Friday, February 16
Northridge, Calif.
2:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
vs
Utah Valley
CSUN Baseball to Open 66th Season on Friday
2/15/2024 5:12:00 PM | Baseball
FULL GAME NOTES
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball will open its 66th season on Friday when the Matadors open a three-game series with Utah Valley at Matador Field. The season opener begins at 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+. Due to anticipated rain this weekend, the teams will wrap up the series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.
Ghizal Hasan will return for his fourth season calling Matador baseball games in 2024. Select games this season will be broadcast on ESPN+ while each home game will have a free audio broadcast available at GoMatadors.com/Radio or on the Varsity Network App. Fans are also encouraged to check the CSUN Baseball team's official Twitter feed @CSUNBaseball for updates of games in progress and news and notes.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Utah Valley at CSUN (2023 stats)
RHP Braden Boisvert (0-0, 3.31 ERA) vs. RHP Thomas Bainton (7-2, 4.18 ERA)
RHP Robby Butenschoen (N/A) vs. RHP Ryan Halamicek (N/A)
RHP Chase Hennessey (1-1, 5.54 ERA ) vs. RHP Ryan Wentz (3-2, 5.02 ERA)
LEADING OFF
CSUN is led by second-year head coach Eddie Cornejo in 2024. The Matadors are coming off their best season in 21 years as CSUN fell one game short of an NCAA Tournament bid. The team went 34-17 overall, finishing with its most wins since the 2002 campaign while CSUN was tied for second in The Big West with a 20-10 record. The Matadors return 19 letterwinners from last year's roster along with 15 true freshmen and nine transfers. Among the returners, CSUN brings back four all-conference players including last season's Big West Co-Field Player of the Year Jakob Simons.
ROMERO EARNS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN HONORS
After making CSUN history last season, closer Joshua Romero was named to the 2024 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Preseason All-American Second Team on Feb. 6. The Oxnard native had a record-breaking first season at CSUN as he registered a school single-season record 13 saves in 13 chances. Romero led The Big West in saves while he was sixth overall in the nation in the category, and just two off the pace of the national leader. The right handed pitcher led the team in total appearances with 23 and he registered 3.29 ERA and 31 strikeouts. Romero would also collect All-Big West Second Team and ABCA/Rawlings All-West Region First Team accolades in 2023.
SIMONS NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-BIG WEST TEAM
An All-Big West Co-Field Player of the Year in 2023, Jakob Simons was placed to the Preseason All-Big West Team on Feb. 12. Simons led The Big West in OPS (1.115) while ranking in the conference top-10 in a multitude of categories including placing second in slugging percentage (.665), tied for third in homers (14), fourth in batting average (.356) on-base percentage (.450) and runs scored (51), fifth in stolen bases (11) and seventh in RBI (48) and hits (67). In 48 appearances, all starts in center field, Simons scored 51 runs, the most by a Matador since 2010. He also posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in center field. Simons was just the second Matador to ever win the Big West Field Player of the Year award and the first in 21 seasons. He would also collect All-Big West First Team honors and ABCA/Rawlings All-West Region Second Team accolades last season.
CSUN PICKED FIFTH IN BIG WEST
CSUN was predicted to finish fifth in The Big West standings in the 2024 Preseason Coaches' Poll. UC Santa Barbara was picked to win the conference while UC Irvine was second. In third was defending Big West champion UC San Diego and in fourth was Hawai'i. Cal State Fullerton, last season's Big West automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, was picked sixth. In 2023, CSUN was picked to finish seventh in The Big West but defied those expectations by tying for second place in the league.
KEY RETURNERS
CSUN returns its top run producer from last season in outfielder Kevin Fitzer. An All-Big West Second Team selection, Fitzer was fourth in The Big West with a team-high 50 RBI to go with batting .339 and hitting eight homers. At second base, Shunsuke Sakaino also returns after earning an All-Big West Honorable Mention. Sakaino batted .310 with 23 RBI and a team-high 28 walks last season.
Graduate infielder Mason Le, who is CSUN's active leader in games played with 135, hit a career-high .292 last season to go with four homers and 32 RBI. An All-Big West First Team selection in 2022, senior outfielder Andrew Sojka batted .267 at the plate with 18 RBI and five stolen bases. Senior infielder Nathan Barraza also returns after a career season last year where he batted .319 with 21 RBI and 21 runs scored. Other returning starters include senior Ben Griffin who hit .295 with 13 RBI in 30 games last year and sophomore outfielder Brandon Leon who finished hitting .274 with two homers and eight RBI.
On the pitching side, junior right-handed pitcher Thomas Bainton returns after leading the team with seven wins to go with a 4.18 ERA and 63 strikeouts. Bainton is expected to assume the Friday starter role this season. Senior right-handed pitcher Ryan Wentz is in his fourth season with the Matadors as he comes off a season where he went 3-2 with a 5.02 ERA and 43 strikeouts. Returning to mound this season is sophomore righty Diego Gutierrez, who missed all of last year with injury. Gutierrez previously went 3-1 with a 2.92 ERA as a freshman in 2022.
Other key returning pitchers include junior right handers Kenji Pallares (5-3, 6.84 ERA) and Hayden Cody (4-0, 4.85).
SCOUTING UTAH VALLEY
The Wolverines went 34-24 overall with a 16-12 conference record last season. UVU advanced to the finals of the WAC Tournament before falling to Sam Houston. The team was picked to finish second in the WAC this season. Preseason WAC Co-Player of the Year Daniel Dickinson hit .376 with nine homers and 42 RBI. Matthew Schwarz, a Preseason WAC Shortstop of the Year, hit .304 and drove in 37 RBI. Head coach Eddie Smith is in his third season with the program.
Series History: CSUN leads Utah Valley 7-0 in the all-time series, all of which home games, but the teams have not played since the 2015 season. In the teams' last meeting in 2015, CSUN won 6-0.
#GoMatadors
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NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball will open its 66th season on Friday when the Matadors open a three-game series with Utah Valley at Matador Field. The season opener begins at 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+. Due to anticipated rain this weekend, the teams will wrap up the series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.
Ghizal Hasan will return for his fourth season calling Matador baseball games in 2024. Select games this season will be broadcast on ESPN+ while each home game will have a free audio broadcast available at GoMatadors.com/Radio or on the Varsity Network App. Fans are also encouraged to check the CSUN Baseball team's official Twitter feed @CSUNBaseball for updates of games in progress and news and notes.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Utah Valley at CSUN (2023 stats)
RHP Braden Boisvert (0-0, 3.31 ERA) vs. RHP Thomas Bainton (7-2, 4.18 ERA)
RHP Robby Butenschoen (N/A) vs. RHP Ryan Halamicek (N/A)
RHP Chase Hennessey (1-1, 5.54 ERA ) vs. RHP Ryan Wentz (3-2, 5.02 ERA)
LEADING OFF
CSUN is led by second-year head coach Eddie Cornejo in 2024. The Matadors are coming off their best season in 21 years as CSUN fell one game short of an NCAA Tournament bid. The team went 34-17 overall, finishing with its most wins since the 2002 campaign while CSUN was tied for second in The Big West with a 20-10 record. The Matadors return 19 letterwinners from last year's roster along with 15 true freshmen and nine transfers. Among the returners, CSUN brings back four all-conference players including last season's Big West Co-Field Player of the Year Jakob Simons.
ROMERO EARNS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN HONORS
After making CSUN history last season, closer Joshua Romero was named to the 2024 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Preseason All-American Second Team on Feb. 6. The Oxnard native had a record-breaking first season at CSUN as he registered a school single-season record 13 saves in 13 chances. Romero led The Big West in saves while he was sixth overall in the nation in the category, and just two off the pace of the national leader. The right handed pitcher led the team in total appearances with 23 and he registered 3.29 ERA and 31 strikeouts. Romero would also collect All-Big West Second Team and ABCA/Rawlings All-West Region First Team accolades in 2023.
SIMONS NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-BIG WEST TEAM
An All-Big West Co-Field Player of the Year in 2023, Jakob Simons was placed to the Preseason All-Big West Team on Feb. 12. Simons led The Big West in OPS (1.115) while ranking in the conference top-10 in a multitude of categories including placing second in slugging percentage (.665), tied for third in homers (14), fourth in batting average (.356) on-base percentage (.450) and runs scored (51), fifth in stolen bases (11) and seventh in RBI (48) and hits (67). In 48 appearances, all starts in center field, Simons scored 51 runs, the most by a Matador since 2010. He also posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in center field. Simons was just the second Matador to ever win the Big West Field Player of the Year award and the first in 21 seasons. He would also collect All-Big West First Team honors and ABCA/Rawlings All-West Region Second Team accolades last season.
CSUN PICKED FIFTH IN BIG WEST
CSUN was predicted to finish fifth in The Big West standings in the 2024 Preseason Coaches' Poll. UC Santa Barbara was picked to win the conference while UC Irvine was second. In third was defending Big West champion UC San Diego and in fourth was Hawai'i. Cal State Fullerton, last season's Big West automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, was picked sixth. In 2023, CSUN was picked to finish seventh in The Big West but defied those expectations by tying for second place in the league.
KEY RETURNERS
CSUN returns its top run producer from last season in outfielder Kevin Fitzer. An All-Big West Second Team selection, Fitzer was fourth in The Big West with a team-high 50 RBI to go with batting .339 and hitting eight homers. At second base, Shunsuke Sakaino also returns after earning an All-Big West Honorable Mention. Sakaino batted .310 with 23 RBI and a team-high 28 walks last season.
Graduate infielder Mason Le, who is CSUN's active leader in games played with 135, hit a career-high .292 last season to go with four homers and 32 RBI. An All-Big West First Team selection in 2022, senior outfielder Andrew Sojka batted .267 at the plate with 18 RBI and five stolen bases. Senior infielder Nathan Barraza also returns after a career season last year where he batted .319 with 21 RBI and 21 runs scored. Other returning starters include senior Ben Griffin who hit .295 with 13 RBI in 30 games last year and sophomore outfielder Brandon Leon who finished hitting .274 with two homers and eight RBI.
On the pitching side, junior right-handed pitcher Thomas Bainton returns after leading the team with seven wins to go with a 4.18 ERA and 63 strikeouts. Bainton is expected to assume the Friday starter role this season. Senior right-handed pitcher Ryan Wentz is in his fourth season with the Matadors as he comes off a season where he went 3-2 with a 5.02 ERA and 43 strikeouts. Returning to mound this season is sophomore righty Diego Gutierrez, who missed all of last year with injury. Gutierrez previously went 3-1 with a 2.92 ERA as a freshman in 2022.
Other key returning pitchers include junior right handers Kenji Pallares (5-3, 6.84 ERA) and Hayden Cody (4-0, 4.85).
SCOUTING UTAH VALLEY
The Wolverines went 34-24 overall with a 16-12 conference record last season. UVU advanced to the finals of the WAC Tournament before falling to Sam Houston. The team was picked to finish second in the WAC this season. Preseason WAC Co-Player of the Year Daniel Dickinson hit .376 with nine homers and 42 RBI. Matthew Schwarz, a Preseason WAC Shortstop of the Year, hit .304 and drove in 37 RBI. Head coach Eddie Smith is in his third season with the program.
Series History: CSUN leads Utah Valley 7-0 in the all-time series, all of which home games, but the teams have not played since the 2015 season. In the teams' last meeting in 2015, CSUN won 6-0.
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