Fall Ball Begins for Cal Poly Baseball Team on Friday Afternoon
10/6/2022 10:45:00 AM | Baseball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- The Cal Poly baseball team opens fall practice Friday afternoon with more newcomers than returning lettermen.
Head coach Larry Lee also has three new assistant coaches.
New acquaintances will be made in Baggett Stadium starting at 1:30 p.m. An intrasquad game is scheduled for 4 o'clock. Practices on Saturday and Sunday begin at 10 a.m.
Lee will welcome back just four position players who started 30 or more games. Four additional Mustangs were redshirts a year ago.
The small group of veterans includes first baseman Joe Yorke, catchers Ryan Stafford and Collin Villegas and infielder Matthias Haas. Villegas started 36 games in left field when not catching while Haas spent much of his playing time in right field or as the Mustangs' designated hitter.
The pitching corps has more experience returning, led by weekend starter Travis Weston and reliever Bryce Warrecker, who enjoyed a successful summer on the Cape. Replacements, however, need to be found for starters Drew Thorpe and Dylan Villalobos along with 11-save closer Jason Franks.
A late-season surge a year ago lifted Yorke's batting average to .353 with 13 doubles, four home runs and 51 RBIs in 58 games. Stafford compiled a .321 average with 16 doubles, three home runs and 33 RBIs while Villegas hit .290 with 20 doubles, four home runs and 40 RBIs. Haas contributed with a .265 mark and 17 RBIs in 30 starts (42 games played).
Utility player Taison Corio, outfielder Jack Painter and infielder Tanner Sagouspe also return.
The biggest hole to fill is at shortstop, vacated by Brooks Lee after he was drafted eighth overall by the Minnesota Twins and moved all the way up to Double-A by the time his summer ended. Lee hit .342 in 2021 and .357 last spring, combining for 25 home runs and 112 RBIs in the two seasons en route to a pair of Big West Conference Field Player of the Year awards and numerous All-America honors.
Designated hitter Matt Lopez (.307), third baseman Tate Samuelson (.245) and outfielders John Lagattuta (.222) and Reagan Doss (.270) exhausted their eligibility last spring along with utility player Brett Borgogno (.248).
Thorpe was 10-1 with a 2.32 ERA and a school-record 149 strikeouts in 2022 and was drafted in the second round (61st overall selection) by the New York Yankees, giving Cal Poly picks in the first two rounds of a single draft for the first time.
After missing the first six weeks of the season due to injury, Warrecker posted a 2-0 mark and 5.81 ERA last spring before combining with two relievers on a no-hitter for the Orleans Firebirds in the Cape Cod League and finishing 4-1 with a 2.07 ERA en route to Cape Cod League Most Outstanding Pitcher of the Year honors. In 10 appearances on the mound, including six starts, Warrecker struck out 35 batters and walked just eight over 39 innings.
Weston, a southpaw, was 7-3 with a 3.91 ERA as Cal Poly's Saturday starter a year ago, notching 76 strikeouts in 94 1/3 innings.
Other top returning pitchers include Zach Button (8-1, 4.82 ERA in 21 appearances), Derek True (1-1, 4.79 ERA in 19 appearances), Kyle Scott (0-3, 6.26 ERA in 15 appearances) and Kaden Sheedy (3-2, 5.23 ERA in 14 appearances), all right-handers.
Lefty Noah Larkin (2-3, 4.40 ERA) and right-handers Steven Brooks (0-2, 5.33 ERA) and Evan Tomlinson (0-0, 6.48 ERA) also return, along with Jake Buxton and Chris Baytosh.
The list of newcomers includes a pair of transfers from four-year schools -- infielder Aaron Casillas from CSU Bakersfield and outfielder Trevor Tishenkel from Cal -- and four community college transfers in outfielder Jacob Steels of Hancock College, right-handed pitcher Ryan Baum of College of San Mateo, shortstop Ryan Fenn of Cuesta College and middle infielder Kemet Brown of San Joaquin Delta College.
Newcomers from the high school ranks are led by right-handed pitchers Freddy Rodriguez (River City HS), Charlie Royle (Long Beach Wilson HS), Jake Cross (Alameda HS) and Holden Garcia (Stockdale HS), infielder Tate Shimao (Rancho Cucamonga HS) and utility player Evan Cloyd (Bakersfield Christian HS).
Cal Poly's four redshirts last spring were southpaw Jakob Wright, righty Carlo Lopiccolo, catcher Carson Stevens and outfielder Austin Caviness.
All three assistant coaches from a year ago -- Jake Silverman (Washington), Ben Greenspan (Michigan) and Justin Bridgman (Tulane) -- have been hired elsewhere. Replacing them are Seth Moir, an assistant coach at San Jose State the last two seasons; Matt Fonteno, who has served as an assistant coach at USC, UC Santa Barbara, Saint Mary's and Nevada over the last 10 years; and Logan Denholm, a catcher at UC Davis and Sacramento State and most recently a volunteer assistant coach at San Jose State.
Fall games are scheduled for Oct. 22 against UC Santa Barbara at Baggett Stadium and Oct. 29 at Stanford.
The 2023 season begins the weekend of Feb. 17-19.
Head coach Larry Lee also has three new assistant coaches.
New acquaintances will be made in Baggett Stadium starting at 1:30 p.m. An intrasquad game is scheduled for 4 o'clock. Practices on Saturday and Sunday begin at 10 a.m.
Lee will welcome back just four position players who started 30 or more games. Four additional Mustangs were redshirts a year ago.
The small group of veterans includes first baseman Joe Yorke, catchers Ryan Stafford and Collin Villegas and infielder Matthias Haas. Villegas started 36 games in left field when not catching while Haas spent much of his playing time in right field or as the Mustangs' designated hitter.
The pitching corps has more experience returning, led by weekend starter Travis Weston and reliever Bryce Warrecker, who enjoyed a successful summer on the Cape. Replacements, however, need to be found for starters Drew Thorpe and Dylan Villalobos along with 11-save closer Jason Franks.
A late-season surge a year ago lifted Yorke's batting average to .353 with 13 doubles, four home runs and 51 RBIs in 58 games. Stafford compiled a .321 average with 16 doubles, three home runs and 33 RBIs while Villegas hit .290 with 20 doubles, four home runs and 40 RBIs. Haas contributed with a .265 mark and 17 RBIs in 30 starts (42 games played).
Utility player Taison Corio, outfielder Jack Painter and infielder Tanner Sagouspe also return.
The biggest hole to fill is at shortstop, vacated by Brooks Lee after he was drafted eighth overall by the Minnesota Twins and moved all the way up to Double-A by the time his summer ended. Lee hit .342 in 2021 and .357 last spring, combining for 25 home runs and 112 RBIs in the two seasons en route to a pair of Big West Conference Field Player of the Year awards and numerous All-America honors.
Designated hitter Matt Lopez (.307), third baseman Tate Samuelson (.245) and outfielders John Lagattuta (.222) and Reagan Doss (.270) exhausted their eligibility last spring along with utility player Brett Borgogno (.248).
Thorpe was 10-1 with a 2.32 ERA and a school-record 149 strikeouts in 2022 and was drafted in the second round (61st overall selection) by the New York Yankees, giving Cal Poly picks in the first two rounds of a single draft for the first time.
After missing the first six weeks of the season due to injury, Warrecker posted a 2-0 mark and 5.81 ERA last spring before combining with two relievers on a no-hitter for the Orleans Firebirds in the Cape Cod League and finishing 4-1 with a 2.07 ERA en route to Cape Cod League Most Outstanding Pitcher of the Year honors. In 10 appearances on the mound, including six starts, Warrecker struck out 35 batters and walked just eight over 39 innings.
Weston, a southpaw, was 7-3 with a 3.91 ERA as Cal Poly's Saturday starter a year ago, notching 76 strikeouts in 94 1/3 innings.
Other top returning pitchers include Zach Button (8-1, 4.82 ERA in 21 appearances), Derek True (1-1, 4.79 ERA in 19 appearances), Kyle Scott (0-3, 6.26 ERA in 15 appearances) and Kaden Sheedy (3-2, 5.23 ERA in 14 appearances), all right-handers.
Lefty Noah Larkin (2-3, 4.40 ERA) and right-handers Steven Brooks (0-2, 5.33 ERA) and Evan Tomlinson (0-0, 6.48 ERA) also return, along with Jake Buxton and Chris Baytosh.
The list of newcomers includes a pair of transfers from four-year schools -- infielder Aaron Casillas from CSU Bakersfield and outfielder Trevor Tishenkel from Cal -- and four community college transfers in outfielder Jacob Steels of Hancock College, right-handed pitcher Ryan Baum of College of San Mateo, shortstop Ryan Fenn of Cuesta College and middle infielder Kemet Brown of San Joaquin Delta College.
Newcomers from the high school ranks are led by right-handed pitchers Freddy Rodriguez (River City HS), Charlie Royle (Long Beach Wilson HS), Jake Cross (Alameda HS) and Holden Garcia (Stockdale HS), infielder Tate Shimao (Rancho Cucamonga HS) and utility player Evan Cloyd (Bakersfield Christian HS).
Cal Poly's four redshirts last spring were southpaw Jakob Wright, righty Carlo Lopiccolo, catcher Carson Stevens and outfielder Austin Caviness.
All three assistant coaches from a year ago -- Jake Silverman (Washington), Ben Greenspan (Michigan) and Justin Bridgman (Tulane) -- have been hired elsewhere. Replacing them are Seth Moir, an assistant coach at San Jose State the last two seasons; Matt Fonteno, who has served as an assistant coach at USC, UC Santa Barbara, Saint Mary's and Nevada over the last 10 years; and Logan Denholm, a catcher at UC Davis and Sacramento State and most recently a volunteer assistant coach at San Jose State.
Fall games are scheduled for Oct. 22 against UC Santa Barbara at Baggett Stadium and Oct. 29 at Stanford.
The 2023 season begins the weekend of Feb. 17-19.
Players Mentioned
LHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
SS
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
Cal Poly vs. UC Davis, Baseball Highlights -- Mar 22nd, 2026
Sunday, March 22
Cal Poly vs. UC Davis, Baseball Highlights -- Mar 21st, 2026
Sunday, March 22
Cal Poly vs. CSUB, Baseball Highlights -- Mar 15th, 2026
Monday, March 16
Cal Poly vs. CSUB, Baseball Highlights -- Mar 14th, 2026
Sunday, March 15
