TAFT--The 2025 Feather River College baseball season begins this weekend a long way from home, but in the most comfortable setting possible for a college baseball player.
On the field.
The Golden Eagles will open at Taft College (just west of Bakersfield) on Friday (Jan. 24) with a 1 pm single game, and will then take on the Cougars in a Saturday doubleheader, with first pitch at 10 a.m. FRC will head back north to play Merced on Sunday (noon).
After what seemed like a long Fall and Winter, head coach Terry Baumgartner will finally get his first look at his 2025 team in their game uniforms.
"Our number one goal every year is to be the best version of ourselves as a team for each game and practice," said the veteran coach, entering his 18th season at Feather River. "Along with that we have the goal of winning the Golden Valley Conference title and going far in the playoffs."
That quest begins this weekend.
Baumgartner, who has a record of 499-189 at FRC, could get win 500 on Friday. 35 of those wins came in 2024, when the Golden Eagles finished 35-10 and won the 14th GVC title in Baumgartner's 17-year tenure. Last spring's rebuilt squad won the GVC title, won two of three against Monterey Bay in the regional tournament and advanced to the Super Regionals, winning a game before Sacramento City College ended FRC's successful season.
The 2025 Golden Eagles have some parts to replace from that championship team, but the recruiting class is solid according to the coach.
"We lost a lot of key pitchers and hitters off last years club," he admitted. "But we feel like we have the pieces in place to compete again and replace all we lost. It may be a little easier on the offensive side as we are very young on the mound and we need some young guys to step up."
If the pitching staff is young, they at least have a veteran catcher to throw to. Zane Denton was a First Team All-GVC pick in 2024 after hitting .383 with 33 RBI. He got better as the season went on, roping the ball at a .447 clip in the month of April. Quinten Terrell saw quality time behind the plate as well, enough to earn Second Team All-GVC honors with a .320 average, but he will move 90 feet away to first base this year.
Grant McGuire, Dylan Marx and Kolt Kurzman are returning starters to bolster the infield and provide leadership, and Second Team All-GVC selection Anthony Cepeda is back in the outfield. FRC lost a lot of pitching, but effective reliever Will Page-Allen is back after a year that saw the Australian compile a 4-1 mark with a 3.44 ERA and four saves. Overall, seven of the eight position starters could be sophomores.
Feather River has 14 players back from the 2024 squad, meaning that a number of first-year players will have to step up. That group could include Kory Chu (infield), Tanner Hail (Pitcher), Kani Thomas (Pitcher), Ryan Clarke (Pitcher), Gunner Mountcastle (Pitcher), and Carl Colavecchio (Pitcher), among others.
After this weekend's games, the Golden Eagles will head to the capital area for a rematch with Sacramento City College, a team that FRC split with at last spring's Super Regionals. FRC will play the Panthers on Thursday (Jan. 30) and Saturday (Feb. 1) and also take on American River on Friday.
After three weeks of non-conference play, Feather River will open Golden Valley Conference action against perennial contender Butte College on Feb. 21. That will also serve as FRC's home opener.
This weekend, FRC's games against Taft will be broadcast on the Feather River College Baseball Facebook page with SuperFan Steve on the call.
