Tuesday, March 19
Northridge, Calif.
3:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
vs
Pepperdine
Photo by: Dianne Wentz
CSUN Baseball Returns Home for Midweek Game vs. Pepperdine
3/18/2024 3:17:00 PM | Baseball
GAME NOTES
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball returns home for the first time in two weeks on Tuesday to take on Pepperdine in a midweek game at 3 p.m. Ghizal Hasan has the call on ESPN+ and GoMatadors.com/Radio.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUP
Pepperdine at CSUN
RHP Dylan Stewart (0-0, 6.32 ERA) vs. LHP Joshua Martinez (1-0, 2.45 ERA)
LEADING OFF
CSUN wrapped up an eight-game road stretch this past weekend, which included the team's first Big West series. The Matadors would drop the first seven games of the road trip before winning the finale and salvaging the series finale with Cal Poly. Despite the results on the trip, CSUN lost five of the seven games by two runs or fewer and by a combined seven runs. The Matadors also held leads in five of the losses and would fall in walk-off fashion in extra innings once.
Following Tuesday's midweek, the Matadors return to the road for their next four including a three-game Big West series with UC Riverside this weekend starting Friday. CSUN also stays in the Inland Empire after the UCR series to take on California Baptist next Monday, March 25.
ABOUT LAST SERIES
The Matadors opened up Big West play at Cal Poly with the Mustangs taking two of three games. In the opener, Cal Poly built three different leads with CSUN battling back each time, however, the Mustangs prevailed in 10 innings by a 5-4 score. A day later, Cal Poly pounded out 18 hits in a 17-5 win over CSUN in game two. The Matadors would salvage the series with a come-from-behind 10-8 win in the finale where the Matadors scored six runs in the ninth inning.
The Matadors trailed by as many as five runs (6-1) as late as the sixth inning of game three of the series. CSUN entered the top of the ninth behind 7-4 before mounting its rally. The Matadors were down to their final out and still trailing 7-5 before six-straight batters reached base. Jakob Simons drew a bases loaded walk to tie the game before Kevin Fitzer was hit by a pitch to force in the go-ahead run. Ben Griffin, who started the inning with a single, followed with a timely two-run single to cap the six-run scoring spree. The win over Cal Poly snapped an eight-game losing streak for CSUN at Baggett Stadium.
AT THE PLATE
Junior Kevin Fitzer tops the Matadors in batting heading into the week with a .317 average to go with four homers, six doubles, 14 RBI and 15 runs scored. Senior Ben Griffin is also now hitting above the .300 mark at a .302 clip with 14 RBI and 11 runs scored. In the run producing department, graduate Jakob Simons tops the team in homers (8), runs scored (22) and RBI (21) while batting .286 and slugging .700.
Junior outfielder Andrew Gauna was among the bright spots in last weekend's Cal Poly series as he went 5-for-11 at the plate and belted his first career home run. Freshman Jarren Sanderson would drive in four runs in the Cal Poly series while Griffin knocked in three runs.
ON THE MOUND
Freshman left-handed pitcher Joshua Martinez will make his first career start on Tuesday against Pepperdine. Martinez has appeared in four games thus far on the season, working 3.2 total innings and posting a 2.45 ERA and two strikeouts.
Senior Joshua Romero notched his Big West-leading fifth win of the season, all out of the bullpen, on Sunday at Cal Poly. Romero worked a season-high 3.1 innings, yielding two runs and striking out two batters.The right hander has posted a team-best 1.23 ERA on the season to go 14 strikeouts.Â
BIG WEST LEADERBOARDS
Jakob Simons' eight home runs currently lead The Big West followed by Kevin Fitzer who is in third place with four homers. Simons also tops the league in slugging (.700) and total bases (49) while he is third in runs scored (22) and RBI (21). Kamau Neighbors is seventh in the conference in stolen bases (5) and walks (15). On the pitching side, Joshua Romero is first in wins (5) and sixth in saves (2). As a team, CSUN is second in The Big West and fourth nationally in sacrifice hits (22) while the Matadors are third in the conference in home runs (21) and walks (95).
ABOUT PEPPERDINE
The Waves come in with a 5-15 overall record. Pepperdine dropped two of three games this past weekend at Tulane. The team has already played six games against Big West teams this season, going 3-3. In 2023, Pepperdine finished 19-30 overall and eighth in the WCC. Prior to the year, Pepperdine was picked to finish seventh in the WCC by the league's head coaches.
Connor Bradshaw tops the team with a .350 batting average to go with eight doubles and nine RBI. Julian Nunez has homered three times on the year while driving in seven runs and Connor Walsh has driven in a team-high 12 runs. On the pitching side, Dylan Stewart will start Tuesday against CSUN as he comes in with a 6.32 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 15.2 innings.
Series History: Pepperdine holds a slim 49-47-2 edge over CSUN in the all-time series. The team did battle five times last season with CSUN winning three times. Four of those five meetings took place at Matador Field with the Matadors going 2-2 in those games. Pepperdine took the final meeting last season by a 10-7 final.
#GoMatadors
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NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball returns home for the first time in two weeks on Tuesday to take on Pepperdine in a midweek game at 3 p.m. Ghizal Hasan has the call on ESPN+ and GoMatadors.com/Radio.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUP
Pepperdine at CSUN
RHP Dylan Stewart (0-0, 6.32 ERA) vs. LHP Joshua Martinez (1-0, 2.45 ERA)
LEADING OFF
CSUN wrapped up an eight-game road stretch this past weekend, which included the team's first Big West series. The Matadors would drop the first seven games of the road trip before winning the finale and salvaging the series finale with Cal Poly. Despite the results on the trip, CSUN lost five of the seven games by two runs or fewer and by a combined seven runs. The Matadors also held leads in five of the losses and would fall in walk-off fashion in extra innings once.
Following Tuesday's midweek, the Matadors return to the road for their next four including a three-game Big West series with UC Riverside this weekend starting Friday. CSUN also stays in the Inland Empire after the UCR series to take on California Baptist next Monday, March 25.
ABOUT LAST SERIES
The Matadors opened up Big West play at Cal Poly with the Mustangs taking two of three games. In the opener, Cal Poly built three different leads with CSUN battling back each time, however, the Mustangs prevailed in 10 innings by a 5-4 score. A day later, Cal Poly pounded out 18 hits in a 17-5 win over CSUN in game two. The Matadors would salvage the series with a come-from-behind 10-8 win in the finale where the Matadors scored six runs in the ninth inning.
The Matadors trailed by as many as five runs (6-1) as late as the sixth inning of game three of the series. CSUN entered the top of the ninth behind 7-4 before mounting its rally. The Matadors were down to their final out and still trailing 7-5 before six-straight batters reached base. Jakob Simons drew a bases loaded walk to tie the game before Kevin Fitzer was hit by a pitch to force in the go-ahead run. Ben Griffin, who started the inning with a single, followed with a timely two-run single to cap the six-run scoring spree. The win over Cal Poly snapped an eight-game losing streak for CSUN at Baggett Stadium.
AT THE PLATE
Junior Kevin Fitzer tops the Matadors in batting heading into the week with a .317 average to go with four homers, six doubles, 14 RBI and 15 runs scored. Senior Ben Griffin is also now hitting above the .300 mark at a .302 clip with 14 RBI and 11 runs scored. In the run producing department, graduate Jakob Simons tops the team in homers (8), runs scored (22) and RBI (21) while batting .286 and slugging .700.
Junior outfielder Andrew Gauna was among the bright spots in last weekend's Cal Poly series as he went 5-for-11 at the plate and belted his first career home run. Freshman Jarren Sanderson would drive in four runs in the Cal Poly series while Griffin knocked in three runs.
ON THE MOUND
Freshman left-handed pitcher Joshua Martinez will make his first career start on Tuesday against Pepperdine. Martinez has appeared in four games thus far on the season, working 3.2 total innings and posting a 2.45 ERA and two strikeouts.
Senior Joshua Romero notched his Big West-leading fifth win of the season, all out of the bullpen, on Sunday at Cal Poly. Romero worked a season-high 3.1 innings, yielding two runs and striking out two batters.The right hander has posted a team-best 1.23 ERA on the season to go 14 strikeouts.Â
BIG WEST LEADERBOARDS
Jakob Simons' eight home runs currently lead The Big West followed by Kevin Fitzer who is in third place with four homers. Simons also tops the league in slugging (.700) and total bases (49) while he is third in runs scored (22) and RBI (21). Kamau Neighbors is seventh in the conference in stolen bases (5) and walks (15). On the pitching side, Joshua Romero is first in wins (5) and sixth in saves (2). As a team, CSUN is second in The Big West and fourth nationally in sacrifice hits (22) while the Matadors are third in the conference in home runs (21) and walks (95).
ABOUT PEPPERDINE
The Waves come in with a 5-15 overall record. Pepperdine dropped two of three games this past weekend at Tulane. The team has already played six games against Big West teams this season, going 3-3. In 2023, Pepperdine finished 19-30 overall and eighth in the WCC. Prior to the year, Pepperdine was picked to finish seventh in the WCC by the league's head coaches.
Connor Bradshaw tops the team with a .350 batting average to go with eight doubles and nine RBI. Julian Nunez has homered three times on the year while driving in seven runs and Connor Walsh has driven in a team-high 12 runs. On the pitching side, Dylan Stewart will start Tuesday against CSUN as he comes in with a 6.32 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 15.2 innings.
Series History: Pepperdine holds a slim 49-47-2 edge over CSUN in the all-time series. The team did battle five times last season with CSUN winning three times. Four of those five meetings took place at Matador Field with the Matadors going 2-2 in those games. Pepperdine took the final meeting last season by a 10-7 final.
#GoMatadors
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