Tuesday, March 29
Riverside, Calif.
6 PM
California Baptist University
vs
San Diego
BASE PREVIEW: California Baptist Prepares for Big Home Week, with Games Against San Diego and Seattle U
3/28/2022 10:33:00 AM | Baseball
RIVERSIDE – Coming off a strong week on the road, California Baptist University baseball returns home for a critical four-game week.
The Lancers will host the University of San Diego for a mid-week game on Tuesday and then welcome Seattle U to Totman Stadium for a three-game Western Athletic Conference series over the weekend.
CBU has won seven of its last nine games to improve to 16-6 on the year and 5-4 in the WAC. Offensively, the Lancers have hit another level and are averaging 11 runs a game over their last nine contests and have blasted 16 home runs over that span.
This hot streak has moved the Lancers into a tie for third place in the WAC's West Division with Seattle U to set up a pivotal conference series this weekend. First, CBU will have to take on a ranked San Diego team that's been a force in Southern California over the last nine seasons.
WEEKLY AWARDS
CBU has produced three different players who have earned WAC weekly awards this season. Most recently, Brandon Downer was named the Lancers' first WAC Pitcher of the Week on Monday. The true freshman turned in a great start in CBU's 9-4 win at NM State on Saturday, as he logged season-highs in innings pitched (7.1) and strikeouts (nine). Chad Castillo (Feb. 21) and Jake Skipworth (Feb. 28) were named the WAC Hitter of the Week in the first two weeks of the season.
WHERE CBU'S TRANSITION RANKS
The Lancers are the second team to win 40 games in one of its first two full transition seasons to Division I out of 49 teams that have made the move since 1998. Forty wins are a new single-season high for CBU in the D-I era after it won 35 games in 2019. The Lancers are 91-42 over their first three full years in Division I (2019, 2021-22), which is already the fifth most wins by a program in its first three full D-I seasons.
Overall, CBU has gone 98-50 in Division I seasons. Its win total is nine games off top-10 standing among first-year Division I teams since 1998, despite the 2020 season being canceled just 15 games in due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lancers' 66.2 winning percentage ranks first among transitioning D1 programs, with Stony Brook (64.7, 112-61); Florida Gulf Coast (63.1, 139-81) and Dallas Baptist (61.2, 139-88) being the only teams to win at least 110 games at 60-percent clip or higher.
SAN DIEGO SERIES NOTES
This will be the seventh time the Lancers and San Diego have met, as the two played four games against each other from 1987-90, two games in 2019 and once in 2020. Their game in San Diego on March 11, 2020 was the final game before the 2020 season was shut down to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Toreros have won all seven games in the series, but the three games played since 2019 have all been decided by two runs or less. USD claimed a 2-0 win on March 11, 2020 and then won on identical scores of 5-4 in 2019 (May 14 and April 16). This will be the third game played between the two in Riverside, with San Diego taking the first one on a score of 11-5 on April 23, 1987 and then the 5-4 game on April 16, 2019.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: San Diego
Dates/Times: Tuesday, March 29 (6 p.m.)
Location: Riverside, Calif. (Totman Stadium)
Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
TOREROS AT A GLANCE
San Diego comes into this week ranked 26th by Collegiate Baseball. It continues the Toreros' run of success, as they have posted seven 30-plus win seasons, including a 33-12 record in 2021, over the last nine years and reached the NCAA Regionals twice over that span to give them eight NCAA Tournaments appearances, all time.
USD is being led by first-year Head Coach Brock Ungricht, but it's been the same story for the team. The Toreros are 15-7 this season and 5-1 in West Coast Conference play, which ties them for first in the league standings.
San Diego has won six-straight games, including a sweep of Saint Mary's, a mid-week win over UC Irvine and a series victory at Pepperdine. The Toreros also own a four-game series victory over Oregon this season and other impressive wins over Dallas Baptist, Fresno State and Cal State Fullerton.
CBU and San Diego have two common opponents this season in UNLV and Grand Canyon. It's a mixed bag, with the Lancers beating UNLV 10-7 in a mid-week game and the Rebels defeating USD in two games (2-1 and 16-9). On the other hand, the Toreros won a three-game series at Grand Canyon while the Lopes swept CBU in Riverside.
Numbers wise, the Toreros are hitting .291, slugging .442 and have a .383 on-base percentage. Six USD players: Chase Meidroth (.376), Camden Vasquez (.360), Angelo Peraza (.346), Jack Costello (.344), Kevin Sims (.329) and Caleb Ricketts (.310) are hitting above .300.
The pitching staff has a 4.65 earned-run average, 1.40 WHIP and .272 batting average against. Cole Colleran, Ian Churchill and Morgan Lunceford have all started mid-week games this season for San Diego. The Toreros rely heavily on Jack Hyde and Ryan Robinson, who have all made 10 appearances out of the bullpen. Hyde has three saves, while Conner Thurman, Ivran Romero have two each, while Colleran has one, as well.
SEATTLE U SERIES NOTES
This is the third-ever series between CBU and Seattle U, with the Lancers coming in with a 5-1 record against the Redhawks after they swept last season's series in Washington. California Baptist won the first series between these two in 2019 and then swept the next one in 2021. Both series were played in Washington, which makes this the first time Seattle U will visit Riverside.
SERIES INFORMATION
Opponent: Seattle U
Dates/Times: Saturday, April 2 (2 p.m. Doubleheader); Sunday, April 3 (12 p.m.)
Location: Riverside, Calif. (Totman Stadium)
Video: ESPN+: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Live Stats: StatBroadcast: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
REDHAWKS AT A GLANCE
Seattle U has gotten off to a strong start to the conference season. After making it to the start of the WAC campaign with a 2-8 record, the Redhawks have gone 5-6 over their last 11 games and won big conference series over NM State and Sacramento State.
SU is coming off a series loss at home against Dixie State, which dropped it into a tie for third place in the WAC West Division standings with CBU. The Redhawks have put together impressive performances in losses against Washington (6-5) and Oregon State (8-3) this year.
The Redhawks' offense leads the way, as it is putting up a .277 batting average, .421 slugging percentage and .357 on-base percentage this season. Five of Seattle U's starters: Matt Boissoneault (.360), Derek Gellos (.318), Grant Heiser (.307), Gavin Rork (.304) and Shane Jamison (.299) are batting .299 or better.
On the mound, Seattle U has a 7.12 ERA, 1.87 WHIP and .319 BAA. Peter Chronowski is the ace of the staff with a 2.25 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and .252 BAA this season. Brady Liddle (6.14 ERA) and Nestor German (6.43) have each made five starts this year.
In the bullpen, Alex McBee (11), Mason Hoover (10), Morgan White (nine), and Alex Jemal (nine) all lead the way with at least nine appearances. Jemal has a team-high two saves, but Hoover has perhaps been most effective with a 3.60 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and .222 BAA.
The Lancers will host the University of San Diego for a mid-week game on Tuesday and then welcome Seattle U to Totman Stadium for a three-game Western Athletic Conference series over the weekend.
CBU has won seven of its last nine games to improve to 16-6 on the year and 5-4 in the WAC. Offensively, the Lancers have hit another level and are averaging 11 runs a game over their last nine contests and have blasted 16 home runs over that span.
This hot streak has moved the Lancers into a tie for third place in the WAC's West Division with Seattle U to set up a pivotal conference series this weekend. First, CBU will have to take on a ranked San Diego team that's been a force in Southern California over the last nine seasons.
WEEKLY AWARDS
CBU has produced three different players who have earned WAC weekly awards this season. Most recently, Brandon Downer was named the Lancers' first WAC Pitcher of the Week on Monday. The true freshman turned in a great start in CBU's 9-4 win at NM State on Saturday, as he logged season-highs in innings pitched (7.1) and strikeouts (nine). Chad Castillo (Feb. 21) and Jake Skipworth (Feb. 28) were named the WAC Hitter of the Week in the first two weeks of the season.
WHERE CBU'S TRANSITION RANKS
The Lancers are the second team to win 40 games in one of its first two full transition seasons to Division I out of 49 teams that have made the move since 1998. Forty wins are a new single-season high for CBU in the D-I era after it won 35 games in 2019. The Lancers are 91-42 over their first three full years in Division I (2019, 2021-22), which is already the fifth most wins by a program in its first three full D-I seasons.
Overall, CBU has gone 98-50 in Division I seasons. Its win total is nine games off top-10 standing among first-year Division I teams since 1998, despite the 2020 season being canceled just 15 games in due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lancers' 66.2 winning percentage ranks first among transitioning D1 programs, with Stony Brook (64.7, 112-61); Florida Gulf Coast (63.1, 139-81) and Dallas Baptist (61.2, 139-88) being the only teams to win at least 110 games at 60-percent clip or higher.
SAN DIEGO SERIES NOTES
This will be the seventh time the Lancers and San Diego have met, as the two played four games against each other from 1987-90, two games in 2019 and once in 2020. Their game in San Diego on March 11, 2020 was the final game before the 2020 season was shut down to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Toreros have won all seven games in the series, but the three games played since 2019 have all been decided by two runs or less. USD claimed a 2-0 win on March 11, 2020 and then won on identical scores of 5-4 in 2019 (May 14 and April 16). This will be the third game played between the two in Riverside, with San Diego taking the first one on a score of 11-5 on April 23, 1987 and then the 5-4 game on April 16, 2019.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: San Diego
Dates/Times: Tuesday, March 29 (6 p.m.)
Location: Riverside, Calif. (Totman Stadium)
Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
TOREROS AT A GLANCE
San Diego comes into this week ranked 26th by Collegiate Baseball. It continues the Toreros' run of success, as they have posted seven 30-plus win seasons, including a 33-12 record in 2021, over the last nine years and reached the NCAA Regionals twice over that span to give them eight NCAA Tournaments appearances, all time.
USD is being led by first-year Head Coach Brock Ungricht, but it's been the same story for the team. The Toreros are 15-7 this season and 5-1 in West Coast Conference play, which ties them for first in the league standings.
San Diego has won six-straight games, including a sweep of Saint Mary's, a mid-week win over UC Irvine and a series victory at Pepperdine. The Toreros also own a four-game series victory over Oregon this season and other impressive wins over Dallas Baptist, Fresno State and Cal State Fullerton.
CBU and San Diego have two common opponents this season in UNLV and Grand Canyon. It's a mixed bag, with the Lancers beating UNLV 10-7 in a mid-week game and the Rebels defeating USD in two games (2-1 and 16-9). On the other hand, the Toreros won a three-game series at Grand Canyon while the Lopes swept CBU in Riverside.
Numbers wise, the Toreros are hitting .291, slugging .442 and have a .383 on-base percentage. Six USD players: Chase Meidroth (.376), Camden Vasquez (.360), Angelo Peraza (.346), Jack Costello (.344), Kevin Sims (.329) and Caleb Ricketts (.310) are hitting above .300.
The pitching staff has a 4.65 earned-run average, 1.40 WHIP and .272 batting average against. Cole Colleran, Ian Churchill and Morgan Lunceford have all started mid-week games this season for San Diego. The Toreros rely heavily on Jack Hyde and Ryan Robinson, who have all made 10 appearances out of the bullpen. Hyde has three saves, while Conner Thurman, Ivran Romero have two each, while Colleran has one, as well.
SEATTLE U SERIES NOTES
This is the third-ever series between CBU and Seattle U, with the Lancers coming in with a 5-1 record against the Redhawks after they swept last season's series in Washington. California Baptist won the first series between these two in 2019 and then swept the next one in 2021. Both series were played in Washington, which makes this the first time Seattle U will visit Riverside.
SERIES INFORMATION
Opponent: Seattle U
Dates/Times: Saturday, April 2 (2 p.m. Doubleheader); Sunday, April 3 (12 p.m.)
Location: Riverside, Calif. (Totman Stadium)
Video: ESPN+: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Live Stats: StatBroadcast: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
REDHAWKS AT A GLANCE
Seattle U has gotten off to a strong start to the conference season. After making it to the start of the WAC campaign with a 2-8 record, the Redhawks have gone 5-6 over their last 11 games and won big conference series over NM State and Sacramento State.
SU is coming off a series loss at home against Dixie State, which dropped it into a tie for third place in the WAC West Division standings with CBU. The Redhawks have put together impressive performances in losses against Washington (6-5) and Oregon State (8-3) this year.
The Redhawks' offense leads the way, as it is putting up a .277 batting average, .421 slugging percentage and .357 on-base percentage this season. Five of Seattle U's starters: Matt Boissoneault (.360), Derek Gellos (.318), Grant Heiser (.307), Gavin Rork (.304) and Shane Jamison (.299) are batting .299 or better.
On the mound, Seattle U has a 7.12 ERA, 1.87 WHIP and .319 BAA. Peter Chronowski is the ace of the staff with a 2.25 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and .252 BAA this season. Brady Liddle (6.14 ERA) and Nestor German (6.43) have each made five starts this year.
In the bullpen, Alex McBee (11), Mason Hoover (10), Morgan White (nine), and Alex Jemal (nine) all lead the way with at least nine appearances. Jemal has a team-high two saves, but Hoover has perhaps been most effective with a 3.60 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and .222 BAA.
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