California Collegiate League

Last updated
The California Collegiate League
California Collegiate League Logo (2020).png
Classification Collegiate Summer Baseball
Sport Baseball
Founded1993
PresidentAaron Milam
CommissionerVacant
No. of teams8
CountryFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Most recent
champion(s)
Healdsburg Prune Packers
Most titles Santa Barbara Foresters (12)
Official website http://www.calsummerball.com

The California Collegiate League (CCL), founded in 1993, is a collegiate summer baseball league headquartered in Moorpark, California, United States. [1] It is associated with both the National Baseball Congress [2] and National Alliance of College Summer Baseball. [3]

Contents

The CCL hosts a 40-game summer season including a north-vs.-south All-Star Game, televised nationally by Bally's Sports West. [4] Players use wooden bats and professional-level baseballs to further their development as potential professional ballplayers.

History

The League was formed in 1993 and seen several changes through the years. The only two original members who still exist are the Santa Barbara Foresters and San Luis Obispo Blues. The league is considered one of top 10 collegiate summer leagues in the country. The league is known for the location of its teams and for holding a nationally televised all star game every July.

Timeline of recent events: Four new teams from Northern California joined the CCL in 2014 (Menlo Park Legends, Neptune Beach Pearl, Pacific Union Capitalists and Walnut Creek Crawdads). [5]

Since 2014, the CCL has undergone significant growth and expansion, now chartering teams from Placerville to Orange County. Teams added to the league since the conclusion of 2013 postseason include, the Walnut Creek Crawdads, the Neptune Beach Pearl, the Menlo Park Legends (who have since left the league), and the Orange Country Riptide.

In 2015, the Texas Rangers, selected Dillon Tate with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, marking the highest a CCL alumnus has been drafted. [6]

In 2017, the California Collegiate League will expand to include the Rockville Rock Hounds, the Auburn Wildcats, the Long Beach Legends, and the Arroyo Seco Saints. This will bring the total number of teams from 10 to 14.

2020 League makes major changes: The California Collegiate League's 2020 season will have a new look in the upcoming summer as the league will now consist of a three division format: South, Central, and North Divisions.

Four teams will make up the new Northern Division, with the Healdsburg Prune Packers, Lincoln Potters and the Solano Mudcats making the transition from being members of the former Affiliate Division, into becoming full-members of the California Collegiate League in 2020. They will be joined by the fourth team of the new conference, the Walnut Creek Crawdads. The Central Division will have the San Luis Obispo Blues, Santa Barbara Foresters and Conejo Oaks. The Southern Division will have Arroyo Seco Saints, Academy Barons and Orange County Riptide.

Current teams

TeamFoundedJoinedCityStadiumCapacity
North Division
Menlo Park Legends 20112024 San Mateo, California College of San Mateo N/A
San Luis Obispo Blues 19461993 San Luis Obispo, California Sinsheimer Park 2,000
Sonoma Stompers 20142021 Sonoma, California Arnold Field 1,500
Walnut Creek Crawdads 20062020 Concord, California Monte Vista N/A
South Division
MLB Academy Barons 200720?? Compton, California MLB Youth Academy N/A
Arroyo Seco Saints 20042017 Pasadena, California Jackie Robinson Memorial Field 1,820
Conejo Oaks 200620?? Thousand Oaks, California Sparky Anderson Field N/A
Orange County Riptide 20152016 Orange County, California Great Park Baseball Stadium 1,500
Santa Barbara Foresters 19911993 Santa Barbara, California Pershing Park 1,500
Affiliates
Alameda Merchants 20122024 Alameda, California Pat Bail Field N/A
San Diego Sunrays 20242024 San Diego, California Traveling team N/A
San Francisco Seagulls 20032024 San Francisco, California San Bruno Park N/A
Ventura County Pirates 20112024 Los Angeles, California Pote Field N/A

Former teams

Champions

SeasonWinnerRunner-upResult
2012Santa Barbara Foresters
2013Los Angeles BrewersSanta Barbara Foresters
2014Los Angeles BrewersNeptune Beach Pearl
2015Neptune Beach PearlLos Angeles Brewers
2016Santa Barbara ForestersConejo Oaks
2017Orange County RiptideHealdsburg Prune Packers
2018Conejo OaksOrange County Riptide
2019Santa Barbara ForestersHealdsburg Prune Packers
2021Healdsburg Prune PackersSan Luis Obispo Blues
2022Healdsburg Prune PackersConejo Oaks2-0 series
2023Healdsburg Prune PackersArroyo Seco Saints2-0 series

Statistical leaders history

Batting

YearBatting AverageRuns ScoredRuns Batted InHome RunsStolen Bases
2014Jon Torres, Los AngelesDylan Moore, Los AngelesGranger Studdard, Santa BarbaraNick Maguire/Tristan GrayGranger Studdard, Santa Barbara
2015Larry Barraza, Academy BaronsLarry Barraza, Academy BaronsAaron Cisneros, Academy BaronsAaron Cisneros, Academy BaronsKeyon Allen, Academy Barons
2016Bret Boswell, Santa BarbaraBilly Wilson, HealdsburgMartin Teague, Academy BaronsChad Spanberger, ConejoBilly Wilson, Healdsburg
2017Dayton Provost, VenturaBryce Nagata, HealdsburgJamey Smart, HealdsburgLucas Halstead/James Free IIBryce Nagata, Healdsburg

Pitching

YearEarned Run AverageWinsStrikeoutsSaves
2014Matt Esparza, Los AngelesVance Tatum, San Luis ObispoJon Duplantier, Santa BarbaraAndrew Vinson/Evan Rutter/Eddie Muhl
2015Angel Rodriguez, ConejoGary Cornish, Santa BarbaraPeter Bayer, Los AngelesAdam Atkins, San Luis Obispo
2016Kyle Johnston, Santa BarbaraKorey Anderson, San Luis ObispoTanner Murphy, Orange CountyReece Buska, Academy Barons
2017Tanner Lawson, Santa BarbaraTy Weist, Santa BarbaraTy Weist, Santa BarbaraJustin Smith, Neptune Beach

Notable alumni of current teams

While all teams in the California Collegiate League have combined for over 100 years of history, not all teams have played in the CCL throughout their history. The notable alumni of the current teams who have played in the CCL or in their respective teams' previous leagues include:

Academy Barons

Arroyo Seco Saints

Conejo Oaks

Neptune Beach Pearl

Santa Barbara Foresters

Dylan Axelrod Dylan Axelrod 2012.jpg
Dylan Axelrod

San Luis Obispo Blues

Healdsburg Prune Packers

Orange County Riptide

Notable alumni of past teams

Puff Capitalists

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References

  1. "Leagues & Teams".
  2. "Leagues & Teams".
  3. "Member Leagues | National Alliance of College Summer Baseball".
  4. "California Collegiate League All-Star Game to be nationally televised on July 17". Think Blue LA. 15 July 2013.
  5. "CCL Accepts Petition from Four Bay Area Teams to Join League in 2014". Summer Baseball Insider. 8 October 2013. Archived from the original on 18 April 2016.
  6. "Alumni - Academy Barons". Academy Barons Baseball. Archived from the original on 21 April 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2017.