Menlo Park Legends Week 1 Recap
Legends Show Promise Despite 0-4 Opening Week
The Menlo Park Legends got their first taste of California Collegiate League action in Week 1, squaring off against the San Francisco Seagulls and San Luis Obispo Blues in a four-game opening stretch. While the Legends are still looking to crack the win column, there were plenty of signs that this club has the pieces to make noise this summer. Menlo Park swiped 12 bags, racked up 20 knocks, pushed across 15 runs, and saw its pitching staff punch out 37 hitters in 33 innings, showing an aggressive brand of baseball on both sides of the ball.
Oliver Hogan provided the first fireworks of the summer, launching the Legends’ first home run of 2026 on Opening Night against the Seagulls. Ethan Jackson followed suit later in the game with a two-run shot of his own, while Barclay Ovalle came through with a clutch two-run knock during a late rally in a 12-11 loss. Ovalle finished the week with a pair of hits, two ribbies, and a run scored, helping spark an offense that showed flashes of hanging crooked numbers throughout the opening series.
On the mound, Dane LeBlanc grabbed the ball and immediately set the tone. The right-hander spun three scoreless frames with five punchouts against San Francisco and finished the week with 11 strikeouts in seven innings, flashing swing-and-miss stuff that could make him a go-to arm in the Legends’ rotation this summer.
At the dish, Aaron Louis put together one of the club’s strongest weeks, going 3-for-8 with an RBI and a stolen base. Michael Aikawa consistently found ways to get aboard, collecting two hits, a free pass, a run scored, and a swipe, including a two-hit effort in Sunday’s finale. Nate Bateman reached safely three times and drove in a run on June 7, while Tyler O’Toole filled up the stat sheet, contributing a hit, two runs scored, an RBI, two stolen bases, and 1.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
The supporting cast chipped in as well. Jordan Medina reached base twice and scored the club’s lone run in the June 5 matchup against San Luis Obispo. Carlos Cruz Mar added a base hit, crossed the plate once, and stole two bags, while Ethan Mooser showed a veteran approach by working four walks, scoring twice, driving in a run, and wreaking havoc on the bases with two steals. Ryan Duron also picked up his first RBI of the young season in Sunday’s series finale.
The Legends’ pitching depth may have been the biggest takeaway from Week 1. Beyond LeBlanc’s strong opening act, Christian Duarte punched out nine hitters in 5.1 innings, including 2.1 hitless frames against the Blues. Beau Schaffer fired 2.2 scoreless innings with four strikeouts, Henry Harding was perfect over 1.1 innings, Colton Parenti added a zero with two punchouts, and Noah Klube logged two scoreless innings across a pair of appearances. The staff’s ability to miss bats and stack quality innings gives the Legends plenty to build on heading into the heart of the summer.
Now the focus shifts to a busy Week 2 slate. Menlo Park opens with a rematch against the Blues at Baylands Park before hitting the road to face the Walnut Creek Crawdads and then squaring off with the Sonoma Stompers in a three-game set. The Legends enter the week at 0–4, but with the offense creating traffic, the runners applying pressure, and the arms piling up strikeouts, the club has already shown the ingredients needed to turn individual success into wins and begin climbing the North Division standings.
