Baseball Foundation
Golden Bear News & Notes
2015 SEASON
PREVIEW
January 2015
Volume 2, Issue 2
2015 GOLDEN BEARS SEASON PREVIEW
David Esquer, Head Coach
O
ur fall baseball session was very productive and I feel excited about the team culture, work
ethic, and their determination to improve daily! The focus of our fall preparations was to be
“prepared to win” on opening night, Friday, February 13, vs. Duke University and work hard toward
our ultimate goal to compete for a Pac 12 title and return to postseason! Our fall practices concluded
with two games against Santa Clara on November 15 and Pepperdine University on November 16.
We have an exciting and competitive 2015 schedule and in addition to our Pac 12 rivals, we will host
Duke University, UC Irvine, San Francisco, and Chicago State.
Our starting rotation looks excellent with sophomore Daulton Jeffries returning as the Friday starter
and junior Ryan Mason on Saturday. Sophomore Alex Schick and freshman Matt Ladrech are terrific
candidates for the Sunday start. Jordan Talbot, Dylan Nelson, and Lucas Erceg will play pivotal roles
in our bullpen and the development of pitchers Jesse Kay, Colin Monsour, Chris Muse Fisher, Jeffery
Bain, and Erik Martinez is key to our depth.
Cal Hosts Duke University to open the 2015
season on Friday, February 13.
College Sports
Day at Cal
Our offense is the facet of the game where I see maturity and growth from last year. With Brad
Sanfilippo as hitting coach and assistants Noah Jackson and Mike Ruevekamp helping him, we are
much improved. Outfielders Devin Pearson, Aaron Knapp, and Brian Celsi will key our offense.
Outfielders Devin Pearson, Aaron Knapp, and Brian Celsi and infielders Chris Paul (St. Cloud Rox
2014 MVP) and Brendan Farney will key our offense. The infield has been a battle ground and looks
to be manned by a number of candidates. Chris Paul and Nick Halamandaris will vie for first base,
Robbie Tenerowicz, Rob McInerny, and Brendan Farney at second base, while Max Dutto, Preston
Grand Pre, and John Soteropolus have all seen time at shortstop. Catchers Mitchell Kranson and
freshmen Brett Cumberland and Matt Ruff have shared the fall responsibilities behind the plate.
In addition to working hard on the baseball field, the Cal baseball players also participated in several
community service projects. The players volunteered at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oakland, the
Alameda Food Bank, and also participated in the College Sports Day at Memorial Stadium. These
fall events were highlighted by Alumni Weekend, the Alumni Game, and Ralph Walker Cup Golf
Tournament. With the leadership of alumni Jesse Ingram, David Nicholson, John Hughes, Sam Petke,
and committee of volunteers, we welcomed back over 70 alumni! A big thank-you to the Papa Bears
and young alums who came back to continue this great tradition. As we celebrate the holidays and the
new year, the 2015 season is just around the corner. First Pitch dinner on Saturday, January 31, and
Fan Fest will kick off the events as we look forward to opening day, February 13!
2015 Season Events at Evans Diamond
Bears season will be another fun-filled
Thespring2015at Golden
Evans Diamond!
The final game of each home weekend series will be Kid’s
Day, featuring a number of activities focused on the younger
fans. Enjoy a Kid’s Day giveaway and special drawing, collect
post-game player autographs and run around the bases, make a
poster to cheer on the team, and have fun at the Dress Like a
Bear and Eye Black stations.
Building on new traditions from recent seasons, dates are
being selected for Public Safety Day, Irish Heritage Day,
Alumni Day honoring the 1980 Cal Bears, Dogs at the
Diamond, Spring Egg Hunt, Scout Day, Staff Appreciation,
Senior Day, and Bears at the Beach! Be sure to check
www.Calbears.com for event updates.
O
n October 26, members of the Cal
Baseball team joined fellow Cal student
athletes at Kabam Field at Memorial Stadium
for College Sports Day. Over 100 athletes
representing 15 varsity programs hosted
sessions demonstrating their sport.
This event is sponsored by the Cal Coaching
Corps, a program of UC Berkeley students who
serve as athletic coaches in local underserved
communities to provide high quality coaching
to youth who would otherwise have difficulty
accessing organized sports.
Wally Haas, former president, CEO, and
chairman of Levi Strauss & Company attended
the event and noted, “I believe College Sports
Day is quite special. It is very gratifying seeing
so many student athletes giving back to the
community by taking the time to create lasting
memories for young people.”
Pictured above are Cal Baseball players, from
left: Nick Halamandaris, Matt Ladrech, Keaton
Siomkin, Andrew Buckely, and Jesse Key.
Baseball Foundation
2
35TH ANNIVERSARY 1980 CAL BASEBALL TEAM RETURNS
The 1980 Cal Bears team from left back row: Lyle Brackenridge, Chuck Hensley, Bob Melvin, Chuck Cary,
Brian Guinn, Rob Jessen, Dave Granger, Rod Booker; 3rd row: Tom Colburn, John Carson, Glenn Prater,
Glenn Newton, Jim Selvitella, Michael Buggs, Jeff Ronk, Dan McInerny; 2nd row: Bruce Johnson, Kelly Wood,
Don Driscoll, Bill Hawkins, Tim Gerlach, Greg Zunino, John House, Brian Duffy; front row: Steve Conroy,
John Hughes (Asst. Coach), Bob Milano (Head Coach), Greg Warzecka (Asst. Coach), Mitch Hawley
(Left) Cal Catcher Tom Colburn tags out
Steven Scafa, St. John’s University, as Cal
hangs on to win 8-5.
(Right) Shortstop Rod Booker turns a
double play against Arizona. Booker was
Team Co-Captain, All American, Pac 10
Player of the Year & Major Leaguer.
T
he 2015 Cal Baseball season marks its 35th
anniversary as one of Cal’s best teams. The
1980 squad compiled a program-best 44 win
season (still a record), won a share of the 6-Pac
(Southern Division) title, and crafted an epic
post-season run that took them to the semi-finals
of the College World Series. The 1980 team
of veteran players, led by ten seniors and nine
juniors, holds Cal’s single-season records for
games played, wins, AB’s, fielding chances, putouts, DP’s and DP’s in a single game. The team’s
ERA of 3.13 is the 3rd best in the aluminum bat
era and 2nd best since 1976.
The 1980 trip to Omaha was the first trip by Cal
to the CWS since the 1957 team’s championship.
The team’s No. 3 national ranking is Cal’s
highest since 1957 and signaled the Bears’ return
to the national stage.
THE ROAD TO OMAHA
Despite a strong 17-13 record in 6-Pac play, the
Bears lost the regular season series against cochampions Arizona and faced the Pac-10 North
winner, Washington State, in a three-game “playin” to earn a berth in the Midwest Regional in
Tulsa. Hosting the Cougars at Evans Diamond,
the Bears dominated in Game 1 (6-0) and sent
the Cougars back to the “Palouse” with a 3-1
victory in Game 2.
One game into the Midwest Regional, however,
the Bears found themselves behind the proverbial
eight-ball falling 3-2 to UNLV. From here on,
it was “win or go home.” And win these Bears
did! Game 2 pitted the Bears against Wichita
State with their .400 team batting average and
future big-league sluggers Joe Carter and Phil
Stephenson. No problem—final score: Bears 5,
Shockers 1. In Game 3 the Bears faced Arkansas
and their slugger Kevin McReynolds: TEAM
wins out over star: Cal 7, Arkansas 1.
On to Game 4: Cal versus Missouri and Phil
Bradley. Those who played that day will never
forget a single pitch of those 14 innings! The first
seven innings flew by, as Brian Duffy battled the
Missouri hitters to a 1-1 tie. Then time slowed to
a crawl in the 9th when Missouri loaded the bases
with no outs. No problem for this close-knit
team. With closer Mitch Hawley on the mound
and the infield in, a grounder to Rod Booker at
short led to a 6-2 putout at home: 1 out. With the
bags still loaded, Coach Milano kept the infield
back. Great call! Grounder to short, 6-4-3 double
play, inning over! The score remained tied 1-1
until the 14th inning with Greg Zunino scoring
what would be the winning run on a wild pitch,
and Mitch Hawley getting the win throwing 7
scoreless innings in relief.
Talent, courage, and a bit of gamesmanship
carried the Bears to the Midwest title over
UNLV. Needing to win two against the Rebels
in the double-elimination format, Cal cruised to
a 6-2 victory in Game 1. Just one win away from
a trip to Omaha, the Bears feigned exhaustion
by taking a “silent” and intentionally sloppy pregame warm-up, only to explode in “chatter” as
the Vegas pitcher readied to deliver the game’s
first pitch. So unexpected was this uproar that
the Vegas pitcher stepped off the rubber to
stare in disbelief at the Bears dugout. Game
Over! Scoring three first-inning runs, the boys
never looked back on their way to a 12-0 rout.
In inspiring fashion, the ’80 squad had survived
five elimination games to win the Midwest
Regional and punch their ticket to the College
World Series.
The 1980 CWS at Rosenblatt Stadium was the
first ever broadcast on ESPN. Knowing how to
position themselves to play their best ball, the
Bears began their familiar uphill march following
Golden Bear News & Notes
3
Annual Alumni
Game and
Weekend
S GOLDEN BEARS TO NATIONAL STAGE
Reflections from the 1980 Team
W
hat does Cal and your Cal Baseball
experience mean to you?
Rob Jessen: “In a word, opportunity…I
learned what hard work and perseverance can
accomplish, the real power of team, the value of
relationships that stand the test of time. I speak
of Cal and Cal Baseball with great pride.”
Brian Duffy: “In a word, perseverance. Cal
Baseball helped me realize things are never
pass/fail, black or white, good or bad. It’s the
experience of the journey that matters and my
Cal Baseball memories are easily relied upon to
persevere through the vagaries of life.”
Don Driscoll: “Collectively, the university and
the baseball program taught me some invaluable
lessons in life. Principally, that if you want to
compete at the highest level in academics, sports
or business, you had better be prepared to put
in very long hours and put forth the maximum
effort in order to finish at the top.”
Lyle Brackenridge: “My greatest memory
was when I was handed the Bear uniform. Cal
Baseball gave me the opportunity to meet a
group of guys I will always call my brothers. I
had a chance to play for coaches (Greg, John,
and most of all “7”) who trusted me and allowed
me to be me. For that I will be forever grateful.”
Dan McInerny: “Cal means home to me…the
fact that four generations of my family have
walked the same halls at Cal is very special to
me. Cal Baseball offers memories of playing
with the best group of guys and coaches who I
consider brothers and family.”
Greg Zunino: “Cal has given me friends for life.
I remember having lunch with “Book” in 2011
when both our sons were playing in the College
World Series. It was 31 years later but it seemed
like we didn’t miss a day.”
a wrenching 9-8 extra inning loss to Michigan
in their CWS opener. Once again faced with
elimination every time they stepped on the field,
these Bears broke out the script—“been here,
done this”—as they clawed their way through
the loser’s bracket. Elimination Game 1: Cal 6,
Clemson 4 defeating Jimmy Key; elimination
Game 2: Cal 8, St. John’s 5. In elimination Game
3, against powerhouse Miami, the Bears trailed
3-1 going into the bottom of the 8th before Tom
Colburn launched one high and deep off of Neal
Heaton to tie it up 3-3. A single run in the 9th gave
the Bears a 4-3 win AND a rematch with 6-Pac
rival and co-champion Arizona, with the winner
facing off against Hawaii for the CWS title.
for helping transform the Cal Baseball program
during their coaching tenures:
Despite carrying an 8-3 lead into the bottom
of the 6th, the Bears’ post-season magic ended
in heart-breaking fashion losing 11-10 as the
Wildcats pushed across two runs in the bottom
of the 9th. Although the finish was a bitter
disappointment, the season-long effort still fills
each member of the ’80 team with immense
pride. As “7” has so often said, “We didn’t get
beat, we just ran out of innings.”
Reflecting on the magic of the 1980 season, Bob
Milano and John Hughes praised the 1980 squad
“The success of this special group of players
launched Cal Baseball back into the national
spotlight and helped the program attract more
and more quality student-athletes from both
Northern and Southern California. While Cal
was already widely known as providing one of
the best educations in the country, it had now
earned a reputation as having a well-respected
baseball program that could compete nationally.
That combination attracted high-caliber studentathletes who led Cal to regional berths in 1985,
1991, and 1995, and CWS appearances in 1988
and 1992. The success of these teams, and the
legacy that continues to flourish at Cal today,
has created a lasting bond and an alumni base
that is stronger than ever.”
M
ore than 70 former Cal Bears
participated in the annual Alumni Game
on Sunday, October 19. The double-header
event included the morning Papa Bear game,
followed by the afternoon competition with
the young(er) alumni facing off against the
2015 Golden Bears. The event grows in
numbers every year, but one thing remains
constant, summed up best by former Cal
player Dan Ahern (1972-75), “All we care
about is the joy we all feel seeing each other
and celebrating the privilege we all had to
be Bears. Laughing at stories about road
trips, games, and practices…all of this and
more tap that special place in our hearts
for Cal Baseball and for the guys we’re
so privileged to know as teammates and
friends.”
Alumni Weekend wrapped up with our
Ralph Walker Cup Golf Tournament on
Monday, October 20. As always, Sam Petke
and the golf tournament committee did a
great job! Held at Round Hill Golf Course
this year, the great tradition of Cal Baseball
support continued and a great time was had
by all!
Former Cal Bears Sam, Jonathan, and Adam
Petke are joined by their parents, Mimi and
Jon, at the 2014 Ralph Walker Cup.
For a complete summary of the 1980 team’s
accomplishments and their reflections on
the Cal Baseball experience, visit www.
calbaseballfoundation.org.
At the Annual Alumni Game vs. the 2015
Bears, John Hughes and Jesse Ingram enjoy
the results of their hard work organizing
Alumni Weekend events.
Baseball Foundation
4
2015 CALIFORNIA BASEBALL SCHEDULE
www.calbaseballfoundation.org
Check the Foundation’s website for more
information about the Foundation’s activities
in support of the Cal Baseball program.
f
l
Facebook
www.facebook.com/CalBaseballFoundation
Twitter
@CalBaseballFNDN
Cal Baseball Foundation
c/o Comyns, Smith, McCleary & Deaver, LLP
3470 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Ste. A-110
Lafayette, CA 94549
2015 Ticket Plans
and Parking Passes
20 Ticket Flex Pack
(Admission to any HOME game)
Adult$99
Senior (65 and over)
$49
Youth (2 yrs. thru 12th Grade)
$49
Scholarshare Family Pack
(Includes 4 tickets, $20 in Bearbucks, and 2 foam claws) $50
Single Game Tickets
Adult$10
Senior$5
Youth$5
Groups (10 or more tickets)
$5
Child under 2 yrs.
Free
Cal Students
Free
Season Parking Pass
$75
Visit www.Calbears.com for details.
February 13 Friday
February 14 Saturday
February 15 Sunday
February 16 Monday
February 20 Friday
February 21 Saturday
February 22 Sunday
February 26 Thursday
February 27 Friday
February 28 Saturday
March 1
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Sunday
** Pac-12 Conference Game
DUKE
DUKE
DUKE
Stanford
IRVINE IRVINE (Game 1)
IRVINE (Game 2)
IRVINE
Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas
SAN FRANCISCO
CHICAGO STATE
CHICAGO STATE
CHICAGO STATE
Pacific
OREGON **
OREGON **
OREGON **
San Francisco
Washington**
Washington**
Washington**
Fresno State
Utah **
Utah **
Utah **
WASHINGTON STATE **
WASHINGTON STATE **
WASHINGTON STATE **
Fresno State
STANFORD **
STANFORD **
STANFORD **
UCLA **
UCLA **
UCLA **
Stanford
Arizona **
Arizona **
Arizona **
FRESNO STATE
ARIZONA STATE **
ARIZONA STATE **
ARIZONA STATE **
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
USC **
USC **
USC **
Oregon State **
Oregon State **
Oregon State **
EVANS DIAMOND
EVANS DIAMOND
EVANS DIAMOND
Stanford
EVANS DIAMOND
EVANS DIAMOND
EVANS DIAMOND
EVANS DIAMOND
Fayetteville, AR
Fayetteville, AR
Fayetteville, AR
Fayetteville, AR
EVANS DIAMOND
EVANS DIAMOND
EVANS DIAMOND
EVANS DIAMOND
Stockton, CA
EVANS DIAMOND
EVANS DIAMOND
EVANS DIAMOND
San Francisco
Seattle, WA
Seattle, WA
Seattle, WA
Fresno, CA
Salt Lake City, UT
Salt Lake City, UT
Salt Lake City, UT
EVANS DIAMOND
EVANS DIAMOND
EVANS DIAMOND
Fresno, CA
EVANS DIAMOND
EVANS DIAMOND
EVANS DIAMOND
Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Stanford
Tucson, AZ
Tucson, AZ
Tucson, AZ
EVANS DIAMOND
EVANS DIAMOND
EVANS DIAMOND
EVANS DIAMOND
Lubbock, TX
Lubbock, TX
EVANS DIAMOND
EVANS DIAMOND
EVANS DIAMOND
Corvallis, OR
Corvallis, OR
Corvallis, OR
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