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'Cats exit NCAA Championships earlier than they had hoped

Chico State baseball player Jordan Larson.

Jordan Larson, one of Chico State's all-time greats, homered and scored twice in his final game in a Wildcat uniform.

5/14/2010 5:16:22 PM

COMPTON – Sometimes home isn’t so sweet. It’s certain that the Chico State baseball team won’t arrive back in Chico with a good taste in its mouth when the team bus pulls into the University Stadium parking lot on Saturday. The Wildcats were the first team eliminated from the NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional Friday when they lost to Hawaii Pacific 11-3 at the MLB Urban Youth Academy.

Jordan Larson and Adrian Bringas hit solo home runs and Larson scored on Johnny Hay’s sacrifice fly. But that was all the offense the Wildcats could muster.

Hawaii Pacific, meanwhile, scored three in the fourth and two more in the sixth against Chico State starter Scott Greene. The Sea Warriors (38-11) then exploded for six runs in the eighth to put the game away.

Chico State finished its season at 35-20. The Wildcats were making their 12th NCAA Championship Tournament appearance in the last 15 years.

The Wildcats could not solve Hawaii Pacific starter Toby Inouye, who allowed just three runs on eight hits in his fourth complete-game effort of the season. He struck out three and walked just two, improving to 8-2.

Meanwhile, Chico State pitchers walked six hitters, the first five of whom came around to score as the Wildcats’ 13-game winning streak against Hawaii Pacific was snapped.

The loss marked the final game the careers of Jordan Larson, Deven Braden, Michael Murphy, Adam Arakawa, Michael Gleason, Brian Fowler, Kevin Seaver, and Ian Waldron. Larson finishes eighth in Chico State career hits history with 159 and ninth in runs scored with 114. Braden is ninth on Chico State’s career list with 18 sacrifice hits. Arakawa finished 10th in Chico State history with a career batting average of .358 and 33 career doubles. He also ranks fourth in school history in walks and first among two-year players with 69.

Seaver, the National Gold Glove recipient at first base last season who also broke the school’s single-season records in batting average (.442) and on-base percentage (.524), wrapped up his career second in Chico State history in single season doubles (26) and career doubles (43). He’s tied for ninth in career hit-by-pitches with 24.

Murphy, Gleason, Wadlron and juniors Johnny Hay, Hunter Buckmore, Jackson Evans and Casey Edelbrock also etched their names on the record books this season. Murphy, a one-year player who transferred from Arizona State, finished the season with tied with Larson for seventh with 64 runs scored. Gleason struck out 90 hitters this season, the sixth most in Chico State history, while also tallying one of the top-10 strikeout-to-walk and strikeouts-per-game number ratios. Waldron, who finished the season 6-1, made 26 appearances this season – the ninth most in school history – and 47 in his career, which is the eighth most ever by a Wildcat.

Hay’s sacrifice fly Friday was his eighth of the season, tying Ryan Wulfert (2003) for the school record. He also drove in 60 runs, tying Rich Gregory (2008) for eighth all-time. Buckmore finished the season with six pinch hits, the second in single-season history. Evans’ five triples are the fourth most in a single season. Edelbrock’s two complete-game shutouts are the second most in Chico State history and his 1.47 walks-per-game is the sixth lowest in single-season history.

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Wildcats of the Week

Mike Janjigian

Men's Soccer

Mike Janjigian’s job is, first and foremost, to keep the ball out of the net. But so far this year, he’s made headlines by putting the ball in it. The Chico State freshman defender scored the game-winning goal in the Wildcats’ season-opening 2-1 win against Western Washington Thursday night and then assisted on the team’s lone goal in a 1-0 win against Seattle Pacific on Monday night. He’s been named the inagural 2010-11 male Wildcat of the Week for his efforts.

Oh yeah, and Janjigian has helped Chico State’s defense hold its two opponents to a total of one goal on just 12 shots. Not a bad start to his career.

Janjigian, who redshirted last season, is now tied with returning All-California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) selection Chris Akwaja for the team lead in points, goals and assists.

His first collegiate goal came in the 88th minute Thursday when he knocked home a deflected header from the top of the six-yard box to lift the Wildcats to a thrilling 2-1 victory over Western Washington in the season opener for both teams.

Urged by Wildcats Head Coach Felipe Restrepo to move into the box for a corner kick more than likely because of his strapping 6-foot-3 frame, Janjigian was there to pounce after Western Washington goalkeeper Christian Warman was unable to corral Akwaja’s header at the far post. It bounced twice to Janjigian, who jammed it home.

Monday, Janjigian tallied his first collegiate assist. He just got the top of his head on Ryan Nevarez’s long throw in and it skimmed off to the near post where Ferid Celosmanovic waited. He let it get beyond him and clear the post before looping his right foot behind his left leg and directing the ball into the net to make it 1-0 in the 61st minute.

Janjigian and the Wildcats will open CCAA play on the road next weekend. The Wildcats will travel to Cal State Monterey Bay on Friday and San Francisco State Sunday.

Jessica Leek

Women's Volleyball

Sophomore Jessica Leek served as the Chico State volleyball team's top offensive weapon as the Wildcats opened the 2010 season with a 3-1 record at the Sonoma State-hosted Seawolf Spike Tournament. Leek pounded out a team-high 55 kills, adding 20 digs, four service aces, two solo blocks and seven block assists to earn Seawolf Spike All-Tournament team honors. She's also the Wildcat of the Week.

Leek’s best match of the tournament was Chico State’s four-set victory Friday over BYU-Hawaii. The Laguna Niguel native piled up 22 kills and posted a .459 hitting percentage against the Seasiders, and contributed eight digs, one solo block and one block assist. Leek recorded 11 kills in Friday’s season opener against Dominican and another 15 kills Saturday as the Wildcats downed Grand Canyon.

Leek enters the week ranked fourth in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) in kills, fourth in hitting percentage (.364), seventh in kills per set (3.44) and seventh in points per set (4.03).

Chico State takes on William Jessup University Tuesday at Acker Gym before opening CCAA play Friday and Saturday on the road against Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills.

8.4.10 | Baseball

Five decades of Wildcats hit the links to raise money for baseball program

CHICO – The call went out to tee it up on behalf of Chico State baseball, and the Wildcat faithful came out in force. The program's 3rd annual golf tournament, held July 17 on the North Course of the legendary La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, attracted fans and former 'Cats dating back to the 1960's and raised over $15,000, topping last year's total.

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4.27.10 | Baseball

Third annual Chico State baseball golf tournament set for July 17

CHICO – The third annual Chico State Baseball Golf Tournament, benefiting the Wildcat baseball program, is scheduled for Saturday, July 17. The tournament, which has grown in popularity in each of is first two years, will again take place on the North Course of the legendary La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad.

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6.9.10 | Baseball

Barker will come down from stands to take the field for Chico State

Luke Barker was in his mother’s belly the first time he took in a Chico State baseball game. Next season he’ll be in the cardinal and white. A fixture at Nettleton Stadium since he was “this big,” (insert old lady motioning low to the ground here) Barker, now 6-foot-3, signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball for the Wildcats Wednesday in a ceremony at Pleasant Valley High School. Barker, the son of Chico State Athletic Director Anita Barker and Chico State Head Athletic Trainer Scott Barker, chose Chico State over a number of other collegiate baseball programs in Northern California. Performances like he had as a senior at Pleasant Valley this season tend to get that kind of attention.

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6.9.10 | Baseball

Gleason chosen by Red Sox in 34th round of Major League Baseball Draft

CHICO – Chico State pitcher Michael Gleason decided to sleep in on the final day of the Major League Baseball Draft, but when the phone rang Wednesday it proved to be the wake-up call of a lifetime. Fresh off an outstanding senior season that resulted in a team-high seven victories and several postseason honors including being named third team All-American, Gleason’s call was from the Boston Red Sox, informing the Wildcats’ star righthander that he was the team’s 34th round selection. Gleason becomes the sixth Wildcat player in the last six seasons to be drafted by a major league organization.

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5.28.10 | Baseball

Evans earns Honorable Mention All-America honors from Baseball Writers’ Association

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Ping! The ball rockets off the barrel of the bat, severing the air on its route toward the gap in right-center field. Jackson Evans uncoils, drops the bat, and explodes out of the batters’ box. His quads work like pistons, motoring him around first base. He’s thinking three, and when he sees that the ball has bounced off the warning track, off the wall, and high into the air, he knows without hesitation he’s going for it. He hits the bag at second like a blur, takes a few more long strides, and then goes airborne before landing on his belly and sliding into the bag. Thwap! The ball hits the glove. The umpire raises his arms to his side and yells “Safe!” A few moments later, on a ball in the dirt, he does it all over again. But this time he only has to travel 90 feet, and when he slides home safely, the Chico State baseball team has a run on the board.

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5.25.10 | Baseball

Gleason garners All-America honors, four other ’Cats named All-Region

Michael Gleason has often said that this season was the most fun he’s ever had playing baseball. He can now also remember it for the year he was an All-American thanks to his selection to the 2010 Daktronics All-America Team as a third-team selection. Gleason also joins Johnny Hay, Jackson Evans, Michael Murphy, and Adam Arakawa as an All-West Region honoree as the postseason awards have come pouring in over the past two weeks.

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5.14.10 | Baseball

'Cats exit NCAA Championships earlier than they had hoped

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