By Ray Hamill — The Spirit of Ferndale will honor Sacramento State head coach and Ferndale native Reggie Christiansen at their annual Joe Oeschger Day at Firemen’s Park on Saturday.
The fourth annual Joe Oeschger Day, as always, will also feature the ever-popular old-timers game, as well as a clinic for young players to get the day started.
The festivities get under way at 11 a.m.
“It’s just a really fun day to celebrate America’s favorite pastime,” Leanne McCulloch of The Spirit of Ferndale said. “Everyone’s welcome. It’s a really fun family day with multiple generations participating.”
The annual event was first held in 2022 in honor of Oeschger, a Ferndale native who holds the MLB record for most innings pitched in a single game.
Oeschger, who enjoyed a 12-year MLB career, incredibly threw all 26 innings for the Boston Braves in a 1-1 tie with the Brooklyn Dodgers back in 1920 in a game that was called due to darkness in an era before lighted stadiums.
The Ferndale High graduate gave up just nine hits in the game, with Brooklyn’s Leon Cadore also pitching a complete game that day.
Each year, the Spirt of Ferndale, which organizes the event, honors someone who has impacted sports in the area on Joe Oeschger Day, with Buster Pidgeon honored in 2023 and Hailey Dolcini in 2024.
Christiansen is one of the most successful college coaches to ever come out of Humboldt County and has been head coach of the Hornets since 2011.
During that time, he has enjoyed tremendous success with the program while earning three Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year awards, including this year.
Reggie Christiansen (23) using his playing days with the Wildcats.
In the spring, Christiansen led the Hornets to a 32-26 record and a conference championship.
“Ferndale continues to be a proud home to individuals who have left a lasting mark on the national baseball scene, and this year we recognize a coach whose leadership and impact have elevated countless players to their greatest potential,” event organizers said in a press release. “Our 2025 Joe Oescher Day honoree, Reggie Christiansen, exemplifies the values of mentorship, perseverance, and excellence in the sport of baseball.”
Christiansen got his start in coaching while he was still at Ferndale High, joining longtime Wildcats coach Jeremy Griffith, who also was in high school at the time, to coach the Ferndale Cardinals Little League team.
After high school, Reggie played college baseball at both College of the Redwoods and Menlo College, before returning to Ferndale High to coach the Wildcats in 2001.
Christiansen also coached at at Menlo College, the University of Kansas and South Dakota State before joining the Hornets staff as an assistant in 2009.
According to event organizers, Christiansen “has earned the reputation as one of the most respected college baseball coaches on the West Coast,” and “his teams are known not only for their success on the field but for their grit, teamwork and high academic standards.”
Christiansen will also host the youth clinic for players aged 9-13 from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday, with spaces still available.
After the clinic there will be a ceremony honoring Christiansen and Oeschger at noon, followed by the old-timers game at 1 p.m., which has become one of the highlights of the annual event.
Anyone interested in participating in the game can sign up on the day for $20.
“So many people are proud of his achievements,” McCulloch said of Christiansen. “And we just want to give him an opportunity to be recognized in Ferndale.”
Christiansen also threw out the first pitch at a San Francisco Giants game in April on Sac State Night at Oracle Park.
