Up and Down Week for Stompers Sets Up Crucial Stretch of CCL Play

Despite the struggling bats, the Sonoma Stompers were able to put together a three win, two loss week (2-2 in CCL Play). Games began Tuesday in San Luis Obispo with the second half of the four game series, where the Stomps split with a win and a loss against the Blues. After a Thursday break, Sonoma returned to Arnold Field, winning two close ones. First they beat non-conference opponent, Petaluma Athletic Edge, and then defeated division opponent, the Alameda Merchants. The Stompers finished the weekend with a loss against the Merchants on Sunday.

In the four CCL matchups, the Sonoma offense managed only 9 runs across those games. Alijah Ramos was a bright spot however, having an on base percentage of .533, hitting .400 and scoring twice. Also, Paul Contreras played well in both games against the Merchants, where he had three hits in six at bats, walking twice as well. 

Overall, the Stompers hit .176 in these four CCL games, striking out an average of 9 times per game, but drew an average of 6 walks per game, an impressive number. This ability to draw walks, combined with aggressive base running has helped Sonoma get runs across despite the offensive mishaps at the plate.

On the other hand, Stompers’ pitching has been solid in these four games, allowing 14 earned runs, averaging 7.5 strikeouts per game as a team. Hawk Hill pitched twice in this span, both as a starter and reliever. He threw five innings, allowing no runs to cross, while striking out three. He held both the Blues and Merchants to one hit respectively in his two appearances. Destin Allen-Fox also continued his series of strong starts, throwing two innings in his Saturday outing against the Merchants, striking out two, and holding Alameda to no runs. 

This pitching will need to continue to be a bright spot in the upcoming week, as Sonoma plays six straight CCL games starting on Tuesday, June 25th. The Stomps will face the Merchants for a final time in the three game series, and then travel to San Francisco to face the familiar foe, the Seagulls. The Stompers are 2-1 against both the Seagulls and Merchants, defeating San Francisco 19-1 and 10-3 in blowout affairs earlier in June. Sonoma sits right above both clubs in CCL North standings, so two wins could distance them in these rankings.

On Thursday and Sunday (June 27th and 30th), the Stomps will then face the Menlo Park Legends, who sit second in the CCL North. These matchups will be meaningful for Sonoma’s goal of making CCL playoffs, as wins would surely move them up in the standings. Sonoma has split their previous two games against the Legends, losing 15-4 and then winning 8-0. In between these Thursday/Sunday games, Sonoma will face non-conference opponent, the Petaluma Leghorns, in a two-game series at Arnold Field.

So, as the Stompers sit 6-6 in conference, the upcoming four CCL games are important to gain momentum as the second half of the season begins. All of them are also away games, as mentioned, so Sonoma has a tough week ahead. But, if pitching can continue their consistency and the Sonoma offense can get things going, the Stompers can come out of the week strong. 

Make sure to tune into all the action, as all the away matchups are going to have a live broadcast, which can be found at this link: https://sonoma-stompers.mixlr.com/. The home series against the Leghorns will also be broadcasted on our YouTube! Go Stompers!

Gear up for Summer with your Sonoma Stompers!

Sonoma, Calif - Excitement is brewing as we gear up for another thrilling season of baseball with the Sonoma Stompers! We're thrilled to announce the release of our 2024 Regular Season Schedule, packed with 32 Home Games, including 9 exciting weekend home stands set to heat up your summer.

Mark your calendars because the action kicks off right here at home as we take on the Novato Knicks from Thursday, May 30th through Sunday, June 2nd. "I am already counting down the days until the first pitch Thursday," exclaimed Stompers Field Manager Zack Pace, reflecting the team's eagerness to hit the ground running.

But that's not all - get ready for a lineup of promotional classics that'll have you cheering all season long! From Little League Week to Pride Night, Bocce Night, Latino Heritage Night, and more, there's something for every fan to enjoy.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to secure your spot in the stands! Season Tickets and group outings are now available for purchase through the Stompers front office. Plus, there are a few remaining tables up for grabs in the exclusive Tree Fort Wine Lounge Seating area, and the Beer Garden is open for group reservations. To reserve your favorite date, simply give us a call at (707) 522-7284 or shoot us an email at info@stompersbaseball.com.

Located right here in picturesque Sonoma, California, the Sonoma Stompers proudly compete in the prestigious California Collegiate League, ranked among the top five wood bat summer collegiate leagues.

Join us as we continue to make history on the diamond! For more information about the Sonoma Stompers or the California Collegiate League, don't hesitate to reach out to us.

Let's play ball!

The Admirals Score Four in the Late Innings to Secure the Win

The Sonoma Stompers hosted the Bay Area Admirals for the first game of a four game series.

The Stompers would hold the 4-2 lead all the way into the eighth inning where the Admirals would score four runs and take the lead back. They would score on an error and a base hit from Kirk Woolf.

Chase Minor would start for the Stompers and would not allow a run through his first three innings of work.

The Admirals would score first however on a pair of RBI doubles from Casey Tortoruci and Riley Acosta in the fourth to take a 2-0 lead over the Stompers.

Sonoma would grab the lead in the bottom half of the inning 3-2 on a three-run home run from Alfredo Capacete. The Stompers would tack on another one in the fifth inning on a wild pitch.

The Stompers went quietly in the eighth and ninth innings and would ultimately lose the game 6-4.

The Stompers next home game is on Wednesday against the Bay Area Admirals with the first pitch at 6:05 p.m. You can purchase tickets to the game at stompersbaseball.com.

Capacete Gets it Done in the Ninth to Sweep the Admirals

The Sonoma Stompers hosted the Bay Area Admirals for the last game of a three game series.

The Stompers needed a hero again and this time it would be Alfredo Capacete in the bottom of the ninth inning as he would hit a walk off single to finish off the series sweep.

Sonoma would get the scoring going first by getting one in the first due to some good base running by Jag Burden who would score on a wild pitch. They would score twice in the second on some more good base running from Mikey Bell.

Bay Area would respond in the top of the second as Brock Rudy would hit a two-run home run, which would cut the Stomper lead to just one run.

Omar Gastelum would pick up his tenth RBI of the series and tie the game up at two a piece in the third inning.

The Admirals would grab another run in the fourth on a single by Rees Kent.

The pitchers on both sides would battle all the way into the eighth when both teams would score. For the Admirals it would come on a single by Riley Acosta and for the Stompers Jose Ruiz would smash a three-run home run to add some insurance runs.

The Bay Area Admirals would tie it up with a three run top of the ninth inning.

Tomorrow the Stompers take on the West Coast Kings in a non-league contest. For the Stompers, Austin Steeves will get the start. Steeves is a high school phenom who was second in the county last season in strikeouts as a junior. Tickets for tomorrow's game can be purchased at stompersbaseball.com and if you can’t make it to the ballpark, you can listen to the game at sonoma-stompers.mixlr.com.

By Ryan Giacomini

Gastelum the Hero for the Stompers in a 4-2 Victory

The Sonoma Stompers hosted the Bay Area Admirals on Tuesday.

Both teams would get off to a slow start as Joey Van Dusen for the Stompers and Matt Campo for the Admirals would combine for two scoreless innings.

Offensively, the Admirals would get going first with an RBI single from Jack Grant in the third and they would score another in the fourth on an RBI double.

The Stompers would cut the Admirals lead in half by scoring on four straight walks in the bottom of the fourth.

Pitching for both sides would continue to deal as it would stay 2-1 all the way until the ninth inning but the Stompers would not go down without a fight.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, one out, Tyler Martinez on second, Jose Ruiz on first, Omar Gastelum at the plate, 1-0 the count and Gastelum drives a ball 352 feet for a walk off three run home run and they Stompers take the 4-2 victory over the Admirals!

The Stompers play in Solano Wednesday for game two of the series. First pitch is at 4 p.m. and you can catch all the action at sonoma-stompers.mixlr.com.

Stompers Win in Extra Innings

The Sonoma Stompers hosted the Solano Mudcats on Saturday.

Sonoma would beat the Mudcats by a score of 9-8 in 10 innings.

The Stompers would get off to a hot start jumping out to a 7-0 lead after the second inning. Part of the four run second inning would be credited to a two-run double from Omar Gastelum. Gastelum would finish 2 for 3 with the pair of RBIs.

Noah Rabin would hit an RBI single in the third to extend the lead even further to 8-0.

The Mudcats would slowly chip away at the lead with one in the fourth on a groundout, two in the fifth on a sacrifice fly and a single, two in the seventh on a two-run home run and three in the eight to tie the game at 8 a piece.

The game would go into extra innings where Hayden Hall, who had played second base until the ninth inning, would get two outs in the ninth and three outs in the top of the tenth to keep it knotted up.

Nathan Brasher would be the automatic runner at second in the bottom of the tenth and he would steal third. After a Jose Ruiz walk and an intentional walk, Alfredo Capacete would come up big with a ground ball up the middle for a game winning, RBI, fielder's choice.

The Stomps will travel to Solano to take on the Mudcats at Vanden High School for the last game of this three game set. The game starts at 11am and you can catch all the action at sonoma-stompers.mixlr.com. The next home game will be Tues. July 18. against the Bay Area Admirals.

Stompers to Send Four to the All-Star Game

SONOMA - The Sonoma Stompers are just four games out of the playoff race with 13 games left in league play.

The Stompers have had many standout players this Summer and four of those standouts are heading to Compton for the California Collegiate League All-Star game. Those four players are RHP Nico Rodriguez, OF Noah Rabin, IF Mikey Bell and C Omar Gastelum.

Rodriguez is rocking a 1.38 ERA with 20 strikeouts to just 8 walks. He has been an excellent reliever for the Stompers this summer.

Rabin is tied with the most home runs on the team with three and also has four more extra base hits. Rabin, who usually leads off and plays right field for the Sonoma Stompers, also has a .262 batting average and a great arm out in right field.

Bell, a late addition to the Stompers, has returned to Sonoma for his second season as a Stomper. This year, in just 33 at bats, is batting .242 with four runs batted in.

Gastelum has been phenomenal this season at getting on base. He has a .595 on base percentage with a .319 batting average. Gastelum, the right handed catcher, leads the team in average and is top 25 in the league in both average and on base percentage.

You can see all team stats here.

The Stompers next series is against the Solano Mudcats with the first two games of the series being in Sonoma. Both games start at 6:05 and you can purchase tickets online at stomperbaseball.com or at the gate.

Stompers Fall to the Prune Packers

The Stompers hosted the Prune Packers in Sonoma for the second game of a four game series. The Packers would win the game 7-2.

The Prune Packers come into this game atop the CCL North standings, four games ahead of the second place Walnut Creek Crawdads and their offense would get off to a hot start as they would jump out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning.

Chase Minor would start for the Stompers and would be extremely dominant through five innings of work, only giving up the two runs in the second.

The Stompers would cut the lead in half thanks to an RBI base hit by Isaiah Velasco.

Healdsburg would tack on some insurance runs in the sixth, eighth and ninth innings on a pair of doubles and a home run from Peyton Schulze. He would finish with four RBIs.

The Stompers would score one in the ninth but otherwise be unable to get anything else going.

The Stompers take on the Prune Packers on July 9 in Healdsburg with a noon start and then again in Sonoma on July 10 with the game starting at 6:05. Tickets for the home game can be purchased at stomperbaseball.com

Iparraguirre, Stompers Rally in the Middle Innings to Beat the Knicks

The Stompers would host the Novato Knicks on Thursday night at Arnold Field. 

Sonoma would get the action going in the bottom half of the first on a double by Xabier Iparraguirre.

The Knicks would get it back and some more in the top half of the second as they would score three runs on just two hits including a RBI base hit from Cooper Callison.

Both offenses would be quiet until the sixth inning when the Knick would score one run thanks to Cooper Callison again.

The Stompers would fight in the bottom half of the sixth and tie it up at 4-4 as Iparraguirre would hit a two run home run and Ryan Martinez would hit an RBI double.

Novato would retake the lead in the seventh on a Braeden Holliday would hit an RBI single.

The Stompers would stomp in the seventh as every Stompers player in the lineup would hit and they would score five runs on three hits. Noah Rabin would pinch hit and hit a two RBI triple and a pair of singles from Alfredo Capacete and Mikey Bell.

The score would stay right there at 9-5 and the Stompers would pick up the win.

The Stompers take on the Healdsburg Prune Packers this weekend in a four game series starting tomorrow. Friday and Sunday’s game will be here in Sonoma. You can purchase tickets for the game at stompersbaseball.com

Sebastiani to Start for the Stompers

SONOMA, Calif - Nicholas Sebastiani, an incoming senior at Sonoma Valley High School, will  make his Stompers debut on the 4th of July game. Sebastiani in his varsity career sports a .320 avg, 13 XBH, 11-13 SB, and a 3.63 ERA across 34.2 innings pitched on varsity. “Nick has a promising future in front of him as he has projectable tools, high baseball IQ and strong work ethic”, says Eddie Mora-Loera, GM of the Stompers. Nick will have the opportunity to get his first taste of collegiate competition against the Menlo Park Legends Tuesday, July 4th at 5:10pm.  

Stompers have won 7 of their last 10 games including winning two of three against the Lincoln Potters this week.

In the second game of the series, the Stompers and Potters were all knotted up at two runs a piece going into the ninth inning. The Potters would score three runs in the top half of the inning as Tyler Gerety would hit a two run double but the Stompers would score four runs of their own in the bottom half of the ninth inning. Derek Tenney and would later win as Xabier Iparraguierra would score on a walk-off wild pitch.

Recently, for the Stompers, Outfielder Noah Rabin has been outstanding tracking down balls in the outfield and swinging the bat in the leadoff spot. In the three game series against the Potters, he went 5 for 8 with a home run and two RBIs. Defensively, in Lincoln on Thursday, he made 8 outs including a spectacular play in game three racing 44 feet to the right field corner to track down a ball that would end a Lincoln rally.

This weekend, the Stompers take on Sonoma County rivals, the Healdsburg Prune Packers in a three game series and the take on the Menlo Park Legends on the 4th of July. The 4th of July game starts at 5:10 with a fireworks show to follow. Patrons with a ticket to the Stompers game will be able to lay out on the outfield grass after the game for the historic fourth of July firework show.