California Collegiate League provides development, exposure for college baseball players

For many baseball fans in Southern California, the summer months often mean heading to Dodger Stadium to watch Mookie Betts or Angel Stadium to see the brilliance of Shohei Ohtani.

But tucked away in neighboring communities are teams whose rosters might feature some of MLB’s future stars.

The California Collegiate League, which hosts its All-Star Game on Wednesday night at the MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton, is a summer league that boasts some of the top college players in the country. The league, which currently has 11 teams across the state, split between two divisions (North and South), was created in 1993 with the goal of giving college players a place to continue to sharpen their skills between seasons.

Among the notable players who have played for the league are former Oakland A’s outfielder Kris Davis (Academy Barons), Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Dominic Fletcher (Orange County Riptide), Baltimore Orioles pitcher Dillon Tate (Academy Barons) and Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks (San Luis Obispo Blues).

For many of the players, the CCL provides a place where they can work on their game during the offseason.

“This league is something that helped me really prepare for my season,” said Belmont College and Arroyo Seco Saints outfielder Max Blessinger.

Blessinger played at Maranatha High in Pasadena and Pasadena City College before landing at Belmont. Like so many of the league’s players, he grew up near the CCL team he now plays for.

He said getting the chance to play summer baseball with the Saints is a homecoming for him.

“Being able to be here for my last summer of baseball is really special to me because I have so many memories in Pasadena but also at Jackie Robinson Field, specifically,” Blessinger said.

Former St. John Bosco outfielder and current MLB Academy Barons center fielder Julian Boyd is also playing for his hometown team, which is based in Compton.

“I’ve been going to the academy since I was about 9 or 10 years old. It’s a big reason I’m the player I am today,” Boyd said. “So it always feels good to play for these guys and just be around the guys that have helped me get better.”

One of the primary advantages of playing in the CCL is the exposure a player can get.

Both minor and major league scouts often attend games throughout the season, and many former major league and minor league players coach in the league.

CCL rosters have players who play anywhere from the community college level all the way to Power Five conference programs. It’s not uncommon to see players who attend a local community college playing against a starting pitcher who goes to Texas or USC.

“I think I speak for everyone when I say we’re all here dedicating our entire summer and eight-hour days, five to six days a week because we want to play at the next level,” Blessinger said.

It’s not just the players who are able to work on their game during their time in the league. For many of the teams’ managers, getting to coach at this level is a way for them to work on their skills too.

Orange County Riptide manager Connor Spencer is the director of player development at Cal State Fullerton.

“It’s been extremely beneficial for me,” Spencer said. “My dream and my goal is to work myself up the coaching ladder. I want to be a head coach in Division I baseball.”

One of the aspects that sets the CCL apart from other summer leagues is that they use a business model similar to other professional sports teams. Many CCL teams have a general manager, a president of baseball operations and a media team that helps broadcast games to the public.

First-year Barons GM Terry Jordan is in charge of the day-to-day operations of the team, which includes coordinating transportation to and from games, managing player development and assembling a roster.

“Getting to a professional front office is definitely a goal of mine,” Jordan said. “Having ideas, spitballing around with free agent signings, trades, that’s what I eventually want to do.”

Part of the CCL’s mission is to continue to grow the game in different communities across California. MLB has been vital to this mission, providing some funding to help with operations.

“Those kids see us playing at our academy and we hope they’re able to set a goal to potentially play for the Barons one day,” Jordan said about growing the sport in Compton. “It is a group of diverse athletes that come to us for sure and we’re really happy about that.”

CCL ALL-STAR GAME

When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Where: MLB Urban Youth Academy, Compton

TV: Bally Sports West

Note: The game will be preceded by a player combine at 2:45 p.m. and a home run derby at 5 p.m.

Admission: General admission will be $12, but kids 12 and under get in free.