The CSU East Bay Pioneers baseball team split a four game series over the weekend against the Chico State Wildcats, who were ranked fourth in the nation entering the series.

The Pioneers suffered a devastating loss Friday to open the series; instead of lamenting over it, they used the loss as incentive to come out and sweep the double header on Saturday.

“After we got beat 12-1 we were motivated to come out the next day and play hard and beat them,” said Pioneer junior Jordan Wilder.

The Pioneers wrapped up the series Sunday against the Wildcats in a 3-0 loss.

Behind a superb performance by senior pitcher Kagen Hopkins, who allowed only two hits in a complete game shutout, and senior Myles Dempsey’s long towering homerun to left field, the Wildcats were able to get the split in the four game series.

“Hopkins mixed speeds really well. He kind of kept us guessing the whole day at the plate. He worked really well with his off-speed stuff,” said Pioneer senior Kyle Zozaya. “He threw a lot of change-ups and sliders. He just kept us off balance the whole day. He kind of controlled the game.”

Good fundamentals were key to victory in the back and forth series, with pitching determining whoever was going to win the game.

“It was a hard fought series. Chico was outstanding on the mound, so were we and that’s why we ended up with a split,” said Head Coach Bob Ralston. “They pitched really well all series, we pitched really well all series and you know it was just a hell of a pitching and defensive series by both teams.”

The Wildcats came to Hayward as one of the top ranked teams in the nation and while the Pioneers could only split the series, they view it as a positive step.

“I thought we played well,” said Zozaya. “They are ranked fourth in the nation and we are definitely the under dog in that one. To take two away from them with the possibility to take three, I thought that was alright.”

At a little more than halfway through their season the 19-8 overall and 12-8 in the CCAA, the Pioneers find themselves fourth in the CCAA; no small feat for a team that was chosen to finish dead last in their conference at the beginning of the season, according to a preseason coach’s poll.

“I think it’s gone really well. Personally, it’s gone well and it’s gone well as a team,” said Zozaya, who leads the team in hits. “I mean, we are definitely doing a lot better then we were supposed to do. So I definitely think we are going to turn some heads, if we haven’t already.”

Despite their success so far this season the Pioneers are still taking the remainder of the season one step at a time.

“We are going to take one game at a time like we have been doing all year and just keep trying to get better,” said Ralston. “We still have a long way to go but we do feel good that we have been competitive so far.”

The Pioneers are in a strong position entering the second half of their season, something the players hope to build off.

“First half has gone really well, I mean we have been winning a lot of games,” said Wilder. “We have a winning record and have been beating real good teams and we are the top of conference right now. So it’s right where we want to be. I just think we can go off from here and do well.”

The Pioneers success this season against their fellow CCAA members is due to good fundamentals in two key aspects of the game, according to Head Coach Ralston.

“I really believe that pitching and defense has set the tone for us all season and its kept us in every game, we have a chance to win every game,” said Ralston. “Every weekend you are facing quality opponents in this conference and it’s a battle. You just got to keep pitching and keep playing defense and hopefully get some timely hits and that’s really the difference in winning or losing in this conference cause all these teams in this conference are top quality opponents. A lot of them are highly, nationally ranked and we are holding our own against them.”

The Pioneer baseball team’s next opponent will be Holy Names University who they will face March 22 and 23.