STOCKTON, Calif. – The Pacific baseball team is set to open its 2021 campaign under newly named full-time head coach Chris Rodriguez this weekend, beginning with a four-game home + home series against Cal-Berkeley.
 
Despite finishing with an 8-9 record in the shortened season last year, the Tigers are looking for their first winning season overall since 2010, when Pacific finished with an overall record of 31-23.
 
SERIES SCHEDULE:
 
Friday, February 19, 2021
Pacific at California | 5:00 p.m.
Evans Diamond | Berkeley, Calif.
Probable Pitchers: Hayden Pearce, RHP (PAC) vs. Grant Holman, RHP (CAL)
Links: Live Stats

Saturday, February 20, 2021
Pacific at California | 5:05 p.m.
Evans Diamond | Berkeley, Calif.
Probable Pitchers: Henrik Reinertsen, RHP (PAC) vs. Sean Sullivan, RHP (CAL) 
Links: Live Stats

Sunday, February 21, 2021
California vs. Pacific | 2:00 p.m.
Klein Family Field | Stockton, Calif.
Probable Pitchers: Paulshawn Pasqualotto, RHP vs. (CAL) Hunter Hayes, RHP (PAC) 
Links: Watch | Live Stats

Monday, February 22, 2021
California vs. Pacific | 5:00 p.m.
Klein Family Field | Stockton, Calif.
Probable Pitchers: TBD (CAL) vs. Dylan Pottgieser, RHP (PAC)
Links: Watch | Live Stats
 
 
SENIOR SLUGGER:

• Coming into the season as one of the most feared hitters in the conference, senior Charles Middleton has earned multiple preseason accolades after an impressive start to his career as a Tiger in 2020. This offseason, the sweet-swinging outfield was selected to the 2021 West Coast Conference All-Preseason Team while also being named a Perfect Game Preseason All-WCC selection.
• Despite only suiting up for 17 games last year before the season was halted, Middleton delivered two walk-off wins for the Tigers while also notching team-highs in batting average (.403), OPS (1.151), at-bats (67), runs (15), hits (27), doubles (5, home runs (4), RBI (20), total bases (44), slugging percentage (.657), base on balls (12) and on-base percentage (.494). For these efforts, Middleton was also named one of D1 Baseball's top 50 hitters in the junior class in 2020.

 
WELCOME TO STOCKTON:

• Pacific welcomes seven freshmen to the team in 2021: Ryan Arredondo (RHP) of Warden, Wash., Colby Canales (INF) of Orange, Calif., Chase Graves (OF) of Clayton, Calif., Justin Hill (RHP) of Turlock, Calif., Telly Hill (OF) of Concord, Calif., Chaz Myers (INF) of Brentwood, Calif. and Jacob Weiss (C) of Atwater, Calif.
• In addition to the four freshmen, the Tigers welcome five transfers who come to Stockton from the junior college and Division I level across the country: Aidan Selfridge (Mission College), Jackson Vaughan (Delta College), Zach Patterson (Ohlone College), Marvcus Guarin (Seattle U) and John Fortner (High Point). 

 
FAMILIAR FACES IN NEW PLACES:

• In the dugout, 2021 will mark the first full season as head coach for Rodriguez, who was awarded the interim job after Ryan Garko resigned in Jan. 2020.
• With 16 years of experience in college coaching, including a head coaching stint at Modesto Junior College, Rodriguez brings a variety of perspectives to the Tigers. Rodriguez played two years as a catcher at Modesto Junior College before being drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 52nd round of the 1995 Major League Baseball draft. After signing with the Rockies prior to the draft in 1996, Rodriguez would go on to win a Northwest League Championship with the Class-A Portland Rockies in 1997.
• During his time as a coach, Rodriguez has seen 25 of his of players reach the professional level.
• In the offseason, Daniel Jaffe joins the Tigers after time at Georgia Tech following the departure of former Tiger and assistant coach Joey Centanni.
• When the series shifts to Stockton on Sunday and Monday, it will mark the first return of former Pacific head coach Mike Neu, who guided the Tigers to 40 wins across two seasons in 2016-17 before accepting the job at Cal. Alongside Neu, former assistant coach Noah Jackson will also make his first back to Stockton after joining Neu in Berkeley.

 
2020 SEASON IN REVIEW:

• The Tigers finished the 2020 season with an overall record of 8-9. Seeming to split their momentum out of the gates, Pacific finished the shortened schedule with a 5-3 record at Klein Family Field, but just a 3-6 mark on the road. Play was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic prior to UOP's conference-opening series vs. Saint Mary's.

• As a team offensively last year, Pacific finished second in the WCC in hits (164) and runs (110), third in base on balls (67), double plays (14), on base percentage (.368), doubles (33), triples (8), scoring (6.5 rpg) and fourth in  home runs (10).
• On the mound, the Tigers will be led by Hayden Pearce, who tied for second in the conference in games started (4) in addition to placing third in strikeout-to-walk ratio (11.00), third in WHIP (0.80) and second in walks per nine innings (0.76).
• In the summer of 2020, former left-handed pitcher Lucas Sweany became the 95th student-athlete in program history to reach the professional ranks after signing a contract with the Minnesota Twins organization. Additionally, it also marked the eighth consecutive year that a Tiger had turned pro following their career at Pacific, dating back to Tyger Pederson in 2013.

 
SERIES HISTORY:
Overall, Cal holds a 64-32 all-time series lead over the Tigers, with the Bears winning six consecutive to date. Pacific's last victory as a team over Cal came on April 5, 2011, a 7-4 victory on the road in Berkeley while UOP's last home victory was back on March 19, 2006, a narrow 6-5 win.
 
TRACK THE ACTION:
Live stats for all four contests will be available on pacifictigers.com. The final two games of the series at Klein Family Field will also be streamed live on the WCC Network.
 
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