The season’s first NCAA Regional baseball rankings are scheduled to be released next Wednesday, and with a strong showing against visiting Cal State L.A. this weekend, Chico State has a chance to entrench itself at or near the top of the West. At 22-7 overall and atop the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings at 16-6 Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) rank the Wildcats No. 10 in the nation.
The four-game series starts with a single game Friday at 6 PM, which will be followed by a doubleheader at noon Saturday and a single game Sunday at 11 AM.
The Wildcats also sit atop the NCBWA’s regional rankings. However, the NCAA regional rankings forthcoming next week are the more important ones because they will eventually be used to determine berths and seeding for the NCAA Championship Tournament.
Retaining or improving upon those rankings will be no easy task against Cal State L.A., which is 22-14 overall, tied for second in the CCAA at 17-11, and ranked No. 20 in the nation by the NCBWA and No. 27 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. The Golden Eagles are also ranked No. 3 in the West by the NCBWA.
The difference between these teams thus far can be traced to success on the road. While the Wildcats have spent most of their season away from Nettleton Stadium, they’ve compiled an impressive road mark of 13-5. Cal State L.A. on the other hand, has played 28 of its 36 games at home and the Golden Eagles are just 2-6 away from home.
That will have to improve if the Golden Eagles are to make a run at the conference title sine they’ll play 10 of their final 12 CCAA games of the season on the road. Chico State, meanwhile, is in the middle of a stretch in which it will play 18 of its final 26 games at home.
Having already played nearly two thirds of its regular season, a number of historic statistical seasons are starting to pop up among the Wildcats.
*Head Coach Dave Taylor is now only three wins shy of 300 for his career.
*Second baseman Jackson Evans is tied for ninth in Chico State history with 27 stolen bases. He’s seven shy of tying the record for a two-year player set by Bob Clements during the 1974-75 seasons.
*Freshman starting pitcher Ryan O’Shea’s 1.96 ERA would be the sixth lowest in Chico State history and the lowest since Alex Carbajal’s 1.43 ERA in 2000. His hits allowed per nine inning average of 6.31 would be the second lowest in school history and the lowest since 1967 when Lynn Sparks combined a 5.92 mark.
*True freshman Nick Baker’s average of one walk allowed per nine innings would be the second lowest in school history. Baker is 6-0 and the Wildcats have won all seven of his starts. His strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.60 would the third lowest ever.
*At 11 strikeouts per nine innings, Kevin Brahney is on pace to smash the school record of 9.06, set by Ivan Hernandez in 2003.
*Juan Guerra’s nine saves are the fifth most in the nation – two behind national leader Jacob Rickett of North Georgia – and tied for the ninth most in the school’s single season history. The junior already ranks tied for eighth in career history as well.
All four of Chico State’s games this weekend will be available locally on AM 1290 KPAY and online at www.chicowildcats.com via the Wildcat Webcast link.
