The Cal Poly baseball team is in the midst of playing seven games in nine days but there’s no rest for the weary.
Tonight the Mustangs (22-7, 3-3 Big West Conference) begin the first of a crucial three game series that will help sort out the conference picture as they travel to take on Pacific (11-16, 4-2) at 5 p.m. at Klein Family Field in Stockton.
The Tigers have surprised everyone with their hot conference start, sitting in second place a game ahead of Cal Poly and a game behind conference-leading UC Irvine. This weekend’s series could go a long way in showing whether Pacific will remain in the conference race through the long haul.
The Mustangs are playing particularly well right now having won five in a row, including four games in five days through Tuesday. The start to this weekend series was pushed up a day to accommodate the Easter holiday meaning the Mustangs will have had just two off days in the last nine.
Cal Poly head coach Larry Lee said that he did see some potential problems with the limited off-time but that it would not affect his team greatly.
“The pitchers that you use, especially in relief on Tuesday get one less day of rest on Thursday and in the case of (junior first baseman Wes) Dorrell it gives him one less day to recuperate,” Lee explained. “But in the overall picture it’s not so much different. We play so many games in a short period of time that it doesn’t mean too much.”
Dorrell has been sidelined with an illness for the past five games, but he isn’t the only Cal Poly player out. Junior infielder Adam Buschini has been sidelined with an injured hand and is expected to be out for at least another week.
Despite the injuries, the Mustangs have regained their momentum after a tough start to the conference schedule when they were swept by UC Irvine two weeks ago.
The Tigers, coached by former major league world champion and all-star Ed Sprague, have lost four of five coming into the series but have played some tough competition this season including wins over No. 12 Baylor, No. 28 San Diego State and No. 29 San Diego.
Pacific swept struggling UC Davis to open conference play two weeks ago before losing two of three to UC Santa Barbara.