05/20/07
Sedano and Rieck named to All-West Regional Team
LOS ANGELES - Cal State L.A. beat Mesa State twice on Sunday, 11-0 and 8-3 to to win the West Region title and advance to the National Championship Tournament in Montgomery, Alabama.

NCAA Division II All-West Regional Team
Henry Contreras, Cal State L.A.
Cody Lusero, Nebraska-Kearney
Jeff Carroll, Cal State L.A.
Edgar Sedano, Chico State
Justin Little, Mesa State
Adam Klein, Cal State L.A.
Curtis Englehart, Mesa State
Brian Hernandez, Cal State L.A.
Tommy Elrod, Cal State L.A.
Garrett Rieck, Chico State
MVP -- Matt Winkelman, Cal State L.A.

05/19/07
Mesa State comes from behind to eliminate Wildcats from West Regional
LOS ANGELES – Garrett Rieck bought the Chico State offense some time and the offense took advantage. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, their pitching staff could not do the same. Rieck fired a complete-game, two-hit shutout to lead Chico State to a 3-0 victory over Nebraska-Kearney Saturday morning, keeping the Wildcats’ NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional title hopes alive.

But Mesa State scored four times in the fourth inning against Wildcats starter Kyle Woodruff and four times in the eighth against reliever Elliott Tyson to come back from down 6-0 to win 9-8 Saturday night, eliminating Chico State from the tournament. The loss ended the Wildcats’ season at 47-15.

Chico State had a golden opportunity to tie or take the lead in the ninth when Robby Scott reached on an error and Edgar Sedano was hit by a pitch with none out. Matt Bitker was asked to sacrifice, but popped the bunt into the air. Mesa State catcher Blaine Bernades dove for it and it bounced out of his glove. That proved to be a blessing in disguise for Mesa State. Bernades quickly picked up the ball and started a double play that forced Scott at third and Sedano at second, as they were unsure whether the bunt had been caught until it was too late. Daniel Code then grounded out to shortstop to end the game.

“It’s just really upsetting right now,” said fourth-year senior Nick Bryant. “We had all the momentum going our way. But once they took the momentum they rolled with it and we just couldn’t anything to stop it.”

Rieck’s gem allowed a floundering Chico State offense one more opportunity to show its stuff. The Wildcats were hitting just .200 with 54 strikeouts in 200 postseason at-bats before Saturday night’s game. But it had three base hits just seven pitches into the game and finished with 14. Edgar Sedano went 2-for-3 with a home run and three runs batted in, Robby Scott went 3-for-4 with three runs, Carl Fairburn was 3-for-4, and Greg Finazzo and Jesus Luna notched two hits apiece.

Sedano and Code drove in runs in the first to stake the Wildcats to a 2-0 lead. They added to it in the second when Luna led off the inning with a hit and came around to score on Lorin Nakagawa’s base hit.

Chico State chased Mesa State starter Pat Cheever in the third, scoring three more runs in the process. Scott led things off with a double and Bitker doubled him home. Fairburn and Luna added RBI-singles later in the inning to stretch the lead to 6-0.

Mesa State responded with four runs in the bottom of the third, highlighted by Curtis Englehart’s three-run homer, and trimmed the lead to 6-5 with another run in the fifth.

Sedano’s two-run homer in the seventh gave the Wildcats some breathing room, but only until the bottom-half of the inning. Elliott Tyson had gotten the Wildcats out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth. But he couldn’t get out of another one after he walked the bases full in the seventh. He walked one run in and then gave up a bases-clearing double off the bat of pinch-hitter Mike Provencher that pushed Mesa State into the lead for good.

Tyson absorbed the loss for Chico State, finishing the season 8-2. He surrendered four runs on just two hits in two-and-two-thirds innings. Reliever Eric Lamb (2-0) earned the win for Mesa State and Keith Nelson pitched the ninth to collect his 16^th save. Mesa State, ranked No. 16 in the nation entering the regional, improved to 49-12.

Rieck’s shutout earlier in the day was the first by a Chico State pitcher in the postseason since Drew Carpenter threw an eight-hitter against Colorado-State on May 14, 2004, and the fourth all time. He struck out nine, did not walk a batter, and hit two Kearney batters.

Prior to Saturday, Rieck had made only five starts after off-season shoulder surgery, and had never gone more than six innings in his career. But Chico State head coach Dave Taylor never even had a reliever warming in the pen. Rieck wouldn’t let him make the call.

The southpaw retired 20 of the first 22 hitters he faced. He allowed Brad Hull’s bloop double in the second that left fielder Danny Pignataro dove for and got a glove on, but couldn’t corral. After retiring the next nine hitters, six by way of strikeout, Rieck hit Griff Watson with a 1-2 fastball. But he didn’t miss a beat, getting a grounder to end the inning, retiring the side in order in the sixth, and getting two quick outs in the seventh.

Hull pulled a clean single through the right side with two down in the seventh for the Lopers’ second and final hit of the day. Rieck induced a pop-up to end the inning, retired the side in order in the eighth, and after hitting the leadoff hitter with a pitch to start the ninth, got two ground outs and a strikeout to end the game.

“I was getting a little tired, but I just focused in because I knew it was now or never for us,” said Rieck. “I just wanted to go out there, get three outs, and get our team back to hitting.”

With the win, Rieck improved to 4-1 and lowered his team-best earned run average to 2.06. Ryan Seefus (2-1) took the loss for Nebraska-Kearney, but pitched well in a complete-game effort. He scattered five hits, walked four, and struck out three.

The Wildcats scored all the runs they would need in the first. Danny Pignataro was hit by a pitch leading off the bottom of the first and moved to second on Robby Scott’s bloop hit to right. Edgar Sedano doubled Pignataro home, and Scott scored on Daniel Code’s ground ball to shortstop.

A pair of errors led to Chico State’s other run. Shane Farmer reached on a fielders’ choice with two down in the sixth and moved to second on an errant throw. He moved up to third on a wild pitch and then scored when Nebraska-Kearney’s catcher, Watson, illegally touched a ball in the dirt with his catcher’s mask. Farmer was not immediately awarded the run, but the umpires conferred and made the call after Taylor came out of the dugout to complain.

Cal State L.A. 4, Sonoma State 1
Cal State L.A. starter Kyle Owsley out dueled West Region Pitcher of the Year Brent Lysander as Sonoma State, the top-ranked team in the nation, was eliminated. Owsley allowed only one run on eight hits and struck out eight in eight innings of work to improve to 6-3 on the season. Lysander surrendered a season-high four runs on five hits in six-plus innings, falling to 10-2.

Seventh-ranked Cal State L.A. (44-12-1) will face Mesa State Sunday at noon and will have to beat the Mavericks twice to claim the regional title. Sonoma State, champion of the California Collegiate Athletic Association, ended its season 50-12.

The Golden Eagles scored three times in the first with the benefit of just one base hit. Adam Klein led off the first with a base hit and Fernando Franco and Jeff Carroll were each hit by a pitch to load the bases. Brian Hernandez and Jack Roche followed with RBI-groundouts, and Henry Contreras was walked with the bases loaded later in the inning. Henry Contreras drove in Matt Winkelman in the fourth for the final run of the game.

Sunday’s schedule (tournament losses)
Game 10: 12 p.m. – Cal State L.A. (1) vs. Mesa State (1)
Game 11: 4 p.m. – Chico State (1) vs. Cal State L.A./Mesa State winner (1)

05/19/07
Rieck reeks havoc on Kearney hitters in 6-0 shutout
Wildcats stay alive to face Mesa State tonight at 7 p.m.
LOS ANGELES - Chico State hurler Garrett Rieck recorded a two-hit, complete game shutout to keep the Wildcats alive in the NCAA Division II West Regional with a 6-0 win to eliminate Nebraska Kearney.

Rieck (W, 4-1), who had never pitched more than six innings in his two years with the Wildcats, sat down 14 of first 15 batters he face, giving up just a one-out double in the second. He hit a batter in the fifth, allowed a two-out single in the seventh, and hit the lead-off batter in the ninth to face just four batters over the minimum in the complete-game effort.

The Wildcats (47-14) got all the runs they would need in the first inning before a single out was even recorded. Danny Pignataro was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame and Robby Scott put runners at first and second with a single to left field. Edgar Sedano doubled to right center to drive in Pignataro and Daniel Code grounded out to second base to plate Scott.

The Wildcats scored an unearned insurance run in the sixth inning on an unusual play. With Shane Farmer on third, a pitch from Nebraska-Kearney starter Ryan Seefus (L, 2-1) bounced away from catcher Griff Watson and when Watson stopped the rolling ball with his mask, the umpires awarded Farmer home.

Chico faces Mesa State, the only team without a loss in the tournament, tonight at 7 p.m. Mesa beat UC San Diego 5-4 on Thursday and shutout Chico State 6-0 on Friday.
Boxscore

05/18/07
Wildcats run into tough Mesa pitching in second round of West Regional, lose 6-0
LOS ANGELES – If the Chico State baseball team is to return to Montgomery, Alabama for the Division II College World Series for the fourth time in a row, it will have to win three games in the next two days to get there. There is some good news for the Wildcats, however. They probably won’t have to face Mesa State pitcher Owen Williams again.

Williams dominated the Wildcats Friday, allowing only three hits and striking out 11 in eight innings of work as Mesa State beat Chico State 6-0 on day two of the NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional. Chico State will now face Nebraska-Kearney in an elimination game at 11 a.m. Saturday. If they win that game, they will earn a rematch with Mesa State at 7 p.m. with a berth in the regional title game on the line.

The Wildcats had their best chances to score in the first inning and eighth innings. In the first Robby Scott drew a walk and moved to third on Edgar Sedano’s single. But Scott was picked off of third base by Mesa State catcher Blaine Bernades, Daniel Code grounded out, and Aaron Demuth struck out to end the threat.

From that point on, the southpaw Williams was dominant. During one stretch, he struck out seven Chico State hitters in a row. And only when Code hit a line drive to left field with two down in the eighth did the Wildcats get another hit to the outfield. Code moved to second on a passed ball and Demuth drew a walk to keep the inning alive. Carl Fairburn’s infield single loaded the bases for Jesus Luna, but Williams got him to pop out to short right field on his 134^th pitch of the game.

Mesa State, meanwhile, banged out 13 hits against Wildcats starter Billy Spottiswood in seven innings. Spottiswood kept Chico State in the game, however, by limiting the Mavericks to only four runs. The 13 hits are the most Spottiswood has allowed in his career, and the four earned runs equal the most he’s allowed in his career. Kyle Gibson allowed two runs, one of which was earned, in two innings of relief.

The Mavericks took the lead in the second. Blake Carlquist singled and came around to score on Pat Cheever’s base hit up the middle. Their big inning occurred in the fifth when they scored three times. Chandler Herdt singled up the middle to drive in the first run of the inning and Cheever followed with an RBI-single up the middle. Andrew Martinez finished the scoring with an RBI-single through the right side. Mesa State added two insurance runs in the ninth on Carlquist’s two-run double to make it 6-0.

Mavericks relief ace Keith Nelson walked the leadoff hitter but struck out the side in the ninth to end the game.

Prior to Friday, Chico State was 6-0 all-time against Mesa State, including 4-0 in NCAA Tournament play. Now, the Wildcats are just hoping to win Saturday morning and earn a chance to reclaim that dominance.
Boxscore

Sonoma State 10, UC San Diego 3
The Seawolves, the top seed in the West Region and the top-ranked team in the nation, ended UC San Diego’s season. Bryan Oland threw a complete-game, eight-hitter to improve to 11-1 and lead Sonoma State to victory in the first game of the day.

Sonoma State improved to 50-11 with the win and will face Cal State L.A. in an elimination game Saturday at 3 p.m. UC San Diego, the tournament’s fifth seed and the 22^nd-ranked team in the nation, finished its season 37-25.

Seawolves leadoff hitter David Adler went 3-for-6 with two runs and two runs batted in to spark the offense. Chase McGuire went 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Tyrese McDaniel broke the game open with a three-run double in the eighth.

Chris Franco went 2-for-5 with two runs batted in to pace the Tritons. Jonathan Erickson was 2-for-4. Palo Cedro native Trevor Decker absorbed the loss for UC San Diego, dipping to 9-2 on the year. He started and allowed five runs on four hits and four walks in three innings of work.

Cal State L.A. 26, Nebraska-Kearney 7
Cal State L.A., the tournament’s No. 3 seed and the seventh-ranked team in the nation, banged out an NCAA Division II Championship Tournament record 30 hits and cruised to victory to avoid elimination in the second game of the day.

The Golden Eagles improved to 43-12-1 overall, while Nebraska-Kearney dipped to 33-23. Cal State L.A. will face Sonoma State in an elimination game at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Nebraska-Kearney will face Chico State Saturday at 11 a.m. in another elimination game.

Cal State L.A. leadoff hitter Adam Klein matched a Championship Tournament record with eight at-bats and finished 5-for-8 with three runs and three RBI. Jeff Carroll was 4-for-6 with a home run and four runs batted in. Brian Hernandez finished 5-for-7 with two RBI. Kurt Crowell was 4-for-6 with two runs batted in.

Manny Hernandez picked up the win in relief for the Golden Eagles to improve to 3-1. He allowed three runs in three innings of work. Paul Schleifer (5-7) took the loss for Nebraska-Kearney. He allowed nine runs in two innings. Andrew Spracklin took the brunt of the Cal State L.A. attack in relief, however, surrendering 10 runs on 13 hits in two innings of work.

The Lopers, champions of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament, committed seven errors, leading to nine unearned runs. Chris Gillaspy and Brad Hull notched three hits apiece to lead the Nebraska-Kearney offense.

Saturday’s schedule (tournament losses)
Game 7: 11 a.m. – Nebraska-Kearney (1) vs. Chico State (1)
Game 8: 3 p.m. – Sonoma State (1) vs. Cal State L.A. (1)
Game 9: 7 p.m. – Mesa State (0) vs. Nebraska-Kearney/Mesa State winner (1)

If two teams remain after Game 9, the following schedule will be observed:
Game 10: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 9
Game 11: If necessary, same teams as Game 10

If three teams remain after Game 9, the following schedule will be observed:
Game 10: Winner Game 8 vs. Loser Game 9
Game 11: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10

05/18/07
Baseball Writers' Association selects All-Region team
ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Robby Scott has been one of the steadiest players on the Chico State baseball team over the past two years. His teammates, the coaching staff, and Chico State’s fans have a great appreciation for him as a result. Scott finally got his due on a national stage Friday as one of four Wildcats named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers’ Association All-West Region team. Starting pitcher Nick Bryant was named to the First Team, while Scott, Daniel Code, and Edgar Sedano each earned Second Team honors.

Scott, recently named the team’s Defensive Most Valuable Player, is hitting .345 with seven home runs, 35 runs batted in, and eight stolen bases. The 66 runs he’s scored this season are the sixth most in school history and the most since 2002.

Bryant’s First-Team selection was his second straight, making him just the fifth player in school history to earn consecutive First Team All-West Region honors. Rich Gregory and Josh Osborn both achieved the feat in 1997 and 1998, as did John-Eric Hernandez in 1997 and 2000, and Nick Burger in 2004-05. He sports a 9-1 record and 2.64 ERA. In his four-year career, Bryant is 21-6 with a 2.85 ERA. He ranks second in Chico State history in appearances, strikeouts, and innings pitched. And if the Wildcats claim the regional title, Bryant will become the first player in Chico State history to earn four consecutive trips to the Division II College World Series.

Sedano, a senior transfer from Long Beach State, leads the Wildcats with a .392 average, a .502 on-base percentage and 44 walks. He’s second on the team with 10 home runs, 59 RBI, and 56 runs scored.

Code leads the Wildcats with 82 hits, 18 doubles, and 62 runs batted in. He’s batting .385 and he’s also stolen five bases. The senior from Vacaville set a school record with a 22-game hitting streak this season. He ranks second in Chico State career history in doubles (40) and times hit by a pitch (32) and he also ranks among the school’s career top-10 in batting average (.372), runs batted in (129), total bases (259), hits (169), and home runs (16).

Cal State L.A. third baseman Jeff Carroll was named the Regional Player of the Year, while Sonoma State’s Brent Lysander earned Regional Pitcher of the Year honors. Sonoma State head coach John Goelz was the unanimous selection for Regional Coach of the Year. Following are the complete selections:

NATIONAL COLLEGIATE BASEBALL WRITERS' ASSOCIATION (NCBWA) DIVISION II ALL-WEST REGION TEAM

Player of the Year: Jeff Carroll, Sr., Cal State L.A.
Pitcher of the Year: Brent Lysander, So., Sonoma State
Coach of the Year: John Goelz, Sonoma State (unanimous)

FIRST TEAM

Pitchers - Brent Lysander, Sonoma State (So., San Diego, Calif.); Brett Armour, Mesa State (Sr., Fruita, Colo.); Nick Bryant, Chico State (Sr., Durham, Calif.); Bryan Oland, Sonoma State (Jr., Santa Ana, Calif.). Relief Pitchers - Paige Dumont, Sonoma State (Sr., Lakeport, Calif.); Keith Nelson, Mesa State (Sr., Erie, Colo.). Catcher - Reece Gorman, Metro State (Jr., Parker, Colo.). First Base - Matt Cantele, UC San Diego (So., Los Altos Hills, Calif.). Second Base - +Cody Lusero, Nebraska-Kearney (Sr., Omaha, Neb.). Third Base - +Jeff Carroll, Cal State L.A. (Sr., Apple Valley, Calif.). Shortstop - Matt Bodenchuk, Mesa State (Jr., Boulder, Colo.). Outfield - B.J. Collom, Sonoma State (Sr., Gilroy, Calif.); Matt Lawson, UC San Diego (Sr., Yorba Linda, Calif.); Justin Little, Mesa State (So., Westminster, Colo.); Kyle Gerhart, New Mexico Highlands (Jr., Gustine, Calif.). Utility/Designated Hitter - Miguel Porchas, New Mexico Highlands (Sr., Somerton, Ariz.).
+ unanimous

SECOND TEAM

Pitchers - Tyler Levin, Central Washington (Jr., Everett, Wash.); Hector Molina, Cal State L.A. (Sr., Altadena, Calif.); Owen Williams, Mesa State (Sr., Bellingham, Wash.); Kevin Corrigan, Western Oregon (Sr., Kent, Wash.). Relief Pitchers - Arturo Reyes, Cal State L.A. (Sr., San Diego, Calif.); Derek Brym, Regis (Jr., Arvada, Colo.). Catcher - Gerry Rommel, Cal State Monterey Bay (Sr., Laguna Niguel, Calif.). First Base - Curtis Englehart, Mesa State (Jr., Delta, Colo.). Second Base - Robby Scott, Chico State (Sr., San Diego, Calif.). Third Base - Andrew Martinez, Mesa State (So., Grand Junction, Colo.). Shortstop - Edgar Sedano, Chico State (Sr., South Gate, Calif.). Outfield - Kurt Crowell, Cal State L.A. (Sr., Downey, Calif.); Mateo Marquez, Cal State Dominguez Hills (Sr., Biggs, Calif.); A.J. Gosney, Central Washington (So., Spokane, Wash.); Nick Runstadler, Colorado State-Pueblo (Sr., Newark, Calif.). Utility/Designated Hitter - Daniel Code, Chico State (Sr., Vacaville, Calif.).

05/17/07
Fairburn, Edgar heroes in Wildcats extra-inning West Regional win
Chico State vs. Mesa State/UC San Diego winner Friday at 7 p.m.
LOS ANGELES – There have been many heroes during the Chico State baseball team’s run of 10 NCAA Championship Tournament appearances in the past 12 years. Put a check mark next to Carl Fairburn’s name and add Edgar Sedano’s to the list after the Wildcats’ thrilling 9-7 victory over Cal State L.A. in the opening day of the West Regional Thursday. Fairburn, the MVP of last season’s CCAA Championship Tournament, homered and drove in the game-winning run in the top of the 10th. Sedano, a first-year Wildcat, went 3-for-4 with four runs batted in.

Chico State trailed 5-1 entering the seventh, but Fairburn led off the inning with a solo home run and Sedano tied the game later in the inning with a three-run double. Aaron Demuth homered in the eighth and Sedano singled home Robby Scott in the ninth to give Chico State a 7-5 lead, but Cal State L.A. rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth against Wildcats closer Marcus Martinez.

That set the stage for Fairburn’s heroics in the 10th. Demuth led off the inning with a walk and pinch runner Travis DeCoito stole second. Meanwhile, the count went to 1-2 on Fairburn when he failed to get a sacrifice bunt down. But the senior left fielder grounded a single through the left side to plate what proved to be the winning run.

“After I didn’t get the bunt down, I was just trying to shoot something to the right side,” said Fairburn. “I got a little out in front of it and I hooked it through the six hole.”

Jason Gillard faced the minimum in the bottom of the 10th to earn his third save of the season. Martinez (2-1) was credited with the win despite blowing a save for just the second time in his career. Sean O’Leary (3-1) took the loss for Cal State L.A..

Chico State, 46-13 on the season and ranked No. 5 in the country, will now face the winner of the UC San Diego-Mesa State game that took place late Thursday night. Seventh-ranked Cal State L.A. lost for the eighth time in its last 11 games and fell to 42-12-1.

The Wildcats had dropped four of their last seven and seemed destined to lose Thursday down 5-1, but to the surprise of virtually everyone at Cal State L.A.’s Reeder Field, including head coach Dave Taylor, they bounced back to take the lead and then bounced back again after watching the Golden Eagles tie the game in the ninth.

“You don’t necessarily expect that because we have been struggling so much offensively lately,” admitted Taylor. “But I knew if we could just get a couple guys on and get one big hit, everyone else would feed off that. We’re a team that feeds off momentum and that’s the first time we’ve had some offensive momentum in 12 days.”

The Wildcats also have the momentum of 46 wins for just the fifth time in the history of the program. The other four teams – the 1997, 1999, 2002, and 2006 Wildcats – all went on to play in the national championship game.

“That was a huge win to get the momentum going for us and I think that momentum will carry over into tomorrow,” said Sedano. “Every game is huge now because we’re playing to go to Alabama and nothing less. Anything else would be a disappointment.”

Sedano did his best to help the Wildcats take the first step. His neighbor at third base and predecessor at shortstop, Jesus Luna, went 3-for-5 and scored two runs. Shane Farmer notched an RBI-single and Scott went 1-for-4 with two runs scored.

Wildcats starter Nick Bryant allowed five runs – matching his career high – on nine hits in five-and-two-thirds innings. Elliott Tyson cooled the Golden Eagles’ bats with two-and-a-third scoreless innings before Martinez came on.

Jack Roche and Matt Winkelman notched three hits apiece to lead Cal State L.A. Winkelman’s three-run homer in the fifth built the Golden Eagles’ lead to 5-1. Cal State L.A. will face Sonoma State Friday at 11 a.m. in an elimination game.
Boxscore

Nebraska-Kearney 8, Sonoma State 7
Cody Lusero and Brad Hull each hit three-run homers as the sixth-seeded Lopers shocked top-ranked Sonoma State in the tournament opener. Lusero’s three-run shot came against Seawolves closer Paige Dumont with two out in the seventh and proved to be the game-winner.

Sonoma State head coach John Goelz took a gamble by saving his top three starting pitchers, opting instead to start Pleasant Valley High School product Glen Wood for just the third time this season. The left-handed pitcher held the Lopers scoreless through four as Sonoma State built a 7-0 lead. But an error and Hall’s three-run homer helped Nebraska Kearney scored five times in the fifth to chase Wood from the game.

Nebraska-Kearney then had runners on the corners with two out when Goelz went to his First Team All-Region closer, Dumont. But Lusero, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year, hit Dumont’s first pitch over the wall in left field.

Lefty reliever Cody Hovdestad earned the win for Nebraska-Kearney to improve to 4-2. He allowed two runs, one of which was earned, in six-plus innings. He struck out five and walked only one. Ryan Seefus struck out two in a scoreless ninth to collect his first save of the season. Dumont took the loss to fall to 5-2.

Nick Bryant	Edgar Sedano	Daniel Code	Billy Spottiswood

05/16/07
Four Wildcats named to Daktronics All-West Region team
ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Chico State starting pitcher Nick Bryant has built up quite a reputation during his four seasons with the Wildcats. That reputation helped make him the only unanimous selection on the Daktronics Division II All-West Region baseball team released Wednesday. Bryant, Chico State’s lone First-Team selection, was the only player in the region listed on all 20 ballots submitted by the region’s sports information directors.

Three of Bryant’s Chico State teammates were named Second Team All-Region - shortstop Edgar Sedano, designated hitter Daniel Code, and starting pitcher Billy Spottiswood.

Bryant’s First-Team selection was his second straight, making him just the fifth player in school history to earn consecutive First Team All-West Region honors. Rich Gregory and Josh Osborn both achieved the feat in 1997 and 1998, as did John-Eric Hernandez in 1997 and 2000, and Nick Burger in 2004-05.

Heading into this weekend’s NCAA Championship Tournament, Bryant sports a 9-1 record and 2.64 ERA. In his four-year career, Bryant is 21-6 with a 2.84 ERA. He ranks second in Chico State history in appearances, strikeouts, and innings pitched. And if the Wildcats claim the regional title, Bryant will become the first player in Chico State history to earn four consecutive trips to the Division II College World Series.

Sedano, a senior transfer from Long Beach State, leads the Wildcats with a .496 on-base percentage and 43 walks. He’s second on the team with a .385 batting average, 10 home runs, 55 RBI, and 56 runs scored.

Code leads the Wildcats with a .394 batting average, 82 hits, 18 doubles, and 62 runs batted in. The senior from Vacaville set a school record with a 22-game hitting streak this season. He ranks second in Chico State career history in doubles (40) and times hit by a pitch (32) and he also ranks among the school’s career top-10 in batting average (.372), runs batted in (129), total bases (259), hits (169), and home runs (16).

Spottiswood has done the best pitching of his career over the final half of this season. In his last nine starts, Spottiswood has allowed just 16 earned runs in 71 innings of work for a 2.03 ERA. He’s struck out 60 and walked just 12 during that stretch in which opponents are hitting only .219 against him. On the season, Spottiswood is 10-4 with a team-low 2.34 ERA. He’s also struck out a team-high 91 batters over the course of a team-high 107.2 innings of work.

Cal State L.A. third baseman Jeff Carroll was named the Regional Player of the Year, while Sonoma State’s Brent Lysander earned Regional Pitcher of the Year honors. Following are the complete selections” 

2007 DAKTRONICS DIVISION II BASEBALL ALL-WEST REGION TEAMS

Player of the Year: Jeff Carroll, Sr., Cal State L.A.

Pitcher of the Year: Brent Lysander, So., Sonoma State

FIRST TEAM
Catcher: Reece Gorman, Metro State (Jr., Parker, Colo.). First Base: Matt Cantele, UC San Diego (So., Los Altos Hills, Calif.). Second Base: Cody Lusero, Nebraska-Kearney (Sr., Omaha, Neb.). Third Base: Jeff Carroll, Cal State L.A (Sr., Apple Valley, Calif.). Shortstop: Matt Bodenchuk, Mesa State (Jr., Boulder, Colo.). Outfield: B.J. Collom, Sonoma State (Sr., Gilroy, Calif.); Matt Lawson, UC San Diego (Sr., Yorba Linda, Calif.); Justin Little, Mesa State (So., Westminster, Colo.). Designated Hitter: Miguel Porchas, New Mexico Highlands (Sr., Somerton, Ariz.). Utility: Kevin Corrigan, Western Oregon (Sr., Kent, Wash.). Starting Pitchers: +Nick Bryant, Chico State (Sr., Durham, Calif.); Brett Armour, Mesa State (Sr., Fruita, Colo.); Brent Lysander, Sonoma State (So., San Diego, Calif.); Bryan Oland, Sonoma State (Jr., Santa Ana, Calif.). Relief Pitcher: Paige Dumont, Sonoma State (Sr., Santa Rosa, Calif.).
+ Unanimous selection

SECOND TEAM
Catcher: Adam Auer, Colorado State-Pueblo (Sr., Waterloo, Ontario, Canada); David Morehead, UC San Diego (Sr., San Diego, Calif.). First Base: Eli Rimes, Sonoma State (Sr., Stockton, Calif.). Second Base: Garrett Imeson, UC San Diego (So., Stockton, Calif.). Third Base: Chase McGuire, Sonoma State (Sr., Chula Vista, Calif.). Shortstop: Edgar Sedano, Chico State (Sr., South Gate, Calif.). Outfield: Kurt Crowell, Cal State L.A. (Sr., Downey, Calif.); Adam Klein, Cal State L.A. (Sr., Los Angeles, Calif.); Mateo Marquez, Cal State Dominguez Hills (Sr., Biggs, Calif.). Designated Hitter: Daniel Code, Chico State (Sr., Vacaville, Calif.). Utility: Sean Chase, Regis (Sr., Lakewood, Colo.). Starting Pitchers: Isaac Morales, Cal State L.A. (So., South Gate, Calif.); Billy Spottiswood, Chico State (Sr., Canoga Park, Calif.); Owen Williams, Mesa State (Sr., Bellingham, Wash.); Tyler Levin, Central Washington (Jr., Everett, Wash.). Relief Pitcher: Keith Nelson, Mesa State (Sr., Erie, Colo.).

05/16/07
Wildcats ready for West Regional first pitch
LOS ANGELES – The 2007 Chico State baseball team has put together one of the best seasons in the program’s history. The Wildcats have been ranked among the nation’s top 12 all year long. The team’s 45 wins are tied for its fifth most ever. The offense needs just 10 more home runs to tie the school record. The pitching staff needs only 47 more strikeouts to do the same. And the team’s defense, with a fielding percentage of .973, is set to smash the school record of .970.

In order to solidify that standing among the school’s best ever, the Wildcats will have to accomplish what the last three, and seven of the last 10 Chico State baseball squads have – claim the NCAA Division II West Regional title and trip to Montgomery, Alabama for the College World Series.

The Wildcats begin that quest Thursday at Reeder Field on the campus of Cal State L.A. against the tournament-host Golden Eagles at 3 p.m. The game will be a rematch of the first round of last weekend’s California Collegiate Athletic Association opener. Chico State won that game 3-2 in 10 innings.

Chico State enters the tournament as the No. 4 seed. No Wildcats team has ever been seeded lower than No. 2 in the West Regional. But that’s not the only history the Wildcats will walk into the stadium with. Chico State has won 14 of its last 15 West Regional contests and its 25-4 in regional action since the start of the 1997 postseason.  And if the Wildcats were to win the tournament as the No. 4 seed, they would not be alone. In 2003, UC Davis claimed the regional title as the No. 4 seed. The Wildcats also know a little something about winning a tournament as a No. 4 seed. They were seeded fourth in the CCAA Championship Tournament last season before claiming that title.

The six-team, double-elimination tournament gets under way Thursday at 11 a.m. when Mesa State, the No. 2 seed, is scheduled to face fifth-seeded UC San Diego. Following Chico State’s game, top-seeded Sonoma State will play sixth-seeded Nebraska-Kearney. The winner of the Chico State game will face the winner of the Mesa State-UC San Diego game Friday. The loser will face the Sonoma State-Nebraska-Kearney winner Friday.

Following is a short bio on each of the tournament’s six teams listed by seeding:

No. 1 Sonoma State
Record: 49-10
National Ranking: Tied for No. 1
Regional titles: None.
Record versus regional field: 11-4
Record versus Chico State: 3-2

Players to watch: CCAA Pitcher of the Year Brent Lysander (10-1, 1.39 ERA), CCAA Player of the Year B.J. Collom (.502 on-base percentage), SP Bryan Oland (10-1, 2.22 ERA), RP Paige Dumont (0.21 ERA, 16 saves), 3B Chase McGuire (13 HR, 60 RBI).

Of note: Chico State is 5-0 all-time against the Seawolves in the West Regional.

No. 2 Mesa State
Record: 46-12
National Ranking: No. 16
Regional titles: None.
Record versus tournament field: 4-3
Record versus Chico State: 0-1

Players to watch: SS Matt Bodenchuck (.402, 14 HR, 77 RBI), SP Brett Armour (13-2, 2.39 ERA), RP Keith Nelson (15 saves, 0.92 ERA).

Of note: The Wildcats are 6-0 all-time against Mesa State.

No. 3 Cal State L.A.
Record: 42-11-1
National Ranking: No. 7
Regional titles: None.
Record versus tournament field: 7-8
Record versus Chico State: 4-1

Players to watch: 3B Jeff Carroll (.408, 15 HR, 66 RBI), Adam Klein (.343, 21 SB), SP Isaac Morales (9-2, 3.31 ERA), RP Arturo Reyes (6-1, 1.98 ERA, 8 saves).

Of note: Most of the Golden Eagles’ players were recruited by first-year Chico State head coach Dave Taylor.

No. 4 Chico State
Record: 45-13
National Ranking: No. 5
Regional titles: Seven.
Record versus tournament field: 7-9
Record versus Chico State: NA

Players to watch: SP Nick Bryant (9-1, 2.64 ERA), SP Billy Spottiswood (10-4, 2.34 ERA), RP Marcus Martinez (14 saves, 3.46 ERA), DH Daniel Code (.394, 18 doubles, 62 RBI), SS Edgar Sedano (.385, 10 HR, 55 RBI).

Of note: The Wildcats have won seven of the eight regional tournaments they’ve qualified for since 1997.

No. 5 UC San Diego
Record: 37-23
National Ranking: No. 22
Regional titles: None.
Record versus tournament field: 6-10
Record versus Chico State: 2-3

Players to watch: DH Matt Cantele (.368, 23 HR, 60 RBI), OF Matt Lawson (.368, 23 doubles, 44 RBI) C David Morehead (thrown out 18 of 35 attempted base stealers).

Of note: The Tritons are making their first regional appearance after feeling snubbed the last two seasons.

No. 6 Nebraska-Kearney
Record: 32-22
National Ranking: Not ranked.
Regional titles: None.
Record versus tournament field: 2-3
Record versus Chico State: 0-0

Players to watch: 2B Cody Lusero (.447, 12 HR, 58 RBI), SP Ryan Wrobel (5-2, 2.74 ERA).

Of note: The Lopers earned a tournament bid by virtue of their Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title.