The Chico State baseball team has been bruised often this season, but rarely beaten. The Wildcats are off to a 17-5 start and ranked No. 5 in the nation thanks in part to their propensity to take a dose, the program’s description for being hit by a pitch. Wildcats have been hit by pitches 48 times this season, more than any other team in the nation.

They’ll be happy to sustain a few more bruises when they host Cal State Monterey Bay for an important four-game California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) series Sunday and Monday. The series was originally scheduled to start Friday, but due to rain, has been pushed back. First pitch for Sunday’s doubleheader (two nine-inning games) is scheduled for noon. First pitch for Monday’s doubleheader is also scheduled for noon. The second game – the series finale – will be a seven-inning affair.

Chico State enters the weekend at 7-5 in the CCAA, tied for second place with San Francisco State, three games behind Sonoma State. Cal State Monterey Bay is just a game behind at 6-6 but alone in eighth place in the standings.

All four games will be broadcast locally on FOX Sports 101.7 FM and 1340 AM and available streaming online via the Wildcat Webcast link on the right side of this page.

Leading power hitter Blake Gibbs (four home runs) has set the tone for the Wildcats, taking 11 doses this season – the third most in the nation. Cody Foster is sixth in the nation with 10, and TJ Yasuhara has been plunked seven times, the 21st most in the NCAA.