Thursday, May 27
La Jolla, Calif.
5:00 pm
California State University at Northridge
at
UC San Diego
Photo by: Braden Villanueva
Matadors Conclude Regular Season at UC San Diego
5/25/2021 7:00:00 PM | Baseball
FULL GAME NOTES
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball (20-16, 20-16 Big West) concludes the 2021 regular season with a four-game road series at UC San Diego (21-27, 18-18 Big West) beginning Thursday at 5 p.m. The teams play a doubleheader on Friday starting at 1 p.m. and wrap up the series on Saturday at 1 p.m. All four games will stream live on ESPN3.
Probable Pitching Matchups
CSUN at UC San Diego - May 27-29
RHP Blake Sodersten (3-1, 4.06 ERA) vs. RHP Cameron Leonard (4-6, 5.06 ERA)
RHP Gavin Lizik (1-2, 6.69 ERA) vs. RHP Noah Conlon (2-5, 6.95 ERA)
RHP Jeremy Hassel (2-0, 4.71 ERA) vs. TBA
RHP Blaine Traxel (5-1, 4.00 ERA) vs. RHP Brandon Weed (4-2, 5.10 ERA)
The Matadors are coming down the home stretch winners of three-straight series. The team is a series win away from posting four consecutive Big West series victories for the first time in team history. CSUN has won 14 of its last 17 games including 11 of the last 12 and five in a row. The Matadors, who began the season 6-13, can post just their fourth winning conference record since joining the Big West with only one win this weekend.
CSUN is coming off a four-game sweep of Hawai'i two weekends ago at Matador Field. The Matadors outscored the Rainbow Warriors 31-8 over the four games, which included a run-rule win in game two. On the pitching side, the Matadors tossed two complete games while their bullpen combined to work 9.2 shutout innings. CSUN took the opener 9-1 and swept a Saturday doubleheader 12-0 and 4-3. In the finale, the Matadors posted a 6-4 win on Senior Day, sending off their 11-member senior class with a victory in their final game at Matador Field.
In the first two games of the series, Blake Sodersten and Gavin Lizik hurled complete games in blowout wins. Sodersten tossed his first career nine-inning complete game and struck out a personal-best nine. Lizik would throw a two-hitter over seven shutout innings a day later. Meanwhile, CSUN pounded out 16 and 11 hits, respectively, in the two wins. For his efforts, Lizik earned Big West Pitcher of the Week honors on May 17.
The Matadors edged the Rainbow Warriors in the final two games of the series. Jayson Newman hit a game-tying two-run homer in the third game of the series and Mason Le broke a 3-3 tie with an RBI hit. CSUN's bullpen combined to throw seven shutout innings led by Elias Jauregui who tossed 4.1 innings for his first win. A day later, CSUN completed the sweep after breaking a 4-4 tie in the seventh with two runs. Five seniors had hits in their home finale while senior Jackson Cunningham nailed down his second save of the series.
Heading into the final series, Kai Moody is tops in the Big West with a .393 average. It has been 20 seasons since a Matador has hit .400 or above for a full season. Robert Smith and J.T. Stotts are the last CSUN players to accomplish the feat as they both hit .409 in 2001. Moody also leads the Matadors in runs (34) and hits (55) while he has 25 RBI. Moody has reached base safely in 35 of 36 games while gone hitless only four times.
On the Big West leaderboard, Denzel Clarke is tops in the league in slugging percentage (.628), second in on-base percentage (.475), tied for fourth in home runs (8), tied for fifth in stolen bases (14) and sixth in batting average (.357). Newman is also fourth on the home run list with eight. Jose Ruiz is sixth in the Big West in doubles (15) and eighth in batting average at a .356 clip. On the pitching side, Blaine Traxel is tied for first in the conference in complete games (3) and ninth in wins (5). As a team, the Matadors are first in batting average (.302) and on-base percentage (.394) and second in slugging percentage (.444).
Over the last 17 games, CSUN is batting .338 and averaging 8.6 runs per game. CSUN has also outscored its opponents 146-70. During the stretch, Clarke is batting .492 (31-for-63) with five home runs and 18 RBI and Newman is hitting .429 (27-for-63) with seven homers and 28 RBI. CSUN pitching has also been strong, posting a team 3.70 ERA with five complete games. Sodersten is 3-0 with a 3.42 ERA in five appearances.
CSUN and UC San Diego are squaring off as Division I teams for the first-ever time this weekend. Leading the all-time series 3-0, CSUN last defeated UC San Diego 8-4 on April 4, 1989, in La Jolla. The Matadors won the other two meetings during the 1969 season at home by the scores of 8-1 and 6-0.
A Closer Look at UC San Diego
A perennial Division II national title contender in baseball, the Tritons are completing their first season as a Division I team and Big West member in 2021. The Tritons have won three-straight conference series to improve to 18-18 in Big West play after winning three of four games in Hawai'i. While holding a winning record on the road this season (13-11), the Tritons though are 8-16 at home on the year. Head coach Eric Newman has over 300 wins over his 10 seasons with UC San Diego.
Michael Fuhrman is ranked fourth in the Big West in batting average (.361) and on-base percentage (.467) while he has 31 runs and 18 RBI. Blake Baumgartner heads into the week ninth in the league in RBI (37) and tied for 10th in home runs (6) to go with a .286 average at the plate. As a team, UCSD is second in the Big West in home runs (41) and third in extra base hits (137). Brandon Weed (4-2) leads the pitching staff in strikeouts with 50 while posting a 5.10 ERA. The tandem of Michael Mitchell (3-1, 3.23 ERA) and Luke Mattson (1-0, 3.45 ERA) have combined for nine saves this season out of the bullpen.Â
#UniteTheValley
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NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball (20-16, 20-16 Big West) concludes the 2021 regular season with a four-game road series at UC San Diego (21-27, 18-18 Big West) beginning Thursday at 5 p.m. The teams play a doubleheader on Friday starting at 1 p.m. and wrap up the series on Saturday at 1 p.m. All four games will stream live on ESPN3.
Probable Pitching Matchups
CSUN at UC San Diego - May 27-29
RHP Blake Sodersten (3-1, 4.06 ERA) vs. RHP Cameron Leonard (4-6, 5.06 ERA)
RHP Gavin Lizik (1-2, 6.69 ERA) vs. RHP Noah Conlon (2-5, 6.95 ERA)
RHP Jeremy Hassel (2-0, 4.71 ERA) vs. TBA
RHP Blaine Traxel (5-1, 4.00 ERA) vs. RHP Brandon Weed (4-2, 5.10 ERA)
The Matadors are coming down the home stretch winners of three-straight series. The team is a series win away from posting four consecutive Big West series victories for the first time in team history. CSUN has won 14 of its last 17 games including 11 of the last 12 and five in a row. The Matadors, who began the season 6-13, can post just their fourth winning conference record since joining the Big West with only one win this weekend.
CSUN is coming off a four-game sweep of Hawai'i two weekends ago at Matador Field. The Matadors outscored the Rainbow Warriors 31-8 over the four games, which included a run-rule win in game two. On the pitching side, the Matadors tossed two complete games while their bullpen combined to work 9.2 shutout innings. CSUN took the opener 9-1 and swept a Saturday doubleheader 12-0 and 4-3. In the finale, the Matadors posted a 6-4 win on Senior Day, sending off their 11-member senior class with a victory in their final game at Matador Field.
In the first two games of the series, Blake Sodersten and Gavin Lizik hurled complete games in blowout wins. Sodersten tossed his first career nine-inning complete game and struck out a personal-best nine. Lizik would throw a two-hitter over seven shutout innings a day later. Meanwhile, CSUN pounded out 16 and 11 hits, respectively, in the two wins. For his efforts, Lizik earned Big West Pitcher of the Week honors on May 17.
The Matadors edged the Rainbow Warriors in the final two games of the series. Jayson Newman hit a game-tying two-run homer in the third game of the series and Mason Le broke a 3-3 tie with an RBI hit. CSUN's bullpen combined to throw seven shutout innings led by Elias Jauregui who tossed 4.1 innings for his first win. A day later, CSUN completed the sweep after breaking a 4-4 tie in the seventh with two runs. Five seniors had hits in their home finale while senior Jackson Cunningham nailed down his second save of the series.
Heading into the final series, Kai Moody is tops in the Big West with a .393 average. It has been 20 seasons since a Matador has hit .400 or above for a full season. Robert Smith and J.T. Stotts are the last CSUN players to accomplish the feat as they both hit .409 in 2001. Moody also leads the Matadors in runs (34) and hits (55) while he has 25 RBI. Moody has reached base safely in 35 of 36 games while gone hitless only four times.
On the Big West leaderboard, Denzel Clarke is tops in the league in slugging percentage (.628), second in on-base percentage (.475), tied for fourth in home runs (8), tied for fifth in stolen bases (14) and sixth in batting average (.357). Newman is also fourth on the home run list with eight. Jose Ruiz is sixth in the Big West in doubles (15) and eighth in batting average at a .356 clip. On the pitching side, Blaine Traxel is tied for first in the conference in complete games (3) and ninth in wins (5). As a team, the Matadors are first in batting average (.302) and on-base percentage (.394) and second in slugging percentage (.444).
Over the last 17 games, CSUN is batting .338 and averaging 8.6 runs per game. CSUN has also outscored its opponents 146-70. During the stretch, Clarke is batting .492 (31-for-63) with five home runs and 18 RBI and Newman is hitting .429 (27-for-63) with seven homers and 28 RBI. CSUN pitching has also been strong, posting a team 3.70 ERA with five complete games. Sodersten is 3-0 with a 3.42 ERA in five appearances.
CSUN and UC San Diego are squaring off as Division I teams for the first-ever time this weekend. Leading the all-time series 3-0, CSUN last defeated UC San Diego 8-4 on April 4, 1989, in La Jolla. The Matadors won the other two meetings during the 1969 season at home by the scores of 8-1 and 6-0.
A Closer Look at UC San Diego
A perennial Division II national title contender in baseball, the Tritons are completing their first season as a Division I team and Big West member in 2021. The Tritons have won three-straight conference series to improve to 18-18 in Big West play after winning three of four games in Hawai'i. While holding a winning record on the road this season (13-11), the Tritons though are 8-16 at home on the year. Head coach Eric Newman has over 300 wins over his 10 seasons with UC San Diego.
Michael Fuhrman is ranked fourth in the Big West in batting average (.361) and on-base percentage (.467) while he has 31 runs and 18 RBI. Blake Baumgartner heads into the week ninth in the league in RBI (37) and tied for 10th in home runs (6) to go with a .286 average at the plate. As a team, UCSD is second in the Big West in home runs (41) and third in extra base hits (137). Brandon Weed (4-2) leads the pitching staff in strikeouts with 50 while posting a 5.10 ERA. The tandem of Michael Mitchell (3-1, 3.23 ERA) and Luke Mattson (1-0, 3.45 ERA) have combined for nine saves this season out of the bullpen.Â
#UniteTheValley
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