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The very first baseball game in America....

On October 6, 14 members of the Knickerbocker Club took part in the first baseball game. The two sides battled for three innings with Cartwright's team losing 11-8. (Box Score) Between October 6 and November 18, the club played at least 14 more intrasquad games in Hoboken.  With some practice behind them, the Knickerbockers were ready for their first game against a rival team. On June 19, 1846, at the Elysian Fields, baseball was born.  The New York Nine annihilated the Knickerbockers 23-1 in four innings. However, things were not as bad for the Knickerbockers as they appeared. Most of the New York Nine's players were originally Knickerbockers who did not like to travel to Hoboken for practice.

Lion League "All-Stars"   Little League 1950's...

 Riverside Baseball  travel to "Colt League World Series" in Illinois in 1956

Left: Ruben Ayala            Top: Troy Percival

Riverside's  History

Although early in the 20th century, the University of California, Riverside opened for classes in February of 1954. It adopted the Highlanders nickname in a student election held later that year. The varsity baseball program was founded shortly thereafter, beginning play in 1958.  Riverside Polytechnic High School was opened in September 1965; the traditions of the school go back to 1887, then known as the Riverside High School, making Riverside Polytechnic the oldest high school in the city. 

In 1916, the Polytechnic High School began offering postgraduate classes. The Riverside Junior College District was formed in 1920, and the Riverside Junior College moved out of the high school to an adjacent property. In 1956, double sessions at Poly were needed until a second high school, Ramona High could be built.  

As high school enrollment continued to grow, it was evident that a third high school would be needed in Riverside. In 1960, a new high school, Rubidoux, shared the Poly campus until its campus could be completed in 1961. In 1965, Poly separated from the junior college campus and a site on the corner of Central and Victoria Avenues was built, along with a high school on Third Street and Chicago Avenue, named North High. Both high schools opened their doors in September 1965