Baseball Preview- What to look for in the week ahead

3/30/10: Cal Bears vs. Fresno State


While this isn’t the Fresno State club of old that won a national title, they are still a solid club that can beat the Bears. At 13-11, they’ve had their fair share of struggles. The starter we will likely see is Tom Harlan, a sophomore left hander. Harlan currently possesses an ugly 8.49 ERA. But pitching isn’t the strength of this club; it’s their hitting. They hit .310 as a team, including their star infielder Jordan Ribiera, who hits .362 and has hit 8 home runs on the season. Overall, they have 8 hitters hitting above .300. They’re leading power hitter is Ribiera, with 8. Dusty Robinson, an outfielder, leads the team with 23 RBI’s.

Prediction: 8-4 Fresno State.



4/1/10, 4/2/10, 4/3/10: Cal Bears vs. Arizona

At 20-5, Arizona looks to be a premier team in the Pac-10 this season. With no other games this week, the Wildcats will likely throw their best 3 at the Bears. Kyle Simon, Bryce Bandilla, and Kurt Heyer will likely be the 3 pitchers the Bears face. Heyer is currently a worthy 4-0 on the season, as he has posted a 2.01 ERA on the season. Heyer has struck out 48 batters this season, over 1 per inning. Simon is 4-2, and has posted a 3.45 ERA on the season. Simon pitches to contact more, and won’t record many strikeouts. Finally, Bryce Bandilla has posted a 3.55 ERA on the season. He averages a little under a K per inning. The Arizona offense is very potent; they have 5 players that are hitting over .400 on the season. They don’t hit for much power, but they still get on base at an astounding rate; they have 4 players with an OBP over .500.

Prediction: Arizona takes 2 out of 3.



Go out and watch the games. Go Bears!