By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Staff Writer
The Crestline Highlanders – the two-time, back-to-back champions of the Southern California Vintage Base Ball League – are going on a barnstorming baseball tour to the central coast of California to play Northern California teams.
They will travel to San Luis Obispo for two days of competition during the “Vintage Base Ball Central Coast Classic,” to be held this year on March 16 and 17. They were invited this year because of their championship status and reputation of being an excellent team. The Highlanders are one of the highest scoring Vintage Base Ball teams in the leagues.
The SLO Sinsheimer Stadium will see the Bay Area Northern California Vintage Base Ball teams, the San Francisco Pelicans and the Barbary Coast teams, face off against the Crestline Highlanders and the Riverside Smudgepots from the So Cal Vintage Base Ball League. The Highlanders are currently the SoCal champions and the Smudgepots from Riverside held that title three years ago in 2021. Both of these teams have always rated high in the “runs batted in” category and in team spirit.
Attendance at the game will be free to all the cranks (aka fans) who journey to see the games. Contact Crestline Highlander team captain Chris Dodd for additional information on how to go see the weekend schedule of games during this barnstorming tour in San Luis Obispo. The last time the Pelicans played Barbary Coast was Aug. 5 when the Pelicans beat them 16-15. The SoCal teams have never played these Bay Area teams.
The new season of Vintage Base Ball game dates for the So Cal League is not yet set but games are currently being scheduled at Harich Field in Twin Peaks, around the Little League and other uses. Those games are always free for cranks, who are encouraged to attend.
Also using Harich Field for Vintage Base Ball games this next season will be the Arrowhead Loggers, who lost during the final championship game to the Highlanders for the 2022 championship. The Crestline Highlanders are honored to be sponsored by the Crestline Chamber of Commerce and the Rim of the World Recreation and Park District, the latter of which sponsors both mountain teams since they use their fields.
The Highlanders championship trophy is on public display at the Crestline Chamber of Commerce office during office hours of Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., along with one of their 44-ounce wooden bats. The Vintage Base Ball teams play by 1886 rules and use replica equipment, uniforms, gloves and rules from that era.
For more information about the teams and for tryout dates for the new season, see their Facebook and Instagram pages.
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