Nearly everyone has played catch. It is a rite of passage in the relationship of many a parent and child. For a baseball player, it is usually where the love for the game begins. It is also something that never ends for a baseball player. Even in the "Big Leagues," they still play catch every day.
 
It is also something Chico State Head Coach Dave Taylor talks about nearly every day. If one were to get a look at the notebook used to record Taylor's comments for each season's preview story (and one could read the short-handed chicken scratch), the words "play catch" would appear ever year. In the simplest terms, Taylor's theory of good baseball is: Pitch, play catch, and apply pressure.
 
The "pitch" part is obvious. As a former catcher, Taylor knows how important good pitching is to winning baseball. The "apply pressure" part is mostly relating to the offensive side of the ball. "Play catch" is really as simple as it sounds. Throw the ball accurately and catch the ball when it comes to you.
 
The Wildcats have performed well in all three facets this season. That is why they are nationally ranked at 28-7 overall and atop the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings at 21-3.
 
What they have done better than anyone else, however, and have a chance to do better than any other NCAA team in history, is play catch. The Wildcats currently rank No. 1 in the nation in fielding percentage at .986. The Division II record is .984, set by UC San Diego in 2010. The Tritons' 2009 team that fielded .982 is the only other Division II team that has fielded in the .980s.
 
Chico State's team record of .977 in 2014 is the 11^th highest in Division II history. The Wildcats also led the nation in fielding in 2000 at .970.
 
The top fielding percentage in the history of the NCAA is .985, set by the 2011 Division I University of San Francisco squad.
 
(According to the Major League Baseball glossary, fielding percentage answers the question: How often does a fielder or team make the play when tasked with fielding a batted ball, throwing a ball, or receiving a thrown ball for an out. The formula is simple: the total number of putouts and assists by a defender, divided by the total number of chances (putouts, assists and errors).)
 
The Wildcats still have 14 regular-season games to play, and what they hope will be a long and fruitful postseason. If they keep playing catch like they have through the first 35, there's a good chance they'll get what they hope for.
 
The defending CCAA Champions currently lead UC San Diego by 3.5 games in the race for the conference crown. And they have a seven-game lead over Cal State Monterey Bay in the North Division standings.
 
The Wildcats' magic number to clinch a CCAA Tournament berth is already down to six games, and their magic number to clinch the North Division title is nine.
 
They have an opportunity to continue to whittle those numbers this weekend when Cal State L.A. comes to town for a three-game series.
 
That will not be easy, however. Led by the CCAA's leading power hitter, Sean Watkins, the  Golden Eagles are 20-14 overall and 13-11 in conference play. Watkins leads the CCAA in home runs (12), slugging percentage (.817), and RBI (36). The Golden Eagles also boast some of the best pitching statistics in the CCAA. However, they have struggled where the Wildcats have shined – on the defensive side.
 
Cal State L.A. has committed 64 errors, the most in the CCAA.
 
The series begins with a doubleheader Friday at 1 p.m. and concludes with a single game Saturday at 11 a.m.
 
All three game broadcasts will be streamed online. Saturday's contest will also be broadcast locally on AM-1290 KPAY. Streaming audio is available at www.chicowildcats.com in the calendar section of the homepage and on the baseball schedule page. Links to live stats and a video stream of the game are also available there.