STOCKTON, Calif. – The greatest California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) winning percentage ever has afforded the Chico State baseball team an opportunity to play in the postseason–first this week at the CCAA Tournament, and next week in the NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional. Their haul at the CCAA Tournament Awards Banquet Tuesday night wasn't too shabby either.
 
Head Coach Dave Taylor took home CCAA Coach of the Year honors, junior Casey Costello Pitcher of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, and junior Cameron Santos Player of the Year, headlining a group of 14 Wildcats honored at the University Plaza Waterfront Hotel in Stockton.
 
Costello, Hunter Haworth, Santos, Josh Falco, and Dillon Kelley all earned First Team honors. Cam Greenough, Andru Cardenas, and Sonny Cortez captured Second Team awards. And Steven Baker, Tyler Stofiel, Jimbo Pernetti, Casey Henderson, and Cody Snider were honorable mention selections.
 
Included in Taylor's fifth 40-win campaign with the Wildcats were his 500^th career victory and 400^th leading the Wildcats. The Wildcats' regular-season winning percentage was their best since 2002, and their conference mark was the program's best since the 1953 squad went 10-0 in Far Western Conference play. The Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1996, this is Taylor's second CCAA Coach of the Year honor.
 
Costello, who leads the nation with 12 wins, is 12-0 overall and went 10-0 in 11 CCAA starts. He's the third Wildcat to win the CCAA's top pitching honor, joining John-Eric Hernandez (2000) and Nick Baker (2014).

Santos hit .435 in conference action. He's driven in a team-high 45 runs and swiped 23 bases on the season. Santos is the first Wildcat ever to be named the CCAA Player of the Year. The last Wildcat to be named Conference Player of the Year was Rich Gregory, who won it in 1998, Chico State's last season as a member of the Northern California Athletic Conference.
 

Haworth may have been the Pitcher of the Year had Costello not put together a near-perfect season. The junior has compiled a 7-1 record, including 6-0 in conference play, and 2.54 ERA.
 
Falco has reached base in every conference game that he's appeared in, and 39 in a row. A .365 hitter, including .388 in conference play. He leads the team in doubles and ranks second in on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
 
Kelley hit .344 in conference play. He's tied for the team lead with 14 doubles and has driven in 30 runs.
 
Greenough is 8-1 with a 2.54 ERA. Cardenas hit .313, swiped 10 bases, and played error-free baseball in 26 starts before missing the second half of the season with an illness. Cortez leads the Wildcats with 50 runs scored, and has stolen 21 bases.
 
Baker is 4-0 with a 2.68 ERA. Stofiel has thrown out out 17 of 33 attempted base stealers in his freshman season. Pernetti ranks second on the team with 37 RBI. Henderson has been the heartbeat of the NCAA's premiere defense, fielding .973. Snider, perhaps the hottest hitter in the conference right now, is hitting .345, slugging .494, and has stolen 11 bases.
 
The Wildcats, 41-8 overall, open CCAA Tournament play Wednesday at 11 a.m. against Cal State L.A. They are the defending CCAA Tournament champions.
 
Every Chico State postseason game will be broadcast locally on AM-1290 KPAY. Links to the online stream, video stream, and live stats are available at www.chicowildcats.com in the calendar section on the homepage and on the baseball schedule page.
 
2017 CCAA Baseball Tournament – Bracket
Banner Island Ballpark; Stockton, Calif.
May 10-13, 2017
 

Wednesday, May 10
Game 1 – 11:00 a.m.	No. 6 Cal State LA vs. No. 1 Chico State
Game 2 – 3:00 p.m.	No. 5 Cal State Monterey Bay vs. No. 2 Cal Poly Pomona
Game 3 – 7:00 p.m.	No. 4 Stanislaus State vs. No. 3 UC San Diego
Thursday, May 11
Game 4 – 11:00 a.m.	Loser of game 1 vs. Loser of game 2 (elimination game)
Game 5 – 3:00 p.m.	Winner of game 1 vs. Loser of game 3 (possible elimination)
Game 6 – 7:00 p.m.	Winner of game 2 vs. Winner of game 3
Friday, May 12	(if four teams remain after game 6)
Game 7 – 11:00 a.m.	Winner of game 5 vs. Winner of game 6
Game 8 – 3:00 p.m.	Winner of game 4 vs. Loser of game 6
Game 9 – 7:00 p.m.	Loser of game 7 vs. Winner of game 8
	(if five teams remain after game 6 and two teams remain after game 9)
Game 7 – 11:00 a.m.	Loser of game 5 vs. Loser of game 6
Game 8 – 3:00 p.m.	Winner of game 4 vs. Winner of game 5
Game 9 – 7:00 p.m.	Winner of game 6 vs. Winner of game 7
	(if five teams remain after game 6 and three teams remain after game 9)
Game 7 – 11:00 a.m.	Loser of game 5 vs. Loser of game 6
Game 8 – 3:00 p.m.	Winner of game 4 vs. Winner of game 5
Game 9 – 7:00 p.m.	Winner of game 6 vs. Winner of game 7
Saturday, May 13	(if four teams remain after game 6)
Game 10 – 12:00 p.m.	Champinship: Winner of game 7 vs. Winner of game 9
Game 11 – 4:00 p.m.	If-necessary
	(if five teams remain after game 6 and two teams remain after game 9)
Game 10 – 12:00 p.m.	Champinship: Winner of game 7 vs. Winner of game 9
Game 11 – 4:00 p.m.	If-necessary
	(if five teams remain after game 6 and three teams remain after game 9)
Game 10 – 12:00 p.m.	Winner of game 8 vs. Loser of game 9
Game 11 – 4:00 p.m.	Winner of game 9 vs. Winner of game 10