HAYWARD, Calif. — After sweeping a pair of home series to start the season 7-0 for the first time in program history, the Cal State East Bay baseball team will play its first road games of the year this weekend. The team is set to open CCAA play against Cal State Monterey Bay as they begin one of the toughest conference schedules in the country. The Pioneers travel to Seaside for games Friday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (11 a.m.), and they host the Otters for a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday. 

WEEKEND RECAP
The Pioneer hurlers led East Bay to a three-game sweep over visiting Oregon Tech last Saturday and Sunday, allowing just five total runs in the series. The Pioneers won a pitcher's duel in game one, 3-1, behind six scoreless innings from senior Ben O'Bryan and a three-inning save from fellow senior Charlie Sharrer. Roger Luna drove in the first two East Bay runs with a sac fly and a double.

The Pioneers exploded for 12 runs in the back end of the doubleheader, despite it being just a seven-inning ballgame. They capitalized on four Oregon Tech errors, taking a 5-2 lead in the first inning, then adding three in the fifth and four in the sixth to put the game away. Junior Sean Becker got the win in his first career start, tossing six innings. Senior Brandon Alexander had a double, a triple, and scored two runs, while junior Eren Miravalles had two hits and drove in a pair of runs.

East Bay cruised to its seventh straight victory on Sunday behind sophomore Michael Pope, who allowed just one hit in six scoreless innings. The Pioneers secured the sweep thanks to a seven-run seventh inning that featured two three-run triples. The first was from Kyle Zozaya, who knocked in four runs and leads the Pioneers with a .412 batting average and .500 on-base percentage this season. The second was from Alexander, who was 3-for-3 on the day and scored twice.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Brandon Alexander (OF, Sr.) — The Pioneer right fielder was 6-for-9 with two walks in the Oregon Tech series, good for a Ruthian .727 on-base percentage. He had a double, two triples, scored four runs, and notched five RBI to lead the team.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Michael Pope (RHP, So.) — Pope improved to 2-0 with his dominant performance against the Owls on Sunday. After a lead-off flare to right field started the game, he didn't allow another hit for six innings, striking out five in the 9-2 victory. Pope leads the CCAA with 14 strikeouts in the young season.

NEWCOMERS AT THE TOP
The combination of Andrew Rodriguez, Alexander, and Miravalles in the top three spots of the batting order has been a recipe for success so far. Alexander is third on the team with a .364 average after his huge weekend, and he and Rodriguez are tied for the team lead with 13 total bases. The senior center fielder has a .467 on-base percentage out of the lead-off sport and leads the squad with three stolen bases and five walks. Miravalles, meanwhile, has been East Bay's most consistent hitter in the first two weeks. The junior second baseman leads the team with 10 hits and eight runs and ranks second with a .400 batting average and .483 on-base percentage. Combined, the trio has gotten on base at a .470 clip, and the Pioneers have scored 13 runs in the first inning.

STRONG STAFF
The Pioneers are off to their best start in program history largely because the pitching staff as a whole has been extremely impressive. They currently lead the CCAA in strikeouts; their team ERA is 1.33; opponents are batting .168 against them; and most importantly, they've only walked 19 batters in 61.0 innings. All three starters threw at least six innings against Oregon Tech and recorded wins, and the team didn't even have to use senior Matt Fontaine, who threw seven scoreless innings against Central Washington and is scheduled to pitch game three this weekend.

NO HARM, NO FOUL
Infield errors are a way of life when playing at Pioneer field, but East Bay has done a remarkable job of not letting mistakes hurt them, while capitalizing on the miscues of others. The Pioneers committed have 18 errors in the seven home games and their opponents committed have 16 — both notably high figures. However, the East Bay pitching staff has picked up the slack, allowing just four unearned runs and 13 total runs the entire season. Opposing pitchers, meanwhile, have allowed 52 runs to the Pioneers, 18 of them unearned.

OUTLOOK ON THE OTTERS
It should be a good matchup with Cal State Monterey Bay, who finished 20-20 in conference games last year and was picked to finish seventh in this year's preseason poll. They opened the season by sweeping Point Loma in three games on the road, then splitting four games with Central Washington at home. They're batting .283 as a team with a 4.73 ERA, and they've swiped 12 bags in 15 attempts.

Right fielder Tommy George is leading the Otters with a .417 avg and four steals. First baseman Brian Haggett is batting .400 with a team-best five extra-base hits. 2012 All-CCAA selection David Garcia paces the squad with two home runs and eight RBI. Follow All-Conference honoree Jeff Owen has been Monterey Bay's best pitcher. He's allowed just one run in ten innings this season, picking up two victories. The Pioneers are 7-5 against the Otters over the last three seasons. In 2012, the teams split their series, with each squad winning twice on the road.