LMU Pitcher Makes School History

photo credit Nina Galanti

This week Team Living90045 welcomes a guest post from Catherine Galanti. Would you like to write for us? More info here.

History was made on Saturday as LMU pitcher Cory Abbott retired 27 consecutive batters to record the first perfect game in school history.

In the final game versus conference rival Brigham Young University (BYU), the Lions looked to top the Cougars in a series for the first time in almost four years. Saturday was the rubber match between the two teams, and LMU certainly delivered.

The game was tied at zero for the first five and a half innings, with Phil Caulfield and Niko Decolati picking up two hits apiece. Though LMU’s hitting was able to score two runs, the focus of the game was on the pitchers.

Junior Cory Abbott threw the first perfect game in the history of LMU’s program, and only the third no-hitter. The last time the Lions no-hit an opponent, it was from current pitching coach Matt Florer in 2013. This was the 26th perfect game in NCAA history.

Abbott shut down BYU’s offense with 13 strikeouts and only 106 pitches. Of those 106 pitches, 79 were strikes. Only four batters drew three balls from Abbott.

This win was especially sweet after seeing the power and capability of BYU’s hitters. The Cougars picked up 10 hits on both the Thursday and Friday outings.

Cory Abbott was named collegiate baseball’s national player of the week. LMU also swept Rawlings’ pitcher and player of the week, with Abbott and Phil Caulfield snagging the honors.

Abbott’s record now improves to 4-1. The Lions now have a 13-10 overall record, and a 4-2 record in conference play.

The Lions take a break from WCC action as they face UC Irvine away this Tuesday. They return home to play conference opponent Pacific this weekend, with games on Friday and Saturday at 6:00 pm, and a game on Sunday with a 1:00 pm start.

For ticket and schedule information, go here.

It’s Baseball Season At LMU

This week Team Living90045 welcomes a guest post from Catherine Galanti. Would you like to write for us? More info here.

LMU Baseball 2017 Living90045Major League Baseball is almost here. The teams have reported to spring training, and it’s only a matter of weeks before Opening Day. Here in LA, we’re pretty lucky to have two MLB teams. You can pick who to follow, but it’s often difficult to see a game in person. What if you can’t make it out to Arizona for spring training? Who wants to struggle through traffic to get to Dodger Stadium, or make the trek to Anaheim to catch an Angels game?

Why not take advantage of the baseball program that’s right in our own back yard? Loyola Marymount (LMU) baseball offers a local alternative, with all the fun of a big league game. You get awesome games without the stress of crawling along the 10 or the 5. Don’t miss out on a hidden gem … a diamond, if you will. 😉

LMU games are a great way to experience Division 1 baseball. Not only is the team hardworking and fun to watch, this year they play teams like USC, UC Santa Barbara, Michigan and conference rival, Pepperdine. Seeing a game at LMU is also a great opportunity to watch college players before they get drafted to MLB teams. In the last five years, LMU has had 11 players drafted into major league organizations, with a total of 111 in the program’s history. Among those, 21 players have made it to the majors.

One of the more recent Lions, David Fletcher, was drafted as a sophomore by the Angels in 2015. Fletcher is working his way through the minor leagues, with an invite to Spring Training this year. He is currently listed as the Angel’s no. 8 prospect and is expected to make his major league debut next year.

Two Lions were drafted last season. 2016’s ace pitcher, junior J.D. Busfield, went to the Tampa Bay Rays in the 7th round as the 210th pick overall. Catcher Cassidy Brown was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 12th round as the 348th pick. Pitcher Michael Silva went undrafted, but signed with the Kansas City Royals as a free agent. It will be fun to follow them and future Lion players as they begin their professional careers. Watching LMU baseball is an opportunity to witness and get to know the future of professional baseball.

LMU’s George Page Stadium has a seating capacity of 1,000 and I have to say that there’s not a bad seat in the ballpark. You’ll get a great view of the game, closer than any of what you could get at a Major League park. There are a variety of activities for kids to participate in like the popular Frozen T-Shirt Race and Steal Third Base Contest, along with the Dizzy Bat Challenge. Local businesses like Tony P’s, Tower Pizza and Togo’s are big supporters of the team and frequently give away gift cards as prizes. How awesome is that?

In case all this isn’t enough, adult single game tickets are only about $8, and season tickets cost $40-$80. You certainly don’t find season ticket prices like that in the MLB. For the kids, the Little Lions Club only costs $20, and gives admission to all home baseball games, along with other special events. The Little Lions Club also offers a range of games, summer camp discounts, and more. Get ticket information here.

The Lions’ next home game is this Wednesday, March 1st at 6:00 PM. They play Michigan for one game before an away series at Arizona State University this weekend. Coming back from that series, the Lions will return to Page Stadium Tuesday, March 7th to face UC Irvine. Get the full schedule here.

If you’re a baseball fan and live in Westchester, Playa del Rey, the Marina or surrounding areas, it’s totally worth it to come out with the family. It’s cheap. It’s fun. You’ll get to watch quality collegiate baseball. Come over and watch a game or two. The team will love the support.

Follow the Lions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @lmulions. I hope to see you at a game. Go, Lions!

LAX Northside Plan Wins Approval

photo source: Wikipedia
photo source: Wikipedia

Much needed open space & recreation facilities or placeholder for future expansion?

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, City Councilmember Mike Bonin, airport officials, and community representatives on June 14, celebrated City Council approval of the LAX Northside Plan Update, a comprehensive planning blueprint for 340 acres of vacant property located between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and the Los Angeles communities of Westchester and Playa del Rey.

Big news yesterday for ‘s neighbor to the South. LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, Councilman Mike Bonin, LAX officials and community representatives celebrated City Council approval of the LAX Northside Plan Update, a comprehensive planning blueprint for 340 acres of vacant property located between LAX and Westchester/Playa del Rey.

But is passage of the plan really cause for celebration?

Bonin was quoted as saying, “Westchester and Playa del Rey deserve a vibrant, thriving community and the Northside Plan will offer neighbors open space and recreation facilities to play in, and retail space to dine and shop in, and a campus-like office space to work in.”

Sounds good to me.

Critics on the other hand, are quick to point out that open spaces and recreation facilities are easy to pave over, if LAX starts thinking again about expanding to the north into our community. They point out that the original plan called for high rise office buildings, which might present more of an obstacle to expansion.

Cue the music screeching to a halt.

Will we be so busy in Westchester CA enjoying our “gift” that we don’t even notice when the City starts talking again about northward expansion? Hard to tell. With luck, we’ll end up with the real “Runway” rather than Playa Vista. For that, we can only stay tuned.

Got an opinion about the Expansion Plan? Let’s have a conversation! Leave a comment below.

Source: LAX Northside Plan Wins Approval | AviationPros.com

Little Free Libraries In Westchester

Kentwood Little Free LibraryI shared a photo of a Little Free Library in Kentwood on Facebook this week and learned that lots of other families are as excited about them as I am.

Have you heard about Little Free Libraries? I learned about them last year when parents built three of them for my daughter’s K-8 campus.

What makes them special? This from the organization’s website:

If this were just about providing free books on a shelf, the whole idea might disappear after a few months. Little Free Libraries have a unique, personal touch and there is an understanding that real people are sharing their favorite books with their community. These aren’t just any old books, this is a carefully curated collection and the Library itself is a piece of neighborhood art!

I’m a sucker for anything that promotes exploration, reading, community and sharing, but Continue reading “Little Free Libraries In Westchester”

Gimme a Break: Super Spring Break Camps

Red Tricycle has come up with the ultimate list of Los Angeles kids spring break camps – “great ways of giving parents and wee ones alike a well deserved (and super-fun) break.”

For their very comprehensive list, head over to redtri.com.

What are you doing with your wee ones over break?

4 Reasons to Let Your Kids Eat Junk this Halloween

We’ve certainly seen at our house time and time again that if we don’t make a big “no” deal out of things, our daughter has a lot less interest in them. She’s 11 now and every year without fail, we put her candy in the cupboard right away. She knows she can ask for it, and sometimes she does, but more often than not, she forgets about it and a couple weeks later I dump it.

For a health practitioner’s take on this topic (and lots of heated discussion in the comments below the post), head over to holisticsquid.com.

Lululemon’s Warehouse Sale Is So Crazy It Has Its Own Twitter Feed

Calling all yoga moms and anybody else committed to stylish comfort!

Lululemon is having its annual warehouse sale and it’s so big, the event is happening at the Convention Center.

The company has also set up a dedicated twitter feed. The feed is being used to provide updates, including parking updates, and to answer customer questions. All hail the Internet! And of course, those smart phones.

Get out there and shop! The sale ends today at 8 pm. Read more on la.racked.com or, of course, twitter.

Meet me down there?

Tender Greens Sails Into The Marina

tender greensThree things caught my attention when I saw Richard Foss‘ restaurant review of the new Tender Greens location in the Marina  – fast, cheap and good, all prominently placed in the headline.

Read a little deeper and you will – as I did – also discover gourmet and organic. What’s not to love?

For the full review, head over to argonautnews.com.

To do some serious drooling, take a peek at their menu.

Meet me for dinner?

Westchester 14-year-olds take home first Babe Ruth World Series crown

Westchester-Babe-Ruth-champsThe Westchester 14 and under Babe Ruth baseball team captured its first World Series Championship in its 57-year history with an 8-0 shutout of a team from Oregon Aug. 24 at Moses Lake, Wash.

Westchester, which won each of its World Series games by four or more runs, was riding a 10-game winning streak heading into the title game, which pitted the California team against the Oregon team it defeated 8-1 in the tournament’s opening game. Oregon was this season’s Pacific Northwest Regional champion.

The Westchester 15 and under Babe Ruth team also reached the World Series final in Virginia but was defeated 8-3 by host team Greater Loudoun (VA).

For the full story, jog over to argonautnews.com.

24 Ways to Pack a Healthy School Lunch

To ensure your child gets nutrient dense foods, there is no question that you will need start packing a healthy school lunch.

Bacon, anybody? To find out why saturated fats are your secret weapon for sustained energy and brain power during the school day, paddle on over to holisticsquid.com.