RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - The Cordova Lancers have started their final season in the Greater Sacramento League (GSL). Next year they will join the more competitive Metro League. Coming off last year’s GSL championship, Varsity Head Coach Scott Ahlstrom, in his 4th year at the helm, is pretty optimistic about the possibility of making it a three-peat.

 Head Coach Scott Ahlstrom gives a player some batting tips at game versus Foresthill.

This year’s team is very young. It’s made up of eight freshmen, seven sophomores, two juniors and only two seniors.  Sophomore Levi Nyberg returns from last year’s league championship team. Nyberg was All League, Sac Bee All Metro and Max Preps All Section last year, and is poised to be a force again this year. Cordova also added Jesuit transfer, Alfonso Maya, who’ll help man the corners and behind the plate. Bro Ahlstrom, Noah Oxley, Gage Cordova and Nathan Tran are four freshmen that should play a big role in this year’s season and a major role in the success of the program. 

 Levi Nyberg doubles to right-center against Foresthill.

In the last two years the Lancers have seen fourteen seniors graduate. Lately it has been a challenge to keep our young athletes at Cordova. Many top-notch players decide to play for other schools such as Capitol Christian, Jesuit and Folsom high schools. Good teams are made up of players that have played together for several years. Hopefully this new crop of young players will change the tide. Coach Ahlstrom said, “We are young. Young in a good way though...lots of good young talent that soaks up the game and what we teach them”. The only thing the Cordova coaching staff can’t teach is experience. This makes it very hard to grow the program.  Cordova has no returning players at the senior level this year and next year they will only have two players at the senior level unless others decide to play or transfer from other schools.

On a positive note, the numbers are up and according to Coach Ahlstrom the team is going to be really good in a few years. One big reason Coach Ahlstrom is so optimistic about the future is because of his outstanding coaching staff.  Joining the Cordova coaching staff this year is former SF Giants relief pitcher and World Series champion, Jean Machi, as their pitching coach.

 Pitching Coach Jean Machi talks to Levi Nyberg during game against Capital Christian.

With only seven games under their belt, the Lancers are currently 3-4, which included an 8-1 victory over Foresthill and two lopsided league victories against Natomas as the Lancer bats finally came alive gathering 25 hits in the two games. Early league stats find three Lancers in the top-10 for batting average. Nyberg is in the first position with a .588 batting average, Ahlstrom is in the second position batting .526 and Tran is in the seventh spot hitting .429. Another major stat that finds four Lancers currently sitting in the top ten is in “On Base Percentage.” In first place is Nyberg with a .667 average, sophomore Adrian Rivera is in the third spot with a .612 average, Tran is in the fourth spot at .600 and Ahlstrom is in the fifth position with a .591 average.

 Levi Nyberg delivers the pitch against Capital Christian.

Although the season is very early to predict who will end up in the top position of the leader board, I anticipate the Lancers making it to the first round of the playoffs again this year.  “This year is a growing year, but we still aim to win a league championship and compete in the CIF D2 playoffs before our move to the Metro League next year. That being said, we can honestly see a deep playoff run in 2-3 years,” Coach Ahlstrom said.

 2024 Cordova Lancer varsity baseball team.