Sonora’s Bird Signs to Play at Chapman; Stuart to Riverside

David Bird, ace of the Sonora High School pitching staff, has signed a national letter of intent to attend Chapman College next year, and teammate Rob Stuart, the Raiders’ shortstop, has made an oral commitment to attend UC Riverside.

Bird, a senior left-hander, was 13-1 with 144 strikeouts to lead Sonora (25-2) to the Freeway League championship and the second round of the Southern Section 3-A playoffs, where they lost to Lompoc. Stuart hit .430 with six home runs and 27 RBIs.