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Our Goals

Raise sufficient funds to establish a permanent endowment for the Baseball Program.
Support annual giving to the Baseball Program.
Work with the Athletic Department and Campus Facilities to implement improvements to the Baseball facilities, including field lights.
Support the implementation of revenue-generating opportunities available to Cal Baseball to offset annual operating expenses and minimize the draw on the Program’s endowment funds.
Ensure that funds generated through the Foundation’s efforts are used to support the Baseball Program in a fiscally sound manner.
Ensure that the supporters of the Cal Baseball Program receive regular updates on the Foundation’s progress toward achieving these goals.

In 1978, Bob Milano, two-time Bear captain (‘60 and ‘61), took over the coaching reins from the legendary Jackie Jensen. Milano was committed to getting the Bears back in post-season play within 5 years, and two third-place finishes showed there was still work to do. Did he know that by the end of 1980 he would be two years ahead of schedule? With depth and experience at every position, the 1980 squad showed early that it could win. A13-2-1 pre-season record meant the Bears entered league play with high hopes. Four weeks later, however, the Bears were mired at .500. On the positive side of the ledger, the Bears had won the opening game of each series, and had taken 2 of 3 from a tough ASU squad. On the negative side, the Bears had been routed in a couple of games and lost late leads in others. Which way would the season go?

The answer came in the desert in week 6 as Cal swept first place ASU. Playing in Tempe, Cal won the way good teams do: protecting a slim lead in game one (7-5); winning a blow-out in game 2 (6-0); and fashioning a late inning comeback – high-lighted by a 9 run eighth – in game 3 that turned an 8-3 deficit into a 13-8 victory.

Yet nothing was easy for this club. Though the Bears would finish the season tied for first, they lost three of the last four series in conference play. This was good enough, however, to place them into the Pac-10 Championship against WSU, with the winner qualifying for an NCAA berth. Returning to mid-season form, the Bears swept both games. A 5 run first in game 1 got things started off right. In game 2 a two-run third, and an insurance run in the 9^th, gave the Bears a 3-1 victory.

In the Midwest Regional in Tulsa, Cal’s hopes of a trip to Omaha for the first time since 1957 took a hit when the Bears dropped into the loser’s bracket after a game 1 loss to UNLV. Playing on the brink of elimination, the Bears ran off 5 straight wins, including a 14-inning nail-biter over Missouri, and two victories over bracket leader UNLV, the last a 12-0 rout, to move on to Omaha.

Playing in Omaha for the first time in 23 years, Cal once again found itself facing elimination after a game 1 loss to Michigan (9-8, in 11 innings). Two facts, however, had emerged in the course of post-season play: Cal’s offense could score against anyone, and the Bear’s liked being the underdog. Cal then reeled off three straight wins, including a 4-3 victory over number 1 ranked Miami, before being eliminated in a 11-10 loss to eventual champion Arizona. Cal finished third in the ’80 CWS, posting an 8-3 record in post-season play.