Week in Sports

TOP SPORTING EVENTS: APRIL 7-18

Three years after he coached his last UCSB women’s basketball game in the NCAA tournament, Mark French is coming out of the stands and returning to courtside. “Big Daddy,” as he was known by his players, will be honorary coach of the Providence Hall All-Stars in an exhibition game at 7 p.m. Friday (April 8) at Westmont College. French’s team of women will oppose the Past Prime Time Players, a men’s team whose name speaks for itself. Admission to the game, a benefit for the prep school Providence Hall, is $5 for adults and $2 for children.

“I’m getting in shape for it,” French said. “It would be embarrassing to pull a muscle from standing up or stomping a foot.”

The All-Stars will feature former UCSB standouts Jessica Wilson, Sha’Rae Gibbons-Mitchell, Jordan Franey and Ariana Gnekow. Others include Westmont’s Jessica Case and Meghan Gnekow, a former USC star and older sister of Ariana.

Curt Pickering of the Santa Barbara Breakers will coach the Past Prime Time Players, whose roster includes Westmont economics professor Dave Newton, a former college player. He claims to have dribbled a basketball 14 miles nonstop on behalf of another charitable enterprise.

The Breakers will play their closest basketball rivals, the Ventura County Jets, in a novel setting Saturday afternoon. The game will be played outdoors at Girsh Park in Goleta. Jon Pastorek and Justin Joyner, who recently concluded their college careers at UCSB, are slated to play for the Breakers. Pickering dubbed it “Bark in the Park,” as fans are welcome to bring their pets to the game.

It’s a big weekend for the UCSB Gauchos in men’s volleyball (versus Pacific tonight and defending national champion Stanford on Friday night) and baseball (their opening Big West Conference series against Cal Poly).

Thursday, April 7

College softball – Ventura at SBCC (2), 1 p.m.

College baseball – Concordia at Westmont, 3 p.m.

High school softball – Santa Clara at Carpinteria, 3:30 p.m.

High school boys volleyball – Malibu at Bishop Diego, 6:30 p.m.

College men’s volleyball – Pacific at UCSB, 7 p.m.

Friday, April 8

College baseball – Cal Poly at UCSB, 3 p.m.

College softball – Mt. SAC at SBCC, 3 p.m.

High school baseball – Santa Clara at Bishop Diego, 2:30 p.m.; Dos Pueblos at San Marcos, 3:15 p.m.

High school softball – San Marcos at Dos Pueblos, 3:30 p.m.

College men’s volleyball – Stanford at UCSB, 7 p.m.

Basketball – Providence Hall All-Stars vs. Past Prime Time Players, Westmont College, 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 9

High school track & field – Dos Pueblos Invitational, 10 a.m.

College baseball – Cal Poly at UCSB, 1 p.m.; Hancock at SBCC, 1 p.m.

High school softball – Bishop Diego at Santa Barbara (2), 2 p.m.

Basketball – Ventura County Jets at Santa Barbara Breakers, Girsh Park, 2 p.m.

High school boys volleyball – Windward at Bishop Diego, 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 10

College baseball – Cal Poly at UCSB, 1 p.m.

Monday, April 11

Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon, Harry’s Plaza Café, 12 p.m.

Tuesday, April 12

High school baseball – Buena at Santa Barbara, 3:15 p.m.; Ventura at San Marcos, 3:15 p.m.; St. Bonaventure at Dos Pueblos, 3:30 p.m.

High school boys volleyball – Dos Pueblos at Santa Barbara, 6 p.m.; Buena at San Marcos, 6 p.m.; Nordhoff at Carpinteria, 6 p.m.

Wednesday, April 13

High school baseball – Carpinteria at Bishop Diego, 3:30 p.m.

High school softball – Bishop Diego at San Marcos, 3:30 p.m.

College men’s volleyball – Santa Monica at SBCC, 6 p.m.

Thursday, April 14

College baseball – Cuesta at SBCC, 2:30 p.m.

High school track & field – Buena at Dos Pueblos, 3 p.m.

High school boys volleyball – Ventura at Santa Barbara, 6 p.m.; Buena at Dos Pueblos 6 p.m.

College men’s volleyball – UCSB at Pepperdine, 7 p.m.

Friday, April 15

High school boys volleyball – Karch Kiraly Invitational at Santa Barbara.

High school baseball – Bishop Diego at Carpinteria, 3:30 p.m.

High school softball – Ventura at San Marcos, 3:30 p.m.; Buena at Santa Barbara, 3:30 p.m.

College baseball – UCSB at Cal State Fullerton, 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 16

High school track & field – 92nd Russell Cup at Carpintera, 9:30 a.m.

High school boys volleyball – Karch Kiraly Invitational at Santa Barbara.

College baseball – Point Loma Nazarene at Westmont (2), 12 p.m.; UCSB at Cal State Fullerton, 6 p.m.

College softball – Bash at the Beach, Pershing Park: SBCC vs. Saddleback, 12:30 p.m.; SBCC vs. Golden West, 2:30 p.m.

Basketball – Los Angeles Loop at Santa Barbara Breakers, SBCC Sports Pavilion, 4 p.m.

College men’s volleyball – UCSB at USC, 7 p.m.

Sunday, April 17

College softball – Bash at the Beach, Pershing Park: SBCC vs. East L.A. 11:30 a.m.; SBCC vs. Rio Hondo, 1:30 p.m.

College baseball – UCSB at Cal State Fullerton, 1 p.m.

Monday, April 18

Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon, Harry’s Plaza Café, 12 p.m.

High school boys volleyball – Oak Park at Bishop Diego, 5 p.m.

RUNNING, WALKING, CYCLING

Saturday, April 16 – Chardonnay 10 Miler/5K, Loma Alta and Shoreline Drive, 8 a.m. sbactionpro.com.

Sunday, April 24 – Run4Hope 5K and mile, Foothill Elementary School, 8 a.m. run4hope.us.

Friday-Saturday, April 29-30 – Santa Barbara Endurance Races (100 mile, 100K, 50 mile, 50K, 35K, 25K 15K), Rancho Oso, 6 a.m. sber.co.

Saturday, April 30 – Gaucho Gallop, 10K/5K, UCSB Harder Stadium, 9 a.m. ucsbruns.com.

Wednesday, May 4 – Nite Moves Summer Sunset Series (1k swim, 5k run), Leadbetter Beach, 6 p.m. Continues every Wednesday through August 31. runsantabarbara.com.

Saturday, May 7 – Wine Country Half Marathon, Sagunto Street, Santa Ynez, 7 a.m. runsantaynez.com.

Friday, May 20 – Amgen Tour of California Individual Time Trial, Solvang, 12:30 p.m. amgentourofcalifornia.com.