Baseball Preview: Bears Cautiously Optimistic

The Cal baseball team opens its season Friday, hopeful that it can reach the postseason for the first time since 2019.

The Bears came close last year, but two losses in a three-game series to close the regular season doomed their NCAA Tournament chances.

“We finished the season really strong and we felt like we were playing our best baseball at the end of the season last year,” head coach Mike Neu said in the Bay Area media day. “As a group, we really came together. We had young guys who were getting experience for the first time. I thought they did a great job. It was fun to watch our team get better as the year went on. And we finished pretty close to getting into a regional. We were within one or two wins. That is very frustrating but really cool as a coach to see how the guys were playing at the end of the year.”

Seven position player starters return from that team that went 29-26 (15-15 Pac-12). The top returnee is junior outfielder Dylan Beavers, who hit .303 with 49 RBI and a team-leading 18 home runs. He was selected for Team USA last summer and has been named to several preseason All-American teams. 

“We recruited him as a two-way guy. He was a pitcher and he actually played third base some,” Neu said “We realized pretty quickly that this guy is a really, really talented position player. His tools really stand out with his speed, his athleticism, his power, his arm strength. 

“Being on Team USA, getting that experience was terrific. . And watching him last year, just getting better the more comfortable he got. He has continued to improve as a player. He is still scratching the surface of how good he can be.”

The pitching staff will be anchored by junior right-hander Josh White, who had a 2.79 ERA and struck out 81 in 61 ⅓ innings. He both started and relieved last year, but Neu said this year he is strictly a starter. He will be on the mound Friday when Cal opens the season against Houston in Scottsdale, Az. The noon game will be televised on the MLB Network Friday.

“Josh was a very good high school pitcher, came in throwing upper 80s to 90s,” Neu said. “And then he put in work. He wants to be good. …All of a sudden last year he’s running it up there 96, 97 with a power breaking ball. He just wants to win and when you combine all those things together, you have a very dynamic pitcher.”

Catcher Cole Elvis returns for his senior season. He hit .233 with nine homers and 31 RBI. He came alive in the latter stages of 2021, hitting .379 in the final seven games as the Bears made their unsuccessful postseason push. For the season, he threw out 18 of 46 potential base stealers and made just six errors in 461 chances (.987 fielding average.)

Other returning starters include Nathan Martorella at first base, Keshawn Ogans at shortstop, and Nathan Manning and Steven Zobac (who can also pitch) in the outfield.

The two departed starters are Darren Baker at second and Quentin Selma at third. 

With three pitchers leaving via the MLB draft, the pitching staff after White will need something of a reboot.

“We are transitioning some bullpen guys into starters,” Neu said. “We feel really good about them. After Josh, Steven Zobac and Joseph King have been really successful in roles for us.”

That pair will start the other two games this weekend. 

Sam Stoutenborough figures to be the long man out of the bullpen.

Nick Proctor and Mitchell Scott will also pitch relief as well as spot start while Aaron Roberts figures to be the closer.

“I think we’re excited about where we’re at,” Neu said. “And we’re feeling good about being healthy and going into the season with a lot more experience than we had last year.”

NEW ADDITIONS:

CHRISTIAN BECERRA
» Pitcher
» Studio City, CA / Harvard-Westlake School
» Was dominant at 2020 California State Games
» Harvard-Westlake School's No. 1 starting pitcher

 
TUCKER BOUGIE
» Infield/Outfield/Pitcher
» Mill Valley, CA / Tamalpais HS
» 2019 HS highlights: 26 games played; .342 average; 21 RBI; 21 hits; 1 HR
 
CARSON CRAWFORD
» Infield/Pitcher
» Rohnert Park, CA / Cardinal Newman HS
» 2019 HS highlights: 27 games played; .324 average; 12 RBI; .420 OBP; 1.35 ERA; 12 pitching appearances
» 2020 HS highlights: 5 games played; 2 hits, 2 RBI; 2 pitching appearances; 1 save

 
ANDRES GALAN
» Pitcher/Infield
» Elk Grove, CA / Franklin HS
» 2019 HS highlights: 26 games played; 10 RBI; 1 HR; 40.2 innings pitched; 45 strikeouts
 
RJ GREEN
» Outfield
» Richmond, CA / El Cerrito HS
» Three-year varsity letterman for El Cerrito
» 2019 HS highlights: 21 games played, .339 average, 19 hits, 16 RBI
» 2020 HS highlights: 3 games played, .750 average, 6 hits, 4 RBI
» Played club for NorCal
 
JACK JOHNSTON
» Infield
» Del Mar, CA / Torrey Pines HS
» 7th-ranked player by Prep Baseball Report in California's Class of 2021 rankings
» 2019 HS highlights: 34 GP, .264 average; 28 hits, 18 RBI; 2 HR
» 2020 HS highlights: 7 GP; .286 average; 6 hits; 5 RBI
» Has played 75 total varsity games through three high school seasons

 
CALEB LOMAVITA
» Catcher
» Ewa Beach, HI / St. Louis HS
» Member of USA Baseball 16U National Team Development Program
» Only Hawaiian player to appear in 2020 Area Code Games in Atlanta, GA
» Received upwards of 30 scholarship offers to play collegiately
» Owns 3.90-plus GPA in high school
 
IAN MAY
» Pitcher
» Laguna Niguel, CA / Dana Hills HS
» 2019 HS highlights: 1.50 ERA; 5-3 record; 13 appearances; 33 strikeouts
» 2018 HS highlights: 0.62 ERA; 8-0 record; 43 strikeouts
 
CARSON WILLIAMS
» Infield/Pitcher
» San Diego, CA / Torrey Pines HS
» 2019 HS highlights: 28 games played; .292 average; 21 hits; 16 runs; 3 HR