Four Roadsters open tryout participants get callbacks for spring training
First-year manager J.T. Snow and his coaching staff saw promise at the inaugural open tryout for the Modesto Roadsters, calling back four participants for the team’s first spring training.
The tryout, on March 14, included over 40 hopefuls from Sonora to San Diego. With college and various levels of professional experience, they looked to stick on one of the Pioneer Baseball League’s newest expansion franchises.
The four callbacks, Treven Crowley, Masen McDonnell, Kyle Norton and Andrew Valdez, will report May 8 for the 10-day training camp, where they will fight to make the final roster. Spring training starts the day after their report date.
If they are among the players selected for the opening day roster, they and the signed players start the season at home against the PBL Travel Team for six games from May 19-24. Their first road trip begins the next day. The Roadsters will play a six-game set against the Boise Hawks in Idaho from Tuesday, May 26, to Sunday, May 31.
Treven Crowley
Position: Pitcher
Hometown: Modesto
A 2020 Hilmar High graduate, Crowley signed with Fresno State out of high school after starring as a prep baseball, football and basketball player. As a freshman in 2021, he pitched 8.2 innings in eight appearances, where he struck out four batters, walked 10 and opposing batters had a .390 batting average against him. He also earned All-Mountain West Academic honors.
The next two years, he played summer ball for the Lincoln Potters in Lincoln, Calif. He spent his sophomore season in 2022 at Modesto JC, where he pitched 10 innings, struck out 10 batters and had a 2.70 earned run average in nine appearances.
At the tryout, Crowley impressed, hitting 90 mph on the radar gun in his live batting practice session.
Masen McDonnell
Position: Pitcher
Hometown: San Juan Capistrano
McDonnell spent time at Bellevue College, Fullerton College, Cal State Bakersfield and Cal State San Marcos, playing for the Cougars of the CCAA last season. As a senior in 2025, McDonnell made 12 appearances and posted a 2-1 record with a 5.73 earned run average and 27 strikeouts in 22 innings. McDonnell played summer ball in the California Collegiate League in 2024 and 2025 for the San Diego SunRays and Arroyo Seco Saints, respectively.
Kyle Norton
Position: First Base
Hometown: Sonora
After successful prep baseball and basketball at Summerville High, Norton’s career included a season at Lassen College and a year at Oregon Tech (2024), sandwiched between two one-year stints at Georgia Gwinnett College (2023, 2025). In his two stints at Georgia Gwinnett, the first baseman started 111 of 115 games he played, tallied 65 hits in 2023 and 66 hits in 2025, had 25 total doubles, three triples, four home runs and 103 RBI.
At Lassen, he earned second-team All-State and first-team all-conference honors. He led the team to the California Community College Athletic Association Sweet 16.
Andrew Valdez
Position: Infield/Outfield
Hometown: Visalia
After a prep career at El Diamante High School, Valdez spent a season at College of the Sequoias in his hometown. After being named MVP of the Central Valley Conference, batting .415, posting 10 home runs and winning a conference championship, he spent the next three seasons at Division II Fresno Pacific. He started 136 of his 138 appearances, scored 102 runs, tallied 177 hits, 40 doubles, 11 triples, 24 home runs (12 as a senior) and finished with a career .323 batting average.
As a junior in 2023, he was named to the ABCA 2nd Team All-West Region and NCBWA All-West Region Honorable Mention as an outfielder. He was named second team All-PacWest and was the regular season batting champion with a .414 average.
