That was the last 66er team to win a California League championship. But it was a magical year for Lowe in a different way. By the end of the season he wasn’t winning a Cal League title, he was in the big leagues.

“I felt like that year, I couldn’t do anything wrong,” Lowe said.

Lowe recalled one 66er game from 2006 in particular that I remembered as well. That year he had been converted from being a starter to being a reliever, but he was pressed into duty as a starter in Game 2 of a doubleheader against High Desert in San Bernardino on April 15, 2006.

Lowe pitched five dominating innings in the seven-inning contest, allowing only one baserunner to reach base. With two outs in the fourth, a throwing error by third baseman Ronnie Prettyman allowed Rusty Brown to reach first base. Lowe struck out eight in five innings.

“I remember wanting to go back out for the sixth, since it was only a seven-inning game, but they wouldn’t let me,” Lowe said.

Reliever Aaron Trolia allowed a two-out double to Juan Senreiso in the sixth, breaking up the no-hit bid. Stephen Kahn pitched the seventh for the save in the 3-0 win and the trio of pitchers settled for a combined one-hitter. The game turned out to be Lowe’s only California League victory.

After blowing a 4-0 lead, the Sixers’ Ryan Jones’ third hit of the game, a single with one out in the 12th inning, scored the game-winning walk-off run in a 5-4 win over Modesto before 3,128 at San Manuel Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Quakes rallied from a 4-0 deficit and Scott Schebler’s three-run homer with two outs in the eighth lifted the Quakes to a 5-4 win over Lake Elsinore before 3,811 at newly renamed LoanMart Field.

Quakes manager Carlos Subero said that probably “eight” of the players on the 18-man Quakes roster for Thursday’s exhibition game will be on the Quakes’ opening day roster one week from tonight.

First baseman Angelo Songco, who had two hits, including the walk-off single, who played with the Quakes parts of each of the last two years, said he expects to be back in Rancho Cucamonga. Subero said Songco could start with the Quakes, but any injuries at higher levels would likely push him to Double-A.

It was interesting to see former Dodger third base prospect Pedro Baez, who at one point played in the Futures Game as a third baseman, pitch. Baez has been moved to the mound. He gave up the three tying runs in the top of the seventh. But Subero pointed out that only one ball was really hit hard

Of course, Quakes fans have been treated to some high-profile rehabilitation guys last year, including Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. But this is an entire Dodger team, although several of the regulars will be playing in the Freeway Series the same night against the Angels.

But, this is not the first time that a big-league team has come to Rancho Cucamonga to play the Quakes in an exhibition game.

The only other time was March 23, 1997, when the San Diego Padres left Arizona and flew in for the day to Rancho Cucamonga to play a team of Padres prospects at the Epicenter. The Quakes were a Padres affiliate back then.

Here are some notes from that game:

• The game, played on a Sunday afternoon, had an attendance of just 3,496. Since it was not part of the Cal League attendance race, the Quakes could be honest about the attendance.
• Quakes owner Hank Stickney had to fly in the players from Arizona on a charter plane, which is presumably a reason why it didn’t happen again.
• The Padres team included Tony Gwynn, who was at least one Padre player who volunteered for the assignment as well as Andy Ashby and  Wally Joyner. Gwynn was 2-for-2. “What a park. It’s nice. It’s better than most minor league parks I see. I thought it was nice. I thought they’d get a bigger crowd, though,” Gwynn said.
• The prospects team included several former players from the Quakes’ lone Cal League championship team, in 1994. Among those players was Derrek Lee, who would go on to have a long and successful big league career, Chris Prieto, who settled in the area and was an early Quake fan favorite, and Gary Matthews Jr.
• The Padres team, which won, 4-3, was managed by Padres manager Bruce Bochy and ex-Quakes manager Tim Flannery was a coach on that team. Mike Basso, the Quakes’ manager that year, and a Quakes player/coach in 1994, managed the “Future Stars.”

And for those of you who have a hard time keeping track of rapidly changing lineups from year to year, there  could be a familiar face back in the league yet again, with the Quakes.

Here are some clues:

• He first appeared in the Cal League in 2008
• He appeared in 281 Cal League games with the Quakes and 66ers over the course of 3 seasons.
• He missed the entire 2010 season due to a shoulder injury
• He has a brother in the big leagues. Make your guess, because the answer is next…
• If you guessed P.J. Phillips, you are correct. According to staff writer J.P. Hoornstra, the 26-year-old Phillips, who started his career as a middle infielder before moving to the outfield, is in camp with the Dodgers. He could be headed back to the Cal League with the Quakes. After missing all of 2010 with the shoulder injury, he appeared in 25 games, all as a DH with the Sixers in 2011. He played 72 games for the Reds’ Double-A and Triple-A teams last season, batting a combined .194.

Participating schools will have an assembly that includes Sixers mascot Bernie and the community relations team. Students will receive a baseball-themed bookmark, and will receive 2 tickets to a selected game if the student reaches his or her reading goal.

“We realize the importance of touching these students lives in a positive aspect. It’s a very special treat for Bernie and 66ers staff members to come to their school just for them. Kids hold on to those memories for a long time and we hope that it’ll further their interest in reading beyond finishing the bookmark,” 66ers Community Groups manager Kelsey Beckenbach said in a press release.

Perhaps even bigger in this era of cash-strapped schools is an opportunity for the schools to earn money.

Students will receive tickets to attend one of the first four Sunday home games in 2013: April 7, April 21, May 12 and May 19.

The 3 schools the the most representation throughout the 4 days will receive donations from the 66ers. The school with the most attendees will get $1,500, while second and third place will each receive $1,000.

The Quakes entered Saturday leading Lake Elsinore by 1 game, but lost 10-7 at Bakersfield.
But that loss wasn’t a huge blow as Lake Elsinore lost to the 66ers, 9-1.
Lake Elsinore remains 1 back. And the 66ers are still alive, just 2 games back. If the 66ers win their final 2 and the Quakes lose their final 2, there would be a one-game playoff on Tuesday.
The Quakes and Lake Elsinore could also finish in a tie for a playoff spot. Should that happen, the Quakes would host the game on Tuesday based on the head-to-head regular-season record, won by the Quakes, 17-10.

However, if the Quakes and 66ers finish tied, that game would be in San Bernardino on Tuesday, because the 66ers own an 18-7 head-to-head edge on the Quakes.

The Quakes won at Bakersfield 8-7 as Austin Gallagher went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and Joc Pederson and Angelo Songco also drove in two runs apiece.

The game featured 3 lead changes.Bakersfield led early 1-0. The Quakes took a 2-1 lead. Bakersfield retook a 3-2 advantage. Then the Quakes took a 5-3 lead. Bakersfield battled back to tie it with two in the bottom of the eighth. The Quakes took the lead for good in the ninth with three more on a Joc Pederson 2-run double and a Chris Jacobs home run.
Bakersfield came back again with two in the bottom of the ninth. The Blaze had the ttying runs on base with one out, and then got the tying run to third with two outs before Eric Eadington (2-1) held off the Blaze.

The 66ers remained alive for a playoff spot, by holding on to win at Lake Elsinore 2-1. The Sixers led 2-0 after the top of the first and held on, dropping Lake Elsinore 1 game back. The Sixers are three back of the Quakes for the last playoff spot with three to play, so they would need to win their final three and have the Quakes lose three in order to tie for a playoff spot and force a one-game playoff. Lancaster clinched a playoff spot with a win over High Desert on Friday.

For the Sixers, Manny Correa (9-10) allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings, while Carmine Giardina, Eric Cendejas and Ty Kelley (fifth save) pitched shutout relief.

Manager of the Year Pedro Grifol High Desert Mavericks
Coach of the Year Roy Howell High Desert Mavericks
Trainer of the Year Greg Spence Inland Empire 66ers
Turf Manager of the Year Peter Hayes Lake Elsinore Storm
Clubbie of the Year Alex Mookas Lancaster JetHawks
Most Valuable Player Billy Hamilton Bakersfield Blaze
Pitcher of the Year Christian Bergman Modesto Nuts
Rookie of the Year C.J. Cron Inland Empire 66ers
Catcher John Hicks High Desert Mavericks
First Base C.J. Cron Inland Empire 66ers
Second Base Taylor Lindsey Inland Empire 66ers
Third Base Adam Duvall San Jose Giants
Shortstop Billy Hamilton Bakersfield Blaze
Utility Steven Proscia High Desert Mavericks
Designated Hitter Tommy Medica Lake Elsinore Storm
Outfielder Leon Landry High Desert Mavericks
Outfielder George Springer Lancaster JetHawks
Outfielder Kyle Parker Modesto Nuts
Pitcher Kevin Quackenbush Lake Elsinore Storm
Pitcher Christian Bergman Modesto Nuts
Pitcher Roenis Elias High Desert Mavericks
Pitcher Matthew Andriese Lake Elsinore Storm