COMPTON – The Chico State University baseball team’s bus driver started heading in the wrong direction on the way to its pre-NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional practice Wednesday. Head Coach Dave Taylor saw the signs immediately, steered him in the right direction, and the team arrived at their desired destination – the  Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy – a few minutes later.

How fitting for the 2010 Wildcats.

The team veered down the wrong path on a few occasions this season, but responded quickly and concisely each time. As a result, they’ve reached their stated destination – the NCAA Championship Tournament. They open the tournament Thursday night at 6 o’clock against Cal State Dominguez Hills.

The double-elimination tournament also features the nation’s top-ranked team, UC San Diego, and Hawaii Pacific. Those teams will kick off the festivities Thursday at 2 p.m. Thursday’s opening-round winners will meet Friday at 6 p.m. with a spot in the regional title game on the line. Thursday’s losers will play at Friday at 2 p.m. in an elimination game. The entire tournament schedule will follow at the end of this article.

Every Chico State game this weekend will be broadcast locally on ESPN Radio 101.7 FM and 1340 AM. Webcasts will also be available at www.chicowildcats.com by clicking the Wildcat Webcast link. The tournament’s other games can be heard on the Internet at http://www.gotoros.com/sports/2008/7/23/TorosLive.aspx.

The Wildcats, the tournament’s No. 3 seed at 35-18, have certainly been heard following sub-par performances. Twice it seemed as though their playoff hopes were in imminent danger. But both times they responded with a roar. Down one game to none in a vital late-season series against regional rival Western Oregon, the Wildcats silenced the Wolves’ cries for a spot in the NCAA Championship Tournament with three straight wins. And just last week, when Cal State San Bernardino attempted to claim that same berth and knock the Wildcats out of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament, they roared back with perhaps the greatest comeback in Chico State history, rallying from 10 runs down in the eighth inning to win 16-15 on Michael Murphy’s walk-off hit.

They’ve played their very best baseball when they’ve had to. This weekend marks such a time. Taylor, for one, believes they will rise to the challenge once again.

“Everything we’ve done, from the time we started recruiting you guys until now, has led to this weekend,” Taylor told the team following Wednesday’s brisk workout. “All the time in the weight room, fall ball, the skills we work on – it’s all been pointing toward this weekend. If we can get it done here, we’ve got a chance to put on some rings.”

PRE-TOURNAMENT NOTES – Chico State has lost four straight against Cal State Dominguez Hills since winning the first meeting between the teams this season…Michael Gleason, 7-1 with a 2.35 ERA against teams not named UC San Diego this season, is the likely starter for the Wildcats…Cal State Dominguez Hills will likely start right-hander Bret Mongtomery (6-3, 3.07) or southpaw Kody Kurowski (8-4, 5.74)…Kurowski hurled a complete-game six-hit shutout against the Wildcats earlier this season…The Wildcats are 0-1 in NCAA Championship Tournament play against Cal State Dominguez Hills and 2-0 against UC San Diego. They’ve never faced Hawaii Pacific in the postseason…Deven Braden is currently hitting .424 team-best nine-game hitting streak…Kevin Seaver and Adam Arakawa have each racked up doubles totals this season that are among the top 10 in Chico State history. Seaver’s 24 are the second most ever, and Arakawa is tied for 10th with 18…Seaver is 10 RBI shy of becoming just the 10th Wildcat ever to reach 100 for his career…Jordan Larson has moved into ninth on the program’s career runs list, and with 112, is within striking distance of Wildcat greats Robby Poole (113), Bao-nhan Vinh (115) and Rich Gregory (116)….Larson’s next base hit will be the 158th of his career, moving him into ninth on the school’s career list.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Thursday

Game 1 – 2 p.m.: #1 UC San Diego vs. #4 Hawaii Pacific

Game 2 – 6 p.m.: #2 Cal State Dominguez Hills vs. #3 Chico State

Friday

Game 3 – 2 p.m.: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser (loser eliminated)

Game 4 – 6 p.m.: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner

Saturday

Game 5 – Noon: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser (loser eliminated)

Game 6 – 4 p.m.: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner

Sunday

Game 7 (if nec.) – Noon: If loser of Game 6 has only one loss.

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