With a solid national ranking in tow, the University of Redlands baseball team entered the annual California Classic eager to showcase this season’s talent.  The Bulldogs relied on outstanding offense to win three of the four games during the weekend while outscoring their opponents, 53-25.  On Friday, the team kicked of the classic against #19 Ithaca College (NY), taking down the Bombers with a convincing 13-2 victory.  Redlands continued to ride its wave of momentum into Saturday’s two-game showdown.  After handling a scrappy University of Puget Sound (WA) team by a score of 14-5, the Bulldogs dominated UMass-Dartmouth for its most lopsided victory of the season, 19-5.  However, a slow start defensively on Sunday forced the Bulldogs to play catch-up against Rutgers-Newark (NJ), resulting in a tough 7-13 loss.

Due to the tournament format, the Bulldogs played as the visiting team against Ithaca and thrived from the unfamiliar position by driving in at least one run in seven of the nine innings.  Junior right fielder Corey Vane (Simi Valley, CA) supplied a team-high three RBI to begin his solid showing over the weekend.  Junior Nolan Nicholson (Fullerton, CA) provided an impressive performance from the mound, pitching six scoreless innings with just three hits en route to his sixth win of the season.

In their regional battle with the Loggers, the Bulldogs faced a one-run deficit in the bottom of the fourth inning but responded with an eight run, two-out rally to go up 9-2.  Vane capped off the inning with his first career home run, driving a two-run shot over the right field fence to garner half of his team-leading four RBI of the game.  Sophomore pitcher Mike McCarthy (Brentwood, CA) put in a solid starting effort, giving up five runs over seven innings while boasting a Redlands’ season-best 10 strikeouts.

In addition to its continued offensive onslaught, Redlands received great pitching against UMass-Dartmouth en route to the team’s final win of the weekend.  Making his season debut as a starter, sophomore Michael Lessig (Fountain Hills, AZ) put together a stellar first outing, pitching five innings with five strikeouts and just two earned runs. The Bulldogs blew the game wide open in the third with six runs, which included a two-run home run by junior left fielder Matt Goldstein (shown in photo; Lincoln, CA).  The team followed that up with five runs in the fourth inning, along with four in the fifth.  Redlands relied on a well-rounded effort by the entire lineup, which was highlighted by junior center fielder Jordan Snider’s (Temecula, CA) three RBI.

Despite opening the final game of the weekend with a two-run shot by graduate student first baseman Brian Schumaker (Encinitas, CA), Redlands struggled from the mound, allowing the Scarlet Raiders to open up the game during the fourth inning.  A tenacious Bulldog effort shut down Rutgers-Newark for the remainder of the contest as the men clawed their way back to within striking distance, scoring four runs in the next two innings.  Despite junior left fielder Kyle Rizzo (Redlands, CA) blasted his first career home run with a solo shot to left field in the fifth, the Bulldogs came up short in the fourth game of the weekend.  Even with the loss, Schumaker enjoyed his best showing of the season, leading the Bulldogs with four RBI, going 2-for-4 from the plate.

Overall, Vane led his teammates with a weekend batting average of .692 with nine RBI and seven runs scored in just three games played.  He tallied three extra-base hits, including a three-run homerun, along with two stolen bases. Goldstein earned a .642 average with seven RBI and six runs while providing five extra-base hits and two stolen bases.  Schumaker also put together a weekend to remember, batting .533 with eight RBI and six runs scored.  His four extra-base hits were highlighted by two dramatic home runs.  As a team, the Bulldogs entered the weekend with just two long balls but exploded through the California Classic with six shots.

Redlands baseball (14-6, 4-2 SCIAC) continues non-conference competition at home this week as the Bulldogs host defending national champion #10 Kean University (NJ) on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m..  Redlands then faces a four-game schedule over three days during the California Invitational.  On Thursday, the Bulldogs seek revenge against Rutgers-Newark with a rematch at 2:30 p.m.  The team then hosts #12 Eastern Connecticut State University on Friday at 2:30 p.m., followed by Saturday’s games against Franklin & Marshall College (PA) at 10 a.m. and Wesleyan University (CT) at 2:30 p.m.