No. 19 Cal is coming off a midweek win over Nevada and heads into the weekend to face Oregon State, where it will look to capture back-to-back Pac-12 series wins for the first time this season.
No. 19 Cal followed up a Pac-12 series win over Arizona State with its 27th win Wednesday over a non-conference opponent, the Nevada Wolf Pack. Then, led by senior ace Haylei Archer, the Bears secured a 5-1 midweek win over Nevada to improve to 34-15 on the season.
“We just took that confidence from the (Arizona State) series into a really good team like Nevada and came out with a win,” Archer said.
The four-year veteran pitcher has spent the entirety of her career with the Bears and has saved her best for last with career bests along the board. In years where Archer has pitched a minimum of 100 innings, the New Jersey local is posting lows in ERA (2.89), hits (107), runs (53) and walks (50), all while racking up a career-high 87 strikeouts. The final three games will also be a chance for Archer to reach new milestones in single-season wins, complete games and shutouts.
A three-game Pac-12 series against Oregon State at Levine-Fricke Field will not only conclude the 2024 regular season but also the collegiate careers of six Bears: Tatum Anzaldo, Hope Alley, Diamond Holland, Alexis Bishop, Amanda Kondo and Archer.
“It’s so bittersweet. I'm sad. I'm sure I’ll bawl my eyes out on Senior Day knowing that it's my last time playing here. But, I'm just so proud of the journey. Coach Spencer and I both arrived at the same time and the growth our program has had, where our culture is at now and just how well our team is playing means the world to me,” Archer said. “I'm sad to see my days go, but I'll absolutely be back for games to support this team, this program and Coach Spencer because it has changed my life and it means everything to me to wear ‘California’ across my chest.”
Archer is one of Cal’s longest-tenured players and will look to leave a lasting impact on the culture the players and coaches have raved about building over the last several years.
Despite struggles against conference opponents, with a 7-12 record, the Bears are “getting hot at the right time” according to Archer, and will look to carry their momentum into Senior Day against the Beavers — a team that Cal has struggled against in recent years, at just 2-7-1 over the last 10 matchups.
“A series win would be huge for us. We're trending in the right direction and are looking to keep that momentum going and continue to boost our confidence for these next couple of weeks. We have a lot of young players in really important roles, so just going into the Pac-12 tournament against the best teams in the country, and then going to the postseason is going to be important to keep our confidence up,” Archer said.
Among those young players is recent sophomore standout, Ryann Orange. Orange has picked up some major value down the stretch for Cal, appearing more times than ever, and contributing 28 strikeouts in under 30 innings of action, all while tying a team-high three saves.
With Archer on her way out, Orange is set to dominate the circle alongside freshman stud Randi Roelling for years to come.
“I'm just so proud of (Orange). She’s been the epitome of a good teammate. She puts her head down and works her butt off. She didn't get a ton of starts at the beginning of the season, but we’ve needed her so much right now and she has stepped up in every way,” Archer said. “I'm just so excited for her and her career here at Cal. She's going to do great and I think this is a good step in the right direction for her.”
A series win over the Beavers would be the first time all season the Bears have won back-to-back conference series matchups. More importantly, it will set up Cal with momentum heading to the Pac-12 tournament and will add to a historic season with the most wins since 2014-15 at 39.
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