BUIES CREEK, N.C. - The No. 23 Golden Bears are prepared to travel across the country for a three-game set against the Campbell Fighting Camels in Buies Creek, North Carolina, on Friday, May 8 at 3 p.m. PT, and finish up with a doubleheader on Saturday, May 9. The Bears have won six of their last seven after Cal’s series win last weekend over then-No. 7 Arizona State in Berkeley. The Fighting Camels are 3-7 in their last 10 after taking two of three from Gardner-Webb on the road this past weekend and splitting their midweek games at NC State (L, 9-5) and N.C. Central (W, 11-8).
Live updates of all three games will be available for the duration of the series on Twitter @Cal_Baseball and fans are encouraged to head to CalBears.com for game recaps and additional content.
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Next Up
Following an out of conference series on the road at Campbell, the Bears return home to battle Pac-12 foe, No. 15 USC for a three-game series beginning on Saturday, May 16 at 1 p.m. PT.
Poll Position
The Bears are currently ranked 23rd in the Baseball America poll, as well as 25th in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll and ninth in the Collegiate Baseball poll, up four spots from 13 last week and are now up to 43 in the RPI.
Knapp Wins It! (Twice)
Cal sophomore center fielder Aaron Knapp came up huge in the clutch this past weekend in the series win over then-No. 7 Arizona State, providing a pair of game-winning hits. On Saturday, May 2, Knapp’s two-out, walkoff RBI single on a 1-1 count drove in freshman shortstop Preston Grand Pre.
In Sunday’s series finale, it was Knapp again, who delivered the game-winning hit; slapping a two-run triple down the right field line with the Bears trailing the Sun Devils 6-5. Knapp then scored an insurance run on junior outfielder Devin Pearson’s RBI single to push Cal’s advantage to 8-6.
Two-Out Rally
The Bears entered the bottom of the eighth inning on Sunday, May 3 trailing Arizona State 6-4 in the series’ rubber match. Cal rallied for four runs, all coming with two outs.
Six of Cal’s eight runs on Sunday were driven in with two away. In the first inning, sophomore third baseman Lucas Erceg singled to score junior outfielder Devin Pearson. Freshman catcher Brett Cumberland then doubled home the Bears’ second run.
The Bears then busted out for four runs on four hits in the bottom of the eighth inning to snatch the come-from-behind win. A pinch hit RBI single by junior Nick Halamandaris got the rally going, and that was followed up sophomore Aaron Knapp’s two-run triple to put the Bears in front. Junior Devin Pearson singled him home to cap the inning, turning a 6-4 deficit into an 8-6 lead, and eventual victory.
Bears Best Arizona Schools
California finished the regular season taking five of six from the Arizona schools after their series win over the past weekend against then-No. 7 Arizona State. They opened their competition against the Pac-12 representatives from the Grand Canyon State with an impressive sweep of the Arizona Wildcats in Tucson, which marked the first time during head coach David Esquer’s tenure that the Bears have swept the Wildcats in the desert. Cal then took two of three from the Sun Devils at home to conclude its regular season dominance over its friends from the desert.
Daulton is Dealing
Sophomore right-hander Daulton Jefferies has returned from injury and has been extremely effective in his last three starts, two of which were wins for the Bears. Jefferies went 6.0 strong innings, allowing three runs on just four hits with eight strikeouts last Friday in a no decision against then-No. 7 Arizona State.
The talented sophomore spun 7.0 shutout innings, striking out four in the Golden Bears’ 3-1 win over Arizona over a week ago, immediately following his gem on April 16 in a 2-0 win over No. 3 UCLA in Westwood, where he pitched 6.2 scoreless innings.
Pitching In
Cal Pitching Coach Mike Neu’s staff has been very impressive thus far in 2015, as the group has compiled an earned run average of 2.91, which ranks them second in the Pac-12. As a whole, the staff has recorded 282 strikeouts in 390.0 innings of work.
Arms Race
A quartet of Bears have certainly stood out on the mound in 2015. Sophomore left-hander Daulton Jefferies is 5-2 with a team-leading 1.89 ERA (third in the Pac-12) and 54 strikeouts in just 52.1 innings pitched. Freshman righty Jeff Bain is also 5-2 on the campaign with a 2.29 ERA and has tallied 28 strikeouts in just 55.0 innings, holding opponents to a .205 batting average. Junior right hander Ryan Mason has also been fantastic thus far, posting, you guessed it, a 5-2 record with a 3.34 ERA with 32 k’s in 72.2 (tied for eighth in the Pac-12) innings. Freshman lefty Matt Ladrech has logged 68.2 innings and has compiled a 6-4 record with a stingy 2.63 ERA.
Closing Time
Five different Golden Bears have registered saves out of Cal’s bullpen in 2015. Senior closer Dylan Nelson leads the team with seven saves, and has posted a 3.91 ERA, striking out 31 in just 23.0 innings. Additionally, senior left-hander Chris Muse-Fisher has recorded a pair of saves and is 3-1 on the year, racking up 24 strikeouts in 27.0 innings. Freshman righty Erik Martinez. Sophomore Lucas Erceg and junior Collin Monsour have each earned one save apiece as well.
Knapp Named Muscle Milk SA of the Week
Sophomore center fielder Aaron Knapp earned Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week honors after his solid week that saw him deliver a pair of game-winning hits over then-No. 7 Arizona State this past week. He went 7-16 with three RBI over his four appearances last week in the leadoff spot.
Productive Pearson Performs
Junior outfielder Devin Pearson had an extremely productive weekend against the then-No. 7 Arizona State Sun Devils, hitting 8-13 (.615) with two home runs, five RBI, four runs scored and a walk.
.300 Club
Five Bears are hitting over .300 thus far on the season (all of which have appeared in 25 or more games), led by junior outfielder Devin Pearson, who is batting .349 in 25 games played with four home runs and 20 RBI. Sophomore center fielder Aaron Knapp is hitting at a .324 clip with 18 RBI, while senior first baseman Chris Paul is hitting .321 with eight homers and 33 RBI. Sophomore third baseman Lucas Erceg is batting .309 with a team-high nine home runs and 33 RBI and junior outfielder Sean Peters is hitting .308 in 26 appearances.
CP6
Senior first baseman Chris Paul has been outstanding in his 43 appearances for the Golden Bears. He has notched a .321 batting average with eight home runs and is tied for 10th in the Pac-12 and the team-lead with 33 RBI in 159 at-bats.
Excellent Erceg
Sophomore third baseman Lucas Erceg has a team-high nine home runs and has driven in 33 runs, which ties for the team lead with senior first baseman Chris Paul. He ranks second in the Pac-12 in home runs and is tied for 10th in runs batted in.
Cumberland Continues to Perform
Freshman catcher Brett Cumberland has adjusted quickly to the college game both behind the plate, as well as at the plate. He is hitting .282 on the year with seven home runs and 29 runs batted in. He is also the team leader in on-base-percentage (.435), ranking sixth in the Pac-12.
Powerful Bears
The Golden Bears lead the Pac-12 in home runs with 38 after four more this past weekend against then-No. 7 Arizona State. Sophomore third baseman Lucas Erceg leads the team with nine.
Walk This Way
Freshman Brett Cumberland leads the Bears in walks with 28 thus far this season. The freshman’s patient approach has certainly paid dividends for the Bears, and he ranks second in the Pac-12 in the category behind Oregon’s Mitchell Tolman (36).
Esquer Among Nation’s Best
Esquer, 49, is in his 16th season with
a career record of 461-411-2 (.527). In 2011 he led the Bears to the program’s first appearance at the College World Series since 1992, and was named the National Coach of the Year.
Log On
Fans are encouraged to follow along with Baseball on social media throughout the season. Get live updates during games on Twitter @Cal_Baseball, or look for updates and photos on Facebook and @Cal_Baseball on Instagram. Fans can also log on to CalBears.com for full game recaps and the latest news.
