Ten years later, Blaze alumni are representing in MLB

It has been 10 years since the loss of the Bakersfield Blaze, the last minor-league baseball team to play in Sam Lynn Ballpark with a Major League Baseball affiliation.

The Blaze was in Bakersfield from 1995 to 2016 and had affiliation with the Giants, Rays, Rangers, Reds and lastly, the Mariners. While the franchise is no longer around, there are present-day baseball connections — MLB connections — to note.

Tim Wheeler is a local sports statistician who works at numerous Bakersfield College and Cal State Bakersfield sporting events and had been working baseball games at Sam Lynn Ballpark, including the Blaze's entire run (1,500-plus games) before retiring from the current tenant, the independent Train Robbers, in 2025. He sent in an interesting list he recently researched.

He tracked down all former Bakersfield Blaze players who are currently playing professionally, either in MLB or in the minors and have MLB experience.

One player, New York Yankees pitcher Ryan Yarbrough, just faced the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. L.A. was in New York for the first series after last week’s MLB All-Star Game.

Yarbrough, who pitched for the Blaze in 2015, is one of six current MLB players with Blaze ties and one of five pitchers. The others are the Colorado Rockies’ Michael Lorenzen (Blaze, 2013), San Diego Padres’ Wandy Peralta (2014), Washington Nationals’ Zack Littrell (2016) and current injured Dodgers relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (2015). The lone non-pitcher is Baltimore Orioles outfielder Tyler O’Neill (2015).

Wheeler also found three more Blaze players — all pitchers — who are currently in the minors, have MLB experience, but are not currently on the parent club’s 40-man roster. They are Ben Lively, Columbus (Cleveland), Dan Altavilla, Omaha (Kansas City), and Anthony Misiewicz, Louisville (Cincinnati). The three were on the Blaze in 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively.

TRAIN ROBBERS

The Bakersfield Train Robbers baseball team swept a two-game weekend series at Sam Lynn Ballpark against the Austin Weirdos in Pecos League play. Bakersfield won 8-3 on Friday and then 17-9 on Saturday.

In Friday’s game, the Weirdos scored three runs in the second inning for its only lead in the game. The Train Robbers countered and took the lead for good in the fourth inning. Brock Slikker reached base on a fielder’s choice, enabling one run to score. Zach Beatty reached first on an error, getting another run across. When Beatty stole second, the catcher’s throw was errant and yet another runner scored for a 4-3 lead. Macs Carrillo then singled to drive in Beatty. In the fifth inning, Beaty drove in two runs with a single and Maxim Fullerton added another RBI single in the sixth.

Slikker, who was the starting pitcher for Bakersfield, went 5 1/3 innings and struck out six to even his season record to 3-3.

The Train Robbers offense was on full display on Saturday, namely Fullerton and Joe Riddle. Fullerton drove in seven runs and Riddle added four more against Austin.

It was 6-0 after the first inning as Riddle had an RBI single, Cade Fujii had a RBI single and a few batters later, Fullerton hit a grand slam. Austin got a few runs back in the third, but Riddle had a two-run single in the fourth inning. Austin did get the score to within 10-7 with a three-run homer by Cono Casale in the sixth, but Fullerton had a pair of RBI doubles in consecutive innings and Riddle had a sacrifice fly. Fullerton’s final run-scoring play was a fielder’s choice in the eighth.

While starter Levi Tucker and Brenden Poindexter each got roughed up a bit early, Lucas Belcher (3-0) got the win with two innings of scoreless relief.

The Train Robbers, who are 20-7 at home this season and 26-15-1 overall, started a three-game home series with Dublin on Monday. The teams play at 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday. These games will close out Bakersfield’s regular-season home schedule. The team will be on the road for games this Friday at Dublin and Saturday at Martinez, both starting at 6 p.m. Then they will begin 2 p.m. Sunday at Dublin. The playoffs start Monday.

CSUB WOMEN’S SOCCER

The start of the regular season is less than a month away, but the CSUB women’s soccer team will be playing a Blue vs. White scrimmage game at 7 p.m. Saturday at the CSUB soccer field.

It will be the first opportunity to see the 2026 team, which is now directed by interim head coach Martin Navarro Jr. He is no stranger to the program. This will be his fifth year as Navarro has been with the team since 2022 when he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach. He was promoted in summer 2023 as an assistant coach and goalkeeper coach and became associate head coach in January. He was named interim head coach in March.

The Roadrunners open their 2026 season on the road, 6 p.m. Aug. 13 against the University of San Francisco. CSUB’s home opener is 11 a.m. Aug. 23 against Idaho State.