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Golden Medals: Cal Baseball is back to being nationally ranked after great Pac-12 start

And all three weekend Cal Baseball games at Utah will be broadcasted on the Pac-12 Networks!

By Ruey Yen
Lucas Erceg led the Bears to a 3 game sweep of UW last week behind 3 homers (2 very clutch)
Lucas Erceg led the Bears to a 3 game sweep of UW last week behind 3 homers (2 very clutch)
Cal Baseball Twitter

In addition to Men's Swimming (check my other posts around here), there are plenty of other Cal even though basketball seasons have ended. We are this week's look at the resurrected kids - Cal Baseball.

Cal Baseball (18-6, 5-1 in the Pac-12)

It took a few seasons to get over the near death experience to the program, but Cal Baseball is back to being a nationally ranked program.

Bears are playing so well that they are amongst the ranked teams again, for the first time since 2011.

In Collegiate Baseball (March 23rd): Bears are 14th

In the NCBWA (March 23rd): Bears are 28th

Bears actually have dropped two midweek games in these past two weeks, but have also won the more important Pac-12 series on the weekends.

Cal 3, Washington 2

8th inning homer by Erceg was the difference.

Cal 3, Washington 2

Deja vu, another 8th inning homer by Erceg was the difference.

Cal 12, Washington 2

With yet another homer and two doubles, Erceg led the Cal attack in this rout of the Huskies.

Fresno State 7, Cal 2

Using freshman Erik Martinez in his first ever start, the Bears fell behind early. Solo homers by Mitchell Kranson and Chris Paul were not enough.

Thanks to this article, we learn that Friday starter Daulton Jefferies will be available for a couple of innings this weekend after battling tendinitis. The sophomore has been the ace of the staff since his freshman year last year.

Senior Devin Pearson and sophomore Robbie Tenerowicz are also on their way back from injuries.

After Brian Celsi got the National Player of the Week honor few weeks ago, Lucas Erceg has followed suit and brought back to Berkeley another National Player of the Week honor.

Bears will take on the Utah Utes in a 3 game series this weekend. Utes are currently the clear worse team of the conference, but that doesn't mean that this trip will be easy by any means.

CAL BASEBALL
Fri., March 27 Utah Spring Mobile Park, Salt Lake City, Utah 6 p.m. MT Pac-12 Net, KALX 90.7 FM
Sat., March 28 Utah Spring Mobile Park, Salt Lake City, Utah 5 p.m. MT Pac-12 Net, KALX 90.7 FM
Sun., March 29 Utah Spring Mobile Park, Salt Lake City, Utah 3 p.m. MT Pac-12 Net, KALX 90.7 F

Cal Softball (24-6, 2-4 in Pac-12)

17th ranked Cal Bears will seek their first Pac-12 series win of the season when they host Oregon State this weekend. Bears lost 2 of 3 to Arizona State down at Tempe last week in what amounted to a slugfest.

ASU 8, Cal 7

It was a back and forth game in this one as Stephanie Trzcinski allowed 6 runs in 5.1 innings. Bears had a late chance but a solo homer by Danielle Henderson in the 7th wasn't enough.

Cal 6, ASU 5

Trailing 4-2 into the 7th, the Bears did what they couldn't on Friday - complete a come from behind rally. From CalBears.com:

In the top of the seventh, the Bears erased the two-run deficit and took the lead for good. After a pair of singles by junior Vanessa Alvarez and senior Britt Vonk, freshman Jazmyn Jackson ripped a base hit up the middle to bring in Alvarez. Jackson stole second  and then Henderson walked to load the bases for Cordes. The senior fouled off several pitches before hitting a ground ball that brought in Vonk to even the game.

With the score tied 4-4, Brianna Macha came in to relieve Dale Ryndak for the Sun Devils. Pettis stepped into the box and hit a high chopper over the head of Macha to put Cal up 6-4.

ASU 11, Cal 6

ASU jumped out to a big lead early in this one and never looked back.

Cal 13, Sac State 4

Bears took out some frustration on Sac State. Cheyenne Cordes hit THREE homers to get 7 RBI's in this one to lead the Bears.

Bears take on Oregon State Beavers this weekend. OSU are 22-9 with a 3-3 record in the Pac so far.

Cal Women's Tennis (3rd ranked Bears beat UCLA but got edged by USC)

Bears took care of defending NCAA champs UCLA on the Pac-12 Networks last week.

No. 3 California (12-2, 3-0 Pac-12) vs. No. 5 UCLA (11-3, 1-1 Pac-12) – 4-3

March 20, 2015, in Los Angeles, Calif.

Los Angeles Tennis Center

Doubles

1. No. 5 Maegan Manasse/Denise Starr (Cal) def. No. 3 Catherine Harrison/Kyle McPhillips (UCLA) – 8-4

2. Robin Anderson/Jennifer Brady (UCLA) def. No. 11 Klara Fabikova/Zsofi Susanyi (Cal) – 8-6

3. Lynn Chi/Karla Popovic (Cal) def. Chanelle Van Nguyen/Kristin Wiley (UCLA) – 8-4

Cal captured the doubles point.

Order of Finish: 3, 1*, 2

*Clinched the doubles point

Singles

1. No. 2 Robin Anderson (UCLA) def. No. 4 Maegan Manasse (Cal) – 2-6, 6-3, 6-4

2. No. 27 Klara Fabikova (Cal) def. No. 10 Chanelle Van Nguyen (UCLA) – 7-5, 7-6(11)

3. No. 81 Denise Starr (Cal) def. No. 35 Kyle McPhillips (UCLA) – 6-3, 6-2

4. No. 79 Catherine Harrison (UCLA) def. No. 29 Zsofi Susanyi (Cal) – 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-6(6)

5. No. 60 Karla Popovic (Cal) def. No. 98 Kaitlin Ray (UCLA) – 6-2, 6-3

6. Kristin Wiley (UCLA) def. Cecilia Estlander (Cal) – 6-1, 6-3

Order of Finish: 3, 5, 6, 1, 2^, 4

^Clinched the overall match

Unfortunately, the Bears wasn't able to follow that up with a LA sweep but instead got nicked by USC.

#7 USC 4, #3 California 3
March 21, 2015

Marks Stadium (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Doubles

(1) Katz/Santamaria (USC) def. #5 Manasse/Starr (Cal) – 8-6
(2) #11 Fabikova/Susanyi  (Cal) def. #17 Olmos/Scandalis (USC) – 8-4
(3) Smith/Westby (USC) def. Chi/Popovic (Cal) – 8-6

USC wins doubles point

Order of finish: 2, 3, 1*

*Clinched the doubles point

Singles

(1) #4 Maegan Manasse (Cal) def. #36 Sabrina Santamaria (USC) – 6-1, 6-1
(2) #18 Giuliana Olmos (USC) def. #27 Klara Fabikova (Cal) – 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
(3) #81 Denise Starr (Cal) def. #39 Zoë Scandalis (USC) – 6-4, 6-2
(4) #29 Zsofi Susanyi (Cal) def. #65 Madison Westby (USC) – 6-2, 6-4
(5) #88 Gabby Smith (USC) def. #61 Karla Popovic (Cal) – 6-1, 6-1
(6) #83 Meredith Xepoleas (USC) def. #34 Lynn Chi (Cal) – 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-3*

Order of finish: 1, 5, 4, 3, 2, 6^

^Clinched the overall match

The loss snapped a long Cal undefeated streak in Pac-12 play (Bears ran the table last year to win the conference title).

It's good to see Lynn Chi back in the singles rotation, even if she did ultimately lost the deciding match. Chi, the NCAA singles runner up last year, had missed plenty of time in the start of 2015 due to an injury.

Bears visit the Arizona schools this weekend.

GO BEARS!

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