Youth Sports

St. Francis High senior infielder Noel Aquino hit a game-changing home run that helped lift the Sharks baseball team past Watsonville High on Monday. Aquino’s three-run blast in the bottom of the fourth inning was the difference in a 5-4 win against the Wildcatz in...

The Padres of Pajaro Valley Little League celebrated on the field after capturing the Majors Division championship following a 14-1 crushing win against the White Sox on June 3 at Ruso Field in Watsonville. With the win, the Padres will compete in the District 39...

WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville Jr. Wildcatz football and cheer programs were hit with a big surprise last month when thieves stole thousands of dollars worth of safe-and-sane fireworks intended to sell as a Fourth of July fundraiser. Shanon Mornhinweg, president of Watsonville Cadillac Buick GMC at 500...

SANTA CRUZ—A dozen years have passed since a Watsonville-based Little League team won the District 39 Majors Tournament of Champions title.  Pajaro Valley Little League Nationals manager Robert Brooks came close to bringing a championship home two years ago, only to watch it slip away...

The DubTown baseball team won its third straight NorCal Palomino Super Region championship after battling out of the elimination bracket, yet again.  The 19U squad recorded five straight victories, including back-to-back wins against the Commanders 18U team of Modesto’s Bel Passi Baseball program on July...

Aptos native Nikki Hiltz captured their third consecutive USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships title after winning the 1,500-meters in 4 minutes, 03.15 seconds at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. on Aug. 2. The 30-year-old former Aptos High standout edged Sinclair Johnson (4:03.77) and Emily...

Pajaro Valley sophomore Hemeria De La Torre had five hits, including one home run in the Grizzlies’ 19-17 victory over Seaside in Pacific Coast Athletic League Cypress Division softball action Wednesday afternoon. De La Torre finished with a pair of doubles, five RBIs, one stolen...

WATSONVILLE—For two weeks, the District 39 Little League baseball organization used Franich Park to host a pair of the largest tournaments in Northern California.  Twelve of the best teams from Hollister to Eureka battled in the Majors Section and NorCal All-Star tournaments on Ruso Field—home...

Aptos 12U All-Stars continue to stay alive in the Little League NorCal Tournament following an 8-0 victory over host Petaluma National at Luchessi Park on Tuesday evening.  Starting pitcher Kiran Yager allowed three hits and three walks while tallying five strikeouts in five innings for...

The Cover 3 Sports Ticker highlights pivotal matchups in the Games of the Week, and provides updates on local athletes in the Local Stars and Pajaro Valley Little League sections. Games of the Week Aptos vs. Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley, baseball, Friday at 4:30pm: The Mariners (21-6,...