Bronco Baseball

Bishop Bronco’s Buck Kern Valley

Bishop Bronco’s defeated the visiting Kern Valley Broncs on Tuesday, April 19.

The  Broncos got things moving in the first inning when Reese Dondero homered on a 0-1 count, scoring three runs.

Jake Frigerio got the start for Bishop Broncos. The fireballer surrendered four runs on three hits over two innings, striking out two. Acie Valdivia shoved from the mound for 3 innings, giving up 2 hits and striking out one.

Caleb Gillem collected four hits in four at-bats, as Bishop Broncos defeated Kern Valley 18-6 on Tuesday. Gillem singled in the first, singled in the second, tripled in the third, and singled in the fourth.

Bishop Broncos got things moving in the first inning when Reese Dondero homered on a 0-1 count, scoring three runs.

The Bishop Broncos collected 18 hits on the day. GillemAcie ValdiviaJamisen WolfeJonathan ThomsonDondero, and Frigerio each had multiple hits for Bishop Broncos. Kennedy Batchelder led Bishop Broncos with five stolen bases, as they ran wild on the base paths with 12 stolen bases.

Here are the stats . . .

  • Jake Frigerio, 2-4, single and a triple, 2 RBIs, 2 stolen bases
  • Riley Eropkin, 1-3, single
  • Reese Dondero, 2-4, single and homeroom, 3 RBIs
  • Albert Cano, 1-1 single
  • Jonathan Thomson, 2-2, both singles
  • Acie Valdivia, 3-4, 2 singles and a double, 2 RBIs
  • Caleb Gillem, 4-4, 3 RBIs, 2 stolen bases
  • Kennedy Batchelder, 1-2, 2 RBIs, 5 stolen bases
  • Bodie Garcia, 1 RBI
  • Jamisen Wolfe, 2-2, 2 RBIs, 2 stolen bases.

Our 7 – 0  undefeated-in-league Broncos head to take on the 1 – 4  Frazier Mountain Falcons on Friday.

Listen to AM 1230 KBOV for complete game coverage with play-by-play announcer Adam Gonzalez. Live coverage starts with “Broncos Live” at 3:00 PM.

Game Photos Courtesy of Gary Young Photography

Celebration of Life for “Mr. Bishop”

A Celebration of Life for Chuck Kilpatrick will take place on Saturday, September 11 at 2:00 p.m. in the Charles Brown Auditorium at the Tri County Fairgrounds. A dedication and reception will follow.

Chuck was known lovingly as “Mr. Bishop,” the most active volunteer, helping to promote events, the Chamber of Commerce and the city of Bishop. He attended travel shows representing Bishop, worked with the Fair, Mule Days, the California High School Rodeo Championships, and the Lone Pine Film Festival, among many other organizations.

Chuck passed away  on December 30 due to complications with COVID pneumonia.

BRONCOS DROP THE BOBCATS 13-3

The final regular season game was played this past Tuesday at  Tatum  Field with the Bishop Broncos keeping their undefeated season intact.

The Broncos spotted the Bobcats 3 runs before the bats came alive in the bottom of the third inning.

After scoring 7 runs in the bottom of the third, the Bronco defense and pitching were strong while keeping Boron off the board for the rest of the game.

Individual stats for the Broncos

BRAEDEN GILLEM:
1-2, single , 2 runs scored , 1 stolen base

JAKE FRIGERIO:
2-4, 2 singles , , 1 run scored , 1 stolen base, 2 RBIs

ACIE VALDIVIA:
1-4, single, 1 run scored , 2 RBIs

LANDON KRUSE:
1-2, single ,1 run scored , pitched 1 1/3 inning, 2Ks, 4 walks

ALBERT CANO:
0-2, 2 runs scored , pitched 2/3 inning , 2 Ks

BILLY MCKINZEY:
1-3, single, 1 run scored , 1 stolen base , 2 RBIS

RILEY EROPKIN:
0-0, 1 run scored , 1 stolen base

ACE SELTERS:
2-3,!single and double (walk off), 2 stolen bases , 1 run scored 3 RBIS, pitched 3 innings, 3 walks, 3 Ks

CAIN OMOHUNDRO:
0-1, 1 stolen base , 1 run scored

CLAY OMOHUNDRO:
1-2, single , 2 stolen bases , 2 runs scored , 1 RBI

The Bishop Bronco now wait to see who and where they are going to play in the CIF playoffs.

BRONCOS WIN VS MAMMOTH 7-4

Maybe the Bishop Bronco’s were a little complacent with the Mammoth Huskies. Mammoth came prepared for the Broncos and it was an actually great game with the Broncos pulling ahead for a 7-4 victory. Here is the game in pictures.

BRAEDEN GILLEM:
2-3 single and triple , 1 run scored

JAKE FRIGERIO:
0-4

 

ALBERT CANO:
0-2

CAIN OMOHUNDRO:
0-1, 1 run scored

CLAY OMOHUNDRO:
1-4, single , 1 run scored

BILLY MCKINZEY:
0-2, 1 run scored,pitched 2 1/4 inning, 2K no walks

REESE DONDERO: 0-1

ACIE VALDIVIA:
2-3, singles and double, 1 run scored

RILEY EROPKIN:
1-3, double

ACE SELTERS:
1-2, double, 1 run scored pitched 7th inning , 1 Ks 0walks

LANDON KRUSE:
2-2, 1single on base error, 1 run scored, 2 stolen bases on passed balls, pitched 3 3/4 inning , 5K , 3 walks

ACIE VALDIVIA:
2-3, singles and double, 1 run scored

RILEY EROPKIN:
1-3, double

Broncos travel to Rosamond for an away game this Thursday 5/20.21 to take on the Rosamond Roadrunners.

Bronco Baseball is Back!

The Bronco Baseball team rolls on with a victory over the Rosamond Roadrunners today by a final score of 12-2 in 6 innings.

With Rock Baker and Ken Harrison calling the game on 1230 KBOV and Gary Young getting the pictures, we had all the base’s covered.

Bronco hitting was a little slow in the first three innings but the afterburners kicked in after that.

Hitting stats for the Bronco’s

Hitting:
BRAEDEN GILLEM:
1-3,double , 2 runs scored

JAKE FRIGERIO:
3-4, 2 singles/1 double , 3run scored

ACE SELTERS:
1-4, single, 2 RBI, 1 run scored

LANDON KRUSE:
2-2, triple and single , 3 run scored, 1 stolen base

ALBERT CANO:
1-4, single, 2 RBI, 1 run scored

BILLY MCKINZEY:
2-3, double and triple 1 RBI, 1 runs scored, 2 stolen bases

REESE DONDERO:
2-3, single, 1 sac fly, 3RBIs

CALEB GILLEM:
0-1

ACIE VALDIVIA:
1-2 single

RILEY EROPKIN:
1-3; single 1  runs scored

And Pitching for your Bishop Bronco’s

PITCHING:
Landon Kruse pitched 4 innings with 8Ks, 2 walks

Ace Seltzer final 2 innings , faced only 7 batters in 2 innings. 2Ks, I walk.

A GREAT team effort !!! Go BRONCOS!!!

The upcoming game against the Desert Scorpions has been cancelled, so the next game for the Bishop Bronco Varsity Baseball team will be Thursday, May 6th at Boron.

Bishop Knock Off Local Rivals in Inyo County Showdown

The Bishop Broncos took care of business against the Lone Pine Golden Eagles Tuesday afternoon, beating their local rivals 11-0 in five innings.

Just like so many times last year, the first inning for Bishop was fantastic. Steve Omohundro’s team scored eight runs. Lone Pine Pitcher, Kris Nelson started the inning out walking a few batters. The senior was missing his pitches high early in the inning. Bishop quickly took advantage of the walks, driving in multiple runs.

Nelson didn’t receive much help from his defense in the bottom of the first. In total, Lone Pine committed five errors on plays that should have been routine in just one inning. The Eagle outfielders were having trouble fielding fly balls, which would have gotten Mike Button’s team out of trouble before it was too late.

Ace Selters, who started the game for Bishop on the mound, pitched just two innings. It was quite apparent that Selters is poised to have a breakout year in his Junior campaign. The pitcher struck out five batters in two innings of work.

Billy Mckinze took over pitching duties in the third inning, and had quite an impressive showcase. The lefty threw for two innings, giving up just two hits, and striking out three batters.

Going in to the bottom of the fourth inning, Bishop were up 9-0 against the Eagles. Manager, Steve Omohundro put in some of the reserves to give them some game experience. One of the standout hitters was Andrew Steedle, who did not register any hits going in to Tuesday’s game. Steedle saw a pitch from Nelson and ripped it into left field, driving in two runs, and giving Bishop an 11-0 lead.

 

Jake Frigerio closed out the game for Bishop, and struck out one batter in the fifth inning to ensure the game did not go the distance.

From a batting perspective, one thing is very clear: Braeden Gillem is now a power hitter. Last year, Gillem got on base mostly through ways of finesse. He did a nice job of getting walked or putting the ball into gaps between the infielders last season. However, if Tuesday’s game is anything to judge Gillem’s season on, he will have a good chance to hit a few balls out of the park. During two of his at bats, the Junior drove the ball deep into the outfield.

Bishop get High Desert League play started next week against a tough Rosamond opponent, who are considered to be one of the favorites to win the league.

Bishop Massacre Foothill to Win the Championship

A Trojan Horse entered through the gates of Troy Tuesday afternoon as the Bishop Broncos slaughtered the Foothill Trojans to take the CIF Division VI Championship.

However, this Trojan war didn’t last nearly as long as the one featured in ancient mythology. Instead of a war which lasted for ten years, it seemed like this one lasted for ten minutes.

Playing the role of the Greeks were the Bishop Broncos, who caught their opposition by surprise when they scored nine runs in the first inning, which ended the game before it had even begun.

Braeden Gillem got a lead-off double, which put him in scoring position. Michael Kubiak was then walked and now Bishop had two on base, setting up the perfect opportunity for the next batter to drive a few runs in.

Senior, Cal Omohundro hit a two RBI double his first time at the plate, giving the Broncos a 2-0 lead early.

The next player to get a piece of the action was Jalen Watterson, who knocked in a even more runs, which made it 4-0 with nobody out.

As the inning dragged on for the Trojans, they finally got two outs, and just when it felt like they were going to find a way to salvage part of the first inning, they loaded the bases for Michael Kubiak.

Uh oh…

Kubiak crushed Sal Peru’s ball to dead center field, which kept traveling until it reached it’s final destination at 350 feet. The senior hit a grand slam, after launching one out of the park last week against Lindsay.

The first inning finally came to a close and the Broncos had a 9-0 lead.

Playing the role of Odysseus in this game was Cal Omohundro, who had 7 RBI’s in the championship. When it was the big guy’s turn for his second at-bat, he obliterated a ball to left-center field for a three run home run, which gave the Broncos a 15-0  lead.

The innings progressed, and more runs were piled on until the game finally ended 25-2. The margin of victory was the second largest the Broncos had all season, with the first being a 25-1 win against the lowly California City Ravens, who finished second to last in the High Desert League.

As for Foothill, the championship game was the worst defeat they have suffered all year.

Bishop finished their season with an 18-4 overall record and are the 2019 CIF Central Section Division VI Champions.

 

Photos courtesy of Gary Young Photography

Bishop Redeem Themselves and Advance to the Championship

Payback was the meal of the day the Broncos served up to the Lindsay Cardinals in a rematch of last year’s CIF Central Section Division 6 Final on Wednesday. Bishop beat Lindsay 13-3. The team will surely give a big thanks to their star shortstop, Michael Kubiak, who hit a 3 run homer and had 5 total RBI.

Things did not start well for Bishop. Ace Selters walked Julio Godoy to start the game, then hit the next batter. With runners on first and second, Ryan Scheufele for a two-RBI double for the Cardinals, which gave them a two run lead in the top of the first inning.

However, instead of capitulating, the Broncos responded with a fantastic first inning, scoring four runs. Cardinals starting pitcher, Aaron Macias had a nightmare of a game and lasted just one-third inning before he was pulled after surrendering three runs. Up next was Julio Godoy for Lindsay, who walked a run in, making it 4-2 Bishop.

The good times kept rolling for the Bishop, as Michael Kubiak crushed a ball into deep left field for a three run shot to make it 8-3.

Kubiak enthusiastically flexed as he rounded the bases to meet the entire team at home plate.

The next time the senior visited the plate, he nearly hit a grand-slam. Lindsay’s left fielder was tracking the ball all the way to the warning track in nearly the same spot Kubiak hit his home run. Luckily for Lindsay, the Bronco’s meal didn’t turn into a feast.

Ace Selters finished his day after three innings, and Landon Kruse came in to ensure a Bronco victory.

The game ended, and the crowd rose to their feet in applause as they watched the championship-bound Broncos exchange handshakes with the team who stopped them from winning the previous year.

Coach Omohundro will hope that his team’s hunger, which has translated to a 10-game winning streak will carry over into the final against Foothill from Bakersfield, CA on Saturday.

 

Photos by Gary Young Photography

BRONCO VARSITY BASEBALL VICTORY OVER KERN VALLEY

Matthew Rosga had a freak injury and broke his leg in practice before the season even started.  After months of rehab he did get to take the mound in his Senior season to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. It was a great moment before the game even stated. Even the rival KV Bronc’s game him a round of applause.

It was a tight game through 4 1/2 innings with the Kern Valley Broncs leading by a score of 1-0. Bishop had chances but could not capitalize.

Then the bottom of the 5th happened. Bishop got a hit and then the Kern Valley pitching went sideways. There was a stretch where KV pitching either walked Broncos or beaned them with pitches.

When they finally found the strike zone again Bishop was leading 4-1 with just that one hit in that crazy sequence . Then with the bases loaded Bronco batter Austin Thomas came to the plate with the bases loaded. Austin smacked a powerhouse double in the gap and cleared the bases with the Bishop Broncos taking a 7-1 lead.

Austin delivering the adrenaline shot in the bottom of the 5th that the entire team needed to power on to a 10-2 final score.

Ace Selters got the start and pitched good, getting himself out of a few jams that could have changed the outcome of the game early on.

Wes Pettet was inserted into the lineup in the 6th inning and had a RBI double scoring Austin Thomas.

A much closer game then the score showed but the Bishop Bronco are rolling on in the CIF playoffs.

The Lindsay Cardinals from the Central Valley are making the trip to Tatum Field on Wednesday May 15th. Game time is at 3:15. Come out and support your Bishop Broncos. One more victory and they are off to the finals again.

 

Photos by Gary Young Photography.

 

Landon Kruse Saves Bronco’s Title Hopes Against Boron

The Bishop Broncos Baseball team are one step closer to winning the High Desert League after eking by against the Boron Bobcats on Friday 7-6.

Both Boron and Bishop desperately needed to win this game, with just three games remaining before the playoffs. Boron took an early lead in the game, going up 3-0 against the Bishop. Boron pitcher, Bryson Job had solid command over his breaking ball early, which fooled many of the Bronco batters. However, in the third inning, the Bronco’s bats came alive, scoring two runs to pull within one run of tying the ballgame.

After working to get the game within one run, the momentum swayed back to Boron in the fourth inning, when they scored two more runs. Bronco sophomore, Ace Selters found himself in some trouble with two outs in the inning. Boron catcher, Aaron Core made Selters pay when he belted his pitch to the outfield for a two-run double.

Selters finished his day pitching 3 and 2/3 innings, striking out five, and surrendering five runs on eight hits.

Landon Kruse then came in to save the day for this Bishop Broncos, pitching 3 1/3 innings, striking out eight of the thirteen batters faced. Kruse wasn’t the only hero in the game, however. The Bats came alive right after Boron scored two runs. The Broncos tied the game up going into the fifth inning.

Bishop faced even more adversity in their quest for a High Desert League title, when Boron went up by one run in the sixth inning. The run scored was the only run that Kruse gave up on the afternoon.

Afterwards, the Broncos were able to rally and scored two runs in the sixth inning. Kruse was able to strike out the final batter in the seventh inning to stave off the Boron comeback.

The Broncos will face Kern Valley on Tuesday, then they will close out the regular season against Frazier Mountain on Thursday.

Broncos Smash Scorpions in High Desert League Play

The Bishop Broncos Baseball team cruised to an easy victory on Thursday, beating Desert 19-3 over a span of 5 innings. Bishop got off to a hot start, scoring 12 runs in the first inning.

Senior, Austin Thomas pitched for three innings, and had quite the game. Thomas surrendered just one hit against the seventeen batters he faced. The pitcher also struck out five batters and walked three. The one hit he gave up allowed for three runs to score.

Junior Austin Chinzi had a successful debut on the mound, when he threw in relief of Thomas. Over two innings, Chinzi took on six batters and struck out three of them. Additionally, no runners got on base while the Junior was on the mound.

Bishop’s pitching wasn’t the only impressive facet of the game for the Broncos. The team’s bats came alive.

Star infielder, Michael Kubiak had another multi-hit game. The senior went 4-4, hitting two doubles, and 3 RBI.

As for three-sport athlete Mark Mayhugh, he had perhaps one of his best games of the season offensively. Mayhugh went 3-4 with 2 RBI. Additionally, power-hitter Cal Omohundro went 2-3 with 2 RBI.

The Broncos have now won four out of their last five games. After dropping crucial games against Boron and Rosamond earlier in the season, the team will need to win all of their league games to have a chance of winning the High Desert League.

 

Up next for the Broncos, a home game against Nevada’s Mineral County for a non-league match-up.