Photo via Isaiah Vazquez/MLB Photos. Alongside Major League Baseball’s All-Star Week earlier this month, Philadelphia also played host to the Jennie Finch Classic, where the Compton Youth Academy softball team captured the championship with a 12-0 victory over the Houston Academy. The annual U17 round-robin tournament is held during MLB All-Star Week, bringing together nine […]
The562’s coverage of aquatic sports in Long Beach in 2025-26 is sponsored by Watersafe Swim School. Photo by Zac Hudson, World Aquatics It’s been a golden summer for the red, white, and blue. The USA women’s water polo team has claimed the gold medal at the 2026 World Aquatics World Cup Tournament thanks to a 13-9 […]
Lakewood High has discontinued both its boys and girls lacrosse programs after failing to find qualified head coaches, a decision that reflects broader challenges facing a sport that was once one of California’s fastest-growing competitions. The move comes as reigning Moore League boys co-champion Millikan and defending girls champion Wilson continue searching for head coaches, […]
Years before Christopher Nolan’s epic blockbuster hit theaters, Zach Voelker was on his own baseball odyssey. The right-hander has pitched in every time zone and in every different role you can imagine, and his second arrival in Long Beach has been a welcome stop on his journey. During the 2026 season, Voelker has established himself […]
Through the first 60 games in franchise history, the Long Beach Coast already has an impressive nine series sweeps compared to just 13 total losses. That’s led to a sparkling 47-13 overall record against Pioneer League competition, putting the Coast firmly atop the standings. Over the past two weeks, the Coast went 10-2 during a […]
The562’s coverage of Jordan Athletics is sponsored by former LBUSD superintendent Chris Steinhauser and the Timu Foundation. Photo courtesy Long Beach State Athletics The Jordan Panthers made an impressive hire for their boys’ basketball program, announcing that Allen Caveness would be the next head coach in J-Town. A veteran head coach at the high school […]
As he walked onto campus at Wilson High for his first day of Summer football practice in 2005, Joel Bitonio would have been hard to pick out of the crowd. He was 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, and, in his memory, unremarkable in a field of eager freshmen ready to try out for the Bruins’ football team. […]
The 2026 Supertri Long Beach racers crossed the finish line and made history this year. The triathlon hosted 1,700 athletes and represented a 30% growth after a successful event. Among the 1,700 racers, there were participants of all ages ranging from 13 to 85 years old. Representing the power of unity, the event raised $775,300 […]
Before the best in Major League Baseball took the field to compete in the All-Star Game festivities last week, a couple of Moore League baseball athletes had the opportunity to compete with Compton’s MLB Youth Academy during the MLB Commissioner’s Cup in Philadelphia. Long Beach Poly’s Malakai Pruitt and Millikan’s AJ Nonato were able to […]