The league had originally targeted eight teams and considered 10-12 potential sites, they were Chico; Fresno; Henderson, Nevada; Lodi; Long Beach; Merced; Oceanside; Oxnard; Palm Springs; Redding; Rohnert Park; Sacramento; San Luis Obispo; Santa Barbara; St. George, Utah; Yuba City; and Yuma, Arizona.
Golden State immediately faced obstacles in securing municipal financing, ballparks, and subsidies for new teams, as well as entrenched competition from the California League.
Plagued by financial difficulties, the season opener was postponed several times from the original target date of March 31, 1995.
The Ravens continued to play as a member of the later-folded Southwest Baseball League with teams in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah with the rest of home games in the Speedway Ballpark in Rosamond, California.
Like most independent leagues, Golden State rosters included a mix of high school and college stars and big leaguers looking to extend their careers.