ESPN's Graham Hays has been counting down the top-20 teams for the 2012 softball season. The Bears came in at #1, just ahead of conference rival and reigning national champion Arizona State. Will Diane Ninemire bring home another national championship this season? The journey to Oklahoma City begins today as the Bears open the season against Tennessee.

Who returns: Everybody returns. Really, everybody. For all reasonable purposes, California returns the roster that made it to the Women's College World Series for the first time since 2005 and finished two games behind Arizona State in the Pac-10, the only team in the conference to finish within six games of the eventual national champion.

Start the list with Jolene Henderson, the ace in the circle who went 40-10 with a 0.99 ERA and 333 strikeouts in 333.1 innings as a sophomore last season. Without Valerie Arioto (that's right, Cal returns its entire roster and welcomes back a player in Arioto who posted All-American numbers as both a pitcher and hitter before injuries wiped out her 2011 season), Henderson took the ball again and again in the nation's toughest conference and never wilted. There's even reason to think Henderson, who finished third on the team with six home runs at the plate but hit just .217 overall, could be even more valuable this season as her bat develops.

While some might wonder if the Bears can replicate last year's remarkable success with the same roster, Valerie Arioto's return should play a crucial role for the Bears' depth and offensive prowess.

Could Henderson really handle such a heavy workload two seasons in a row against the kind of schedule California chooses to play out of conference and has to play in conference? Could the team score enough runs to make a go of it in Oklahoma City, where it simply didn't have the bats to match up with Alabama or Florida?

What makes both questions seem far less pressing is Arioto's return. Her ability to regain the form that helped her post a .590 on-base percentage and .819 slugging percentage in 2010, walking 81 times and hitting 19 home runs in 63 games, isn't in any doubt after watching her play for Team USA this past summer and fall. Arioto went 5-for-13 with 10 walks in eight starts in the Pan-Am Games. She didn't pitch for an American side already loaded with good arms, but she threw more innings than Henderson in 2010 for Cal, finishing 21-9 with a 1.43 ERA and 264 strikeouts in 205.2 innings.

After the jump Tosh bumbles and stumbles in his first meeting with the press while both basketball teams notch a crucial win over their LA opponents.

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There is something immensely satisfying about following Cal rugby. Maybe it's the fact that we absolutely dominate our Pac-12 brethren who sometimes give us trouble in other sports. Maybe it's the fact that we've outscored opponents 650-23 so far this year. With a major match looming on the horizon, however, I cannot help but be somewhat concerned about the team. The Bears only beat ASU by 52 on Sunday and, most disappointingly, yielded their second try of the year. Hopefully the Bears get these issues sorted out by next weekend.

"Our performance was good at times over the weekend, but overall uneven," head coach Jack Clark said. "I think we exit this road trip with a much better understanding of what we need to do in order to reach our potential."
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Next up for Cal is the latest chapter in the 91-year rivalry with the University of British Columbia at the opener of the "World Cup" series on Saturday, Feb. 18, on Treasure Island.

Beginning in 1921 with a trophy to the winner from the Vancouver World newspaper, the "World Cup" has seen the Bears win 12 of the past 15 series against UBC, including a current streak of five straight in the two-match, home-and-away series.

A westbound traffic closure on the Bay Bridge scheduled for Feb. 18 will force drivers from the East Bay to take the Richmond or San Mateo bridges across the Bay and approach Treasure Island from San Francisco. The Route 108 bus from San Francisco's Caltrans station near the Embarcadero is another option, with fans able to access it from either side of the Bay by taking BART to the Embarcadero.

After the jump Cal drops slightly in the latest bracketology and six Bears receive NFL Combine invitations.

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After opening the conference slate with a disappointing pair of losses to the LA schools, Coach Gottlieb and her team have won 8 of their last 9 and secured a solid hold on second place in the conference. Although they lost a handful of games by the narrowest of margins early in the season, the team has shown improvement in its ability to close out games. Coach Gottlieb talks about what her young team has learned this far in the season.

"I don't think we are perfect, but we are battle-tested at this point. I think we can look at each other in any situation and feel like we are going to fight through it. We made some mistakes today, but I thought they stuck with the game plan and we got it done. It really feels nice to get two really big road wins."

"To be able to win consistently in conference, you have to be able to adjust to different styles and still have your own identity and assert your role in the game, but handle other people's styles. You asked about Brittany. They like to really pressure, so she is going to thrive in a game like that. When people ask about Arizona State, I say that great point guard play is important. That is one of the reasons she really stepped up today because she likes that physical battle. For us as a team, we know that if someone wants to slow it down and make life tough for us, the best thing we can do is rebound the basketball and get out in transition. I thought when we were in control of the game, we were doing that. We had to grind out some possessions, but I think we were able to that more often than not."

"I can't say enough about Brittany Boyd. Sometimes she gives me grey hair, but I love her like my child. I said, going into Arizona State, it's really tough for point guards. It is even tougher for a freshman point guard. I have so much confidence and belief in her. I think her growth is coming from being able to think `next play' and when something tough happens, `I got the next one'. I think she was a huge difference-maker today."

"We have the LA schools coming up. Obviously we had a tough weekend down there. We know that we are trying to separate ourselves from the pack and UCLA and USC are also towards the top, so it is going to be a big weekend for us. But more than anything, we want to show that we are a better team than how we played when we played them the first time. And we are excited to play in front of our home crowd and we just want to keep getting better."

After the jump Aaron Rodgers wins the MVP, football picks up two more athletes, and the rugby pain train continues to lay a hurtin' on Pac-12 schools.

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While the 2012 recruiting season will always be remembered for the Tosh incident, many have overlooked the fact that Cal signed a solid class of recruits. What's the next step for Tedford? Turn this team's abundance of talent into some quality wins.

Let's, however, switch gears with a humble question: Did anyone notice that Cal signed ESPNU 150 receiver Darius Powe (Lakewood, Calif./Lakewood) and four-star receiver Bryce Treggs (Bellflower, Calif./St. John's Bosco)? Or the nation's No. 2 QB in Zach Kline? Seven of 17 signees were rated four stars.

Fact: Tedford and the Bears signed a good class. Yes, it could have been a great one. But you could say that about a lot of programs that finished second or third with elite prospects. Just imagine, for example, if USC had signed offensive linemen Andrus Peat and Kyle Murphy? Or Armstead, who originally committed to USC?

There should be no illusions about where Tedford and Cal stand. There is substantial and reasonable frustration over the recent trajectory of the program. It's based on wins and losses. It's based on the sense that Cal got big-timed by Washington with the loss of two assistant coaches. And it's based on a "what could have been" around the recruiting class.

Some see trouble. Tedford knows this. Naturally, he rejects it.

"The perception that we are in trouble is wrong because we aren't in trouble," Tedford said.

Not to go all Simon & Garfunkel in conclusion, but Tedford's task is simple: Build a bridge over these troubled waters. And start winning again in 2012.

After the jump the Bears defeat Arizona 78-74...or do they?

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No one has been more committed to Cal throughout this tumultuous past month than Zach Kline. The early enrollee wonders why so many have wavered in their commitment to the Bears and has some advice for those who base their decision on a single coach.

"Those who want to be Bears, who bleed blue and gold, will stay with it," he said. "You don't play for one coach. You play for yourself, you play for coach Tedford and you play for the university. I think ... the guys who are committed understand that. They're true Bears. They want to be here."

This, from a young man who pedaled a bicycle with a blue frame, gold-trimmed wheels and gold handgrips to his interview at the Simpson High Performance Center, while wearing a Cal sweatshirt and cap.

"Zach's a very loyal, methodical kid," Lisa Kline said. "He never rushes into a decision. He's been going to Cal camps since he was in eighth grade."

Before he left for a huge pay raise at Washington, Lupoi was involved heavily in recruiting a number of top players for Cal. Kline, however, was not one of them.

"He was not a deciding factor in whether I was coming here or not," Kline said. "Coach Tedford and coach (Marcus) Arroyo are the ones who recruited me. You should go to a school for reasons other than your position coach, I believe. Committing for one coach is not the smartest thing to do."

In case you weren't already enamored with Kline, here's one more fun story: ESPN predicts he'll win the 2015 Johnny Unitas award as the nation's best senior quarterback. They expect Kline to seize the starting role in 2013.

After the jump Jorge admits Cal-Stanford isn't much of a rivalry and ESPN's latest bracketology has Cal opening the tourney against Harvard.

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After beating Stanfeit 99-0 the past two years, rugby finally broke the 100-point barrier with a 109-0 victory. Though the fate of the Scrum Axe was never in jeopardy, it is nice to see it go back home to Berkeley.

Danny Barrett scored four tries, Seamus Kelly had a hat trick, Anthony Lombardo and Jake Wrobel had two each, and six other Golden Bears found the try zone as California defeated Stanford, 109-0, Saturday at Steuber Rugby Stadium.

Flyhalf Alex Aronson connected on 6-of-8 conversions and fullback Jake Anderson converted 7-of-9 while the Bears prevented the Cardinal from reaching the try zone.

Stanford flyhalf Jason Liljenquist was unable to avert the shutout when his 40-meter penalty kick bounced off the crossbar in the 49th minute.

Senior prop Jeremy Deterding bounced back from a minor midweek injury to play the entire match in his last collegiate battle for the Scrum Axe. "There was nothing that was going to stop me from going out there with my teammates and getting it done," he said. "We came out and played hard for a full 80 minutes. It didn't come down to the score but how hard we were working."

After the jump the women's basketball team falls short in a thrilling overtime game against fourth-ranked Stanford.

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At this week's Senior Bowl practices Marvin Jones has caught the attention of scouts. After Jones has consistently turned in some of the best performances among receivers, some wonder if he'll move up to secure a spot as a second-day pick.

Marvin Jones, California: Jones had arguably the best day of the North squad receivers. Primarily used as a short and intermediate perimeter receiver during his senior year, Jones got to work vertical routes in practice and he shined. He consistently flashed a strong burst to separate from off-man coverage and then exhibited another gear to pull away as the ball arrived.

Jones blew past Iowa State cornerback Leonard Johnson on a deep post in one-on-one drills. Later in shells, he caught a deep post for a touchdown where he made an excellent move late in the route by reducing the shoulder – dipping it away from contact of the DB – and slipping ahead of his opponent to make an over-the-shoulder catch. He kept both feet inside the end line and maintained possession of the ball as he was dragged down from behind. He later caught a seam route in tight coverage on a strong throw from Russell Wilson, snaring the ball over his shoulder after getting on top of the defender early.

Jones’s vertical skills might serve as a revelation to some evaluators who have only watched him in recent years as Cal’s bailout option. That recent role in Jeff Tedford’s West Coast offense has served him well because he has become a physical receiver for his size. He plays big for his 6-2 frame and he also showed that today when he ran a hook route and collided at the top of his break with the defensive back, but managed to make a diving rebound of a pass he tipped after the initial collision.

Jones’s routes are smooth and he isn’t shy about eating a defender’s cushion by driving close until the top of his break. Many receivers in this practice made the mistake of breaking a little sooner on routes than they should have and didn’t get the depth on routes that Jones has obviously learned in Tedford’s pro style offense. If he had attacked the ball from his break just a little more aggressively on hook routes, he would have had a flawless day.

After the jump ESPN checks in on the latest Pac-12 recruiting news and Mitchell Schwartz manages to impress scouts while playing center at the Senior Bowl.

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Jim McGill of BearInsider posted this incredible story on Todd Howard's journey just to get an interview with Cal. The more I read about this guy, the more excited I am that he is our new D-line coach. If he can instill this drive and determination into our players, the Cal defensive front will be unstoppable.

"It's blizzard weather up there in Eastern Washington," said Howard. "I was supposed to fly in for the meeting on Thursday afternoon.

"I couldn't get out at 6:30. I couldn't get out at 10. I couldn't get out at 3:30. Everything was cancelled so I asked about Friday but the earliest flight out on Friday was 5 pm.

"So I called Cal and said, 'Why don't I drive to Portland. I know I can catch a flight out of there and get to Oakland.'

"They said, 'Are you willing to do that?' And I told them, 'Yes, I am.'

"I left Pullman, Washington Thursday evening in a blizzard. I almost turned around 4 or 5 times. I couldn't go more than 20 miles an hour. I was out on the roads alone, no one out there. With the adrenaline going, I was holding on tight with both hands.

"I had blowing snow coming at me and I'm driving on ice. It took me almost ten hours to get from Pullman to Portland but I made out of sheer determination and was able to get up and catch that flight and go interview. "

This quote is the cherry on top of this fantastic story.

"You look at what I did at UCLA, I can recruit, too," said Howard. "You can go down the list. I got Owa, from Oregon, Cassius Marsh, Brandon Willis from South Carolina. In my head-to-head battles with Tosh, I won quite a few.

After the jump Demariay Drew commits to Cal, men's basketball moves up in this week's edition of bracketology, and a pair of Cal ruggers join the US National 7s team.

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