The No. 23 Wildcats earned an even split in their road series against the Cal State Monterey Bay Otters this past weekend.
It was a back-and-forth weekend for the Wildcats, who took home games two (8-6) and four (6-1). The three-time defending conference champion Otters dominated games one (11-4) and three (5-1) with their bats, securing both victories for a combined run differential of 11. Chico State improves to 18-11 on the season and 11-9 in conference play.
Chico State got out to an early 4-0 lead in game one on Friday, scoring a pair of runs in the second and third innings. After tying things up in the fifth, Monterey Bay took control in the sixth inning after a grand slam from their senior infielder, Jaden Sheppard. The Otter’s 11 runs were too much for the Wildcats to come back from.
The Wildcat’s senior right-hander Evan Tomlinson started on the bump for the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader. This time, the Wildcats gave the Otters a taste of their own medicine, forming a comeback of their own, piling on four runs in the fourth inning and taking a 5-3 lead. The Wildcats held on for the 8-6 win, maintaining Tomlinson’s undefeated record, which is now up to six wins through his first six starts.
Like in the series opener, the Otters’ bats controlled the game’s narrative. They scored three runs in the second and two in the fifth to take a deciding four-run lead. Down 2-1 on the series, the Wildcats had their backs against the wall heading into their final game. However, senior right-hander Marco Ibarra ensured they wouldn’t drop back-to-back series, going seven innings and only allowing one run on seven hits for his third win in 2025.
The Wildcats narrowly avoided dropping consecutive series after going 1-3 against the Cal State East Bay Pioneers one week prior. Chico is currently tied for sixth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings with the San Francisco State Gators.
Chico State gets a much-deserved break this week and won’t take the field until Apr. 4, when they’ll take on the Cal State San Bernadino Coyotes. Game time is set for 6 p.m. at the Nettleton Stadium, where the Wildcats haven’t played since Mar. 16.
For information about all Chico State athletics or to keep up with the games live, visit the Wildcat home page or watch through FloSports.
Lukas Mann can be reached at orionmanagingeditor@gmail.com.
