Glendale to get CCL summer team

GLENDALE — By midsummer, baseball games are usually already little more than a memory at Stengel Field.

But when the summer of 2011 really starts heating up, local baseball will be just getting into full swing.

The California Collegiate League, one of the premiere amateur collegiate summer baseball leagues in the country, announced on Friday that it will be expanding into Glendale, where its newest franchise will take up residence at Stengel Field.

"Bringing a collegiate league to the city of Glendale is definitely going to be one of the best things to happen to this area," said Glendale Community College baseball Coach Chris Cicuto, whose team is one of the primary residents of Stengel Field along with the Crescenta Valley High baseball team. "Years ago, the city of Glendale was really a top competitor when it came to baseball back in the 80s and 70s and we've kind of lost that love for the game a little bit. Bringing that back is going to not only bring exposure to the game for people in the city but it will also bring exposure to the college and surrounding colleges around the area. I couldn't be more ecstatic about the situation."

A press conference is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sept. 29 at Stengel Field featuring local officials, including Mayor Ara Najarian and Director of Community Services & Parks George Chapjian, as well as Team President Tony Riviera.

"It's kind of hard to describe the excitement because it's something that we've worked really hard on and we couldn't have done it without the support of the city officials," said Riviera, chairman and CEO of a local restaurant group, who will reveal details such as the team's name and colors at the press conference. "It's huge, baseball coming to Glendale."

The CCL is a non-profit organization featuring amateur baseball organizations from the greater Southern California and Las Vegas areas and will include a total of eight teams with the addition of the Glendale club. The wood-bat league, which features some of the top NCAA Division I talent from across the country, plays a 42-game championship season that begins June 1 and runs through Aug 7.

"The whole feel of summer baseball is just a really, really neat experience in all aspects," Cicuto said. "Not only for the kids, but for the coaches, the administrative people that are all involved and, obviously, the fans should have a great experience with that."