Month: May 2025

Mike Klan

SAN LUIS OBIPO, Calif. – Right fielder Dylan Kordic tied a school record by driving in eight runs, half of them with a fifth-inning grand slam, and Cal Poly pounded out 21 hits for the third time this season in a 16-7 romp past UC Riverside on Saturday inside Baggett Stadium.

The victory completed the Mustangs’ sixth Big West series sweep of the 2025 campaign, propelling Cal Poly to 37-16 overall and 23-7 for second place in conference play. Cal Poly finished one game behind UC Irvine (39-13, 24-6 Big West), which outlasted Cal State Fullerton 12-10 on Saturday at Cicerone Field.

In winning eight of 10 Big West series for the second straight year, Cal Poly’s runner-up finish is the eighth in Larry Lee’s 23 seasons as head coach, including five in the last eight full campaigns. The Mustangs have won 35 or more games for the ninth time in Lee’s tenure.

UC Riverside closed an early 4-0 deficit to 5-2 before Kordic belted his big fly off the batter’s eye well over the 405-foot sign in center field. UC Riverside scored five times in the sixth to pull within three runs at 10-7, but Cal Poly regained control of the game with four runs in its half of the sixth and added two more in the eighth.

Key hits in the game for the Mustangs were a two-run single up the middle by left fielder Dante Vachini in a four-run second-inning rally, a two-run home run to left by third baseman Alejandro Garza in another four-run uprising in the sixth and a two-run double by Kordic to right-center field in the eighth. Garza and Kordic each have six homers for the year.

Kordic and center fielder Casey Murray Jr. added RBI singles while Kordic and second baseman Ryan Fenn contributed sacrifice flies.

Kordic equalled the record of eight RBIs in a single game set by Steve Pettit against Westmont College in 2004.

Kordic finished 4-for-4 at the plate, his second career four-hit game as a Mustang. He also was 4-for-4 against Ohio State in 2024. Murray also had four hits Saturday, all singles, his first at Cal Poly.

Fenn produced his 14th three-hit game of the year, including a double. Vachini (fourth), shortstop Nate Castellon (ninth) and designated hitter Cam Hoiland (fourth) all had three hits as well — Castellon with two doubles — as Cal Poly accumulated double-digit hits for the 34th time in its last 46 games.

With seven of the nine starters collecting at least one hit Saturday, Cal Poly has received hits from at least seven of its nine starters eight times in its last nine games, including all nine on three occasions. The Mustangs have hit .418 in those eight games with 28 doubles, nine home runs and a slugging percentage of .611 and an on-base percentage of .486.

Cal Poly scored double-digit runs for the 18th time this season and outscored the visiting Highlanders 36-21 in the three-game series. With four rallies of two or more runs Saturday, the Mustangs have posted crooked numbers 96 times in 53 games.

For the weekend series, Vachini was 10-for-14 with three RBIs and three runs scored while Fenn went 8-for-13 with six RBIs and six runs scored. Castellon and Murray both were 7-for-14 at the plate, Castellon driving in four runs, while Garza went 6-for-14 with three home runs, five RBIs and six runs scored.

Pitching in just his third game of the season, junior lefty Luke Kovach (1-0) earned his first victory as a Mustang, tossing three innings with six strikeouts and no walks, allowing a run and two hits. Josh Morano tossed 2 1/3 scoreless frames in relief, with Ethan Marmie throwing a scoreless ninth frame.

The loss was charged to UC Riverside starter Nolan Milliman (2-3), a senior right-hander who gave up four runs and six hits in one inning of work on the mound. Center fielder Robert Pitts homered twice and singled once to lead the Highlanders offensively. He was 5-for-14 in the series.

Cal Poly, which swept Cal State Fullerton in a Big West series in March at Baggett Stadium, will face the host Titans on the second day of the Big West Conference Championship on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Goodwin Field. The Mustangs will be the second seed and the Titans are seeded third.

Also on Thursday, top-seeded UC Irvine plays the winner of Wednesday’s first-round game between fourth-seeded UC Santa Barbara and either Hawai’i or UC San Diego at 3 p.m. The Rainbow Warriors and Tritons play a one-game winner-take-all contest Sunday to determine the final entrant in the tournament. That game was scheduled for Sunday due to graduation ceremonies at Hawai’i on Saturday.

(Article courtesy of Cal Poly Athletics)

Click here to follow the original article.

Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Santa Barbara Dons went the distance but they could not quite reach the top of the mountain.

The Dons boys volleyball team lost in five sets to Sage Hill in the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 championship match (25-15, 13-25, 25-18, 20-25, 8-15).

Santa Barbara won two of the first three sets but the visiting Lightning rallied back to make it back-to-back CIF-SS titles as they won last year in D5.

The Dons offensive attack was led by Hayes Costner and Benicio Duarte who each had 12 kills.

(Hayes Costner blasts one of his 12 kills. Entenza Design).

(Benicio Duarte ended the match with 12 kills. Entenza Design).

“I am proud of our guys. We did not look this good at the start of the season, they’re a good team, but we battled well,” said Dons senior Jack Goligski, “Just not the outcome we wanted.”

Hayes Costner appreciated the fans cheering them on in the stands.

“We were just hyped up, we wanted to win so bad. We all did pretty good we just couldn’t get it done today” “it was an exciting game today, loved to see everyone in the crowd..it was cool…it was really cool,” said Hayes Costner.

Santa Barbara will find out on Sunday if they will play in the State Regional Tournament.

Click here to follow the original article.

Andie Lopez Bornet

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – People gathered at the Carriage and Western Art Museum in Santa Barbara for the 2025 Fiesta poster and pin reveal.

Old Spanish Days’ La Primavera kicks off Fiesta festivities. “Fiesta brings the community together, that’s what I love about it,” said 2025 El Presidente Fritz Olenberger.

Saturday people gathered and enjoyed performances from the 2025 Fiesta Spirit and Junior Spirit. During the event the introductions to the Fiesta honoraries and Grand Marshals were given.

The event officially revealed the poster and pin for Old Spanish days Fiesta. 2025 El Presidente Fritz Olenberger shares a little of the posters’ inspiration.

“Every year it’s kinda the idea that the poster and the pin reflect a little bit about the president of that year. So the little bit of me is going to be my photography,” said Olenberger.

Your Newschannel spoke to one of the artists who contributed in the creation of the 2025 Fiesta poster.“Well he had a photograph that he wanted the concept based on, so then I had Kate come in and model for it and pose for it and created it from his concept,” said Derek Harrison, artist who contributed to the poster.

“I had to find some outfit that mimicked what the dress was and pose in the exact thing so that we could get the face and right orientation for it and had to get the hand right,” said Kate Maddaloni, who modeled and helped Harrison.

“There’s a what- hundred and one years of history of these posters and when Fritz first asked me to do it I went to the history museum and looked through all of them. I think it’s very suitable and fitting for this year. You know, it’s modern, but it’s still a classical oil painting. It still has that Fiesta energy and vibe to it,” said Harrison.

Old Spanish Days Fiesta 2025 kicks off July 30-August 3.

Click here to follow the original article.

Tracy Lehr

CAMARILLO, Calif.-While Dana Isabel Joaquin Juat sang the Star Spangled Banner, Sarah Ysordia signed it.

Ysordia lost her sight and hearing due to Usher Syndrome as a child, but that didn’t stop her from minoring in dance and performing with American Sign Language.

“I know that I can’t see the audience, but that is gift to everyone, so they can see my hands moving and my biggest smile,” said Ysordia.

They are among 1500 students who took part in two graduation ceremonies on the Camarillo campus on Saturday.

Some of the students carried banners with their majors during the procession.

Congratulations to the Class of 2025.

Click here to follow the original article.

Patricia Martellotti

VENTURA, Calif. – A newly approved type of test has been released that is helping increase access to HPV and cervical cancer screenings for women. 

In 2024, the FDA approved a self-collection screening for cancer-causing types of human papillomavirus (HPV). While the new tests must still be done in a healthcare setting, people can collect samples themselves if they cannot have or do not want a pelvic exam. 

According to the National Cancer Institute, almost 30% of eligible people with a cervix don’t get screened for cervical cancer at the recommended intervals. HPV is the leading cause of cervical cancer, so it is important to diagnose it early and prevent it if possible. HPV vaccine rates continue to decline. As a result, about 11,500 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year. 

Dr. Benjamin Capper is an internal medicine physician with Dignity Health Medical Group – Ventura, where this new self-collection is now being offered. 

For more information, visit: https://www.dignityhealth.org/ourdoctors/1437544699-benjamin-capper.

Click here to follow the original article.