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2014 Team 1
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The Pioneers are at home for the final time this season when they host SF State on Saturday.

Senior Day Highlights Final Series of 2014

5/1/2014 5:34:00 PM

By: Steve Connolly, Sports Information Director
Cal State East Bay (27-17, 21-15 CCAA) vs. San Francisco State (21-25, 16-20 CCAA)

Friday, May 2 • 3 p.m
Sunday, May 4 • 12 p.m.
Maloney Field • San Francisco, Calif.
Live Stats • Live Video

Saturday, May 3 • 12 p.m. (Doubleheader)
SENIOR DAY
Pioneer Field • Hayward, Calif.
Live Stats

HAYWARD, Calif. -- The Cal State East Bay baseball team has won 12 of its last 14 games heading into the final regular-season series of 2014 against San Francisco State this weekend. The Pioneers will play road games on Friday, May 2 and Sunday, May 4 sandwiched around a doubleheader at home on Saturday, May 3. Between games, East Bay will hold its annual "Senior Day" ceremony to celebrate the careers of the 13 seniors on this year's squad.

WEEKLY RECAP
The Pioneers completed their first four-game sweep of the season last week, holding visiting Cal State L.A. to just seven runs in four contests. Thanks to a Friday rainout, they played two doubleheaders over the weekend. Nick Hudson tossed the first shutout of his collegiate career to lead East Bay to a 4-0 victory in the first game. Sean Becker went the distance in the second game, and Kelly Starnes went 4-for-5 as the Pioneers cruised to an 8-2 win.

On Sunday, Michael Pope recorded his first complete game of 2014, holding the Golden Eagles to just three hits in a 4-2 win. The Pioneers needed exta innings to decide the series finale, but Tyler Buchanan's eighth-inning double landed right on the foul line to plate the game-winning run in a 4-3 nailbiter.

PIONEER POINTS
Cal state East Bay is batting .276 with a .342 on-base percentage as a team. Their staff ERA is 3.47, and they're holding opponents to a .250 average, third-best in the CCAA. The Pioneers are 25-4 when they score three or more runs. 

Junior Ryan Kochan was named CCAA Player of the Week for Apr. 21-27 after batting .467 and leading the team with seven hits, five RBI, and three stolen bases against CSULA. 

Starnes posted a .431 batting average in April. In CCAA play this season, he ranks eighth in batting average (.353), eighth in obp (.428), sixth in slugging (.496), third in home runs (4), third in runs (28), and third in total bases (66). 

Brandon Alexander is currently fourth in the league with 13 doubles and sixth with 32 RBI. Freshman Marcus Wise ranks second in the conference with 17 stolen bases.

Three senior hurlers are leading the way for East Bay this year. Becker leads the CCAA in innings pitched for the season (85.0). Hudson and Ben O'Bryan enter the series tied for the league lead with five complete games. Hudson is also tied for first in the CCAA in wins (8), while O'Bryan ranks fourth in strikeouts (57).

POSTSEASON DREAMS
The Pioneers are currently in fifth place in the CCAA at 21-15. They have been eliminated from contention for the conference championship as #6 Chico State, #20 UC San Diego, #21 Cal Poly Pomona, and Somoma State have all secured spots in the CCAA Tournameent. East Bay has clinched fifth place for the second straight year, as they hold a five-game lead over sixth-place SF State with four left to play.

The Pioneers are still alive when it comes to NCAA postseason play, however. CSUEB is ranked No. 6 in this week's NCAA DIvision II West Region Rankings. After the regular season and conference tounraments are completed, six teams will be invited to compete in the West Regionals for a chance at the NCAA DII National Championship. As such, this final series against the Gators is extremely important for the Pioneers as they try to maintain their position.

SCOUTING SF STATE
The Gators have split their last two series, going 2-2 against both UC San Diego and Cal State Dominguez Hills. East Bay won three out of four games when the teams met in 2013. SF State ranks last in the CCAA in batting average (.245) and on-base percentage (.314). Their top hitters are Dillon Meyer (.303 avg, 13 SB), Mark Lindsay (.285 avg, 21 RBI), Carter Loud (.289 avg, 18 RBI), and Grady Espinosa (.264 avg, 22 R). The Gators have a 4.29 team ERA, led by starters Preston Tarter (4-6, 4.13 ERA), Nolan Sheridan (2-8, 4.29 ERA), and Jack Veronin (3-3, 4.68 ERA), and closer Cory Davis (3.38 ERA, 12 SV).

SENIOR NOTES
This year's senior class features 13 student-athletes who will be playing their final homes at Pioneer Field on Saturday. It is a impressive group of men, and 12 of whom have been members of both the 2013 and 2014 squads, which stand as two of the most successful in the program's history. Below are brief career higlhights for each senior:
 
Brandon Alexander -- Originally from Oakley, Brandon transferred to East Bay as a junior last season and batted .337, leading the team with a .420 on-base percentage and .497 slugging. He was an All-CCAA honorable mention selection in 2013 and a preseason NCBWA All-West Region pick this year. As a senior, Brandon is batting .314. He leads the team with 32 RBI, and he's fourth in the CCAA with 13 doubles. In two seasons, Brandon has been in the starting lineup 90 times for the Pioneers, posted 32 multi-hit games, and racked up 32 extra base hits.
 
Sean Becker -- Hailing from San Fernando, Sean will finish his career as one of the top starting pitchers in East Bay history. Last year as a junior, he went 8-2 with a 2.19 ERA and led the conference in complete games. He was voted as the CCAA Co-Newcomer of the Year and earned second team All-CCAA and All-West Region honors. As a senior, Sean leads the conference with 85 innings pitched and has issued just nine walks for the season. He's a three-time CCAA Pitcher of the Week, winning the award twice as a junior and once as a senior. For his career, Sean has a 14-6 record with 10 complete games in 24 starts, and he ranks fourth all-time in Pioneer history with a 2.55 ERA.
 
Tyler Buchanan -- A native of Oakley, Tyler came to East Bay last season and utilized a redshirt. This year, he has been a regular in the Pioneer lineup and behind the dish, playing in 30 games and making 28 starts. He's fifth on the team with five doubles, and he ranks sixth in the CCAA with nine runners thrown out on the base paths. Tyler has two walk-off hits for the Pioneers this season, including a game-winning double on April 27th against Cal State L.A. 
 
Zac Chuvala -- A native of Fort Collins, Colorado, Chuvala has started 90 games at shortstop for the Pioneers over the last two seasons. He has posted 84 hits and 15 multi-hit games, while providing consistently stellar defense. As a junior, he batted .296 and was named honorable mention All-CCAA. As a senior, he's second on the team with eight doubles and 43 games played. Defensively, he leads all CCAA players with 147 assists and ranks second among shortstops with a .961 fielding percentage, having committed just nine errors in 229 chances.
 
Nick Hudson -- A native of Benicia, Nick transferred to Cal State East Bay from UC San Diego after his freshman year and has since earned two victories over his former team. After sitting out 2012, Nick has been one of the Pioneers' top pitchers for his junior and senior years. The right-hander posted a 3.08 ERA in 64.1 innings last season. This season, he's 8-2 with a 3.20 ERA, and he's tied for first in the CCAA in victories and complete games. For his career, Nick has pitched in 25 games, made 19 starts, and thrown 146 innings for the Pioneers. He has 10 wins, and he ranks 10th in school history with a 3.14 career ERA. He tossed his first career complete game shutout last Friday, April 25, against Cal State L.A. in his final start at Pioneer Field.
 
Naea Kalehuawehe -- Originally from Maui, Hawaii, Naea transferred to Cal State East Bay prior to last season and has played in 37 games in two years. As a junior, he batted .322 with a .400 on-base percentage and drove in 19 runs. He has recorded multiple hits six times as a Pioneer, including career highs with three hits and five RBI in a game against Cal State Monterey Bay on February 16, 2013. For his career, Naea has committed only one error in 126 chances at first base.

Taylor Kruger -- A native of Tracy, Taylor joined the Pioneers last season and has made 17 appearances out of the bullpen in two years with a 2.50 ERA. As a senior, he has struck out 11 batters and allowed just two earned runs in 12.2 innings. His 1.42 ERA is the lowest of any pitcher on the team. On April 6th of this year, Taylor escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning against 6th-ranked Chico State to preserve an 8-7 win and earn his first career save. 

Eren Miravalles -- A native of South San Francisco, Eren transferred to East Bay as a junior and played in all 50 games his first season. He batted .310, stole 10 bases, led the team with 40 runs scored, and was named honorable mention All-CCAA. He also posted a five-hit game last February 23rd against Cal State Stanislaus. This year, he was a preseason NCBWA All-West Region pick, and he's batting .321 in conference play. For his career, Eren has 88 hits, 26 multi-hit games, and he's made just 12 errors in 358 defensive chances at second base.

Ben O'Bryan -- Originally from Dublin, B.J. is finishing up his third season as one of East Bay's leading pitchers. As a senior, he ranks fourth in the CCAA with 57 strikeouts and is tied for first with five complete games. Opponents are batting .196 against him this season, which ranks top-30 in the nation. For his career, Ben has pitched in 38 games, made 29 starts, and tossed 181 innings. He has 10 wins and two saves, and he has held opposing batters to a .220 average. Ben is a CCAA All-Academic honoree, and he ranks 11th in school history with 138 strikeouts and a 3.24 ERA. 
 
Chris Schmalz -- A native of Gunnison, Colorado, Chris joined the Pioneers last season and tossed 7.0 innings without allowing a run as a junior. In two years, he has pitched in 12 games, including one start. He has allowed just four hits and two runs in 12.0 career innings, posting an ERA of 1.50 and holding opponents to a minuscule .118 batting average.

Ellis Stephney -- An All-American at Laney College and an All-Conference player last year at Texas Southern University, Ellis came to Cal State East Bay for his senior season. Originally from Pinole, he has played in 35 games this year and ranks fourth on the team with 16 RBI. He's a perfect 8-for-8 on stolen base attempts and has seven multi-hit games, including a 4-for-5 performance on Feb. 21st against Sonoma State.

Ryan Strouse -- An infielder from Cotati, Ryan has done everything the team has asked of him over the last two seasons, including strapping on the catcher's gear at times. Ryan has played in four games for the Pioneers in his career. Last season, on March 23rd against Holy Names, he singled and scored a run in just his second collegiate at bat. 

Bryce Vidmar -- A native of Clovis, Bryce began his Pioneer career last season with 12 consecutive scoreless outings. He ended up leading the team with 16 appearances out of the bullpen in 2013, and he allowed just one earned run for a 0.66 ERA. As a senior, he has pitched in 10 games for the Pioneers in relief and leads the team with three saves, closing out victories against Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State Dominguez Hills, and 10th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona. The left-hander has issued just five walks in 22.1 career innings.  
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