Gridley
GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - The Gridley Bulldogs haven’t competed on a baseball field since their 2022 defeat in the Northern Section Division III finals.

On top of not playing a competitive inning this season and former Gridley head coach Dan Crabtree retiring, the Bulldogs made alumnus dreams come true.

Javier Solis was named the new head coach and it was something he knew he always wanted to do.

“When I graduated from here, I knew I eventually wanted to come back and give back to the town who made me who I was,” Solis said.

Solis graduated from Gridley in 2005 where he continued his baseball dream of playing at Yuba College and transferred to California State University, San Francisco.

The one thing Solis hasn’t been able to do yet is compete in a game with his team as their game against Sutter was rained out on March 6 and March 8.

“We’re getting work in any way we can whether that’s in the weight room or the basketball gym. These guys do not like taking a day off,” Solis said to the Herald.

Solis is going to lean on his senior leadership to help break the ground of a new season with a new coach.

Senior shortstop/pitcher and captain Michael Ryan is the perfect mold as one of the senior leaders for this hungry and experienced team.

Ryan is a four-year varsity player and said that as a freshman, a senior player took him under his wing and it helped groom him into the leader he wants to be.

“The key thing is for everyone to know that you have their back no matter what,” Ryan said.

Ryan exclaimed to the Herald that Solis approached the new head position in a great way as he has brought fun ways to the team so far.

An example of this was displayed when the Herald was present for a hitting competition between all the Bulldogs in the Farmers Hall gym where they had to hit a soft tossed ball into the center of a net and the most points moved on to the next round.

After everyone finished their stations, the top few competed in the finals. With smiles all around, the coaching staff is implementing the rapport with the team early on.

Ryan reiterated although the weather has taken away some opportunities to play during the season, he is grateful for always being able to get some work in somewhere.

As Solis was previously the junior varsity coach at Gridley, he has players that are coming up with him and junior catcher Bryan McWilliams told the Herald he appreciates the intensity Solis brings daily.

Sophomore pitcher Garrett Francis was brought up to the varsity level early last season as there was a huge need for pitching last year. Francis expressed that he stepped in as needed and ended up with 50 innings pitched and had 52 strikeouts.

The confident sophomore was able to gain the experience in his freshman season to where he has the confidence of an ace and will be an important player for the Bulldogs this season.

Gridley was scheduled to play on the road Tuesday at Lindhurst and Thursday at Pierce.

Solis said he wants the players on his roster to learn something new every game.

Live Oak
LIVE OAK, CA (MPG) - Every resident in the city of Live Oak should line up and shake the hand of current Lions head coach Jeff Smith as he saved the baseball program when he took it over four years ago.

Smith mentioned to the Herald that in his first season of coaching the junior varsity basketball team, he was asked if he wanted to take over the varsity baseball program and if he didn’t accept the position, there would more than likely not be a baseball program.

“It made my answer really easy,” Smith said.

The biggest dilemma that Smith has had in his time as the head coach of the baseball program is getting players consistently coming out year in and year out.

For the athletes that have come out and played, Smith is grateful and couldn’t appreciate anything more. His three captains for this Lions squad are senior right-handed pitcher Colton Hernandez, senior shortstop Adrian Caudillo and sophomore first baseman T.J. Ehrke.

“I lean heavily on them in the practices,” Smith said.

Smith added they had no graduating seniors last year so he was able to bring his entire roster back and add some players as well.

“Everyone has matured a lot and it helps to see the growth around the program,” Smith said.

The Live Oak pitching staff is going to consist of Ehrke, fellow sophomore right hander Tanner Tillotson, who was named to the All-Sacramento Valley League team for the Lions last season. Rounding out the main pitching staff is senior right hander Colton Hernandez.

Live Oak was able to start their season on the right foot with a 14-4 victory over Biggs on February 23. Ehrke pitched all five innings on the mound for the Lions, giving up four hits and striking out five in the effort.

Live Oak had six players with at least one run batted ball in the game and eight of their nine hitters grabbed a hit during the first victory of the year.

Smith wants to grow every year more and more so with the Lions winning three games last season, the team is on its way there when it won the first game of the year.

Smith added with the Maxwell tournament that Live Oak was scheduled to play this past weekend doesn’t help, they will continue to work and prep for their next game.