The thing that was supposed to be the Chico State baseball team’s top asset — pitching — has so far been the reason the Wildcats are off to a meager 4-4 start.

In all fairness, Chico State started its schedule with two regional opponents, and after seeing what Mesa State did to the Wildcats in a four-game set (33 runs), I’m not ready to say Chico State’s pitching staff is in any kind of dire straits. I generally don’t use that phrase anyway, but if I did, I still wouldn’t use it now.

Still, there’s no denying that something’s got to get straightened out. The team’s ERA is a staggering 7.62 (for you rare Litter Box readers who happen to be non-baseball fans, that’s A BOATLOAD), and it’s largely been the starters giving up the damage. Andrew Pluta, who we saw on opening day in the closer’s spot, was quickly shoved back into the rotation after blowing a save and didn’t fare much better there. His ERA is 17.18, which can happen to relievers with one bad inning.

Pete Mickartz, the staff ace, is 0-1 after two starts, and his composite line is dismal: 10 2/3 innings, 20 hits, 11 earned runs and four home runs. Batters are hitting him at .435.

Mike Robbins flirted with a no-hitter in Chico State’s lone win against the Mavericks (his flirtation lasted 5 2/3 innings until the no-hitter’s fat, drunk friend wanted to go to LaSalles, and Mike Robbins doesn’t chase and therefore didn’t seal the deal). Even with that splendid outing, Robbins lowered his ERA to 6.23.

More bad news, still: The Wildcats have a new black alternate, and in my opinion, it sucks. I don’t have a problem with black jerseys in general, but when the lettering is black, too, I consider it to be a mistake. Judge for yourself:

But, there is good news. First of all, Chico State also has a red alternate that’s much better, though I can’t find a picture anywhere. More importantly, the offense is raking. For all its pitching woes, the club is getting tremendous production at the plate, and this early in the season, that’s a good sign. Normally you see the first week of baseball season with relatively low-scoring games because batters are getting their timing caught up, but not so this year.

Eight qualifying Wildcats are hitting .300 or better, including a pair of .500 regulars in Kyle Eveland and Deven Braden. That kind of production in the middle of the infield likely won't last all year, but it’s encouraging to see, especially given that Eveland probably will be holding down the No. 2 spot in the order. Both are plus-defenders; the offensive numbers (10 RBIs combined) are a bonus.

Josh Meagher has been crushing opposing pitching. He’s already swatted four home runs with nine RBIs and is slugging .931. Not much more you can ask for from a DH.

Nick Victor’s been making a case for regular playing time, though coach Dave Taylor has intimated early that he’ll be a matchup guy. He’s got good power, but likely won’t see a lot of right-handers despite the .714 on-base percentage he’s put together in limited time. The outfield of Jordan Larson, Jimmy Dodos and Adam Arakawa has been solid, and Dodos hasn’t heated up yet.

A question right now will be what Chico State can do on the bases; the answer so far is 3-of-13 on stolen base attempts. Small ball has been the Wildcats’ motto in past years, and certainly the stolen base has a lot to do with that, but I think the more important aspect of the running game is aggressiveness with the ball in play: first-to-thirds, second-to-homes, etc. Wide-alleyed Nettleton Stadium is conducive to that style. We’ll get to see how the No. 19 team in Division II fares this weekend against Cal State San Bernardino.