4/10/2025 11:00:00 AM
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The Mustangs are approaching a gauntlet of three opponents predicted within the Massive West Preseason Coaches’ Ballot to complete together with Cal Poly within the high 4 this season: UC Santa Barbara (1), UC Irvine (2), and Hawai’i (4).
The primary of these opponents involves Baggett Stadium this weekend with the Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors, tied with Cal State Fullerton for third within the Massive West at 9-6 up to now.
Led by Wealthy Hill, one in all NCAA Division I Baseball’s ten winningest energetic coaches, Hawai’i enters the three-game collection with an an identical 23-8 file to Cal Poly.
As of this launch, Cal Poly remains to be comfortably within the high 20 for RPI (19) and is the one Division I program within the nation nonetheless unbeaten in its convention.
Cal Poly has received 9 consecutive video games to tie LSU for the third-longest energetic win streak in Division I baseball, throughout which the Mustangs tallied double-digit hits in each recreation.
With a fourth straight collection sweep final weekend, the Mustangs are off to the 2nd finest begin in Massive West historical past! ??
Cal Poly wants six extra wins to tie the all-time file of 18-0 (Fresno State ‘88)#RideHigh pic.twitter.com/izaG28uUfo
Coach Lee spent a while with @3DDingers speaking in regards to the workforce's pink sizzling begin to the Massive West slate ???
Take a take heed to their podcast and listen to Coach Lee's a long time of baseball information and knowledge in motion!#RideHigh https://t.co/LWSEHd7AOI
The Mustangs tempo the Massive West for hits (355) and doubles (79), with their 2.52 doubles per recreation sitting at ninth in Division I baseball. They’re additionally ninth for fielding share (0.982).
Alejandro Garza elevated his hitting streak to 14 video games through the 8-5 midweek win over San Jose State on Tuesday. Garza tallied his team-leading seventeenth multi-hit recreation towards the Spartans, whereas Ryan Fenn notched his sixth three-hit recreation this yr.
Garza, the reigning Massive West Freshman Subject Participant of the 12 months and ending because the second hardest batter to strike out in Division I baseball final season, remains to be battling exhausting in each at-bat whereas sixth in these rankings this yr.
Of all Mustang batters with at the very least 40 at-bats this season, ten are hitting a few .280 clip with Zach Daudet, Jake Downing, Jack Collins, Alejandro Garza, Cam Hoiland, Nate Castellon, Ryan Fenn, and Dante Vachini all at a .300 common or increased.
Over the weekend, Garza surpassed Collins for the workforce lead in hits (45), however the catcher nonetheless paces the workforce for house runs (10), doubles (13), and RBIs (41). Collins’ house runs complete ties for first within the convention, whereas his 13 doubles are solely within the lead.
What was thought to doubtlessly be a weak point after dropping the Friday and Saturday starters from 2024, the Mustang pitching employees has been a pleasing shock because the season continues.
Mustang pitchers who’ve began at the very least one recreation this season mixed for a 14-5 file. Bolstering the beginning rotation of Griffin Naess, Josh Volmerding, and Etham Marmie are three relievers with double-digit video games performed already.
Chris Downs has gifted Cal Poly scoreless baseball in 10-of-14 appearances this season and leads all Mustang pitchers with a 0.94 WHIP. Jake Torres additionally holds a sub-1.00 WHIP (.98).
Tanner Sagouspe, tied for second within the Massive West with 5 saves, has made 16 appearances on the mound and is tied for third on the workforce with 31 strikeouts.
Prepared for battle at Baggett! ??#RideHigh ???? https://t.co/oDczinjjIP
Hawai’i is as harmful of an opponent as Cal Poly will face this season and represents the primary of the three “remaining bosses” within the Massive West. The Rainbow Warriors have surrendered double-digit runs in simply three video games this season.
The Rainbow Warriors, led by ace starter Liam O’Brien, are one of many nation’s premier pitching staffs, thirteenth in Division I baseball for ERA (3.73). O’Brien, himself, is seventeenth for particular person ERA (2.04) and stands alone on the high of the school baseball panorama with the very best H/9 (3.31).
Simply as spectacular is high reliever Isaiah Magdaleno who boasts an eye-popping 0.71 WHIP (#1 in Division I) via 13 appearances and 34 innings. The sophomore has posted strikeouts in each single look this season and is third within the nation with a 0.79 BB/9 ratio.
Although not as astonishing at their pitching, the Rainbow Warriors are additionally harmful on the plate, third within the convention for workforce batting common (.301).
With an arsenal of constant contact hitters led by Ben Zeigler Namoa (40 hits, .339 avg.), Hawai’i has six common starters with at the very least a .320 batting common and 30+ hits.
Hawai’i is coming off a hard-fought 5-3 midweek win at Santa Clara after dropping two of three to Lengthy Seashore State within the islands. Earlier than dropping that collection, Hawai’i strung collectively collection wins over CSUN, UC Davis, and previously #15 UC Santa Barbara.
Since their first assembly towards Hawai’i in 1995, the Mustangs are 31-16 all-time over this weekend’s opponents and 19-9 during the last decade. Hawai’i has taken every of the final two collection in 2023 and 2024.
Towards Santa Clara, the Mustangs path 44-52 within the all-time collection and 6-11 within the final ten years. Cal Poly cut up the home-and-home collection in 2024, profitable the sport at Baggett 9-3.
This yr, the Broncos are 13-16 (2-4 WCC) heading into the weekend. They’ve misplaced 5 of their final six however not too long ago beat UC San Diego 3-1 in a collection.
The Broncos are barely struggling offensively with a .245 workforce batting common and simply three constant starters over a .270 common. Dylan Joyce leads Santa Clara batters with 34 hits, 5 house runs, and 28 RBIs.
Victor Martinez holds a 2.87 ERA as a semi-consistent starter, however the limelight is totally on Max Bayles who’s seventeenth within the nation with 64 strikeouts and fifth for Ok/9 (15.03).
All video games this weekend, together with the midweek affair towards Santa Clara, might be live-streamed on ESPN+.
Poly Offers has begun! This yearly university-wide giving marketing campaign brings collectively alums, mother and father, college students, and pals to assist the Mustang legacy of “Be taught by Doing.”
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