06/11/05
Wildcats career saves leader Burger signs with Chico Outlaws
Former Chico State closer Nick Burger has proved himself in the world of collegiate baseball. He ranks second in Division II history with 29 career saves. Now he has a chance to prove himself in the world of professional baseball. Friday, Chico Outlaws Manager Mark Parent announced that Burger will be joining the team for their seven-game road trip in Arizona.

According to the Chico Enterprise-Record, Parent was impressed with a workout Burger and Wildcat teammate Robert Anaya had recently, and in an attempt to shore up a pitching staff that is seventh of eight Golden Baseball League teams in ERA (6.03) heading into Friday's game at Surprise, Parent felt Burger could help right away.

"We looked at his numbers, he walked 10 guys all year and he's got a lot of bulldog in him," said Parent. "He's been in a lot of tough situations."

Parent said Burger likely will not be thrown into a closing role right away, but might find himself in a "set-up role, an inning here and there. He's used to going an inning or two and he's capable of going more. He might come out here and throw well enough to get a start, you never know."

Burger, an Honorable Mention All-America right-hander in 2005, finished with 15 saves, tied for the second most in school history, fanning 30 batters in just over 28 innings pitched with an ERA of 2.86. He was a Second Team All-America selection in 2004.

06/09/05
Ramos named First Team All-American
Krise, Burger Honorable Mention
Chico State third baseman Joseph Ramos has been named First Team All-American by the Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association. Ramos led the Wildcats with a .380 batting average and 15 doubles. He also provided stellar defense between third and first base, boasting a .973 fielding percentage. Chico State hurlers Kris Krise and Nick Burger, meanwhile, were named Honorable Mention All-Americans by the Baseball Writers of America.

"I'm really happy to see that the coaches recognized Joe's ability," said Chico State Head Coach Lindsay Meggs. "I can't tell you how many coaches came up to me and told me how impressed they were by the improvements he's made."

Despite playing in a Chico State uniform for just two years, Ramos leaves a lasting mark on the record books. He joins Bao-nhan Vinh as the only player in school history to notch 80 hits or more in consecutive seasons. He ranks sixth in career hits with 164. His career batting average of .363 is seventh best ever. He also ranks among Chico State's career top 10 in runs scored (102), doubles (33), total bases (221), hit-by-pitches (22), and sacrifice flies (7). He's also the program's First Team All-American selection since 1999 and the seventh ever.

Burger, a Second Team All-American selection as a junior last season, actually put up better numbers this year. He finished with 15 saves, tied for the second most in school history, and sports an ERA of 2.86.He struck out 30 batters in 28-plus innings. He wraps up his career with a Chico State record 29 saves, the second most in NCAA Division II history.

Krise, chosen in the 12th round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers Tuesday, put together a phenomenal season despite a finger injury. He finished the year 9-2 with a 2.04 ERA.

06/08/05
Krise, Gonzalez chosen in MLB Draft
Kris Krise and Greg Gonzalez, both key components to the Chico State baseball team's run to the 2005 Division II College World Series, have been chosen in the Major League Baseball Draft. Krise, a 6-foot-5 right-handed pitcher, was chosen by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 12th round. Gonzalez, a speedy center fielder, was chosen in the 28th round by the New York Mets.

For Krise, getting drafted is nothing new. He was drafted in the 43rd round by the Diamondbacks out of high school and in the 30th round by the Royals following his community college days. This season at Chico State, Krise went 9-2 with a 2.04 ERA despite a finger injury that lasted for much of the season and limited the pitches he could throw.

Gonzalez swiped a team-high 27 bases and hit .374 for the Wildcats. His defensive capabilities were also very attractive to the Mets.

05/30/05
Wildcats eliminated from College World Series
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Great baseball teams have become a tradition at Chico State. Unfortunately, leaving the offense back in California is becoming a bit of a tradition, too. The Wildcats were shut out for the second time in three days and fell to Florida Southern 4-0 in the first elimination game of the 2005 Division II College World Series Monday.

The Wildcats, who also went 0-2 in Montgomery in 2004 while scoring just four runs, have now dropped five consecutive CWS games. Against the 2nd-ranked Moccasins, they were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and 1-for-13 with runners on base.

“This is a humbling game,” said Chico State Head Coach Lindsay Meggs. “When you get to this stage and you don’t perform, you’ve really got no chance. I just feel like we never gave ourselves a chance.”

The Wildcats, who entered the tournament ranked No. 5 in the nation, finished the season 42-16-1.

Starting pitcher Tim Thompson gave the Wildcats a chance by allowing just one run in six-plus innings of work. Unfortunately, the team never took advantage offensively.

“We just got manhandled here offensively,” said Meggs. “Why is anybody’s guess.”

A dearth of clutch hits is one of the main reasons. That trend, which started in Saturday’s tournament-opening loss to Delta State, continued early in Monday’s game. Leadoff hitter Greg Gonzalez reached on a walk and moved to second on Jeff Walker’s sacrifice bunt, but Joseph Ramos and Cody Smith each grounded out, failing to drive the run home.

“Right now I’m just heartbroken,” said Smith. “I should have gotten some key hits.”

He wasn’t alone. Gonzalez left three runners on base, while Chad Nelson and Ryan Simpson stranded two runners apiece.

Meanwhile, Thompson was keeping the Wildcats within striking distance despite a bit of a mental error in the opening frame. With no one out and runners on the corners, Thompson fielded a comebacker and could have easily thrown at the runner breaking for home. Instead, he threw to second base to start the 1-6-3 double play, allowing the run to score. He recovered nicely, however, and after allowing one more hit in the first, did not allow another hit until the seventh inning.

“I was confident we were going to put some runs on the board and that helped me get into a groove,” said Thompson, who dipped to 9-2 with his first loss since March 12.

The Wildcats gave themselves great opportunities to tie the game or take the lead in the second, third, fifth, and seventh. Zack Height popped up a sacrifice bunt attempt with two on and none out to stifle the second-inning rally. Nelson grounded out with two runners on to end the third. Simpson struck out looking with two runners on in the fifth. And Jonathan Shepard grounded out to end the seventh, leaving Ramos on third.

“Sometimes one run can seem like 10,” said Meggs. “Today it seemed like that.”

Florida Southern finally opened up its advantage with three runs in the eighth to put the game away. The Wildcats didn’t threaten in the ninth.

The game was the last in a Wildcats uniform for seniors Walker, Gilberto Hernandez, Shepard, Ramos, Robert Anaya, Smith, Jeff Mayberry, Thompson, and Nick Burger. Ramos finished his career with news that he was named First Team All-American Monday.

Walker laid down two more sacrifice bunts to bring his season total to 22 and draw him to within one of the NCAA Division II single-season record.

“One thing I will never question about these guys is their desire,” said Meggs. “I’m proud of these guys for getting to this point. I know they expected more from themselves, but getting here for the second year in a row is a great accomplishment and they have a lot to be proud of.”

05/28/05
Wildcats shutout in opening round by defending champion Delta State
Chico State plays in an elimination game on Monday at 12:30
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - When opportunity knocked Saturday, the Chico State baseball team answered with a whimper. The Wildcats batted 3-for-15 with runners on base, managed just an infield single in eight appearances with runners in scoring position, and fell to defending champion Delta State of Mississippi in the opening round of the 2005 Division II College World Series at Riverwalk Stadium.

Kris Krise and Nick Bryant combined to pitch a very effective game, and the Wildcats played superb defense. But offensively, the team couldn’t break through.

“I was really disappointed with the way we swung the bats,” said Wildcats Head Coach Lindsay Meggs. “I was pleased with the way we pitched and played defense, but our effort at the plate didn’t give us a chance to win.”

The Wildcats, who have lost four straight CWS games dating back to 2002, will now take on Saturday night’s Florida Southern-Central Missouri State loser in an elimination game at 12:30 p.m. PST.

“We’ve just got to put this game behind us,” said Jeff Walker. “We’re good enough to run off a bunch of wins starting Monday. We’re definitely capable of a lot more than we showed today.”

Delta State starting pitcher Rusty Rayborn had a lot to do with Chico State’s problems. The right-handed sophomore scattered eight hits and didn’t walk anyone in eight innings of work to improve to 11-0 on the season.

“I thought he was very good,” said Meggs. “It would have taken a completely different approach at the plate than we took today to have a chance against him. We refused to go the other way and we swung at a lot of balls out of the strike zone. We had guys who put the ball in play three times today who never saw a strike.”

Joseph Ramos and Jonathan Shepard were the only exceptions. Ramos went 4-for-4 to secure his second straight 80-plus hit season. Shepard went 2-for-3 with a double.

Krise, meanwhile, was battling a nagging finger injury and could only throw his fastball for a strike. Still, he limited the high-scoring Statesmen offense to just three runs on nine hits in six frames. Two of those runs came in the third. South Central Region Player of the Year Craig Newton singled with one out to start the rally and moved to third on Brett Donahoo’s double to right-center field. Bert Pickard followed with a two-run double down the left-field line to make it 2-0.

The Statesmen added the game’s final run in the fourth when Gary Scott Gabbert opened the frame with a double and came around to score on Clay Smith’s ground ball through the left side.

The Wildcats had great opportunities to score in the second, fourth, fifth and ninth. In the second, Shepard doubled off the left field wall immediately after Cody Smith grounded into a double play. Chad Nelson grounded out to end the inning. In the fourth, Ryan Martin and Ramos were on first and second after consecutive one-out singles, but Smith struck out and Shepard grounded out. In the fifth, Nelson and Chad Williams singled to lead off the inning, but Trevor Weedon flew out and Greg Gonzalez grounded into an inning-ending double play. The Wildcats got the tying run to the plate in the ninth against Delta State closer Brent Leach thanks to singles by Ramos and pinch hitter Zack Height. However, Nelson grounded into a fielder’s choice for the second out, and pinch hitter Ryan Simpson popped out to second base to end the game.

For their loss, the Wildcats will be awarded with either top-ranked Central Missouri State or second-ranked Florida Southern Monday thanks to a tough bracket draw. But Meggs still believes in his team.

“In the 2002 final we lost to a team that came all the way through the loser’s bracket, so we know it can be done,” said Meggs. “I expect us to bounce back. I look forward to getting back on the field Monday.”

05/27/05
"Gonzo" makes the Wildcats go
Chico State outfielder ready for the College World Series and beyond
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Ping! In a flash, Greg Gonzalez’s hips swivel and his legs start to churn. He doesn’t have time to keep his eye on this ball. His eyes are on the 400-foot sign on the wall in the deepest part of center field still 25 yards away. He accelerates as one foot strides for an extra inch and the other digs through the turf, sending blades of grass trailing through the air behind him. Thwump! Thwump! Thwump! Now at top speed and closing in on the warning track, he looks back, stretches his glove across his body and high over his head, and watches the ball as it falls into his glove just in time for him to reach out and brace himself as he nudges the wall.

“One more reason he’s the MVP,” the crotchety old sportswriter chimes in from his regular spot in the press box overlooking Grand Junction, Colorado’s Suplizio Field. That catch was just one of many reasons Gonzalez was named the Most Valuable Player of last weekend’s NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional. Defensive gems like it are part of the reason Gonzalez has become the player to watch late this season when the Chico State baseball team takes the diamond.

He’s raised his batting average from .325 to .389 while hitting safely in 13 consecutive games. He’s scored 16 runs, driven in 13, and stolen 10 bases in the process. The team’s leadoff hitter, he was even intentionally walked twice for the first time in his career in the regional title game. In short, he’s become the team’s catalyst both offensively and defensively.

“Gonzo makes us go,” Chico State Head Coach Lindsay Meggs explained following the team’s sixth regional title in 10 years. Where he’s made the Wildcats go is a very good place in the world of Division II college baseball – Montgomery, Alabama, where the 2005 Division II College World Series is being played.

“Defensively, he covers as much or more ground as anyone I’ve ever coached,” said Wildcats Head Coach Lindsay Meggs. “Offensively, he’s a guy I love to see at the plate. We hit him third for a while this season, but I put him back in the leadoff spot because I wanted to make sure we get him to the plate as much as possible.”

The results have been spectacular. A First Team All-CCAA selection and Second Team All-West Region pick, Gonzalez leads the Wildcats in batting average, at-bats, runs, hits, sacrifice flies, and stolen bases. He’s also played 57 games without making an error and thrown out three baserunners. Every once in a while, he even flashes some surprisingly serious power. In a conference showdown with UC San Diego, the left hander took an outside fastball and drove it opposite field over the wall down the left field line for a leadoff homer.

Gonzalez can do it all. He’s accomplished all of the above despite his small stature. He’s very generously listed at 5-foot-11, 165-pounds. That size has never been an issue to Gonzalez, though. He was the team’s Most Improved Player his senior year at San Francisco’s Riordan High School. At Sierra Community College, he earned the Northern California Player of the Year award by hitting .458 and leading the state with 40 stolen bases as a sophomore. After a bit of a slow start this season, he’s continued that dominance at Chico State.

Soon, he’ll find out if he’s Major League Baseball material. Next weekend, while he hopes to be playing for a national title, Gonzalez will likely be drafted in the first 20 rounds of the Major League Baseball Draft. So if you’re in Montgomery, watch closely. And if you’re tuning in on the radio, listen up. Very soon, that voice you’re hearing will say… “There goes Gonzalez back to the wall. He looks up… he leaps… and he’s gone! But it sure will be a ride to remember. And what a catch he was.

05/25/05
Wildcats face tough first-round opponent in Montgomery
There is no luck in this draw for the Chico State baseball team. In the 2005 College World Series opener, Chico State will face defending champion and third-ranked Delta State at 11 a.m. Saturday. The Statesmen are 51-8 and champions of the South Central Region.

But the fifth-ranked Wildcats have also had quite a season. Led by arguably their best pitching staff since Head Coach Lindsay Meggs' arrival in 1994, Chico State has put together a 42-14-1 campaign. The team's 2.99 ERA is its best under Meggs.

The Chico State-Delta State winner will face Saturday night's Florida Southern-Central Missouri State winner Monday at 4:30 p.m. The losers will face off Monday at 12:30 p.m.

The Wildcats are returning to Alabama after making the trip in 2004, 2002, 1999, 1998, and 1997. Chico State holds a record of 13-5 in its five appearances at the College World Series.

Delta State will be making its tenth trip to the College World Series. In 2004, Coach Mike Kinnison guided the Statesmen to the program's first National Championship with a 12-8 win over Grand Valley State.

This season, they earned a chance to defend that title with a 9-1 win over the University of Central Oklahoma on Saturday, May 21 in the South Central Regional Championship game. DSU had earlier defeated West Alabama (18-4) and Abilene Christian (17-2) before the title match-up.

Delta State is led by a dominant pitching staff that sports a 3.09 ERA and has allowed five runs or fewer in 18 of the last 20 games.

In their previous nine appearances, Delta State owns a 23-17 mark in College World Series play. The Statesmen went 4-1 last season en route to the title.

05/24/05
Ramos and Burger First Team All-West Region
Gonzalez, Krise, Thompson Second Team
For the second straight season, Nick Burger has earned First Team All-West Region honors. Joseph Ramos is also a First Team Selection. Starting pitchers Kris Krise and Tim Thompson are Second Team selections, along with outfielder Greg Gonzalez.

The five Chico State choices match the program's most since 1996, when six Wildcats earned All-Region honors. Chico State boasted five choices in 1997 and 2002.

Burger, a Second Team All-American in 2004, currently ranks second in the nation with a Chico State record 15 saves. His 29 career saves also amount to a school record. He needs just two more to match the NCAA Division II career record.

Ramos has been the team's most consistent hitter all season, and his defense has gone from serviceable to spectacular at third base over the past two years. The senior junior college transfer is batting .369 with a team-high 15 doubles, 11 stolen bases, and 40 RBI. His fielding percentage of .971 is the highest on the team among players with 20 or more assists.

Krise and Thompson have each battled through injuries to put up 9-1 records. Gonzalez leads the team with a .384 batting average and 27 stolen bases.

05/21/05
Wildcats headed to Alabama again!
Beat Western Oregon 6-1 to win West Regional title
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - For the sixth time in nine years, the Chico State baseball team is headed to the NCAA Division II College World Series in Montgomery, Alabama. The Wildcats continued their dominance of the Western Region by finishing a perfect weekend with a 6-1 victory over Western Oregon University Saturday afternoon at Suplizio Field. Cody Smith hit a two-run homer, Jeff Walker went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI, and Chad Nelson went 4-for-5 to lead the Wildcats offense. Starter Kris Krise improved to 9-1 on the season, allowing just one run in six-plus innings of work.

"I can't tell you how proud I am of these guys," said Wildcats Head Coach Lindsay Meggs. "This program is unique in that it can almost be unfair to the players. You win 8-of-10 and all people want to talk about is the two you lost. These guys had a lot of ups and downs and they fought through some major injuries. But they persevered and did something that is very hard to do. They're a special group of kids."

The Wildcats, who entered the weekend ranked No. 7 in the nation, improved to 42-14-1. Western Oregon fell to 42-15 overall, with five of those losses coming in five games against the Wildcats. Chico State has now beaten the Wolves 11 straight times and 26 of the last 27 times they've met.

Chico State will open College World Series play Saturday at a time yet to be determined against the nation's top-ranked team and the defending World Series Champions, Delta State. Chico State will be playing for its third national title since 1997, and Meggs feels this team has what it takes to win it.

"This team has either pitched, played defense, or hit the ball well all season." said Meggs. "We get by when we do one of them well. We have a lot of success when we do two. And if we do all three, this team is as good as any I've coached."

Saturday, they did all three. Pitching for just the second time since April 9 due to a finger injury, Krise allowed just one run on four hits in six innings of work to improve to 9-1 on the season. Relievers Reid Horton and Nick Burger shut the Wolves down from there. The Wildcats played error-free defense and turned a pair of inning-ending double plays. Meanwhile, all but one player in the batting order contributed at least one run, one hit, or one RBI. Leadoff hitter Greg Gonzalez, the Regional MVP, set the tone by leading off the game with a single. He went on to reach base in all five of his plate appearances and notched a pair of stolen bases. He finished the tournament 6-of-10 at the plate and reached base in 10-of-14 plate appearances.

"Gonzo makes us go," said Meggs. "As he goes, our offense goes. That's a lot of responsibility to shoulder, but he's proven he's up to the task."

Gonzalez was joined on the All-Tournament team by Walker, third baseman Joseph Ramos, Nelson, and Cody Smith. Nelson led the Wildcats with eight hits over the weekend. He finished 8-for-13 with four runs, two RBI, and a number of great defensive plays.

"There's no bigger dirtbag than Chad," said Meggs. "And trust me, that's a term of endearment."

Chico State opened the scoring in the third when Gonzalez drew a leadoff walk, stole second, moved to third on Walker's sacrifice bunt, and scored on Ryan Martin's grounder. Even with two out, the Wildcats weren't done. Ramos drew a walk which Smith followed with a home run into the 20th row of bleachers beyond the left field wall to make it 3-0.

They added another run in the fourth when Weedon doubled to center field and came around to score on Walker's two-out single.

Western Oregon trimmed the lead to 4-1 in the seventh, but could have gotten much closer. A walk and a double against Krise put runners on second and third with nobody out. Horton was called in to get the Wildcats out of the jam and did, surrendering only a sacrifice fly.

Chico State salted the game away with single runs in the eighth and ninth. Nelson singled, moved to second on Chad Williams' sacrifice bunt, and scored on Walker's single through the right side in the eighth. In the ninth, Smith reached on an error, moved to third on Jonathan Shepard's base hit, and scored when Nelson singled past the shortstop.

Three outs later, the trip to Alabama was clinched and the Wildcats strengthened their reputation as one of the nation's strongest baseball programs.

"We have just been so blessed to have so many great coaches and players come through here who are willing to sacrifice personal success for team success," said Meggs. "Guys like Robert Anaya and Reid Horton could be starting pitchers in almost any other program, but they're willing to be relievers for us because they want to win. We've been fortunate to find guys who are more concerned with winning than individual accomplishments."

The accomplishment the Wildcats set out for at the beginning of the season, a World Series title, is now a possibility.

"I think we're ready," said Meggs. "I'm ready to get out there and I think our guys are too."

05/20/05
Martin, Smih power Wildcats into regional final
Play Western Oregon at 11:05 (PST) on Saturday for championship
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - Ryan Martin was just looking to get on base. Cody Smith was trying to hit anything that came his way as hard as he could. They both succeeded. Smith hit a solo homer leading off the eighth inning to tie the game and Martin led off the ninth with a walkoff homer to right as the Chico State baseball team scored six times in the final three innings to rally for a thrilling 7-6 victory over top-seed and tournament host Mesa State in the winner's bracket game of the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship Tournament Western Regional Friday.

TheWildcats will take on the winner of Friday night's Western Oregon-Mesa State game Saturday at 11:05 with a berth in the NCAA Division II College World Series on the line.

Mesa State, ranked No. 10 in the nation, took a commanding 5-1 lead into the seventh inning. But Martin's two-run double keyed a three-run seventh to draw the Wildcats to within 5-4. Robert Anaya struck out the side in the top of the eighth to keep the momentum in Chico State's dugout. It was the first 1-2-3 inning for the WIldcats pitching staff since the third inning of last weekend's CCAA Championship Tournament finale against UC San Diego, spanning 25 innings. Smith took full advantage of that momentum by smashing Mesa State starter Mike King's final pitch of the night deep over the 16-foot wall down the left field line.

"(Graduate Assitant) Nick Nunnari slapped me on the back of the head and told me to be aggressive right before I went out there, and I realized I hadn't really been aggressive all night," said Smith. "So I geared up and was looking to hit the crap out of anything that came my way."

The Wildcats took the lead later in the inning when Greg Gonzalez singled home Chad Williams for a 6-5 lead. As quickly as Chico State grabbed the lead, Mesa State's Ben Thompson took it away. He hammered Wildcats closer Nick Burger's first pitch out of the park to knot the game at 6-all. Burger got out of the inning without further damage, however, setting up Martin's game-winning heroics.

"I was just trying to be a good leadoff hitter and get on base any way I could," said Martin. "I got an inside fastball and got great barrell on it and it went out."

Burger (1-2) got the win, but blew a save for just the second time in 17 opportunities this season and the third time in 32 career chances. He remains two saves shy of the NCAA Division II career record of 31. Fox, 2-3, took the loss.

Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with a run and two RBI to help spark the Wildcats offense and run his hitting streak to 12 games. Every Chico State starter except catcher Trevor Weedon notched at least one hit in what was a very balanced attack. Joseph Ramos' base hit kept his 11-game hitting streak alive. Thompson paced Mesa State with a 4-for-5 effort, while Sean VanElderen went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs and two RBI. But Mesa State stranded 13 runners, which came back to haunt them in the end.

"Our goal this weekend was to get everybody home. We were fairly good Thursday night, but today we weren't very good at all," said Mesa State Head Coach Chris Hanks. "One or two more timely hits and that thing's a laugher."

Instead, it turned into easily the biggest come-from-behind victory for the Wildcats in at least three years. The Wildcats are now 4-0 all-time against Mesa State, with all of those games taking place in regional tournament action.

"During one of those last few innings, I turned around and told the guys in the dugout: 'What a great game to be a part of win, lose, or draw. This has got to be one of the greatest games you guys will ever be a part of'," said Wildcats Head Coach Lindsay Meggs. "Teams that handle the pressure and emotions that go along with being part of a game like this usually win. I think that was the key for us tonight."

Saturday, Chico State will be playing for its sixth regional championship in nine years. Because the Wildcats are the only team in the field without a loss, they will have to be beaten twice to be denied that title.

05/19/05
Wildcats cruise to opening round win at NCAA Tournament West Regional
Play again on Friday at 2:30 (PST)
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - The postseason apparently has no bearing on the Chico State baseball team's dominance over Western Oregon. For the fourth straight time this season, the 10th time in a row, and the 25th time in their last 26 meetings, the Wildcats got the best of Western Oregon with a 12-4 victory in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Championship Tournament West Regional Thursday at Suplizio field.

Trevor Weedon went 4-for-5 with a grand slam and five RBI to lead a 16-hit attack. Jeff Walker and Chad Nelson banged out three hits apiece, and starting pitcher Tim Thompson worked his way out of trouble over and over to pitch into the seventh and earn the win.

The 7th-ranked Wildcats improved to 40-14-1 with the victory. This is the seventh time in Chico State history and the seventh time in the last 10 years the Wildcats have reached the 40-win plateau. Western Oregon, ranked 27th in the nation, is now 40-14.

Chico State will face tonight's Mesa State-New Mexico Highlands winner Friday at 2:30 p.m. PST. The winner of that game advances to Saturday's 12:05 p.m. game. In the double-elimination format, the winner of Friday afternoon's winner's bracket game must be beaten twice Saturday to lose the regional title.

Early on, it looked doubtful Thompson would last very long. The senior, who improved to 9-1 with the victory, allowed nine hits and 11 baserunners in the first five frames. But He worked his way out of every jam, stranding 10 Western Oregon baserunners, including six in scoring position. He struck out Mike McRae to end the first with runners on second and third. He struck out Jordan Ramos and got Aaron Karnofski to ground out with two runners on in the second. He struck out Karnofski with two runners on to end the fourth. And in his biggest jam of the night, the bases loaded with one out in the fifth, he struck out Matt Skundrick and Kenneth McDaniel to end the threat.

"Tim is at his best when every pitch is important," said Chico State Head Coach Lindsay Meggs. "He rises to the occasion."

So did Weedon, who entered the tournament in a 3-for-28 slump but finished the day with career-highs in hits and RBI. His infield single in the fourth helped spark a six-run fourth inning, and his grand slam broke the game open in the sixth and gave the Wildcats an 11-2 lead.

"Trevor's a real streaky guy. When he's going well, he can hit any pitch," said Meggs. "This is a nice time to see him get going."

The timing is no surprise. The Wildcats have been pointing toward the NCAA playoffs since the beginning of the season, according to Meggs.

"Our goal since the very beginning has been to get to the College World Series," said Meggs. "There's a little more energy around our team because, now that we're finally here, we feel like our season's finally starting."

After threatening in two of the first three innings, the Wildcats finally broke through against Western Oregon starter Trent Krisjanson (7-2). Jonathan Shepard reached on an error to start the rally and Cody Smith moved him to third with a double off the wall in right-center. Chad Williams singled off the pitcher's glove to to load the bases, and Nelson got the Wildcats on the board with an RBI-single through the right side. Weedon followed with an infield single that plated Smith, and that spelled the end of the day for Kristjanson. Greg Gonzalez greeted Wolves reliever Ryan Timm with a sacrifice fly that scored Williams, and Walker singled home Nelson for a 4-0 advantage. The WIldcats added two more runs in the frame when Shepard walked in a run with the bases loaded and Cody Smith was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 6-0.

Chico State added on to its lead in the fifth when Walker singled home Nelson, who led off the inning with a double off the wall.

It was the fourth straight productive at-bat for Walker, who notched sacrifice bunts in the first and third to bring his season total to a school single-season record of 19. The previous record, set by Walker in 2002, was 18. He ranks second in NCAA Division II history with 55 career sacrifice hits.

"I just try to do whatever I can to help this team win," said Walker. "Coach Meggs has been working with me on bunting since I was a freshman, so it's important that I get the job done if he asks me to."

Western Oregon finaly got on the board in the sixth when Thompson surrendered a two-run homer to Ramos. But Weedon's grand slam in the bottom-half of the inning salted the game away.