PASADENA, Calif. (Feb. 28, 2022) - This last four days of February saw the baseball program embark on its 2022 SCIAC campaign with a home-and-home series versus the California Lutheran University Kingsmen, while also playing host to the Bridgewater College Eagles. Clear skies and terrific baseball weather provided the backdrop as the Beavers sought to find greater consistency on the mound, at the plate and in the field over this four-games-in-four-days stretch.

 

In dropping the first game of the Cal Lutheran series, 16-0, on North Field on Friday afternoon, Caltech was challenged offensively and kept off balance by the opposing starter, who in five innings of work yielded only a single by junior Will Dembski (Pella, Iowa / Pella Christian), who went 1-3 in the contest. The Beavers were kept in check at the plate all afternoon, as Dembski was their only baserunner, reaching third in the fourth via consecutive fielder's choices after singling to lead off the inning. On the mound, the Beavers were led by three pitchers with solid outings. This group included junior Steven Yee (Leawood, Kan. / Blue Valley), who worked 1.2 innings allowing one hit and a walk, sophomore Matthew Cox (Dallas, Texas / Jesuit Dallas) with 1.1 innings of work allowing a hit while fanning a batter, as well as senior Pierce Governale (Tampa, Fla. / Berkeley Preparatory School) whose one inning of work was handled in workmanlike fashion, retiring the Cal Lutheran batters in order, striking out two. Governale inherited a bases-loaded situation, but wiggled out of the frame.  Despite these performances, the Beavers went down to Cal Lutheran as the staff yielded 12 walks against five strikeouts on the day.

 

In game two of the three-game set with Cal Lutheran, the first of a Saturday doubleheader on the Kingsmen's Thousand Oaks campus, the Beavers drew first blood in the top of the third when freshman shortstop Jack Fishel (Baltimore, Md. / Boy's Latin School of Maryland) walked with the bases loaded, scoring freshman Cameron McNamee (Great Falls, Mont. / Great Falls). Fishell's offensive leadership was far from over, as five innings later with Dembski aboard, Fishell belted a two-run home run to give the Beavers a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth. While it looked as though the Beavers would level the series and their SCIAC record at 1-1, the Kingsmen rallied in the bottom of the ninth, scratching out two runs to walk off with the 4-3 victory. On the mound, the Beavers were led by senior starter Dawson Beutler (Omaha, Neb. / Millard West) who went 4.1 innings, allowing four hits and two runs, striking out two while allowing just one walk. He was relieved by Cox who contributed four outstanding innings of work, allowing just three hits and one run, while fanning one batter and issuing one free pass. The most impressive stat of the game was the fact that Caltech pitchers issued only two walks while striking out three, scattering eight hits.  

 

After a 30-minute break, the two teams were back at it in the afternoon game of the doubleheader. Things started positively for the visitors, as Dembski led off the game with a single through the left side of the infield.  Unfortunately for the Beavers, hot-hitting Fishel hit into a double play that quickly erased the opportunity for Caltech to get an early lead, something that the host Kingsmen seized, plating 10 in their first three innings of offense. The Beavers made efforts to get back into the contest, as senior left fielder Spiro Stameson (Newport Beach, Calif. / Newport Harbor) went 1-2 on the afternoon, while also getting aboard with a walk. Freshman second baseman Garret Knuf (Laguna Niguel, Calif. / Dana Hills) also contributed on offense, reaching base twice. Caltech's quiet bats coupled with Cal Lutheran's unrelenting attack led to the exact same scoreline the Beavers faced in game one of the series, losing 16-0 and falling to 2-9 (0-3 SCIAC) for the season.

 

Returning to Pasadena and the familiar confines of North Field, the Beavers were looking to get back in the win column when they hosted Bridgewater on Monday afternoon to close out the month of February. Bridgewater, located about two and a half hours southwest of the nation's capitol in Virginia, was thrilled to be in the warm weather and proved it, swinging the bats well, early and often. The Beavers also demonstrated the ability to score runs, plating seven on the afternoon on nine hits, but it was all way too much to try to keep up with the soaring Eagles who saw 26 runners score on the afternoon. An offensive highlight for Caltech included a two-run homer by Jack Warren (Foster City, Calif. / San Mateo). His two-run blast to deep right centerfield plated two in the bottom of the third, as Beutler was aboard. In addition to Bridgewater's ability to swing the sticks, Caltech was more than a generous host, allowing nine free passes, as well as giving the opponent five extra outs by committing five errors defensively. The pitchers who had the best score lines on the afternoon included lefthanded junior Arya Mevada (Marietta, Ga. / Wheeler) who didn't allow the Eagles to score while holding the opponent hitless, issuing two bases on balls and striking out one. Sophomore Danny Collinson (West Chester, Pa. / Henderson) was also impressive in his inning of work, yielding one run while fanning two batters.

 

Head Coach Kevin Whitehead and the Beavers are back in action on Friday, Mar. 4 when they travel to take on the Whittier College Poets at 2:30 pm. The two teams will then complete their three-game series when they meet on the Caltech campus in a doubleheader on Saturday, Mar. 5 starting at 11:00 am on North Field. The nightcap of the twinbill is scheduled to start at approximately 2:00 pm. After the Beavers complete this three-game set in the SCIAC, they will close out the first weekend of March with a single game versus Whitman College of Walla Walla, Wash. on Sunday, Mar. 6 starting at 11:00 am.