COLUSA, CA (MPG) – In addition to graduating eight seniors off the 2024 section championship squad, the Colusa baseball team finds itself in a period of transition with not only a relatively new crop of players but also with a new coach given that the longtime fixture in the position, Eric Lay stepped down after a highly successful 12-year run.
Taking over the head coaching duties this season is Charles Price, whose son Lucas along with Kane Nall and Adan Travis are the only three starters returning from last year’s squad.
With so many new faces on the roster, the lack of experience showed last week at the RedHawks’ Mike West Invitational as miscues kept them from picking up a win.
In its first game against Winters, Colusa jumped ahead 7-3, but saw the Warriors put seven on the board in the fifth and two additional runs in the sixth to hand the RedHawks a disappointing 7-12 loss.
Mason Gutierrez finished 2 for 3 with two runs batted in, while Rowdy Moore and Colton Nobles accounted for the only other hits.
Following up in a second game last Friday afternoon, the RedHawks fell 6-15 to eventual tournament champion Fort Bragg.
Carlos Franco finished 2 for 2, Jace MacKaben went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI, while Nall also picked up a pair of hits including a double.
Rounding out the tournament with a 4-5 loss to Gridley, Price went six and two-thirds on the hill, scattering six hits and did not yield an earned run, but five Colusa errors were too much to overcome.
MacKaben doubled, while Travis and Price had one hit apiece.
Still searching for their first victory, Colusa was on the road against Woodland Christian on Mar. 10 and is in Fort Bragg for the Bill Pavioni Invitational, which starts today.