Local notebook: Clark signs with Cleveland, men's soccer schedules released
Jul. 22—Just a few short days after the 2022 MLB Draft concluded, the future is beginning to come into focus for one Kern County standout.
Logun Clark, a catcher out of Taft who went to the Cleveland Guardians in the 16th round (No. 481 overall), told The Californian that he plans to sign with the team.
It's the fulfillment of a dream Clark said he's had since he was first able to walk.
"It feels really good," he said. "I'm happy to represent my town and I know everybody here in Taft is happy and very proud of me."
He made sure to thank by name his parents, grandfather, high school coach Matt Davis and former Taft standouts Chase Blackwood and Steven Gee. And Clark added that his brother and teammate Cash, the South Sequoia League Rookie of the Year this past season, will "probably do bigger things than I am."
Clark was previously committed to play college ball at Cal State Bakersfield. He said he was pretty sure he was going to get drafted and that it was just a matter of which round.
He is headed to Arizona on Sunday to start working with the Guardians organization right away in what he likens to a "freshman orientation," working with hitting and catching coaches.
Fellow draftees Cutter Coffey (second round) and Austin Charles (20th round) have begun to make their plans known as well; Coffey told 1430 ESPN on Monday he's signing with Boston, while Charles, reached via text Wednesday, referred to a television report — one stating he's planning to attend UC Santa Barbara but waiting on a possible "attractive offer" from Kansas City next week — which he said "pretty much sums it up."
Beautiful game: As August approaches, more and more details are trickling out from Bakersfield College and CSUB about fall sports. The latest pair of schedules to be released come from men's soccer.
Last year's Renegades got hot late last fall, winning seven straight conference games. They then got a double-overtime playoff winner from Marco Guerrero to pull off a win at Long Beach before falling short at El Camino in the second round. Now entering its seventh season of existence, BC men's soccer will open the year at home against College of the Sequoias on Aug. 26. Last year, those same teams kicked off the season with a 0-0 tie in Visalia. Everyone on the team last year had freshman eligibility, though goalkeeper Adrian Sandoval and forward Andrew Gonzalez went on to colleges (CSUN and Grand Canyon, respectively). If all others return as expected, then BC will retain its leaders in scoring (Anthony Miron) and assists (Guerrero).
As for the Roadrunners, their team lost two of its top three goalscorers, Aodhán O'Hara and Tom Shepherd, but Carlos Armendariz returns after slotting home four penalty kicks last year. Harry Downing, Bryson Hankins and Stephon Marcano will provide some continuity on the defensive end. Last year's CSUB team, much like its crosstown counterpart, struggled early in nonconference play before climbing into the playoff picture as a middle seed. Unlike BC, however, CSUB lost right away, falling 3-1 at home to UC Davis in the first round of the Big West Conference playoffs. The Roadrunners will begin their 2022 campaign on the road at San Jose State on Aug. 25; CSUB's home opener is Sept. 1 against Grand Canyon.
BC's (American) football team also added a scrimmage against West Hills Coalinga on Aug. 27.
Love of the game: Garces grad and current Pacific golfer Maverick Pavletich made a splash for the second time this summer. After previously winning the Paso Robles City Golf Championship, Pavletich earned some hometown recognition by finishing in first place in the U.S. Amateur qualifying event at Bakersfield Country Club on July 11. Pavletich edged out his fellow qualifier, Minnesotan Conor Schubring, for first place with a 9-under 135. Bakersfield natives Dakota Ochoa and Stephen Hale settled for alternate status.
Last year, Pavletich and Hale were the local qualifiers, and neither made the cut in stroke play at the tournament. Pavletich will have the chance to compete at the U.S. Amateur in Paramus, N.J., beginning Aug. 15.
Miscellaneous: A pair of spring sports squads at CSUB picked up Division I transfers, with Kyler Stancato (Washington State) joining the baseball team and Pearl Moore (UAB) signing for beach volleyball ... BC sent two more of its 2021-22 athletes to college: Angie Gonzalez (women's basketball, La Verne) and Anthonie Banuelos (wrestling, Missouri Valley) ... Guards Madison Johnson and Kyla Wandick, of the Bakersfield High girls basketball team, will play at NCAA Division II Academy of Art in San Francisco next season ... Mira Monte alum Braxton Huggins, who played Division I basketball at New Mexico State and Fresno State, will continue his overseas career for Pistoia in Italy after stints in the Netherlands, Finland, Estonia and more ... Another Bakersfield native, women's soccer forward Eszter Toth of Bakersfield Christian, CSUB and Missouri Western State, will also head to Italy to play for Real Meda CF just outside Milan.
Reporter Henry Greenstein can be reached at 661-395-7374. Follow him on Twitter: @HenryGreenstein.
