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batted balls · 07-25-2006, 02:15 PM

April 19, 2007

Berkley, Calif.--Who says you need hitting? Despite batting just .205 as a team, the Cal Golden Bears reeled off 10 consecutive wins and have moved into a first-place tie with Arizona State.

"Our pitchers have been doing the job for us, that's for sure," said Cal manager Clint Evans who saw his team go from a 1-4 start to the top of the All-American Baseball League West standings.

The Golden Bears have been led by starter Andy Messersmith (2-0, 1.55 ERA) and closer Mike Cather (five saves, 1.17). Ironically, both players missed significant time on the disabled list last season.

"The key for our entire staff is to remain healthy," said Messersmith (shown below). "We don't want the injury bug around this year."

While Evans is pleased with his team's progress, he sees room for improvement. Right-hander Orval Overall, a 20-game winner last season, is just 2-2 with a 2.54 ERA thus far.

"I don't worry about Orval," said Evans. "He's our rock."

Left-handers Bill "Bugs" Werle (2-1, 1.44) and Rich Nye (1-0, 5.40) have shown promise with strong outings. Righty Ryan Drese (0-0, 2.00) will likely miss at least one start with a hyper-extended elbow.

While the Golden Bear offense has struggled for average, it has produced the longball. Cal has 15 home runs, second only to Arizona State's AABL-leading 20. Second baseman Jeff Kent and outfielder Sam Chapman have each hit five homers. Kent leads the West with 18 RBIs.

"We may not be hitting for average right now, but we've put runs on the board," said Kent.

During Cal's 10-game win streak, the Golden Bears outscored opponents 38-18. UCLA ended Cal's winning ways with a 1-0 victory Sunday afternoon.

After splitting its two-game series with UCLA, Cal hosts USC in a two-game series before beginning a four-game series at Cal State Fullerton.

Diamond Notes: For the second time this season, Arizona State infielder/designated hitter Hubie Brooks has garnered the West Player of the Week award. Brooks hit .667 with eight RBIs for the week. In addition, he slugged .889 and has a seven-game hitting streak . . . USC is just 2-6 at home yet sports a 7-1 road record . . . Aaron Boone of USC continues to lead the West in batting with a .431 average . . . Arizona State third baseman Bob Horner is the leader in home runs (6) and runs scored (15) . . . Dante Powell of Cal State Fullerton and Kevin Maas of Cal each have a 14-game hitting string alive . . . A season ago, Stanford's pitching staff was among the league's best. So far this year, the Cardinal rank last in team ERA (4.79), opponents' batting average (.277) and runs allowed (81). Moreover, closer Steve Chitren has just one save. The Stanford right-hander notched 33 in 2006.

Stat of the Week: Justin Brunette of San Diego State had just four wins all of last season. Brunette already has three this year.

West Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Arizona State 11 5 .688 --
California 11 5 .688 --
Cal State Fullerton 10 6 .625 1.0
Southern California 9 7 .563 2.0
Texas 9 7 .563 2.0
San Diego State 7 9 .438 4.0
UCLA 7 9 .438 4.0
Oklahoma State 6 10 .375 5.0
Arizona 5 11 .313 6.0
Stanford 5 11 .313 6.0

07-25-2006, 02:15 PM	#184 (permalink)
batted balls All Star Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: White Sox Country Posts: 1,319 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 posts	Winning String Vaults Cal into First-Place Tie April 19, 2007 Berkley, Calif.--Who says you need hitting? Despite batting just .205 as a team, the Cal Golden Bears reeled off 10 consecutive wins and have moved into a first-place tie with Arizona State. "Our pitchers have been doing the job for us, that's for sure," said Cal manager Clint Evans who saw his team go from a 1-4 start to the top of the All-American Baseball League West standings. The Golden Bears have been led by starter Andy Messersmith (2-0, 1.55 ERA) and closer Mike Cather (five saves, 1.17). Ironically, both players missed significant time on the disabled list last season. "The key for our entire staff is to remain healthy," said Messersmith (shown below). "We don't want the injury bug around this year." While Evans is pleased with his team's progress, he sees room for improvement. Right-hander Orval Overall, a 20-game winner last season, is just 2-2 with a 2.54 ERA thus far. "I don't worry about Orval," said Evans. "He's our rock." Left-handers Bill "Bugs" Werle (2-1, 1.44) and Rich Nye (1-0, 5.40) have shown promise with strong outings. Righty Ryan Drese (0-0, 2.00) will likely miss at least one start with a hyper-extended elbow. While the Golden Bear offense has struggled for average, it has produced the longball. Cal has 15 home runs, second only to Arizona State's AABL-leading 20. Second baseman Jeff Kent and outfielder Sam Chapman have each hit five homers. Kent leads the West with 18 RBIs. "We may not be hitting for average right now, but we've put runs on the board," said Kent. During Cal's 10-game win streak, the Golden Bears outscored opponents 38-18. UCLA ended Cal's winning ways with a 1-0 victory Sunday afternoon. After splitting its two-game series with UCLA, Cal hosts USC in a two-game series before beginning a four-game series at Cal State Fullerton. Diamond Notes: For the second time this season, Arizona State infielder/designated hitter Hubie Brooks has garnered the West Player of the Week award. Brooks hit .667 with eight RBIs for the week. In addition, he slugged .889 and has a seven-game hitting streak . . . USC is just 2-6 at home yet sports a 7-1 road record . . . Aaron Boone of USC continues to lead the West in batting with a .431 average . . . Arizona State third baseman Bob Horner is the leader in home runs (6) and runs scored (15) . . . Dante Powell of Cal State Fullerton and Kevin Maas of Cal each have a 14-game hitting string alive . . . A season ago, Stanford's pitching staff was among the league's best. So far this year, the Cardinal rank last in team ERA (4.79), opponents' batting average (.277) and runs allowed (81). Moreover, closer Steve Chitren has just one save. The Stanford right-hander notched 33 in 2006. Stat of the Week: Justin Brunette of San Diego State had just four wins all of last season. Brunette already has three this year. West Standings Team W L PCT GB Arizona State 11 5 .688 -- California 11 5 .688 -- Cal State Fullerton 10 6 .625 1.0 Southern California 9 7 .563 2.0 Texas 9 7 .563 2.0 San Diego State 7 9 .438 4.0 UCLA 7 9 .438 4.0 Oklahoma State 6 10 .375 5.0 Arizona 5 11 .313 6.0 Stanford 5 11 .313 6.0 Attached Images __________________ White Sox fan since 1972 Last edited by batted balls; 07-27-2006 at 08:51 PM.