Baseball isn’t just a game—it’s a full-blown ceremony, cloaked in superstition and stitched together by rituals as old as the infield dirt. From the pint-sized pros of Little League to the thunderous crowds of the MLB, players cling to their customs with the grip of a well-oiled glove. Lucky socks? Essential. Hats that haven’t seen a washing machine since Frozen hit theaters?…
Three hours on a bus. A fired-up home crowd. The weight of playoff expectations. For most teams, that’s a lot to walk into. But the Acalanes Dons? They didn’t flinch. They didn’t hesitate. They didn’t just show up—they showed out. ALL IN! On Tuesday night at Chico High School, the Dons delivered a performance that erased any…
In blistering, surface-of-the-sun heat, the Acalanes turned up the temperature even more, scorching Rancho Cotate 7–1 to claim the 2025 North Coast Section Championship. Leading the charge? None other than freshly graduated Brady Quinn, who tossed his cap on Friday and then turned around Saturday to toss five shutout innings. He allowed only two hits, struck out one, walked two, and…
The Acalanes Dons are headed to the NCS Championship after a gritty and electrifying 4–2 win over Cardinal Newman on the road on Wednesday. And, the Dons came out swinging…literally. Leadoff catalyst Ando Butner stepped in, worked the count to 2-0, then said ‘enough waiting around’ and obliterated a 92 mph fastball deep to left for a leadoff home…
The stage is set for Wednesday. The stakes are sky-high. It’s the North Coast Section Semi-Finals and the Dons are coming. ALL IN! Acalanes baseball isn’t just showing up. They’re storming in with chemistry and a laser-focused mission: survive and advance. Fueled by fearless seniors, the taste of an NCS title in their mouths, and a brotherhood forged in…
Welcome to Dons Playoff Baseball, read the GameChanger welcome message. The message continued… giving the weather update: Saturday in Moraga—sunny skies, 59 degrees, real feel of 68. No video highlights? What?! NCS forbids any videotaping of the game. Tragic. Because this was the kind of game that deserved its own ESPN 30 for 30. Things That Come in Tens: Ten runs.…
Smith Was the Maestro. The Defense Was the Symphony. Call him B Steady. Call him B Stealth. Call him B Money. Whatever moniker you choose, Branson Smith was absolutely cash on Wednesday. The right-hander didn’t just pitch, he went to work with basically 3 up and 3 down each inning. Six quick innings, eight strikeouts, one hit, no walks, no runs, no drama, and…
This isn’t just another game. This is playoff baseball—and your Acalanes Dons are charging in with fire, focus, and nothing to lose. After a season of walk-off wins, clutch hits, high-wire finishes, and gritty, grind-it-out team play, the Dons have arrived exactly where they belong: the North Coast Section (NCS) Division 2 playoffs. It all goes down Tuesday at 4…
On Tuesday, the Acalanes Varsity baseball team hosted the College Park Falcons in a high stakes game. The Dons needed to sweep the Falcons on Tuesday and Thursday to win the DAL title. Prior to the game, the 12 seniors on the team (L to R: Dominic Patitucci, David Gonzales, Jake Colaco, Nicky Fosina, Brady Quinn, Hank Bauer, James Stadt,…
This past week, the Acalanes Dons faced off in a two-game showdown against the Clayton Valley Ugly Eagles — not sure why they’re called the “Ugly Eagles,” but it was not a pretty week for CV. Game 1: Dons Go to War and Win on the Road Tuesday on the road, the Dons stepped into Eagles territory and walked out…
