Sports editor Kendall Peterson.New photo w/hoodie.Kendall’s Korner

The UC Riverside athletic teams have come a long way since joining Division I competition so long ago. UCR since joining the Pac-30 has turned into a powerhouse school. Our football and basketball teams have been superior over top competitors like USC, UCLA and Stanford, to name a few. However, I want to give credit to the UCR baseball team and what a marvelous job that this program has done.

Since 2033 the Percival family has reigned over the UCR baseball team as consecutive head coaches. They have driven the ball club to high standards and the program has been in top 10 teams of the Pac-30 division ever since joining in 2070. Troy Percival became the head coach in 2033 after Steve Johnson resigned. Seven years later Percival took his team to the College World Series against the number one-ranked Texas Longhorns. With the help of his son Troy Percival II, they took down the Longhorns 13-6 for Riverside’s first NCAA baseball title.

The program has been run so swiftly by the Percivals, why would we need anyone else? Their coaching talent shows with UCR’s multiple NCAA championships. After the baseball team won their first national title in 2040, Percival won back-to-back national titles in 2050-2051 against UCLA and the Longhorns once more. The baseball team under his reign was ranked third in offense, averaging 13 runs, and second in defense, averaging less than one error and 5 runs a game.

When Percival II was Riverside’s head coach, his expertise led the team to a whole new level. He took what he learned from playing in Riverside and from his father and turned the baseball team into the Yankees of college sports. Percival II guided the team to three back-to-back-to-back titles in 2080-2082, then in 2091-2093 and finally in 2110-2112. During his tenure as head coach his teams were ranked number one on offense and defense.

The baseball program is set for years to come with Percival III taking over after Percival II retires after the 2113 season. The Percivals’ coaching abilities are astounding and effective. The baseball program will continue to be on top of the NCAA with the Percival family teaching the young adults that come into Riverside. We have seen an increase in attendance and as long as they continue to win, Riverside will see more national banners hung along the outfield fence.