UC Irvine
Mustangs and Anteaters Fight for Top of the Big West This Weekend
4/24/2025 3:30:00 PM | Baseball
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SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Cal Poly (28-11, 15-3 BWC) hosts its third series against a ranked opponent this season with No. 12 UC Irvine (29-9, 16-3 BWC) coming to Baggett Stadium this weekend.
Previously in Mustangs Baseball
In dropping last weekend’s series to UC Santa Barbara (W 4-3, L 4-5, L 0-4), the Mustangs lost consecutive games for the first time since Feb, 21-22 against Texas A&M. They got back on the winning track with an 11-6 domination over Fresno State, sweeping the three-game split-series.
Casey Murray Jr. played the hero twice last week, hitting the only run with an RBI sac fly during the 1-0 shutout over Santa Clara before opening the UC Santa Barbara series with a go-ahead RBI single in extras.
The Mustangs were edged out 5-4 despite coming within one run of a ninth-inning comeback, which snapped their 12-game road winning streak.
The Gauchos clinched the series on Saturday as soon-to-be Big West Pitcher of the Week Jackson Flora tossed a one-hit complete game shutout.
Only the second shutout in the Mustangs' last calendar year ended third baseman Alejandro Garza's 20-game hitting streak, the sixth-longest in program history.
In the midweek contest versus Fresno State, shortstop Nate Castellon knocked in three runs while second baseman Ryan Fenn and designated hitter Braxton Thomas both produced three-hit games. Cal Poly earned its 13th come-from-behind win of the season by overcoming a 2-0 deficit in the first inning. The Mustangs are now 25-1 when leading after the 6th inning, with almost 50% of the team's total runs coming in the middle-third innings (4-6).
Mustangs Riding High
Despite losing his hitting streak, Garza did notch his 21st multi-hit game of the season, surpassing his total from 2024 with just under 20 games to spare. He tacked on a 22nd multi-hit game against Fresno State. As of April 24, he is still the tenth toughest batter to strike out in Division I baseball.
Cal Poly remains a defensively excellent team, sitting comfortably at sixth in the country for fielding percentage (.982). The Mustangs have committed just 25 errors all season, also tied for sixth, only trailing the national leader by five more errors.
Zach Daudet, after being out for over two weeks due to a blood infection that hospitalized him, made his triumphant return to the lineup as a pinch hitter on Friday and starting designated hitter on Saturday. He finally got back to his usual first base assignment on Tuesday and went 1-for-4 with two runs.
Daudet is second in the conference and 33rd in the nation for batting average (.396) as well as 11th in Division I baseball with a .534 on-base percentage. He currently holds Cal Poly’s longest reached base streak this season at 17 games after Garza’s ended last weekend.
On the pitching end, Griffin Naess posted a fantastic start on Thursday (7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 K) but was not awarded the win due to UCSB tying the game late and forcing extra innings.
A few members of the bullpen put in similarly good work with three Mustangs pitching at least five complete innings last week without allowing a run. Troy Cooper, Josh Morano, and Tanner Sagouspe combined on Cal Poly's third shutout of the season during the 1-0 win over Santa Clara.
Cooper (1-0) earned his first collegiate victory against Santa Clara by tossing five scoreless frames, scattering four hits with one walk and a pair of strikeouts. Morano pitched three scoreless innings with three strikeouts while Sagouspe notched his sixth save by striking out three batters in the ninth. Morano and Sagouspe both pitched again during the weekend series without yielding any runs.
Previewing UC Irvine
The Anteaters are the only team in the conference with more overall wins and are one win ahead of the Mustangs in the Big West standings. Cal Poly only trails 33-37 in the all-time series but has taken the last three series over UC Irvine, including last season when the Mustangs outscored the No. 9 Anteaters 24-11 while winning two of three games.
UC Irvine paces the conference with 314 RBIs and a .312 team batting average, which is good for 24th in the country. Also the conference leader and 24th in Division I baseball individually is junior Colin Yeaman (.409). The infielder is also top of the Big West for slugging (.761), OPS (1.261), runs (44), hits (65), and home runs (12).
Ten of the Anteaters twelve batters with at least 40 at-bats this season are currently hitting at a .280 clip or better. UC Irvine has not been shut out this season nor tallied any less than five hits in a game, including 24 double-digit hit games.
The Anteaters are also fantastic on the pitching end, sitting at 29th in Division I baseball for team ERA (4.27). Eight Anteaters pitchers are currently holding a 4.50 ERA or less with the starting rotation of Riley Kelly, Trevor Hansen, and Ryder Brooks combining for a 15-2 record and 3.12 ERA between them.
Cal Poly looks to #PacktheBagg this weekend with a full slate of major promotions this weekend, including Star Wars Day on Saturday and Bark in the Park on Sunday!
