Jahvid Best made his sort-of-return to the Cal football team in its first day of spring ball Monday.

That’s pretty good news for a program that just lost what was supposed to be their No. 1 tailback heading into the spring. Best won’t be involved in anything where he can get hit, but he will be participating in individual drills and he’ll be working on his own every now and then.

And Best may be the Bears most prolific weapon next fall after the departure of not just dynamo DeSean Jackson, but receivers Robert Jordan and Lavelle Hawkins and tailback Justin Forsett. Let’s just say that on a team with little star power, Best as the best shot of shining next year.

More tidbits from Cal’s first practice: (Click here to read more…)

After sweeping then-No. 5 Long Beach State this past weekend, the Cal baseball team has climbed into the Baseball America top 10. In the latest rankings, the Bears came in at No. 7, the second-highest Pac-10 team behind No. 1 Arizona State (25-1, 3-0 in the Pac-10). (Click here to read more…)

I may not be able to be in Berkeley to see the showdown between the No. 11 Cal baseball team and the No. 5 Dirtbags of Long Beach State, but at least I have Gametracker. (Click here to read more…)

Once again the Cal men’s tennis team couldn’t produce on the top three courts, resulting in a 4-3 loss to No. 13 Pepperdine (10-6) on Wednesday.

In a match that was closer than the score indicates, the Waves grabbed the first four points of the day before the Bears even knew what hit ‘em. The Cal freshmen then cleaned up on the lower courts to make the final result look somewhat presentable. (Click here to read more…)

The Bears finished up today in Santa Cruz, posting a solid fourth place finish in the Western Intercollegiate. Conditions were pretty tough, with both cold weather and an unusually difficult course set up to contend with. Sophomore Evan Derian also withdrew from the first day’s action due to illness and definitely wasn’t at full strength on day two. That said, a fourth place finish behind two respectable ranked teams (the tourney winner St. Mary’s and runner-up Michigan St.) doesn’t seem too shabby. Especially considering that Cal was only six strokes over St. Mary’s score of +40. (Click here to read more…)

At a recent practice, I asked coach Rich Corso how the health of his No. 5 women’s water polo team was holding out this season. I have heard so much about basketball players with torn ACLs and pitchers with injured shoulders, but more than halfway through the Bears’ water polo season I had not heard a thing about injuries. And frankly, if you have ever been to a water polo game, this should surprise you.

But Corso replied that the team has suffered no serious injuries, aside from Grace Reynolds’ broken finger and Camille Hewko’s stitches at the beginning of the season. (Click here to read more…)

That’s right, you heard it — er, read it. The Cal rugby team lost. Yes, lost. As in, didn’t win. This is a blue moon and a fat chance rolled into one. This is as rare as uncooked meat. I repeat: The Cal rugby team lost. I’ll give you a second to digest this information, and it might take longer than that.

The Bears stood at 20-0 before Wednesday. Then, on its annual trip to Vancouver, Canada to face British Columbia, Cal was dealt its first loss of the season in its last game of the regular season, a 27-22 decision at Thunderbird Stadium. (Click here to read more…)

The men’s golf team finished today in sole possession of third place in the two-day Western Intercollegiate golf tournament in Santa Cruz. They’re situated behind two very respectable ranked teams (Michigan St. and St. Mary’s). Freshman Stephen Hale added to his spectacular spring résumé by leading the Bears in sixth place overall. Junior George Gandranata notched a solid six over, good for tenth place, and senior Brandon Beck and freshman Eric Mina tied for 20^th place. Another solid day for the Bears who continue to keep all members of the team in the top 20. (Click here to read more…)

The No. 11 Cal baseball team (15-5-1, 2-1 in the Pac-10) again hit a stumbling block in its midweek game, this time losing its second straight extra-inning affair at Santa Clara, 7-5. The Broncos got to Bears closer Matt Gorgen in the bottom of the 10th, when Matt Long went long against the junior fireballer, tagging Gorgen for a two-run walk-off home run.

On a lighter note, senior second baseman Josh Satin just keeps on chugging. (Click here to read more…)

Relief and excitement. Those have to be the two words that surround the Cal men’s basketball team after the big news today.

Ben Braun will no longer walk up and down hardwood at Haas Pavilion, getting axed after 12 years as being the head coach of the Bears.

This is what Athletic Director Sandy Barbour said in a statement today:

“This was an extremely difficult decision that was undertaken with great care and diligence. However, in the final analysis, I have determined that it is time for Cal to seek new leadership in our men’s basketball program. Competing for conference championships and a place in the NCAA Tournament are goals and expectations that are embraced at Cal. Unfortunately, we have not been able to consistently meet those expectations in our men’s basketball program.”

One Sweet 16 appearance, no Pac-10 titles, only five invites to the Big Dance in 12 years of service will get you canned. (Click here to read more…)