The Chico State baseball team will be playing in the postseason for the 20^th time in the last 22 years. The Wildcats clinched a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament berth Saturday with a doubleheader sweep of visiting Cal State San Bernardino, winning the first game 7–4 and the second 6–2.
 
Now 33-7 overall and 24-3 in the CCAA, the Wildcats also lowered their magic number to clinch the North Division title to one over Cal State Monterey Bay (meaning any win or CSUMB loss would secure it) and their magic number to capture their second straight conference title to three over UC San Diego. The Wildcats last won back-to-back CCAA titles in 1999 and 2000.
 
Midway through a 10-game homestand, the Wildcats would clinch the conference crown at home next weekend with any combination of wins and UC San Diego losses totaling three. They can clinch the North Division title with a win in Sunday's series finale, scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
 
This is Chico State's best record through 40 games since 2002 and tied for the third best ever with the 1997 NCAA Championship team, which is celebrating the 20^th anniversary of its NCAA title this weekend and will be honored prior to Sunday's game.
 
Wildcats starting pitcher Casey Costello earned the win in the first game, becoming the fourth Division II pitcher with 10 wins while improving to 10-0. Hunter Haworth (6-1) won the second game behind six scoreless innings, stretching his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 16-and-a-third frames.
 

Cameron Santos went 6-for-8 and stole three bases Saturday, becoming just the second Wildcat ever with multiple seasons with 20-plus stolen bases. Barry Miller swiped 20-plus bases in 1985, 86, and 87. Santos also raised his home batting average this season to .500 (35-for-70) and his overall batting average to .410.
 
Cody Snider smashed a majestic two-run homer to highlight in the opener and went 3-for-5 in the nightcap. He has now hit safely in six straight games and 13 of the last 14.
 
Casey Henderson also drove in two runs in the opener.
 
The Wildcats got on the board with an unearned run in the third and stretched the lead to 2–0 on Josh Falco's RBI-double. Snider went deep for the third time this season after Henderson's sacrifice fly in the fourth, the lead was 5–0. And Henderson's RBI-double in the fifth made it 6–0.
 
Dillon Kelley's RBI-double in the eighth wrapped up the Wildcats' scoring.
 
Kelley's first-inning RBI-triple gave the Wildcats the lead for keeps in the nightcap. Falco's two-out, two-run single in the third made it 3–0.
 
Santos gave the Wildcats more breathing room in the fifth with an RBI-single.
 
Cal State San Bernardino (11-30, 8-21 CCAA) scored twice in the eighth to cut the lead in half, but Chico State answered with two more runs in the bottom-half of the inning. Jimbo Pernetti's leadoff double got the rally started and he later scored on a throwing error. Andrew Carrillo scored the game's final run on Sonny Cortez's grounder.
 
Falco has now hit safely in 10 straight games and has reached base safely in 30 in a row. Santos (28), Kelley (23), Pernetti (16) and Cortez (15) have also reached base safely in each of the last 15 games or more.  
 
Sunday's game will be broadcast locally on AM-1290 KPAY. Links to streaming video and audio, as well as live stats, are available in the calendar section and on the baseball schedule page at www.chicowildcats.com.