BERKELEY - With the 2020 California Baseball season quickly approaching, Cal Athletics met with each of the 13 baseball freshmen to learn more about their early experiences on campus and what interested them in attending Berkeley.

DYLAN BEAVERS
(Position: Outfield/Pitcher | Hometown/High School: Paso Robles, CA/Mission College Preparatory HS)

1. Why he chose Cal: "The academics were obviously a key factor for me. When you pair that with the coaching staff Cal has and it being a Pac-12 program, this was hard to beat."
2. Favorite experience at Cal so far: "I enjoyed attending the Oakland Athletics game in September with the whole team. It was a good experience to have early on in my freshman year."
3. Academic interests: "I'm not sure what my major will be. I'm looking into legal studies as a possibility down the road."
4. Someone who impacted his baseball career: "My hitting coach, Mike Murphy, has played a big role in my game. He's guided me in finding my swing and has helped me build my confidence along the way."

ELI WOOD
(Position: Pitcher | Hometown/High School: Napa, CA/Vintage HS)

1. Why he chose Cal: "Cal has top-notch baseball and top-notch academics. I chose Cal because there aren't many places that you can have both of those."
2. Favorite experience at Cal so far: "It's really been fun to be around the guys. As a freshman, you don't know everyone right at the start, so it's been great to get acclimated."
3. Academic interests: "I'm pre-economics right now and I'm hopefully going to apply to the Haas School of Business and one day get my MBA."
4. Someone who impacted his baseball career: "My pitching coach, Caleb Balbuena, has always had a way of getting me into the right mental space and leading me down the right path in baseball. I can't thank him enough."

ETHAN CLOYD
(Position: Catcher | Hometown/High School: Bakersfield, CA/Dunn School)

1.  Why he chose Cal: "Cal is the No. 1 public university in the world, and that's hard to ignore. On top of that, our coaching staff is amazing and the weather in NorCal is really enjoyable. I'm really excited about where Cal baseball is going."
2. Favorite experience at Cal so far: "I've really enjoyed how close the baseball team is. I've never been on a team that is so welcoming to new members; I was accepted so quickly by everyone and that makes a big difference."
3. Academic interests: "I'm still undecided on my major. The classes I'm currently taking are giving me a broad idea of some different areas of study and I hope to have one picked out soon."
4. Someone who impacted his baseball career: "As far as professional players go, I really look up to St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina. He isn't the most vocal leader, but he finds a way to lead with his actions. That's inspiring to me."

JOSEPH KING
(Position: Pitcher/Catcher | Hometown/High School: Redwood City, CA/Woodside HS)

1. Why he chose Cal: "Cal presents a great opportunity for me individually. I'm from the Bay Area and this is about as good as it gets for a guy like me. When I got the chance to come here, it was an easy decision."
2. Favorite experience at Cal so far: "My first day of batting practice at the stadium. I got to see all of my teammates let it fly and it made me realize that this was really happening. That's about as cool as it gets."
3. Academic interests: "I'm not sure what my major will be. All I know is that when my time at Cal has ended, I have a degree in something that I'm proud of. I want it to be in a field that I'm excited about building a career in."
4. Someone who impacted his baseball career: "A couple coaches of mine when I was younger made big impacts on me. One of them is Jason Ochart, who coached at Menlo College. He'd let me be around the college team when I was younger and hit batting practice with those guys. Times like that allowed me to become a better player."

BEN LAKE
(Position: Pitcher | Hometown/High School: Woodland Hills, CA/Agoura)

1. Why he chose Cal: "I chose Cal because it's a great school overall. It has an awesome mix of athletics and academics. It's close to home; I'm from the Los Angeles area, so that appealed to me as well."
2. Favorite experience at Cal so far: "I've most enjoyed being around the team and getting to know my teammates. It's been a fun group to play with this fall."
3. Academic interests: "I'm pursuing a mechanical engineering degree. I hope to use toward a career in aerospace."
4. Someone who impacted his baseball career: "My dad. He's been there through all of it and helped me along the way."

NATHAN MANNING
(Position: Outfield | Hometown/High School: Mission Viejo, CA/Capistrano Valley HS)

1. Why he chose Cal: "I chose Cal because it has been my lifelong dream to go here, and the level of athletics and academics at Cal is unbeatable. It has always felt like home to me when I visited growing up."
2. Favorite experience at Cal so far: My favorite memory so far at Cal has been meeting new friends and teammates and watching Cal recapture The Axe."
3. Academic interests: "I am undecided but I will probably pursue Political Science or Business."
4. Someone who impacted his baseball career: Bob Zamora and Chuck Menzuber have impacted my baseball career in many positive ways. They've invested so much time in me and believed in me before I had any offers or accolades. They're great coaches and more than that, they're great people."

NATHAN MARTORELLA
(Position: First Base | Hometown/High School: Salinas, CA/Salinas HS)

1. Why he chose Cal: "I chose Cal because of its great baseball program and everything felt like home on my visit. There's a winning environment here."
2. Favorite experience at Cal so far: "Being at the baseball stadium every day and being around so much talent. Everyone out here is competing and it's been fun to see how I stack up against some of my older teammates."
3. Academic interests: "I'm undeclared and still exploring all of my options for a degree at this point. After talking with some of my teammates, I'd say I'm interested in American Studies."
4. Someone who impacted his baseball career: "My dad is someone who has been has worked with me so much in the game of baseball. I'm thankful for him."

VAUGHN MAUTERER
(Position: Outfield/Pitcher | Hometown/High School: San Rafael, CA/Marin Catholic)

1. Why he chose Cal: "I chose Cal because it's a competitive academic and athletic school. It's close to home, which is something that was important to me, and it was cost effective to my family. I love the competitive nature at Cal. It's a school that pushes me to be the best I can be."
2. Favorite experience at Cal so far: "Being around the baseball team has been awesome. It's a great environment of guys to have as teammates."
3. Academic interests: "I want to study business. I'm off to a great start in my classes and it's been enjoyable to get busy with my school work."
4. Someone who impacted his baseball career: "Jesse Foppert, my high school coach at Marin Catholic, has played a big role in my career. He's very experienced in the game and played pro ball."

KESHAWN OGANS
(Position: Infield | Hometown/High School: Daly City, CA/Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory)

1. Why he chose Cal: "I first got in touch with Cal's coaches during a prospect camp as a junior in high school. Ever since, I fell in love with the school and the campus. My dad was a huge Cal fan growing up, too. It just felt right to play here."
2. Favorite experience at Cal so far: "Scrimmaging and practicing with my teammates has been the best experience at Cal. I'm getting used to the college baseball experience as a freshman and it's a great team to be a part of."
3. Academic interests: "Even though I'm undeclared currently, I'm hoping to pursue a degree in business. Economics is an area I'm definitely interested in."
4. Someone who impacted his baseball career: "My dad. I've been playing since I was four years old and he's been a role model for me every step of the way. I look up to a lot of major league players too; San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford and Boston Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts are a couple guys who I enjoy watching."

AARON ROBERTS
(Position: Infield/Pitcher | Hometown/High School: Las Vegas, NV/Dester Oasis HS)

1. Why he chose Cal: "I chose Cal because unlike my other options, everything just felt right. The location, the coaching staff and the academic opportunity I'd be provided all made Berkeley my optimal college choice."
2. Favorite experience at Cal so far: "There have been a lot of memorable moments for me so far. One of the earliest ones was attending an Oakland Athletics game with the team and a recent one was hanging out with my teammates on Halloween."
3. Academic interests: "I haven't decided what I want to major in yet, however, I believe the Media Studies sounds interesting to me as it has traditions of communications, anthropology, sociology and political science, all of which interest me."
4. Someone who impacted his baseball career: "The most impactful person to my baseball career has been my father. He's always been able to help me out along the way with every aspect of my game. The resources he provided me were definitely impactful to my career."

JAKE SKIPWORTH
(Position: Infield/Pitcher | Hometown/High School: Eastvale, CA/Eleanor Roosevelt HS)

1. Why he chose Cal: "The biggest reasons I picked Cal were because of the academic and athletic opportunities I was presented with. I knew Coach Neu for a while and he's created a family feeling with the program. I also like being in NorCal, it's a great fit."
2. Favorite experience at Cal so far: "I've most enjoyed meeting my peers around campus and in the dorms. Other student-athletes, but also non-athletes who I have classes with and live close to; it's been cool to feel connected to a campus as big as this."
3. Academic interests: "I'm leaning toward studying public health. I'd like to be a firefighter after school and I think a public health degree will give me a well-rounded education for understanding the body."
4. Someone who impacted his baseball career: "My uncle, Kyle Skipworth, has played a big role in my baseball career. He was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft and I've been able to see his career up close at each level of the professional game. The way he carries himself is something I've learned a lot from."

JOSH WHITE
(Position: Pitcher | Hometown/High School: Danville, CA/Monte Vista HS)

1. Why he chose Cal: "I'm a local guy and family is a big thing to me, so I wanted to stay close to home. I loved the campus and the program here. I already knew Coach Neu because he tried to recruit me to UOP, so when the coaching change happened it worked out perfectly."
2. Favorite experience at Cal so far: "The football game at night against Arizona State was a lot of fun. Even though the team lost, it was a really cool to enjoy."
3. Academic interests: "I'm undeclared, but I have interest in communications and I'm currently taking prerequisite classes for that major."
4. Someone who impacted his baseball career: "My dad. He's a big supporter of mine and he's in the stands every day. He drove me to practices and was my coaching growing up, so that's a big deal to me."

STEVEN ZOBAC
(Position: Pitcher/Utility | Hometown/High School: San Jose, CA/Valley Christian HS)

1. Why he chose Cal: "I chose Cal because I was impressed by the coaching staff and the opportunity to receive a quality education."
2. Favorite experience at Cal so far: "My favorite part of being at Cal so far have been attending the football games."
3. Academic interests: "I'm interested in studying Sociology at Cal."
4. Someone who impacted his baseball career: "My father is the main person who impacted my baseball career, because he kept me going when times were the hardest. My sister has also impacted me, because she and I have always competed with one another on and off the field, driving one another to get better."