Bragging rights won’t be all that’s at stake when the Chico State baseball team takes on Sonoma State in a four-game series this weekend, culminating in the second annual Capital City Clash at Sacramento’s Raley Field Sunday night at 5:30. The long-time rivals will also be playing for California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament berths and hoping to build their NCAA Championship Tournament resumes.
The first three games of the series will be at Chico’s Nettleton Stadium, starting with a single game Sunday at 6 p.m. and continuing with a doubleheader Saturday at noon. Sunday’s game will be played at the home of the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. Tickets can be purchased in advance by clicking
HERE and also serve as a voucher for admittance to any River Cats home game this season.
The Wildcats won last season’s game – now knows as the rally at Raley – in thrilling fashion, scoring eight times in the ninth inning to win 9-7.
The defending CCAA Champion Wildcats are 32-8 overall and currently hold a two-game lead atop the conference standings with eight to play at 25-7. They’re one victory away from clinching a berth in the CCAA Championship Tournament for the 13th time in their 14 seasons as a member of the conference. The top four teams in the final regular season standings earn bids. The Wildcats lead fifth-place Cal State East Bay by eight games with eight to play. Cal State L.A., which the Wildcats will host in their final regular-season series of the season May 3-5.
Sonoma State is in fourth place at 27-15 overall and 19-13 in the CCAA. The Seawolves lead Cal State East Bay by two games and UC San Diego and Cal State Dominguez Hills by three in the race for the fourth and final tournament berth.
Both teams are also in the discussion for an NCAA Championship Tournament bid. Six teams from the West Region will receive bids – the champions of the CCAA Championship Tournament and five at-large teams chosen by the selection committee. Chico State is ranked No. 2 in this week’s inaugural rankings and Sonoma State is No. 4.
The series features the CCAA’s top two pitching staffs in terms of ERA and two of the nation’s top 10. Chico State’s staff ERA of 2.44 is tops in the conference and fifth in the nation. Sonoma State’s ERA of 2.76 is second in the CCAA and ninth in the nation.
CURRENT CCAA STANDINGS
CURRENT NCAA REGIONAL RANKINGS
LINK TO 2012 CAPITAL CITY CLASH RELEASE
