Game #4
ART U Urban Knights (0-3) vs. FPU Sunbirds (3-1)
Monday, Feb. 13, 2023 at 6 p.m.
Oakland, Calif. – Laney College
Live Stats and Video

Game #5
ART U Urban Knights (0-3) vs. CWU Wildcats (0-4)
Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023 at 2 p.m. 
Oakland, Calif. – Laney College
Live Stats and Video

Game #6 & 7
ART U Urban Knights (0-3) at CSUEB Pioneers (2-1)
Friday, Feb. 17, 2023 at 11 a.m. & 2 p.m. 
Hayward, Calif. – Pioneer Stadium
Live Stats | Live Video

Game #8
ART U Urban Knights (0-3) at CSUEB Pioneers (2-1)
Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023 at noon
Hayward, Calif. – Pioneer Stadium
Live Stats 

WORK, WORK, WORK
Three games into the season, Academy of Art baseball will have plenty of opportunities to secure its first win this week as the Urban Knights compete five times, first in a pair of solo games against Fresno Pacific on Monday and Central Washington on Tuesday before closing out the week with a three-game set on the road for tor the first time this campaign against Cal State East Bay beginning on Friday. 

FIRST PITCH
Monday's matchup with the Sunbirds gets underway at 6 p.m., while Tuesday's tussle with the Wildcats begins at 2 p.m. Meanwhile, the three game set with the Pioneers will be split into two days, a doubleheader on Friday with first pitch times of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. while the series finale commences on Saturday at noon. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights via the athletics app (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) and on Twitter & Instagram, as well as "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps.

KNIGHTS' QUEST
It was an 0-3 start to the 2023 season for Academy of Art despite scoring a total of 16 runs (twice scoring six runs in a game), as the Urban Knights began the year with a four-spot in the home half of the first in the season opener against Stanislaus State, but the Warriors fought back and captured the lead in the top of the eighth before holding on for a 7-6 win. Rain made an unwelcome appearance during what was scheduled to be a three-game series against Sonoma State, halting game one of the set after the third inning with the Knights again enjoying a lead by a score of 5-1, forcing play to resume again on Sunday. 

In the continuation, a pair of home runs that included a three-run homer in the top of the fifth helped key a Seawolves comeback that saw them tie the game in the top of the ninth before earning the 7-6 victory in 10 innings. In game two of the doubleheader (scheduled for seven-innings), Sonoma State built a five-run lead but would not stay comfortable for long as ART U produced a bit of comeback magic of their own, with a pair of homers from graduate student outfielder Landon Levine and sophomore third baseman Emil Jellinek highlighting the way. However, the comeback would fall just short as the Seawolves shut the door for a 6-4 win. 

KNIGHT WATCH
Among the leaders at the dish was Levine, who went a combined 3-for-9 (.333) with three runs scored, a double, a homer, and a team-high four RBI. Levine picked up a pair of hits in the season opener against Stanislaus State, and jumped the yard in the second half of a doubleheader against Sonoma State, which is helping him lead the team in slugging percentage at .778. Also tied for the most hits on the team is the duo of freshman shortstop Gabe Henderson and graduate student catcher Peter Torres, as both rebounded with identical three-hit contests in the game one against the Seawolves with one more in game two after initially being held hitless in the season opener, though Henderson drew three walks and was hit by a pitch in that contest and also has totaled a pair of doubles. 

Levine is tied for the team lead in runs along with Jellinek and Henderson with three, and also tops the squad in RBI with four though six other Urban Knights have also driven in runs. Both Henderson and Torres have found their way on base atop the lineup, with Henderson having an eye-popping .600 on-base percentage while Torres trails behind at .500. 

Among the highlights on the hill in the season opener was junior starter Devan Quesada, who fanned seven in his ART U debut but did allow five runs on six hits and three walks in 4.2 innings pitched. Sophomore starter Brian Kraft was pitching well into his initial appearance this season until the rain forced the stoppage, as he had allowed just one earned run on one hit in three innings, though he did walk four batters in addition to his three strikeouts while facing only 11 hitters. Tossing a pair of scoreless innings in relief was the duo of junior lefty Robert Perez and freshman Ricky Salas, as Salas fanned a pair without allowing a hit. 

SOLO WITH THE SUNBIRDS
Fresno Pacific captured a series win to begin the 2023 campaign, taking three of four against Western Oregon while limiting WOU to just one run apiece in the first two games. Starter Justin Fuson is already meeting expectations for his season, as the PacWest Preseason Pitcher of the Year shut down the Wolves in his 2023 debut while his team won 2-1 in 10 innings. He fanned 10 in five innings of work, didn't allow a run while surrendering only two hits, and punched out seven of the first nine batters that he faced while earning NCBWA West Region Pitcher of the Week honors. At the dish, Chris Clement leads the way by batting .455 (5-for-11) with a double and three RBI while Koutarou Matsumaru also clears the .300 mark by going 4-for-13 (.308) with four runs scored, two doubles, and a run driven in. This will be the first of five meetings this year, but it will a non-conference clash, with FPU leading the all-time series between the two teams at 39-16 (though ART U won the last meeting on April 30, 2022). 

NOT SO WILD CATS
Central Washington is also seeking its first victory of 2023, having dropped a high-scoring affair with University of Redlands in the season opener 12-11 before being swept in a three-game set against Cal State San Bernardino, with the Coyotes scoring at least seven runs in all three games (19 runs in series finale). While allowing many runs, the Wildcats have scored a total of 27 runs (6.75 per game) while smashing 12 total extra-base hits, five homers and seven doubles. At an individual level, four different Wildcats are hitting above the .400 mark while there is a fifth just above .300, all of whom are led by the .438 (7-for-16) mark from Ben Leid to go with two runs scored and a double. Meanwhile, Charlie Larson has been among the most productive by going 4-for-10 (.400) with five runs scored, a double, a homer, and three RBI. Though Academy of Art won the last matchup between the two sides by taking down the Wildcats on Feb. 9, 2020, Central Washington leads the all-time series 13-8. 

CONTAINING THE PIONEERS
Cal State East Bay captured a pair of victories to open the year, shutting out Menlo 1-0 in the season opener before exploding for an 11-4 win in the middle game of the set. Unfortunately they could not complete the sweep, dropping the third contest 8-5 and will still have a doubleheader with Central Washington prior to meeting the Urban Knights. Five different Pioneers are hitting above .300 on the young season, though Luke Brown tops them all by going 4-for-9 (.444) while driving in four, scoring once and recording one double. Meanwhile, Essex Brown Jr. scored five times while going 4-for-11 (.364), and Cole Coffey was 3-for-9 with two runs scored though two of his hits were triples. On the hill, both Gabe Tanner and RJ Aranada recorded victories though it was Tanner who posted the best line, striking out seven without allowing a run on only one hit in a strong 5.0 innings pitched. Drake Richardson earned the only save of the year thus far for CSUEB, as he has yet to allow a run in 2.2 innings pitched (two appearances) and has given up only one hit. Again while ART U won the last meeting with Cal State East Bay on Feb. 5, 2022, its the Pioneers that lead the all-time series, 12-3. 

SEAWOLVES STEAL PAIR FROM ART U ON WET WEEKEND IN OAKLAND
Tough weather conditions forced what was supposed to be a series-opening doubleheader between Academy of Art baseball and Sonoma State into two days, but after a total of three rain delays, it was SSU that came out on the winning end of both games by finals of 7-6 (10 innings) and 6-4 (seven innings). 

ON THIS DAY
On Feb. 10, 2019, Academy of Art swept Central Washington in a doubleheader with a pair of one-run victories to begin the season 3-0, the first such start in program history. On Feb. 12, 2016, pitcher Brett Bovee tossed a complete game in a 4-0 ART U defeat of Chico State, keeping the Wildcats off the scoreboard and allowing just three hits. On Feb. 13, 2015, Zak May was the hero as he drove in both runs of the Urban Knights' 2-1 win in 10 innings over SF State, reaching base in three of his four total plate appearances. 

LOOKING AHEAD
Action slows down just a bit for Academy of Art, who return to the diamond the following weekend for a pair of doubleheaders against Simpson University, with first pitch on Feb. 24 getting underway at 2 p.m. while Feb. 25 commences at 1 p.m.