Chris Downs

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Height:
6-7
Weight:
215
Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Santa Clarita, CA
High School:
Hart HS

2025 — A workhorse in the bullpen as a sophomore, Downs appeared in 25 games, all in relief, and finished with a spotless 6-0 win-loss record and 3.94 ERA … struck out 45 batters over 61 2/3 innings and opponents hit .252 against the southpaw … notched three saves against Long Beach State (three scoreless innings, one hit, three strikeouts), UC San Diego (one inning, one run, two hits) and Cal State Bakersfield (three innings, four runs, five hits) … career-high eight strikeouts versus Utah Valley in NCAA Eugene Regional … produced back-to-back 6 1/3-inning outings in his final two mound appearances of season against UC Irvine (as Cal Poly overcame 3-0 deficit in first championship game of Big West Tournament) and Utah Valley (Mustangs turned 4-1 deficit into 11-inning 7-6 walk-off win on Zach Daudet’s leadoff home run) … also pitched 4 1/3 innings for win at Fresno State, 3 1/3 innings for win in Hawai’i series and 4 1/3 innings for victory in CSUN series … other wins were against Cal State Fullerton (2 2/3 scoreless innings) and UC San Diego (one run over three innings) … played summer ball for Yarmouth-Dennis in Cape Cod League, compiling 1-2 record and 1.83 ERA with a pair of saves in the regular season … earned a victory against Chatham on July 8 with two scoreless innings in relief, striking out two, and also earned a win in Cape Cod League playoffs versus Orleans on August 6, allowing no earned runs over four innings with a walk and three strikeouts.

2024 — As a true freshman, appeared in 12 games with four starts … compiled 2-0 record and 6.65 ERA with 17 strikeouts over 21 2/3 innings … earned victories against Santa Clara (one scoreless inning) on May 7 and in season finale versus Long Beach State (3 1/3 scoreless innings) on May 25 … season-high five strikeouts in three innings against San Diego State on April 3 … his starts were against North Dakota State on Feb. 21, UNLV on March 13, San Diego State on April 3 and Fresno State on April 30 … earned All-West Coast League honorable mention praise after recording three saves with a 1-0 record and 1.59 ERA for the Portland Pickles in summer league play … pitched in 10 games, all in relief, and struck out 18 batters over 22 2/3 innings … earned his victory against Bend on July 10, tossing two innings … struck out four batters on three different occasions and was credited with a four-inning save versus Corvallis in the WCL playoffs.

High School — A 2023 graduate and four-year varsity letter winner at Hart High School in Newhall … pitched in 12 games as a senior, posting 0-2 record and 2.69 ERA with 32 strikeouts over 23 2/3 innings, leading Hart to another Foothill League tournament championship, a 26-5 overall mark and the CIF-Southern Section Division II championship with a 7-6 win over Moorpark … as a junior in 2022, compiled 4-2 record and 2.81 ERA, striking out 27 batters over 27 innings … Hawks were 20-10 overall, won Foothill League title and reached the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division II playoffs … Downs played for the Playa Vista Orioles travel team and in the summer of 2023 pitched for the Portland Pickles in the West Coast League, posting a 1-0 record and 8.00 ERA with 11 strikeouts over nine innings … chose Cal Poly because “I saw more opportunity for development and success than I did anywhere else. The education is also much better than other schools.”

Personal — Son of Steve and Jodi Downs … one sister, Emily … enjoys fishing, working out and hanging out with friends as hobbies … in his younger days, was a child voice actor … born in Santa Clarita, Calif. … majoring in business administration.