Thursday, May 12
Manoa, Hawaii
9:35 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
at
Hawai'i
Photo by: Dianne Wentz
CSUN Faces Road Test at Hawai'i This Weekend
5/11/2022 8:43:00 AM | Baseball
FULL GAME NOTES
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball (26-19, 14-10 Big West) visits Hawai'i for a three-game series this week. The opener of the series is set for Thursday at 9:35 p.m. PT/6:35 p.m. HT and will continue on Friday at 9:35 p.m. PT/6:35 p.m. HT. The teams conclude the series on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. PT/1:05 p.m. HT. The first two games of the series will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Probable Pitching Matchups
CSUN at Hawai'i
RHP Blaine Traxel (5-4, 3.62 ERA) vs. RHP Cade Halemanu (1-1, 4.85 ERA)
RHP Lucas Braun (5-3, 3.05 ERA) vs. RHP Blaze Koali'i Pontes (3-0, 3.10 ERA)
RHP Diego Gutierrez (2-0, 2.83 ERA) vs. TBA
The Matadors lead the all-time series with Hawai'i 38-20. CSUN has won six-straight games in the series after posting a four-game sweep at Matador Field last season. In the teams' series last season, CSUN won the first two games by a 9-1 and 12-0 margin, but would have to win tight games to complete the sweep as the Matadors prevailed 4-3 and 6-4 over the final two games. CSUN has not visited the islands since the 2018 season when the Matadors won two of three games from the Rainbow Warriors.
While the Matadors were mathematically eliminated from Big West title contention this past week, CSUN still has an opportunity to finish as high as second place in the conference standings. Currently in fourth place, CSUN is one-and-a-half games back of second place Cal Poly (14-7) and just one-half game back of Hawai'i (13-8) for third place. Since winning the Big West title in 2002, the Matadors have finished as high as third place just once, which took place in 2018. The team also has finished in fourth place three different times (2013, 2017 and 2021).
Winners of four in a row, the Matadors are coming off a three-game sweep of UC Davis this past weekend at Matador Field. CSUN took the opener 9-1 highlighted by a four-hit day from Bart West and seven shutout innings from Blaine Traxel. In game two, Lucas Braun struck out a career-high 12 batters over seven scoreless innings in a 6-1 CSUN win that clinched the series. CSUN fell behind early in the finale but would complete the sweep with a 4-1 triumph on Mother's Day. West and Kai Moody homered in the finale while Blake Sodersten pitched the last four innings for his first save of the season.
Heading into the week, the Matadors are ranked third in the Big West in home runs (40) and stolen bases (45) and fourth in slugging percentage (.407). On the pitching end, CSUN is third in the conference in ERA (4.19). Individually, Gabe Gonzalez is second in the conference in home runs. Andrew Sojka is ranked third in the Big West in hits (61) and runs (40), sixth in batting (.349) and 10th in on-base percentage (.426). West had moved into fifth in batting average (.350), seventh in slugging percentage (.567), seventh in home runs (8) and eighth in hits (55) and RBI (33). Traxel is second in the conference in innings pitched (77.0), fifth in strikeouts (68) and seventh in wins (5). Braun is also up to fifth place in ERA (3.05) and seventh place in wins (5).
After this weekend, CSUN will have just six games remaining on its regular season schedule. The Matadors will finish off the road portion of their schedule with a non-conference series with Saint Mary's in Moraga next weekend from May 19-20. CSUN then returns home for its final home series at Matador Field against UC San Diego from May 26-28. The Matadors will honor their senior class as well as the retiring Dave Serrano, who will coach in his final collegiate game on Saturday, May 28.
A Closer Look at Hawai'i
Hawai'i comes in with a 22-20 overall record and 13-8 mark in the Big West. The Rainbow Warriors are 10-11 at Les Murakami Stadium but have posted a 6-3 record against league opponents. Last week, Hawai'i took a break from Big West play and faced UNLV in Las Vegas where the Rainbow Warriors took two of three games. Longtime University of San Diego head coach Rich Hill is in his first season leading the Bows in 2022.
Jacob Igawa leads Hawai'i in home runs (6) and RBI (30) this season to go with a .277 batting average. Jordan Donahue leads the team with a .308 batting average with nine stolen base and 17 RBI while Dallas Duarte is batting .293 with 30 runs, 26 RBI and two homers. Other top run producers include Cole Cabrera with 29 RBI and Matt Wong with 28 RBI. Friday's scheduled starter Blaze Koali'i Pontes is 3-0 with a 3.10 ERA and a team-high 68 strikeouts. As a team, the Rainbow Warriors are second in the Big West in stolen bases (49) and fourth in on-base percentage (.374).
#UniteTheValley
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NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball (26-19, 14-10 Big West) visits Hawai'i for a three-game series this week. The opener of the series is set for Thursday at 9:35 p.m. PT/6:35 p.m. HT and will continue on Friday at 9:35 p.m. PT/6:35 p.m. HT. The teams conclude the series on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. PT/1:05 p.m. HT. The first two games of the series will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Probable Pitching Matchups
CSUN at Hawai'i
RHP Blaine Traxel (5-4, 3.62 ERA) vs. RHP Cade Halemanu (1-1, 4.85 ERA)
RHP Lucas Braun (5-3, 3.05 ERA) vs. RHP Blaze Koali'i Pontes (3-0, 3.10 ERA)
RHP Diego Gutierrez (2-0, 2.83 ERA) vs. TBA
The Matadors lead the all-time series with Hawai'i 38-20. CSUN has won six-straight games in the series after posting a four-game sweep at Matador Field last season. In the teams' series last season, CSUN won the first two games by a 9-1 and 12-0 margin, but would have to win tight games to complete the sweep as the Matadors prevailed 4-3 and 6-4 over the final two games. CSUN has not visited the islands since the 2018 season when the Matadors won two of three games from the Rainbow Warriors.
While the Matadors were mathematically eliminated from Big West title contention this past week, CSUN still has an opportunity to finish as high as second place in the conference standings. Currently in fourth place, CSUN is one-and-a-half games back of second place Cal Poly (14-7) and just one-half game back of Hawai'i (13-8) for third place. Since winning the Big West title in 2002, the Matadors have finished as high as third place just once, which took place in 2018. The team also has finished in fourth place three different times (2013, 2017 and 2021).
Winners of four in a row, the Matadors are coming off a three-game sweep of UC Davis this past weekend at Matador Field. CSUN took the opener 9-1 highlighted by a four-hit day from Bart West and seven shutout innings from Blaine Traxel. In game two, Lucas Braun struck out a career-high 12 batters over seven scoreless innings in a 6-1 CSUN win that clinched the series. CSUN fell behind early in the finale but would complete the sweep with a 4-1 triumph on Mother's Day. West and Kai Moody homered in the finale while Blake Sodersten pitched the last four innings for his first save of the season.
Heading into the week, the Matadors are ranked third in the Big West in home runs (40) and stolen bases (45) and fourth in slugging percentage (.407). On the pitching end, CSUN is third in the conference in ERA (4.19). Individually, Gabe Gonzalez is second in the conference in home runs. Andrew Sojka is ranked third in the Big West in hits (61) and runs (40), sixth in batting (.349) and 10th in on-base percentage (.426). West had moved into fifth in batting average (.350), seventh in slugging percentage (.567), seventh in home runs (8) and eighth in hits (55) and RBI (33). Traxel is second in the conference in innings pitched (77.0), fifth in strikeouts (68) and seventh in wins (5). Braun is also up to fifth place in ERA (3.05) and seventh place in wins (5).
After this weekend, CSUN will have just six games remaining on its regular season schedule. The Matadors will finish off the road portion of their schedule with a non-conference series with Saint Mary's in Moraga next weekend from May 19-20. CSUN then returns home for its final home series at Matador Field against UC San Diego from May 26-28. The Matadors will honor their senior class as well as the retiring Dave Serrano, who will coach in his final collegiate game on Saturday, May 28.
A Closer Look at Hawai'i
Hawai'i comes in with a 22-20 overall record and 13-8 mark in the Big West. The Rainbow Warriors are 10-11 at Les Murakami Stadium but have posted a 6-3 record against league opponents. Last week, Hawai'i took a break from Big West play and faced UNLV in Las Vegas where the Rainbow Warriors took two of three games. Longtime University of San Diego head coach Rich Hill is in his first season leading the Bows in 2022.
Jacob Igawa leads Hawai'i in home runs (6) and RBI (30) this season to go with a .277 batting average. Jordan Donahue leads the team with a .308 batting average with nine stolen base and 17 RBI while Dallas Duarte is batting .293 with 30 runs, 26 RBI and two homers. Other top run producers include Cole Cabrera with 29 RBI and Matt Wong with 28 RBI. Friday's scheduled starter Blaze Koali'i Pontes is 3-0 with a 3.10 ERA and a team-high 68 strikeouts. As a team, the Rainbow Warriors are second in the Big West in stolen bases (49) and fourth in on-base percentage (.374).
#UniteTheValley
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