California Sports Feed

The Hotline is delighted to provide Pac-12 fans with a regular dive into the recruiting process through the eyes and ears of Brandon Huffman, the Seattle-based national recruiting editor for 247Sports. He submitted the following report on April 25 …

Scorching start for Sun Devils

While last week was something of a roller coaster for Arizona State, the weekend itself proved to be quite fruitful.

Sure, the loss of quarterback Jaden Rashada and cornerback Ed Woods to the transfer portal came out of relative nowhere.

But second-year coach Kenny Dillingham and his staff’s persistence in recruiting — and doing it within the guidelines of the NCAA rules — paid off.

The string of success started last Friday, when ASU’s new receivers coach, former Pittsburgh Steelers great Hines Ward, pulled off a stunner and landed four-star receiver Adrian Wilson out of Texas.

Despite previously losing assistant Ra’Shaad Samples to Oregon — he specialized in recruiting the Lone Star State — the Sun Devils’ established connections enabled Ward and Dillingham to seal the deal with Wilson.

While that commitment came on offense, the next three all came on the defensive side of the ball from Hawaii, California and most importantly, Phoenix.

Arizona State went out to the 50th state to snag Waipahu linebacker Isaiah Iosefa, a top-10 player on the Islands in the class of 2025.

The Devils headed to neighboring California to reel in safety Benjamin Alefaio, a top-100 player in the state from powerhouse Orange Lutheran High School.

And critically, they went to nearby Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix to grab safety Rylon Dillard-Allen, the No. 32 safety nationally and the No. 4 player in the state of Arizona.

It appeared Dillard-Allen would be heading elsewhere — he had set up official visits to UCLA and USC. But getting him on campus last weekend allowed Dillingham to secure the commitment.

And the Devils may not be done. They made a huge impact on Honolulu offensive lineman Houston Kaahaaina-Torres, the No. 1 player in Hawaii per the 247Sports Composite Rankings, when he took an official visit last weekend.

Portal-palooza heats up

The departing Pac-12 schools suffered losses to the transfer portal all week — and gains, as well.

In fact, the same school both lost and gained.

More notably, it was the same player.

The one player UCLA could least afford to lose on a graduation-gutted defense was tackle Jay Toia, but he went into the portal last week.

A visit to Texas made it seem like it was a matter of when, not if, he would commit to the Longhorns and new co-defensive coordinator, Johnny Nansen.

After all, Nansen recruited Toia to USC, and when he joined UCLA’s coaching staff, Toia followed him to Westwood. While Toia wouldn’t then follow Nansen to Arizona, the announcement that he entered the portal last week led to speculation that they would reunite (in Austin) for Toia’s final season.

But in a stunning move, Toia announced on Monday night he would return to UCLA.

Arizona State wasn’t as lucky and lost Rashada, who signed in 2023 and was the Week 1 starter after his own circuitous recruitment. (He decommitted from Miami, signed with Florida, then wiggled out of his letter of intent because of issues with his NIL package.)

Rashada announced on Thursday morning that he would transfer to Georgia, following a similar arc as fellow 2023 quarterback Dante Moore, who flipped from Oregon to UCLA, started much of the season for the Bruins, then transferred to Oregon. In Eugene, Moore will back up Dillon Gabriel for a year, then become the starter in 2025.

With Georgia’s Carson Beck coming back after a 13-1 season, Rashada heads to Athens knowing he will be the second-stringer for a season, then (presumably) take over.

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Meanwhile, Woods put his name into the portal and will visit Alabama this weekend, potentially putting both players in the SEC.

It wasn’t all bad for the Sun Devils, however.

Tight end Chamon Metayer left Colorado and announced he would be transferring to Arizona State.

Prime’s portal plunge … and purge

Very few coaches have embraced the transfer portal like Colorado’s Deion Sanders, who has made zero bones about his reasoning — and encouraging his unwanted players to use it.

Sanders has lost his share of high-profile names this spring. Cornerback Cormani McClain and tailback Dylan Edwards are major talents whose arrivals generated much publicity last year.

But Sanders has gained several transfers, as well, with Texas tackle Payton Kirkland and Ohio State running back Dallan Hayden as two of his most recent pickups.

Pittsburgh defensive lineman Dayon Hayes and Ohio State tight end Sam Hart are other well-known transfers to join the Buffaloes.

*** Send suggestions, comments and tips (confidentiality guaranteed) to pac12hotline@bayareanewsgroup.com or call 408-920-5716

*** Follow Huffman on Twitter/X via @BrandonHuffman and support @AveryStrongDIPG

*** Follow me on Twitter/X: @WilnerHotline

*** Pac-12 Hotline is not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference, and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference.

By Giles Turner | Bloomberg

A small stake in the San Francisco Giants is for sale at a price that could value the team at about $4 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Major League Baseball team is owned by around 30 partners, including former catcher Buster Posey and investor Arctos Sports Partners. Charles B. Johnson, 91, a former chief executive officer of Franklin Templeton Investments, holds the largest stake at about a quarter.

The stake is less than 5% and related to estate planning, the person said, who asked not to be named discussing private information.

A spokesperson for the Giants didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

A consortium of investors led by Peter Magowan bought the Giants in 1992 for $100 million. The team has since become one of the more profitable teams in the league, and has invested in redeveloping its waterfront stadium.

The financial success of the Giants is in stark contrast to the troubled Oakland Athletics, which will play in West Sacramento, California, for three seasons beginning next year, ahead of the team’s planned move to Las Vegas.

Minority stake sales in sports teams have often passed hands unannounced, but the rapid rise in team valuations has brought extra attention to changes in ownership.

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A’s owner John Fisher recently said he is open to selling a minority stake in the team. Sportsology Capital Partners Ltd. and Ares Management Corp. are in exclusive talks to buy a stake in the Texas Rangers, valuing the team at $2 billion, Bloomberg reported in December.

Unlike other sports, new majority ownership for MLB teams has been relatively rare, with only a handful of teams changing hands over the past decade.

Earlier this year, David Rubenstein and a consortium of investors bought a controlling stake in the Baltimore Orioles, in a deal that values the team at $1.73 billion. The New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins and Seattle Mariners have also changed hands since 2016.

Sign up for Bloomberg’s Business of Sports newsletter for the context you need on the collision of power, money and sports.

–With assistance from Randall Williams.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.

Welcome to Friday Preps Spotlight, our new feature that sheds more light on the Bay Area’s high school sports scene. For tips and story ideas, email highschools@bayareanewsgroup.com. If you haven’t already, please subscribe. Your contributions keep us going.

TRACK AND FIELD: IS RECORD IN SIGHT FOR CCS RUNNERS?

Pioneer junior Carson Hedlund ran the 1,600 meters in 4:07.36 at Arcadia on April 6, the third-fastest time in CCS history.

Track and field is a progressive endeavor. Athletes tend to get faster, jump and throw further as their training and fitness progresses and competition intensifies as the season comes to a close.

So the natural question is how much faster can Hedlund run this season?

Can he approach the two top marks in CCS history for the mile/1,600, both run in 1977 by Willow Glen’s Mark Stillman and Serra’s Stan Ross?

Hedlund talked about it Saturday after winning the 800 at the CCS Top 8 meet:

“I always watch my races afterward on film, find what I did good, find where I made mistakes, how to not make those mistakes again,” he said. “My mistake at Arcadia was being boxed in on the second lap.”

You were boxed and still ran 4:07?

“Oh yeah, it was a crazy fast race,” Hedlund said. “But that was my mistake and it cost me the race.”

So, do you have a time goal for the rest of the season?

“Not necessarily,” Hedlund said. “I want to win, I’m here to win. Racing isn’t about time, it’s about who crosses the line first. I know I’m physically fit and mentally prepared to win all my races the rest of the year. Just a matter of executing the day of.”

Interestingly enough, also last Saturday Palo Alto’s Grant Morgenfeld ran the same exact time as Hedlund for the 1,600, 4:07.36, at the Mt. Sac Invitational, and so is now tied for third on the all-time CCS list with Hedlund.

It will be interesting to see how much more those two runners can drop their times the remainder of the season.

The two top times in their sights? Stillman’s 4:06.9 mile converts to 4:05.54 for 1,600 meters, Ross’ 4:08.2 to 4:06.76.

– Glenn Reeves

BASEBALL: BISHOP O’DOWD’S TEACHABLE MOMENT

In a world where videos of players, coaches and parents critiquing and berating umpires over their calls get millions of views on social media and a referee shortage is only getting worse, Bishop O’Dowd baseball coach Brian Mouton went in a different direction.

Early in the Dragons’ 9-5 victory this week at Piedmont, one of his key players argued a strike call with the home plate umpire.

The exchange went on until O’Dowd’s first-year coach came over and told his player to stop. Mouton then pulled the player from the game.

After the game, the coach said he expects his players to respect the umpires.

“It was very much a teachable moment,” Mouton said. “I need him to be focused and understand what is expected of him. I can’t have them arguing. I had just told him the inning before to not argue with the umpire, and then he went out there and did it.”

– Joseph Dycus

BASEBALL: MILPITAS ON VERGE OF LEAGUE TITLE

Zach Canez, in his second season as Milpitas’ head coach, is not surprised his team is at the top of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League El Camino Division standings.

He sensed last season that his team was ripe for a league title and that’s exactly where the Trojans are heading now.

“I’m not surprised at our success,” Canez said. “Maybe other people are, but these kids have it. It was just trying to change that mental state and having them believe in themselves.”

After starting this season 1-4, Milpitas has found its winning formula as the Trojans are 13-6 and undefeated through 11 games in league play.

Milpitas is 3 1/2 games ahead of second-place Santa Clara with four to go.

Led by pitcher and three-sport athlete Nathan Pagba, Milpitas is allowing just 3.6 runs per game. Pagba, a junior, has an ERA of 0.29 and leads the Trojans in on-base percentage at .465.

The league title will be the South Bay school’s first in over 20 years.

“I’ve always been told Milpitas is a ‘Little League team,’” Canez said. “I think we’re finally getting some of that awareness in the community that we’re doing something good here. We’re trying to build on that every year from now on and hopefully, we’re around a long time to stay.”

– Nathan Canilao

ARTISTIC SWIMMING: STANDOUT WINS SEVEN GOLDS AT NATIONALS

Dalia Ovadia had herself a Michael Phelps moment at the USA Artistic Swimming Junior/Senior National Championships last weekend in Houston.

The Monte Vista senior won seven gold medals to lead Walnut Creek Aquanuts to their 19th national title.

Artistic swimming was formerly known as synchronized swimming.

“She’s on the rise to be one of the greatest swimmers this country has ever seen,” Aquanuts founder Gail Emery said. “Dalia has really grown up in our environment, matured and pursued her own excellence.”

Ovadia’s coach, Tammy McGregor, was named Junior National Coach of the Year.

– Nathan Canilao

GIRLS LACROSSE: CASTILLEJA ALL-AMERICAN TAKES BIG LEAP

Senior Riley Sterling is having yet another All-America season for Castilleja.

The midfielder averages 7.4 goals per game and has a whopping 126 shots on goal – 83 more than Julia Karsner, who is second on the team.

But after a junior season in which she struggled being the lone leader on a young team, Sterling is seeing her hard work pay off as the small all-girls school from Palo Alto has a chance to win its first league title in school history.

“What happened last year was that Riley was playing with all freshmen, so the pressure was all on her and that’s not fair for any one player,” Castilleja coach Stephen Rochlin said.

“But now we’ve been able to develop their skill sets so she can play a better brand of lacrosse,” the coach added. “She can now also develop her skills because she has the players that she can pass to and the players that are around her that she can play our offense.”

Sterling has been the best player in the West Bay Athletic League Alpine Division this spring. She is committed to play lacrosse at Colorado College next season.

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– Nathan Canilao

BOYS BASKETBALL: TEAM LILLARD MAKING NOISE AT ADIDAS CIRCUIT

Team Lillard has created a Bay Area superteam.

The AAU team, owned by NBA star Damian Lillard and sponsored by Adidas, has a roster that includes Alvin Loving (Salesian), ArDarius Grayson (Oakland Tech), Elijah Perryman (Clayton Valley), Jalen Stokes (Dublin) and Jasir Rencher (Archbishop Riordan) — all of whom were all-Bay Area News Group selections this past season.

Team Lillard recently went 4-1 in the first weekend of the 3SSB Boys Circuit in Council Bluffs, Iowa, beating AAU teams such as Fresno’s Jalen Green Elite and Atlanta’s Team Honcho Basketball.

The Oakland-based team beat will play next week at the second circuit tournament in Hoover, Alabama.

– Nathan Canilao

MORAGA – A few days before its NCAA Tournament game last month, the Saint Mary’s College men’s basketball team touted its throwback culture, one that didn’t have a single player leave or enter the program via the transfer portal the previous offseason. 

The Gaels were a relic to a time before Name, Image and Likeness endorsement deals and players hopping from team to team became a reality, a changing landscape their coach has had a hard time embracing.

“I’m worried,” coach Randy Bennett said at the time. “I don’t know what the long-term result is on this thing, but I don’t think it’s good.”

Since the end of the season, the challenges and tribulations of modern collegiate athletics have surfaced at Saint Mary’s.

The town’s favorite son, Aidan Mahaney, who graduated from nearby Campolindo High two years ago, entered the transfer portal last week and is being courted by defending champion UConn and Kentucky, among others. 

Joshua Jefferson transferred on Tuesday to Iowa State, the same day that highly-touted three-star recruit Zion Sensley of Archbishop Riordan in San Francisco decommitted – moves that, like it not, brought Saint Mary’s into the firestorm of the modern era.

“You’re gonna have to adapt to it, and you can have a good attitude about it or a bad attitude about it, and I know which one will work better,” Bennett, 61, told the Bay Area News Group on Thursday. 

Aidan Mahaney (20), shown here in a file photo, has entered the transfer portal. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) 

After losing three players in a week, Bennett has no choice but to adapt now.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi of Bracketology fame is confident the Gaels will figure it out.

“Saint Mary’s has been the best true mid-major in America for a decade,” Lunardi said in an interview with the Bay Area News Group. “There’s never been a true mid-major to get back-to-back-to-back five seeds as an at-large in this era. We’re talking 1/100th of one percent.”

Even with the departures, the cupboard is not bare for the defending West Coast Conference champions. 

Augustas Marciulionis was the WCC player of the year and Mitchell Saxen was the defensive player of the year this past season. 

Both are homegrown and presumed to be returning, which has long been Saint Mary’s philosophy.

“That’s the best way to have a great culture and continue to be good year after year,” Bennett said. “And it’s not easy, especially at Saint Mary’s, but that’s the way we want to do it.”

Bennett believes his program can continue to flourish without going all-in on the changes that have dramatically impacted colleges from coast to coast.

“We tell recruits up front that this is how we’ve had success and how we want to have success,” said Bennett. “If this isn’t what you want to sign up for, then don’t sign up and it’ll save us both from having problems.”

Bennett added, “Would I rather do it with a guy we took from Day One and is homegrown? Yes, that’s the plan. But we’ll have to sprinkle in transfers, maybe three transfers this year because we’re filling holes for now and the future.”

Like Lunardi, the Sporting News’ Michael Decourcy, who has covered college basketball for decades, doesn’t believe Bennett will have any trouble filling holes given that there are about 2,000 players in the portal, according to ESPN.

“There could certainly be a player in, say, the Southland or Atlantic Sun or Big West conferences that could make Saint Mary’s better,” Decourcy told BANG.

Saint Mary’s head coach Randy Bennett will rely on Augustas Marciulionis, shown here in a file photo, to be a big part of the team again next season. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) 

Nobody is surprised Saint Mary’s is going through transfer portal woes.

Chris Dortch – the editor of Blue Ribbon’s College Basketball Yearbook, a 400-page annual preview of all Division I teams – noted that even the most high-profile programs are fighting to keep their best players for more than a year.

“I used to think some programs were immune until this year,” Dortch told the Bay Area News Group. “Some programs that had been bulletproof are really getting riddled.”

Count Saint Mary’s among the wounded.

Bennett said he was not surprised that Mahaney left Moraga, The coach mentioned that the two had a “good conversation” but declined to elaborate.

It’s not just the transfer portal that has reshaped college sports.

Bennett was candid about the importance of NIL collectives – independent boosters who pay athletes – and their role in a team’s success. 

“At the level we’re at, you’re not doing that without some NIL,” Bennett said. “You have to figure out how you can get good players and keep good players, and you have to have some NIL to do it at the level we’re doing it.”

Finding good players has not been an issue for Saint Mary’s. 

Under Bennett, the program has seemingly had a pipeline to talent from Australia, something Dortch said the program should continue.

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Matthew Dellavedova and Patty Mills, two of Bennett’s all-time greats, came to Moraga from down under and have gone on to capture NBA championships.

“Coaches need to be smart and find a niche where they can find talent, and Randy Bennett’s been able to do that,” Dortch said.

True to form, Bennett has Australian combo guard Joshua Dent ready to enroll in the current class.

None of the college experts interviewed this week by the Bay Area News Group have any doubt that Bennett will keep the Gaels competitive moving forward.

“He’ll be fine because he’s as good a coach as there is in this sport,” Decourcy said.

Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett, shown here in a file photo, is expected to adjust to the new reality of college athletics. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) 

SANTA CLARA — In selecting Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday night at No. 31 overall, the 49ers created a further level of intrigue as to the status of incumbents Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.

In the meantime, they bypassed players at perceived positions of need — namely edge rushers, defensive tackles, cornerbacks and offensive tackles. Coach Kyle Shanahan said things aren’t always as they seem, and saw Pearsall as a fit to the wide receiver corps even with Aiyuk and Samuel still around.

Pearsall, Shanahan believes, has the versatility to play outside or in the slot, plays with the physicality the 49ers demand from their wide receivers and can also return punts.

“There’s like four positions we were interested in being the right pick at No. 31, and we had arguments for every single one,” Shanahan said. “When it gets there, you’ve got to take the one that makes the most sense and it’s as simple as what’s totally obvious right now . . . you package these guys, two wideouts, one wideout, three, sometimes four . . . we lost a punt returner, there are plenty of factors.”

The draft begins Friday at 4 p.m. with Rounds 2 and 3, with the 49ers scheduled to select at No. 63 in the second and No. 94 in the third.

Here’s a look at who went off the board while the 49ers were waiting on Pearsall and some potential Day 2 targets Friday:

EDGE RUSHERS

15. Laiatu Latu, UCLA, Indianapolis

17. Dallas Turner, Alabama, Minnesota

19. Jared Verse, Florida, L.A. Rams

21. Chop Robinson, Penn State, Miami

27. Darius Robinson, Missouri, Arizona

Day 2 possibilities

Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan

Adisa Isaac, Penn State

Austin Booker, Kansas

Chris Braswell, Alabama

Bralen Trice, Washington

Jonah Elliss, Utah

Gabriel Murphy, UCLA

DEFENSIVE TACKLES

16. Byron Murphy II, Texas, Seattle

Day 2 possibilities

Johnny Newton, Illinois

Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson

Kris Jenkins, Michigan

Mike Hall Jr., Ohio State

Braden Fiske, Florida State

Maason Smith, LSU

Brandon Dorlus, Oregon

Mekhi Wingo, LSU

T’Vondre Sweat, Texas

CORNERBACKS

22. Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo, Philadelphia

24. Terrion Arnold, Alabama, Detroit

Day 2 possibilities

Cooper DeJean, Iowa

Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama

Mike Sainristil, Michigan

Ennis Rakestraw, Missouri

T.J. Tampa, Iowa State

Andru Phillips, Kentucky

Kamari Lassiter, Georgia

Max Melton, Rutgers

DJ James, Auburn

Caelen Carson, Wake Forest

Jarvis Brownlee, Louisville

Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri

OFFENSIVE TACKLES

5, Joe Alt, Notre Dame, L.A. Chargers

7. JC Latham, Alabama, Tennessee

11. Olu Fashanu, Penn State, N.Y. Jets

14. Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State, New Orleans

18. Amarius Mims, Georgia, Cincinnati

20. Troy Fautanu, Washington, Pittsburgh

25. Jordan Morgan, Arizona, Green Bay

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Day 2 possibilities

Kingsley Suamataia, BYU

Patrick Paul, Houston

Brandon Coleman, TCU

Roger Rosengarten, Washington

Blake Fisher, Notre Dame

Kiran Amogadjie, Yale

SAN FRANCISCO — The solution to the Blake Snell-sized hole in the Giants’ rotation may exist just up the I-80 corridor.

At Triple-A Sacramento, Mason Black is off to a sizzling start. The 24-year-old right-hander was one of the final cuts in spring training, and in four starts to begin the season in the minor leagues has allowed a run in only one of them.

With 20 strikeouts to only four walks, that has produced a 1.53 ERA for the 2021 third-round pick from Scranton, Pennsylvania. In the difficult pitching conditions of the Pacific Coast League, only one pitcher with as many innings has a lower ERA.

Black, rated the Giants’ No. 7 prospect by MLB.com, was slated to take the mound Thursday night at Sutter Health Park, but could his next start come in the major leagues? Thanks to a set of favorable off days, the Giants don’t have to cover Snell’s turn through the rotation until the first week of May, when they are in Philadelphia.

“He would definitely be one of the options,” manager Bob Melvin said Wednesday. “It seems like every time he pitches five innings and does well.”

When Snell wasn’t ready to start the season, the Giants gave the start to Daulton Jefferies, which a month later may be Black’s biggest obstacle. He needs to be added to the 40-man roster, and Jefferies by all accounts is clinging to the final spot.

Since being optioned April 1, Jefferies has appeared in four games (two starts) for Sacramento with a 3.44 ERA, 17 strikeouts and five walks in 18⅓ innings. A survivor of two Tommy John surgeries and a stint with the A’s, the 29-year-old right-hander has a good story and a strong relationship with Melvin.

Black, who was on his way to medical school when the Giants drafted him, has a polished four-pitch mix, which he used to reach Triple-A for the first time in the second half of last season, earning his first invitation to major-league spring training this year.

Now to check in on the rest of the farm …

Sacramento River Cats (AAA)

Record: 15-8

The red-hot River Cats lost Wednesday night for only the third time in their past 13 games, but it wasn’t all bad news. Shortstop Marco Luciano, the Giants’ top position player prospect, launched his first home run of the season.

Luciano, 22, ended spring on a strong note — and a memorable one with a 460-foot drive off the scoreboard at Scottsdale Stadium — and had ridden that momentum into a .300/.412/.413 batting line at Triple-A but was still seeking his first home run.

This one was measured at a mere 391 feet.

Luciano has some work to do to catch up to Heliot Ramos (six home runs), Casey Schmitt (four) and David Villar (three), who are all batting .280 or better and have combined to drive in 56 runs, nearly half the River Cats’ total.

Luis Matos doesn’t have the same kind of production but has struck out only eight times in 81 plate appearances, contact ability that stands in contrast to Ramos and Luciano, who are running strikeout rates north of 25%.

The Giants have already had four rookie relievers make their major-league debuts this season, and Randy Rodriguez is making a convincing case to become the fifth. The 24-year-old right-hander is already on the 40-man roster and appears to have harnessed his arsenal, with a 1.04 ERA, six strikeouts and two walks over his first eight appearances.

Left-hander Juan Sánchez, who put himself on the radar this spring, has been even better in his first eight appearances. He has surrendered one earned run in 13⅓ innings, a 0.68 ERA, with 15 strikeouts and four walks.

Richmond Flying Squirrels (AA)

Record: 9-8

Reggie Crawford, the 30th overall selection in the 2021 draft, earned the first win of his Double-A career Wednesday night, pitching an inning of relief in Richmond’s 6-3 win to move above .500. The 6-foot-4 left-hander struck out two but was nicked for a solo home run, the first run he allowed in three appearances since joining the Flying Squirrels last week.

In his debut, Crawford flashed a fastball that reached 98 mph.

Crawford is accompanied on the pitching staff by another top-10 prospect, Hayden Birdsong, who has struck out 19 batters in 11⅓ innings, the highest K/9 rate (15.75) in the Eastern League (min. 6 IP), with a 2.38 ERA.

Eugene Emeralds (A+)

Record: 13-4

Not a roster that features many of the Giants’ top prospects, what the Emeralds lack in pedigree they have more than made up for on the field. The pitching staff, with not one of the organization’s top 30 prospects, leads the Northwest League with a 2.58 ERA and 162 strikeouts, and three hurlers combined to throw a no-hitter last week.

Dylan Cumming, who started the game, was named the Northwest League pitcher of the week and owns a 0.64 ERA in four games (three starts). The 24-year-old was signed as non-drafted free agent out of Liberty in 2021.

San Jose Giants (A)

Record: 5-11

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Bryce Eldridge returned to the field Wednesday night for the first time since leaving an April 10 game with a lower body injury. The 6-foot-7 19-year-old whom the Giants selected 16th overall last summer is batting .238 through his first six games, but four of his five hits have gone for extra bases.

Not much has gone well for the Little Giants, but Cole Foster, a third-round pick in 2023, has been a bright spot. Shifting over to second base to share the middle infield with fellow 2023 shortstop Maui Ahuna (fourth round), Foster is batting .281 with a homer and three doubles. Ahuna missed time after being hit by a pitch early in the season and is batting .224 with one extra-base hit.

Jonah Cox, the outfielder acquired from the A’s for Ross Stripling, has also torn up the base paths for a league-leading nine steals in 14 games. He hasn’t been thrown out yet.

The rookie-level Arizona Complex League, where Rayner Arias (Giants No. 5 prospect) and Walker Martin (No. 4) are set to debut, begins its season next Saturday, May 4.

Burlingame baseball player Dylan Kall is the Bay Area News Group’s boys high school athlete of the week for April 15-20.

In online voting that ended at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Kall had 36.01% of the votes to finish ahead of College Park baseball player Samuel Johnston, who was the runner-up at 29.48%.

Congratulations to all the candidates for this week’s recognition.

Kall hit a walk-off single in Burlingame’s 5-4, 10-inning non-league victory over Palo Alto. He finished the day 2 for 4 with a walk.

The senior entered this week leading Burlingame with a .418 batting average.

To nominate an athlete for next week’s poll, email highschools@bayareanewsgroup.com by Monday at 11 a.m. Please include stats and team results.

We also review stats submitted to MaxPreps.com by coaches/team statisticians for consideration.

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Winners are announced each Friday on the Mercury News & East Bay Times websites and in the print edition of the Mercury News and EB Times sports sections.

Archbishop Mitty track and field athlete Laniah Simpson is the Bay Area News Group’s girls high school athlete of the week for April 15-20.

In online voting that ended at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Simpson finished with 41.02% of the votes to edge Monta Vista track and field athlete Lelani Laruelle, who was second at 40.19%.

Congratulations to all the candidates for this week’s recognition.

Simpson, a junior, won both hurdles distances — 100 and 300 — at the Central Coast Section Top 8 meet and was the top points earner overall in the competition held at Los Gatos High.

She finished second in the 100-meter sprint, too, helping Mitty win the girls team title.

To nominate an athlete for next week’s poll, email highschools@bayareanewsgroup.com by Monday at 11 a.m. Please include stats and team results.

We also review stats submitted to MaxPreps.com by coaches/team statisticians for consideration.

Related Articles

• High School Sports | Friday preps spotlight: Pioneer, Palo Alto distance runners approaching longstanding record
• High School Sports | New reality hits Saint Mary’s basketball: Experts, coach Randy Bennett weigh in on key players transferring from mid-major powerhouse
• High School Sports | Bay Area News Group boys athlete of the week: Dylan Kall, Burlingame
• High School Sports | Prep softball: Hillsdale’s Alexis Kuka celebrates birthday with dominant pitching performance
• High School Sports | Former Pittsburg High QB Jaden Rashada commits to SEC powerhouse Georgia: report

Winners are announced each Friday on the Mercury News & East Bay Times websites and in the print edition of the Mercury News and EB Times sports sections.

As warmer weather arrives, Californians are thinking about the next live sporting event or outdoor concert with family and friends. But what used to be a straightforward experience of getting tickets has morphed into a complex and costly endeavor, all thanks to the Live Nation and Ticketmaster stranglehold over consumers.

Since the two companies merged in 2010, Live Nation Entertainment has built a monopolistic empire controlling the management of venues for live sports and concerts, and also the process for buying tickets.

The monopoly now controls an estimated 80% of primary ticket sales nationwide, and holds contracts with 78% of the top-grossing arenas. The monopoly is also the dominant player in the secondary resale market, with upwards of two-thirds of the market share, according to reports.

Who loses because in all this? You, the consumer. Our wallets have been hit hard: Ticket prices have more than doubled since Live Nation and Ticketmaster merged, surging by an alarming 140% even when adjusted for inflation.

The monopoly is finally facing scrutiny from government watchdogs. Last week, the federal Justice Department revealed plans to file an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment for allegedly undermining competition in the live event ticketing marketplace, thereby violating a prior agreement they signed onto — and, potentially, federal antitrust law.

In California, legislation by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, an Oakland Democrat, aims to inject much-needed competition and choice back into the marketplace. To transform live sports ticketing for the better, her proposal addresses several key areas: Lowering fees, empowering fans, improving their experience and increasing competition.

Assembly Bill 2808 introduces greater transparency and choice into the ticketing process — incentivizing ticket sellers to enhance services, provide clearer pricing structures and reduce fees for consumers.

Consumers also deserve control over their tickets. The bill guarantees the right to gift, donate or resell tickets without unnecessary restrictions imposed by ticket sellers.

Importantly, the reforms dismantle exclusive contracts stifling competition and limiting choice for fans. For example, sports teams should partner with multiple ticketing platforms to foster a more competitive marketplace — not just Ticketmaster.

Of course, the Live Nation monopoly vehemently opposes such reforms, given their vested interest in maintaining control over ticket distribution and pricing. More surprising, however, is opposition from some of California’s biggest professional sports franchises, including the Golden State Warriors, San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams.

They are lobbying to exempt sports from Wicks’ bill. This would be a huge mistake given the presence of professional sports in California and Ticketmaster’s control of more than 80% of NFL, NBA and NHL ticketing.

There is no justifiable rationale to exempt sports, other than that these teams and their billionaire owners directly benefit from inflated ticket prices — even when it means hurting loyal fans.

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The Warriors are by far the most valuable team in the NBA, boasting revenue 48% higher than any other NBA franchise, yet most families are unable to attend their games because of oppressive ticket prices and fees. The Rams, a franchise owned by a man worth more than $16 billion, keeps raising season ticket prices. The San Francisco 49ers followed suit, doubling their latest season ticket prices for many longtime fans.

A monopoly shouldn’t dictate the terms. California needs to act on behalf of millions of fans and reshape live event ticketing to rightly benefit consumers.

With reform, we can restore fairness, affordability and accessibility to live sports and concerts, allowing more people a chance to attend. Let’s prioritize fans over monopolies and ensure California is leading the way by protecting consumers.

Robert Herrell is the executive director of the Consumer Federation of California, a nonprofit advocating for consumer rights. He wrote this column for CalMatters.

I have spent more hours than I care to count watching the NFL draft class of 2024. I tried to watch every player that had a chance of being drafted in the first seven rounds, so I lost count of how many guys that was long ago. It’s all in my notes.

And amid the countless players and countless hours, I came away with one thing I fully knew to be true — a conviction I felt deep, down in my bones:

Ricky Pearsall was the truth.

He was my favorite player in this draft, my pick not just for value, not just for a pick in the region the 49ers would be picking, but overall. No adjectives or caveats are needed.

I am fully convinced he will be the standout from this draft.

So for the 49ers to pick him with their first-round pick — No. 31 — deserves an A+ grade.

There will be plenty of folks, beholden to baseless mock drafts, who say that Pearsall was a bad pick for the 49ers at No. 31.

“They could have waited,” they’ll argue.

“No one else saw him as a first-round pick,” I heard almost instantly after the pick was made.

I laugh at both notions and any knock on Pearsall.

Watch the tape.

I did. The 49ers did. It’s impossible not to love this guy, especially when you think about him in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.

This is a player that has velcro hands, quick feet, and an unmistakable feel for playing the position.

Forget all that quantifiable stuff. Feel for the game that separates guys who can run and catch with guys who can consistently win at receiver.

Amon-Ra St. Brown ran a horrible 40-yard dash and isn’t even 6 feet tall. But he feels a defense and knows how to attack space. He just rightly received the most guaranteed money for a receiver in NFL history.

Keenan Allen, Michael Pittman, Puka Nacua — these guys aren’t athletic marvels compared to some of their peers. Coming out of college, they were overlooked because they didn’t test off the charts.

But all they’ve done in the NFL is catch passes. They have feel for the game and they win again and again and again because of it.

And finding a player with that feel — that innate understanding of space, time, and situation — makes folks who watch a lot of football feel something, too.

They’re rare. And when one is available, you take them, even if Pro Football Focus or some draft YouTuber claims it’s a “stretch” or “bad value” to select them.

“Ricky was a guy that we got a lot of conviction a lot of consensus from every area of our organization,” John Lynch told KNBR after making the pick. “Ricky was a guy that just kept gaining steam.”

The same thing happened to everyone I talked to in and around the league. He was your favorite football dork’s favorite player, your no-name scout’s favorite player, and probably your favorite player’s favorite player in this draft.

Pearsall was easy to overlook amid a loaded wide receiver class this season. I know I didn’t give him his fair due until later in my evaluation process.

I knew he was good — I watch a lot of SEC football in the fall and Pearsall ripped up my Mizzou Tigers — but I didn’t think of him as an elite prospect.

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But once I did start watching him in earnest, I couldn’t stop. For the last month, he has occupied my mind more than any other prospect.

He has great hands and a seemingly infinite catch radius. He blocks at a high level. He separates consistently at the line of scrimmage. He has the kind of crazy you need to repeatedly run over the middle of the field, catch the ball, and be rewarded with a helmet in the sternum for your hard work. He’s excellent in the open field. He can run the ball out of the backfield and be your starting returner on kickoffs and punts.

Florida’s offense was a mess this past year. Pearsall made it look competent at times. And his best routes, flare screens and intermediate digs, are the bread-and-butter concepts of a Shanahan offense.

Pearsall was a good college receiver. He’ll be an even better pro receiver.

Of course, adding a receiver at this point in the draft raises questions about the current crop of receivers in Santa Clara.

I’ll say this: Brandon Aiyuk is the 49ers’ X receiver of the present and the future. The contract will come.

Pearsall might have to wait for a season to be a starter — Deebo Samuel will likely only play one more year for the Niners — but he will be the Z receiver of the future, and a perfect counterbalance to Aiyuk.

He’ll also be an easy, reliable target for quarterback Brock Purdy. These two are going to make beautiful music together.

He might be a stretch at No. 31, sure. Could the Niners have traded down a few picks and taken him? Maybe, maybe not.

But no matter where he was selected, this is a guy that the 49ers had to take.

The fact is that he is perfect for the 49ers’ offense, and had Lynch and Shanahan cared about mock drafts and other teams’ public boards, they would have passed on him.

And they would have lived with the regret of doing that for as long as Pearsall is in the league — which I suspect will be a long time.

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Pearsall would have been the one who got away.

You can’t let that happen.

In the coming hours, days, and weeks, much will be made about what this means to the rest of the 49ers’ wide receiver core.

Here’s what it means: It improved significantly in the short and long term on Thursday.

I’ll gladly put my neck out there. Pearsall is going to be a stud for the Niners. In a matter of months, no one will be complaining about where he was taken.

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