SAN FRANCISCO – Four California Golden Bears earned All-Pac-12 honors, the conference office announced Wednesday morning. Senior first baseman Chris Paul, sophomore third baseman Lucas Erceg and sophomore right-hander Daulton Jefferies were all selected to the All-Pac-12 first team, while junior outfielder Devin Pearson was also named as an honorable mention selection. Additionally, Paul was selected to the conference’s All-Defensive team. This marks the most All-Pac-12 first team selections that Cal has had since the 2011 season also saw three first teamers. The Bears concluded the season with a 34-19 record, and equaled a program-best mark for conference wins (18). Cal returns to the postseason for the first time since 2011, when the Golden Bears reached the College World Series.
Paul had a breakout senior campaign for the Bears, appearing in 50 of Cal’s 53 games. The Aliso Viejo, California, native hit .326 in the regular season with eight home runs, drove in a team-high 42 RBI and also swiped six bases. He ranks third in the Pac-12 in slugging percentage (.549), seventh in RBI, tied for fourth in long balls and tied for ninth in triples (three). In terms of team rankings, the two-time Pac-12 Player of the Week is second in on-base percentage (.408) and is second in home runs. Defensively, Paul has a sparkling .994 fielding percentage and has earned All-Pac-12 recognition for the first time in his career.
Erceg has been a huge boost for the Bears offensively in 2015, leading the team in home runs with 11, after his two-run blast in the regular season finale this past Sunday in Corvallis, Oregon at then-No. 23 Oregon State. The Campbell, California native hit .316 with those 11 home runs and 40 RBI with five stolen bases, while playing a very good third base defensively and starting all 53 games for the Bears. Erceg ranks second in the Pac-12 in home runs, sixth in slugging percentage (.528) and is tied for ninth in RBI. He also was effective on the mound, making seven appearances as a reliever, pitching 6.2 innings with a 2.70 ERA with six strikeouts and one save.
Jefferies came into his own in 2015 as a Friday-night starter for the Bears, going 5-5 with a 3.12 ERA in 12 appearances, 11 of which are starts. He logged 72.0 innings, striking out a team-high 67 batters and conversely allowing just 14 walks. Opponents hit just .248 against him, and ranked 10th in the Pac-12 in strikeouts. Additionally, Jefferies ranked tied for eighth in runs allowed (27) was seventh best in fewest walks allowed. He went 6.2 innings in his last start at No. 23 Oregon State, allowing just two earned runs, striking out five and allowing just five hits in defeat.
Pearson led the team in batting average, hitting at a .350 clip in 34 appearances for the Bears. He hit four home runs with 21 RBI and 10 doubles, slugging .567 and finished the regular season with a .407 on-base percentage. Pearson added a bunch of speed on the base paths as well, scoring 25 runs and stealing four bases. Over the course of the last month, dating back to an April 25 game at Arizona, Pearson is hitting 24-for-56 (.429) with two home runs, nine RBI, 14 runs scored and has walked nine times.
The Golden Bears are a three-seed in the College Station Regional and are grouped with host and top-seed Texas A&M, second-seeded Coastal Carolina and fourth-seeded Texas Southern. The Bears open up their postseason run with a match up with Coastal Carolina on Friday, May 29 at 10 a.m. PT at Blue Bell Park in College Station, Texas and will be broadcast live on ESPN3. All games at the College Station Regional will be broadcast by the ESPN family of networks and are available on Watch ESPN.
Each of the 16 Regionals features four teams, playing a double-elimination format. The Regionals are scheduled to be conducted from Friday, May 29, to Monday, June 1 (if necessary). Selection of the eight super regional hosts will be announced on www.NCAA.com/cws, Monday, June 1 at approximately 8 p.m. PT.
The 69th Men’s College World Series begins play Saturday, June 13, at the TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha.
