Cal State Stanislaus took care of business on the final weekend of the regular season, qualifying for the postseason on the final day. In doing so, the Warriors tied a school record for wins with 36 and will travel to Chico State for their second-ever California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship Tournament.
POSTSEASON RETURN
In 2003, Warrior Head Coach Kenny Leonesio arrived on campus as the new coach with new players and, for him, a new program. None of that phased him, however, as he stepped right in and guided the Warriors to their first postseason appearance in 14 years with a 27-27-1 overall mark and a 21-18 in CCAA play. It was the team's first trip to the postseason at the NCAA Division II level and their first appearance in the CCAA Championship Tournament.
The Warriors entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed with Sonoma State, Chico State, and former CCAA member UC Davis. Scott Taylor pitched a gem for the Warriors in the tournament's opening game against eventual champion Sonoma State. The Seawolves scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Warriors 2-1. Cal State Stanislaus had 10 hits but stranded 12 runners. In game two, tournament host Chico State got to the Warriors and held on to secure the 9-2 victory and end the Warriors' CCAA title hopes.
This season is eerily similar to 2003, with the Warriors qualifying as the No. 4 seed once again and facing No. 1 seed Sonoma State again. The tournament is being hosted at Nettleton Stadium again, as it was in 2003, and the participants are all the same, minus UC Davis, who has been replaced this year by another UC, UC San Diego.
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
The Warriors will be carrying plenty of momentum at the plate into the championship tournament after an impressive performance on the road at Pomona in their final series of the regular season. The Warriors batted .361 and scored 45 runs on 57 hits with 23 extra base hits on the weekend. The Cal Poly Pomona pitching staff had a 9.26 ERA over the weekend.
FLEMING EARNS PITCHER OF THE YEAR
A huge part of the Warriors' success this season has been anchored in the pitching staff, and nobody came up big more often than senior ace Marquis Fleming, who was recognized Tuesday by the CCAA for his efforts by being named CCAA Pitcher of the Year. Fleming went 11-3 with a 2.21 ERA and seven complete games while striking out 106 batters in 102 innings during the regular season. During CCAA play, he posted an 8-1 record, 3.00 ERA, struck out 62 batters in 63 innings and tossed four complete games in nine starts while limiting the opposition to a .202 average. Fleming was named CCAA Pitcher of the Week five different times during the season, bringing his career total to six.
LATE INNING HEROICS
With a recent power surge, the Warriors haven't needed to come back and win games late, but during the early part of the season, winning in the final at-bat became a normal practice for the Warriors. The team had a total of 12 last at-bat victories this season, many coming in thrilling fashion at home. The Warriors also had 11 come-from-behind wins during the year. The Warriors defeated CCAA championship tournament host Chico State three times in the bottom of the ninth during the teams' series March 7-9 at Warrior Field. They also beat regular season champion Sonoma State, 4-3, in 12 innings at Warrior Field on Feb. 15.
LORETELLI LEADS
Junior outfielder Kyle Loretelli has led the Warriors offensively all year long, and his performance earned him an all-CCAA first team honor. Entering this week's championship tournament, Loretelli is batting .376 with 10 homeruns, 45 RBIs, 29 walks, a .683 slugging percentage, a .485 on-base percentage and 14 stolen bases. He set a new single-season school record in doubles with 28 and has found success batting in several spots in the lineup this year. He is ranked in the top 10 of 12 different offensive categories in the CCAA.
REMNANTS OF THE PAST
Senior shortstop Jeff Bellotti has been here before, even if none of his teammates have. Bellotti was a key part of Leonesio's 2003 playoff team that qualified for the CCAA championship tournament hosted in Chico. He started 50 games at shortstop and batted .244 with 41 hits, including four doubles. This season, Bellotti has been a key part of the middle infield that has helped turn 34 double plays this season. Bellotti brought his bat, too. He's batting .324 with 13 doubles and 26 RBIs.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Warriors were virtually unbeatable at home this season, finishing with a 26-9 record at Warrior Field, while only playing .500 ball on the road at 10-10. The team's home winning percentage of .743 is second only to championship tournament host Chico State (.862) and regular season champion Sonoma State (.800). The team finished 2007 with a 9-21 record on the road. The Warriors took three of four games from Cal Poly Pomona in Southern California to close out the 2008 regular season.
WOLFE IN WARRIOR CLOTHING
Senior center fielder Dennis Wolfe has made the most this year of his outstanding career as a Warrior student-athlete, earning all-CCAA honorable mention honors along the way. Wolfe, a two-sport athlete in soccer and baseball, has yet to commit an error in 105 chances, usually showing that soccer hustle to track down balls few others could. Wolfe has also had a breakout year at the plate, setting career highs in batting average (currently at .332), at-bats (187), runs (38), hits (62), doubles (12), triples (8), homeruns (4), RBIs (36), walks (29) and stolen bases (9).
D-E-M-O-T-T SPELLS RELIEF
Senior Andrew DeMott has been such a regular out of the bullpen this season, coach Leonesio even has his own unique signal to call for the sidearmer out of the bullpen. DeMott set a new single-season record for appearances this season with 31, all in relief. DeMott was named to the all-CCAA second team. His 5-2 record and 2.02 ERA are a testament to the Warriors' ability to win late. His walk-to-strikeout ratio is just over two to one, and he has given up just one homerun this season, a meaningless drive to right field against Sonoma State after entering with an eight-run lead.
ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
It wasn't just Fleming, Loretelli, DeMott and Wolfe soaking up the spotlight for the Warriors this season. Starting pitcher Eric Federico was named to the all-CCAA second team and junior infielder Jake Oketani received honorable mention. Federico was the Warriors' No. 2 starter for most of the season behind Fleming. Federico threw two complete games and ammased 63 strikeouts in 78 2/3 innings pitched. Oketani has been a rally starter for the Warriors all season long. He recently just missed hitting for the cycle against Sonoma State on April 27, going 3-for-3 and needing just a double. Both players' defense has been key also. Federico has not committed an error in 31 chances, while Oketani has been solid at three of the four infield positions.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
SONOMA STATE: The all-time series between the Warriors and Seawolves is tied at 103-103. Sonoma State holds a dominating edge in CCAA games, 30-8 ... The two teams met seven times this season, with the home team winning every game ... The Seawolves have outscored the Warriors this season 39-25 ... In a three-game non-conference series during mid-February, the Warriors won game one at Warrior Field in 12 innings, 4-3. The series moved to Rohnert Park where the Seawolves swept a doubleheader 1-0 and 13-4 ... During a four-game CCAA series, the Seawolves swept a home doubleheader 7-1 and 11-2. The series moved to Turlock, where the Warriors swept a doubleheader by scores of 11-4 and 3-0.
UC SAN DIEGO: The Warriors lead the all-time series against the Tritons, 22-17. UCSD holds the edge in CCAA games, 16-14 ... The Tritons were the only team to win a series at Warrior Field this season, taking three of four during CCAA play April 4-6 ... UCSD lost the 2007 CCAA title game to Sonoma State, 15-5.
CHICO STATE: The Wildcats lead the all-time series against the Warriors, 104-74-1, and have dominated CCAA match-ups, 25-14 ... The Warriors took three of four games from then-No. 16 Chico State at Warrior Field on March 7-9 ... All three Warrior victories came in the bottom of the ninth ... Chico State eliminated the Warriors from the 2003 CCAA championship tournament in a 9-2 win ... Chico State has now made the postseason 13 consecutive years.
