Fall Notebooks: October 2| October 15| November 6
Programs covered: California, Virginia Arizona State, LSU, UCLA, Stanford, East Carolina, Miami, Wake Forest
California
Regardless of the adversity that may occur (and has occurred), skipper Dave Esquer continues to move this program forward with remarkable fortitude. In what is nothing short of a miracle, Cal Baseball should enter 2016 as a preseason top 10 team. This is miraculous because it was exactly five years ago that the administration at Cal literally dropped the baseball program.
While the reinstatement of the Cal program and their magical run to Omaha in 2011 are well documented, the Bears' recruiting quietly took a beating. It has been a long road back but the program's depth stood out this fall. And that is despite the losses of departed senior Chris Paul and uber-talented two-way player Lucas Erceg, who transferred to Menlo College, an NAIA school.
Ace Daulton Jefferies rightfully commands the headlines but this is a roster with 11 seniors. Mitchell Kranson, who may have the best moustache in college baseball, has spent some time at third base in what looks like a Brett Wallace impersonation. Senior lefthanded hitter Nick Halamandaris has crushed the baseball all fall. Redshirt senior Brenden Farney, who led Cal in hitting in 2014 and then missed last season to injury, is back and could contribute as a corner player. Additionally, the return of seniors Ryan Mason and Devin Pearson gives Cal two known commodities who have performed at a high level.
The Bears' enormous number of upperclassmen stands out but the quality of the sophomore class should not be undersold. Lefthander Matt Ladrech and righty Jeff Bain both spent time in the weekend rotation last year and classmate Preston Grand Pre pairs with junior Robbie Tenerowicz to form one of the best defensive middle infields on the West Coast.
Five freshman to look for are righthander Tanner Dodson, middle infielder Ripken Reyes, and outfielders Jonah Davis, Lorenzo Hampton Jr. and Cole Lemmel. The ultimate sign of what Esquer and his staff have accomplished is the fact that as of this fall, none of these freshmen will be forced into a role they are not ready for.
Virginia
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