Cal Opens Baseball Season Friday; Pitching Is Bears' Strength

Bears hope to improve as the season progresses, looking to reach NCAA playoffs

Pitching depth and strength at the top of the batting order seem to be the strengths of Cal's baseball team as it begins its 2021 season.

The Bears were just 5-11 last year before the season was canceled, but they earned a berth in the NCAA playoffs in 2019. That was Cal's first postseason berth since 2015 and just its second since 2011.

----(Mike Neu talks about his pitchers in the video above and his batting order in the video below)----

Cal will have to overcome preseason predictions to make it to the NCAA playoff field this season. The Bears are picked to finish ninth in the 11-team Pac-12.

Head coach Mike Neu expects pitching to be the team's strength. Grant Holman, Sean Sullivan, freshman Paulshawn Pasqualotto and Josh White will be the starters for the four-game series against Pacific. That series starts Friday (Feb. 19) in Berkeley.

Sam Stoutenborough will probably get into the starting rotation when his hamstring injury heals, and closer Joseph Kings may miss the first few weeks with a minor arm issue.

"When we get [King] back, we feel pretty good about our pitching," Neu said. "We definitely have some depth, and we have some guys that have some experience and we have some guys who really know how to compete," Neu said. "I think if we have a strength, that's probably it, and it's probably a good one to have."

When Holman is not pitching, he will be a designated hitter in a lineup that's strong at the top.

Leadoff hitter and second baseman Darren Baker is back for another season after not being taken in the shorted to five rounds in 2020 instead of the usual 40 rounds. In a typical draft, Baker would have been selected and probably would be a pro now.

The same probably goes for third baseman Quentin Selma, the Bears leading hitter last season who is also back.

Both Selma and Baker are left-handed hitters are several players at the top of the Bears' batting order.

"We're a little bit left-handed heavy, but I think that will play to our advantage more often than not," Neu said.

Overall, the Bears are limited in experience, but have some talent.

"We'll get better as the season goes on," Neu said.

The Bears will use the nonconference season to gear up for conference play, which begins with a March 26 game against Utah,

Cal will have to make strides to compete in the Pac-12. UCLA, which was the No. 1 seed in the 2019 NCAA playoffs, is No. 2 in this year's preseason rankings. The Bruins are the clear favorite in the Pac-12. Arizona is also ranked in the Baseball America preseason top 25, but their may not be as many national powerhouses in the Pac-12 as there is usually.

CAL BASEBALL SEASON PREVIEW

COACH: Mike Neu, 3rd season

2020 RECORD: 5-11, 0-0 in Pac-12 when season was canceled

PAC-12 COACHES POLL (11 teams): 1. UCLA, 2. Arizona, 3. Arizona State, 4. Oregon State, 5. Stanford, 6. USC, 7. Oregon, 8. Washington, 9. Cal, 10. Washington State, 11. Utah

NATIONAL RANKING: Not ranked in Baseball America or D1 preseason rankings (Preseason rankings include two Pac-12 teams:  UCLA No. 2 in both rankings, Arizona No. 15 in Baseball America rankings and No. 22 in D1 rankings)

TOP PLAYERS: Senior 1B-3B Quentin Selma (.293 batting average, 4 HRs, 16 RBIs in 2020); senior 2B Darren Baker (.286 batting average, 0 HRs, 6 RBIs, 4 stolen bases); junior P-DH Grant Holman (.250 batting average, 1 HR, 10 RBIs as a hitter, 1-3, 3.28 ERA as a pitcher).

2021 OPENER: Friday vs Pacific at Berkeley

PAC-12 OPENER: March 26 vs. Utah

COMPLETE SCHEDULE: Here is the link to the official Cal website

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Cover photo of Sean Sullivan by Rob Edwards, KLC Fotos