The Santa Barbara Foresters opened the 2026 California Collegiate League season this weekend with an all-around dominant performance, exploding for 14 runs on 17 hits. The defense contributed seven shutout innings on the way to a 14-0 victory over the Santa Maria Indians on Sunday at Eddie Mathews Field.
The Foresters improved to 2-0 on the season by scoring in four consecutive innings and capitalizing on defensive miscues by the Indians.
Santa Barbara got on the board in the second inning when Caleb Hoover, out of the University of South Carolina, scored on a Santa Maria error. Later in the inning, Marcus Greis added an RBI groundout to make it 2-0. The Foresters broke the game open in the third when UCSB freshman Nick Salmon delivered the biggest swing of the afternoon, launching a three-run home run to left-center field that scored Joshua Woodworth and Wylan Nelson. The inning continued with RBI hits from Joseph Sandusky and Kurt Ippolito as Santa Barbara stretched its lead to 8-0.
The offense did not let up in the fourth inning. Makani Nabarro drove in a run with a single, Zane Becker added an RBI on a fielder’s choice, and Ippolito capped the four-run inning with another RBI hit to make the score 12-0. The Foresters added two more runs in the fifth. Woodworth scored on a wild pitch before Hoover drove in Salmon with an RBI single, giving Santa Barbara a 14-run lead.
Salmon led the offense, finishing 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs, and three runs scored. Ippolito also drove in three runs while collecting three hits, and Woodworth scored three times while adding two hits of his own. While the offense contributed in nearly every way possible, the Foresters’ pitching staff provided the necessary support. Tanner Grove started on the mound and tossed four scoreless innings, allowing two hits while striking out five and setting the tone for the shutout. Santa Maria managed just four hits and never brought a runner home against the Foresters.
Santa Barbara finished with 17 hits and 11 RBIs while holding Santa Maria to four hits and striking out seven batters. After a similar 13-1 victory over the Philippines Baseball Group on Saturday night, the Foresters are setting the pace early with commanding performances on both sides of the ball. Santa Barbara returns to action on Tuesday, June 9, against the Conejo Oaks in Ventura.
