Golden Eagles 9 to Face Front-Runner Riverside in Tough Three-Game Series

Hoping to climb into title contention in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn., the Cal State Los Angeles baseball team has an important three-game series against first-place UC Riverside on Friday and Saturday.

The Golden Eagles host Riverside in a single game at 7:30 p.m. Friday and visit the Highlanders in a double header at 4 p.m. Saturday. Riverside, ranked No. 18 in NCAA Division II, entered the week at 13-5 in the CCAA and 25-16 overall while the Golden Eagles are 10-10 in the CCAA and 19-25 overall.

The teams split in their first two meetings. Cal State L.A. defeated Riverside, 10-9, on March 18 before losing to the Highlanders, 6-3, the next day.

Cal State L.A. split its four conference games last week, defeating Cal Poly Pomona and losing two of three games against Chapman.

The Golden Eagles have received improved pitching since the start of conference play. Leading the way has been senior reliever Rod Windes, 1-0 and 2.84 earned-run average. He has seven saves, including five in conference play.

On offense, where the Golden Eagles are batting .291 as a team, the leader has been third baseman Ed Pimentel with a .355 average and 27 runs batted in. Other top hitters are infielder Mica Lewis at .340, infielder Brad Mengel at .331 and outfielder Loy McBride at .320. Outfielder Rex De La Nuez has been the team’s top power hitter with 7 home runs and 33 RBI.

They will face a Riverside squad that has seven of its eight everyday players batting over .300. The leader is third baseman Mike Eatinger, batting .374 with 6 homers and 45 RBI. Eatinger is batting .541 in 37 at bats in April.

The Highlander offense also features second baseman Ty Murphy at .350 with 3 homers and 32 RBI, first baseman Logan Ostrander at .345 with 5 homers and 28 RBI and shortstop Matt Beltran with 8 homers and 33 RBI.

It will be a match-up of two of the top baseball teams in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. when Cal Poly Pomona faces Chapman in a three-game series Friday and Saturday.

The first game is at 2:30 p.m. Friday at Scolinos Field in Pomona. The teams play a double-header at noon Saturday at Chapman in Orange.

Pomona entered the week in second place in the CCAA at 10-6 and 22-17 overall while Chapman was in third at 11-8 and 22-19 overall. The Broncos are two games behind first-place UC Riverside.

“We’re right in the thick of things,” Pomona Coach John Scolinos said. “Now we just have to keep it going.”

Pomona has stayed in contention behind a .295 team batting average. The leaders have been shortstop Dave Hajek at .362, catcher Chris Goldback at .350, second baseman Jim Chapman at .331 and right fielder Chris Butterfield at .329 with a team-leading 29 RBI.

The Broncos also have a good starting pitcher in Wayne Koklys, 7-3, and a solid reliever in Daniel Mead, 2-1 with a 2.59 earned-run average.

The pitching will be tested against Chapman, with outfielders Chris Cutliff at .350 with 10 homers and 33 RBI and Bryan Beals at .346 with 25 stolen bases in 28 attempts. The Panthers also have a solid pitcher in David Bird, 7-3 with a 3.74 ERA.

The Azusa Pacific University baseball team, ranked No. 11 in the NAIA, will try to stay in first place in the Golden State Athletic Conference when it hosts Cal Lutheran in a double header at noon Saturday in Azusa.

Azusa Pacific entered the week at 12-4 in the GSAC and 29-8 overall. Cal Lutheran was 10-6 in the conference and 17-17 overall. Azusa Pacific has already defeated Cal Lutheran twice this season and in 11 of the last 13 games between the teams.