LOS ANGELES – Due to the heavy rains in Southern California this week, Cal State L.A.’s baseball program has had to make some changes to its annual Alumni Day.
The game, scheduled for this Saturday, Jan. 23, has been cancelled. Because of the recent downpours and with rain forecast all the way through early Saturday morning, Reeder Field has been deemed unplayable.
Instead of the game, Cal State L.A. Head Coach Vince Beringhele is inviting Golden Eagle alumni to come out on Sunday, Jan. 24, at 1 p.m. for some light batting practice and a home-run hitting contest. The alumni will also get a chance to meet the current Cal State L.A. players and coaches.
Please continue to check the Cal State L.A. athletics website for updates if conditions change.
In other baseball news, Cal State L.A. was picked to finish fourth in the California Collegiate Athletic Association in 2010 in voting done by the conference coaches. Defending conference champion and national semi-finalist UC San Diego has been selected to win the conference title, the conference announced on Thursday.
UC San Diego totaled 96 points and had six first-place votes to finish ahead of Sonoma State in the balloting. The Seawolves had 92 points and four first-place votes. Chico State (84) was third, Cal State L.A. was fourth (66) and was followed by Cal State Dominguez Hills (60), Cal Poly Pomona (55), Cal State Stanislaus (43), Cal State Monterey Bay (21), San Francisco State (20) and Cal State East Bay (16).
The top four teams will qualify for the CCAA Championship Tournament, which will be held May 6-8 at the University of Pacific’s Klein Family Field in Stockton.
Cal State L.A. will open its 2010 season on Monday, Feb. 1 with a non-conference game at Cal Poly Pomona.
The Golden Eagles have several key players returning in 2010, including senior Mario Ramirez, who led the Golden Eagles last year in hitting with a .415 batting average and was earned honorable mention All-America honors from the National College Baseball Writers of America. Ramirez, an outfielder last year, is set to catch for Cal State L.A. in 2010.
Senior outfielder Matt Miraldi, an All-West Region and All-CCAA selection, is another top returner. He hit 359 for the Golden Eagles last season. Cal State L.A. has most of its starting position players returning, including Ramirez, Miraldi, first baseman Max Moya (.309 average last year), third baseman Chris Matzner, shortstop Jesus Campos, second baseman Brendan McQuaid. Junior Nathan Pickett (4-2, 4.06 ERA last season) is the top starting pitcher returning. Senior Camron Collard, who led Cal State L.A. with a 3.70 earned run average last season, also returns.
Cal State L.A. has posted four straight winning seasons for the first time since 1965-68 and recorded 30 wins or more in three of the last four seasons. Cal State L.A. qualified for the four-team CCAA Championship Tournament last season for the third time in four years and narrowly missed out on an NCAA playoff bid.