While their peers are taking part in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament this weekend, the Chico State and Cal Poly Pomona baseball teams will be playing a crucial series at Nettleton Stadium that could put one of them on the fast track to the conference baseball postseason.
Two of the early favorites in the CCAA baseball race, Chico State is 11-3 overall, 5-3 in the CCAA, and Cal Poly Pomona is 11-4 overall and 4-4 in the CCAA. Chico State is ranked No. 15 in the nation. Cal Poly Pomona, ranked as high as No. 23 earlier this season, is now tied for No. 32 (among “others receiving votes”) after splitting its last two series’ at home against UC San Diego and Cal State Monterey Bay.
The four-game series kicks off Friday night at 6, continues with a doubleheader Saturday at noon, and concludes with a single game Sunday morning at 11. The games on Saturday and Sunday will be broadcast locally on FOX Sports FM 101.7 and AM 1340. All four games will be available online via the Wildcat Webcast link on the right side of this page.
The Wildcats lead the CCAA in staff ERA at 2.98, having allowed just 47 runs through their first 14 games. Aces 1 and 1a Kagen Hopkins and Ryan O’Shea are a combined 5-0, having allowed just six walks while striking out 41 in just over 40 innings of work.
They also lead the league in fielding percentage at .793 and, on the strength of catcher Ben Manlove’s arm, have thrown out seven runners attempting to steal – the second most in the CCAA.
Chico State ranks second in the conference in batting average at .315. Myles Dempsey leads the team’s regular starters with a batting average of .372. Meanwhile, reigning CCAA Player of the Week Cody Foster, who is hitting .370, is tied for the CCAA lead with 16 RBI.
Cal Poly Pomona ranks fourth in team hitting (.290), fourth in team ERA (.3.39) and fifth in fielding (.963). However, the Broncos have scored the most runs in the CCAA. In fact, the Broncos’ Jordan Whitman, Jenzen Torres and Chris Miller are all tied with Foster for the conference lead with 16 RBI and Donald Walter ranks sixth with 13.
The Wildcats took three of four from the Broncos early last season in Pomona, a series that helped carry them into the postseason and onto the bubble for an NCAA Championship berth. But the Broncos handed Chico State a 13-2 defeat on the second day of the CCAA Championship Tournament last season, effectively knocking the Wildcats out of the NCAA Tournament.
With that in mind, Chico State’s 10 returners will likely have the Wildcats motivated this weekend.
