FULLERTON, Calif. – For the first time since the 1998 season, the Big West Conference Championships is underway, with Cal Poly baseball placed as the No. 2 seed, after finishing second in the conference during regular season play.

The tournament is hosted by CSU Fullerton and features a double-elimination bracket of four teams, after the four and five seeds have a play-in game.

The Mustangs haven’t had a taste of postseason play since 2014, when they hosted a regional of the NCAA Division I tournament after capturing a Big West regular season title.

From 1999 to 2024, the winner of the Big West would automatically qualify for the NCAA tournament, but no longer. Now, schools like Cal Poly have a shot at extending their season, regardless of the way the regular season standings shook out.

On Thursday evening, the Mustangs finally got another crack at postseason play, taking on the No. 3 seed CSU Fullerton in their own house, yet as the designated home team.

After sweeping the season series against the Titans, the Mustangs cruised to a 7-2 victory in their first game of the Big West Tournament.

With everyone on the team playing in their first postseason game and an intense atmosphere at Goodwin Field, the Mustangs continued to play the brand of baseball they’ve been playing all season long. 

Pitching close to his Laguna Beach home, pitcher Griffin Naess enjoyed competing in a playoff environment with many supporters in attendance.

“It was awesome, a lot of noise,” Naess said. “I mean, back at SLO, we have a lot of noise too. We have a good crowd. But here is awesome, good atmosphere.”

Naess worked in and out of trouble throughout the game, but still turned in a brilliant start. His final line went: 6 ⅔ innings pitched, eight hits, no earned runs, and four strikeouts. The defense behind the sophomore righthander was dazzling, and aided him through congested basepaths.

The Mustangs’ defense has been rock solid all year long, leading the Big West in Fielding Percentage. The cohesiveness of the unit is what stands out the most to Head Coach Larry Lee.

“They play well as a team. The infield has a good mix. The outfield has a good mix,” Lee said. “And then [junior Jack] Collins behind the plate, he’s a very good defensive catcher.”

Pitching and defense can keep a team in any game, but when it’s paired with an explosive offense, like Cal Poly possesses, it’s a recipe for success.

The Mustangs tallied 15 hits in the win, from all different parts of the lineup, something that has been said so often this season.

The top of the lineup, in particular, was lethal. Senior first baseman Zach Daudet and redshirt senior second baseman Ryan Fenn, hitting first and second respectively, had seven hits as a duo. Daudet added two runs scored while Fenn notched two RBI.

Moving down the lineup card, senior outfielder Cam Hoiland continued to swing a hot bat, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Hitting ninth, freshman outfielder Dante Vachini added two hits and two RBI, turning the lineup back over to Daudet and Fenn.

Senior outfielder Casey Murray Jr. clobbered a solo shot in the second inning, injecting the Cal Poly dugout with energy. Murray Jr. hit six home runs in the regular season and now adds one in tournament play, another dangerous hitter in the midsection of the Mustangs’ lineup.

As the tournament progresses, the pitching will get tougher. Cal Poly’s offense will need to sustain a similar level of production to keep the pressure off the pitching staff.

“For us, I think as the hitters, don’t make the game bigger than it is,” Fenn said. “I know it’s like the postseason all that, but like I think for all of us, we kind of went into this like we’ve been here before, and it’s just another game.”

The Mustang offense has a tough challenge ahead, however. No. 1 seed UC Irvine awaits, and the Mustangs are familiar with the Anteaters and the challenges they present.

Irvine swept Cal Poly in the regular season and held the Mustang offense to a modest four runs a game, well below their average for the season. Still, Cal Poly did not look completely overmatched in the three-game series, but could not finish the job when needed.

They now have a chance at vengeance, as the two teams will meet at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 23, at Goodwin Field. The winner cements themselves into the championship game, while the loser will need to escape the loser’s bracket before hoping for a rematch.