Cal Goes for First Win at Sunken Since 2006

Since 2004, the Cal baseball team is 2-10 at Stanford's Sunken Diamond. Not too comforting a statistic considering that this weekend, the No. 16 Bears will travel to the lair of their arch rival in search of a crucial late-season Pac-10 series victory.

"I don't really think they have a really hostile environment or fans; it's more of a family atmosphere," junior left fielder Charlie Cutler said of Sunken. "I don't think we're intimidated to go play there at their place at all, especially after being at some much more hostile fields like Arizona State and Long Beach last year."

The last time that Cal (30-15-2, 9-9 in the Pac-10) defeated the No. 6 Cardinal (28-16-2, 10-5) on its home turf was May 6, 2006, when a fresh-faced rookie tossed 7 1/3 innings, allowing only one run on six hits while striking out eight in a televised Saturday game.

That rookie's name was Tyson Ross, the same pitcher who will once again take the Sunken Diamond mound tonight under the lights at 6 p.m. in search of his eighth win.

"Tyson threw pretty well last weekend, and I always have confidence in him," senior second baseman Josh Satin said. "He's been there, and he's done everything. He's experienced it all. When he plays on Friday night under the lights, he's very tough to hit."

The Bears as a team, though, might just want to get a decision, as the last game between the two squads at Evans Diamond on April 7 ended after 13 innings in a 5-5 tie due to darkness.

"We definitely want to go down there and win the series," Cutler said. "There's a lot relying on this weekend, and we really like our chances."

Cutler has been white hot lately hitting in the two-slot. Over the past four games, the catcher-turned-left-fielder is hitting .625 (10-for-16) with three doubles, one home run, and seven runs scored.

"I don't know what the deal is," Cutler said of his status as an outfielder possibly helping him stay fresh. "I'm just down to do whatever to contribute to the team. I'm just happy to play and happy to be in the lineup."

Cutler's .667 on-base percentage over the past four games has provided a boon of RBI opportunities for those middle-of-the-lineup types, especially big hitters Satin and first baseman David Cooper.

"I'm happy with the way Charlie's been playing and getting on base," Satin said. "The more guys get on base in front of David, the more dangerous he becomes."

The pair is among the conference leaders in both home runs and RBI. Cooper is fourth in the Pac-10 with 55 knocked in and first in roundtrippers with 19. Satin is seventh in RBI with 49 and second in home runs with 16.

Cooper is on the cusp of breaking the 20 home run mark, and would be the first Cal hitter to do so since current Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Xavier Nady, who set a school record with 23 longballs in 1999.

Last time the Bears met the Cardinal, Cal hitters saw 10 Stanford pitchers, and have a good idea about the opposition's bullpen make up.

"We didn't really see their weekend guys, necessarily, but we're confident we can hit," Cutler said. "We've hit against a lot of really good pitchers this year, so whoever they throw out there, we're not going to be intimidated."

Over the weekend, the Bears will face an unexpectedly dominant starting pitching staff that has exceeded expectations this season. On Friday, Ross will tangle with senior Austin Yount, nephew of Milwaukee Brewers great Robin Yount. Stanford's infielder/pitcher is 3-2 with a 1.74 ERA and owns a .355 average in 62 at-bats.

Saturday at 1 p.m., Cal lefty Craig Bennigson (3-3, 6.71) will face the ace of the Stanford staff, senior righty Erik Davis, who is 7-1 with a 3.48 ERA. Davis has thrown four complete games this season, more than the entire Cal team, which has yet to see a starter go the distance.

The three-game set concludes with yet another freshman starter getting his first television exposure, just like Ross in 2006. First-year righty Kevin Miller (6-0), who has a 2.34 ERA, will go against sophomore Jeffrey Inman (6-2, 3.43) at 1 p.m. in a game broadcast locally on CBS College Sports Network.

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