CCAA Championship Tournament Schedule

(Nettleton Stadium - Chico, Calif.) Seeding in parentheses

Thursday, May 9
Game 1 - (2) Grand Canyon, 5 vs. (3) UC Davis, 8.
Game 2 - (4) Cal State San Bernardino, 0 (1) Chico State, 3

Friday, May 10
Game 3 - Grand Canyon, 8 vs. San Bernardino, 15 (Grand Canyon eliminated)
Game 4 - UC Davis, 4. Chico State, 1.
Game 5 - San Bernardino, 7 vs. Chico State, 6 (Chico State eliminated)

Saturday, May 11
Game 6 - San Bernardino, 13 vs. UC Davis, 12
Game 7 - San Bernardino, 11 vs. UC Davis, 9

Results:

San Bernardino wins two to take CCAA Championship title

Championship game boxscore
Game 6 boxscore

CHICO, Calif. - After 67 hits, 45 runs and over seven hours of play, Cal State San Bernardino came away with two victories and the California Collegiate Athletic Association title as it defeated UC Davis, 13-12 and 11-9, in the CCAA Championship Tournament Saturday at Nettleton Stadium

San Bernardino (34-24) came back after dropping its first game of the tournament to win four straight and capture its first CCAA title. UC Davis (33-26) entered the day needing just one win to secure the title, but after the 13-12 loss in extra innings, the championship came down to a single game.

In the nightcap, the Coyotes scored four runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back as they took control by scoring four more in the third to take an 8-2 lead. The Aggies would rally as they scored two in the third and added three more in the fifth as Kamigawachi led off the frame with his second home run of the day.

San Bernardino came right back with three in the bottom of the inning as the Coyotes took advantage of four walks and a two-run single from Mark Ayala, pushing the lead to 11-5. UC Davis would not quit, scoring four runs in the top of the seventh to pull within two at 11-9. But the Aggies would get no closer as San Bernardino reliever Ricky Guzman (W 1-1) shut the Aggies out over the final two innings.

In the first game, the Coyotes scored runs in each of the last six innings as they rallied from a 6-2 deficit, forcing a second game to determine the CCAA champions.

San Bernardino jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first as Richie Vega followed Adam Rabusin’s leadoff single with a home run to right. UC Davis responded with four runs in the bottom of the second as an RBI single by Dustin Soderman and a two-run double by Matt Blankenheim put the Aggies up 3-2. Blankenheim scored on a wild pitch to increase the lead to 4-2.

The Aggies added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth following a two-run single to right from Ryan Coultas, pushing the lead to 6-2. The Coyotes broke through with two in the top of the fifth and went ahead with three in the top of the sixth, the big blast being a two-out, two-run home run off the bat of Keith Haughn.

San Bernardino increased its lead to 9-6 in the seventh following Rene Leon’s RBI double and an Aggie double-play in which Leon scored. UC Davis would claw back with three runs in its half of the seventh, but then Haughn’s second home run of the game, a two-run blast in the eighth, gave the Coyotes an 11-9 lead.

Controversy occurred in the bottom of the eighth inning as Mark Pugal led off with a pinch-hit single to right. The next batter, Robby Tulk, lined a shot to deep right field that the Aggies thought the ball went over the fence. Both Pugal and Tulk slowed up rounding the bases, claiming the third base umpire signaled ground rule double. San Bernardino, however, threw the ball in and caught Pugal between home and third. UC Davis argued the umpire had signaled the ball had left the field, but to no avail. The Aggies would end up scoring three runs in the inning, taking a 12-11 lead into the ninth.

San Bernardino added a single run in the 10th to take the lead before one final Aggie rally. UC Davis opened the bottom of the inning with three straight singles to load the bases with no outs. But two pop ups to the right side and a fly out to right field ended the game with all three runners stranded.

Eduardo Trujillo (3-2) picked up the win in relief, shutting out the Aggies on three hits in the final two innings. Andy Brutlag (0-1) took the loss, giving up one run on two hits in 1.1 innings of work.

All four CCAA tournament participants now await word from the NCAA on Sunday as to who advances to the four-team NCAA West Regional, beginning Thursday. The Aggies entered the week ranked No.8 in the region while San Bernardino entered at No.6.

2002 CCAA Championship All-Tournament Team

P - Breg Bruso (Davis)
P - Adam Montarbo (Chico)
C - Ryan Simpson (San Bernardino)
1B - Dennis Flippen (Davis)
2B - Rene Leon (San Bernardino)
3B - Matt Kamigawachi (Davis)
SS - Ryan Coultas (Davis)
OF - Chris McAllen (San Bernardino)
OF - Shaun McCullough (Davis)
OF Adam Rabusin (San Bernardino)
DH - Keith Haughn (San Bernardino)
At-Large - Mark Ayala, Jr. (San Bernardino)

Most Outstanding Player: Chris McAllen (San Bernardino)

Top-Seeded Baseball Team Eliminated In Thriller

Game 5: San Bernardino 7, Chico State 6
boxscore

CHICO – Cal State San Bernardino’s Rich Leon singled through the right side and Keith Haughn slid home just under the tag of Rusty Kawachi for the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth as the Coyotes eliminated top-seeded Chico State from the CCAA Championship Tournament with a 7-6 win.

San Bernardino (32-24) will face UC Davis Saturday at noon and must beat the Aggies twice to claim the tournament championship. Chico State, which fell to 49-9, will now await its fate this Sunday as the four Western Regional contestants are chosen Sunday.

Hector Torres (3-3) picked up the win in relief for the Coyotes, stranding a pair of inherited runners in the top of the ninth. In all, four San Bernardino pitchers surrendered just five hits but walked seven batters and hit five more. However, the Wildcats offense could not take advantage, stranding 11 runners on base. Dale Thayer, now 2-1, was saddled with the loss for Chico.

San Bernardino got to Chico State starter Ivan Hernandez in the fourth and capitalized with a 3-0 lead. Back-to-back singles by Chris McAllen and Haughn set the table for the inning. McAllen would later come around to score on a balk and Haughn scored when Josh Sanchez drew a bases-loaded walk. The third run came on Mark Ayala’s RBI-groundout.

The Wildcats tied the game in the fifth. Johnny Molina plated Richard Janeway for the Wildcats’ first run, Robby Poole’s infield single brought home another run, and John Moylan walked with the bases loaded to make it 3-all.

San Bernardino retook the lead on Matt Swayden’s sacrifice fly that plated Richie Vega in the fifth to make it 4-3, but Chico State tallied a run of its own in the next half inning on Molina’s RBI-single to retie the game.

In the top of the sixth the Wildcats took what proved to be their only lead of the game when Jimmy Lintt’s grounder brought home Moylan. However, the lead was short-lived as the Coyotes scored twice in the bottom-half of the inning to take a 6-5 lead. Oscar Berreras’ two-run, pinch-hit double provided the key ingredient.

Chico State managed to tie the game once more in the eighth when Molina scored on Jeff Walker’s squeeze bunt, but the Wildcats stranded runners on first and third in the ninth before falling in the bottom of the inning

Aggie pitching dominates Wildcats

Game 4: UC Davis 4, Chico State 1
boxscore

CHICO - UC Davis’ Greg Bruso won a pitchers’ duel against Chico State’s Brian Thomas and struck out 10 in the process to lift the Aggies to a 4-1 victory in the winners’ bracket of the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship Baseball Tournament Friday night.

UC Davis, now 32-24 on the season, had dropped its first four games against Chico State this season. However, the Aggies are hot now, having won 14 of their last 17 games.

UC Davis will face tonight’s Chico State-Cal State San Bernardino winner Saturday at noon. The Aggies, the only unbeaten team in the tournament, must be beaten twice on Saturday to be eliminated.

The Aggies used the long ball in the victory, recording three of their four runs on home runs. Dennis Flippen staked Bruso (10-4) to a one-run lead in the second inning when he sent Thomas’ (9-1) offering over the wall in left-center field.

Chico State’s Steve Newson returned the favor two innings later when he smashed a long line drive over the left-field wall for his 11th round-tripper of the year. That would be the last time Chico State would taste the lead.

Shaun McCullough’s solo homer gave Davis the lead for good in the bottom half of the fifth. Ryan Coultas tacked on Davis’ third solo home run to lead off the eighth inning.

Chico State, which had won nine straight before Friday, fell to 49-8 with the loss.

San Bernardino knocks out Grand Canyon

Game 3: Cal State San Bernardino 15, Grand Canyon University 8
boxscore

CHICO, Calif. — Cal State San Bernardino belted out 17 hits, including five home runs, as it knocked Grand Canyon University out of the 2002 California Collegiate Athletic Association Baseball Championship Tournament with a 15-8 victory in the early game on Friday at Nettleton Stadium.

San Bernardino (31-24) stays alive to face the loser of the Chico State-UC Davis game tonight at 7 p.m.

Grand Canyon’s starting pitching struggled for the second-straight game. Right-hander David Brockman (10-2) gave up 10 runs in 2.2 innings of work before being taken out of the game.

San Bernardino started the scoring early with two outs in the second inning, as back-to-back hits by Rene Leon and Josh Sanchez set up a three-run homer by Mark Ayala. The Coyotes big inning came in the third as they plated seven runs on seven hits, including a two-run home run by Keith Haughn and a grand slam by leadoff hitter Adam Rabusin. Leon, who was 4-for-4 at the plate, homered in the sixth inning and Chris McAllen hit a three-run shot to left field in the seventh.

Grand Canyon (38-19), which had 15 hits in the game, scored in five separate innings, but couldn’t overcome the hot Coyote bats. The ’Lopes also took advantage of the windy conditions and blasted two homers of their own. Justin Dehmer, who was 3-for-4 in the game, led off the fourth with a drive to left and Chris Raymond welcomed a new San Bernardino pitcher with a leadoff shot in the seventh.

Matthew Rohr (5-6) picks up the victory for the Coyotes, giving up six runs on 11 hits in six innings. He struck out three and walked one.

Montarbo's Complete-Game Shutout Gives Wildcats Win

Game 2: Chico State 3, Cal State San Bernardino 0
boxscore

CHICO, Calif. — Adam Montarbo was the only starting pitcher on the opening day of the CCAA Championship Tournament who hadn’t earned First or Second-Team All-Conference honors to. He was named Honorable Mention. Thursday, Montarbo bettered them all, firing a complete-game shutout and striking out nine as the Wildcats beat Cal State San Bernardino 3-0.

Montarbo (10-2) scattered just seven singles and walked two to lift Chico State to its ninth straight win. The Wildcats, who will face rival UC Davis Friday at 3 p.m. are now 49-7 on the season. They’re now just three runs shy of the school record of 52 wins in a season. San Bernardino dipped to 30-23 overall and will take on Grand Canyon at 11 a.m. in an elimination game. The winner of that game will advance to face the loser of the Davis-Chico State game at 7 p.m. Friday in another elimination game. UC Davis defeated Grand Canyon 8-5 in Thursday’s opener.

The Wildcats got on the board in the opening frame when Robby Poole singled, moved to second on Jeff Walker’s sacrifice bunt, and eventually scored on John Moylan’s double. Chico State added another run in the frame when Moylan came home on Ryan Tash’s base hit up the middle.

Chico State added an insurance run in the eighth when Steve Newson led off the inning with a single, moved to second on Tash’s base hit, advanced to third when Ryan Wulfert was hit by a pitch, and scored on a balk by reliever Steven Fitch.

San Bernardino starter Tony Evans (5-2) took the loss for just the second time this season. He allowed two runs on six hits in five innings before leaving the game with an arm injury.

Tash and Moylan each extended their hitting streaks to 10 games and Poole extended his to nine. Jeff Walker has an eight-game streak and Wulfert has hit safely in six straight games.

Game 2: Chico State 3, Cal State San Bernardino

Davis opens tournament with win over Grand Canyon

Game 1: UC Davis, 8 vs. Grand Canyon, 5
boxscore

CHICO, Calif.—UC Davis scored two runs in the top of the first inning and never let up the lead, beating Grand Canyon University, 8-5, in the opening game of the 2002 California Collegiate Athletic Association Baseball Championship Tournament, hosted by Chico State at Nettleton Stadium.

The number-three seed Aggies (32-24) got to Grand Canyon starter Josh Blocher (8-5) early, leading off the game with singles by Robby Tulk and Ryan Coultas, who had four hits in the game. Tulk came around to score on a single by Dennis Flippen and Coultas scored on a ground out back to the pitcher.

In the third, Davis opened the frame with three straight doubles by Coultas, Matt Kamigawachi, and Flippen. After an error and a strikeout, Shaun McCullough plated Flippen with a single. Canyon reliever Mike Quill came on and walked the first batter he faced before getting a routine double-play ball to the shortstop to end the inning.

The ’Lopes (38-18), who came in as the second seed, scored in the bottom of the fourth on an unearned run driven in by Matt Denny. Canyon closed the gap to 5-4 in the seventh, scoring three runs on four hits off Aggie starter Luke Steidlmayer (8-4). The Aggies looked to be out of the jam, picking off Justin Dehmer from third base on a throw from catcher Andrew Reisinger, but three straight hits, a single by Trent Otis to drive in Denny, a double by Joey Reiman, and a two-run single through the left side by Mike Wojtkowski resulted in the runs.

Davis added two insurance runs in the eighth, on a RBI-triple by McCullough and a sacrifice fly by Reisinger and one more in the ninth on Flippen’s third RBI of the day.

Grand Canyon rallied with two out in the ninth off Davis reliever Dave McKae, who picked up save number seven on the season. The ‘Lopes managed one unearned run before a fly ball to right field ended the game.
UC Davis, who’s won 12 of its last 15, will take on the winner of the Chico State-Cal State San Bernardino game on Friday at 3 p.m. Grand Canyon will face the loser in an elimination game at 11 a.m.