The show covers topics like the pressure Robinson faced being the first man to break the "color barrier" in the major leagues. Stock photo

A traveling play about Jackie Robinson is coming to Cal Poly’s Performing Art’s Center this Friday. The play about major league baseball’s most ground breaking player is aptly named “Most Valuable Player” and spans from 1935 to 1949.

Between those dates Robinson played for UCLA where he lettered in four different sports, played semi-professional football, joined the Army and got married. He did all this before signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945 and being name the National Leagues MVP in 1949.

“Student’s here don’t remember a time when there weren’t black players in Major League Baseball so it’s interesting from a sociological perspective,” Cal Poly Arts Director Steven Lerian said. “Since it’s Martin Luther King weekend, I think it has a lot of relevance in that, too.”

The show covers topics like the pressure Robinson faced being the first man to break the “color barrier” in the major leagues. Most of the play spans his time with the Brooklyn Dodgers and outlines his own personal sacrifices, and how he dealt with racism among his teammates and from fans.

“People have asked me if now that Barack Obama is president, do I think this show is still relevant. Of course,” Sally Fiorello, the show’s producer and tour director, said. “People don’t realize what a big part of the civil rights movement [Robinson] was. Without him, we might not have an Obama.”

For those who are not baseball fans, Fiorello said that “Most Valuable Player” is still a show that they can get something out of.

Across the stage, there is chain-linked fencing and a series of platforms. There is a large screen where pictures are projected throughout the show. The pictures start with modern day black athletes to give a perspective as to how far the United States has come as a society and then gradually takes the audience back to the ball parks of the 1940’s. There are also photos of old radios, soldiers and other prominent things of that time period. They’re accompanied by a soundtrack full of hit songs of the time and even a little country music to signify Robinson’s time in the South.

The show stars Rick Spivey as Robinson, Charles Roach as Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey, and was directed by Andy Long.

Long, who is a “huge” baseball fan, took time to work with the cast to get the game scenes right.

“People who watch this show who like baseball will know if the actors have any idea what they’re doing,” Fiorello said. “Andy really tried to bring a reality to the play, even in actors who really didn’t know.”

“Most Valuable Player,” presented by Dallas Children’s Theater, has shown at other universities nation-wide including Mississippi State and Saint John’s University. The show begins at 7 p.m. tomorrow in the Cohen Performing Arts Center. Ticket prices are available online and there will also be student rush tickets available at a discounted price at 6 p.m. at the door. Rush tickets are only available to Cal Poly students and children.

Cal Poly second baseman Matt Jensen was named to the 2009 All-Big West Conference team as a freshman. Photo by Nick Camacho- Mustang Daily

For the second year in a row, Cal Poly second baseman Matt Jensen has been invited to the USA Baseball team trials.

After accepting the invitation a year ago, Jensen fractured his collarbone in a game against San Francisco in early May and was unable to participate in the trials.

The final roster for Team USA will be announced in mid-July and the squad will compete in the V FISU World University Championships in Japan as well as friendship series against Korea in North Carolina at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary and at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham.

Jensen became the first Mustang baseball player to be invited to National Team Trials in his first season at Cal Poly.

“Matt is one of the better ball players in the country,” Cal Poly head coach Larry Lee said. “He should be able to follow up a tremendous freshman year with another quality season and is fully recovered from his broken collarbone.

Jensen had a .375 batting average with 15 doubles, nine home runs and 53 RBI before fracturing his clavicle in May 2009. The Clovis East High School graduate, now a sophomore, started 41 of Cal Poly’s 42 games last season before he was injured. The Mustangs were 30-15 with Jensen in the line-up and went 7-6 in the thirteen games he missed due to his injury.

“He’s really developed as a defensive second baseman to add to his already impressive credentials from an offensive standpoint,” Lee said. “Having the opportunity to represent the United States in this endeavor is a great honor and Matt is as good as it gets on and off the field. He will represent Cal Poly at the highest level this summer.”

Jensen earned numerous postseason honors at the end of his first year as a mustang. He landed a spot on the 2009 American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings Sporting Goods Division I West Region First Team, Baseball America¹s Freshman All-American First Team, Collegiate Baseball Newspapers 2009 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Team and the 2009 Pro-Line Athletic/National College Baseball Writers Association Division I Freshman All-American First Team.

Jensen was named to the 2009 All-Big West Conference first team and, despite missing the last three weeks of the regular season, was named Big West Freshman Player of the Year.

Jensen had a 23-game hitting streak, the third longest in Cal Poly Division I history, before it was snapped by UC Santa Barbara on April 24. He was 35-for-89 (.393) during the streak with 24 RBI and produced six consecutive two-hit games during the streak.

Prior to the injury, Jensen had 17 multiple-hit games this season and 13 multiple-RBI contests. He was 6-for-13 in the UC Irvine series, 7-for-13 in the Houston series, 8-for-12 in the Cal State Bakersfield series and 5-for-12 in the Pacific series with three doubles and two homers.

In that four-game Cal State Bakersfield series, Jensen reached base 16 times in 19 plate appearances. He was drafted in the 11th round by the Seattle Mariners in June 2008, but elected to continue his baseball career at Cal Poly.

Bill Kinneberg, head coach of Utah, will manage Team USA with assistance from Nino Giarratano, head coach of San Francisco, Ed Blankmeyer, head coach of St. John’s, and Dave Serrano head coach of Cal State Fullerton.

Cal Poly men’s baseball finished 37-21 overall and received a bid to compete in the NCAA Tempe regional last year. They were knocked out after two games. Nick Camacho-Mustang Daily File Photo

Rolling off an NCAA Division I regional berth last year, baseball head coach Larry Lee announced Tuesday that nine recruits will pursue baseball careers at Cal Poly.

The recruiting class includes seven high school players and two community college transfers, four fielders and five pitchers.

Cal Poly finished 37-21 overall, third in the Big West Conference at 14-10 and competed in the Tempe Regional hosted by Arizona State.

The Mustangs open the 2010 campaign Feb. 19 with the opener of a three-game series against Southern California in Baggett Stadium.

“We will need a number of these players to give us an immediate impact with our program due to graduation and professional signings in 2010,” Lee said in a release. “We made an effort to bring in as many quality arms on the mound as possible. We will take a big hit in the draft next spring and need to shore up that area.”

The Mustangs will open the 2010 season with five players chosen in the MLB draft from last season’s team. Junior Adam Buschini, a starter at five different positions for Cal Poly in 2009, was the first Mustang selected in the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Other departures include six others chosen in the MLB draft.

These departures leave many holes in the Mustang line-up this season, holes Lee hopes his young recruits will fill.

“Position-wise, we’re hoping to get some immediate production from as many of our freshman position players as possible,” Lee said. “We will also be thin in certain other areas besides pitching.”

The nine recruits include:

Jimmy Allen, Infielder/Outfielder (R/R), Rancho Buena Vista High School

Allen, a middle infielder and outfielder, hit .387 as a junior with five home runs and 28 RBI. Named his team’s offensive player of the year as a junior, Allen also has played two seasons on the Angels Elite Scout Team. “(Cal Poly has) great baseball and academic programs, and I love the San Luis Obispo area,” Allen said.

David Armendariz, Right-Handed Pitcher, Notre Dame High School

Armendariz posted a 2-0 record with three saves and a 1.62 ERA as a junior. He hit .333 with seven doubles, 17 RBI and nine stolen bases. Armendariz was named his school’s freshman and sophomore Athlete of the Year, played on Area Code teams in 2008 and 2009 and was a member of the Milwaukee Brewers Scout Team as well as the Professional Baseball Scouts of Southern California All-Star team, also in 2008 and 2009. “I feel Cal Poly is a great school, has great coaches and a great baseball program,” Allen said.

Jordan Brower, First Base (L/R), Newbury Park High School

Brower hit .424 as a junior with six doubles, 25 RBI and six stolen bases. A left-handed hitter, Brower also pitched for the Panthers, compiling a 5-4 record with three saves and a 2.06 ERA. He earned first-team All-Marmonte League honors last spring and helped Newbury Park to a 20-10 record. “I heard great things about the baseball program and its coaches. It’s a good school in a great location,” Brower said.

Taylor Chris, Left-Handed Pitcher, Gilroy High School

Recruited as a southpaw pitcher, Chris posted a 5-2 record and 1.14 ERA as a junior. The Mustangs were 16-12-1 in 2009 and Chris earned team MVP honors as a sophomore and junior and also was the program’s scholar/athlete for the last three years. He is a two-time first-team All-Tri-County League selection and was named a California Baseball Coaches Association Northern California All-Star last season. Chris also played in the outfield and hit .385 with 12 doubles and 27 RBI. “(I chose Cal Poly) because of its excellent baseball program and outstanding engineering program,” Chris said.

Nathan Gonzalez, Right-Handed Pitcher, Saint Mary’s College/Merced College

Gonzalez already has some familiarity with the Cal Poly baseball program. As a freshman at Saint Mary’s College last spring, he pitched 7 1/3 innings against the Mustangs in Baggett Stadium and allowed two earned runs and five hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Gonzalez, who will play his sophomore season at Merced College before transferring to Cal Poly, was 3-3 with a 4.78 ERA for the Gaels last spring, starting 10 games. He struck out 25 batters in 58 1/3 innings and opposing batters hit .281 against him. As a senior (2008) at Pitman High School in Turlock, Gonzalez compiled a 6-3 record and 1.01 ERA with five saves, 104 strikeouts and just 19 walks in 69 2/3 innings. His performance on the mound included six complete games and four shutouts. Gonzalez also hit .325 with 22 RBI. Twice he earned first-team All-Central California League honors.

Chris Hoo, Catcher (R/R), St. Francis High School

Hoo plays for former Cal Poly Division II All-American and assistant coach Mike Oakland at St. Francis High School in Mountain View. As a junior, Hoo hit .315 and as a sophomore earned honorable mention All-West Catholic Athletic League honors. He has earned three varsity letters in baseball and was the team’s Kyle Spraker Golden Glove Award winner last spring. Hoo has played on both the San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves scout teams as well as the North-South and All-Star Scout teams. St. Francis was 26-9 a year ago and finished in a three-way tie for first place in the West Catholic Athletic League.

Chase Johnson, Right-Handed Pitcher, Fallbrook High School

Despite missing several games due to injury, Johnson posted a 3-2 record and 2.94 ERA as a junior. He struck out 30 batters in 52 1/3 innings. In his sophomore season (2008), Johnson threw a no-hitter against El Camino and earned second-team All-Avocado League honors. He earned his team’s Cy Young Award, was named San Diego Union Tribune Player of the Week and played on the Area Code Grey Team. Johnson also played in the Tommy Lasorda Dodgers Elite Games and is a scholar/athlete award winner. “(Cal Poly) has an excellent combination of athletics and academics while the location is great,” Johnson said.

Don Medlinger, Right-Handed Pitcher, San Jose, CA (Pioneer High School/San Jose CC)

In his freshman season at San Jose City College last spring, Medlinger posted an 8-1 record and 2.37 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 83.2 innings. Opponents hit just .194 off the right-hander, who started 11 games, appeared in relief in three others and earned one complete game. Medlinger was a first-team All-Coast Conference Golden Gate Division selection as a pitcher. Medlinger was 8-5 with a 1.97 ERA as a senior in 2008 with five complete games and 77 strikeouts in 74 2/3 innings. He threw a three-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts against Piedmont Hills. Medlinger also was a shortstop in high school.

Tim Wise, Outfielder (R/R), Westlake High School

Despite injuries, Wise hit .380 with four home runs, 14 RBI and 15 stolen bases as a junior at Westlake High School last spring. He earned first-team All-Marmonte League and second-team All-Ventura County honors.

The Cal Poly baseball team had possibly its best season last year, obtaining a Division I postseason berth for the first time in program history.

Former Cal Poly infielder Adam Buschini was named Cutters Player-of-the-Week after hitting .611 last week. Mustang Daily file photo by Nick Camacho.

So it’s no surprise that many of the players from the team were drafted and are now working through the minor league system in an effort to join their big league squads.

Former Mustangs infielder Adam Buschini was the highest Cal Poly player taken in the draft this year when he went in the fourth round to the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies. After some difficulty settling in with the Williamsport Crosscutters, batting just .163 through July, Buschini has turned the corner and raised his batting average .94 points to .252.

Joining Buschini in Williamsport is former Cal Poly closer and teammate Eric Massingham. The former Mustangs reliever has settled into a late roll for the Crosscutters, collecting four saves while allowing just a 0.76 ERA in 23.2 innings. He has collected 32 strikeouts to eight walks in 13 appearances.

He was named PSECU/Cutters Player-of-the-Week from Aug. 11 – 16 after hitting .611 during the span.

Shortstop Kyle Smith, taken in the 14th round by Cleveland, is hitting .242 in 51 games with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. Like Buschini, Smith made some adjustments and after an 11-32 stretch has raised his batting average 15 points.

Former Cal Poly pitcher Jared Eskew picked up victories in three of his first four professional starts for the Jupiter Marlins. Eskew is currently 6-1 with a 2.06 ERA for Jupiter, striking out 37 while walking just six in 39.1 innings.

Outfielder Ryan Lee, who set a school record hitting in 26 consecutive games last season, has been elevated from rookie ball to Class-A Kannapolis and is currently hitting .231 for the Intimidators in five games.

Right-hander Kevin Castner had a 59.40 ERA for the Spokane Indians of the Northwest League. He allowed 11 earned runs in 1.2 innings over four appearances. Castner is no longer listed on the Indians roster after being taken in the 26th round by the Texas Rangers.

The Mustangs had seven players chosen during this year’s MLB draft, one short of the record eight players chosen in 2008.

Cal Poly has had 14 players selected in the first 10 rounds of the last six drafts (2004-09). Three other Mustangs signed free-agent contracts with Major League organizations and three more signed deals with independent league teams.

The Mustangs have had a total of 29 players drafted since the 2004 season.

Cal Poly second baseman Matt Jensen earned a third freshman All-American honor, this time from Baseball America on Wednesday.

Jensen, a first-team choice, joined three other Big West Conference players, all from Cal State Fullerton, selected by the Baseball America staff.

Jensen has already been named to the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s 2009 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Team and the 2009 Pro-Line Athletic/National College Baseball Writers Association Division I Freshman All-American First Team.

He also landed a spot on the 2009 American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings Sporting Goods Division I West Region First Team last week.

Jensen was hitting .375 before a fractured collarbone ended his 2009 baseball season. He earned Big West Conference Freshman Player of the Year honors and was named to the All-Big West first team despite missing the final 15 games on Cal Poly’s schedule.

Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 11th round of the 2008 MLB draft, Jensen decided to continue his baseball career at Cal Poly.

Jensen helped lead Cal Poly to a 37-21 record and its first ever Division I Postseason appearance but was unable to play in the Mustangs’ defeats to Oral Roberts and Kent State.

Cal Poly will welcome America’s favorite pastime to its arsenal of club sports in the coming school year.

The baseball club team, which will be hosting tryouts all fall quarter, got approved by Cal Poly Sport Club Council two weeks ago. The club team has gone from idea to actuality in a little over a year.

“Last year in the dorms there was three or four of us … we all played baseball in high school and we just missed it, so we just wanted to get something going that (was) more serious,” said economics sophomore Ryan Dion.

The founders have been talking to the Sport Club Council and the club league that they will be joining and despite being recently approved, they still have a lot of paperwork left to do.

“We’re still not close to being done,” Dion said.

The buzz has been reverberating around campus already as more than 60 students showed up to the clubs first informative meeting.

“I thought I was going to be done playing baseball,” said business sophomore Dixon Mann. “But now I have the opportunity to play serious competitive baseball again and it’s exciting.”

The club officers hired Anthony Pannone, a former player in the San Francisco Giants minor league system, to be the head coach for the team. Pannone played for six years in the Giant’s system and is now enrolled as a student at Cal Poly.

Team activities will begin in the fall with a couple of practices a week. With no field secured yet for team use, the officers do not know where these practices will be held. Instead of doing a short week of tryouts, coach Pannone as well as the club officers decide it would be best to evaluate talent over all of fall quarter.

“We basically decided that (a week long tryout) wasn’t really fair to a lot of these guys who haven’t played since high school,” business sophomore and club president Jake McCollum said. “… So what we decided was to use fall quarter as an extended tryout … just to get a better look at the players in general.”

The final roster will be set by the end of  November and the season will begin in January. McCollum acknowledged that the cuts will be tough with so many guys but for now there will only be an “A” team. After the program has been functioning, there is a serious possibility of the club adding more teams so more players can play.

During the season the team will play a series on the weekends against other teams in the Southern Pacific South Conference, which consists of teams such as UCSB and UCLA, as well as any other exhibitions that the team schedules. A series will consist of two seven-inning games on Saturday followed by a full nine-inning game on Sunday.

“We’re guaranteed to play 25-30 games a year,” McCollum said.

At the end of the season the top two teams in the conference will play in a tournament against top-finishers in other conferences in the region for a chance to go to the national championship in Florida.

“We think there’s no reason next year we can’t compete in our league,” Dion said. “There’s a ton of athletes here that we can draw from.”

Despite competitive aspirations, the team hopes to find an equilibrium between enjoyment and winning ways.

“We definitely want to find a balance,” McCollum. “…But we’re competitors and our goal is to definitely win as much as anyone else.”