Jan. 10, 2012

Fan Fest Flyer

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BERKELEY -

Cal Baseball Foundation Link

In an opportunity to help celebrate a remarkable 2011 season and preview the 2012 Golden Bears, the California athletic department and the Cal Baseball Foundation will be hosting the school's first-ever Fan Fest on Saturday, Feb. 11 beginning at 11 a.m. at Evans Diamond on the Cal campus.

Admission to the event is free as baseball fans of all ages will be able to help celebrate the Bears' trip to the 2011 College World Series, and then watch David Esquer's squad compete in a Blue and Gold intra-squad scrimmage starting at 1 p.m. The morning festivities will give Cal fans a chance to meet the Bear players and coaches, test their baseball skills on-field at Evans Diamond, get autographs and photos with the Cal players and enjoy several other fun activities and displays (weather permitting, please check Calbears.com the morning of the event).

The Cal Baseball Fan Fest will also give people the chance to purchase season passes for the 2012 Cal baseball home schedule. Representatives from the Cal Athletic Ticket Office will be available to sell season passes.

For the first time ever, the Cal Athletic Ticket Office will be providing Golden Bear baseball fans an opportunity to purchase season passes for the 2012 Cal baseball home schedule. Fans can contact the Cal Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bears (1-800-462-3277) or go directly to the Cal Baseball ticket link click here. to purchase season passes. The cost of the season passes are $200 and will enable fans to attend all 20 of the Bears' home games this season. Season passes will include special events throughout the season that will not be available to the general public, such as:

• "Chalk Talk" with head baseball coach David Esquer
• VIP Hospitality in the Haas Pavilion Club Room (overlooking Evans Diamond) during specific game days
• Access to some game day batting practices
• A Cal Baseball season ticket concierge
• Free game day chair seatbacks
• Priority access to 2013 season pass assigned seating
• A one-of-a-kind Cal Baseball T-Shirt

Also for the first time ever, Cal Baseball season parking passes will be available at a cost of $75. The parking pass will be good for home weekend games only (Saturday and Sunday) which will include 13 total dates. The baseball parking pass will only be good for Frank Schlessinger Way, which is located off of Oxford Street along Edwards Track Stadium, Hellman Tennis Complex and Evans Diamond. For more information on the baseball parking passes go to the following Parking Services link click here. Cal Baseball and Parking Services will also identify parking locations for fans on all game days, a map of which will be available on the Cal Baseball website.

In 2011, the Cal baseball program enjoyed its best season in 31 years culminating in a fifth-place finish at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. The Bears, under the direction of 2011 National Coach of the Year Esquer, return several key players from last spring's squad that made school history when it finished 38-23 overall and advanced to the NCAA postseason for the third time in the last four years.

This past year sophomore first baseman Devon Rodriguez earned Most Outstanding Player of the Houston Regional honors with his game-winning hit versus Baylor, sophomore second baseman Tony Renda was named the 2011 Pac-10 Player of the Year and freshman left-hander Kyle Porter earned Freshman All-America honors. Junior catcher Chadd Krist joined Renda and junior right-hander Erik Johnson as first-team All-Pac-10 selections.

Cal captured the Houston Regional with a thrilling, 9-8, victory over Baylor with four runs in the bottom of the ninth, highlighted by Rodriguez's game-winning two-run single. The Bears then swept through a best-of-three series with Dallas Baptist in the Super Regional, to advance to the College World Series. In the CWS, the Bears dropped a close 4-1 decision to top-seeded Virginia before defeating Texas A&M, 7-3, for its first win in Omaha since 1980. The memorable season came to an end with an 8-1 loss to the Cavaliers June 23.

The success in 2011 came despite an initial decision last September to discontinue the Cal baseball program due to pressure on the University's budget. Following a fundraising effort that has generated approximately $10 million in commitment, Golden Bear baseball was reinstated April 8.

Esquer has now coached 10 All-Americans in his 12-year tenure at Cal and has seen 59 of his players drafted by the Major Leagues, featuring four first-round draft picks. Seven Bears were drafted from the 2011 squad, including Johnson, a second round pick who signed with the Chicago White Sox. Both Krist (13th round White Sox) and senior right-hander Matt Flemer (19th round Kansas City Royals) were drafted, but elected to come back and play their senior season at Cal.

The Bears welcome nine newcomers to this year's squad, including four talented freshmen - infielders Brenden Farney and Chris Paul, and hurlers Michael Jordan (RHP) and Robb Woodcock (LHP) - who should bolster the Bears' prospects for this spring.

The Bears begin their 2012 campaign with a three-game series versus Pacific, Feb. 17-19, hosting the Tigers Feb. 17 (1:30 p.m.) and Feb. 19 (1 p.m.) at Evans Diamond, while traveling to Stockton Feb. 18 for a 1 p.m. game at Klein Family Field.