FARIFIELD, CA., — Through the first eight games of the 2026 season, Solano Falcons baseball has only found themselves in the win column once, recently beating American River in their second matchup with the Beavers. Despite the team being competitive recently, they haven’t proven they can fully get over the hump.
This was apparent in their first game against the Beavers, where they lost in extra innings 8-7, failing to retain a two-run lead in the ninth. The game was neck and neck from the start, with American River taking the lead early but then Solano tying it up in the fourth. Solano then proceeded to give up three runs in the fifth but then had a massive answer for American River, scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Solano retained their two-run lead all the way until the ninth, which was when American River scored on an error by Solano and then hit an RBI single to tie the game.
Going into extra innings, American River had all the momentum and ended up scoring to take a two-run lead in the 10th. Solano needed to do something to answer back, but couldn’t get it done, only bringing in one more run before the last pitch.
It came down to the relief pitching for Solano in the last two innings, which has been a problem for the Falcons this season so far. In the first eight games, they have a 7.00 ERA as a team, which ranks 68th among all California community colleges. They have a few solid pitchers but have struggled to find consistency in the bullpen.
Among the relief pitchers is Amari Bryant, a bright spot in the Solano bullpen. He’s pitched a total of seven innings so far in relief and has shut down almost every batter he’s faced. In the games against American River, Bryant pitched a total of four innings, and he had six strikeouts along with no runs allowed in the two relief appearances. He has certainly bounced back since he pitched in relief against Butte, giving up the two runs that won the game for Butte.
As for the hitting side of the team, it hasn’t been so pretty either. Solano has a collective .218 batting average, which is 81st among eligible California community colleges. They have started to find some consistency, as in the two games against American River, they put up 14 total runs. Other than that, they’ve had games where they just can’t find home plate consistently, only scoring an average of four runs in the four games before playing American River.
Despite the struggle to score, Teo Copp has been playing outstandingly for the Falcons. He leads the team with a .357 average and has the most extra-base hits (six) on the team as well.
Conference play has not started yet, but it is just around the corner for the Falcons. With a record of 1-7, they certainly need to find some more consistency and play overall better baseball over the next couple of weeks.
With long-time head coach Scott Stover leading the way, there is confidence that he can help motivate his players to find a good rhythm before their first conference game, which will be against Laney at the end of the month.
Laney will be a challenge for the Falcons, as the Eagles ended up winning the Bay Valley conference last season while Solano finished fifth. Laney also won two out of the three matchups last season against the Falcons.
Although it’s been a gloomy start to the 2026 season, the Falcons have the time to find their identity. Over the next 10 days, they will have games against Cabrillo and Skyline. Look out for your Solano Falcons to find their groove in these next few games. The talent is all over the place for Solano, but a blossoming fruit is all they need. Once that happens, the Falcons will certainly turn the corner.
