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Golden Nuggets: Alex Morgan Talks World Cup On B.S. Report

Morgan and national teammate Abby Wambach join Bill Simmons to discuss state of women's soccer.

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Sand Volleyball

The Cal sand volleyball team took fourth place at the Santa Cruz Invitational on Saturday after defeating Cal Poly 4-1 then falling to Santa Clara 3-2 and Cal State Bakersfield 5-0.

Men's Crew

No. 2 California men's crew opened the season this Saturday at the 42nd annual San Diego Crew Classic, competing against some of the world's top boats on Mission Bay in San Diego.

Women's Crew

Men's Tennis

Oskar Wikberg topped Matt Cowley in singles to clinch No. 30 California's eventual 7-0 victory over Utah on a sunny Saturday at the Hellman Tennis Complex.

Women's Tennis

Maegan Manasse clinched her second straight match as third-ranked California eased past No. 24 Arizona State, 6-1, on Saturday at the Whiteman Tennis Center.

Track and Field

The California Golden Bears had two student-athletes in action this weekend at the Nike Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin, Texas. On Friday afternoon, junior Jonte Grant placed 10th in the men's university A triple jump with his best leap at a distance of 48-11.50 (14.92m). On Saturday, Walt Jones IV earned a third place finish, leaping a distance of 25-4.50 (7.73m) in the men's university A long jump.

Men's Gymnastics

The No. 7 California Golden Bears men's gymnastics team placed third at the MPSF Championships with a team total of 432.700.

Rugby

Trailing at halftime, 13-8, against Saint Mary's, California scored 16 unanswered points in the final quarter to beat the Gaels, 27-20, at a sold-out Witter Rugby Field on a sunny Saturday in a match broadcast live nationwide on Pac-12 Networks.

Baseball

Behind a two-home run day from freshman Brett Cumberland, No. 14 Cal used the long ball to overpower Utah and win the series opener, 14-6. The Golden Bears now improve to 19-6 on the year and 6-1 in Pac-12 play.

Spring Training

Sister site Athletics Nation sits down with Golden Bear Marcus Semien:

Someone famous once said, "Speak softly and carry a big stick." I think it might have been Ghandi when he was in one of his moods. I'm not certain, though. Darn it -- if only they had some trick where you could type words into a computer and it would help you figure out where stuff came from. Oh well.

What most stood out to me in my March 8th interview with Marcus Semien is that he is really a soft-spoken young man. I mean that purely in a positive way, in that he was gracious, accommodating, and seemingly unaware of the cavernous gap between our relative importance. He reminded me of Tyson Ross, and to a degree also Addison Russell, both of whose interviews left me thinking, more than anything, "What a good guy." You can't help but root for them to be successful wherever they are.

As for the big stick, the prevailing opinion amongst scouts is that Semien will hit big league pitching and will provide better than average pop for a middle infielder. The big question has been whether or not Semien will stick and/or thrive defensively at shortstop. There is a big difference (though not quite as ginormous as the gap between Semien's importance and my own) between a versatile utility infielder and a solid every day shortstop. Both are useful, but in trading for Semien the A's are banking on an every day shortstop.

Are the A's right?

Softball

With her eighth game-winning hit of the season and second this week, senior Cheyenne Cordes secured No. 17 Cal's series win over Oregon State. The Golden Bears brushed off the Beavers, 3-2, Saturday afternoon on Levine-Fricke Field to improve to 26-6 and 4-4 in Pac-12 action.

Women's Water Polo

The No. 4 Cal women's water polo team scored seven unanswered goals Saturday en route to an 11-6 victory over Cal State Bakersfield in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play.

Men's Swimming & Diving

Sophomore backstroker Ryan Murphy continued to show his dominance in the college swimming ranks, garnering his second-straight NCAA title in the 200 backstroke in an American, NCAA and U.S. Open time of 1:36.77. Additionally, Murphy was named the 2015 CSCAA Swimmer of the Year.

It was a night of repeat national titles as sophomore standout Ryan Murphy successfully defended his NCAA crown in the 100 back, and earlier helped the Golden Bears' win their second straight 200 medley relay during the second evening of the 2015 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships Iowa City.

Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan and teammate Abby Wambach take a break from training for the World Cup to sit down for an extensive interview with ESPN's Bill Simmons.