Halfway through the California Collegiate Athletic Association schedule, the Chico State baseball team is right where it wants to be — leading the conference standings. Ranked No. 14 in the nation at 22-6 overall and 15-4 in the CCAA, they open the second half this weekend at Cal State LA with three teams hot on their heels. Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State Dominguez Hills trail the Wildcats by a single game in the loss column, and Cal State San Bernardino trails by just two. The Wildcats will face all three of those teams over the next month.
 
But the Golden Eagles are first up, beginning with a single game Friday at 6 p.m. The series continues with a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. and concludes with a single game Sunday at 11 a.m. All four games will be broadcast locally on AM-1290/FM-102.9 and streamed online via the KPAY Sports app and the CCAA Network. Links are available on the homepage and baseball schedule page at www.chicowildcats.com.
 
This is bound to be a better road trip than Chico State's last one to Cal State LA. Their 2020 trip ended prematurely when the bus was told to turn around at the base of The Grapevine. That marked the end of that season and the next due to COVID-19.
 
Back at it in 2022, the Wildcats are off to a historic start with the bats. Their 11.68 runs per nine innings, .347 team batting average, and .453 on-base percentage are all the highest in program history. They lead the CCAA in nearly every offensive category, rank third with a team ERA of 4.33, and rank seventh with a team fielding percentage of .966. The Wildcats also lead the CCAA and rank among the nation's leaders with 29 double plays turned.
 
Cal State LA is 11-15 overall and 6-10 in the CCAA having lost five in a row, including all four last weekend at Cal State San Bernardino. But the Golden Eagles are 4-4 on their home track — Reeder Field — which was unavailable for the preseason and their first home series of the season.
 
The Golden Eagles rank third in the CCAA with a team batting average of .293 but have struggled on the mound and with the glove. Their team ERA of 7.26 is ninth in the conference and their team fielding percentage of .951 is 10^th.
 
Following this weekend's series, the Wildcats will return home to take on Cal State Dominguez Hills in a four-game set April 8–10.