FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Fresno State’s Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium turned into the home for a Central Valley Junior College baseball showdown Monday night.
Fresno City and Reedley College once again teamed up to play in the Third Annual State Center Baseball Classic.
The Rams’ second-year Head Coach Mitch Karraker says the idea came about after longtime FCC Coach, Ron Scott, broke the California Community College record for all-time wins in 2022.
“They had this idea, let’s get Reedley and Fresno together and celebrate that, and celebrate Junior College baseball in the Valley,” Karraker said. “It was a great success, and we really enjoy it.”
For the first two years, the Tigers and Rams met up at Chukchansi Park in Downtown Fresno.
“This is the place all our guys are trying to get to,” Karraker said. “The very next step for them would be a place like Fresno State. They feel like they can see themselves on this field a little bit, and I think this is a cool opportunity for them to do that.”
Reedley Head Coach Steve Pearse knows Pete Beiden Field well, having been a former Diamond Dog player and Assistant Coach under legendary Head Coach Bob Bennett.
“I was one of the few guys that got to play for him for two years and coach with him for 10 years, so coming back here brings a lot of memories,” Pearse said.
As a two-year letter winner at Fresno State, Pearse earned 3rd team All-American honors in 1988 after hitting .381 and collecting 111 hits to help lead the Diamond Dogs to the College World Series.
“Central Valley has always been a baseball-rich community,” Pearse said. “We’re very fortunate.”
Pearse added that it’s a great opportunity for his players to showcase their abilities on a bigger stage.
“This is a great venue for them, this place has a lot of history,” Pearse said. “A lot of big leaguers have come out of this stadium.”
Fresno City College won with a final score of 18-14 in a game that went over four hours.
