Based on his long history of success, it was clear before this season started that Chico State Head Coach Dave Taylor was most likely going to reach 500 career wins at some point in 2017. It is an added bonus for the Wildcats that it has happened this fast.
Taylor collected career wins 499 and 500 Saturday as the Wildcats swept Cal State Dominguez Hills with victories of 17–4 and 7–2 at Toro Field.
Taylor, who coached at the University of Wyoming and Cal State L.A. for two seasons each before taking over the reins at Chico State, is now 500-291-1 overall as a head coach and 385-197 in 10-plus seasons with the Wildcats.
The College World Series Champion at the University of Arizona and former Milwaukee Brewers farmhand has led the Wildcats to six NCAA Tournaments and two Division II College World Series. Including his stint as the Wildcats' pitching coach from 1997-2004, Taylor has helped lead the program to a dozen NCAA Tournaments, seven College World Series, and two NCAA Division II titles.
This team is not quite halfway through the conference season, but it has the makings of another special squad. The Wildcats improved to 23-5 overall and 16-1 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with Saturday's sweep, and guaranteed themselves their fifth straight series win to start conference play. A victory in Sunday's series finale would give them their fourth series sweep out of five.
The Wildcats are currently ranked No. 2 by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, No. 3 by Perfect Game USA, No. 10 by D2 Baseball News, and No. 11 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
Sonny Cortez drove in four runs in the first game and his speed helped
break the second game open in the ninth.
The Wildcats completely dominated the Toros after allowing two runs in the first inning of the opener Saturday. They scored three in the second inning and two more in the third to take control, and then posted a five-spot in the eighth and six more runs in the ninth to run away with the game.
Starter Casey Costello dominated the second game, scattering five hits (three via bunt) in seven-and-two-thirds innings. The Wildcats led 3–0 before the Toros scored twice in the eighth with the help of an error. But Chico State answered with four runs in the seventh to put the game away.
GAME ONE
Hunter Haworth (4-1) earned the victory. He was in trouble in each of the first three innings, but got out of jams unscathed in the second and third. He gave up just one hit after the third and allowed just the two runs in six innings of work.
The Wildcats grabbed the lead with three runs in the second after Jimbo Pernetti, Andrew Carrillo, and Tyler Stofiel were hit by pitches in succession to load the bases. Casey Henderson singled to drive in the first run, Sonny Cortez plated another with a sacrifice fly, and Stofiel scored on a throwing error on the play.
Pernetti picked up a two-run single in the third and Cody Snider smacked an RBI-double in the fourth to make it 6–2.
Henderson, Cortez, and Cameron Santos all had RBI-triples during a five-run eighth. It was the first time a Chico State baseball team had three triples in the same inning and matched the program's record for triples in a game. It had been done six times before, last on March 28, 2014.
Cortez's two-run single was the big hit in a six-run ninth. Nicholas Padilla added an RBI-single later in the inning. It was his first hit as a Wildcat after missing the first half of the season due to injury and fired up the Wildcats' dugout.
Cortez went 2-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored. Henderson went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs. Snider was 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. Dillon Kelley had two hits and scored twice.
The Wildcats were hit by pitches seven times in the game. That's the third most in the history of the program and tied for the 14
th most in the history of Division II. Chico State actually holds the record of 12, set on Feb. 18, 1995. They were hit eight times on March 2, 1999. Carrillo was plunked twice.
GAME TWO
Costello improved to 6-0 in eight Chico State starts, while lowering his ERA to 0.77 in the winning performance. Stuart Bradley got the final four outs for his second save of the season.
Casey Costello got the win in game two, improving to 6-0 and lowering
his ERA to 0.77.
Kelley and Josh Falco each homered for Chico State. Henderson had an RBI triple and Snider slammed an RBI double. Snider, Kelley, and Falco had two hits apiece.
Cortez came to the plate with the bases loaded and two down in the ninth inning of a 3–2 game and hit a chopper toward third. The fielder had to hurry because of Cortez's speed and threw wildly, allowing all three runners to come around to score and break the game open. Snider followed with the RBI double.
Kelley has now hit safely in 11 straight games and Falco 10 in a row. Falco has reached base safely in 18 straight games and Cameron Santos 16 in a row.
Cal State Dominguez Hills fell to 6-21 overall and 4-13 in the CCAA.
Sunday's noon finale will be broadcast locally on AM-1290 KPAY. Links to an audio stream of Chico State's hometown call, live stats, and Cal State Dominguez Hills' pay-to-view video stream are available at
www.chicowildcats.com in the calendar section and baseball schedule page.
