THUNK! The bar sinks into locked position. With a jolt the rollercoaster lurches into gear. Click…. Clack…. Click…. Clack…. Your heart begins to beat faster. Click… Clack… Click… Clack… Now your heart is thumping as the world below grows miniature. Click.. Clack.. Click.. Clack.. You grip the bar like it’s your lifeline. Your heart is racing now, pounding like a bass drum. Click. Clack. For a second that feels like five, everything goes silent.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!
Deafening screams, wild laughter, and shouts of joy are muffled by the wind that blows by your ears at 70 miles per hour.
Most seasons start with lots of clicks and clacks, signifying the anticipation for the big moments that lie ahead beginning with conference play. But this season is different for the Chico State baseball team. The Wildcats opened the 2011 season with a doubleheader sweep of Simpson University on Feb. 5.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!
Suddenly, there they are, already in conference play.
The Wildcats open California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play with a four-game series at Cal Poly Pomona starting with a doubleheader Friday at 10 AM. Single games Saturday and Sunday at 11 AM follow.
New NCAA rules have shortened the regular season from 56 to 50 games this year. Thus, the Wildcats were left with little lead in to these important contests. Those dynamics, combined with an overhauled roster featuring 21 new players and a completely revamped starting rotation, make fifth-year Head Coach Dave Taylor’s team a bit of a mystery heading into this important series.
“Obviously we want to be successful early on – especially in that Pomona series – but what’s most important is making a solid evaluation of the players we have. After we get through those first three weekends we’ll have a better idea of who we’re going to be taking on that bus to Monterey,” said Taylor, referring to the next CCAA series on the Wildcats’ slate.
The good news is that the Wildcats performed well in their first two games of the season, sweeping Simpson by scores of 21-9 and 6-2. The offense looked formidable, hitting a combined .400 with 12 extra-base hits. Ten different players had two or more hits. And the team’s relief corps carried the pitching staff, allowing only one earned run in 11-and-two-thirds innings.
The Wildcats, picked to finish second in the CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll, are currently ranked No. 22 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball News, No. 21 in the nation by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), and No. 2 in the West Region by the NCBWA.
Cal Poly Pomona was picked to finish eighth in the CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll, but the Broncos are off to an impressive 6-0 start under first-year Head Coach Randy Betten. They boast wins over CCAA rivals Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State L.A.
Now, the high hopes of both teams will receive a big lift, tough hit, or something in between in this early-season conference clash.
Fans can follow every Chico State baseball game live on ESPN 101.7 FM and 1340 AM locally and online through the Wildcat Athletics website, with Mike Baca providing the play-by-play.
