Two of the hottest baseball teams on the West Coast will enter Nettleton Stadium Friday to open a four-game series. Only one will emerge with a lengthy winning streak intact.
 
Chico State has won nine straight and Cal State LA seven in a row. They'll begin a four-game series Friday at 1 p.m. That game was originally scheduled to begin at 6, but with rain the forecast Friday evening, it will now begin earlier. The series is scheduled to continue Saturday with a noon doubleheader, and conclude Sunday with a single game at 11 a.m.
 
All four games will be streamed online at www.chicowildcats.com, where links to streaming video and live stats can also be found. The final three games of the series will be broadcast locally on AM-1290 and FM 102.9 Newstalk KPAY.
 
After dropping six straight to open California Collegiate Athletic Association, Chico State has reeled off nine wins in a row to improve to 13-7 overall and 9-6 in the CCAA. Cal State LA fell to 4-14 following a 20-4 loss at Cal State Dominguez Hills on March 8. But the Golden Eagles bounced back to win the final three games of that series before sweeping a four-game set against Stanislaus State last weekend.
 
For both teams, pitching has been a key in turning the corner. Chico State pitchers have posted a 2.81 ERA and its defense has fielded at a .985 clip during its current win streak. Cal State LA, which still has a team ERA of 7.40 thanks to its early-season struggles, has pitched to a 2.75 ERA over its past seven games.
 
Offensively, Chico State ranks fourth in the CCAA with a team batting average of .293. The Wildcats have hit .310 during their winning streak. Cal State LA ranks fifth with a team batting average of .285.
 
Defensively, the Wildcats rank fourth the CCAA with a fielding percentage of .969, while Cal State LA ranks last with at .947. The Golden Eagles have committed 45 errors in 23 games.