BERKELEY – The California baseball team makes its 2023 debut on Friday when Cal Poly comes to Evans Diamond at Stu Gordon Stadium. The 3:05 p.m. game between the Golden Bears and the Mustangs is the first of five contests that will make up the Cal Baseball Classic between Cal, Cal Poly and UConn.  
 
Weather permitting, the Bears will host Cal Poly on Friday at 3:05 p.m. with the Mustangs and Huskies playing game two on Friday approximately 45 minutes after the completion of game one. On Saturday, the Bears will play a double-header taking on UConn at 2:05 p.m. and Cal Poly at 6:05 p.m. The tournament will conclude on Sunday with the Bears squaring off against the Huskies at 1:05 p.m. All five games will feature live stats and there will be a live video stream for every game except for the Cal Poly/UConn game on Friday evening.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW

• Game 1: Cal Live Stream-2 Jim Darby (play-by-play) | Live Stats
• Game 2: Live Stats
• Game 3: Cal Live Stream-2 Jim Darby (play-by-play) | Live Stats
• Game 4: Cal Live Stream-2 Jim Darby (play-by-play) | Live Stats
• Game 5: Cal Live Stream-2 Jim Darby (play-by-play) | Live Stats

PROBABLE PITCHERS

• Game 1: LHP Ian May vs. RHP Bryce Warrecker (Cal Poly)
• Game 3: RHP Paulshawn Pasqualotto vs. RHP Jack Sullivan (UConn)
• Game 4: TBD vs. RHP Ryan Baum (Cal Poly)
• Game 5: TBD vs. LHP Andrew Sears (UConn)

 
QUICK HITS
 

• Friday marks the Bears' 2023 home debut, they enter this weekend with a 3-1 record after going 2-1 at Houston and upsetting No. 2 Stanford 8-4 on Tuesday evening at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond.
• Starting Fast: The Bears' 3-1 record through four games is tied for the best start under sixth-year head coach Mike Neu. A win Friday against Cal Poly would give the Bears their best start through five games since 2012.
• Turning Two: The Bears currently rank fifth in the nation in double plays turned with six. They are eighth in the nation in double plays per game, averaging 1.50. Both marks lead the Pac-12. In the 8-4 win over No. 2 Stanford, the Bears turned four double plays.

• Top-5 Win: The win over No. 2 Stanford gives the Bears their first win over a top-5 team since they beat Stanford 18-5 on May 11, 2019. Under Mike Neu, the Bears have squared off against ranked opponents 65 times and are 25-40 in those contests, however, 17 of those wins have come since 2021. Last season, the Bears were 10-16 against top-25 teams.
• Super Sophs: The Bears boast a talented sophomore class (11 players overall), but the trio of Carson Crawford, Rodney Green Jr. and Caleb Lomavita have provided a lot of pop at the top of the lineup. The trio has combined to go 22-for-52 (.423) with five doubles, four home runs and 17 runs driven in.
• In four games, the Bears' starting pitching boasts a 2-0 record with a 1.84 ERA. Ian May tossed an 8.0 inning 3-hit shutout in his 2023 debut, all three of Cal's starters to follow have issued three earned runs or less.

 
SERIES HISTORY

• Friday marks the 60th time the Bears and Mustangs have faced each other. All-time, Cal owns a 45-14 advantage in the series that dates back to 1948. Last season, the two teams split a pair of midweek games at Evans Diamond at Stu Gordon Stadium with Cal Poly winning the opener 14-4 on March 22. The Bears returned serve, winning the second contest 9-2 on April 5.
• Saturday will be the third time the Huskies and Bears have faced each other with both sides claiming a win in neutralsite contests. Cal was victorious in the first-ever meeting against the Big East foe, winning 22-8 on Feb. 6, 1998. Last time out, No. 22 UConn got the better of No. 14 Cal, winning 3-1 at the San Diego Tournament on March 6, 2011.

 
UP NEXT
Cal will stay at home for a midweek contest against UC Davis on Tuesday, Feb. 28. That game is scheduled to begin at 6:05 p.m. and will feature live stats and live video.
 
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