At 15-4 overall and 8-0 to start California Collegiate Athletic Association play, the Chico State baseball team is off to a great start. But the Wildcats won't be looking back on what they have accomplished this weekend. They always look forward to the opportunity to face off against long-time rival Sonoma State.
 
That opportunity comes this weekend when they travel to Rohnert Park for a four-game series against the Seawolves beginning with a single game Friday at 2 p.m. The series continues with a doubleheader Saturday at 11 a.m., and concludes with a single game Sunday at 11 a.m.
 
Chico State, ranked No. 19 in the nation, currently holds a three-game lead over second-place Sonoma State (8-4 overall, 5-3 CCAA) in the CCAA's North Division standings.
 
The series features two of the top pitching staffs in the nation. Sonoma State ranks fifth in Division II with a team ERA of 2.05. Chico State is sixth with a 2.23 ERA and a CCAA-high five shutouts.
 
The Wildcats lead the nation with a fielding percentage of .990. Sonoma State is fielding .955.
 
Offensively, Chico State has scoring 5.5 runs per game and hitting .277 as a team, while Sonoma State is scoring at a rate of 4.5 runs per game and hitting .270.
 
The Wildcats won three of four against the Seawolves last season in Chico.
 
Unless Saturday's second game conflicts with Chico State men's NCAA Tournament Basketball, the final three games of the series will be broadcast locally on AM-1290 KPAY. Audio of all four games will be streamed online at www.chicowildcats.com, where links to live stats will also be found. Fans can find them in the calendar section on the homepage and on the baseball schedule page.