WALNUT CREEK – Not even the rain falling outside can put a damper on the excitement surrounding the upcoming baseball season at Chico State. The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) office announced Thursday morning that the Wildcats were picked to win the conference crown in its annual preseason poll of the conference’s coaches.
The Wildcats, ranked No. 15 in the nation in Collegiate Baseball’s preseason poll, totaled 97 points and garnered seven first-place votes to finish ahead of Sonoma State in the balloting. Sonoma State collected 85 points and received three first-place votes. Three-time defending CCAA champion UC San Diego (78) was third in the balloting and Cal Poly Pomona finished fourth in the poll after totaling 72 points and receiving one first-place vote.
Cal State L.A. (69) was fifth and followed by Cal State San Bernardino (55), Cal State Dominguez Hills (44), Cal State Stanislaus (39), Cal State Monterey Bay (35), Cal State East Bay (16) and San Francisco State (15).
Chico State received five of 11 votes to claim the CCAA Championship Tournament that is scheduled for May 10-12 at Triton Ballpark in La Jolla. Sonoma State received three votes, Cal Poly Pomona garnered two votes, and Cal State L.A. was listed on one ballot to win the conference tournament. The top four teams in the regular season standings will receive a bid to the conference championship tournament.
The Wildcats are one of three CCAA teams ranked in the Top 30. Cal Poly Pomona begins the season No. 29 and UC San Diego is ranked No. 30.
They return five starting position players and two starting pitchers from last season’s team that finished 30-20 overall and 23-17 in the CCAA, including CCAA Freshman of the Year Nick Baker and Second Team All-West Region catcher Ben Manlove. Baker went 9-2 with a 4.06 ERA as the anchor of the starting staff. Manlove hit .301 with six home runs and provided strong defense behind the dish. Those two, along with outfielder Cody Foster (.324 batting average) and closer Juan Guerra (11 saves, 3.07 ERA) were also honorable mention All-CCAA selections.
Baker and returning outfielder Ian McKay were both named to the CCAA All-Academic team. McKay, who hit .330 and slugged .519, was also named a Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Award winner.
The team’s fans will have plenty of opportunities to cheer it on early in the season as the Wildcats play 26 of their first 30 games at home, starting with a four-game non-conference series against Saint Martin’s Feb. 10-12.
