Cal Baseball Foundation

January 2015 Newsletter

Cal Baseball Foundation Golden Bear News & Notes

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January 2015 Volume 2, Issue 2 Baseball Foundation Golden Bear News & Notes 2015 SEASON PREVIEW 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. 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 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! T he 2015 Golden Bears season will be another fun-filled spring at 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. 2015 S eason E v ents at Evans D ia m ond Cal Hosts Duke University to open the 2015 season on Friday, February 13. 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. College SportS Day at Cal

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