Stompers open up with 4-1 victory vs Seals

The Sonoma Stompers opened up the 2022 season with a dominant pitching performance defeating the San Francisco Seals 4-1 Thursday night at Arnold Field.

Stomper pitching struck out 15 batters in the process, with great pitching from starting pitcher Dan Smith and relievers Jack Cazin, Christian McInerney and Eric Woodrow. 

Smith got the start and ran into trouble early on. A pair of singles gave the Seals a 1-0 lead thanks to an RBI hit from Sam Brewer. That would be all the offense for the Seals.

Seals’ starting pitcher Will Seslar also got into trouble early on. He hit Dakota Duffalo in the head in the bottom of the first, and Max Handron began a 3-4 night with a single to right field. 

However, popouts of Davis Cop, Jackson Castillo and Jack Gallagher got him out of the jam.

The Stompers would break through in the fourth. A walk, wild pitch and a groundout moved Gallagher to third. An error by third baseman Derek Sims allowed him to score to tie the game at one.

The offensive approach in the fifth was patience and the Stompers certainly were. Mikey Bell doubled to lead off the frame and two batters later, Handron singled him home. Following a flyout, three straight two-out walks brought home two more Stomper runs to push the lead up to 4-1.

The Stompers would get runners on in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, but were unsuccessful in pushing across a run.

Cazin got the win while Woodrow picked up the save.

The Stompers will host the West Coast Kings tomorrow night at 6:05pm at Arnold Field.

Stompers open up 2022 season tonight

SONOMA, CA

Tonight, the Sonoma Stompers open up the 2022 season and will make history while doing it. This will be the first collegiate game in franchise history after the team joined the California Collegiate League in October. 

The Stompers will host the San Francisco Seals out of the Bay Area Collegiate League tonight at 6:05pm at Arnold Field. 

When the first pitch is thrown tonight, it will mark the beginning of the team’s first game in 1,005 days. The last time the navy and orange took the field was game three of the 2019 Pacific Association Championship Series on September 1, 2019. The Stompers lost that game, 5-3, to the San Rafael Pacifics.

In six opening day contests, the Stompers are 3-3 all time since the organization’s genesis in 2014. In 2019, the Stompers fell to the Salina Stockade 9-5 on opening day.

​​Zack Pace is entering his third season as the Stompers manager. In his first season, he set a

single-season league record in wins, leading the Stompers to an overall record of 57-23 in 2019. Pace has a career record of 102-42 as the manager of the Stompers. Pace will be assisted by pitching coach Mike Nunes and bench coach Casey Gilroy.

Lots of fun events and activities are scheduled for opening day. Sonoma Mayor Jack Ding will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. Fans are encouraged to see the HenHouse Beer Garden and the Tree Fort Wine Lounge, as well as visiting our multiple food and beverage concession stands throughout the ballpark.

Tonight’s game will be televised on Sonoma TV Comcast, Channel 27, in Sonoma, as well as streamed live on the Sonoma Stompers YouTube page. Michael Baribault will have the call all season long on Sonoma TV and the Stompers YouTube page for home games. On the road, Baribault will be on the Sonoma Stompers radio network.

There are still plenty of tickets available for opening day. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to catch pregame festivities. Ballpark gates will open approximately 30 minutes prior to each home game. 
The Sonoma Stompers have a 46 game schedule. The CCL will host a North vs. South All Star game in July with league playoffs starting the first week of August. Purchase your Stompers tickets today!

Learn more about the California Collegiate League

SONOMA, CA

In October, the Stompers joined the California Collegiate League (CCL), a top ranked collegiate summer wood bat league. The league consists of eleven teams, six teams in Southern California and five teams in Northern California. 

Founded in 1993, the California Collegiate League is a premier college summer baseball destination. The league is associated with both the National Baseball Congress and National Alliance of College Summer Baseball.

The Southern Division consists of the MLB Academy Barons, Arroyo Seco Saints, Conejo Oaks, Orange County Riptide, San Luis Obispo Blues, Santa Barbara Foresters. The Blues and Foresters are the only two original teams that still call the CCL home. 

The Northern Division consists of the Healdsburg Prune Packers, Lincoln Potters, Solano Mudcats, Sonoma Stompers, Walnut Creek Crawdads.

The Stompers will take on three former CCL teams in the Novato Knicks, Menlo Park Legends and San Francisco Seals.

The Healdsburg Prune Packers are the defending CCL Champions. They are led by manager/GM Joey Gomes, who is a Petaluma native. The Stompers look forward to competing against the Prune Packers eight times this season and bringing fun baseball atmospheres to both Sonoma and Healdsburg!

The Lincoln Potters joined the CCL in 2019 and finished second in the North Division at 14-9 and 24-15-1. They play their home games at McBean Stadium and hosted last year’s CCL playoffs.

Last year, the Walnut Creek Crawdads rejoined the CCL following a three-year hiatus from the league. They play their home games at Monte Vista High School in Danville. 

The Solano Mudcats round out the CCL North. Once an established top semi-pro club, the Mudcats transitioned to a Collegiate Baseball organization in 2012. They joined the CCL in 2019. They will play their home games at Vanden High School.

Some notable CCL alumni are Chicago White Sox outfielder Andrew Vaughn, former Oakland Athletics outfielder Khris Davis, former starting pitcher James Shields and Colorado Rockies first baseman CJ Cron.

The Sonoma Stompers have a 46 game schedule. The CCL will host a North vs. South All Star game in July with league playoffs starting the first week of August. Purchase your Stompers tickets today!

Stompers announce Communtiy Night

SONOMA, CA

The Sonoma Stompers are proud to announce Community Night, presented by Bank of Marin! It will take place Saturday, June 4th when the Stompers host the Petaluma Leghorns at 6:05pm at Arnold Field. The Stompers will welcome a special guest that night, Adrian Palazuelos, Superintendent of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District. Palazuelos is excited to have baseball back in Sonoma and recognizes the importance of having the Stompers back on the field.

“It is very important that the youth and adult members of our community can come together safely to support the Stompers,” Palazuelos said. “The positive impact of being together and cheering on our hometown team is a unique feeling that many of us longed for during the early months of the pandemic when sports were not played.”

After a challenging last couple of school years, Palazuelos noted some of the challenges that came with distance learning and coming back to in-person learning during the school year.

“I would be remiss if I did not start by sharing my gratitude to all of our classified, certificated, and management staff who made the commitment to be with us through this year of transition during our return to in-person learning. The 2021-2022 school year has been a year of continued change as a result of the complexity in responding to the pandemic and the new challenges presented to us. We all learned a great deal about the importance that our schools play in the lives of our students,” Palazuelos noted.

Palazuelos continued to speak about the exciting new opportunities for SVUSD students next school year.

“I am excited about the future prospects of our school district and the changes that are already in process. During the 2022-2023 school year we will be introducing new curriculum in our schools (elementary history/social science and middle school English language arts), embarking on a robust Long Range Facilities Master Plan, the opening of the new aquatics complex at Sonoma Valley High School, and a number of other positive changes for our school district,” Palazuelos said.

All in all, Palazuelos is ecstatic to serve as Superintendent of Schools in Sonoma and has a positive outlook for the future.

“The Sonoma Valley USD schools mean opportunity, achievement, and excitement,” Palazuelos said. “I am more than thrilled to serve as the superintendent of this school district and look forward to continuing our collective work to support all students in reaching their individual success.”

Tim Meyers, the new CEO at Bank of Marin, will also be in attendance on Community Night. On November 1, 2021, Myers assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer. Myers has over two decades of experience in finance and banking — spanning small business, middle market and corporate banking. He began his banking career in 1998 and prior to joining Bank of Marin, he served as a Vice President, Commercial Banking Officer for U.S. Bank, National Association and Comerica Bank.

The Stompers look forward to having Palazuelos and Meyers join us at Arnold Field on Saturday for Community Night! For tickets, purchase them now!

Sonoma Fit is the Official Gym Partner of the Sonoma Stompers

SONOMA, Calif.-

The Sonoma Stompers are thrilled to announce SonomaFit as the Official Gym Partner of the

Sonoma Stompers.

SoFit currently serves the communities of Sonoma, Petaluma, and Novato with all three locations open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Soon, they will welcome San Rafael into their Sonoma Fit community. The San Rafael facility will be an upscale, boutique facility with EVERYTHING you need to get FIT and healthy.

SonomaFit is the preferred gym of the Sonoma Stompers and ideal for those looking to live a healthy lifestyle. Personal training and small group training classes are available with dynamic modalities not found in any other studio! SoFit gyms also include the most advanced machines and equipment such as squat racks, sleds, rowers, plyo boxes, free weights, TRX straps, and MORE!

The Stompers have an open-to-the-public Meet and Greet, May 31st 5PM-7PM at SonomaFit: 19310 Sonoma Hwy., Sonoma, CA 95476. This event is proudly sponsored by Baker and Cook & Sonoma Springs Brewery. Tasty bites and beverages will be open to the public. Fans will also have an opportunity to participate in Raffle Prizes!

Mark your calendars for the Fourth of July Parade as the Stompers and SonomaFit look to win this year's best float award before the Stompers face off the Novato Knicks at 5:10PM!

Be sure to order your Fourth of July tickets before they sell out! The Tree Fort Wine Lounge and Friedman’s Home Improvement Diamond Level Seats are SOLD OUT! Available seating in the Grandstands and LF Pavilion still remain, but not for long! Bring a blanket to lay out in the outfield for post game fireworks!

Hey, guys! Welcome to the Stompers!

Stompers intern Brett Ghisletta contributed to this story.

As the Stompers continue to sign collegiate players for the 2022 season, we will continue to introduce them to you, the fans! Here’s more about three of our new players coming to Sonoma this summer.

Gavin Rognlien - Santa Clara University

Rognlein is a homegrown product from right here in Sonoma, CA. He attends Cardinal Newman High School in Santa Rosa, CA. 

In his career at Cardinal Newman, is a .306 hitter with four home runs, 24 RBI and 28 runs scored. He has a career OPS of .918.

Rognlein will be attending and playing at Santa Clara University this fall.

"I chose Santa Clara because the school can provide me with one of the top catholic educations in the country.  The incredible coaching staff and excitement around the program made it an easy choice," Rognlien said. "I also couldn't deny the opportunity to stay home and play in front of my friends and family."

Rognlein has received high praise from his future head coach at SCU, Rusty Filter.

"Gavin is a physical athlete who comes from two great programs in Cardinal Newman High and CBA travel club," Filter said.  "He has the ability to play all three outfield spots and add power to our lineup.  Gavin is an exciting addition to our program who will impact our outfield quickly."

Be sure to follow Gavin and the rest of his baseball season at Cardinal Newman before he plays for the hometown Stompers! The No. 1 seeded Cardinals will be hosting the CIF North Coast Section Division 3 Semi-Finals Tuesday vs No. 4 Campolindo.

Jacob Weiss - University of Pacific 

Weiss is from Atwater, CA and played his prep ball at Atwater High School. Now, he’s in his sophomore season for the Pacific Tigers.

Weiss was selected as a Second Team All-League catcher, County All Star and the team's Outstanding Hitter Award Winner in 2017 .In 2018, the right-hander won the Atwater High Gold Glove Award before collecting First Team All-League honors as a catcher while also earning the award for Outstanding Pitcher.

He is hitting .280 with seven home runs, 24 RBI and 20 runs scored so far this season.

Follow Jacob and the Tigers before he heads to Sonoma!

Michael Bell - Cal Poly SLO

Bell is originally from Fresno, CA and is playing his high school ball at San Joaquin Memorial High School. Bell is leading the Panthers to a 20-5 record at the moment. Bell was also the County/Metro Athleic Conferene Co-Offensive player of the year in football this past fall.

He is committed to Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo. According to PerfectGame.org, his average exit velocity was clocked in at 86 MPH. Bell will be a solid power hitter for the Mustangs next spring and the Stompers this summer!
Follow Michael the rest of the way in his high school career!

Noah Rabin - Santa Rosa Junior College

Noah Rabin has officially joined the Stompers. He will not be heading far, as he is currently playing ball at the Santa Rosa junior College. Rabin played at West County (then known as Analy) High School in Sebastopol, California. In his 48 varsity games played, he hit .298 with 27 RBI, 33 runs, and a fielding percentage of .899 including turning 12 total double plays. 

Rabin was impressive at the JC level this season. He finished the season with a .353 batting average with six home runs, 32 RBI, 17 doubles, and a 1.062 OPS. He also held a .828 fielding percentage. He played in all 41 games for his club. 

SRJC finished their season 25-16. Rabin will be joining multiple of his college teammates with the Stompers in June. We wish him well during his time in Sonoma!

Fabulous Five: Meet the five new players joining the squad this season

As opening day nears, let’s continue to meet some of the players that will be joining the Stompers this summer!

Maxx Castellucci - Sacramento City College

Castellucci comes to Sonoma from Sacramento City College, but is a local player. He is originally from Napa, CA and attended Justin Siena High School. 

He appeared in three games for Sacramento City College this season. 

Be sure to follow Castellucci before he comes to Sonoma!

Hayden Crews - Sacramento City College

Crews will also be coming to us from Sacramento City College. He is from West Sacramento, CA and attended River City High School. He had helped River City to a three-game winning strea in his senior season in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic shut it down.

He came out onto the scene as a freshman hitting .514 in 44 at-bats in 2017 while driving in 14 runs. In his high school career, he hit .357 with 28 RBI and 11 doubles.

On the mound, he struck out 18 batters in 19 innings of work over his three-year high school career.

Garrett James - Santa Rosa Junior College

James is originally from Fort Bragg, CA and starred at Fort Bragg High School. James is playing for the Santa Rosa Junior College Bear Cubs.

In the now-concluded 2022 season with the Bear Cubs, James threw 19.2 innings in 10 appearances on the mound. He’s recorded 13 strikeouts along the way.

Brady Routon - Sacramento City College

Routon is another Sacramento City College Panther who will be donning the navy blue and orange this summer. He comes to us from El Dorado Hills, CA and played his high school ball at Oak Ridge High School. 

Throughout his high school career, Routon was dominant on the mound. Over his three-year varsity career, Routon pitched 45.1 innings to the tune of a 2.62 ERA. He struck out 46 batters while walking just 15. 

Follow Brady until he gets to Sonoma!

Tyler Hellums - Santa Rosa Junior College

Hellums is a local product from Windsor, CA and attended Windsor High School. He was named North Bay League - Redwood pitcher of the year his senior season in 2019.

Boy, was it deserved. In his senior campaign at Windsor, he went 6-1 with a miniscule 0.29 ERA He completed two games, one of which was a no-hitter. In 48.1 innings that season, he struck out 82 batters to 34 walks and allowed an opponents’ batting average of just .111.

In his two-year varsity career for the Jaguars, he threw 92.1 innings with a 0.83 ERA with 142 strikeouts and 66 walks. Opponents got on base just 30% of the time against him and allowed just 11 earned runs.

This season with SRJC in limited action, he had a strikeout-per-nine innings ratio of 10.13.

Staying Local: Meet three Junior College players competing in the playoffs this weekend

As the junior college playoffs heat up, let’s meet three future Stompers that will be competing in those playoffs this weekend!

Daniel Smith - Santa Rosa Junior College

Smith originally hails from Ukiah, CA and was a Ukiah High School Wildcat. Smith currently plays at Santa Rosa Junior College.

In 60.2 career high school innings, he pitched to the tune of a 4.38 ERA with a 7-5 record, 72 strikeouts, 31 walks allowed and a .255 opponents’ batting average.

This year at SRJC, Smith is 5-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 57 innings of work. He’s struck out 68 batters to just 16 walks allowed in those innings. SRJC is hosting Butte this weekend in the CCCAA Baseball Northern Regional.

Follow Smith and the Bear Cubs the rest of the season before they come to Sonoma!

Eric Woodrow - College of Marin

Woodrow is from Fairfax, CA and attended Sir Francis Drake High School, which is now known as Archie Williams High School. 

For the Mariners, he has pitched 34 innings this season, striking out 36 batters to 17 walks with a strikeout rate of 9.53 per nine innings. COM will take on Ohlone College in the CCCAA Baseball Regionals this weekend. 

Follow Eric and the Mariners before he comes to Wine Country!

Jack Cazin - Santa Rosa Junior College

Cazin is a southpaw that will be coming to Sonoma from Santa Rosa Junior College. He is from Dannville, CA. Cazin played his prep ball at Monte Vista High School.

In his senior season, Cazin helped the Mustangs by pitching to the tune of a 3.23 ERA with an opponents’ batting average of .231. 

This year with SRJC, he’s struck out 23 batters in 40.2 innings pitched. 
Follow Cazin and the Bear Cubs for the rest of the season before the lefty heads to Sonoma!

They're Comin' to your City

As the Stompers continue to sign collegiate players for the 2022 season, we will continue to introduce them to you, the fans! Here’s more about three of our new players coming to Sonoma this summer.

Tucker McEnroe - Texas A&M Corpus Christi

McEnroe comes to Sonoma from Texas A&M Corpus Christi where he is completing his freshman season at the moment. He is from Spring, Texas, playing his prep ball at Klein Oak High School.

McEnroe will help the Stompers on the infield in 2022. This season with the Islanders, he is hitting .265 with two home runs, 16 RBI and has scored 10 runs.

Texas A&M Corpus Christi is 21-24 on the season. Follow Tucker the rest of the season before opening day in Sonoma!

Daniel Morehead - Youngstown State University

Morehead is a freshman at Youngstown State. He is a local product, coming from Cardinal Newman High School in Santa Rosa, CA.

In the 2021 COVID-19 shortened season last spring as a senior at Cardinal Newman, Morehead appeared in four games without allowing an earned run while striking out seven batters. He helped the Cardinals to a 17-3 record that season.

Follow Daniel for the rest of the season before he comes home this summer!

Food and Beverage Partners Announced!

The Sonoma Stompers are proud to announce our Four Food and Beverage Partners for the 2022 season! 

JACOB’S RESTAURANT is the “Official Restaurant Partner of the Sonoma Stompers”. Since 1989, Jacob’s Restaurant, formerly known as Pizzeria Capri Ristorante has been a neighborhood favorite for over three decades. Fans can now enjoy Jacob’s fresh Chicago Style Hot Dogs, hearty pizzas, fresh salads, and Gyros down the third-base concession stand. Enjoy Jacob’s Restaurant at Arnold Field during Stompers games as well as their main location at 1266 Broadway, Sonoma.  

HENHOUSE BREWING COMPANY is the “Official Beer Partner of the Sonoma Stompers” and the “Official Partner of the Beer Garden”. They value teamwork, quality, knowledge and stokedness. They also believe living these values creates jobs that don’t just pay a living wage, they also help achieve goals they wouldn’t on their own. HenHouse believes that a thriving company directly benefits its employees, its shareholders, its partner businesses and its community as a whole. A profitable business is part of the bedrock of a strong community and HenHouse is a part of the bedrock of Sonoma County.

TREE FORT is the “Official Wine Lounge Partner of the Sonoma Stompers”! If you’re beach bound or to the hills, sharing moments alone or family thrills, or sitting at the ballpark, we have you taken care of. A wine that embodies the central coast from its start, a paradise found to all of those who venture forth. Whether it’s a surfboard in hand, a saddle on your shoulder,  hiking the hillsides, or catching a Stompers game, reclaim your hideout with Tree Fort.

Ricci Vineyards Wines is the “Official Wine Shack partner of the Sonoma Stompers”, which is located at the entrance of the stadium. The Ricci family has farming in their  blood. For multiple generations they have tilled the soil and cultivated the land that has ultimately become one of the most esteemed wine locales in the world. Since 1982, Ricci Vineyards have produced premium wine grapes sought after by renown winemakers and revered wineries throughout Sonoma and beyond. After nearly forty years farming, Ricci Vineyards is also very proud to be producers of small-lot, boutique wines crafted from Carneros. Share in their adventures and be a witness to their wine journey.