STOCKTON, Calif. – Dillon Kelley put three cherries on top of the most dominant season in the history of the California Collegiate Athletic Association as the Chico State baseball team beat UC San Diego 12–5 in the winner-take-all CCAA Tournament title game Saturday at Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton. In the process, Kelley solidified his spot as the most dominant player in the history of the tournament with his three home runs, including a grand slam.
The Wildcats crushed CCAA competition this season, clinching the conference title with seven games yet to play and finishing 34-4, which is the best CCAA winning percentage ever.
They entered Championship Saturday needing one win against UC San Diego to secure their second straight Conference Tournament title. The Tritons needed to win twice to wrestle the tournament title away. They won the first game 13–4. But Chico State rebounded and rolled to victory in the finale.
This is the first time the Wildcats have won both the regular-season and Conference Tournament title since 2000 and second time ever.
The meeting at the plate following Dillon Kelley's grand slam.
"To got 34-4 and win the conference tournament on top of that is something to be proud of," Chico State Head Coach Dave Taylor said. "I'm very proud of our guys. They've done it the right way. They've played defense, pitched, and executed. They bought into the whole deal. I'm very proud of them for sticking with it and believing in it."
Prior to their consecutive crowns, the Wildcats had also won CCAA Tournaments in 2000, 2004, and 2006.
Now 45-9 this season, including 38-5 versus CCAA competition, the Wildcats will learn Sunday night via the NCAA Championships selection show where they will vie for the NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional title next week, and who their first-round matchup will be.
Ranked No. 1 in the West in every NCAA poll this season, the Wildcats are likely to receive the No. 1 seed, but are unable to host the regional round due to Chico State commencement ceremonies.
"I'm just really glad we've got some good momentum going into the regional," Taylor said.
The Tournament's Most Valuable Player last season, Kelley won the award again–this time sharing the honor with UC San Diego's Jack Larson–after tying Chico State's single-game home run record and breaking multiple Chico State postseason home run records with three more on Sunday. He finished the five-game tournament with six home runs and 15 RBI, breaking Aaron Demuth's single-season postseason home runs record (4) and career postseason home runs record (6) in the process. Kelley hit two last season at Banner Island and has now hit eight in all.
Grant Larson earned his first collegiate win in the title game.
"I haven't seen anything like that," Taylor said. "But I'll tell you what: he hit so many balls hard all year at guys. His batting average is not really as good as he's swung it all year. Baseball people looking down take care of that down the road, so he got it back today."
Kelley wore the biggest cape Saturday. But he was not the only hero.
Freshman pitcher Grant Larson got the start and stunted a sizzling UC San Diego offense, allowing just a run on five hits in five innings of work. The San Diego native struck out six while earning his first collegiate win. That despite learning that he would start 30 minutes prior to first pitch.
"I was honestly shocked," said Larson.
But he was unshakable on the mound, holding UC San Diego's left-handed hitters (including co-MVP Jack Larson) without a hit in seven at-bats, and getting crucial outs with runners on to end a number of innings.
"He proved his value to this year's team and really put himself in great position for years to come to be a front-line weekend arm, because he's got that type of stuff," Taylor said. "I'm proud of him. He's as green and raw as they get, but he grew up today. It was a big day for him and I'm happy for him."
RJ Hassey & Cody Snider round the bases following Kelley's grand slam.
RJ Hassey, the hero of Friday's come-from-behind victory over Cal Poly Pomona, stayed hot Saturday. The reserve catcher got the start in the final and went 4-for-4, including a two-run, two-out single in the second that gave the Wildcats a 3–0 lead after Kelley hit his first home run leading off the inning.
Jimbo Pernetti's two-run shot in the fifth made it 6–1 before Kelley broke it open with a grand slam in the sixth. His third home run came in the ninth.
Joining Kelley, Hassey, and Larson on the All-Tournament team from the Wildcats were Cody Snider, Sonny Cortez, and Dan Beavers.
Hassey was 6-for-6 in the tournament, Cortez 9-for-16, and Snider had seven hits, homered, and drove in five runs.
Kelley finished the game 3-for-5 with four runs scored and six RBI. In 10 career games at Banner Island Ballpark (Home of the Oakland Athletics' Single-A Stockton Ports franchise) Kelley is 22-for-39 with eight home runs and 20 RBI.
But no home run was bigger than Saturday's grand slam.
Jimbo Pernetti trots home after his two-run homer.
"I knew a ball was coming in the zone. It was a 2-0 count and I just told myself 'I'm not going to miss a fastball down the middle'," said Kelley. "So I took my chance and I got it. With a ballpark like this, if you get the ball in the air you've got a shot."
Cortez was 4-for-5, Josh Falco had two hits and scored twice, and Pernetti pounded out three hits and scored three runs.
Reliever Stuart Bradley got the final eight outs of the game, including a shallow fly ball to right that Cody Snider caught for the final out, setting the stage for the dogpile that Wildcats have been waiting for since they were denied the opportunity when they clinched the conference title while they were home on their couches when UC San Diego lost to Cal State L.A.
They're hoping the first will not be their last.
GAME ONE
The Wildcats trailed 6–0 through two-and-a-half innings before cutting the lead in half.
Sonny Cortez, Cody Snider, Cameron Santos, and Dillon Kelley got four straight hits to start the bottom-half of the third. Unfortunately for the 'Cats, Cortez became confused and was thrown out at second on Snider's liner to right. Cortez was on the move and apparently thought that right fielder Jack Larsen caught the ball because he began to run back toward first and was eventually tagged out near the second-base bag.
The Wildcats did not let the mishap kill their rally, however. Santos followed with a double down the left field line, and then Kelley singled to center, plating both runs, and went all the way to third when center fielder Brandon Shirley let the ball get by him.
Josh Falco took advantage, bringing Kelley home with a grounder to short and the lead was down to 6–3.
But UC San Diego methodically pulled away after that, however, with a single run in the fourth, two in the sixth, two in the seventh, and two more in the eighth. The Wildcats got the game's final run when Cortez knocked in Dallas Porter with a line-drive base hit to center.
Cortez had three hits in the game and was hit by a pitch. Kelley was 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI. Andrew Carrillo finished 2-for-3 and also drew a walk.
2017 CCAA Baseball Tournament –
Bracket
Banner Island Ballpark; Stockton, Calif.
May 10-13, 2017
Wednesday, May 10
Game 1 – No. 1 Chico State 9, No. 6 Cal State L.A. 8
Game 2 – No. 2 Cal Poly Pomona 6, No. 5 Cal State Monterey Bay 3
Game 3 – No. 3 UC San Diego 6, No. 4 Stanislaus State 1
Thursday, May 11
Game 1 – Cal State L.A. 3, Cal State Monterey Bay 2
(CSUMB eliminated)
Game 2 – Chico State 5, vs. Stanislaus State 3
(Stanislaus State eliminated)
Game 3 – Cal Poly Pomona 9, UC San Diego 8 (11)
Friday, May 12
Game 1 – Chico State 8, Cal Poly Pomona 7 (10)
Game 2 – UC San Diego 16, Cal State L.A. 6
(Cal State L.A. eliminated)
Game 3 – UC San Diego 7, Cal Poly Pomona 3
(CP Pomona eliminated)
Saturday, May 13
Game 1 – UC San Diego 13, Chico State 4
Game 2 – Chico State 12, UC San Diego 5 (
Chico State wins title)
All photos by Marty Bicek.
