The Tour for the Cure made a stop at Sam Lynn Ball Park Tuesday night. Tim Riley and Chris Richards are touring all 189 major and minor league parks to raise money for the Jimmy Fund, a foundation that raises money for cancer research.
The duo, which occasionally sleeps in their Chrysler 300M — a rental — drove in from Las Vegas this morning, making Bakersfield their 68th stop. On Wednesday Riley and Richards will visit Inland Empire and Lake Elsinore. So far this year, they have raised $7,500.
For more information go to www.tourforthecure.org or contact Riley at timriley@tourforthecure.org.

Cal State Bakersfield added 6-foot point guard Javarus Stewart, who will play for the Roadrunners next season.
After a standout career at Cedar Shoals High in Athens, Ga. — he averaged 27.6 points and hit 41.6 percent of his 3-pointers through 29 games his senior year and was named the Athens Banner-Herald player of the year — Stewart played two seasons at Georgia Perimeter College in Decatur, Ga.
As a freshman, Stewart led the Jaguars in steals, averaging 5.7 per game. He was second on the team in assists at 8.8 and hit 57.4 percent from the 3-point line.
Stewart sat out last season to focus on school and joins the ’Runners with two years of eligibility left.
Earlier this week the university announced a partial schedule that included home dates against Oregon State and San Jose State. With a strong group of young players coming back, Brown continues to add experience through junior college players.
Stewart is the fifth junior college player to sign with Bakersfield, joining Terrence Johns (Bakersfield College), Santwon Latunde (Cowley College), Ryan Brown (Oakton Community College) and Donald Lee (L.A. Pierce College).
The ’Runners have one scholarship left and expect to have their recruiting class finalized soon.

Here is a link to the web version of my story for Thursday's paper on Cal State Bakersfield hiring a baseball coach.
Update: Link was changed to reflect story in Thursday's paper. www.bakersfield.com/136/story/143492.html

A press conference has been set for Thursday at noon in the Icardo Room. Cal State Bakersfield will announce its first head baseball coach at that time. I expect to have more on this by the end of the day.

Former North High star Morgan Saso is returning home to Bakersfield. The 6-foot-3 center is transferring from the University of New Mexico to Cal State Bakersfield.
Saso played in 12 games for the Lobos last season. She will sit out the 2007-08 season per NCAA transfer rules.
During her senior year with the Stars in 2004, Saso averaged 17 points and 12.8 rebounds per game, earning a spot on the Californian's All-Area team.

Cal State Bakersfield has received seven contracts for the 2007 men's basketball season. The highlight of the schedule is Oregon State's trip Rabobank Arena on Dec. 11. The Beavers struggled in 2006, finishing the season 11-21 (8-11 Pac-10).
Here is a list of the home games released Tuesday.
Dec. 1 San Jose State
Dec. 11 Oregon State
Jan. 2 UC Davis
Jan. 5 Pacific
March 4 Cal State Fullerton
The Roadrunners released just two road dates. CSUB will play at St. Mary's Nov. 13 and at Cal Poly Nov. 13

Cal State Bakersfield added yet another piece to its recruiting puzzle Tuesday when coach Keith Brown announced that Santwon Latunde will join the Roadrunners next season.
Latunde is a 6-foot-6 forward/center who spent the last two seasons at Cowley College in Arkansas City, Kan.
Latunde, who is from Landover, Md. averaged 13 points and eight rebounds last season and 11 points and seven rebounds as a freshman.
The sophomore joins the 'Runners with two years of eligibility left. He was also recruited by Montana State, Albany, Central Michigan, East Tennessee State and Florida A&M.
Brown brought in a lot of youth last season and seems to be focused on adding experience this season. Latunde is the fourth junior college player in CSUB's recruiting class, joining Terrence Johns (Bakersfield College), Ryan Brown (Oakton Community College) and Donald Lee (L.A. Pierce College).

Two more Bakersfield College men's basketball players signed with four-year school. Andrew Ready and Steve Alford will remain teammates, signing with Western Washington University.
Alford, a 6-foot-6 forward out of South High, averaged 12 points and five rebounds per game as a sophomore. He was recruited by Portland State, University of Texas – Pan American, Metro State, and Chaminade.
Ready, a 6-foot-1 guard from Chicago, averaged 10 points, five rebounds, and six assists. Utah Valley State, South Dakota State, Mercer University, and Cal State Bakersfield also recruited the sophomore.
"This is a great situation for both Steve and Drew," BC coach Rich Hughes said. "The academic and athletic reputation of Western Washington University was a huge factor in their final decision. They both had chances to play at D-I institutions, but ultimately, they felt their best chance at an NCAA title was at this D-II powerhouse. They are both proven winners that will bring a new level of excitement to Western Washington University basketball."
Alford and Ready join Terrence Johns, Demetrius Williamson, Aaron Perez and Lawrence Billings, who have all signed to play at four-year universities.
Hughes also announced a new addition to the 'Gades for next season. Alex Olcott, a 6-foot-7 post player from Bakersfield High, has given a verbal commitment play for the 'Gades.
"Alex will bring a dimension to our team that we have not had since I started at BC," Hughes said. "He brings a great touch from the perimeter and a strong body that can rebound and score inside. On top of that we get an outstanding student that is committed to furthering his academic and athletic career at BC."
 

Ryan Brown, a 6-foot-5 freshman out of Oakton Community College, in Des Plaines, Ill. is Cal State Bakersfield's latest addition.
Brown averaged 12.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game and was named to the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference All-Conference first team. Brown redshirted at Northern Illinois his freshman year before transferring to Oakton.
Oakton finished last season with a 29-7 record, going 14-0 in conference.

At the tail end of the season, Cal State Bakersfield came together to produce a second-place finish during the Pac-10 Championships at the Icardo Center.
The team also came together in an entirely different fashion, one that didn't involve singlets, a mat or athletic competition of any kind. Over the weekend, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the 2006-07 All-Academic Top 30 and individual All-Academic wrestling teams and the Roadrunners found themselves in 13th place with a 2.9441 team grade point average. It is the program’s highest finish, according to Bakersfield coach T.J. Kerr.
“It’s a big deal to us,” Kerr said. “I know the president (Horace Mitchell) is proud of the way the team finished the season and in the case of this thing too.”
Duke finished at the top with a 3.3861 GPA, edging out Stanford, last year’s champion.
“We’re pretty thrilled,” Kerr said.
Senior Eric Parker was named to the All-Academic team with a 3.35 GPA. The 285-pound history major finished the season with a 16-8 record.
Kerr said one of the factors for making the team is for a wrestler to win 60 percent of his matches. Sophomore Thomas Kimbrell finished the year with the third-highest GPA in the Pac-10 at 3.80 GPA in political science. The 133-pounder, however, finished the season 16-11, winning 59 percent of his matches.
“That was kind of a bummer,” Kerr said. “But he has his opportunities to win one more match.”
Kimbrell was named to the Pac-10 All-Academic first team, while Parker made the second team.
 

After wrapping up the regular season with a 9-2 win over Citrus, Bakersfield College’s baseball had to wait.
As the third-place team in the Western State conference, the ’Gades weren’t guaranteed a spot in the Southern California Regional playoffs. At the seeding meeting Sunday, the Renegades found out their season is over.
BC (24-20, 15-9) finished the year on a four-game win streak. The first win was the continuation of a contest started on March 20 that was rained out with the score tied at 7 in the seventh.
It's unfortunate for the 'Gades, who played their best baseball at the end of the season. When I talked to Tim Painton after Thursday's win he was confident his pitching staff would be able to carry them to a few postseason victories. But, the team's third-place finish wasn't enough.

After a 13-1 loss on Friday, the Blaze plays San Jose in the second game of a three-game series tonight at Sam Lynn Ball Park. Bear Bay gets the start for Bakersfield. He is 2-1 with a 3.74 ERA on the season. Gregorio Martinez takes the mound for the Giants. He is 2-0 with a 5.40 ERA.

I'll post updates throughout the game.

No score through three innings
Bakersfield loaded the bases in the second inning with two outs, but Terry Blunt flew out to center field to end the inning. San Jose starter Gregorio Martinez walked the first batter in each of the first three innings, but the Blaze failed to capitalize.

Still scoreless
Bear Bay is pitching a gem. Through five innings, the right-hander has given up just one hit — a single by Pablo Sandoval in the second inning. Gregorio Martinez continues to work out of trouble to keep the Blaze off the scoreboard.

Missed opportunity
With two outs in the sixth Thomas Berkery walked. San Jose reliever David Quinowski made one too many throws over to first and one ended up in Bakersfield's bullpen. Berkery ended up on third base, but Truan Mehl popped up to left field to end the inning.

Bakersfield scores first
With two outs in the seventh, Johany Abreu lifted a fly ball to left field. San Jose left fielder Alex Requena dropped the ball and Terry Blunt came around to score from first base. The Blaze leads 1-0 in the top of the eighth.

In 26 games with the Blaze this season outfielder Brandon Boggs hit .250 with four home runs and 17 RBIs. He hit a pair of game winning home runs on the road against Lancaster and High Desert, providing a penchant for the clutch hit. Johany Abreu rejoins the Blaze and started in left field Friday night against San Jose at Sam Lynn Ball Park.

Friday's game
San Jose is up 3-1 in the top of the third inning. The Giants scored three runs in the second and Chris Davis hit a solo home run in the bottom of the inning. However, the big play so far is a collision at home plate.
After a single to left field by San Jose's Alex Requena with two outs, Blaze left fielder Johany Abreu came up throwing. Kyle Haines tried to score from second base on the play, but the throw beat Haines by a few feet. There was a collision and Haines was out. Both benches cleared and the two teams exchanged words at home plate. No players were ejected.
The score is 3-1 heading into the bottom of the third.

Batista struggles
Blaze starter Kendy Batista came into the game with a 1.96 ERA, but gave up six earned runs in just 3 2/3 innings. The Giants scored three in the second and three in the fourth and currently lead 6-1.

Struggles continue
The Blaze is now down 13-1. San Jose scored five runs in the sixth inning on just two hits. Jose Marte started the inning and gave up all five runs — three earned — in just 2/3 of an inning. At one point he walked three batters in a row with the bases loaded.

Marte wears wrong hat
With the Blaze batting in bottom of the seventh, Marte came out wearing an all-black hat. Bakersfield was wearing the hats with the orange panel in the front Friday. Marte realized his mistake when he stepped on the field and went back in to the clubhouse to change his hat.

Final
The game is over. Bakersfield falls 13-1.

Dean Gay, 90, who participated in football and track and field in the late 1930s, donated $250,000 to the Bakersfield College stadium project.
The contribution is the final monetary piece of the $1.6 million dollar renovation on the Renegades' baseball and softball fields that is scheduled to begin later this year.
The new complex will be called the Dean and Adah Gay Sports Complex. For more on the announcement, read Friday's Californian.

The search continues to hire Cal State Bakersfield's first baseball coach. I spoke with CSUB athletic director Rudy Carvajal on Wednesday and he said, "We're still in the process."
I will post more information as it becomes available.

Bakersfield College is going to announce a sizable contribution to its baseball and softball sports complex improvement project today.
The donor will be revealed in a press conference at Gerry Collis Field at 2:30 p.m.
Once the teams finish the 2007 season, construction on the new complex will begin. The school is putting in 1,000 new seats at Gerry Collis Field and new restrooms are being installed between the two fields.
Everything but the playing surface is being replaced at the softball stadium, including 500 seats.
Premier box seats for Gerry Collis Field are available for $1,000 for five years, while premium high-back seats are $500 for five years. Premier seats at the softball complex are being sold for $500 for five years.