The San Quentin Giants battled the Oakland Ballers, a 2025 Pioneer League championship team that is the last remnant of professional baseball in the East Bay.
Aaron Miles, manager of the Oakland Ballers, played for the St. Louis Cardinals where he played with hall-of-famed Albert Pujols and was a member of the Cardinal’s championship team in 2006.
Miles wore his world series ring and Oakland Ballers championship ring that he earned while managing the Ballers last year. “I’ll probably be remembered more for the St. Louis ring … but the Oakland Ballers ring was a very close second,” Miles said.
In the first inning, the SQ Giants faced pitcher Nick Bautista, who throws up to 94 mph. “Everyone expects everybody in here to be bad guys and it’s not like that,” said Bautista who spent time in the minor leagues with both the New York Mets and Texas Rangers. SQ Giants went three and out, after the Ballers scored two runs in the top half of the first inning against Vic Picazo.
Incarcerated resident and pitcher Patrick Poteat pitched two innings for the SQ Giants without giving up any hits or runs, while striking out one. “To be able to pitch against a professional team and put up two hitless, scoreless innings, makes me feel proud … of my coaches confidence in my ability,” Poteat said.
During the fifth and sixth innings, SQ pitcher Robert Nash cruised through his first inning, but then gave up five runs on two Baller home runs including one that escaped the field and hit the roof of the education building.
SQ Giants Captain Carrington Russelle battled for two innings giving up one run while holding his ground against the visitors, however, the SQ Giants batters only mustered three hits throughout the game because they could not catch up to the quality of the Ballers’ pitching staff.
The SQ Giants lost 8-0.
Ballers pitching coach Jim Dedrick, said the competition at San Quentin is better than he thought it would be. “I feel the intensity from your hitters, this is a chance for them to see what they can do against really good players,” Dedrick said.
SQ Giant Anthony Denard reminisced about playing baseball as a young man in Oakland. Denard played at Laney Junior College and was drafted twice; once by the Minnesota Twins in 1996 and then in 1997 by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“I was reflecting back on the age the young players were, that’s when I got locked up,” said Denard. “It hit home because it was something I strived for and never got.”
SQ resident artist Greg Stephens presented the Oakland Ballers with a custom drawn piece of art titled, Razor Wire Classic, that had representations of both San Quentin and Oakland culture.
“I thought about our outfield and all you see is razor wire, that’s where I got the idea,” Stephens said.
SQ Giants season is off to a slow start, one win, three losses and a tie.
