UCLA
Cal Poly Baseball Opens 2025 Season at UCLA and LMU
2/13/2025 2:30:00 PM | Baseball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The Mustangs begin their 31st Division I season and 23rd under coach Lee against five-time College World Series participant and 2013 champions UCLA from Feb. 14-16. Staying in Los Angeles, the Mustangs will then take on LMU one day later to round out the first weekend of competition.
I’ve always wanted to play the best teams that we could, I don’t care if it’s on the road or at home, and I never wanted a cupcake-type schedule. If I was a player, I would want to face the best teams as a measuring stick to where I’m at.Head Coach Larry Lee
Looking Back
Cal Poly won 33-of-48 games since a 2-7 start in the 2024 season on the way to tying for third in the Big West. The Mustangs tied for the fourth-largest turnaround in Division I baseball, enjoying a +27 point shift from 21-35 in 2023 to an outstanding 35-22 record last year.
As a result, the 2025 Preseason Coaches' Poll predicted Cal Poly to finish in third again while giving individual nods to reigning Freshmen of the Year honorees Alejandro Garza and Griffin Naess, who both made the All-Preseason Team.
The Mustangs also enjoyed double-digit hits in 20 of the last 31 games in 2024, and were just as good defensively down the stretch with 11-straight errorless games from April 28 to May 14 while finishing with 17 errorless games in last 20.
Ryan Fenn became the 7th Mustang to tally 5 runs and the 20th to get 5 hits in one game, and both Joe Yorke and Ryan Stafford set new program records in career RBI and career doubles respectively.
To round out the year, Cal Poly watched four players garner draft picks and Griffin Naess continue to rake in national freshman honors after an undefeated first season.
Get ready to mark your calendars, baseball fans, because the holidays have come early! ??
— Cal Poly Baseball (@CalPolyBSB) December 18, 2024
We're ready to announce our 2025 schedule, featuring 26 home games, matchups against multiple 2024 ranked programs, and for the first time a six-team Big West Championship! ??#RideHigh pic.twitter.com/cNw2xlVeMu
All the waiting is finally over, Cal Poly Baseball is BACK! The Mustangs and Bruins face off this weekend at UCLA for a 3? game series! ??
— Cal Poly Baseball (@CalPolyBSB) February 11, 2025
Links to the broadcast, live stats, and more can be found on our schedule at https://t.co/tYzorL6IJw ???#RideHigh pic.twitter.com/cQGWUxXApV
Doesn’t matter if you’re a JC transfer or first year freshman, experiencing this level for the first time is always tough. Everyone gets experience, and so the second year around they can make adjustments and improve physically.Head Coach Larry Lee
State of the Team
Cal Poly returns one starter from last season's rotation, reliable closer, three starting infielders, regular starting outfielder, and breakout designated hitter.
- RHP - Griffin Naess
- 7-0 record for a true freshman, 3.58 ERA and .237 opponents' batting average
- Seven wins most by a Cal Poly freshman since Mike Zirelli posted 7-3 mark in 1996
- Third on team with 62 strikeouts
- First start was on fourth weekend of season and started every series finale since
- RHP - Tanner Sagouspe
- Nine saves (tied for fourth in Big West, one behind trio of co- leaders)
- .207 opponents' batting average 4-2 win-loss record and 3.23 ERA
- INF - Alejandro Garza
- First nine games 4-for-18 (.222)
- Since then (43 games), 65-for-179 — .363 — adding 126 points to .346 10-game hitting streak earlier in season, 19 multiple-hit games
- INF - Ryan Fenn
- .371 average after CSUN series March 15-17 missed first three games with hamstring injury
- 26-for-115 (.226) next 26 games, average dropped 91 points to .280
- five straight multiple-hit games (12-for-19, .632) from May 10-14, adding 33 points to .313 Ten multiple-hit games in last 13 games of season (25-55, .454), lifting average to .325
- 28 RBIs in 15-game stretch earlier (5 vs. CSUN on March 16) Finished season with 11-game hitting streak
- 11 RBIs in four-game week vs. UNLV and CSUN
- INF - Zach Daudet
- 0-for-17, then 17-for-67 since (.254 last 21 games), 4-0-4, 21 RBIs, two homers, six RBIs at Fresno State on April 30
- OF - Dylan Kordic
- .244 after CSUB series, 29-for-79 (.367) since (23 games), 8-2-0, 12 RBIs
- Lifted average 59 points to .303
- 5-11 Hawaii series, 5-12 UCD, 6-14 UCI, 3-for-11 Utah Tech, 4-for-9 UCSD
- DH - Braxton Thomas
- 11-for-31, .355, 12 RBIs in first eight games (1 double, 4 homers) 2-for-29 (.069) since (last nine games), four RBIs (one homer)
- Seven-game hit streak snapped May 10 by Utah Tech
at UCLA - Friday, Feb. 14 to Sunday, Feb. 16
Although the Bruins went 19-33 (9-21 PAC12) last season, they are expected to have a strong return to the diamond after being picked fourth in this season's B1G Preseason Poll. Three players made the watchlist: UCLA's 2024 batting leader Roch Cholowsky, ace starter Cody Delvecchio, and returner Dean West.
The Mustangs last played UCLA in 2021, winning a hard-fought series over the Bruins 2-1, with a star-studded team that consisted of current major leaguers Brooks Lee and Drew Thorpe. Even last season, Cal Poly took a series win off fellow B1G opponent Ohio State, the first win over a team from that conference in program history. Now, the Mustangs will look to repeat the feat in consecutive seasons.
at LMU - Monday, Feb. 17
Cal Poly's first mid-week contest of the season sees the Green and Gold staying in the Los Angeles area for a matchup against WCC opponent LMU. Last season, the Lions 24-30 (9-15 WCC) played ten games against Big West opponents and went 4-6 but still managed a win off ranked UC Santa Barbara during that stretch.
LMU experienced a tough turnover of 2024's talent, losing its top five batters and best starting pitcher. Returning to the fray will be JD Dunn, who saw successful but limited action in his Freshman season, top hitting returner Devan Ornelas, and top reliever Ryan Mullan.
