Kern County, southern San Joaquin Valley

STRIPER DERBY: The annual Bob's Bait Bucket month-long striper derby kicks off today. The entry fee is $1 per angler and you must register before you weigh in a fish. Only fresh fish can be weighed in and no weighing in of fish the same day as entering derby. The biggest striper weighed in during June will take the $100 prize, plus all the entry fee money from everyone entered. Last year's winner took home almost $500.

PASADENA -- Thursday's CIF Southern California Boys Golf Regional marked the end of the season for the final four Kern County golfers and the end of a prep career for three.

Though none will advance to next week's state championships at San Gabriel Country Club, they were able to pause and reflect on the season.

Four drivers will seek their first repeat win during IMCA Modified competition Saturday night at Bakersfield Speedway.

Four races on the third-mile clay oval have produced four winners, with Brad Pounds, Gary Dutton, Justin Schweitzer and Michael Johnson each having one victory.

The Kern County contingent at the CIF Southern California Boys Golf Regional today in Pasadena has a distinct underdog feel.

None of the four -- Centennial's P.J. Carmichael, Bakersfield's Tyler Whitehead, Liberty's Brett Kettler and Garces' Rito Guzman -- has ever qualified as an individual to the regional before, though Carmichael played in Pasadena last year when the Golden Hawks qualified as a team. The others will play in the cutthroat tournament for the first time.

SAN JOSE -- Bakersfield never trailed after a five-run third inning en route to a 7-5 win over the San Jose Giants on Wednesday night at Municipal Stadium.

The Blaze used a Tucker Barnhart single, four walks, a hit by pitch and a two-run single by Juan Duran in the inning for a 5-0 lead.

The Bakersfield Condors will be seeing a lot of the San Francisco Bulls during the 2012-13 ECHL hockey season.

The Condors open the season against the Bulls at the Cow Palace in San Francisco on Oct. 12-13 and will face the newest member of the Pacific Division 12 times during the 72-game season.

NEWARK, N.J. -- Anze Kopitar scored a spectacular goal on a breakaway with 11:47 left in overtime Wednesday night and the Los Angeles Kings beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Kopitar faked a backhand shot, put the puck on his forehand and beat a prone Martin Brodeur.

Former Ridgeview High and Bakersfield College pitcher Phil Dumatrait announced his retirement from professional baseball Sunday following a five-year major league career.

Arm troubles plagued the left-hander through much of a 12-year career that started when he was a first-round draft choice of the Boston Red Sox in 2000 after a stellar career at BC.

Tony Cingrani, the first of five Bakersfield pitchers, held the Inland Empire 66ers to a single run in 51⁄3 innings and James Ewing had two hits and two RBIs to lead the Blaze to a 5-3 victory Tuesday at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

Cingrani allowed only four hits. He walked one and struck out two.

LAKE ISABELLA -- Bigger division, different team, different year, stiffer competition.

None of that stopped Kern Valley's softball team from beating Carpinteria 2-0 in Tuesday's semifinals and advancing to a second Southern Section championship game in three years.

Camps

Basketball: Twice weeky. Beginners/intermediate, 5-6 p.m. Advanced, 6-7 p.m. Coach is Chris Clayton, formerly of East High, Texas A&M. Call (661) 410-3343. Starts Monday.

IRVINE -- Peter Bardessono became the third Cal State Bakersfield swimmer to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials on Sunday when he swam the 100 backstroke in 57.58 seconds at the Speedo Grand Challenge.

The Roadrunners senior qualified with his preliminary time. The cut is 57.59. He placed 12th overall.

Sometimes everything just comes together.

And it did Monday for Billy Hamilton, who went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and three stolen bases as the Bakersfield Blaze snapped its three-game losing streak with a 6-2 victory over the Inland Empire 66ers at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

It's been a slow, tedious progress -- including more than 30 days of clearing tumbleweeds -- but construction has ramped up at Kern County Raceway Park, and if all goes well there could be racing in October.

"There's days I come out here and think no way it can happen, but at the same time we've got a lot accomplished," said Daniel Smith, who organized investors to help bring the foreclosed project back to life.

It was the end of an era for Cal State Bakersfield baseball, which concluded its final regular season as an independent. It couldn't have been more perfect for graduating senior Andrew Letourneau.

Letourneau's walk-off single in the first game of a doubleheader Sunday at Hardt Field gave the Roadrunners a 3-2 come-from-behind victory and the series sweep over Utah.

Ricky Pacione hit the go-ahead RBI triple in the 10th inning and the Inland Empire 66ers beat Bakersfield 6-5 at Sam Lynn Ballpark, handing the Blaze its fourth loss in a row.

Taylor Lindsey doubled off Blaze reliever Daniel Wolford with one out in the 10th, and after Randal Grichuk struck out, Pacione hit his triple to center.

In the Cal State Bakersfield track and field program's first appearance at the Great West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 12, sophomore sprinting star Jordan Taylor stole the show with record-breaking victories in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.

Taylor, a Palmdale native and William Knight High graduate, won the meet's Outstanding Male Athlete Award.

Scott Brattvet ensured himself of a winning record Saturday night for Cal State Bakersfield baseball.

Brattvet, a junior, tossed a complete game as the Roadrunners downed Utah, 7-5, at Hardt Field.

IRVINE -- Frontier High graduate Randy Aakhus qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 400 IM at the Speedo Grand Challenge on Saturday night.

Aakhus, a sophomore at UC Santa Barbara, placed fourth in the event final at 4 minutes, 33.33 seconds. However, his preliminary time of 4:28.38, which seeded him first in the finals, was fast enough to qualify him for the Olympic Trials.

CHARLESTON, S.C

Over the last four days I have had the pleasure of playing in one of the most historic cities in the USA: Charleston, S.C.