to seal the victory.

With the win, Sonoma returns to first place in the CCL North, where it’s currently tied with the Merchants. Therefore, the stakes on Sunday are massive as the Stompers travel to Alameda College for the season series rubber match.

“You never know (what’s gonna happen) in this game after tonight,” Pace said.

Sonoma’s bats stay quiet in costly 8-3 loss to Crawdads

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

Heeryun Han relieved David Howard Friday and gave up his first earned run of the season in the third inning. But that was the only damage, as the Los Medanos two-way star pitched 3.1 frames and struck out four.

Stompers manager Zack Pace and his staff are still searching for the key to unlock their offense against the Crawdads. Since its season-series opener on June 22, Sonoma’s been on a steady decline. It took Game 1, lost Game 2 and 3 and bounced back in Game 4. But entering Friday, the Stompers were on the wrong end of the stick.

On Wednesday, Sonoma headed to Monte Vista High School for an evening matchup with Walnut Creek. Devon Laguinto — who pitched a complete game shutout on July 1 — allowed five runs in the first inning. The crooked number put the Stompers out of reach, as they fell 11-8.

With just 0.5 games separating the two squads in the CCL North standings, the stakes on Friday were higher than ever. Two left-handed pitchers received the starts, and the Stompers were looking to even the series again.

However, struggles with first-inning control, poor plate approach and slow adjustments plagued Sonoma (23-15, 18-13 CCL) in its 8-3 loss. Walnut Creek plated two runs in the first, and the Stompers couldn’t climb back, tallying just four hits while striking out nine times.

“It definitely is a tougher start for our guys. Every inning (Walnut Creek) scored today, we walked the leadoff hitter, and we can’t do that,” Pace said postgame. “We gotta do a better job of filling up the zone and being ready to go.”

On Thursday, Sonoma faced a younger Petaluma Leghorns team whose pitchers were throwing low to mid-80s. While five Stompers struck out multiple times, Brady Shannon’s third-inning three-run home run was enough for the victory.

Friday was an adjustment. Colin Nowaczyk — a flamethrower from Nebraska — was tossing low 90s. He was forcing Sonoma’s bats late, and it took time for them to catch up. But first, on Sonoma’s side of the bump was David Howard.

The Sonoma State southpaw came out and struggled, allowing all six batters in the first to work the count to three balls. Ryan Ellis and Cam Calvillo walked and both entered scoring position on a wild pitch. A base hit by shortstop Jared Mettam plated one before first baseman John Youens singled to score another.

Howard escaped the rest of the inning unscathed, but the damage was done. Back to Nowaczyk, the bats stalled. Colton Boardman grounded out, Max Handron was punched out and McCann Libby softly lined out to short. It was a sub-five-minute inning, and the message was demoralizing.

“We just gotta do a better job of taking quality at-bats,” Pace said. “We gotta find a way to grind it out a little bit more and have a little tougher at-bats… and be a pest up there.”

As Howard pitched a 1-2-3 inning, so did Nowaczyk. Two Stompers struck out, and the Crawdads made them pay next time around. When Ellis was hit by a pitch, the rally had just begun. Calvillo reached on a fielder’s choice, and a double from Joey Donnelly brought him to third.

Mettam plated two on a single, ending Howard’s day with five runs surrendered in 2.2 innings.  The replacement on the mound was Los Medanos’ two-way star Heeryun Han. Entering the matchup, Han had yet to allow an earned run.

That quickly changed, as the sidearm pitcher hit Zach Justice and walked Kam Taylor. Chris Esquivel singled past the outstretched dive of third baseman Handron, and two runs came home.

Finally, Sonoma answered back. Trent Keys and Cam Hegamin reached on free passes. Then, for the first time all season, the Stompers swung at the first pitch in three straight at-bats, and it paid off tremendously. Boardman pushed Keys to third on a fielder’s choice. Handron doubled down the left field line to score both Keys and Boardman. Libby then forced an error from Mettam.

“When you have runners on, you want to be a little bit more aggressive,” Pace said. “You want to get your swings off. We wanna get our hacks in and try to get our RBIs. That’s what they were trying to do there.”

Sonoma’s deficit was down to four, an attainable comeback if its bats repeated Wednesday, constantly applying pressure to Walnut Creek’s staff. But they did no such thing. The Stompers added three hits over the final six innings.

Meanwhile, Han continued to deal, and Micah Marquez relieved him with two innings of shutout ball. However, the lineup was heavy, going down in order in the sixth and seventh, even with two new pitchers.

Fast forward to the ninth, Patrick Richardson replaced Marquez. He got a quick strikeout before giving up a double and a walk. A wild pitch advanced both runners into scoring position, and another wild pitch scored one. Mettam — who finished with three hits — ended Walnut Creek’s scoring run with a single to plate one more, giving it an 8-2 lead.

It was far too late for Sonoma’s stagnant offense to come back. But its little life shone through. Matthias Haas and Connor Pawlowski were put away on seven pitches. Yet with the entrance of Anthony Scheppler — who committed to San José State on Thursday — runners began to reach base.

Halen Guerrero surrendered just three walks in 7.2 innings prior to Friday. Yet Scheppler, Esteban Sepulveda, Boardman and Handron all walked, bringing Libby to the plate. If he had taken from Guerrero until a strike was thrown, maybe good things could’ve happened.

But despite Guerrero’s command issues, the Louisiana Tech second baseman swung at the second pitch of the at-bat and grounded a ball to Mettam at shortstop to end the game.

“I think we’ll be all right. We’ve got a great team, and our guys are grinders,” Pace said. “We’ll get better tomorrow and find a way to get back on the winning streak.”

Shannon’s 3-run blast breaks tie, powers Stompers past Leghorns 3-2

The Stompers and Leghorns were scoreless until YSU senior Brady Shannon crushed a 341-foot, 3-run homer in the third to power Sonoma to victory.

By Jordan Kimball, Beat Writer

The Stompers were fooled at the beginning of their season. They’d recruited a highly-touted prospect in Brady Shannon. The Youngstown, Ohio, native received attention from MLB teams during his time at Ursuline High School.

He ultimately chose a different route and ended up in Sonoma for summer ball after his junior year at YSU. Expectations were sky-high, as he brings a powerful bat and leadership from being a Division I quarterback. However, Shannon crumbled early on.

He opened the season 0-for-9. His emphatic energy translated into four strikeouts in his first two games. But since then, he’s found his stride. Shannon’s pop has emerged; he’s hitting well over .200, and his OPS ranks third on the team (.813). As of late, Shannon’s turned it up another notch.

Courtesy of his three-run home run in the third inning of Thursday’s non-league matchup with the Leghorns, the Stompers (23-14, 18-12 CCL) scraped by with a 3-2 win. Sonoma’s offense tallied a measly six hits while facing pitchers throwing mid-80s, but one swing from Shannon was all that was needed.

“I think the game just comes and goes sometimes. I’m just trying to slow the game down and have more quality at-bats,” Shannon said postgame. “It’s just baseball.”

The Penguins’ slugger’s third-inning home run marked his second straight game with a long ball. On Wednesday against the Crawdads, Shannon cracked a two-run shot and an RBI double. He now has six hits in his last four games.

Petaluma starter Jack Gurley was dealing heading into the third inning. After surrendering a leadoff double to Heeryun Han in the first, Anthony Scheppler, Shannon and Matthias Haas all went down on strikes. In the second, Gurley’s showing was even more impressive. It took under two minutes for the Santa Barbara City College commit to retire Esteban Sepulveda, Ben Sebastiani and Cam Hegamin.

But after Scheppler’s line-drive single with one out in the following frame, Sonoma’s floodgates opened. Paul Lizzul advanced Scheppler to third on a base hit of his own, and Shannon strolled to the plate. Sitting on Gurley’s offspeed, he roped a 341-foot flyball into left field to break the deadlock.

“He’s seeing the ball a lot better and putting really good swings out there,” Sonoma manager Zack Pace said postgame. “I know he’s been working really hard to get there. If we didn’t have that (home run) today, we don’t win.”

While Shannon’s nuke provided the Stompers with a tiebreaker plus insurance, Brandon Leon was holding his own anyway. The Modesto Junior College freshman struck out seven batters in his four innings.

Leon allowed a scorched single to left field to open the game, but he settled in after that. He picked off Rowan Ball after the base hit and breezed through the rest of the first. The right-handed pitcher went 1-2-3 in the next two innings and nearly repeated in the fourth, just giving up a single to Auggie Cuneo — one of Leon’s two hits allowed.

“He filled up the zone with his fastball and slider. I thought he did an outstanding job,” Pace said. “Really got a groove, and I look forward to more out of him next week.”

When the Stompers score three, their momentum often continues. But when Matthew Knauer relieved Gurley, everything came to a halt. Knauer was throwing slightly faster. His command was momentous, and his low arm slot caught Sonoma’s hitters off guard.

At first, the UCLA commit faltered, hitting Han and Scheppler. But with Hegamin and McCann Libby strikeouts, and Scheppler getting gunned at second, Knauer held the Stompers silent.

His next time out was even more imposing. The recent graduate of Redwood High School forced Lizzul to pop out. Shannon and Haas struck out — two of Knauer’s seven Ks.

The middle innings were an ache for the Stompers. Knauer finished with four no-hit innings while walking just one batter and hitting two.

“We gotta get better. That’s the bottom line,” Pace said. “We gotta be on time to the fastball. If we’re not catching up to 83 or 85, that’s not good.”

The Leghorns scored two in the fifth on a wild pitch from Jaxen Rowland and a single by Henry Stoll. But that was all they’d get. Rowland, Nick Poulus and Patrick Atkinson pitched five innings of relief to close out the win. And with just 10 CCL games to play, everything’s on the line.

“It’s that time of the summer. Bodies are tired. Some guys are banged up,” Shannon said. “But that last 10-game stretch is big. I think we’re on the right path to be where we want at the end of the season.”