BVarsity Live

06/02/2024

With a four-run lead and nine outs left from its first regional baseball title, No. 2 Bakersfield Christian was primed to close out a dominant performance against top-seeded Bellflower-St. John Bosco on Saturday night.

But a cruel turn of events flipped things on its head in an otherwise magical season for the Eagles.

The Braves rallied with a run in the bottom of the fifth, scored three more in the sixth and finished things off with the winning run scoring on a controversial balk call in St. John Bosco’s 5-4 victory in the Southern California Regional Division-III title game.

With a four-run lead and nine outs left from its first regional baseball title, No. 2 Bakersfield Christian was primed to close out a dominant performance against top-seeded Bellflower-St. John

06/02/2024

The list of Liberty's heroes is about as long as the Patriots' baseball team’s roster.

An incredible cast of characters, all fusing together as one as part of an unbelievable run of 20-straight victories that featured a South Yosemite River League title, the program’s first Central Section crown and culminated with a Southern California Regional Division-II championship on Saturday evening.

The fantastic finale of high emotions started with the top-seeded Patriots trailing visiting Moorpark by four runs with one out in the seventh, picked up energy with an improbable three-run home run to tie the game and reaching a frenetic pitch with a heart-stopping base hit to win it in the 10th inning, capping a magical season with a 6-5 victory over the No. 3 Musketeers in front of a packed house at Liberty Field.

The list of Liberty's heroes is about as long as the Patriots' baseball team’s roster.

06/02/2024

No. 8 Chavez scored two runs in the top of the ninth and then held on for an 8-6 victory over No. 2 Azusa at Azusa Pacific University in Saturday's

05/31/2024

Don’t let the relatively pristine uniform fool you, as one opposing player said it best, Bakersfield Christian pitcher Mason Brassfield “was filthy” on Thursday afternoon.

The No. 2 Eagles standout left-hander shook off a rough start, by his lofty standards, and thoroughly dominated No. 3 San Diego-Point Loma’s lineup before tiring in the seventh.

In likely his last high school game on the mound, Brassfield came within one out of a complete game, limiting the Pointers to a run on five hits, striking out 12 to push BCHS to a 3-1 victory and into its second straight Southern California Regional Division-III baseball title game.

Don’t let the relatively pristine uniform fool you, as one opposing player said it best, Bakersfield Christian pitcher Mason Brassfield “was filthy” on Thursday afternoon.

05/31/2024

SHAFTER — It’s one thing to ready oneself for the palpable excitement around a rivalry game against a league rival in the state playoffs.

It’s whole new ballgame when it actually comes to fruition.

Chavez baseball coach Scott Neal has been coaching the Titans for 16 seasons over a span of 20 years and has three Central Section titles under his regime.

But a road game at a league rival in the CIF Southern California Division V regional semifinals is a different kind of excitement.

With a standing room-only crowd sprawling down both foul lines, the Titans defeated Shafter 4-2 in eight innings Thursday in a game that felt like a heavyweight boxing match with each community hanging on every pitch.

SHAFTER — It’s one thing to ready oneself for the palpable excitement around a rivalry game against a league rival in the state playoffs.

05/31/2024

There’s a good reason Liberty baseball coach Tony Mills has so much confidence in Brock Thompson’s ability to come through in the clutch.

The senior standout shortstop/pitcher demonstrated exactly why in the eighth inning of the Patriots' CIF SoCal Regional Division II semifinal game against visiting Poway on Thursday.

After entering as a relief pitcher and escaping a one-out, bases-loaded jam by striking out two batters to end the threat, Thompson drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom half of the inning to push his team to a dramatic 4-3 win.

There’s a good reason Liberty baseball coach Tony Mills has so much confidence in Brock Thompson’s ability to come through in the clutch.

05/31/2024

Talk about a perfect storm. It's been more like a tornado the last few weeks, as Kern County’s remaining baseball and softball teams continue to blow away the competition.

On the heels of four baseball and one softball Central Section titles last weekend, the five champions all won their opening game of the Southern California Regional playoffs on Tuesday, advancing to Thursday’s semifinals.

Talk about a perfect storm. It's been more like a tornado the last few weeks, as Kern County’s remaining baseball and softball teams continue to blow away the competition.

05/31/2024

The last time Liberty’s Chance Gerecke stepped on a mound, things didn't go as well as he had hoped.

On Saturday, the junior right-hander gave up six runs in three innings and exited with his team trailing 6-4 in the Central Section Division-I title game in Visalia.

The Patriots rallied for the win, giving Gerecke a chance at redemption just 72 hours later Tuesday when the team took the field in the opener at home in the Southern California Regional D-II playoffs.

And Gerecke made the most of his second chance, mitigating damages with a gritty five innings. He was also 2 for 4 with a two-run home run and three RBIs in what turned into a lopsided 14-5 victory over No. 8 Westlake Village-Westlake at Liberty.

The last time Liberty’s Chance Gerecke stepped on a mound, things didn't go as well as he had hoped.

05/31/2024

At this point it’s almost expected that the Bakersfield Christian softball team is going to win every time it takes the field.

The only questions are how the game will play out and the final score.

The Eagles continued their season-long hot streak Tuesday by edging visiting Porterville-Monache 3-2 in the first round of the Southern California Regional Division III playoffs.

At this point it’s almost expected that the Bakersfield Christian softball team is going to win every time it takes the field.

05/31/2024

Bakersfield Christian standout McCoy Silicz said he felt comfortable long before delivering the first pitch for the Eagles in Tuesday's playoff game.

Hard to fathom that he could have envisioned his performance as the second-seeded and host Eagles defeated No. 7 Palm Desert 11-1 in five innings in the opening round of the CIF Southern California Division III regional playoffs.

Bakersfield Christian standout McCoy Silicz said he felt comfortable long before delivering the first pitch for the Eagles in Tuesday's playoff game.

05/27/2024

A jammed-packed postseason of Kern County high school baseball and softball will continue this week when the Southern California Regionals playoffs begin Tuesday.

Section baseball champions Liberty, Bakersfield Christian, Shafter and Chavez will be joined by softball-champion BCHS for first-round play. All games are slated to start at 4 p.m.

A jammed-packed postseason of Kern County high school baseball and softball will continue this week when the Southern California Regionals playoffs begin Tuesday.

05/27/2024

VISALIA — With trophy in hand, the Liberty baseball team couldn’t contain itself any longer, celebrating in unison across all corners of Valley Strong Ballpark Saturday night.

It was the culmination of an amazing night as Patriots channeled that collective energy into an unbelievable turnaround, capped by the program’s first Central Section championship in school history.

VISALIA — With trophy in hand, the Liberty baseball team couldn’t contain itself any longer, celebrating in unison across all corners of Valley Strong Ballpark Saturday night.