SONOMA STATE SEAWOLVES
Sonoma State baseball has high hopes

O'Koyea Dickson.Photo: SSU Sports Information/Stephen Kirschenmann

The Sonoma State Seawolves have found their stride this year. After starting off 11-0, the Sonoma State baseball team has high expectations for the season. Although suffering their first pair of losses, the Seawolves were able to bounce back by winning seven of their next 11 games, including sweeps of Hillsdale and Cal State East Bay.

Sonoma State currently is in a battle with Chico State, competing to be top dog in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Leading the team in almost every category this season is O'Koyea Dickson. In the top 10 in almost every batting category in the CCAA, he ruins opposing pitchers' days when he steps in at the plate. After having a mediocre season in 2010, the Seawolves look determined to get back into the CCAA championship tournament, where they've been regularly in years past.

Sonoma State has been so successful this year because of its ability to score runs in double digits and have lights-out pitching. Leading the staff is Kenny Arnerich and Thomas Lee. Both of them are in the top 10 in the CCAA in strikeouts, and Arnerich has one of the lowest ERAs in the league, under 2.

Other emerging stars on the team are Kyle Jones and Kyle Cerrudo. They, along with Dickson, lead the team in almost every hitting category. Dickson and Jones always find a way to get on base. At press time, Dickson had the highest on-base percentage in the league, with Jones right behind him.

Sonoma State athletics have been vastly underrated through the years. The sports department has not been as widely recognized as some, due to the lack of a football team. In 1996, Sonoma State got rid of its football program after winning only seven games in the previous four seasons. Hard to believe, since the team had three great seasons in the early 1990s, including one NCAC championship. It is also hard to believe that former NFL star and 11-time Pro Bowler Larry Allen played there just a few years before the team dissolved. Since Sonoma State has one of the smallest college athletic programs in the Bay Area, it does not get the attention and respect it deserves.

The baseball team this year is looking to put Sonoma State back on the map. The players and coaches are optimistic they'll be CCAA champions by the end of the year and hope to go even further. "I feel great about the team," said head coach John Goelz.

Sonoma State is going to finish the regular season with a three-game series against rival Chico State. I expect the two teams to be close in the standings, and this final series might determine the regular-season champion.

Winning the CCAA tournament is what really matters to these teams. The championship tournament is in Stockton this year, May 19-23. Expect the Sonoma State Seawolves to be in it to the end. This team should be taken very seriously, for it's been competitive all season and remains the team to beat in the CCAA. Getting to the NCAA Division II championship may be a pipe dream, but let's face it, stranger things have happened.

For ticket information, visit sonomaseawolves.com, or just show up at the game. It costs only $6 for a reserved seat, $4 for seniors' reserved seats and $2 for children's reserved seats. Those unable to attend the games can always listen to the live audio found at sonomaseawolves.com.