If you have not been tuning into Cal baseball thus far, you have missed out.
The Bears won seven straight games heading into their four-game series against the University of San Diego, looking to continue their roll.
Cal’s flame could not be quelled over the weekend, as the blue and gold handily swept the Toreros in an offensive onslaught of a series, pushing their streak to 11 wins a row — its second-longest winning streak in program history.
Now sitting at 13-3, the Bears have put themselves in a phenomenal position heading into ACC play this coming week.
“We want to win (any day). But when the Bears are rolling, the Bears are rolling,” said Cal first baseman Daniel Murillo.
The Bears set the tone of the weekend early, winning the opening game 11-1 via run rule. Throughout the game, Cal’s offense shined, driving in at least one run in all but three of eight innings and collecting 15 hits.
Junior outfielder Gannon Snyder kicked things off for the Bears with an RBI double in the second inning. In the third, junior catcher Hideki Prather hit a rocket to left field before freshman Jett Kenady followed with a two run shot in the fourth.
Senior Cade Campbell, junior Jacob French and Murillo contributed a combined 7 RBIs, with French having a four-hit day.
Cal’s ace, Oliver de la Torre, also had a dominant day on the mound, allowing one run and striking out nine batters across six innings.
The Bears’ offensive mastery followed them into the following day, as they scored a combined 24 runs through Saturday’s doubleheader.
The first game of the split saw USD take an early lead, knocking in six runs within the first two innings. Cal wasted no time in responding, though, racking up four runs in the same frame.
Down 6-4 headed into the bottom of the fifth, the Bears’ offense reignited, driving in three runs followed by an additional five runs in the sixth. This scoring frenzy was headlined by freshman outfielder Kevin Jeon as he collected three RBIs and two home runs through this two-inning stretch alone.
The offensive onslaught proved too much for USD to overcome, falling to Cal 15-9.
After an hour break, the Bears retook the field with all the energy accumulated from the earlier game. Cal stepped on the Toreros’ necks immediately, collecting five runs in the first inning alone.
Freshman starting pitcher Otto Espinoza ensured that the Bears’ lead was safe and put on a dazzling pitching performance, going seven innings while allowing just three hits and striking out 10 batters.
USD never gained footing and Cal claimed a 9-1 victory.
The Bears secured the sweep the following day with a 5-2 win. Murillo provided excellent play, driving in two runs and finishing with four hits in four at bats.
“We had a gritty fall where we were really putting accountability towards each other, allowing us to trust each other,” Murillo said. “Those guys pick me up, so it allows me … to play free.”
Redshirt sophomore and starting pitcher Gavin Eddy had another dominant outing, marking his second Sunday in a row pitching seven innings. Eddy left the mound after throwing 91 pitches, allowing four hits and striking out six.
With such a dominant series from the plate and on the mound, the Bears look to translate this momentum into their upcoming game against San Jose State for their final matchup before ACC play.
The Spartans have not gotten off to an idyllic start, losing their last five games and sitting at 4-11. SJSU’s losing streak includes a 20-1 loss to Pittsburgh in the team’s most recent series.
Given the Bears overwhelming successes through the first part of the season, this game provides an ample opportunity to further their winning streak.
Although Cal has already positioned itself well heading into conference matchups, it would be more than ideal for the Bears to head into the second part of the schedule as hot as possible.
Cal’s game against San Jose State is set to begin at 6:05 p.m. on Tuesday at Excite Ballpark.