Friday, February 17
Northridge, Calif.
2:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
vs
Stony Brook
CSUN Baseball Opens 65th Season on Friday
2/16/2023 11:20:00 AM | Baseball
FULL GAME NOTES
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball officially opens its 65th season this weekend when the Matadors host Stony Brook in a three-game series. The opener is set for Friday at 2 p.m. while the series continues on Saturday at 2 p.m. and concludes on Sunday at 1 p.m. Friday's season opener will be broadcast on ESPN+. All three games will stream in audio broadcasts at GoMatadors.com/Radio.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS (2022 STATS)
Stony Brook at CSUN
RHP Ben Fero (4-4, 4.54 ERA) vs. RHP Lucas Braun (7-4, 2.94 ERA)
LHP Jared Bellissimo (0-0, 6.75 ERA) vs. RHP Thomas Bainton (N/A)
RHP Nick DeGennaro (0-0, 0.93 ERA) vs. TBA
THE CORNEJO ERA BEGINS
The 2023 season represents the first under head coach Eddie Cornejo. CSUN's 11th head coach in team history, Cornejo was named the successor to Dave Serrano who retired at the end of last season. Cornejo worked under Serrano over the past three seasons, serving as recruitment coordinator and assistant coach for two seasons and associate head coach this past season.
With Cornejo on the bench, CSUN has registered three consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1996-98 while the team posted two-straight winning conference records for the first time since joining The Big West in 2001.
A first-time Division I head coach, Cornejo has coached at the collegiate level since 2009. He previously served as an assistant coach at UC Santa Barbara for seven seasons (2012-18) where he helped the Gauchos advance to their first College World Series in 2016. Cornejo also was an assistant coach at San Jose State and UC Riverside and spent time as the interim head coach at Riverside City College during his career.
ABOUT LAST SEASON
In 2022, the Matadors went 32-22 overall and 17-13 in league play. CSUN played 33 of its 54 games on the road, posting 18 victories, the team's third-most since joining the Division I ranks. After a 4-8 start against league opponents, CSUN would play its best baseball over the last 18 games, winning 13 of those. Overall, the Matadors won seven of 10 Big West series including six of their last seven. The team's .567 conference winning percentage was the team's best in 20 seasons.
CSUN PICKED 7TH IN PRESEASON POLL
For the second-straight season, the Matadors were picked to finish seventh in The Big West in the preseason coaches' poll. Last season, CSUN defied preseason expectations to finish in fourth place in the league for the second consecutive year.
WHO IS BACK?
CSUN brings back nine position players including five starters to this season's squad while six pitchers return to the staff featuring a pair of familiar weekend starters.
Outfielder Andrew Sojka, an All-Big West First Team selection, was in the top-five in The Big West in doubles (18), runs (46) and hits (70) last season. Sojka also batted .335 with four homers, nine stolen bases and 25 RBI. On the infield, Joey Kramer played primarily at first base while he finishing with five homers and 27 RBI. Third baseman Mason Le has the most experience of the returners with 87 career games played (five homers and 22 RBI in 2022).
Other key everyday players include outfielder Jakob Simons, starting catcher Graysen Tarlow, starting shortstop Ali Camarillo, second baseman Shunsuke Sakaino and utility players Kevin Fitzer and Nathan Barraza.
On the mound, right hander Lucas Braun, an All-Big West Second Team honoree, finished last season with a team-low 2.91 ERA to go with a 7-4 record and 77 strikeouts. Right-handed hurler Ryan Wentz has also returned after starting eight games and posting a 3.74 ERA in 2022 before suffering a season-ending injury.
Late-inning reliever Xavier Martinez is coming off a freshman campaign where he appeared in a team-high 22 games and posted a 3.03 ERA. Other returning pitchers include left hander Isaac Ontiveros, two-way player Sebastian Granados and right hander Hayden Cody (last pitched in 2021). Another left hander, Brayden Hiraki is on the roster after redshirting last year.
MEET THE MATADORS
Of CSUN's 19 newcomers to the roster, 12 come from other colleges including 10 from junior colleges. The Matadors have added seven true freshmen as well to the team.
A Division I transfer, Emanuel Dean spent the past two seasons at UCLA while first baseman Luc Stuka was named an ABCA all-region player last season at Saddleback College. Also on the infield, the Matadors have added Javier Felix (Cabrillo College) and Kamau Neighbors (Long Beach City College), catcher Camron Mercurio (Modesto Junior College) and outfielder Ben Griffin (El Camino College).
Left-handed pitcher Jon Mocherman won a state championship last season at Riverside City College while right-handed pitcher Thomas Bainton was an all-conference pitcher with El Camino College in 2022. Right hander Kenji Pallares had a standout year with Glendale College, posting a 3.36 ERA, as he also spent year at UCLA in 2021. Another El Camino alum, Neil Feist brings added depth in the rotation along with left-hander Ryan Dominguez (Riverside City College) and Division I transfer and right hander Joshua Romero (Nevada).
Among the team's seven freshmen, CSUN has brought in a pair of catchers in Bren Wilkinson (Cypress HS) and Junior Barajas (Torrey Pines HS), two-way player Aidan Colin (Pacifica HS) and right-handed pitchers Jackson Bush (Sante Fe Christian HS) and Bruno Banuelos (Segerstrom HS). A pair of outfielders in Brandon Leon (La Quinta HS) and Elijah Cook (Mater Dei Catholic HS) round out the CSUN newcomers.
SOJKA & BRAUN EARN PRESEASON ACCOLADES
Juniors Andrew Sojka and Lucas Braun were placed on the inaugural 11-member Big West Preseason Coaches' Team on Feb. 10. The left-handed swinging Sojka and right-handed hurling Braun each were big pieces of CSUN's success in league play last season. Sojka, who moved into the leadoff position in league action, slashed .365/.437/.530 against Big West opponents while Braun became a starter during the second-half of the season and posted a 5-2 record with a 2.56 ERA in conference play.
Both Matadors also were ranked among the top players at their positions by D1Baseball.com. Braun was ranked 78th on the top-200 pitchers list and Sojka was placed 121st on the top-150 outfielders list.
SERIES HISTORY
CSUN is 3-0 against Stony Brook in team history, winning all three meetings at Matador Field. The teams last played in 2014 with the Matadors coming out on top 1-0 on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Nicolas Osuna. The Matadors also picked up wins twice during the 2005 season.Â
SCOUTING STONY BROOK
The Seawolves won their third consecutive America East championship last season, finishing the year with a 27-25 overall record. Stony Brook made the move to the Colonial Athletic Association over the offseason. The team was picked to finish sixth in the CAA by the league's head coaches. Matt Senk is in his 33rd season as head coach of the Stony Brook program.
Third baseman Evan Giordano, utility player Evan Fox and infielder Matt Brown-Eiring were placed on the Preseason All-CAA Team while Nick DeGennaro was named an Honorable Mention. An America East Player of the Year, Giordano batted .333 with 13 homers and 49 RBI last season while Fox hit .322 with five home runs and 27 RBI. Brown-Eiring belted 10 homers with 50 RBI in 2022. On the pitching side, DeGennaro made two starts and posted a 0.93 ERA last season before suffering a season-ending injury. The team was 31st in the nation in stolen bases (93) in 2022.
#UniteTheValley
Â
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball officially opens its 65th season this weekend when the Matadors host Stony Brook in a three-game series. The opener is set for Friday at 2 p.m. while the series continues on Saturday at 2 p.m. and concludes on Sunday at 1 p.m. Friday's season opener will be broadcast on ESPN+. All three games will stream in audio broadcasts at GoMatadors.com/Radio.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS (2022 STATS)
Stony Brook at CSUN
RHP Ben Fero (4-4, 4.54 ERA) vs. RHP Lucas Braun (7-4, 2.94 ERA)
LHP Jared Bellissimo (0-0, 6.75 ERA) vs. RHP Thomas Bainton (N/A)
RHP Nick DeGennaro (0-0, 0.93 ERA) vs. TBA
THE CORNEJO ERA BEGINS
The 2023 season represents the first under head coach Eddie Cornejo. CSUN's 11th head coach in team history, Cornejo was named the successor to Dave Serrano who retired at the end of last season. Cornejo worked under Serrano over the past three seasons, serving as recruitment coordinator and assistant coach for two seasons and associate head coach this past season.
With Cornejo on the bench, CSUN has registered three consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1996-98 while the team posted two-straight winning conference records for the first time since joining The Big West in 2001.
A first-time Division I head coach, Cornejo has coached at the collegiate level since 2009. He previously served as an assistant coach at UC Santa Barbara for seven seasons (2012-18) where he helped the Gauchos advance to their first College World Series in 2016. Cornejo also was an assistant coach at San Jose State and UC Riverside and spent time as the interim head coach at Riverside City College during his career.
ABOUT LAST SEASON
In 2022, the Matadors went 32-22 overall and 17-13 in league play. CSUN played 33 of its 54 games on the road, posting 18 victories, the team's third-most since joining the Division I ranks. After a 4-8 start against league opponents, CSUN would play its best baseball over the last 18 games, winning 13 of those. Overall, the Matadors won seven of 10 Big West series including six of their last seven. The team's .567 conference winning percentage was the team's best in 20 seasons.
CSUN PICKED 7TH IN PRESEASON POLL
For the second-straight season, the Matadors were picked to finish seventh in The Big West in the preseason coaches' poll. Last season, CSUN defied preseason expectations to finish in fourth place in the league for the second consecutive year.
WHO IS BACK?
CSUN brings back nine position players including five starters to this season's squad while six pitchers return to the staff featuring a pair of familiar weekend starters.
Outfielder Andrew Sojka, an All-Big West First Team selection, was in the top-five in The Big West in doubles (18), runs (46) and hits (70) last season. Sojka also batted .335 with four homers, nine stolen bases and 25 RBI. On the infield, Joey Kramer played primarily at first base while he finishing with five homers and 27 RBI. Third baseman Mason Le has the most experience of the returners with 87 career games played (five homers and 22 RBI in 2022).
Other key everyday players include outfielder Jakob Simons, starting catcher Graysen Tarlow, starting shortstop Ali Camarillo, second baseman Shunsuke Sakaino and utility players Kevin Fitzer and Nathan Barraza.
On the mound, right hander Lucas Braun, an All-Big West Second Team honoree, finished last season with a team-low 2.91 ERA to go with a 7-4 record and 77 strikeouts. Right-handed hurler Ryan Wentz has also returned after starting eight games and posting a 3.74 ERA in 2022 before suffering a season-ending injury.
Late-inning reliever Xavier Martinez is coming off a freshman campaign where he appeared in a team-high 22 games and posted a 3.03 ERA. Other returning pitchers include left hander Isaac Ontiveros, two-way player Sebastian Granados and right hander Hayden Cody (last pitched in 2021). Another left hander, Brayden Hiraki is on the roster after redshirting last year.
MEET THE MATADORS
Of CSUN's 19 newcomers to the roster, 12 come from other colleges including 10 from junior colleges. The Matadors have added seven true freshmen as well to the team.
A Division I transfer, Emanuel Dean spent the past two seasons at UCLA while first baseman Luc Stuka was named an ABCA all-region player last season at Saddleback College. Also on the infield, the Matadors have added Javier Felix (Cabrillo College) and Kamau Neighbors (Long Beach City College), catcher Camron Mercurio (Modesto Junior College) and outfielder Ben Griffin (El Camino College).
Left-handed pitcher Jon Mocherman won a state championship last season at Riverside City College while right-handed pitcher Thomas Bainton was an all-conference pitcher with El Camino College in 2022. Right hander Kenji Pallares had a standout year with Glendale College, posting a 3.36 ERA, as he also spent year at UCLA in 2021. Another El Camino alum, Neil Feist brings added depth in the rotation along with left-hander Ryan Dominguez (Riverside City College) and Division I transfer and right hander Joshua Romero (Nevada).
Among the team's seven freshmen, CSUN has brought in a pair of catchers in Bren Wilkinson (Cypress HS) and Junior Barajas (Torrey Pines HS), two-way player Aidan Colin (Pacifica HS) and right-handed pitchers Jackson Bush (Sante Fe Christian HS) and Bruno Banuelos (Segerstrom HS). A pair of outfielders in Brandon Leon (La Quinta HS) and Elijah Cook (Mater Dei Catholic HS) round out the CSUN newcomers.
SOJKA & BRAUN EARN PRESEASON ACCOLADES
Juniors Andrew Sojka and Lucas Braun were placed on the inaugural 11-member Big West Preseason Coaches' Team on Feb. 10. The left-handed swinging Sojka and right-handed hurling Braun each were big pieces of CSUN's success in league play last season. Sojka, who moved into the leadoff position in league action, slashed .365/.437/.530 against Big West opponents while Braun became a starter during the second-half of the season and posted a 5-2 record with a 2.56 ERA in conference play.
Both Matadors also were ranked among the top players at their positions by D1Baseball.com. Braun was ranked 78th on the top-200 pitchers list and Sojka was placed 121st on the top-150 outfielders list.
SERIES HISTORY
CSUN is 3-0 against Stony Brook in team history, winning all three meetings at Matador Field. The teams last played in 2014 with the Matadors coming out on top 1-0 on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Nicolas Osuna. The Matadors also picked up wins twice during the 2005 season.Â
SCOUTING STONY BROOK
The Seawolves won their third consecutive America East championship last season, finishing the year with a 27-25 overall record. Stony Brook made the move to the Colonial Athletic Association over the offseason. The team was picked to finish sixth in the CAA by the league's head coaches. Matt Senk is in his 33rd season as head coach of the Stony Brook program.
Third baseman Evan Giordano, utility player Evan Fox and infielder Matt Brown-Eiring were placed on the Preseason All-CAA Team while Nick DeGennaro was named an Honorable Mention. An America East Player of the Year, Giordano batted .333 with 13 homers and 49 RBI last season while Fox hit .322 with five home runs and 27 RBI. Brown-Eiring belted 10 homers with 50 RBI in 2022. On the pitching side, DeGennaro made two starts and posted a 0.93 ERA last season before suffering a season-ending injury. The team was 31st in the nation in stolen bases (93) in 2022.
#UniteTheValley
Â
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