Many of the brightest young baseball stars in Northern and Central California got a chance to shine at new Islanders Field in Lathrop this past weekend.About 100 players with graduation years of 2021-23 took part in the NorCal World Series Underclass, hosted by Field Director Don Johns in partnership with NorCal Baseball and the World Series Elite League. Coaches from Pac-12 schools Oregon State and Oregon, along with Hawaii and Saint Mary's College were among many scouts who checked out the event.What a showcase it turned out to be, both for the beautiful stadium and the teens with the bats and gloves. Talk about a win-win."The facility is unbelievable," says Rob Bruno, who heads NorCal Baseball along with Tony Crivello. "Islanders is an absolute jewel right in the middle of the Delta. It's fantastic. We are going to be holding a lot of our top events here. Between Don and Tony and I what we want here is the best of the best in Northern and Central California. We want this to be the p...

By Matt SchwabSan Francisco Giants third base coach Ron Wotus has stood on baseball's grandest stages and provided Little League coaching clinics for 25 years. So, who better to turn to than "Wo" for perspective about Islanders Field, a newly minted showcase ballpark for amateur players?When Islanders Field was rolled out in May 2019 as part of the master-planned River Islands community, Field Director Don Johns began presiding over a dream ballpark that many are comparing to Division I college or Double-A pro fields.Likewise, Johns' buddy Wotus has been enjoying the view as a regular visitor."It was a great idea and the facility certainly came out gorgeous. What a nice setting out there," Wotus said in an interview on Jan 2.Wotus will soon begin his 23rd season as the longest-tenured coach in the Giants franchise history. Oh, the stories he could tell as a three-time World Series champion."He has coached with the S.F. Giants with three legends … Felipe Alou, Dusty Baker and Bruce Boch...

By Matt Schwab'AWESOME' ISLANDERS FIELD A BIG HIT WITH HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL: SHOWCASE SET FOR MARCH 27-28Islanders Field in Lathrop is quickly becoming a hotspot for top high school baseball talent.The glistening new ballpark backdropped by the San Joaquin River Delta will host the inaugural Islanders Field High School Showcase on March 27-28. The varsity event has drawn quality teams from Amador Valley, Acalanes, California, College Park, Dougherty Valley, and Livermore."It's awesome," former San Ramon Valley coach Chris deClercq said of the ballpark that has a "Field of Dreams" quality. "It's a place where you're able to draw the best teams, the best competition level, because it's such a great facility. It's something that this area needed. … There's tons of these types of facilities in Southern California, but I think it shows that if you put together a facility like that people are going to want to play there."Not surprisingly, high school teams are lining up to play at Islanders ...

LAS LOMAS STAR - ZAKAI AVIDOR HITS FIRST-EVER HOME RUN AT ISLANDERS FIELD IN BAWS HIGH SCHOOL SHOWCASE for baseball purists like Don Johns, there was something poetic about having the 16th annual Bay Area World Series at new Islanders Field in Lathrop this past weekend.Four years after the beautiful stadium was just a glint in his eye, Johns, the field director, marveled at the sight of 145 to 150 high school baseball stars, divided into six "teams," showcasing their skills for college recruiters at the glistening facility.History was made on a bright Saturday afternoon when Las Lomas High junior Zakai Avidor, coming off a brilliant high school season as a pitcher, hit the first home run ever at Islanders Field over the fence in right-center. On Sunday, Logan Azem of Serra High also homered for the Peninsula team."Definitely a good environment, a beautiful field," said Avidor, who had a 9-0 pitching record and 0.47 ERA for Las Lomas. "It was a great experience to be able to play out he...