“I don't want to go over my skis,” says Cal State Monterey Bay head baseball coach Rich Aldrete. “But I think we will be really good.”

Aldrete is excited about his team's chances this year. The season begins Friday at home against Sonoma State. The first pitch on the team's new field will be at 2 p.m. Last season the Otters finished 19-33 overall and 11-25 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, which is actually pretty good considering it was the young program's sophomore year. Now, Aldrete thinks the team may be able to play .500 ball or better.

“I hope so,” said Aldrete. “That's not a very good goal, but it took some programs 10 years for them to get above .500 --- but we're a lot closer than that.”

The reason Aldrete thinks his team may be much closer is his pitching. According to the coach, three of his pitchers are good enough to be drafted for Major League Baseball. “I've got three draftable guys: #Daniel Bifano#, #Thomas Incaviglia#, #Justin Aguilera# ---. all are throwing in the 90s on the gun,” Aldrete said.

Aldrete said this year's lineup will be entirely new. “I don't have many returners and that's OK. Not one of our starting nine is back. Everybody is brand-spanking new and we like it. We've got some really good recruits.”

Among the newcomers are infielder #Jeff Barnacil#, who transferred from Chabot Junior College. Barnacil was a 2nd Team All-Coast Conference player and hit .340 with 32 RBIs and 4 HR in 42 games last season. He had a .440 on base percentage and a slugging percentage of .533. His Chabot teammate, #Matt DeJesus#, hit .364 with 5 HR and 24 RBI and has also joined the Otters.

“Matt is the biggest, strongest player on the team and the hardest working,” said Aldrete. “He's just learned how to hit and I think he's going to be a force.”

Recruit #Charlie Grosser# may have the stuff to be a force out of the bullpen. At Diablo Valley College he had a 1.07 ERA with 15 strikeouts, 15 hits and 11 walks in 25.1 innings. To complement the pitching, Aldrete recruited Grosser's catcher at Diablo Valley, #Rob Van Looy#. Van Looy hit .256 in 117 at bats with little power, but will probably get some playing time due to his left-handed bat and great defense.

Aldrete said he will be looking for leadership from program veterans #Jayson Furia# and #Justin Rios#, who have been playing three years now.

“I'm here to direct, here to prepare, here to mentor these players, but these guys are going to be doing the day-to-day chores,” said Aldrete.

After the team opens the season on Friday, the Otters will play Sonoma State in a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m.

“One pitch at a time, that's how you play a championship season,” said Aldrete.