Picture courtesy of Cal Baseball on Instagram.
Cal went 36-19 overall and 17-13 in the final season of the PAC-12. Despite a resume that included sweeps of Super Regional teams such as UConn and Oregon State, the Golden Bears finished just outside the field of 64. Cal hasn’t been to a Regional since 2019, and with arguably a jump up in conference competition level, they’ll be even harder pressed to end that drought in 2025.
Heading into the spring, offensive stars such as Caleb Lomavita, Rodney Green, and Peyton Schulze have departed; Lomavita and Green to the MLB and Schulze to TCU. The pitching staff has been decimated by graduation and the transfer portal. Cal is likely to be projected towards the bottom of the ACC in their first season in the conference, but the roster is talented enough to make some noise should certain things land in their favor.
Catchers (Starter Rank: 15, Group Rank: 10)
The ACC is loaded with good catchers and the Golden Bears have three battling for the everyday role while an uber-talented freshman looms in the wings. Ryan Tayman, Nico Button, and Alex Birge all have the tools to be the starting catcher. Tayman, who hit six home runs in just 67 at bats last year, brings the most power of the trio and could potentially serve as a middle-of-the-order bat. As a rising sophomore, Tayman also has the most upside of the group.
The other returning catcher, senior Nico Button, hit .319 in limited playing time a season ago. As the most polished defensive catcher on the roster, he provides plenty of experience on both sides of the ball. His leadership will be critical with such a young roster and he’ll see plenty of playing time in whatever role he ends up in.
Wichita State transfer Alex Birge is a redshirt junior and the third backstop battling to replace Lomavita. Birge earned an opportunity for more playing time with the Shockers last season where he made 23 starts and amassed 63 at bats. Unfortunately, his bat never truly got going and he hit a paltry .159 with just two extra base hits. The Kansas native will be hoping that a change of scenery and the tutelage of hitting coach Brett Wallace can help his bat develop.
Kalen Applefield was ranked as the 198th best recruit to make it to campus by Perfect Game. The freshman is a talented switch-hitter that could find time in the outfield during his first season as he acclimates to the college game. Even if Tayman breaks out, Applefield is the Cal catcher of the future.
Infield (Starter Rank: 13, Group Rank: 7)
Cal has one of the best middle infields in the ACC with sophomores Jarren Advincula and PJ Moutzouridis returning. Advincula played in all but one game for the Golden Bears last season while hitting .325 with 16 extra base hits. He is one of the hardest players to strike out in the country and walked ten more times that he struck out last season. It’s very rare to see a freshman with that kind of eye at the plate. Advincula built on his stellar spring season by dominating in the Cape Cod League over the summer. In 38 games for the Cotuit Kettleers, Advincula hit nearly .392 with just seven strikeouts in 130 at bats. The Santa Clara, California native is the perfect leadoff hitter with his ability to get on-base, put the ball in play, and steal bases.
PJ Moutzouridis will once again be the everyday shortstop for Berkeley after starting every game at that position as a true freshman in 2024. He hit .299 with 15 doubles, a triple, and six home runs while playing incredible defense. Moutzouridis has the range and arm to be a shortstop at the next level and his bat should continue to develop. Advincula and Moutzouridis will anchor the Cal lineup and their success is essential to Cal’s hopes of a postseason berth.
Senior Max Handron returns and should remain the starter at third base after starting all 55 games a season ago. The former JUCO transfer had an underrated year, hitting .280 with 22 extra base hits for the Golden Bears. Transfers Carl Schmidt and Jeff Hoffman could also be in the third base conversation, but Handron’s experience should give him the edge.
Schmidt and Hoffman can also both play first base. Schmidt is a redshirt freshman who comes over after spending a year in College Station with Texas A&M. He is a former big-time recruit with a bat featuring elite upside that should force him into the lineup at some point. Hoffman is a transfer from D-III Williamette. The grad student has a ton of collegiate experience and is coming off a season in which he slashed .344/.459/.630. Hoffman will be able to play first, third, and could earn at bats as the DH as well.
Returning slugger Dominic Smaldino is poised to take over at first base and could emerge as the primary power bat in Cal’s lineup. Smaldino started the last eight games of last year as the DH and enjoyed a monster fall while showcasing his power ability.
Other infield contributors include Jacob French, who might slot into the outfield, and freshman shortstop Elijah Clayton. Clayton is the son of long-time MLB shortstop Royce Clayton and could be a potential star for the Bears down the line. For now, however, he looks to learn and develop behind Moutzouridis.
Outfield (Starter Rank: 16, Group Rank: 16)
Cal only returns one starting outfielder from 2024 in center fielder Seth Gwynn. The senior appeared in 51 games last season and hit .311 with eight doubles and seven home runs. He primarily played left field, but will shift to center ahead of 2025. He’ll likely be joined by the aforementioned Jacob French in left and sophomore Matthew Thomas in right. French transfers in from San Francisco State after impressing as a freshman. He hit .347 with 19 doubles, four triples, and eight home runs at the D-II level last season. He can play a number of defensive positions but the plethora of infielders could see him start in the outfield.
Thomas is another rising sophomore with big-time power ability. He struggled a bit as a freshman, only hitting .143 over 63 at-bats last season. If he’s able to focus more on making contact and cutting down the strikeouts, Thomas could emerge as a breakout candidate. Other potential outfielders include two-way player Cole Tremain, senior Joey Donnelly, and perhaps even freshmen like Kalen Applefield and Jordy Lopez.
Projected Lineup
Rotation (Rank: 16)
Cal lost 10 of their top 11 arms by innings pitched last season, including their entire weekend rotation. Of pitchers that threw more than 15 innings in 2024, only junior Austin Turkington returned for the Bears. After appearing in 23 games and making 8 starts a year ago, Turkington will likely lead a rotation with a lot of question marks heading into the spring. The junior right-hander was very good for Cal in a myriad of roles last season that saw Turkington earn a 3.52 ERA over 30.2 innings pitched.
Head Coach Mike Neu has no less than five other options for the remaining starting spots. The favorites for the weekend rotation could be Spencer Dessart and David Shaw.
Dessart started 12 games for Washington last year and struggled to the tune of a 6.84 ERA. Control was an issue for the New York native as he walked at least one batter in all but one of his 14 appearances for the Huskies. There were moments of stardom, however. On March 3rd against Santa Clara, Dessart went seven innings and gave up just one run. The Bears will hope to harness his control and improve upon those numbers.
David Shaw is another transfer arm who worked out of the bullpen for the Texas Longhorns over each of the last two seasons. After a fantastic 2023 that saw him go 2-2 with a 3.09 ERA in 32 innings pitched, the left-handed hurler took a step back in 2024. Shaw threw just 17.1 innings and his ERA ballooned to 7.79 on the year. Cal has stretched him out and may give an opportunity to be a starter. If Shaw can get back to his 2023 form, it would go a long way to improving Cal’s chances at earning an NCAA Tournament appearance.
JUCO star Cole Clark is another option after going 8-3 with a 2.58 ERA over 15 starts for LA Valley College in 2024. The junior transfer has a fastball that can reach into the mid-90s and will be a vital piece in the bullpen or in the rotation.
Two other candidates for the rotation include rising sophomores Oliver de la Torre and Gavin Eddy. De la Torre is a southpaw that appeared in five games as a freshman a season ago. He has a mid-90s fastball and the rest of his arsenal features swing-and-miss stuff. Don’t be surprised if he’s relegated to the bullpen due to the lack of left-handed arms. Eddy is a right-handed arm that didn’t pitch last year but is poised to emerge as an important piece of the Cal pitching staff. He could end up as the mid-week starting role or pitch out of the bullpen as a long-reliever.
Bullpen (Rank: 16)
The Bears return just two relievers with more than 10 innings thrown last year in Tucker Bougie and Quinn Larson. Other returning relievers include left-hander Logan Piper and right-handers Jake Guardiancic and Kaden Taque.
Cal will rely heavily on transfers to bolster their bullpen and claim high-leverage roles. Ryan Spalliero, Lucas Alaniz, and Ethan Foley are JUCO transfers that could make an impact in 2025. Spalliero has late game stuff, as evidenced by a fastball that can reach the high 90s. Alaniz transferred in prior to 2024, but missed the season due to injury. Foley is another righty that earned a lot of experience as a starter for Ohlone College, going 9-2 with a 3.45 ERA in 86 innings with 92 punchouts.
In addition to potential starters Dessart and Shaw, Mike Neu’s staff brings in two more D-I transfers in JJ Hollis and two-way player Cole Tremain. Hollis came over from UC-Santa Barbara after missing his entire freshman season due to injury but had a good fall. Tremain is a former Baylor reliever who will see some time in the outfield when he’s not flashing his fastball/slider combo out of the bullpen.
Key freshman arms include right-hander Miles Tenscher and lefty two-way recruit Jordy Lopez. Tenscher’s low slot delivery and low 90s fastball will be an asset especially when paired with the likes of an arm like Spalliero. Lopez may see some time in the outfield but with a shortage of lefty relievers, should get plenty of opportunities out of the bullpen.
Projected Staff
Outlook
Cal has as much talent and potential as it does question marks. The lineup, led by Jarren Advincula and PJ Moutzouridis, should be able to hold its own in the ACC. Emerging sluggers such as Dom Smaldino, Carl Schmidt, and Ryan Tayman could take the offense to another level with breakout seasons. The pitching staff will need to take big steps in order for Cal to reach the heights they hope to reach. If most of their pitching transfers and key recruits can handle the jump in competition level and develop into big arms, Cal’s transition into the ACC will be a lot smoother than people expect.
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