By Hugo Traverso
The week just passed encapsulated the great baseball program built by coach Joey Gomes with the Healdsburg Prune Packers. Tons of powerful offense paired with fantastic pitching and defensive web gems, on a team built with rising stars from across the country. It is frankly surprising to see the determination and great chemistry within a team like the Packers after only a month of playing together.
Some of these guys are returning players like Hideki Prather, Logan Sutter, Alex Leopard and Mason Lerma who understand the team tradition; while others like Caleb Debban and Jacob French came off of experiences with different summer teams in different leagues, states and even countries last year.
The love and friendship shown by this team is incredible and it is key to why they win so much. They reflect what the Packer teams before them have shown, that they will not go down easy, sometimes not at all. It doesn’t matter if the Pack are down three, five or even nine runs, they can come back.
Looking ahead, we are near the season’s halfway point and the Packers are currently looking great, sitting at a fantastic 15-2 record. They sit two games ahead of the second-place Medford Rogues heading into Fourth of July week and only play two league games this week, both against the Kings on Saturday and Sunday. Nevertheless, great competition and thrilling theme nights come to Rec Park.
Later this week the Packers move into a two-game series on Wednesday and Thursday against the team sitting atop the Bay Area Collegiate League (BACL) standings, the Chico Lone Wolves. The game on Wednesday night is Schat’s Bakery & Cafe Night at the ballpark at 6pm, so come hungry for some tremendously good treats from the Ukiah favorite.
Thursday’s game will be a matinee for the Packers and Lone Wolves, with first pitch at 3pm as there will be a Little League game following it. The game will honor former Packer Ed Perotti, who played for the team in the late 1950s. Stick around after the game to cheer on the rising stars of Sonoma County and enjoy a doubleheader.
Friday’s game will be on Fourth of July so come decked out in red, white and blue as the Packers play the Express at 5pm. That game will also be broadcast on ysn365.com/live, so if you can’t make it, Ryan Moffett, myself, our analyst Jacob Jannicelli and our producer Dave Cox will have coverage for you starting at 4:55pm. Stick around for fireworks after the game, set off starting at 9:30pm from nearby Healdsburg High and easily visible from Rec Park.
The weekend PEL games against the West Coast Kings will both start at 6pm. Given how great the past three matchups have been, it should be a great week in the ’Burg.
Hugo Traverso, a junior at Cardinal Newman High, is on the broadcast team for the Prune Packers this summer. Follow the games at the Youth Sports Network, ysn365.com/live.
