Pepperdine
Mustangs Look to Get Back in Win Column with Home Midweek Versus Waves
4/13/2026 8:30:00 PM | Baseball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Cal Poly and Pepperdine play the second of three scheduled midweek games between each other Tuesday afternoon inside Baggett Stadium.
First pitch is set for 5:05 p.m. and the game will be video streamed on ESPN+ with Max Kelton calling the play-by-play. Links for the video stream as well as live stats can be found on the Cal Poly baseball schedule page at GoPoly.com.
Despite holding a lead in all three games, Coach Larry Lee's Mustangs could not come away with a victory at No. 7-ranked Oregon State over the weekend in Corvallis, falling 6-3, 11-6 and 3-2, but they will try to build some momentum heading back into Big West play this weekend.
Cal Poly is in second place in the conference standings at 10-5, as is UC Santa Barbara, both one game behind front-running UC San Diego (11-4). The Tritons dropped two of three games against the Gauchos over the weekend in Santa Barbara and host the Mustangs this weekend in La Jolla.
Cal Poly won its first meeting versus Pepperdine on March 3, also at Baggett Stadium. Brady Estes, Josh Morano and Chris Downs combined for 18 strikeouts, two shy of the school record, while the Mustang bats exploded for 10 runs in their final two at-bats to shatter a 2-2 tie en route to the 12-2 victory.
Under head coach Tyler LaTorre (second season, 23-66, UC Davis '06), Pepperdine is 11-24 for the current campaign but has split its 12 West Coast Conference contests so far, winning two of three games against both Saint Mary's and San Diego before losing two of three to both Gonzaga and, last weekend, Pacific.
The Waves sport a .248 team batting average, led by third baseman Daniel Patterson with a .309 average, including 11 doubles, nine home runs and 23 RBIs, and first baseman James Dell'Amico at .275 with 18 RBIs. Shortstop Julian Nunez checks in with a .270 mark, which includes eight doubles and 11 RBIs.
The Waves' pitching staff has compiled a 6.11 ERA in 35 games and Pepperdine has committed 45 errors for a .966 fielding percentage.
With 11 hits in each of its last two games at Oregon State, Cal Poly is second to CSUN in the Big West with a .293 team batting average.
Junior infielder Alejandro Garza has climbed to the top of the Mustangs' hitting chart with a .359 average thanks to his hot bat over the last four weeks.
Garza produced three multiple-hit games in Corvallis and was 8-for-13 in the series. He has a team-leading 17 multiple-hit games this season, including five in his last six contests and 10 in 15 games. In those 15 contests, Garza has elevated his batting average 90 points.
Next are center fielder Casey Murray Jr. and shortstop Nate Castellon, both with .331 averages. Murray has 16 extra-base hits and 18 RBIs while Castellon leads the team with 13 doubles and also has knocked in 13 runs.
Catcher Ryan Tayman owns a .313 average with team-leading totals of 10 home runs and 32 RBIs while outfielder Xander McLaurin has lifted his average 50 points to .300 by going 9-for-24 (.375) in his last nine games. Infielder Antonio Castro carries a seven-game hitting streak into Tuesday's game.
Lee has chosen sophomore southpaw Luke Kalfsbeek (0-0, 6.55 ERA), who pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed just two runs and one hit in a no-decision at Fresno State on March 31, to start the game against Pepperdine.
The Waves will go with sophomore right-hander Austin Plisinski (0-1, 1 save, 9.24 ERA), a graduate of San Juan Hills High School in San Juan Capistrano who has not pitched more than two innings in any of his 12 appearances on the mound this season.
Despite five consecutive victories over the Waves, Cal Poly trails in its series against Pepperdine, 41-36. The first meeting between the two schools was in 1947.
Third and final clash of the year between the Mustangs and Waves will be played April 21 at 3 p.m. inside Eddy D. Field Stadium in Malibu.
The Mustangs will have just seven home games remaining on its 2026 schedule after the Pepperdine contest. Cal Poly hosts CSUN on April 24-26 and Long Beach State on May 14-16 for Big West series and Santa Clara for a midweek contest April 28.
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