Latest news with #McCombs
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
James Castagnola's 3-run homer sparks UC Irvine in 8-3 victory over Fresno State in elimination game
LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Castagnola hit a two-out three-run homer in the second inning and UC Irvine never looked back in an 8-3 victory over Fresno State on Saturday in an elimination game of the Los Angeles Regional. No. 2 seed UC Irvine (42-16) awaits the loser of the nightcap between top-seeded host UCLA and No. 3 seed Arizona State in a Sunday elimination game. Fresno State finishes 31-29. Castagnola's homer came after Fresno State starter Aidan Cremarosa (6-6) hit Jacob McCombs leading off before walking Blake Penso with one out. McCombs hit a two-out solo shot in the third and Alonso Reyes walked and scored on a double play in the fourth for a 5-0 advantage. Lee Trevino singled in an unearned run that Anteaters reliever David Utagawa (2-0) inherited from starter Riley Kelly in the fourth and Eddie Saldivar hit a two-out solo homer off Utagawa in the fifth to get the Bulldogs within 5-2. McCombs, who went 3 for 4, singled in a run in the seventh and Colin Yeaman and Anthony Martinez had RBIs in the ninth for UC Irvine. Justin Stransky had an RBI single in the eighth off Anteaters reliever Max Martin, who replaced Utagawa after he allowed a leadoff single to Saldivar. Kelly surrendered two runs — one earned — on four hits in 4 2/3 innings. Martin allowed a hit in two scoreless innings to close it out. Cremarosa yielded five runs in six innings. Drew Townson followed and gave up three runs while retiring four batters. ___ AP college sports:
Los Angeles Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
UC Irvine baseball fails to capitalize on chances in NCAA regional loss
Jacob McCombs had been arguably UC Irvine's best hitter all season. The sophomore transfer from San Diego State transformed into an all-Big West selection with his .350 batting average and team-high 1.070 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. So when he came up to the plate in the bottom of the fifth, down one run and against a taxed Arizona State southpaw in Ben Jacobs — McCombs provided a real chance to break open the game in favor of the second-seeded Anteaters with runners on first and second. Coach Ben Orloff called for McCombs to bunt. A picture-perfect tap toward third base sent both runners into scoring position with one out — and the Irvine dugout into raucous cheers. When his team needed it, one of its stars stepped up. It didn't matter to Jacobs. Facing the pressure, the former UCLA Bruin — pitching back at Jackie Robinson Stadium, where he played in 2023 — shut down Chase Call with a strikeout and forced Blake Penso — his former battery mate at Huntington high — to weakly fly out to right field on the 105th pitch of the lefty's night. McCombs' small-ball heroics were for naught. When Irvine's offense worked another opportunity to score in the bottom of the eighth after Penso placed down a sacrifice bunt, Alonso Reyes hit into a 4-6-3 double play with the bases loaded to end the rally. It was one of those nights for the Anteaters, at a time of year when it matters most, as UC Irvine fell 4-2 to third-seeded Arizona State in the Friday nightcap of the Los Angeles Regional. UC Irvine moves to the loser's bracket where it'll face fourth-seed Fresno State at noon Saturday. To win the Los Angeles Regional, the Anteaters will have to win out — four games across Saturday, Sunday and Monday — if they want to reach the NCAA super regionals. While UC Irvine's offense could only produce one run and mustered just five hits, Trevor Hansen — their ace — tried his best to put the Anteaters on his back. Despite giving up solo home runs in the second inning to Jacob Tobias and Isaiah Jackson, the right-hander settled down to toss 6⅓ innings, giving up six hits and three earned runs while striking out eight and walking two. Hansen turned the ball over to Big West Pitcher of the Year Ricky Ojeda with runners on first and second in the seventh. Ojeda made quick work — inducing a ground out and a strikeout — to escape the inning. The lefty pitched through the ninth, giving up one run on 40 pitches overall, which could impact his availability in Saturday's win-or-go-home contest against the Bulldogs. Ojeda threw on back-to-back days just once in 2025, tossing 32 and 35 pitches against UC San Diego on May 3-4.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Insects are devouring Colorado's trees, thanks to climate change: Report
Climate-induced warming is fueling the proliferation of insects keen on invading Colorado's forests and leaving the trees they devour for dead, a new report has found. After a wet and cool 2023, weather in the Centennial State shifted back to near-record heat and minimal precipitation last year — driving the spread of forest pests and weakening the defenses of trees, according to the report, released by the Colorado State Forest Service. 'Trees in Colorado can't catch a break as our climate becomes warmer and dryer,' Matt McCombs, state forester, said in a statement. 'This ongoing trend toward persistent drought and higher temperatures not only makes trees easier prey for insects but increases the risk of large and severe wildfires,' added McCombs, who directs the Forest Service, housed at Colorado State University. The 2024 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests showed that bark beetles and other invasive insects expanded their forest footprint in a hot and dry 2024. The type of tree most affected was the Western spruce budworm, which incurred 217,000 acres of injury in 2024, as opposed to 202,000 acres in 2023, per the report. Another insect flagged in the report was the mountain pine beetle, which has been building populations along Colorado's Front Rage and in other parts of the state. In total, mountain pine beetles have damaged about 5,600 acres of forest. An additional culprit was the Douglas-fir beetle, which exceeded levels not seen in almost a decade, although the balsam bark beetle was 'the deadliest forest pest in Colorado for the third year in a row.' As the death toll of trees increase, so, too, does the likelihood of wildfires, the authors warned. Dense, homogenous forests can be slow to recover from disturbances, leaving material behind that has greater ignition risk, according to the report. 'Couple that with more people living in areas prone to burn, and the state faces enormous challenges,' McCombs said. The authors therefore recommended that wildfire risk mitigation remain a top priority in Colorado, by taking proactive steps to maintain forest health and establishing fuel breaks when appropriate. They praised the state for heading in the right direction in these activities, by establishing programs that fund workforce development, landscape resilience and wildfire mitigation, while also providing community-level grants to high-risk areas. 'The good news is we know Colorado is on the right path to address these challenges and foster forests and communities that are resilient to wildfire and forest pests,' McCombs added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
08-04-2025
- Climate
- The Hill
Insects are devouring Colorado's trees, thanks to climate change: Report
Climate-induced warming is fueling the proliferation of insects keen on invading Colorado's forests and leaving the trees they devour for dead, a new report has found. After a wet and cool 2023, weather in the Centennial State shifted back to near-record heat and minimal precipitation last year — driving the spread of forest pests and weakening the defenses of trees, according to the report, released by the Colorado State Forest Service. 'Trees in Colorado can't catch a break as our climate becomes warmer and dryer,' Matt McCombs, state forester, said in a statement. 'This ongoing trend toward persistent drought and higher temperatures not only makes trees easier prey for insects but increases the risk of large and severe wildfires,' added McCombs, who directs the Forest Service, housed at Colorado State University. The 2024 Report on the Health of Colorado's Forests showed that bark beetles and other invasive insects expanded their forest footprint in a hot and dry 2024. The type of tree most affected was the Western spruce budworm, which incurred 217,000 acres of injury in 2024, as opposed to 202,000 acres in 2023, per the report. Another insect flagged in the report was the mountain pine beetle, which has been building populations along Colorado's Front Rage and in other parts of the state. In total, mountain pine beetles have damaged about 5,600 acres of forest. An additional culprit was the Douglas-fir beetle, which exceeded levels not seen in almost a decade, although the balsam bark beetle was 'the deadliest forest pest in Colorado for the third year in a row.' As the death toll of trees increase, so, too, does the likelihood of wildfires, the authors warned. Dense, homogenous forests can be slow to recover from disturbances, leaving material behind that has greater ignition risk, according to the report. 'Couple that with more people living in areas prone to burn, and the state faces enormous challenges,' McCombs said. The authors therefore recommended that wildfire risk mitigation remain a top priority in Colorado, by taking proactive steps to maintain forest health and establishing fuel breaks when appropriate. They praised the state for heading in the right direction in these activities, by establishing programs that fund workforce development, landscape resilience and wildfire mitigation, while also providing community-level grants to high-risk areas. 'The good news is we know Colorado is on the right path to address these challenges and foster forests and communities that are resilient to wildfire and forest pests,' McCombs added.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Renaissance Faire returns to Ames next weekend
AMES, Iowa — With just one week left to go preparations for the 2nd annual Ames Renaissance Faire are underway including some bigger and better additions. The second annual Ames Renaissance Faire takes place April 12th-13th, and performers and vendors say it's going to be quite the event. Held by Iowa State University students, the faire offers an opportunity to put their hard-earned skills to use. Kaley McCombs, an Ames Ren Faire Organizer, says they are excited to bring something into the community and have been met with massive support. 'It's actually really great because all of my teachers are very, they're very proud of this, and they're very proud of me and they're very supportive, and they just have been very helpful and with everything,' said McCombs. 'I think I've been able to manage everything well and just I've had a good support system from my advisors and teachers up at Iowa State.' WHO 13+ streaming app now available on Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV This year over 40 vendors are set to attend with three stages and two encampments set up. A schedule of events can be found here. Alasdair McGhee, Mucky Duck, says this year offers more opportunities and will hopefully draw in people who may not normally gravitate towards a renaissance faire. 'I'm very excited to experience something new and I'm looking forward to it, hoping it's going to be a bit busy and me and loads of new people in the local community and maybe some people that have never experienced the market again,' said McGhee. 'A little taste of what we're about and hopefully bring in a new demographic to the market as well as a customer base.' The costume contest takes place Saturday will Ravenscroft Musicke Guilde performing during the sacred music show on Sunday. Brent 'Molotov' Allan, a performer who attended last year, says they are excited to return with some exciting Stupid Human Tricks. 'What they have pulled off is nothing short of miraculous. You know, last year we weren't sure what to expect and the attendance was great,' said Allan. 'Everything ran so smoothly and honestly; the Ames fair runs more smoothly than a lot of the fairs that I've been to that are run by professionals that have been doing this for decades.' The Ames Ren Faire runs April 12th -13th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 1400 South Fourth street in Ames. Tickets for the Ren Faire can be purchased on the website or on Facebook. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
