Professional baseball league launches new team in Yolo County
(FOX40.COM) — A professional baseball team is coming to Yolo County.
On Tuesday, the Pioneer Baseball League announced its newest team as the Yolo High Wheelers, who will host games at Phil Swimley Field at Dobbins Stadium — a 3,500-seat venue at UC Davis.
The team’s nickname “High Wheelers” refers to Davis as a cycling hub and the city being the home of the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame. The High Wheelers’ colors will be Black, Yellow and Orange.
The High Wheelers are the league’s second expansion team on the West Coast after the recently launched Oakland Ballers. The Northern California squads will play each other 36 times this year, according to the league.
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Yolo County’s newest team will begin play this year with its first home game on May 21, 2024 against the Mountain Rocky Vibes. The High Wheelers will face the Ballers for the first time in the Bay Area on June 4 and will later host them on June 18.
Tickets aren’t available yet, but fans can view the team’s full 96-game schedule is online.
“It’s an honor to be bringing the first professional sports team to Davis and the broader Yolo and Solano community,” Yolo High Wheelers co-founder Bryan Carmel said in a press release. “We believe that through strong community partnerships, professional baseball can provide a new model for sports teams dedicated to building a championship culture, developing players, and investing in the local community.”
According to the PBL, the High Wheelers’ staff includes Billy Horton, who manager the league’s 2023 Manager of the Year Award, local resident Gary Davenport as bench coach and Jerome Williams as the team’s pitching coach. Troy Loparco will serve as the team’s general manager.
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What is the Pioneer Baseball League?
The PBL is an independent professional baseball league that consists of 12 teams from Northern California, Colorado, Utah, Montana and Idaho.
The High Wheelers and Ballers are the only California teams in the league. The PBL is one of four MLB Partner Leagues in the American independent baseball league system.
All 12 teams play a regular season that is split into two halves. The top two teams at the end of each half qualify for the postseason.
According to the league, the first half of the 2024 season will end on July 14 with the second half ending on Sept. 8. The 2024 PBL playoffs will begin on Sept. 10.
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