05/26/04
Wildcats' Burger Second Team All-American
Chico State relief pitcher Nick Burger was named to the 2004 Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association's Second Team All-American team it was announced this week.
Burger, who saved 14 games for the Wildcats, was second in the nation in that category this season. His saves total was the second highest in school history, just one fewer than John Soldate's 15 in 1997.
Burger is Chico State's 14th All-American honoree since Lindsay Meggs took over the program in 1994. He joins former Chico State closers Soldate (1997), Brian Grover (1999), and Dale Thayer (2002) on the list.
Burger, only a junior this season, is only two saves shy of Chico State's career record of 16 held by Grover.
05/24/04
Wildcats eliminated from Championship in two games
MONTGOMERY, ALA – The back of Chico State’s 2004 tee-shirts read Sweet home Alabama. The school’s fifth trip to Montgomery for the Division II College World Series in eight years left a sour taste in the Wildcats’ mouths, however.
Chico State was knocked out in two games for the first time ever with a 10-3 loss to Rollins College of Florida Monday afternoon in a loser’s bracket game.
Today was a tough day for everybody in our program, said Chico State Head Coach Lindsay Meggs.
Wildcat hurlers Drew Carpenter, Salvador Camarena, and Robert Anaya were hammered for 17 hits and 10 runs over the game’s first six innings. Rollins starter Steve Edsall, meanwhile, rendered Chico State batters virtually helpless.
The South Region’s Most Valuable Pitcher, Edsall struck out nine batters and surrendered only one earned run on six hits over seven frames to improve to 9-0 on the season.
(Rollins) did a nice job of staying on pitches and they handled the fastball well, said Meggs, whose team allowed a season-high 20 hits. Regarding Edsall’s performance, Meggs had this to say: He manhandled us.
Chico State faced deficits of 5-0 in the fourth and 10-1 in the sixth and could never mount a serious rally. Ryan Mathes’s fourth-inning RBI-double gave the Wildcats their first run. Jeff Walker added an RBI-single in the seventh, and Jay Hyland smashed a solo home run in the eighth
Rollins, on the other hand, scored its runs in bunches. Only freshman Nick Bryant, who pitched the final three-plus innings for Chico State, was effective. He didn’t allow a run and gave up only three hits. But prior to that, the Tars scored twice in the second, three times in the fourth, and five more times in the sixth.
If there was one ray of hope for the Wildcats Monday, it was in the eight underclassmen in the starting lineup.
Looking back on this season I really feel good, said Meggs. We really thought we were a year away (from returning to Alabama) when it began because of all the new faces. I couldn’t be more proud of these guys and proud of this season with all that we’ve accomplished.
Chico State finished the year with a record of 42-21-1.
05/22/04
Chico State falls to Grand Valley in Championship opener
Wildcats to play Rollins College, Monday at 12:30 (PST)
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - MONTGOMERY, ALA -– Two of the best teams in the nation played one of the greatest games in the history of the NCAA Division II College World Series Saturday night. Unfortunately for the Chico State Wildcats, they were on the losing end of a 2-1 12-inning affair against Grand Valley State University of Michigan in their opening round game.
The Wildcats scored the tying run in the ninth inning on Jeff Walker’s single, had two runners thrown out at the plate, and stranded 12 runners on base.
Chico State starter Brian Kroll tossed nine innings of five-hit baseball, while Grand Valley’s starter Matt Rafeld fired eight shutout innings before giving up the tying run in the ninth.
Eventually, in a battle of two of the nation’s top closers, GVSU’s Joe Finnerty (4-0) shut out Chico State for three-plus frames and Nick Sandy came through with an RBI-single through the left side in the bottom of the 12th against Chico State’s Nick Burger (3-5) for the game-winning run.
Chico State will now attempt to make its way through the loser’s bracket of the eight-team, double-elimination tournament beginning Monday when it faces Rollins College at 12:30 p.m. (PST).
We’ve done in the hard way all year, said Chico State head coach Lindsay Meggs. Don’t count us out yet.
Many had counted out the Wildcats as they headed to the ninth against GVSU. Rafeld scattered six hits, no two in the same inning, over the first eight. The bearded lefty, this year’s Most Valuable Pitcher in the North Central Region, walked pinch hitter Cody
Smith with one out. Trevor Weedon’s infield single put runners on first and second, and then Walker lined a single to right field to plate Smith. That was all the damage the Wildcats could do, though, as Joseph Ramos grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Chico State fell behind 1-0 in the third when GVSU’s Scott Smith laced an RBI single. It was one of only five hits the Lakers mustered against Kroll on the night.
The Wildcats attempted to tie the game in the sixth, but Ryan Wulfert was thrown out at home after Josh Levin’s pinch-hit single.
The Wildcats had another run cut down at the plate in the 12th. Jonathan Shepard rapped a two-out single and then stole second. Brian Lucas followed with a grounder up the middle and it looked like Shepard would score easily. But Lakers shortstop Ryan Lyster made a diving stop, got up, and easily threw out Shepard at the plate.
We play aggressive baseball. That’s what we do, explained Meggs. We feel like if our opposition isn’t feeling the pressure then we’ll be feeling the pressure. They just made a bunch of great plays. But we aren’t going to stop being aggressive now.
Ramos, Walker, Shepard, and Lucas each finished with two hits for Chico State, which outhit GVSU 11-7.
05/17/04
Wildcats to open D-II College World Series against Grand Valley State Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (PST)
The two-time national champion Chico State baseball team (1997 and 1999) will open the 2004 NCAA Division II College World Series against North Central Region champion Grand Valley State of Michigan Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (PST).
The Lakers boast a record of 43-15 and the No. 6 ranking in the country. They've won 30 of their last 34 games, including two straight against top-seeded Ashland last Saturday to earn their second consecutive trip to Alabama. In 2002, the Lakers went 1-2 in the tournament.
Chico State, champion of the Western Region, is making its fifth trip to Montgomery in eight seasons. The Wildcats won the national title in 1997 and 1999, finished second in 2002, and lost in the 1998 semifinals. Chico State is 42-19-1 overall, ranked No. 4 in the nation, and has won its last seven games.
Under Head Coach Lindsay Meggs, the Wildcats are 13-3 all-time at the College World Series.
The winner of Saturday's game will face the Bryant-Rollins winner Monday at 4:30 (PST). The loser will face the Bryant-Rollins loser Monday at 12:30 (PST)
05/17/04
Kroll, Burger First-Team All West Region
Starting pitcher Brian Kroll and closer Nick Burger both earned First-Team All West Region honors as announced by the American Baseball Coaches Association Monday.
Kroll, the team's senior ace, is 9-3 with a 3.81 earned run average and six complete games heading into the NCAA Division II Championship Baseball Tournament. In the postseason, Kroll is 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA. Kroll has quietly put together one of the best individual season in Chico State history. His 94 strikeouts and 125.1 innings pitched are both second in school history. He also ranks among the school's single-season top 10 in starts (17) and complete games.
Burger, a junior transfer from Bakersfield Community College, ranks second in the nation with 14 saves. Overall, he's 3-4 with a 4.02 ERA, but as a reliever, Burger has a 1.73 ERA, having allowed just five runs in 26 innings. Burger's 14 saves leave him just one behind John Soldate's top single-season mark in school
history, 15, set in 1997.
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Relief pitcher Nick Burger receives a celebration hug from catcher James McCabe after the final out of the West Regional is recorded. Shortstop Scott Thomson looks on. |
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The Wildcats celebrate their fifth Regional Championship in the last eight years on the field in Pueblo, Colo.
Photos courtesy of Mike Sweeney |
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Click on logo for complete results from 2004 West Regional tournament in Pueblo, Colo. |
05/15/04
Chico State wins D-II West Regional
Joseph Ramos named tournament MVP
PUEBLO, Colo. - They took the road less travelled, but the Chico State baseball team is heading back to the NCAA Division II National Championship Tournament in Montgomery, Ala., May 22-29.
The Wildcats won their fifth Western Regional Championship in eight years, but their first on the road, with a 4-1 victory over rival Sonoma State Saturday at Rawlings Field on the campus of Colorado State-Pueblo in Pueblo, Colo.
Winning this on the road is one of the great accomplishments in the history of our program, said Chico State coach Lindsay Meggs.
And that history has been full of big victories. The win Saturday was the 450th of Meggs' career. The Wildcats will now set their sights on winning their third national title since 1997.
Today we accomplished our second goal, said Wildcats outfielder Jonathan Shepard. We're going to enjoy it for a couple days and then go try to reach our third goal, a national title.
If the Wildcats play like they did in Pueblo, they have to be considered a favorite. Chico State outscored its opponents 31-6 and allowed only one run over the last 24 innings of action.
Mike Jones gave Chico State its third outstanding start of the tournament Saturday, tossing eight innings of seven-hit baseball and allowing only one run. Nick Burger came on with one runner on in the ninth to retire the Seawolves for his 14th save. Burger induced pinch-hitter Doug Bauman to fly out to Shepard in center field for the final out.
This is wonderful, said Jones, who improved to 9-3 on the season. The reason I came to Chico State was to get to Alabama. To win the game that got us there was a great experience.
Crafty Sonoma State lefty Aaron Damm cooled Chico State's sizzling bats a bit, but not enough to keep up with Jones.
Ryan Mathes led off the second inning with a solo home run and Scott Thomson bunted home Jay Hyland later in the innign to give the Wildcats a 2-0 cushion.
Sonoma State got its only run of the game an inning later when Aaron O'Dell's sacrifice fly plated catcher Evan Anderson. Jones got out of the inning without allowing further damage, however, and retired the next 14 batters in order.
Meanwhile, Chico State added to its lead with two more runs in the fifth. Tournament MVP Joseph Ramos smacked his eighth hit of the weekend with one out to start the rally. Shepard then reached on an error, allowing Ramos to advance to third. Ramos scored on a wild pitch and then Brian Lucas plated Shepard with a single up the middle to make it 4-1.
Ramos finished 2-for-3 to lead the offense. Nevertheless, it was the Wildcats' defense that created the biggest buzz of the regional. Led by the double-play combination of shortstop Thomson and second baseman Jeff Walker, the Wildcats made outstanding play after outstanding play in the field.
Walker's perfect relay throw to Ramos at third base to get Sonoma's Colton Daines in his bid for a triple in the second inning set the tone for the day.
It's huge for us to have this defense behind us, said Jones. All we have to do is throw strikes and we know the defense is going to make plays behind us.
That defense and strong pitching will be the key for the Wildcats in Alabama.
If you're going to win at this point in the season you have to be able to pitch and play great defense, explained Meggs. Right now we're doing both, and obviously the guys are swinging the bats well right now. We're peaking at the right time.
One month ago, a trip to Alabama almost seemed out of reach for the Wildcats, who were struggling to make the CCAA Championship Tournamnent. Still, Meggs knows the team's regular-season struggles don't make a difference in the postseason.
Our guys know that whether it's in the regional or in Alabama, there's no place for us to hide. Whether we were the number one seed or not, we were expected to win this thing, said Meggs. That's part of what it means to be a Wildcat.
Chico State's schedule and opponent will be announced Monday.
2004 West Region All-Tournament Team
Pitcher -- Drew Carpenter, Chico State
Pitcher -- Darren Sack, Sonoma State
Catcher -- Danny Cummins, CSU-Pueblo
1B -- Tom Everidge, Sonoma State
2B -- Jeff Walker, Chico State
3B -- Joseph Ramos, Chico State
SS -- Scott Thomson, Chico State
OF -- Jay Hyland, Chico State
OF -- Tony Wittmus, CSU-Pueblo
OF -- Ryan Mathes, Chico State
DH -- Brett Barrios, CSU-Pueblo
MVP -- Joseph Ramos, Chico State
05/14/04
Wildcats advance to championship game of West Regional
PUEBLO, Colo. - Chico State freshman Drew Carpenter threw an eight-hit shutout as the Wildcats crushed top-seeded Colorado State-Pueblo 16-0 in the NCAA Division II West Regional Friday afternoon in Pueblo, Colo.
Carpenter, a right-hander from Vacaville, scattered eight ThunderWolves hits while walking four and striking out two as he improved to 7-1 on the year. It was the first time since April 17, 2003 that Pueblo was shut out, and the ThunderWolves has scored at least three runs in each game this season.
I was just trying to go out there and throw strikes and let the defense work for me, Carpenter said.
Carpenter showed no nerves pitching in his first regional.
He's got a pretty good disposition as far as success and failure go, Chico State coach Lindsay Meggs said. He isn't your typical freshman, and after 50 games or so, he's no longer a freshman in my mind. He's a pretty big boy right now.
Chico State, which improved to 41-19-1, moves into the championship round Saturday at noon (11:00 PST). The Wildcats have yet to lose in the double-elimination tournament and would have to be beaten twice by Sonoma State, which downed Pueblo 6-5 in 12 innings in Friday evening's elimination game. The Wildcats were 4-1 against the Seawolves this season.
The Wildcats are looking for their first regional title on the road, having won their previous four while playing at Nettleton Stadium. Chico State, ranked No. 8 in the nation, has also won 11 its last 13 on the road.
Carpenter had little pressure on him as Wildcat batters jumped on Pueblo early, scoring six earned runs on eight hits through the first three frames. Pueblo's Joey Newby fell to 10-3 after going three innings, walking none and striking out five.
The Wildcats battered Pueblo pitching for 20 hits on the afternoon, led by third baseman Joseph Ramos' 5-for-6 effort and a 3-for-6 performance from first baseman Brian Lucas. Ramos also scored three times and Lucas doubled, scored twice and knocked in three runs.
Jeff Walker and Scott Thomson also added three hits apiece for the Wildcats. Walker scored twice and Thomson knocked in two runs. Ryan Wulfert and Jay Hyland pitched in two hits each, with Wulfert doubling and knocking in a pair of runs.
Ryan Mathes and Jeff Mayberry both doubled, and Mathes drove in three runs. Jonathan Shepard tripled and scored three times as every Wildcat starter had at least one hit.
Everybody has these days, Meggs said. That team we beat is a very good team. Its just one of those days where everything we hit was falling and everything they hit didn't. I'm sure if we played them again it would be a different ballgame.
Pueblo concluded its season with a 44-10-1 mark.
05/13/04
Wildcats win opening game at West Regional
PUEBLO, Colo. - Cold, rainy conditions couldn't cool off the red-hot Chico State baseball team's bats Thursday in Pueblo, Colo.
The Wildcats hammered Mesa State University 11-5 in the opening game of the NCAA Division II West Regional Tournament to advance to the winners' bracket to face Colorado State-Pueblo, Friday at 1 p.m. (PST).
It was the third time in four games the Wildcats reached double-figures. They're averaging 11 runs per game in the postseason.
From the beginning we've been telling the guys that we want to be playing our best baseball at the end of the year, said Chico State coach Lindsay Meggs. The fact that right now we're playing the game very well is what we were hoping for.
Chico State's offensive surge, keyed Thursday by Jay Hyland's three-run home run, made a winner out of starter Brian Kroll (9-3). After surrendering five runs on seven hits over the first three innings, Kroll fired six scoreless innings for his 10th career complete game.
I really felt coming in we were going to have to get going early and try to get Kroll out of the game. We just couldn't quite finish the job, said Mesa State coach Chris Hanks. Then that 5-2 lead disappeared quickly.
In fact, Mesa State's early 5-2 lead was gone two innings later. Chico State cut the lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the third on Brian Lucas' RBI double. In the fourth, the Wildcats exploded. Trevor Weedon's one-out walk started things. He scored thanks to consecutive singles by Scott Thomson and Jeff Walker.
Thomson scored on a wild pitch to knot the score 6-6 and Jonathan Shepard gave the Wildcats the lead for good with an RBI double. Hyland then broke the game open with a long three-run homer to right field, giving the Wildcats a 9-5 advantage.
My first couple at-bats I left runners in scoring position and I was kind of unhappy about that, said Hyland. When I got the pitch I was sitting on (a fastball), I just turned on it.
Hyland and Ryan Mathes banged out RBI hits in the sixth to cap the scoring.
Hyland finished 2-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored. Mathes, who hit a solo homer, finished 2-for-4 with two RBI. Shepard went 3-for-3 with three runs scored. Walker added two hits and two runs as the Wildcats improved to 40-19-1. They've now won 10 of their last 12 road games.
Trask Munoz led Mesa State (44-18) with three hits.
Mavericks ace Jared Ferrans took the loss to fall to 10-2 on the year.
Chico State is attempting to win its first regional title on the road under Meggs. The Wildcats have won all four regionals they've hosted, but they came up short in the title games of both of their opportunities on the road in 1996 and 2000.
If they win today, they'll advance to the regional title for the seventh time in seven appearances under the direction of Meggs. If they lose, they'll play again tonight at 5 p.m. (PST) in an elimination game.
The winner of each of the eight regional tournaments taking place throughout the nation will advance to the NCAA Division II College World Series in Montgomery, Ala., May 22-29.
05/12/04
Wildcats take on Mesa State in opening regional game
Thursday, 1:00 (PST)...Listen live on KPAY and the internet
Chico State enters the West Regional coming off its best baseball of the season. The Wildcats mowed through the early competition at the CCAA Championship tournament last weekend and hung on for an 8-7 win over Sonoma State to win CCAA title.
Now the ’Cats get an opportunity to take on the top two teams in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
The Wildcats are making their seventh appearance at the West Regional in the last nine years. The ’Cats won the regional title in 2002, 1999, 1998, and 1997.
No. 2 seed Chico State (39-19-1) takes on No. 3 Mesa State (44-17) in the opening game of the tournament. Mesa State is currently ranked No. 7 in the nation and is participating in the regional for the second time in three seasons.
Last weekend at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championship, Mesa State beat regional host Colorado State University, Pueblo 10-4 in a must-win situation to force a second game for the title. Pueblo won the RMAC championship game with a 10-5 victory over the Mavericks.
The Mavericks hit .379 as a team and boast twelve players batting .350 or higher. Designated hitter Jason Crawford (.472, 58 RBI) and third baseman Joe Dirnberger (.464, 31 2B) pace the offensive attack. Senior right-hander Jared Ferrans holds a 4.71 ERA and a 10-1 mark, while southpaw Jason Martinez is 11-4 with a 4.57 ERA. The Mavericks have won 11 of their last 14 games.
05/09/04
Chico State to compete in West Regional
The Chico State baseball team has been selected to play in the 2004 NCAA Division II West Regional to be held at Rawlings Field in Pueblo, Colorado, May 13-15.
The No. 2 seed Wildcats will take on No. 3 Mesa State in the opening game at 1:00 (pst) on Thursday. No. 1 seed and host Colorado State University-Pueblo will play No. 4 Sonoma State in the 6:00 (pst) game.
Friday schedule (all times listed as Pacific):
Game 3 - 9:00 Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 (elimination game)
Game 4 - 1:00 Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2
Game 5 - 5:00 Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 (elimination game)
Saturday schedule:
Game 6 - 11:00 Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5
Game 7 - 2:00 Same participants as Game 6, if necessary
All Chico State games can be heard live on KPAY and on our Web site with Mike Baca making the call.
05/07/04
Chico State wins CCAA Championship
Brian Lucas named tournament MVP
SAN BERNARDINO – Chico State, the only California Collegiate Athletic Association team to play in all six CCAA championship baseball tournaments, captured its second CCAA title today with an 8-7 victory over Sonoma State at Arrowhead Credit Union Park.
The Wildcats, 39-19-1, won three straight games to earn the title and now await a bid on Sunday to compete in the NCAA D-II West Regional at a site to be determined. Sonoma State, 37-26, also has a shot at a regional bid.
Jonathan Shepard's seventh-inning home run to left field, his sixth of the season, proved to be the difference in the game, giving the Wildcats an 8-5 lead, which the Seawolves narrowed with solo runs in the eighth and ninth innings.
With one out in the ninth, Sonoma's C.J. Larsen tripled and came home on a sacrifice fly by Adam Rachlin. Aaron O'Dell followed with a single, however, Wildcat closer Nick Burger fanned Nate Durham-Hammer to end the game and record his 13th save.
The victory went to Wildcat reliever Robert Anaya (4-0), who relieved starter Mike Jones in the sixth. Sonoma reliever Noah Sweeters (2-3), in relief of starter Matt Means, took the loss.
Sonoma State, which lost three of four games to Chico in the regular season, jumped out to a 3-0 lead off Jones, but Chico State tied the game in the bottom of the third on a run-scoring double by Joseph Ramos, a wild pitch, and an infield groundout.
Durham-Hammer belted a solo home run in the fourth to put the Seawolves up by one, but Chico battled back again to knot the score at 4-4 when Shepard led off with a single and later scored on a infield grounder by Scott Thomson.
The Wildcats took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the sixth with two runs. Thomson led off the inning with a single, advanced to second on a balk and scored on a throwing error by the pitcher. Ryan Mathes doubled in tournament MVP Brain Lucas for a 7-5 Chico advantage.
It was another feather in the cap for Wildcat head coach Lindsay Meggs, who has guided Chico State to two national titles, four West Region titles, and six regular-season conference titles over the last 10 years.
Five Wildcats were named to the CCAA All-Tournament Team: Lucas, the MVP, pitcher Brian Kroll, second baseman Jeff Walker, outfielder Ryan Mathes, designatted hitter Ryan Wulfert, and at larger selection Jonathan Shepard.
05/04/04
Four Wildcats named to All-CCAA teams
Brian Lucas named Freshman of the Year
SAN BERNARDINO - Brandon Burgess of Sonoma State was selected as the 2004 CCAA Player of the Year and Michael Potter of UC Davis was named the 2004 CCAA Pitcher of the Year in balloting
By the conference coaches meeting in San Bernardino, site of the 2004 CCAA championship tournament.
Rex Peters of UC Davis was named Coach of the Year and Brian Lucas of Chico State was named the Freshman of the Year.
ALL-CCAA FIRST TEAM
P: Dave McKae (UC Davis)
P: Dan Barone (Sonoma State)
P: Michael Potter (UC Davis)
P: Brian Kroll (Chico State)
RP: Derrick Loop (Cal State L.A.)
C: Rafael Arroyo (Cal State L.A.)
1B: Tom Everidge (Sonoma State)
2B: Brandon Burgess (Sonoma State)
SS: A.J. Biama (San Francisco State)
3B: Marcos Ramos (Cal State San Bernardino)
AL: Aaron Rice (Cal State San Bernardino)
DH: Rich Daly (San Francisco State)
OF: Mike Miller (Cal State L.A.)
OF: Chris McAllen (Cal State San Bernardino)
OF: Nate Durham-Hammer (Sonoma State)
OF: Robby Tulk (UC Davis)
ALL-CCAA SECOND TEAM
P: Darren Sack (Sonoma State)
P: Casey Mutter (Cal State San Bernardino)
P: Joe Stemmler (Cal State San Bernardino)
P: Roberto Torres (San Francisco State)
RP: Nick Burger (Chico State)
C: Jeff Riddle (UC San Diego)
1B: Brian Lucas (Chico State)
2B: Ricky Pinocchio (UC San Diego)
SS: Keith Hernandez (UC San Diego)
3B: Matt Kamigawachi (UC Davis)
AL: Kenneth Galindo (Cal Poly Pomona)
DH: Joel Clark (UC San Diego)
OF: Zac Cort (Cal State Dominguez Hills)
OF: Adam Rachlin (Sonoma State)
OF: Travis Kaats (Grand Canyon)
OF: Carlos Medina (San Francisco State)
ALL-CCAA THIRD TEAM
P: Efren Lira (Cal Poly Pomona)
P: Jose Navarro (UC San Diego)
P: Enoc Jorrin (Cal State San Bernardino)
P: Jose Munoz (Cal Poly Pomona)
RP: Kyle Holtorf (Grand Canyon)
C: Evan Anderson (Sonoma State)
1B: Jason Louis (Cal State Stanislaus)
2B: Andy Lane (Grand Canyon)
SS: Ryan Coultas (UC Davis)
3B: Cody Johns (Grand Canyon)
AL: Ryan Bethel (Grand Canyon)
DH: Ryan Wulfert (Chico State)
OF: Hector Alaniz (Cal State Stanislaus)
OF: Brett Burton (UC San Diego)
OF: Tyler LaTorre (UC Davis)
OF: Jose Montes (Cal State Dominguez Hills)
05/06/04
'Cats bats dominant again in 11-4 win over UC San Diego
Freshman Carpenter pitches Wildcats into Friday's final
SAN BERNARDINO, CA - With its second straight convincing victory in the CCAA Championship Tournament, the Chico State baseball team advanced to Friday's final and may have wrapped up a spot in the Western Regional of the 2004 NCAA Division II Baseball Tournament.
Chico State, ranked No. 2 in the region entering the tournament, knocked off No. 5 UC San Diego 11-4 Thursday, having already dispatched of No. 8 Cal State San Bernardino 13-1 Wednesday.
The Wildcats, whose only CCAA Championship Tournament title came in 2000, will face Sonoma State Friday at noon. Because the Wildcats enter the tournament's final day unbeaten in the double-elimination format, they have two opportunities, if necessary, to claim the title.
Chico State used a 6-run fourth inning to key Thursday's victory. Jeff Walker's two-run double was the big blow. In all, the Wildcats boasted a 13-hit attack that included four doubles and Jonathan Shepard's inside the park home run. Shepard, Brian Lucas, Ryan Mathes, and Ryan Wulfert each notched two hits apiece, while six different Wildcats knocked in runs, led by Mathes's three RBIs.
Meanwhile, Wildcats freshman starter Drew Carpenter kept the explosive Tritons at bey and fired his third complete game of the season. Carpenter allowed four runs, three of them earned, on nine hits. He struck out five and walked only one to improve to 6-1 on the year.
The West Regional selections won't be made until Sunday, but Chico State's two wins and the losses of No. 4 Sonoma State, No. 5 UC San Diego, No. 7 Regis (Colorado), and No. 8 Cal State San Bernardino thus far this week bode well for the Wildcats.
CCAA Championship Tournament schedule
Wednesday, May 5
Game 1 - (4) UC San Diego 6, (1) Sonoma State 2
Game 2 - (2) Chico State 13, (3) Cal State San Bernardino 1
Thursday, May 6
Game 3 - Sonoma State 8, Cal State San Bernardino 5 (CSSB eliminated).
Game 4 - Chico State 11, UC San Diego 4
Game 5 - Sonoma State 6,. UC San Diego 2
Friday, May 7
Game 6 - Chico State vs. Sonoma State, 12 noon
Game 7 - Game 6 Participants (if necessary), 45 minutes following the end of Game 6
05/05/04
'Cats homer three times 13-1 drubbing of San Bernardino
Face upstart UC San Diego in 2nd-round matchup Thursday at 3 p.m.
SAN BERNARDINO, CA - In a power display unequaled during the regular season, the Chico State baseball team won its opening game of the CCAA Championship Tournament against host Cal State San Bernardino 13-1 on the strength of three home runs and the pitching of ace Brian Kroll. Jay Hyland, Joseph Ramos, and Brian Lucas each homered for Chico State, which hadn't hit three home runs in a game all year.
Kroll pitched seven scoreless innings before leaving with an 11-0 lead. He struck out seven, didn't issue any walks, and scattered seven hits to improve to 8-3 on the year. He has now throw 15 consecutive scoreless innings.
Chico State, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, will now take on No. 4 UC San Diego Thursday at 3 p.m. The Tritons upset top-seeded Sonoma State in Wednesday's first game. The winner of that game will be one of the tournament's two Friday finalists. The loser must turn around and play an elimination game against either Cal State San Bernardino or Sonoma State at 7 p.m.
The Wildcats, who improved to 37-19-1 and have now won nine of their last 12 road games, put the game away fairly early. After RBI-singles by Lucas and Jeff Walker in the second inning, Hyland led off the third with a solo home run to make it 3-0. The Wildcats then sent 14 batters to the plate during an eight-run uprising in the fourth. Three-run blasts by Ramos and Lucas highlighted the festivities.
Lucas finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Walker added three hits and two RBIs in four at-bats, while Ryan Mathes, Hyland, and Ryan Wulfert notched two hits apiece. Ramos matched Lucas with four RBI. Lucas, who earlier in the day was named the CCAA Freshman of the Year, saw his average jump to .383 and his hit total climb to 75 with Wednesday's effort.
Every Chico State playoff game will be broadcast live on KPAY Radio, AM 1290.
05/05/04
'Cats rise to No. 2 in the West Region rankings
Take on San Bernardino tonight at 7 o'clock
CHICO - Despite stumbling to a four-game split in their regular-season series finale against Cal Poly Pomona, the Chico State baseball team jumped two spots to No. 2 in the Western Region poll Wednesday. The top four teams in the final poll, scheduled to be released Sunday, will advance to the Western Regional of the 2004 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship Tournament.
All four teams in the CCAA Championship Tournament, which began Wednesday, are ranked among the region's top eight. Sonoma State is ranked No. 4, UC San Diego is No. 5, and Cal State San Bernardino is No. 8.
Meanwhile, three Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference teams are also ranked: 1. Colorado State-Pueblo, 3. Mesa State, 7. Regis (Colorado). That conference championship tournament takes place Thursday-Saturday. Western Oregon University, No. 6, finishes out its regular season with a four-game series against Northwest Nazarene University Friday and Saturday.
Following are the Regional Rankings and the CCAA Championship Tournament schedule:
Rankings:
1. Colorado State-Pueblo 38-7-1
2. Cal State Chico 36-19-1
3. Mesa State 41-15
4. Sonoma State 35-24
5. UC San Diego 34-22
6. Western Oregon 28-22
7. Regis (Colorado) 31-16
8. Cal State San Bernardino 30-24-1
05/03/04
'Cats hope to reverse Championship Tournament trend
Also want to make statement to regional committee
CHICO - Since Lindsay Meggs took over the Chico State baseball program in 1994, the Wildcats have been a virtual Superman in the Division II college baseball world. Chico State teams have won two national titles, four regional titles, and six regular-season conference titles over the last 10 years. They boast a 29-8 record in the NCAA playoffs and an overall winning percentage of over .700. Chico State does have its kryptonite, however, and over the years, it's been the CCAA Championship Tournament.
Despite being the only team to qualify for the tournament every season since its inception in 1999 and earning the top seed three times, the Wildcats have won it just once, in 2000. They're an ordinary 10-9 in the tournament during that span, including 3-6 over the last three seasons.
Nevertheless, the Wildcats hope to solve that mystery this week in San Bernardino, host of the 2004 CCAA Championship Tournament. In the process, they could save the day for their regional playoff hopes, which are in imminent danger. The Wildcats, Regis University (Colorado), Sonoma State, Cal State San Bernardino, and Mesa State appear to be locked in a five-team battle for three playoff spots. Colorado State-Pueblo (38-7-1) has seemingly wrapped up the top seed in the west.
Chico State has a chance to help itself immediately as the No. 2-seed Wildcats face No. 3 Cal State San Bernardino in Wednesday's first round at 7 p.m. Top-seed Sonoma State takes on No. 4 UC San Diego in the tournament opener at 3 p.m. Chico State ace Brian Kroll (7-3, 3.95 ERA) is the Wildcats' likely starter. San Bernardino standout Casey Mutter (6-3, 3.54 ERA) is a possibility for the Coyotes, though he has not pitched since April 23. Joe Stemmler (4-3, 3.57 ERA) is another possibility.
The Wildcats, 36-19-1 and ranked No. 22 in the nation in the latest poll, split four games at San Bernardino this season. The Coyotes (30-24-1) have stumbled down the stretch, winning just three of their last 10 games. The winner will take on the Sonoma State-UC San Diego winner Thursday at 3 p.m. The loser will face the Sonoma State-UC San Diego loser Thursday at 11 a.m.
Every Chico State game will be broadcast live on KPAY Radio, AM 1290 and the Chico State web site.