Historic Season Opener At Chabot's Steve Friend Stadium

The conditions couldn’t have been better for the first regular-season baseball game ever at new Steve Friend Stadium at Chabot College.
Under clear skies and sunny conditions with a temperature in the mid-60’s on Friday, it certainly didn’t feel like a normal January afternoon. Add the crowd that viewed this historic game, and you had an idyllic setting.
The stadium received rave reviews from Chabot players.
“It’s beautiful. I’ve never played on a field like this before,” JT Noble said.
“It’s awesome, dude. I love coming out here every single day,” commented Quinn Ayres. “It’s like a wonderland for baseball players.”
The Steve Friend Stadium project included upgrades to the playing field, bleachers, lighting, dugouts, batting cages, bullpens and scoreboard.
Maybe the only thing that could have made Friday’s experience better for the home team would have been a Chabot victory. Despite an eighth-inning rally, the Gladiators fell 5-3 to Santa Rosa in their season opener.
“I like the way our guys competed, I like their overall effort, and I like their energy,” Chabot coach Will Tavis said. “I thought our guys did a good job of slowing their minds down and being under control and being present in the moment. I’m proud of them for that.”
The Gladiators scored the first run in regular-season stadium history. In the bottom of the first inning, Jonathan Gazdar led off with a sharp single to left-center field on a 3-2 count. He stole second and eventually scored on a single to left field by Matt Sugden.
Santa Rosa scored four runs in the top of the second, however, and took a 5-1 lead in the seventh.
However, Chabot broke through for a couple of runs in the eighth with a two-out rally. Brian Duroff and Sam Gilliam were both hit by pitches, then Noble stepped to the plate. He quickly fell behind 0-2.
“Spoil the curveball and then sit fastball,” said Noble on what he thought at that point.
He proceeded to take three straight balls before ripping a double to the center-field fence that drove in both Duroff and Gilliam.
“Lately, I’ve been struggling kind of lifting off when I get the inside pitch, and then figured something out with my foot placement, and it ended up working, I guess,” said Noble, who also had a double in the fifth inning and finished 2 for 4 at the plate.
But the eighth ended for the Gladiators with a groundout and they stranded one runner on base in the ninth.
The big story Friday was the stadium’s opening, however. Friend had a big smile on his face before the game.
“It’s unbelievable. … It’s got a wow factor, no doubt about it,” said Friend about the stadium. “I saw it in the fall … actually brought tears to my eyes. It’s just beautiful what it can do and how it can impact ... Chabot players and the community itself.”
Friend said the covered batting cages, which allow practice in inclement weather, really brought out “the wow factor” in him.
“The stadium was really built for player development,” Tavis said.
The Gladiators played fall games at the facility, but Friday was the first regular-season game.
The Chabot College baseball field is named after late Chabot coaching legend Gene Wellman.