Griffin Naess

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Photo by: Joe Kelly

Photo by: Joe Kelly

Height:
6-6
Weight:
185
Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Laguna Beach, CA
High School:
Laguna Beach HS

2025 — Cal Poly’s Friday night starter as a sophomore … 7-3 win-loss record and 3.41 ERA with 62 strikeouts over 95 innings en route to All-Big West Honorable Mention praise … opponents hit .242 versus the right-hander … 16 appearances on the mound, all starts in opening games of series … longest outing was eight innings against both Hawai’i (no decision, one run, four hits, seven strikeouts in 4-2 loss) and Cal State Bakersfield (victory, one run, five hits, one strikeout in 4-1 win) … struck out season-high seven batters versus Seton Hall and Hawai’i … tossed six scoreless innings against Seton Hall, Long Beach State and CSUN, all victories, and 6 2/3 scoreless frames for win against Cal State Fullerton in Big West Tournament … earned team’s Mike Krukow Pitcher of the Year award … did not play summer ball.

2024 — Compiled spotless 7-0 win-loss record and 3.58 ERA as a true freshman on his way to the Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year award and All-Big West honorable mention praise … the seven victories are the most by a Cal Poly freshman since Mike Zirelli posted 7-3 mark in 1996 … 62 strikeouts and 25 walks over 73 innings pitched … opponents hit .237 against the righty … combined with Tanner Sagouspe on the Mustangs’ only shutout of the year, a 6-0 decision at Cal State Fullerton on March 29 … struck out seven over eight innings and gave up just one hit — a leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth — before giving way to Sagouspe for the final three outs … was not in weekend starting rotation until the fourth weekend of season and was Cal Poly’s starter in every series finale since … after three relief appearances, made his first collegiate start against Ohio State on March 11 and pitched five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out six, for the victory … tossed seven scoreless innings of four-hit baseball, striking out a season-high seven, against Utah Tech on May 12 for seventh win of year … also struck out seven in the Cal State Fullerton victory … made two more starts after the Utah Tech win and Cal Poly won both games but Naess was not involved in the decisions … his other wins were against Pepperdine, UC Santa Barbara, UC Riverside and UC Davis … threw 100 or more pitches in five of his 12 starts with a high of 114 in the win over Utah Tech … did not play summer ball.

High School — A son of former Cal Poly men’s basketball and baseball player Coby Naess, Griffin had an ERA of 0.16 to go with a 2-2 record as a senior at Laguna Beach High School in Orange County … appearing in seven games on the mound, Naess struck out 55 batters over 44 innings, helping the Breakers to an 11-12-1 record … he notched three complete games, all shutouts … Naess also hit .213 with three doubles, a home run and 11 RBIs, landing a spot on the All-Sunset Wave League first team … Naess posted a 4-1 record and 1.75 ERA as a junior under head coach Jairo Ochoa … struck out 34 batters over 36 innings (eight appearances) and tossed a four-hitter with eight strikeouts in a complete-game 2-1 win over Marina … earned first-team All-Sunset Wave League honors as a pitcher … also hit .250 with seven doubles, one triple, 14 RBIs and four steals in 26 games … Breakers were 13-13 in 2021, placing third in Sunset Wave League … Naess played for the Total Baseball Vipers travel team and pitched for the Kelowna Falcons in the West Coast League in the summer of 2023, posting 2-1 record and 1.68 ERA … pitched in seven games (one start), earning both wins against Edmonton … “I chose Cal Poly because I think it is where I can develop most as a player and person … the coaching staff also caught my attention and they all seem to have the same outlook of the game as me to help me develop. I have a lot of family ties here. When I got the opportunity to come here, it was a no brainer. I have heard nothing but good things about the campus and people.

Personal — Son of Coby and Janelle Naess ... father attended Cal Poly and his mother was a member of the Wichita State indoor women’s volleyball team ... one brother, Nolan, a basketball player at Army West Point, and one sister, Piper, who played beach volleyball at Cal Poly … hobbies include surfing, golfing and playing other sports … born in Laguna Beach, Calif. … majoring in business administration.