Saturday, March 20
Northridge, Calif.
1:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
vs
Cal Poly
Photo by: Shae Hammond
Matadors Open 2021 Season Against Cal Poly on Saturday
3/18/2021 2:45:00 PM | Baseball
FULL GAME NOTES
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball will play its first game in 377 days on Saturday as the Matadors host their 2021 season opener and conference opener against Cal Poly (8-5). The first of a four-game series starts at 1 p.m. and will stream on BigWest.TV. On Sunday, the teams play a doubleheader with first pitch set for 11 a.m. The Matadors conclude the series with the Mustangs on Monday afternoon at 2 p.m. on BigWest.TV. Fans can listen to all four games at GoMatadors.com/Radio. All of the Matadors' events on campus this Spring will be held without spectators.
Ghizal Hasan will move over from CSUN Men's Basketball to call Matador baseball games this season. Currently in his ninth season at CSUN, Hasan called CSUN Women's Basketball games in the 2012-13 season and has done play-by-play for CSUN Men's Basketball games from 2013-21. Audio for all 20 Matador home games this season will broadcast at GoMatadors.com/Radio.
Prior to Saturday's season opener, Matador fans can tune in to watch a virtual pre-game show starting 30 minutes before the game. Fans have the opportunity to meet some of the student-athletes on the team, guess Matador trivia and catch-up with a baseball alum. Fans can watch the virtual pre-game show here.
Probable Pitching Match-Ups
Cal Poly at CSUN - March 20-22
RHP Drew Thorpe (2-0, 2.74 ERA) vs. RHP Blake Sodersten (2-1, 4.32 ERA)*
LHP Andrew Alvarez (3-0, 2.84 ERA) vs. LHP Zuko Tillman (N/A)
LHP Travis Weston (1-1, 3.54 ERA) vs. RHP Gavin Lizik (1-1, 3.86 ERA)*
TBA vs. RHP Blaine Traxel (2-1, 3.58 ERA)*
* - CSUN stats from 2020
Head coach Dave Serrano enters his second season at the helm of the Matadors in 2021. Last season, he led the Matadors to a 10-5 start to the season before the campaign was ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. CSUN finished the shortened season with the second-best record in the Big West. The Matadors opened the year with seven-straight wins for the first time in 27 seasons. Serrano is in his 15th season as a Division I head coach and his 26th overall.
CSUN makes its long-awaited debut in 2021 this weekend and will bring an experienced group into the new season. A total of 21 letterwinners return to the team as well as two redshirts from last season while 19 newcomers have been added to the mix. Seven seniors from last season return to the team as the Matadors boast 26 total upperclassmen. The Matadors have 11 players that are either in their fifth or sixth year of college baseball. Of the team's 19 newcomers, seven are junior college transfers. CSUN and Long Beach State are the only two Big West Conference teams that elected to not play non-conference opponents this season and both begin the year with conference play.
On the pitching side, the Matadors have 19 pitchers on the roster, 12 of which are upperclassmen. Three starters return to the team this season including Friday starter Blake Sodersten who led the team with 19 strikeouts. Joining Sodersten in the rotation, Blaine Traxel is looking to follow-up a solid sophomore season where he posted a 3.58 ERA over 27.2 innings. In the bullpen, senior Blake Schriever returns as the team's closer. Schriever was placed on the Preseason NCBWA Stopper of the Year watch list after posting a minuscule 0.82 ERA and four saves in 2020.
This season's everyday lineup looks very similar to last year's squad. The team boasts 10 players that started nine or more games last season while eight players are either fifth or sixth-year players. D1Baseball's Preseason Big West Player of the Year, Denzel Clarke led the team in batting (.400), runs (12), home runs (3) and stolen bases (5) in 2020. Also returning to the team, sixth-year senior Jayson Newman racked up a team-high 17 hits with 13 RBI and a .333 batting average a season ago. A Big West All-Second Team selection in 2019, graduate student Sean Skelly has returned as the team's backstop after batting .296 last season.
CSUN's series history with Cal Poly dates back to the Matadors' inaugural season in 1959. The Matadors lead the head-to-head matchup 122-110 including 69-47 in games played at Matador Field. The Mustangs have won six of the last nine meetings, which includes a three-game sweep in 2019. However, CSUN has won the last two series at Matador Field, winning two of three in 2018 and sweeping the series in 2016.
A Closer Look at Cal Poly
After dropping three of four games to start the year, the Mustangs have won seven of the nine last games. Last weekend, the Mustangs took two of three from sixth-ranked UCLA in San Luis Obispo. Cal Poly has series wins over USC and Utah Valley as well. Prior to the season, the Mustangs were picked to finish fourth in the Big West standings. Head coach Larry Lee is in his 19th season at the helm of Cal Poly.
On the offensive side, the Mustangs' Matt Lopez and Brooks Lee are first and second, respectively, in the Big West in batting average. Lopez is hitting .478 with 13 RBI while Lee is batting .400 with 18 RBI and four home runs. Lee has also won two-straight Big West Field Player of the Week honors. Friday's starter Drew Thorpe leads the team's rotation in ERA (2.74), innings pitched (23.0) and strikeouts (29). As a team, Cal Poly leads the Big West in doubles (28) and is second in batting average (.298).
#UniteTheValley
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball will play its first game in 377 days on Saturday as the Matadors host their 2021 season opener and conference opener against Cal Poly (8-5). The first of a four-game series starts at 1 p.m. and will stream on BigWest.TV. On Sunday, the teams play a doubleheader with first pitch set for 11 a.m. The Matadors conclude the series with the Mustangs on Monday afternoon at 2 p.m. on BigWest.TV. Fans can listen to all four games at GoMatadors.com/Radio. All of the Matadors' events on campus this Spring will be held without spectators.
Ghizal Hasan will move over from CSUN Men's Basketball to call Matador baseball games this season. Currently in his ninth season at CSUN, Hasan called CSUN Women's Basketball games in the 2012-13 season and has done play-by-play for CSUN Men's Basketball games from 2013-21. Audio for all 20 Matador home games this season will broadcast at GoMatadors.com/Radio.
Prior to Saturday's season opener, Matador fans can tune in to watch a virtual pre-game show starting 30 minutes before the game. Fans have the opportunity to meet some of the student-athletes on the team, guess Matador trivia and catch-up with a baseball alum. Fans can watch the virtual pre-game show here.
Probable Pitching Match-Ups
Cal Poly at CSUN - March 20-22
RHP Drew Thorpe (2-0, 2.74 ERA) vs. RHP Blake Sodersten (2-1, 4.32 ERA)*
LHP Andrew Alvarez (3-0, 2.84 ERA) vs. LHP Zuko Tillman (N/A)
LHP Travis Weston (1-1, 3.54 ERA) vs. RHP Gavin Lizik (1-1, 3.86 ERA)*
TBA vs. RHP Blaine Traxel (2-1, 3.58 ERA)*
* - CSUN stats from 2020
Head coach Dave Serrano enters his second season at the helm of the Matadors in 2021. Last season, he led the Matadors to a 10-5 start to the season before the campaign was ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. CSUN finished the shortened season with the second-best record in the Big West. The Matadors opened the year with seven-straight wins for the first time in 27 seasons. Serrano is in his 15th season as a Division I head coach and his 26th overall.
CSUN makes its long-awaited debut in 2021 this weekend and will bring an experienced group into the new season. A total of 21 letterwinners return to the team as well as two redshirts from last season while 19 newcomers have been added to the mix. Seven seniors from last season return to the team as the Matadors boast 26 total upperclassmen. The Matadors have 11 players that are either in their fifth or sixth year of college baseball. Of the team's 19 newcomers, seven are junior college transfers. CSUN and Long Beach State are the only two Big West Conference teams that elected to not play non-conference opponents this season and both begin the year with conference play.
On the pitching side, the Matadors have 19 pitchers on the roster, 12 of which are upperclassmen. Three starters return to the team this season including Friday starter Blake Sodersten who led the team with 19 strikeouts. Joining Sodersten in the rotation, Blaine Traxel is looking to follow-up a solid sophomore season where he posted a 3.58 ERA over 27.2 innings. In the bullpen, senior Blake Schriever returns as the team's closer. Schriever was placed on the Preseason NCBWA Stopper of the Year watch list after posting a minuscule 0.82 ERA and four saves in 2020.
This season's everyday lineup looks very similar to last year's squad. The team boasts 10 players that started nine or more games last season while eight players are either fifth or sixth-year players. D1Baseball's Preseason Big West Player of the Year, Denzel Clarke led the team in batting (.400), runs (12), home runs (3) and stolen bases (5) in 2020. Also returning to the team, sixth-year senior Jayson Newman racked up a team-high 17 hits with 13 RBI and a .333 batting average a season ago. A Big West All-Second Team selection in 2019, graduate student Sean Skelly has returned as the team's backstop after batting .296 last season.
CSUN's series history with Cal Poly dates back to the Matadors' inaugural season in 1959. The Matadors lead the head-to-head matchup 122-110 including 69-47 in games played at Matador Field. The Mustangs have won six of the last nine meetings, which includes a three-game sweep in 2019. However, CSUN has won the last two series at Matador Field, winning two of three in 2018 and sweeping the series in 2016.
A Closer Look at Cal Poly
After dropping three of four games to start the year, the Mustangs have won seven of the nine last games. Last weekend, the Mustangs took two of three from sixth-ranked UCLA in San Luis Obispo. Cal Poly has series wins over USC and Utah Valley as well. Prior to the season, the Mustangs were picked to finish fourth in the Big West standings. Head coach Larry Lee is in his 19th season at the helm of Cal Poly.
On the offensive side, the Mustangs' Matt Lopez and Brooks Lee are first and second, respectively, in the Big West in batting average. Lopez is hitting .478 with 13 RBI while Lee is batting .400 with 18 RBI and four home runs. Lee has also won two-straight Big West Field Player of the Week honors. Friday's starter Drew Thorpe leads the team's rotation in ERA (2.74), innings pitched (23.0) and strikeouts (29). As a team, Cal Poly leads the Big West in doubles (28) and is second in batting average (.298).
#UniteTheValley
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