Bear River alum Colby Lunsford headed to Louisiana Monroe

After a successful year at Cosumnes River College, former 2021 Bear River High School graduate Colby Lunsford will take his talents to Louisiana Monroe to play baseball for the Warhawks.

“What led me to Louisiana Monroe is the coaches,” Lunsford said. “The recruiting coordinator there came out to watch a game, and he liked me, and we formed a good relationship. I also just wanted to try something new; I've been close to home my whole life and wanted to experience something different. I am really looking forward to going out there and playing in the Sun Belt conference.”

Lunsford started playing baseball at the age of three, and by nine, he was playing year-round baseball. Lunsford loves baseball; according to his mom Jessica Lunsford, Colby's first word was “ball.”

As a senior at Bear River, Lunsford hit .404, had 24 hits, three home runs, and drove in 12 runs for the Bruins. His strong play at Bear River earned Lunsford a full-ride scholarship to Sacramento State.

“Playing at Bear River was something I'll never forget, Lunsford said. “Being able to play with the guys you grew up playing with and against in little league is something special. We were all super close, and it made playing super fun.”

Lunsford appeared in 27 contests, making a pair of starts in 2022 for the Hornets before moving on to Cosumnes River College.

“Going to Sac State was a great experience for me,” Lunsford said. “I learned a lot about the game and got much better as a player, but unfortunately, it was not the place for me. I decided to play at CRC this spring in order to find another D1 to play next year.”

With the Hawks, Lunsford played infield, hit .333, and led the Cosumnes River in home runs with eight. Lunsford also led the Hawks in slugging percentage with .566 and drove in 31 runs. His strong play earned Lunsford a spot with the Warhawks.

“Even though I was only at Cosumnes for a semester, I had a lot of fun and really enjoyed playing there,” Lunsford added.

“I fit in quickly with all the guys, and we made a good run this year in the playoffs. It was also cool to play with some of my childhood buddies again.”

Growing up, Lunsford looked up to players like Derek Jeter, Buster Posey, and Brandon Crawford, all great players to watch and learn from.

Making it in baseball is hard; it takes a village to get you to where you want to go, as in Lunsford's journey.

“There's been a ton of people that have helped me along the way in baseball,” Lunsford said. “My parents have played a big role in my journey; they have always supported me and helped me with whatever I needed. I've had a lot of different coaches along the way that have helped shape the player I am today. I am extremely thankful for everyone that has played a part in my baseball career.”

Lunsford enjoys the relationships you can develop while playing baseball.

“What I like about baseball is that it's a team game, and I enjoy the relationships you make with your teammates. I've made lifelong friends from playing baseball, and I am super grateful for those relationships.”