Cal Poly Hosts UC Davis May 6-7 to Close Home Slate

Friday, May 6

San Luis Obispo, CA

3 p.m.

UC Davis

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Cal Poly Hosts UC Davis May 6-7 to Close Home Slate

5/3/2022 9:45:00 AM | Softball

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Seeking its highest finish in the Big West Conference standings in eight years and looking to secure a winning record at Bob Janssen Field, the Cal Poly softball program hosts UC Davis for a Friday, May 6 doubleheader (3 p.m.) before closing an 18-game home schedule versus the Aggies on Saturday, May 7 (1 p.m.). Officially eliminated from Big West title contention after being swept at Cal State Fullerton (April 30-May 1), Cal Poly (16-26, 11-10) enters its penultimate series of the season in a three-way tie for fourth place in the conference standings alongside UC San Diego (23-24, 11-10) and UC Riverside (20-23, 11-10). The trio trail third place Hawai'i (19-17, 13-8) by just two games with six matchups remaining. Welcoming eighth place UC Davis (20-26, 8-13) for the first time since 2018 after the 2020 home series was cancelled, Cal Poly – 8-7 at Bob Janssen Field thus far – last finished among the Big West's top three programs with a 2014 runner-up showing. Cal Poly has won five of the last six series against UC Davis, which – having prevailed just twice in its previous nine Big West matchups – features a Big West best 2.78 staff ERA.

FOLLOW CAL POLY THIS WEEK: Daniel Gillman provides the play-by-play for ESPN+ HERE of Friday's doubleheader and the call for GoPoly.com of Saturday's regular season home finale HERE … live stats will also be available via GoPoly.com HERE.

CAL POLY VERSUS UC DAVIS: Having won five of the past six series against UC Davis, Cal Poly leads the all-time series, 35-33, dating to the first matchups – a Mustang doubleheader sweep – on Feb. 19, 1983. Neither program has managed a series sweep of the other since UC Davis took three home games from Cal Poly to close the 2013 season.

BIG WEST BATTING RACE DOWN TO THE WIRE: With Cal Poly featuring the Big West's top hitter, freshman left fielder Jessica Clements ranks 53rd among NCAA Division I hitters with a .406 (56-for-138) mark and leads Cal State Fullerton center fielder Megan Delgadillo (.398) by just eight points. Mustang senior shortstop Maddie Amos, meanwhile, ranks fifth in the Big West with a .371 (40-for-132) average. Clements currently features the fifth highest single season average in program history while Amos is 12th.

AMOS ROUNDING OFF STANDOUT CAREER: The Big West's fifth leading hitter with a .371 (49-for-132) mark, senior shortstop Maddie Amos enters the May 6-7 series versus UC Davis also ranked second among conference players with 38 RBI and 82 total bases, third with seven homers and a .621 slugging percentage, fourth with 10 doubles and fifth with 49 hits. Owner of 13 multi-hit games (including a four-hit performance at Hawai'i on April 8 and three further three-hit efforts) and a team leading seven multi-RBI games (including a program record eight after matching an NCAA single game record with two grand slams at CSU Bakersfield on April 16), Amos – the March 7, April 11 and April 18 Big West Field Player of the Week honoree – has struck out just 14 times in 149 plate appearances, averaging one every 9.4 at-bats. Ranked 12th in program history with a .319 (122-for-382) career batting average, Amos has started 132 of a possible 149 games during her career and all 77 since the start of the 2021 season.

CAREER DAY: With two grand slams and eight RBI during Cal Poly's 14-2, five-inning victory at CSU Bakersfield (April 16), senior shortstop Maddie Amos …
– Tied an NCAA single game record with two grand slams;
– Set a new program single game record with eight RBI;
– Tied a Big West Conference record eight RBI;
– Became the sixth Division I player during the 2022 season with eight RBI.

CLEMENTS DEBUT A HIT: Having hit safely 32 times, Cal Poly's leader with 16 multi-hit games – including career best four-hit outings against San Diego State (Feb. 13), San Jose State (Feb. 25), at Hawai'i (April 9) and at CSU Bakersfield (April 16) – and having reached base in 14 straight outings, freshman left fielder Jessica Clements ranks 53rd among NCAA Division I batters with a .406 (56-for-138) batting average. Still the Big West's leading hitter, Clements also ranks second with 56 hits and fourth with 32 runs. The Feb. 14 and April 11 Big West Freshman Player of the Week honoree, Clements is one of four Mustangs to start all 42 games this season alongside senior shortstop Maddie Amos, senior designated player Lily Amos and junior second baseman Xiara Diaz.

SIBLINGS IN THE FOLD: Among the 293 Division I programs for the 2022 season, Cal Poly – alongside Indiana State and IUPUI – is one of three teams to feature two pairs of siblings on the roster. Only UNC-Wilmington, with three pairs, features more. With seniors Maddie and Lily Amos each starting all 42 games, freshman third baseman Caroline Allman – a starter in 11 of 25 appearances – has entered the lineup alongside senior lefthander Krystyna Allman.

CLOSE, BUT …: Thirteen of Cal Poly's 42 games – 31 percent – have been decided by a single run with the Mustangs holding just a 3-10 mark in such matchups. Cal Poly's three one-run victories include a 2-1 home triumph against Nevada (March 12), a 7-6 home win versus UC Santa Barbara (April 2) and 8-7 decision at Hawai'i (April 9).

THE COMPANY YOU KEEP: Three of Cal Poly's opening 13 games occurred versus programs ranked or receiving votes in the Feb. 15 edition of the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll. After falling against Stanford (receiving votes) on Feb. 13, the Mustangs sustained setbacks versus No. 5 UCLA (March 3) and No. 23 Arizona State (March 4).

CAL POLY SELECTED SIXTH IN BIG WEST POLL: Earning one first-place vote in the 2022 Big West Preseason Coaches Poll, Cal Poly was selected for a sixth-place finish following Monday's release. The Mustangs, who finished seventh in the standings last year, earned 42 votes in Monday's poll to finish seven points behind Hawai'i and UC San Diego and one point ahead of UC Santa Barbara. Cal State Fullerton was selected first in the poll with 77 points and five of 10 first-place votes.

LOOKING AHEAD (MAY 13-14): Cal Poly closes its 48-game schedule with a three-game, May 13-14 series at UC San Diego. The Mustangs and Tritons met 18 times between 1987 and 1994 as Division II opponents, but have faced each other just three times since (last year's season-ending series at Cal Poly). The road series also marks Cal Poly's first visit to UC San Diego since sweeping a Feb. 13, 1994 doubleheader.