PC youth baseball league offered

The Porterville College baseball program knows if it’s going to become better, the players it recruits simply have to play more games year-round. That’s the reality. And PC has to start somewhere.

So Rene Hernandez, Porterville college baseball coach Jake Kiser and PC assistant baseball coach Ben Walkowiak have gotten together and begun a mini late-summer, fall league if you will. The Porterville College league is now running at PC’s baseball stadium where four teams consisting of nine players each play from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Sunday.

The league has been running for the past three Sundays and will continue for the next two Sundays. The league is basically a 15 and under league featuring players mainly from Monache and Porterville High Schools, but players as young as 12 are participating in the league.

“We see a lot of our guys just need to play more,” said Walkowiak about the players coming into the PC program. “It starts at this level.”

Hernandez said the league should eventually grow into a full-fledged fall league featuring divisions from 11 to 18 years old. Both Hernandez and Walkowiak said the league is a chance for PC to give back to the community.

“He wanted to get something going and we wanted to get something going,” Walkowiak said. “We want a college program to reach out to some of our younger guys.” Walkowiak said the league also gives PC a chance to have a presence in the community, which he said “we need to regain.”

“This is the way they’re giving back to the community and we appreciate it,” Hernandez said.

The league also provides an informal setting. “It’s just relaxed,” Walkowiak said.

The league also is a fund-raiser for PC. The fee that was charged for players to participate in the league went to providing them a PC baseball T-shirt and a PC cap along with raising funds for PC.

Hernandez also plans to organize AAU and NJB All-Net traveling 14 and under boys basketball teams in January. Hernandez said he would like to offer many of the programs in Porterville that he was able to offer when he worked at McDermont Field House. Those who want more information about the traveling basketball teams can call Hernandez, 310-4596.