TOMALES — There was plenty of wind on the Marin County coast Friday afternoon as the Lower Lake Trojans opened the 2023 varsity baseball season with an 11-1 five-inning victory over the Tomales Braves.
If Lower Lake first-year coach Mark Peterson has his way, the season-opening victory also signals a new wind blowing for the school’s baseball fortunes. Long a league doormat in the North Central League I, the Trojans (1-0) and Peterson are hoping to turn things around beginning this season.
Although it’s his first head coaching assignment, Peterson is a veteran baseball coach. He was the assistant at Clayton Valley High School in Concord for 12 years before assuming a similar position at Las Lomas High School in Walnut for the last six years. He earned his teaching credential during the COVID-paused 2020-21 sports year and is now a physical education instructor at Lower Lake as well as the Trojans’ first-year baseball coach.
“The kids are excited about the year, about the new coaches,” Peterson said. “We have some new equipment, which has motivated the kids. They are out at practice early and and they want to stay late. There’s definitely an attitude change. We’re hoping to change the culture.”
And part of that change involves athletes doing their school work so that they can maintain athletic eligibility, according to Peterson.
Lower Lake’s enthusiasm paid early dividends against Tomales as the Trojans scored all of their runs in the first three innings, including an eight-run top of the third that pushed their lead to 11-0. That was more than enough run support for freshman starting pitcher Ashton Hartman, who allowed just one hit and one run in his three innings on the mound, earning the win in the process. He struck out four and walked four. Reliever Edward Gutierrez finished up with two innings of relief, blanking the Braves on one hit while striking out three and walking three.
The Trojans are a veteran squad for the most part, according to Peterson.
“We’re a bit of an older team with a pretty good amount of seniors,” Peterson said.
A couple of those seniors certainly got their season off to a good start. Dylan Sherman went 2-for-2 with two RBIs, Cody Gasperoni went 2-for-2 and scored twice, and Jett Guralas went 2-for-4 with two runs and a double. Another senior, Steel Kuykendall, went 3-for-4 with two runs and a RBI, part of Lower Lake’s 13-hit attack.
The Trojans’ next scheduled game is Wednesday at home against Potter Valley at 3:30 p.m. They travel to Los Molinos for another non-league game March 17. Lower Lake’s league opener is March 25 at home against Clear Lake. The Trojans will be looking to improve on last year’s 1-11 league mark (tied for last in the NCL I).
