HAYWARD, Calif. -- For the third straight week to open the 2017 season, the Cal State East Bay baseball team has had to navigate rainy weather in trying to get in their games and practices. Fortunately, the Pioneers are 8-for-8 so far in playing their non-conference games as scheduled, but that streak will be put to the test again this weekend.

After taking three out of four games in each of their first two series, East Bay (6-2) wraps up its non-conference slate with four games against the Hawks (2-7). The opener was originally scheduled for Friday night at 6 p.m. at College of Alameda, but that has been pushed back to Sunday due to weather and will be played as part of a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. The series will instead begin on Saturday at Pioneer Field with first pitch of the doubleheader set for 11 a.m.

HOT START
The Pioneers have played well in all facets of the game in their first two series. They're batting .292 with a .398 on-base percentage and have committed just seven errors in eight games. They're averaging 5.8 runs per game and have out-scored their opponents 45-26 in total. 

Junior transfer Dallas Dey leads the team with a .417 batting average after collecting five hits and driving in five runs in last Sunday's doubleheader sweep of Central Washington. Fellow newcomer Pablo Artero has also been a tremendous addition in solidifying the shortstop position. He's batting .393 and leading the team in hits (11), runs (9), doubles (5), and total bases (16).

On the pitching side, the Pioneers have posted a 2.73 ERA with a 53-30 strikeout-to-walk ratio, while holding opponents to a .216 batting average. Five different players have recorded a save, and their top three starting pitchers have combined to allow just four earned runs in 27.2 innings.

RUNNING INTO THE RECORD BOOKS
On Saturday, four-year senior Marcus Wise stole four bases during the doubleheader against the Wildcats. The final one was the 60th steal of his career, which broke the program record, previously held by Ray Stokes since 2006. Wise has been remarkable consistent during his career, tallying 17 steals as a freshman, 17 more as a sophomore, and 18 as a junior. He's already 8-for-9 in just eight games this year, and at this pace, he may have a chance to threaten Stokes' single-season record of 29 steals. 

As a team, Cal State East Bay has been both aggressive and efficient on the base paths this season. Wise leads the CCAA with his eight steals, and Kris Bartlett ranks second after swiping seven bags in eight attempts so far. Overall the Pioneers are 25-for-27 on steals, which leads the CCAA by a comfortable margin. 

WALK THIS WAY
One area where the Pioneers excelled in 2016 was drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. That trend has continued into 2017, with the team taking an average of 5.0 walks per game. The only CCAA team with more walks than East Bay (40) is Cal State Monterey Bay (41), and the Otters have struck out twice as many times as the Pioneers. CSUEB has fanned just 28 times -- the fewest in the conference -- and they're the only CCAA team with more walks than strikeouts. 

Bartlett has been the embodiment of this phenomenon for the Pioneers. He's just 4-for-18 with the bat this season, but he's struck out just twice and drawn a league-leading 12 walks. The senior ranks ninth on the team in batting average through two weeks, but he leads the squad with a .533 on-base percentage.

SCOUTING HOLY NAMES
The Hawks split a four game-series vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills at home to open the season, then they were swept in four games by Stanislaus State. They fell to Cal State Monterey Bay 6-3 on Valentine's Day in their most recent game. HNU is batting .190 with a .283 on-base percentage and 99 total strikeouts through nine games. Evan Maecker (.353 avg) and Nick Snyder (.281 avg, 3 HR, .625 slg) lead the way offensively. The pitching staff has posted a 4.56 ERA with an impressive 63-21 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Starting pitchers Aiden McIntyre (1.93 ERA, 14.0 IP, 16 K), Gunnar David (2.25 ERA, 12.0 IP, 11 K), and Ricardo Torres (2.84 ERA, 12.2 IP, 13 K) have all made two starts each and turned in strong performances.