Saturday, March 23
San Luis Obispo, CA
1 p.m.
vs
UC Riverside
Photo by: Kyle Calzia
Mustangs Open Home Stretch March 23-24 versus UC Riverside
3/19/2024 1:18:00 PM | Softball
SAN LUIS OBISPO – After playing its first 22 matchups away from home, the Cal Poly softball program welcomes UC Riverside to Bob Janssen Field for a Saturday, March 23 doubleheader (1 p.m.) and Sunday, March 24 single matchup (12 noon). The Big West's top hitting side with a .292 team batting average, Cal Poly (13-9, 3-0) began Big West action at CSUN March 16-17, delivering a conference-opening sweep for the first time since 2008 by a total of four runs. With an early share of first place atop the Big West standings alongside UC San Diego (10-18, 3-0), Cal Poly's perfect conference start is its best since the 2007 Mustang squad opened Big West play unbeaten in its first eight. UC Riverside (7-16, 1-2), meanwhile, began Big West action with a 2-1 home victory against Long Beach State (March 16) before dropping the final two series games.
FOLLOW CAL POLY VERSUS UC RIVERSIDE: Live stats for each series matchup with UC Riverside will be available via GoPoly.com HERE.
CAL POLY VERSUS UC RIVERSIDE: The Mustangs took two of three games at UC Riverside last season to earn their first series victory against the Highlanders since a three-game home sweep in 2016. The Mustangs lead the all-time series, 97-42, dating to the first meeting – a 4-1 Cal Poly win – on April 16, 1976. A sweep by Cal Poly would provide the Mustangs their first 100-win total against any opponent in 50 seasons.
CLEMENTS REMAINS CAL POLY'S CATALYST: Cal Poly's leadoff batter in 93 of 112 career outings, junior center fielder Jessica Clements enters the UC Riverside series as the second leading hitter in Division I with a .532 (41-for-77) batting average and 10th nationally with 41 hits. Also the Big West leader for slugging percentage (.765), on-base percentage (.584), doubles (seven), triples (four) and total bases (62) and ranked fourth in runs scored (18), Clements has hit safely in 20 of 22 matchups this season with 15 multi-hit efforts (including six three-hit games). Averaging 1.9 hits per game, Clements has also struck out just four times. Through 112 career games, Clements remains the top batter in program history with a .421 (164-for-390) career mark that doubles as the second best figure in Big West history.
RAMUNO ON THE RISE: Matching a career best with 10 strikeouts during Cal Poly's March 17 series finale against CSUN after producing eight in the March 16 series opener, sophomore righthander Sophia Ramuno now ranks sixth among Big West pitchers with 59 strikeouts this season. The March 18 Big West Pitcher of the Week honoree, Ramuno also sits fourth with a .228 opposing batting average and sixth with a 2.78 ERA and five complete games. With a pair of seven-strikeout performances versus California Baptist (Feb. 29 / March 3), Ramuno owns a 1.55 ERA in her last eight outings.
DIAZ'S SUPERGB SENIOR SEASON: Batting 136 points higher than her .254 career average entering the season, senior shortstop Xiara Diaz enters Cal Poly's home-opening series ranked fourth among conference players with a .390 (23-for-59) mark. Having reached base in all but three appearances, Diaz also sits fourth among Big West players with a .481 on-base percentage and sixth with 11 walks. A starter in 112 successive games for Cal Poly, Diaz remains third in program history with 32 steals.
GOOD JUJU: Helping to provide Cal Poly three of the Big West's top 16 hitters is senior right fielder Juju Sargent, who has reached base in 21 of 22 matchups and takes a .324 (24-for-74) batting average into the March 23-24 series with UC Riverside. Having hit safely 16 times, Sargent also sits seventh among Big West players with 16 runs scored and ninth with 24 hits and five doubles.
CAL POLY SELECTED SEVENTH IN BIG WEST POLL: Despite returning starters at all 10 positions and welcoming back all three All-Big West selections from 2023, Cal Poly was selected seventh in the conference preseason coaches' poll. The Mustangs received 31 total points in the poll – 15 behind sixth place Hawai'i. Cal State Fullerton – second in the Big West standings a season ago – was selected to capture the 2024 title with 77 points and six first-place votes. Defending champion Long Beach State was second in the poll, right behind the Titans on 75 points and with the remaining four first-place votes.
LOOKING AHEAD (MARCH 23-24): Cal Poly completes a six-game home stand when hosting UC Santa Barbara for a Friday, March 29 doubleheader and Saturday, March 30 single matchup. Both games get underway at 1 p.m. on ESPN+ for Cal Poly, which seeks just a second series victory against the rival Gauchos since 2017.
ETC.: The Cal Poly program is in its 50th varsity season in 2024, 27th season as a Big West member and in its 20th year under head coach Jenny Condon … Cal Poly's 5-0 start to the year was its best since beginning the 2005 season 5-0 … Cal Poly's Big West-opening series sweep of CSUN (March 16-17) was its first to start conference play since 2013.
FOLLOW CAL POLY VERSUS UC RIVERSIDE: Live stats for each series matchup with UC Riverside will be available via GoPoly.com HERE.
CAL POLY VERSUS UC RIVERSIDE: The Mustangs took two of three games at UC Riverside last season to earn their first series victory against the Highlanders since a three-game home sweep in 2016. The Mustangs lead the all-time series, 97-42, dating to the first meeting – a 4-1 Cal Poly win – on April 16, 1976. A sweep by Cal Poly would provide the Mustangs their first 100-win total against any opponent in 50 seasons.
CLEMENTS REMAINS CAL POLY'S CATALYST: Cal Poly's leadoff batter in 93 of 112 career outings, junior center fielder Jessica Clements enters the UC Riverside series as the second leading hitter in Division I with a .532 (41-for-77) batting average and 10th nationally with 41 hits. Also the Big West leader for slugging percentage (.765), on-base percentage (.584), doubles (seven), triples (four) and total bases (62) and ranked fourth in runs scored (18), Clements has hit safely in 20 of 22 matchups this season with 15 multi-hit efforts (including six three-hit games). Averaging 1.9 hits per game, Clements has also struck out just four times. Through 112 career games, Clements remains the top batter in program history with a .421 (164-for-390) career mark that doubles as the second best figure in Big West history.
RAMUNO ON THE RISE: Matching a career best with 10 strikeouts during Cal Poly's March 17 series finale against CSUN after producing eight in the March 16 series opener, sophomore righthander Sophia Ramuno now ranks sixth among Big West pitchers with 59 strikeouts this season. The March 18 Big West Pitcher of the Week honoree, Ramuno also sits fourth with a .228 opposing batting average and sixth with a 2.78 ERA and five complete games. With a pair of seven-strikeout performances versus California Baptist (Feb. 29 / March 3), Ramuno owns a 1.55 ERA in her last eight outings.
DIAZ'S SUPERGB SENIOR SEASON: Batting 136 points higher than her .254 career average entering the season, senior shortstop Xiara Diaz enters Cal Poly's home-opening series ranked fourth among conference players with a .390 (23-for-59) mark. Having reached base in all but three appearances, Diaz also sits fourth among Big West players with a .481 on-base percentage and sixth with 11 walks. A starter in 112 successive games for Cal Poly, Diaz remains third in program history with 32 steals.
GOOD JUJU: Helping to provide Cal Poly three of the Big West's top 16 hitters is senior right fielder Juju Sargent, who has reached base in 21 of 22 matchups and takes a .324 (24-for-74) batting average into the March 23-24 series with UC Riverside. Having hit safely 16 times, Sargent also sits seventh among Big West players with 16 runs scored and ninth with 24 hits and five doubles.
CAL POLY SELECTED SEVENTH IN BIG WEST POLL: Despite returning starters at all 10 positions and welcoming back all three All-Big West selections from 2023, Cal Poly was selected seventh in the conference preseason coaches' poll. The Mustangs received 31 total points in the poll – 15 behind sixth place Hawai'i. Cal State Fullerton – second in the Big West standings a season ago – was selected to capture the 2024 title with 77 points and six first-place votes. Defending champion Long Beach State was second in the poll, right behind the Titans on 75 points and with the remaining four first-place votes.
LOOKING AHEAD (MARCH 23-24): Cal Poly completes a six-game home stand when hosting UC Santa Barbara for a Friday, March 29 doubleheader and Saturday, March 30 single matchup. Both games get underway at 1 p.m. on ESPN+ for Cal Poly, which seeks just a second series victory against the rival Gauchos since 2017.
ETC.: The Cal Poly program is in its 50th varsity season in 2024, 27th season as a Big West member and in its 20th year under head coach Jenny Condon … Cal Poly's 5-0 start to the year was its best since beginning the 2005 season 5-0 … Cal Poly's Big West-opening series sweep of CSUN (March 16-17) was its first to start conference play since 2013.
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
IF
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