UC San Diego
Mustangs Host UC San Diego to Start 8-Game Home Stretch
4/3/2025 2:00:00 PM | Baseball
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SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — After a blazing, program-record start to the Big West slate, Cal Poly (19-8, 9-0 BWC) is in perhaps its best mid-season position since the 2014 NCAA Regionals team.
March by the Numbers??
— Cal Poly Baseball (@CalPolyBSB) April 1, 2025
The Mustangs dazzled last month, posting a 16-3 record and the best start to conference play in the program's Division I history!
Cal Poly is currently 30th in RPI and receiving votes in the @NCBWA and @usatodaysports polls.#RideHigh pic.twitter.com/NZumM6qXP1
Lately in Cal Poly Baseball…
Cal Poly put together an astonishing and historic March. The Mustangs racked up a 16-3 record, never losing consecutive games during that stretch and all while winning four of five series.
The Mustangs are currently on a 9-0 tear to kick off the conference season, which is not only the best in program history but nearing historic levels for the Big West record book. Thus far, Cal Poly is two wins away from tying the best start to a Big West season: Cal State Fullerton’s 11-0 run in 1999.
In March, Mustang batters collected 162 runs, 149 RBIs, and 26 home runs for a .344 team batting average. Cal Poly’s pitching staff was equally impressive, holding a 3.75 team ERA and tallying 140 total strikeouts as the starting rotation combined for a 9-2 record.
Cal Poly took all five games last week scoring double-digit runs in three of those and beating opponents by a 43-10 score difference. With their recent success, the Mustangs received votes in the NCBWA and USA Today polls this week and are currently at No. 25 in Warren Nolan’s RPI rankings (as of April 3).
One of those was Josh Volmerding’s dominating start against UC Davis on March 29. A year to the day that Griffin Naess and Tanner Sagouspe one-hit Cal State Fullerton on the road, Volmerding and Erik Kvidahl almost perfectly mirrored during an 11-0 domination of the Aggies.
Volmerding carried a no-hitter into the ninth before finally yielding Davis’ first hit to right field. The sophomore southpaw tallied a single-game career-high nine strikeouts and was awarded the win, improving his record on the season to 3-1 after Kvidahl closed the game without much problem.
No brainer for Josh Volmerding winning Big West Pitcher of the Week! ????
— Cal Poly Baseball (@CalPolyBSB) March 31, 2025
The sophomore southpaw put together eight complete innings of scoreless, one-hit baseball against UC Davis last weekend, aiding the combined shutout and notching a career-high 9 strikeouts!#RideHigh pic.twitter.com/CNSDJc04i8
Mustangs Riding High
For his efforts, Volmerding was awarded Big West Pitcher of the Week on Monday. Volmerding leads the Mustangs with eight starts and is tied for fourth in the country. He also leads the team with 35 strikeouts and has slashed his opponents to a .243 batting average.
Jack Collins and Sagouspe were both represented in D1Baseball.com’s midseason position rankings due to their stellar performances thus far in 2025, with Collins named as the #34 catcher and Sagouspe the #52 reliever.
Collins leads the team in hits (40), doubles (13), home runs (10), RBIs (39), and slugging (.769). He leads or co-leads the Big West for RBIs, doubles, and home runs entering the weekend, and his doubles total is even more impressively 15th in Division I baseball.
Sagouspe is 2-1 on the season with a team-leading four saves and 13 appearances. He has also racked up 22 strikeouts - over a third of his 60 at-bats faced - and carries a .87 WHIP, holding opposing batters to a .150 batting average.
Watch your red hot Mustangs this weekend at Baggett Stadium for Alumni Weekend!
— Cal Poly Baseball (@CalPolyBSB) April 1, 2025
Only Friday's series opener will be streamed on ESPN+ but fans can also catch the live stats and radio all weekend from our schedule at https://t.co/tYzorL6IJw ????#RideHigh pic.twitter.com/0mDUjlrdRx
VS… UC San Diego
The Mustangs kick off an eight-game home stretch by hosting UC San Diego for Alumni Weekend at Baggett Stadium. As usual, Griffin Naess, Josh Volmerding, and Ethan Marmie are in the starting rotation for the weekend’s contests at 6 pm, 3 pm, and 1 pm from Friday to Sunday, respectively.
Coincidentally, UC San Diego and Cal Poly have only played each other 13 times, all while the Tritons were making their transition to Division I and the conference. Even so, the Mustangs are 4-9 all-time against UCSD and last won a series in 2022.
UC San Diego (14-13, 5-4 BWC) currently sits fourth in the Big West with conference series wins over Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State but one lost series to Cal State Bakersfield. The Tritons have a notable non-conference series win 3-1 over No. 23 Cincinnati.
Sophomore outfielder Michael Crossland, tied with Collins for the conference lead in home runs, also leads Triton batters in average (.330), OPS (1.116), and hits (35). Following behind him in the lineup are fellow sluggers Gabe Camacho (22 RBI, 5 HR) and J.C. Allen (24 RBI, 6 HR), making for an incredibly dangerous 3-4-5 punch.
The Tritons also utilized one of the Big West’s best starters this season, Matthew Dalquist, who is fifth in the conference for ERA (2.72), second for least walks allowed (6), and seventh for strikeouts (36).
VS… San Jose State
Next week’s Tuesday matchup will feature Cal Poly hosting its first midweek opponent at Baggett this season with San Jose State coming to town. Cal Poly narrowly trails in the all-time series 49-53-1 but is 8-6 against SJSU over the last decade.
The Mustangs most recently made a trip to San Jose on March 11 for the first leg of the home-and-home series, putting up one of their finest performances of the season during an 18-4 win.
During the 15-hit and 18-run domination, Dylan Kordic made history as the first Mustang in the D1 era and just the second NCAA player since 2011 to hit two home runs in the same inning. Dante Vachini, Alejandro Garza, Collins, Kordic, Jake Downing, and Zach Daudet all collected multiple hits while Kordic (4 RBI) and Collins (5 RBI) accounted for half of the runs supplied.
As of April 3, San Jose State (17-12, 5-4 MWC) is 7-6 since last meeting Cal Poly with recent series losses to San Diego State and Fresno State but a series sweep over Air Force. The Spartans come up against Washington State before arriving at Baggett Stadium.
San Jose State is headed offensively by Alex Fernandes who is batting .404 with 38 hits. Jake McCoy leads the team with 23 RBIs as Jeriah Lewis trails by a pair (21).
Starting pitcher Jesse Gutierrez is the team’s most consistent starter with a 2.36 ERA and .92 WHIP. EJ McGrew and Tyler Albanese account for 17 relief appearances and have allowed a combined nine earned runs through 35 2/3 innings.
Only Friday’s series opener this weekend and San Jose State on Tuesday will be live streamed on ESPN+. Saturday and Sunday will not be streamed, but the live stats and radio broadcast can be followed all season.
