Friday, February 18
Los Angeles, Calif.
6:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
at
#22 UCLA
Photo by: Braden Villanueva
Matadors Open 64th Season of Baseball at #22 UCLA
2/17/2022 12:38:00 AM | Baseball
FULL GAME NOTES
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball opens its 64th season on Friday at No. 22 UCLA in the first of a three-game series. First pitch for the opener is set for 6 p.m. while the series continues on Saturday at 2 p.m. and concludes on Sunday at 1 p.m. UCLA will stream all three games and links for each game are available on the schedule page at GoMatadors.com.
Probable Pitching Matchups
CSUN at UCLA
RHP Blaine Traxel (5-1, 3.78 ERA) vs. RHP Jake Brooks (2-0, 5.31 ERA)
RHP Blake Sodersten (3-2, 4.02 ERA) vs. RHP Max Rajcic (2-1, 1.65 ERA)
RHP Ryan Wentz (0-2, 14.54 ERA) vs. RHP Kelly Austin (N/A)
CSUN finished with a 21-19 record while playing a conference-only schedule last season. After starting off 6-13, the Matadors caught fire over the last four weekends of the season, winning 15 of their final 21 games. CSUN concluded the campaign tied for fourth place in the Big West Conference -- the team's fourth winning league record since joining the Big West in 2001.
For the Matadors, 2022 is a much different scenario than a season ago. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and protocols, the Matadors were unable to meet in person as a team and practice until weeks before the start of the 2021 season. This year, however, the Matadors had the benefit of a fall season and months of preparation. In addition, CSUN will play a more conventional 54-game schedule and a standard 30-game league schedule.
"Looking back through the fall, a lot of our sophomores acted like freshmen, as a coaching staff you lose sight of that," said third-year head coach Dave Serrano. "I thought I saw a lot of growth that went on during the fall season. To have all of the practices that we did, all of the scrimmages that we did, I believe it developed more players whereas last year the problem was we didn't develop our young players because we didn't have time to develop them. I hope that allowing us to have fall practices, like normal, and to have practices before the championship segment of our season allows us to develop a team that will be stronger down the line."
Under the direction of Serrano, the Matadors embark on a new season with a group filled with familiar faces and an array of talented newcomers. CSUN returns 17 players and adds 19 newcomers to the mix. After finishing second in the Big West and 30th nationally in batting average (.296), the Matadors' offense sports a much different look with the departure of six starters. However, on the pitching side, CSUN will feature several mainstays with the return of eight hurlers.
Returning for the Matadors
Headlining the returners, senior utility player Kai Moody won the Big West batting title in 2021 and earned ABCA/Rawlings West All-Region and All-Big West First Team honors. Moody also led the Matadors with 34 runs and 55 hits while starting at all three outfield positions, at second base and at first base.
Senior infielder Brandon Bohning has the most experience of any Matador with 145 career games played including 140 starts while Mason Le has started at second and third base and has a career .273 batting average. Other returners include sophomore infielder Nathan Barraza (.357 average in 14 at-bats) and sophomore outfielder Luke Powell (.275 average over 25 games) as well as the returning Victor Cerny, a senior catcher, who last played in 2019.
On the pitching side, the Matadors will lean on four-year starters Blaine Traxel and Blake Sodersten to manage the weekend rotation. Traxel was perhaps the most versatile pitcher in the Big West last season, appearing as a starter and closer as he finished 5-1 with a 3.78 ERA and 68 strikeouts, which would earn him All-Big West Second Team honors. Sodersten registered a 3-2 record with a 4.02 ERA and 52 strikeouts as the team's Friday starter last season.
Other key returners include third-year starter Gavin Lizik (1-3, 6.64 ERA) who pitched in 37 innings, striking out 26 last season and relievers Chad Wilson (3-2, 6.64 ERA), Elias Jauregui (1-0, 4.91 ERA) and Kyle Hoskins (1-1, 5.84 ERA). Sixth-year pitcher Blake Schriever (15 career saves) has also returned after missing most of last season due to injury.
Meet the New Matadors
The Matadors have 10 transfers including two Division I transfers added to the team as well as nine true freshmen. Eleven of the newcomers are position players and eight are joining the pitching staff.
Graduate transfer Bart West joins the outfield after spending the past four seasons at USC while Andrew Sojka (OF, Cypress College), Joey Kramer (INF, Santa Rosa College), Joey Daini (INF, Sacramento City College), Jakob Simons (OF, Chabot College), Sebastian Garcia (C, Mt. San Antonio College) and Matt Thomas (INF, San Joaquin Delta College) are all junior college transfers looking for playing time on the field. Freshman infielder Ali Camarillo (Otay Ranch High School) is also battling for a starting position as he is joined by fellow freshmen Drew Porter (OF, Mater Dei HS), Shunsuke Sakaino (INF, Rancho Bernardo HS) and David Mashburn (C/INF, Marina HS).
On the pitching front, right-hander Lucas Braun brings experience after lettering over the past two seasons at San Diego. Junior college transfers include Manny Casillas (LHP, Mt. San Antonio College) and Shane Carey (RHP, Santa Ana College) while the group of Xavier Martinez (RHP, Otay Ranch HS), Diego Gutierrez (RHP, Lakewood HS), Sebastian Granados (RHP, Steele Canyon HS), Isaac Ontiveros (LHP, Villa Park HS) and Brayden Hiraki (LHP, 'Iolani HS) are freshmen hurlers.
Series History with UCLA
UCLA leads the all-time series with CSUN 45-41-1. After CSUN had won four of five meetings, the Bruins have won the last three games in the series. The teams had met at least once in each season from 2012-19 and most recently played twice in midweek games in 2019. UCLA swept the last three-game series played between the two teams in 2007. The Matadors have dropped five of the last six meetings at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Matadors in Season Openers
CSUN is opening up a season on the road for the first time since 2014. The Matadors have won their last three season openers including both under Serrano and five of the last seven overall. In team history, the Matadors are 38-23-2 in season openers.
A Closer Look at UCLA
The Bruins were ranked in four national polls and received a No. 22 preseason ranking by Baseball America. The team went 37-20 overall last season and 18-12 in the Pac-12 Conference for a fourth-place finish. UCLA advanced to the NCAA Tournament and played in the Lubbock Regional. The Bruins have returned 17 letterwinners from last season's squad. John Savage is in his 18th season as the team's head coach.
Michael Curialle batted .285 with 36 RBI last season while Kyle Karros started all 55 games and produced three home runs and 25 RBI. Friday's starter Jake Brooks posted a 2-0 record with a 5.31 ERA and 18 strikeouts last season. Max Rajcic had a breakout 2021 season where he registered a 1.65 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 32.2 innings. The team finished second in the Pac-12 in runs per game (7.3) and ERA (3.95) last season.
#UniteTheValley
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NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball opens its 64th season on Friday at No. 22 UCLA in the first of a three-game series. First pitch for the opener is set for 6 p.m. while the series continues on Saturday at 2 p.m. and concludes on Sunday at 1 p.m. UCLA will stream all three games and links for each game are available on the schedule page at GoMatadors.com.
Probable Pitching Matchups
CSUN at UCLA
RHP Blaine Traxel (5-1, 3.78 ERA) vs. RHP Jake Brooks (2-0, 5.31 ERA)
RHP Blake Sodersten (3-2, 4.02 ERA) vs. RHP Max Rajcic (2-1, 1.65 ERA)
RHP Ryan Wentz (0-2, 14.54 ERA) vs. RHP Kelly Austin (N/A)
CSUN finished with a 21-19 record while playing a conference-only schedule last season. After starting off 6-13, the Matadors caught fire over the last four weekends of the season, winning 15 of their final 21 games. CSUN concluded the campaign tied for fourth place in the Big West Conference -- the team's fourth winning league record since joining the Big West in 2001.
For the Matadors, 2022 is a much different scenario than a season ago. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and protocols, the Matadors were unable to meet in person as a team and practice until weeks before the start of the 2021 season. This year, however, the Matadors had the benefit of a fall season and months of preparation. In addition, CSUN will play a more conventional 54-game schedule and a standard 30-game league schedule.
"Looking back through the fall, a lot of our sophomores acted like freshmen, as a coaching staff you lose sight of that," said third-year head coach Dave Serrano. "I thought I saw a lot of growth that went on during the fall season. To have all of the practices that we did, all of the scrimmages that we did, I believe it developed more players whereas last year the problem was we didn't develop our young players because we didn't have time to develop them. I hope that allowing us to have fall practices, like normal, and to have practices before the championship segment of our season allows us to develop a team that will be stronger down the line."
Under the direction of Serrano, the Matadors embark on a new season with a group filled with familiar faces and an array of talented newcomers. CSUN returns 17 players and adds 19 newcomers to the mix. After finishing second in the Big West and 30th nationally in batting average (.296), the Matadors' offense sports a much different look with the departure of six starters. However, on the pitching side, CSUN will feature several mainstays with the return of eight hurlers.
Returning for the Matadors
Headlining the returners, senior utility player Kai Moody won the Big West batting title in 2021 and earned ABCA/Rawlings West All-Region and All-Big West First Team honors. Moody also led the Matadors with 34 runs and 55 hits while starting at all three outfield positions, at second base and at first base.
Senior infielder Brandon Bohning has the most experience of any Matador with 145 career games played including 140 starts while Mason Le has started at second and third base and has a career .273 batting average. Other returners include sophomore infielder Nathan Barraza (.357 average in 14 at-bats) and sophomore outfielder Luke Powell (.275 average over 25 games) as well as the returning Victor Cerny, a senior catcher, who last played in 2019.
On the pitching side, the Matadors will lean on four-year starters Blaine Traxel and Blake Sodersten to manage the weekend rotation. Traxel was perhaps the most versatile pitcher in the Big West last season, appearing as a starter and closer as he finished 5-1 with a 3.78 ERA and 68 strikeouts, which would earn him All-Big West Second Team honors. Sodersten registered a 3-2 record with a 4.02 ERA and 52 strikeouts as the team's Friday starter last season.
Other key returners include third-year starter Gavin Lizik (1-3, 6.64 ERA) who pitched in 37 innings, striking out 26 last season and relievers Chad Wilson (3-2, 6.64 ERA), Elias Jauregui (1-0, 4.91 ERA) and Kyle Hoskins (1-1, 5.84 ERA). Sixth-year pitcher Blake Schriever (15 career saves) has also returned after missing most of last season due to injury.
Meet the New Matadors
The Matadors have 10 transfers including two Division I transfers added to the team as well as nine true freshmen. Eleven of the newcomers are position players and eight are joining the pitching staff.
Graduate transfer Bart West joins the outfield after spending the past four seasons at USC while Andrew Sojka (OF, Cypress College), Joey Kramer (INF, Santa Rosa College), Joey Daini (INF, Sacramento City College), Jakob Simons (OF, Chabot College), Sebastian Garcia (C, Mt. San Antonio College) and Matt Thomas (INF, San Joaquin Delta College) are all junior college transfers looking for playing time on the field. Freshman infielder Ali Camarillo (Otay Ranch High School) is also battling for a starting position as he is joined by fellow freshmen Drew Porter (OF, Mater Dei HS), Shunsuke Sakaino (INF, Rancho Bernardo HS) and David Mashburn (C/INF, Marina HS).
On the pitching front, right-hander Lucas Braun brings experience after lettering over the past two seasons at San Diego. Junior college transfers include Manny Casillas (LHP, Mt. San Antonio College) and Shane Carey (RHP, Santa Ana College) while the group of Xavier Martinez (RHP, Otay Ranch HS), Diego Gutierrez (RHP, Lakewood HS), Sebastian Granados (RHP, Steele Canyon HS), Isaac Ontiveros (LHP, Villa Park HS) and Brayden Hiraki (LHP, 'Iolani HS) are freshmen hurlers.
Series History with UCLA
UCLA leads the all-time series with CSUN 45-41-1. After CSUN had won four of five meetings, the Bruins have won the last three games in the series. The teams had met at least once in each season from 2012-19 and most recently played twice in midweek games in 2019. UCLA swept the last three-game series played between the two teams in 2007. The Matadors have dropped five of the last six meetings at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Matadors in Season Openers
CSUN is opening up a season on the road for the first time since 2014. The Matadors have won their last three season openers including both under Serrano and five of the last seven overall. In team history, the Matadors are 38-23-2 in season openers.
A Closer Look at UCLA
The Bruins were ranked in four national polls and received a No. 22 preseason ranking by Baseball America. The team went 37-20 overall last season and 18-12 in the Pac-12 Conference for a fourth-place finish. UCLA advanced to the NCAA Tournament and played in the Lubbock Regional. The Bruins have returned 17 letterwinners from last season's squad. John Savage is in his 18th season as the team's head coach.
Michael Curialle batted .285 with 36 RBI last season while Kyle Karros started all 55 games and produced three home runs and 25 RBI. Friday's starter Jake Brooks posted a 2-0 record with a 5.31 ERA and 18 strikeouts last season. Max Rajcic had a breakout 2021 season where he registered a 1.65 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 32.2 innings. The team finished second in the Pac-12 in runs per game (7.3) and ERA (3.95) last season.
#UniteTheValley
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