Saints eye strong start to second half

PASADENA, CA — With the CCL All-Star Game in the rearview mirror, the second half of the 2026 season is officially underway, presenting an opportunity for the Arroyo Seco Saints (7-14) to regain some momentum and make a push for the playoffs.

That journey will start Tuesday night, when Arroyo Seco hosts the San Diego Bombers (3-11) at Jackie Robinson Memorial Field for the third time this season.

The Saints took both of their previous matchups against San Diego, winning 16-9 on June 7 and 9-1 on June 23 — Arroyo Seco's two highest margins of victory so far this summer.

In their last game before the All-Star break, the Saints lost 12-6 to the San Diego Waves (4-5) despite a late push from the offense. After falling behind 11-0 early, Arroyo Seco managed to narrow the gap — largely thanks to a three-run homer from Brandon Nguyen (Undecided) — but couldn't pull off the comeback.

The Bombers, meanwhile, split a two-game series against the San Luis Obispo Blues (23-6), winning 2-1 on Thursday before taking an 8-1 loss the next day.

On Saturday, several Saints showed out at the CCL All-Star Game, which the South won 11-4. Brayden Flores (Loyola Marymount University) opened the game with a single and came around to score on a double steal, while Jacob Freer (Undecided) walked twice and scored two runs. Joe O'Regan, who recently announced his transfer to the University of Nevada, Reno, threw a 1-2-3 inning in the second.

Back at home, Arroyo Seco will turn to Wyatt Toth (Undecided) on the mound, looking to reverse the team's overall pitching struggles from the first half. Across 17 innings pitched, Toth has racked up 16 strikeouts, tied for the second-most among Saints pitchers.

First pitch is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. A live broadcast of the game will be available on the Saints' YouTube channel.

Contributors:

• Saints reporter: Bennett Christofferson (USC)
• Saints photographer: Dakota Gray