Baseball has lived in the hearts of Americans for decades, so much so that it has been dubbed “America’s Pastime.”
Baseball is called that because of its deep 19th-century roots, serving as a cultural unifier during the Civil War.
During the Civil War in the 1860s, soldiers from different states played baseball to pass time, spreading the game nationwide.
Prior to the Civil War, in the 1850s, the sport had exploded in popularity in cities like New York, leading to it being labeled the “national pastime” or “America’s game.”
Baseball came to represent American values including the concepts of accessibility, because anyone could play and teamwork.
In the early to mid-1900s, baseball became a national obsession, with radio and early media spreading the sport’s popularity across the nation.
Major League Baseball
Southern California is fortunate to have three Major League Baseball teams, the back-to-back World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim and the San Diego Padres.
Most Santa Clarita Valley baseball fans find travel to Dodger Stadium the most convenient option to enjoy watching a game in person.
The Dodgers won their second consecutive World Series in 2025, the team’s ninth in franchise history.
Full squad spring training for the Dodgers started Tuesday, Feb. 17 at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz.
The Dodgers and Angels will play the traditional preseason “freeway series” beginning Sunday, March 22 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. The three-game set concludes with games at Dodger Stadium on March 23 and March 24.
Opening day for the Dodgers will be at home on Thursday, March 26, against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.
Southern California features three primary Single-A minor league baseball teams, all part of the California League and affiliated with MLB clubs in the region.
New to the California league is the Inland Empire 66ers, previously affiliated with the Angels and now affiliated with Seattle. The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, previously a Dodgers affiliate, are now with the Angels.
The newest member is the Ontario Tower Buzzers that are affiliated with the Dodgers. In a nod to the movie “Top Gun” and Tom Cruise’s character Maverick, the logo design mimics Maverick’s line “Sorry Goose, but it’s time to buzz the tower.”
Plus, the team’s mascot is named Maverick.
For information on single-game Dodger tickets, visit www.mlb.com/dodgers/tickets/single-game-tickets.
For single-game tickets to see the Angels, visit www.mlb.com/angels/tickets/single-game-tickets.
More information on Minor League teams and tickets can be found at: www.mlb.com/milb/tickets.
Women’s Professional Baseball League
For the first time since 1954, women will play professional baseball. League play will begin following the Women’s Baseball World Cup in late July. The season will run from August 1 through mid-September with four teams: New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
You won’t be able to see them locally their first year as all games will be played at the Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t follow them.
Closer to Home
If you’re interested in catching a game closer to the Santa Clarita Valley, there are many options. College of the Canyons, The Master’s University and the William S. Hart Union High School District all field teams.
The city of Santa Clarita offers adult softball and baseball and several youth leagues also operate throughout the SCV.
Proving how popular “America’s Pastime” still is, sign-ups for most youth spring leagues are currently full. But it’s still a great time of year to introduce children and grandchildren to the sport by taking then to a game.
College of the Canyons Cougars
The COC Cougars Men’s Baseball team’s season is currently underway with games scheduled through April 24.
The team’s home games are played on the Valencia campus, 26455 Rockwell Canyon Rd. 91355. Mike Gillespie Field on the west side of campus, features a natural grass surface, seating for approximately 700 spectators and additional grassy berm picnic seating down the first-base line.
To view the upcoming schedule of games, visit cocathletics.com/sports/bsb/2025-26/schedule.
The COC Women’s Softball team’s season is also underway on the Valencia campus.
Located just north of Mike Gillespie Field, Ray Whitten Field is home of the Cougars’ softball team. The field can accommodate about 200 fans.
To view the upcoming game schedule visit cocathletics.com/sports/sball/2025-26/schedule.
The Cougar Sports Network on YouTube is available to stream live games at bit.ly/47eiQMa.
The Master’s University Mustangs
The TMU Mustangs men’s baseball team is currently underway with regular games scheduled through April 18.
The team’s home games are played at Lou Herwaldt Stadium on the TMU campus, 21726 Placerita Canyon Rd., Newhall 91321. The facility features stadium seating along the first and third baselines and behind home plate.
Tickets for baseball and softball games are $10 and can be purchased at the gate.
William S. Hart Union High School District
The Hart school district’s baseball teams have a number of alums who made the transition to MLB teams.
Major league standouts include pitchers Tyler Glasnow (Hart High), James Shields (Hart High) and Trevor Bauer (Hart High and a Cy Young winner), along with infielder Keston Hiura (Valencia High). Others include Matt Valaika (Hart High) and Kyle Hooper (Saugus High).
Baseball and softball are now underway on all high school campuses.
Find game schedules by visiting the individual school website or visiting maxpreps.com and searching for the high school.
City of Santa Clarita Recreation
The city of Santa Clarita offers a wide variety of adult and youth sports. Most youth baseball in the SCV is handled by separate youth leagues, not the city, including Canyon Country Little League, Hart Pony Baseball and Softball in Valencia and Santa Clarita Youth Baseball in Castaic.
Adult softball leagues offer play Sundays-Friday at Central Park. Drop by the diamonds and root for your friends and neighbors. Men, women and coed teams with 10 players can sign up for league play which is held weekday evenings with coed play on Sunday morning.
The Senior Softball program is a “drop in” program where anyone age 55 and older can stop by Central Park on Wednesdays 9 a.m.-noon and join a game for $2. No preregistration required.
For more information on youth and adult baseball and softball through the city of Santa Clarita recreation visit https://santaclarita.gov/seasons.
For more information on youth baseball programs visit www.hartbaseball.org. Here you watch kids play who may be the stars of tomorrow.
