Latest news with #UC-Davis
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hawaii's Zeigler-Namoa takes a swing with Baseball Bat Bros.
Fresh off winning two of three games against UC-Santa Barbara, the University of Hawaii baseball team is gearing up for a three-game series against UC-Davis, starting Saturday. The series victory this past weekend marked the program's first over a ranked opponent in 15 years, boosting the Rainbow Warriors' record to 14-5. As the team gains attention for its hot start, a recent visit by the popular Baseball Bat-Bros YouTube series has added to the momentum. Host Will Taylor and first baseman Ben Zeigler-Namoa teamed up for a 2026 DeMarini Omega bat review at Les Murakami Stadium, which has garnered more than 300,000 views on YouTube. Zeigler-Namoa, a Lahaina native, relished the opportunity to showcase Hawaii baseball to a larger audience. 'This is one of the most underrated atmospheres in the country. And to have him here to showcase it, I think you could just tell by the traction that those videos were getting. How cool this place is. People are like, 'Wow, this place is amazing.' It was fun to showcase. The game has become so statistical, and now, with the internet and social media, reviews are a thing. It's just an awesome experience, and I'm happy we could help kids see this place. We had kids asking, 'How do I get here?' It's just a great feeling.' On the season, Zeigler-Namoa has started all 19 games for UH. He's hitting .319 with five doubles, one home run, 14 RBIs, 14 walks, and 14 runs scored. When asked if a future in bat reviews might be in the cards, Zeigler-Namoa was humble about his future but focused on his unquestioned plan to keep his cleats dug into Hawaiian soil. 'If Will wants me once in a while, sure. But I think this is my home, and I just want to stay in this community forever.' It should be noted that the bat review at Murakami Stadium was not Zeigler-Namoa's first appearance with the Bat-Bros. He was previously featured in a review during his time at Yavapai College. For a link to watch both videos, click here for the segment at Les Murakami Stadium. Click here, for the 2022 episode at Yavapai College. The Rainbow Warriors are back on the field Saturday night against UC-Davis. The game is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at Les Murakami Stadium and will be televised on Spectrum Sports. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Reuters
26-02-2025
- Health
- Reuters
California lab sends some bird flu tests out of state during outbreak as workers strike
Feb 26 (Reuters) - California's only lab that can confirm lethal bird flu in poultry is shifting some testing to facilities out of state due to a workers' strike, but does not expect testing delays, the University of California said on Wednesday. The broader strike of University of California healthcare, research and technical employees is slated to last from Wednesday to Friday as they protest low staffing levels and other concerns, according to the University Professional and Technical Employees union that represents them. Among those striking are workers from the California Animal Health and Food Safety Lab, which detects H5N1 bird flu in poultry and cattle at UC-Davis. Their walkout highlights how the worst-ever U.S. outbreak of bird flu has strained a range of people from lab technicians to poultry farmers and consumers. Millions of egg-laying hens in California have died from bird flu or been culled to contain the virus in recent months, contributing to a national egg shortage that pushed prices to record highs. The most populous state and biggest U.S. milk producer has also been the epicenter of outbreaks in dairy cows. UC-Davis does not expect delays in bird flu testing from the strike, and it had three staff members processing samples in the lab on Wednesday, spokesperson Bill Kisliuk said. The lab is part of a national network of facilities approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that are designed to handle surges in testing demand. Some H5N1 testing is being sent to labs in other states that are in the network, including tests for already-infected farms, Kisliuk said. Such tests are considered to be lower priority than new outbreaks in poultry, he added. The university also reallocated testing for additional foreign animal diseases to other labs, Kisliuk said. The lab normally aims to test samples for bird flu within 24 hours, but some sat for a week or more at times last year due to short staffing levels, said Alyssa Laxamana, a lab diagnostician who went on strike. Delayed confirmation of outbreaks could allow the virus to spread to other farms, she said. "It's really stressful, especially because I know how important our work is to California and the food chain," said Laxamana, 25. Since the H5N1 virus was first detected in cattle in California in August, the lab has tested 400 to 2,000 samples per week for bird flu in cows and poultry, according to the university. The university said it added staff to the lab since workers left last year and also uses staff from other labs. USDA said its animal health laboratory network office is in close contact with California's lab and ready to support it if necessary. California's Department of Food and Agriculture does not anticipate the strike will impact operations, spokesperson Steve Lyle said.
