The Bears split their series against then-No.3 Georgia and sweep Boise State at the DeMarini Invitational and head into Pac-12 play as a conscious top-20 team.
After going 3-1 at the DeMarini Invitational and making quick work of the Saint Mary’s Gaels, the Bears made it four-straight wins, remaining flawless at Levine-Fricke Field and improving to 20-2 on the season.
The story of the Bears’ season has been one of winning, and 20 wins through 22 games has been the best start the program has seen since 2015 when they began 21-1.
“The win is the only column that matters, and clearly we are all as a collective doing our part in order for the dubs to keep happening. So as a collective unit, I think we're all executing the roles that we need to,” said Cal outfielder Kaylee Pond.
Cal opened up the DeMarini Invitational against its toughest opponent of the season, then-No. 3 Georgia at the Farm, followed by Boise State at home.
The first of a two-game series against the Bulldogs didn’t stack well for the Bears as they had their 14-game winning streak snapped at the tail end of a 4-2 loss.
Game two, however, was for the taking and Cal capitalized. Following a close loss on Friday, the Bears found themselves in a deja vu moment, trailing two runs entering the bottom of the second. Cal opened the floodgates with a three-run inning to kickstart seven unanswered runs en route to a 7-2 victory.
“Anyone can beat anyone and that's what coach (Spencer) preaches. So, it's whoever executes the most that day and so I think there’s something reassuring with that — it can be anyone’s game,” Pond said. “In our game, you fail more than you succeed, and that humbles you because it can go real quick. I know how quickly the game can turn up.”
With the Bulldogs put in their cage, the Boise State Broncos galloped into Berkeley for a Sunday doubleheader against the Bears.
In front of its home crowd, Cal put on an offensive masterpiece with seven combined home runs in its two games against Boise State. For nearly five hours of total game time against the Broncos, the Bears never trailed as they outscored their Mountain West opponent 14-6.
A split series against then-No. 3 Georgia and a sweep over Boise State was more than enough to climb the week four rankings where the Bears peaked at No. 15, and are now a consensus top-20 team among the four major polls.
Before heading to Eugene for its first Pac-12 matchup, Cal hosted Saint Mary’s where catcher Lagi Quiroga continued her standout freshman campaign with a two home run performance.
Behind Quiroga's stellar play, the Bears steamrolled past the Gaels to a 7-1 victory to make it 18-straight wins against Saint Mary’s.
“We knew they were the kind of team that could sneak up on us, so we knew we had to take it to them. We couldn't let our foot off the gas at any point,” Quiroga said. “I feel like as a team, as a whole, on offense and on defense, we all pretty much did our job and executed very well.”
Through 22 games, the Los Angeles local has smacked six home runs — tied for second on the team and tied for third in the Pac-12 — and has tallied 19 hits, 14 runs, 13 RBIs and a 0.417 on-base percentage.
Quiroga is part of the reason why Cal is ranked fourth in the nation in home runs (34) and far and above any Pac-12 team with 11 more home runs than second-place Arizona.
“We’re a high-energy team. We’re not a quiet team … It’s pure passion. (We) celebrate every little moment because every little moment matters,” Pond said. “Whether or not we are winning or losing, that passion is going to be there no matter what.”
A three-game series against the Oregon Ducks is up next for the Bears and they will look to carry their energy to Eugene.
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