In play-by-play announcer Mike Baca's 10 years of covering the Chico State baseball team, he's never seen a 'Cat hit for the cycle, he said during his broadcast Sunday.
Senior Greg Finazzo pulled off the feat in the seventh inning against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Sunday, crowning the Wildcats' four-game sweep of the Toros last weekend.
"I think they were pretty fired up about it," Finazzo said. "It was something I've never done before."
The cycle is every possible way a player can get a hit in a baseball game - single, double, triple, home run - but not necessarily in that order. Although it came a day after Chico State took its first step toward returning to the NCAA Division II National Championship by securing a berth in the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship Tournament, it was an invigorating sight nonetheless.
"You come to Chico State to be playing these types of games over the next three weeks," said head coach Dave Taylor. "It's great to finish this series with a good feeling of where we're at."
The Wildcats beat Cal State Dominguez Hills 4-3 in the first game Friday and went on to sweep the Toros in Saturday's doubleheader, 8-2 and 5-2. The Wildcats' finished off their opponents by blowing them out 16-1 in Sunday's game.
Taylor was happy with the effort he saw from his team, he said.
"We felt really good about leaving there with the sweep and a lot of momentum going into next week's games," Taylor said.
Chico State will play its last regular season series against conference-leading Sonoma State this weekend, with two games at Rohnert Park and a final doubleheader in Chico.
The good news for Chico State is the 'Cats seem to be coming together offensively as well as defensively at just the right time.
Along with Finazzo's cycle Sunday, senior Daniel Code's record-breaking hitting streak reached 20 games. Code etched his name in the Chico State record books, besting 1997 National Player of the Year Steve Gotowala's season record of 19 games. Shortstop Edgar Sedano has been phenomenal at the plate, with a season batting average of .391, which would put him in the top 10 all-time for Chico State.
"We're learning from our poorer at-bats," Taylor said on Saturday. "A good team learns from their mistakes."
Defensively, the Wildcats have shored up their pitching rotation with the addition of Garrett Rieck as the third starter behind Nick Bryant and Billy Spottiswood. Rieck came off the bench three weeks ago after recovering from shoulder surgery following the 2006 season. Since then, he's won three of four starts with an ERA of 2.96 after Saturday.
Fourth starter Kyle Woodruff, who has struggled with inconsistency, impressed Taylor after allowing only one run, five hits and one walk in seven innings of work in Sunday's rout of the Toros.
Taylor feels confident with Woodruff in the third or fourth spot in the rotation, depending on opposing lineups in the following weeks, Taylor said.
Looking at the broader picture, Chico State has flourished on the road and against its conference rivals this season. The Wildcats' 21-1 away record gives them swagger when facing opponents outside of Nettleton Stadium, and a 24-4 conference record gives them the third overall ranking in the CCAA.
That will help the 'Cats in their final series against conference leader Sonoma State next weekend, Taylor said.
"I told the guys we're gonna see (Sonoma) the next three weekends," he said. "We want to just go up there and keep the momentum. If we can do that we will be in good shape."
Vince Abbate can be reached at vabbate@theorion.com
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Finazzo earns The Orion's weekly sports award:
- Wildcat of the Week: Greg Finazzo
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