Garza, Naess Named to Big West All-Preseason Team
2/7/2025 12:25:00 PM | Baseball
IRVINE, Calif. — With one week to go before Cal Poly opens its 2025 season against UCLA, the Big West released its 2025 Baseball All-Preseason Team and Coaches’ Poll on Friday, predicting the Mustangs to finish in postseason contention while receiving a pair of early individual nods.
After heavily upsetting last year’s predictions that Cal Poly would finish in seventh, the Mustangs garnered greater praise by the league head coaches this preseason with a third place projection, earning 79 total points behind UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine.
Correlating to their impressive third place tie in the Big West last season, the Mustangs earned a pair of spots on the All-Preseason Team with reigning Freshman of the Year honorees Alejandro Garza and Griffin Naess representing Cal Poly among the 11 players selected.
They both are wired the right way and have improved their skill sets. I would think that Naess is ready to take the Friday role. With his plus-changeup and some added quality pitches, although not an overpowering pitcher, you can basically call a game for him. He makes difficult at-bats. With Garza, we didn’t have to work incredibly hard [on his ability to avoid K’s]. He has old-school 60’s mechanics, while being tough mentally and physically. He never gives in, has a ton of confidence.Head Coach Larry Lee
Garza played in 56 games, including 52 starts primarily at third base, as a true freshman en route to Big West Freshman Field Player of the Year and first-team All-Big West awards. The Bakersfield native was a .346 hitter with 71 hits, including 11 doubles, and drove in 28 runs while striking out just 10 times in 235 plate appearances, which was the best in the Big West and No. 2 in NCAA Division I. Garza also earned the team’s Scott Kidd Rookie of the Year Award.
Naess compiled a spotless 7-0 record and 3.58 ERA on his way to Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year award and All-Big West honorable mention praise. His seven victories are the most by a Cal Poly freshman since Mike Zirelli’s 7-3 mark in 1996. Naess posted 62 strikeouts and 25 walks over 73 innings pitched and combined with Tanner Sagouspe on the Mustangs’ only shutout of the year, a 6-0 one-hit decision at Cal State Fullerton on March 29.
