April 22, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format 
STANFORD, Calif.-- No. 22-ranked Stanford (18-13, 7-5 Pac-10) will host cross-Bay rival, No. 15-ranked California (23-11, 8-4 Pac-10) in a three-game series starting on Friday at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond. Game times will be Friday at 5:30 p.m and Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. Monday the team will travel to Santa Clara.
The Cardinal, winners of five straight, also welcome back former Stanford star, David Esquer, the starting shortstop on the Cardinal's first national championship team in 1987, who is in his 11th season as head coach of the Bears. Mark Marquess is in his 34th at Stanford.
The following is the projected weekend rotation:
Friday: RHP Erik Johnson (5-2, 3.63) vs. LHP Brett Mooneyham (1-4, 6.69)
Saturday: LHP Justin Jones (8-2, 2.62) vs. RHP Jordan Pries (3-1, 3.14)
Sunday: RHP Dixon Anderson (3-1, 3.26) vs. RHP Brian Busick (4-1, 3.13)
The Golden Bears have won four-straight heading into the weekend following a 13-6 win over Pacific on Wednesday. During the Pac-10 season, Cal has taken two of three from Washington, swept USC and Arizona and were swept at Arizona State. Stanford has won series over USC and at No. 14-ranked Oregon State, and lost series to UCLA and Oregon.
In a cluster at the top of the Pac-10 standings, six teams are within three games of leader Arizona State (9-3). Cal is a game back at 8-4, Arizona and Stanford are two games back at 7-5 in the standings. In other conference matchups, Oregon State is at Washington State, USC is at Oregon, UCLA is at Arizona and Washington is at Arizona State.
First baseman Mark Canha is the Bears' leading hitter, batting .400 in 34 starts with a team-best 36 runs, six homers and 43 RBIs. Designated hitter Tony Renda and catcher Chadd Krist both have 12 doubles, as Krist's six homers gives him a team-best .636 slugging percentage. Renda is batting .362, Krist at .359 as the team is batting .326 overall.
Stanford will counter with reigning Pac-10 player of the week, Jonathan Kaskow and his .455 average over 19 starts and freshman outfielder Stephen Piscotty and his .364 average and team-leading 30 runs and 11 doubles. Juniors Colin Walsh and Jake Schlander each have a team-best 25 RBIs, with Walsh also batting .323. Each middle infielder has a game-winning hit this season, two of the six byt eh Cardinal. Last weekend, Schlander drove in six at OSU.
On the mound, the Bears have a team ERA of 4.06 as RHP Brain Diemer has a 1.74 ERA out of the bullpen with two saves, while LHP Justin Jones is 8-2 with a 2.62 ERA over 72.0 innings as opponents are batting .231 against him.
Stanford's staff ERA is 4.95 with RHP reliever Alex Pracher posting a 5-2 record and 2.88 ERA in 14 appearances and RHP Jordan Pries leading the way on the mound with a 3-1 record and 3.14 ERA. Pries has a 2.29 ERA over his last five starts.