GAME #16
ART U (0-15) vs. No. 10/13 Chico State (13-5)
March 9, 2012 at 6:00 PM
Nettleton Stadium -- Chico, CA
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GAMES #17 & 18
ART U (0-15) vs. No. 10/13 Chico State (13-5)
March 10, 2012 at 12:00 PM & 3:00 PM
Nettleton Stadium -- Chico, CA
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GAME #19
ART U (0-15) vs. No. 10/13 Chico State (13-5)
March 11, 2012 at 11:00 AM
Nettleton Stadium -- Chico, CA
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FIRST PITCH
The Urban Knights played their second four-game set against PacWest newcomers Cal Baptist, and just like the first series, played their best games in the final doubleheader. Unfortunately, the Esquerra brothers, Zach and Luke, combined to get the best of the Knights, going 6-for-8 in the series finale with three doubles, two singles, and a homer, accounting for four of the six Lancer runs.

THE GREAT AWAKENING
The Urban Knights were in a team-wide slump until Saturday's twinbill against Cal Baptist, but pounded out 13 hits against Lancers pitching to get their bats going. James Singzon, Zach Babitt, Johnathan Robbins, and Michael Reyes all had multi-hit games, and Jared DePatto had a hit and 2-RBI single in Game 2 to get the Knights out of their hitting doldrums.

INTO THE WILD
No. 10 (NCBWA)/No. 13 (NCAA) Chico State split their last series with Cal Poly Pomona, but the Wildcats were coming off back-to-back sweeps of Northwest Nazarene and San Francisco State before that. Troy Neiman (1-0) was recently named CCAA Pitcher of the Week last week, boasts a 2.41 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 18.2 innings. The week before that, outfielder Cody Foster was named the CCAA Player of the Week, and is hitting .353 with 24 hits and 19 RBIs in 18 games. Foster has also been hit nine times already this year, and has an on-base percentage of .439, which is second on the team only to Blake Gibbs (.481), who has 10 HBPs.

SOUND OF SETTLING
After a wild beginning to 2012, the Urban Knights pitchers have cut down significantly on the amount of walks they have issued. Zach Mexicano was averaging 4.3 walks per appearance, but in his complete game loss against CBU, he only walked two in seven innings. Yoshi Uemura has great stuff, but was wild in the early going. He rebounded as well, putting out his best outing in relief when he shaved seven whole points off his ERA, striking out seven and only walking three.

WHAT'S ON DECK
After facing the Wildcats, the Knights will head to Phoenix to face Grand Canyon, and then to Utah to take on the Red Storm of Dixie State. They won't be back in Oakland until March 31, when they start a four-game series against Hawaii Hilo.