The Santa Barbara Foresters are hoping to return to the top of the college summer ball ranks this season, as their three-year NBC World Series title drought is the organization’s longest since 2005.
While it won’t be an easy feat, Santa Barbara manager Bill Pintard, who is entering his 32nd season with the Foresters, is confident in the steps his organization has taken in recent years.
“We had an opportunity to win (last year), and that’s all I can ask of our guys,” Pintard said. “ Last year, we succeeded in turning it around.
“Last year’s team was night and day from the year before. They were committed to winning, and they were committed to the process of doing the right things.”
The Foresters’ quest for their 11th NBC World Series title will begin on Saturday, June 6, when they play host to the Philippines at 4:30 p.m. at Santa Barbara High’s Eddie Mathews Field.
Santa Barbara will play a 34-game regular season before competing in the NBC World Series in Wichita, Kansas, beginning on Thursday, July 23.
For information on how to become a Forester host parent, click here.
Turning it Around
While the nature of summer college baseball makes it difficult for players to prioritize team success over individual success, Pintard believes that is the key to developing a sustained summer baseball program.
Pintard has seen his teams in recent years fall victim to the individual mentality, but he believes that last year’s team was one of his best in terms of buying into the team success and the goal of reclaiming the NBC World Series title.
“If your process isn’t good, you’re not going to win,” Pintard said. “Good process equates to winning, and playing winning style baseball is different than just going out and trying to hit the ball as hard as you can over the fence.
“When you work with somebody, and you’re working hard for the same goal to get better, it creates a bond.”
Returning standouts who will play key roles include pitchers Caleb Hoover (South Carolina) and Noah Waldeck (St. Mary’s), and hitters Zane Becker (Texas A&M), Sawyer Farr (Texas A&M), Ryan Coleman (Texas Tech) and Kurt Ippolito (Central Christian).
“[Hoover] is going to add some energy to our team. [Coleman] can really pick it at shortstop… he’s a magician,” Pintard said. “The group that we had last year was really, really good and they were fun. They would push and drag (bunt), and run the bases hard and I’m looking forward to having that same type of team this year.”
Meanwhile, some new faces that Pintard is excited about are Jorian Wilson (Texas A&M), Christian Lim (Stanford), Carter Rutenbar (Arkansas) and Brady Janusek (Baylor).
“[Wilson] is a big, powerful right fielder. I’m really excited about him, and he’s gonna be a high draft pick moving forward,” Pintard said. “[Lim] is a really good left-handed pitcher… I’m very excited about him. [Lutenbar] can really hit, and [Janisek] is a big bat.”
The Foresters will not have their entire roster of high-profile players until later in the season, as some players are either still playing for their NCAA teams or will wait until the end of the school year to settle in the 805.
Addressing the Transfer Portal
The increasing popularity of the NCAA transfer portal in recent years has created increasing headaches for many summer baseball coaches attempting to build a roster.
The Foresters were no exception, as Pintard has struggled with players having to leave the team multiple times throughout the summer to visit schools all across the country.
“At first I couldn’t stand [the portal], and I didn’t want to take any players that were in the portal,” Pintard said. “There was a well-known coach, an NCAA coach. He told me, ‘Coach, it’s very admirable, but it’s here to stay, and you’ve got to figure out a way to deal with it.’”
After a couple of years of trial and error, Pintard has settled on a “one-visit rule” to deal with the transfer portal.
“You have one visit, but you have to be back within three days. Go, meet, and come back. If you’re gonna need more and you’re gonna be flying all over the place, don’t come (to the Foresters),” Pintard said of his policy.
The one-visit rule, according to Pintard, is an effort to improve team chemistry and strengthen the ability to play “team baseball.”
“When guys are working, and they see that [coaches] also work hard, you’re not a summer ball program that just rolls out the ball and doesn’t do any (practices), you tend to have a lot of chemistry,” Pintard said.
Home for the Summer
While the Foresters have no shortage of talented players from some of the best programs in the nation, they also pride themselves on fielding several standout local players every season.
Two of those locals who will don the Forester blue and red are graduating high school seniors, Mason Crang of San Marcos and Max Weddle of Santa Barbara High.
Both Crang and Weddle had strong finishes to their high school careers, as they each earned All-Channel League honors. Crang will mainly be used on the mound, according to Pintard, while Weddle is a slick-fielding middle infielder.
Meanwhile, SBCC standout and SoCal City College Player of the Year Wylan Nelson will play for the Foresters, coming off a monster season as a Vaquero. The two-way star will likely focus on hitting for the summer, according to Pintard.
Ventura High graduate Josh Woodworth, who is currently at Pepperdine, and Dunn School alum Makani Nabarro, who is University of Hawaii-bound, will also both see playing time with the ‘Sters.
“[Nelson] is as fierce a competitor as anybody on this roster of mine. He competes. He plays hard. He gives you a good at-bat, and he gives you the shirt off his back,” Pintard said.
“[Woodworth] has got big power. He had a good year, and he’s a big, strong kid. Max Weddle down the stretch for Santa Barbara played the heck out of shortstop… [Crang] will compete. He’ll give you a good day’s work for the day’s pay.”
The Foresters will once again be playing their home games at Santa Barbara High’s Eddie Mathews Field this summer, as they have for the past two seasons.
“[Santa Barbara High] is helping a community ball team. Pershing had some difficulties for us, although we would love to play back there someday,” Pintard said.
“I want to thank the football coach also for giving up some time, and I can’t say enough about Todd Heil, the athletic director. The Dons have been very, very supportive and very helpful for us.”