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Cal Baptist is a Christian university in Riverside with an enrollment of 12,516 that was founded in 1950 and went Division I in basketball just seven years ago.

Friday night at Viejas Arena, the Lancers make their NCAA Tournament debut against one of college basketball’s bluest of blue bloods, Kansas.

The Jayhawks feature Darryn Peterson, the 6-foot-7 freshman projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The Lancers have 5-10 (maybe) Dominique Daniels Jr., who attended four different high schools, had no Division I offers and played two years of juco ball.

The nation’s best player versus the nation’s best player you’ve never heard of.

“Well, he’s good,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said of speedy, shifty point guard who is fifth in Division I scoring at 23.2 points per game. “And he can score on anybody, any level. He’s capable of getting 30, 35 any night. … He’s a real guy.”

As incredible as his story is just getting to Cal Baptist — undersized, academic issues, a bad experience at a Las Vegas prep school, nearly quitting basketball during the pandemic, spending two years at San Bernardino Community College — the more remarkable part might be that he stayed there in an era of seven-figure NIL and revenue-sharing payouts.

“You just don’t see it very often,” Self said. “I think it’s very admirable.”

Daniels played only 21 games before an injury prematurely ended his first season at CBU, but it was enough to elicit big-money offers to go elsewhere.

Daniels responded by … fasting.

For two weeks.

“I think I lost about 10 pounds, I’m not too sure,” Daniels said. “I didn’t really step on a scale or anything.”

The purpose wasn’t to trim baby fat but as an act of spiritual discipline to eliminate external distractions, focus on prayer and seek divine guidance. To get closer to God.

“No one really around,” Daniels said. “Just taking it to the Lord, asking him to direct my path or what I need to do to put myself and my family in the best possible position. And I just ended up staying at CBU. I feel this is where He wanted me to be, just the prayer and all the fasting.

“I feel like it definitely paid off in the long run.”

Daniels had another big season in 2024-25, including a 22-point, six-assist performance in a nervy 81-75 San Diego State win at Viejas Arena. More interest. More offers. More temptation.

The decision was already made.

“He’s incredibly loyal,” CBU coach Rick Croy said. “When we finished the year, it was like unfinished business. We lost in the (WAC) semis to Grand Canyon. We felt like we were close.”

The result was a 25-win season, WAC Player of the Year, WAC Tournament MVP, a 47-point game against Utah Valley and six others of 30 or more and the school’s first trip to the Big Dance.

He is a high-volume shooter (averaging 18 attempts) and rarely leaves the floor (36 minutes per game). Foul him, and he makes 81.9% of his free throws. He almost always has the ball in his hands, rubbing off a high screen from one of CBU’s massive posts or isolated by himself against an overmatched defender.

In the WAC championship game against top-seeded Utah Valley, he was 4 of 22 (2 of 10 on 3s) as the Lancers trailed by six as the clock ticked inside two minutes to go. Then he made back-to-back-to-back 3s for a 63-61 win.

In the semifinals a day earlier against Utah Tech, he had 41.

Over his last six games, he’s averaging 28.2 points per game while shooting 41.3% behind the arc.

“There are so many kids that he’s inspired because of his size,” Croy said. “He’s not the 6-7 prototype. People come watch this guy play, and they go, ‘Man, I could be great, too.’ It’s been really amazing to be around.”

His highlight reels have gone viral, now that the stench of March Madness is on them. Slicing through the lane for acrobatic layups, fast-break dunks at 5-10, step-back 3s over taller defenders, sending a defender flying with his jukes.

“The thing that I think is so interesting about him is he is so downhill,” Self said. “He’s a good shooter, without question. But his speed and strength and shiftiness makes it hard to switch, making it hard to hedge without being split. He can just put a lot of pressure on the defense every possession.”

His teammates will tell you all that as well, but they mention other attributes: humility, leadership, toughness.

“I don’t want to toot my own horn,” Daniels said, “but I feel like I’m a pretty tough guy on the court despite my size and what other people may think about me as a basketball player. I just compete every possession. I’m a competitor.”

“A competitive pitbull,” Self said.

His favorite Bible verse is Hebrews 1:11: “They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment.”

He plays guitar at his church in Compton. His father is on the keyboards and drums, his grandmother on the organ.

The team will return to campus at 1 a.m. on a Sunday morning after another brutal WAC road trip, and Daniels will be up early a few hours later, making the drive to Compton with his guitar.

“We just felt like we knew what he was about: his Christian faith, his love for his family,” Croy said. “We felt we could be a great fit. … It’s not a question of whether or not he’s going to church on Sunday. He’s going to be at church on Sunday.

“He’s going to lead in our locker room, he’s going to lead in our university and he’s going to lead at church. He’s not going to listen to what everyone else is saying. He’s going to do what he thinks is right.”

In 1926, the city of San Diego embraced a farsighted plan by landscape architect John Nolen to preserve Balboa Park as what he called “one of the most strikingly beautiful parks in the world.”

Exactly 100 years later, the mayor and six City Council members looked at Balboa Park and saw a source of ready cash to help fill a budget deficit.

The decision to monetize San Diego’s “crown jewel” by charging visitors to park there was arguably the city’s biggest political blunder in recent history. The mayor and the council didn’t anticipate how fiercely San Diegans would fight to protect their jewel.

That miscalculation could secure Balboa Park’s future if it galvanizes citizens to demand a new public-private governance structure. And a commissioned 2020 report that was never publicly circulated offers encouragement for doing just that.

The dire effects of paid parking — fewer visitors, declining revenues, staff layoffs — have worsened a problem with deep roots.

For decades, City Hall has put the park on a starvation diet. San Diegans kept hearing about master plan updates that would make the park more vibrant. But then we kept seeing the park decline as those plans were relegated to file cabinets. The result has been filthy restrooms, rundown buildings and wilting greenery.

Those same concerns prompted New Yorkers to launch the Central Park Conservancy in 1980. That flagship is the model of successful park stewardship built on citizen engagement and philanthropic support. It has been successfully adopted by Atlanta, New Orleans, St. Louis and other cities.

In a Jan. 17 letter to the Union-Tribune, James Ziegler wrote, “It’s time for the city to support an effective public-private partnership governing Balboa Park [which] already has the basics in place with an endowment and the Forever Balboa Park nonprofit conservancy.”

In fact, that idea was formally proposed following a 2019 national initiative by the Central Park Conservancy’s Partnerships Lab. San Diego was among eight U.S. cities chosen to receive $25,000 grants accompanied with what the Union-Tribune described as “six to 12 months of guidance … on how to plan, develop and maintain hallmark public spaces.”

A year later, the Partnerships Lab published a 17-page report for San Diego, “Recommendations for Balboa Park Conservancy,” with steps for moving Balboa Park from inflexible city oversight to dynamic management by a public-private enterprise.

“Many public and nonprofit park partnerships have emerged in cities during previous economic crises and have dramatically transformed and renewed parks — and Balboa Park has a similar opportunity,” the report states. “A focused, unified and multifaceted public/private partnership … is often a key component for long-term sustainability.”

The report’s first recommendation was carried out when two park advocacy groups merged in 2021 to form Forever Balboa Park. That consortium has begun transforming the park with projects like the revitalized Botanical Building made possible by philanthropic gifts.

Private support is crucial. Donors will not contribute if they think their money might be siphoned off by City Hall. Only an independent conservancy can earn their trust by establishing a firewall. This may be the strongest argument for new park governance in San Diego.

The report noted that a high-level agreement for capital improvements initially promised in 2009 “was never completed … and is a crucial missing step.” And it suggested that the county and city parks systems consider a merger “to form a parks district for joint funding, management and usage.”

The real tragedy is that the people of San Diego have taken too passive a role in safeguarding Balboa Park. We’ve waited for someone else — elected officials, civic leaders, advocates — to step up and challenge the dysfunctional status quo. That will never happen.

Some think a ballot measure to eliminate the parking fees is the solution. It isn’t. The restoration of free parking won’t cure what is a systemic ailment. City Hall will still control Balboa Park’s budget — and its future. It can continue to underfund the park, and it can devise new schemes to wring money out of it.

On Saturday, March 28, the San Diego Community Coalition and Neighbors for a Better San Diego will co-host “The Future of Balboa Park: A Community Conversation.” This is an important step toward empowering San Diegans, the park’s real stakeholders, to explore how they might protect Balboa Park by restructuring its governance.

The forum will be held at the Mission Valley Library from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. A summary report with follow-up “next steps” will be published.

Callen and Krueger are two co-founders of the San Diego Community Coalition. Callen lives in North Park and Krueger lives in Talmadge.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and Carlsbad State Beach are the two San Diego County parks nominated in the second annual California State Parks Foundation's poll, with voting now underway.

The poll highlights California's best places for hiking, camping, views, wildflower blooms, kid-friendly adventures and more.

"The "Best of California's State Parks" poll is a fun opportunity for Californians to share what they love about their state parks, said Rachel Norton, executive director of California State Parks Foundation. "There are so many different types of parks to explore in California, whether you're looking for a day at the beach, a hike among the redwoods, or a chance to learn about history. We encourage you to vote and tell us about your favorite state park."

This year, Anza-Borrego is on the ballot for camping, hiking and wildflowers. Carlsbad State Beach is also nominated for best beach.

San Diego County's top picks from 2025

San Diego County boasted a few top picks in 2025.

Anza-Borrego -- which encompasses parts of San Diego, Imperial and Riverside counties -- was deemed the best in the state for viewing wildflowers and Torrey Pines State Beach was tops for best place to picnic.

"Each spring -- if the desert gets enough rain -- Anza-Borrego Desert State Park transforms into a sea of vibrant wildflowers, with desert lilies, dune primroses, and blooming ocotillo spreading across the landscape," a statement from the foundation said.

"With sweeping ocean views, golden cliffs, and the sound of waves just steps away, Torrey Pines State Beach offers an unforgettable backdrop for a seaside picnic," the statement continued. "Its coastal breezes and scenic trails make it the perfect spot to relax and refuel between adventures."

Honorable mentions from 2025

The following other local parks earned honorable mentions:

-- Anza-Borrego for camping;

-- Palomar Mountain State Park for both picnicking and dog-friendly adventures; and

-- Cardiff State Beach for best beach.

More than 1,300 people participated in the inaugural poll in 2025. Many of the survey participants also sent in photos and personal stories and memories about why these parks are special.

The California state park system includes 280 state park units, over 340 miles of coastline, 970 miles of lake and river frontage, 15,000 campsites, 5,200 miles of trails, 3,195 historic buildings, and more than 11,000 known prehistoric and historic archaeological sites.

The voting period for this year's poll, located at calparks.org/votebestof26, runs through April 11. Winners will be announced on May 5.

Like a lot of artists, Zard Apuya remembers being the kind of kid who was always doodling or drawing. His favorite classes growing up were the art classes, and while he majored in business in college, he made sure to minor in fine arts.

“Getting into toys probably started more like a hobby after I graduated from college. I kind of started exploring. I’ve always been into anything crafty or artsy. Before toys, I would mess around with painting on shoes, painting on hats, painting on T-shirts; I just like the idea of customizing things, having things be one-of-a-kind,” he says. “I’m all about, ‘Why buy something when you can kind of make it yourself and no one else will have the same thing?’ So, that kind of introduced me to the world of custom toys and, basically, designing toys is what I do right now.”

He creates toys that look like hyper-realistic food sculpted out of vinyl figurines called Munnys, made by the Kidrobot brand. The figurines have movable joints and serve as a blank canvas to be pierced, painted, posed or sculpted into whatever comes to mind for the artist, or comes in the form of an artist commission. While Apuya has created different designs around superheroes or pop culture, he eventually found his way to food—Cheetos, Doritos, gummy worms, Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, SpaghettiOs or Choco Taco. People seemed to really enjoy seeing food interpreted as a toy and he stuck with it. “I learned that food and art are my happy combinations, the perfect mix,” he says.

When the opportunity came for a solo exhibition of his work this year, the 37-year-old toy artist wanted to go in a different direction that he had for previous exhibitions of his work. He wanted to let people in, give them some background about himself, his family, his culture, as well as his work. So, he put together “WIP: An Au-TOY-biography” currently at Thumbprint Gallery in La Jolla through March 28. The idea of a toy biography allowed him to structure the show into different chapters of his life, from growing up in Guam to parents who’d immigrated from the Philippines, to moving to California for his education, and working full time as a toy artist.

Q: What inspired this exhibition?

A: I’ve done a couple solo shows throughout my art career and, when I look back, most of my shows are always that I’m more recognized as the food artist who is always doing food creations. This show has allowed me to get a little creative and be more vulnerable; I could actually be more open and let people behind the scenes of me as an artist. This is more like a toy biography for me because I want people to learn the story behind who I am as an artist and all of the different factors and events in my life that inspired me to do this, to pursue this path. It’s nice that people can learn more about the artists and see their finished pieces, but I feel like it’s also important, and that you build a better connection with artists, when you know a little bit more about them, like what influenced their work. I feel like this is the perfect opportunity to paint a bigger picture of myself as an artist. For people who’ve known me for years, it allows me to introduce something new, something different. It allows me to kind of start from my beginnings and then lead the audience into the different points of my life, what inspired me to do this, or the different side projects that I got from being a toy artist.

I designed the show so that it has a flow, a timeline, so you can see my growth. I have some of my old art from when I was in elementary, middle, and high school, and then I kind of paint a picture of me when I move to California. I still incorporate the idea of toys to represent each of those points in my life, especially family influences, like my grandparents and my parents. They were all creative in their own ways and I made toys that kind of represent who they were as creatives. So, I included chapters in my life where I moved from Guam to California, moving from San Francisco to San Diego, and about my family influence. Then, there are the side quests that are all of the projects that I was able to do from being a toy artist: previous solo shows, a TV craft competition on HBO, or my inspiration to do food coming from Japanese restaurants and the fake food displays they have. That was the main driver for me doing hyper realistic food and that comes full circle now because I’m actually creating display food for small businesses.

I also included some pieces, some toys, that I brought with me from my travels to different cities or different countries, so that’s a chapter in my life. I also talk about my identity and what’s important to me as someone who’s from Guam and Guamanian, but I’m full Filipino. I’m also part of the LGBTQ community, so all of that kind of builds who I am as an artist. I also have a little mini-installation in the gallery that represents my chaotic little workspace in my studio.

Q: What was it about this artform of toy making that you connected with, to want to continue pursuing your creativity in this way?

A: I like the idea of customizing and not picking the traditional canvas. That’s why I got into customizing shoes and hats because I was exploring other nontraditional canvases out there. Eventually, I stumbled upon the figurative toys that they sold in one of the stores in Guam and it was like a blank canvas that allowed me to just paint on it. Soon, I started playing with clay, the material I use to sculpt, and it was like, ‘Oh, I can kind of create anything.’ After my first couple of figurines, I got hooked, especially because I saw that people were very interested in it and the audience was there. On Guam, it was very new for people to see because it’s not your typical art. There are a lot of muralists on Guam and I kind of did something very different that people don’t really see; people did some sculptures, but not specifically toys because it’s a very niche kind of art. So, I think that because of the feedback that people loved it, I kept doing it. I kept at it and explored the world of toys that was happening here, on the mainland, and I realized that there’s actually a scene out here in the States.

Q: What are some of the ways that specific toys tell parts of your story? What was your process for selecting certain toys and what they would communicate about you and your life?

A: In the beginning, I talk about my big move from Guam to California, and because my main style is food, I kind of use food to represent the different places I’ve lived in. I also have a Guam flag figurine to represent my origin and another toy that represents Guam’s food, like a fiesta plate of Chamorro food sitting on top of a latte stone, which is a Guam icon. Then, I put a little diagram that shows me moving to California and I have a California flag figurine. To represent me living in San Francisco, I made a mission burrito because it’s one of the iconic dishes there, so the toy looks like the burrito itself. Then, it shows me moving to San Diego, which I interpreted with carne asada fries because I still want to stick to my style, but I wanted to use food to represent the different cities because people love the food. I also have figurines that represent me going to grad school with a figure in the back that says, “Art Was Always the Plan” because I knew the opportunity for art was out here, in California.

Q: What kinds of toys did you play with as a kid? How do we see this reflected in the art you create as an adult?

A: I would say Lego (pieces) was my thing because you get to build things. I feel like that’s the more creative toy out there. Other than that, it’s probably like a mix of your typical action figures.

PEORIA, Ariz. — The Padres have narrowed the field to four groups of prospective buyers as the process moves toward a sale that could be completed by April, and it seems it could fetch the team’s current owners more than $3 billion.

It was at the end of February that the Seidler family accepted bids from five suitors. One of those groups is no longer in the running, a source said Friday.

All four of the remaining groups spent time at the team’s complex here this week.

The identities of the four remaining potential buyers are not known.

Three of the five suitors were identified by various sources in February as groups headed by Jose E. Feliciano, Dan Friedkin and Joe Lacob. All three have significant ownership stakes in other sports franchises.

Feliciano is co-founder of Clearlake Capital, a private equity firm that manages $90 billion in investments, and is the principal owner of the Premier League’s Chelsea FC.

Friedkin is CEO of The Friedkin Group, a consortium of businesses that includes auto dealerships and hotels, and he owns Roma of Serie A and Everton of the Premier League.

Lacob was a partner in the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins and is the principal owner of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.

It is not known if all three remain in the running to buy the Padres.

From the start, league sources familiar with the recent MLB team sales said the Padres would sell for more than $2.5 billion and could top $3 billion. Estimates now that the bid process is underway are that the team will sell for well north of $3 billion, breaking the record of $2.4 billion Steve Cohen paid for the New York Mets in 2020.