Cal Poly Completes Big West Prep with March 11-12 Mustang Classic

Saturday, March 11

San Luis Obispo, CA

2:30 p.m.

Saint Mary's

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Cal Poly Completes Big West Prep with March 11-12 Mustang Classic

3/9/2023 11:06:00 AM | Softball

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Welcoming Saint Mary's and first-time opponent Loyola University Chicago to Bob Janssen Field, the Cal Poly softball program completes Big West Conference preparations when hosting the revised March 11-12 Mustang Classic. With impending rain in San Luis Obispo County, the original tournament schedule was shortened to two days from three (Friday's four-game slate was cancelled) and contracted from four teams to three. Cal Poly (7-8) now opens Mustang Classic action on Saturday, March 11 with a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader against Saint Mary's (6-13) and Loyola University Chicago (4-14) before facing Saint Mary's again on Sunday, March 12 in a 12 noon rematch. The complete Mustang Classic schedule is below. Cal Poly has compiled a 43-23 overall record in 14 previous Mustang Classic tournaments since 2007.

2023 Mustang Classic
Bob Janssen Field (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)

Saturday, March 11*
Loyola University Chicago vs. Saint Mary's, 12 noon
Saint Mary's at Cal Poly, 2:30 p.m.
Loyola University Chicago at Cal Poly, 5 p.m.

Sunday, March 12*
Saint Mary's vs. Loyola University Chicago, 9:30 a.m.
Saint Mary's at Cal Poly, 12 noon
*Team Listed Second is Home

FOLLOW CAL POLY THIS WEEK: Max Milander provides play-by-play for ESPN+ for all of Cal Poly's Mustang Classic games HERE … live stats from all five Mustang Classic games will also be available via GoPoly.com HERE.

CAL POLY VERSUS MUSTANG CLASSIC OPPONENTS: Cal Poly has never previously played Loyola University Chicago and only faced three current Atlantic-10 Conference teams in program history in Fordham (2001, 2014, 2020), Rhode Island (2008) and Saint Joseph's (2012) … Cal Poly holds a 37-4 all-time series advantage against Saint Mary's since the first meeting between the two sides – a Mustang doubleheader road sweep – on March 24, 1985. Cal Poly swept a three-game home series from the Gaels in the last set of matchups (March 6-7, 2021).

BARNETT'S STRONG START: Having reached base in 13 of 15 games and hit safely in all but four matchups this season, sophomore catcher Julia Barnett – limited to just four hits in 15 appearances last year – ranks 11th among Big West Conference hitters with a team leading .372 (16-for-43) batting average. Barnett also leads Cal Poly in hits (16), total bases (20) and slugging percentage (.465). Also with a team best four multi-hit games – including three-hit efforts during wins against North Dakota (Feb. 11) and Idaho State (Feb. 21) – Barnett belted her first career homer during an opening-day victory versus North Dakota. Defensively, Barnett owns a .977 mark in 86 chances.

LEADOFF BY EXAMPLE: Cal Poly's leadoff batter in all 63 games since the start of her career last spring, sophomore center fielder Jessica Clements enters the Mustang Classic as Cal Poly's second leading hitter with a 3.48 (16-for-46) mark. She tops the Mustangs with 10 runs and a .483 on-base percentage while co-leading Cal Poly with 16 hits, four multi-hit games and 20 total bases. The leading hitter in Cal Poly's 49-year program history with a .385 (79-for-205) mark, Clements has produced 22 collegiate multi-hit outings.

RAMUNO RISES IN THE CIRCLE: With 53 strikeouts – 11 shy of Big West leader Myka Sutherlin (Cal State Fullerton) – Cal Poly freshman righthander Sophia Ramuno also ranks third among conference pitchers in victories (five) and innings pitched (52.2) Featuring a 2.1-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, Ramuno is averaging 1.02 strikeouts per inning. She produced a career best eight strikeouts against Nevada (Feb. 12) before matchup the total in a victory against Fresno State (March 3).

CONDON ON VERGE OF HISTORY: Ranked seventh in Big West Conference history with 437 career victories, 19th-year head coach Jenny Condon requires just seven more Mustang wins to overtake Lisa Boyer (1989-04) for total victories by a Cal Poly softball head coach. Condon (437) and Boyer (443) have combined for 76.7 (880 of 1,147) percent of the victories in Cal Poly softball history. In Cal Poly Athletics Department history, only current baseball head coach Larry Lee (2003-) has overseen more victories (617) than Boyer or Condon.

CAL POLY SELECTED SIXTH IN BIG WEST PRESEASON POLL: With sophomore outfielder Jessica Clements earning a position on the preseason coaches' team, the Cal Poly softball program was selected for a sixth-place finish in the 2023 Big West Preseason Poll. Cal Poly collected 40 total points in the poll and one first-place vote to finish just one point behind CSUN. Defending Big West champion Cal State Fullerton was selected to retain its title with 80 points and eight of 10 first-place votes. Last year's runner-up, Long Beach State, finished second with 68 points and the remaining first-place vote. Hawai'i (59 points) and UC San Diego (56) finished third and fourth in the poll, respectively.

ETC.: Now in its 49th year of varsity competition, Cal Poly played the program's 2,200th game during a 6-5, eight-inning home win against Idaho State (Feb. 21).