Photo by: Connor Clark
CSUN Announces 2026 Baseball Schedule
12/10/2025 12:15:00 AM | Baseball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN head baseball coach Eddie Cornejo has announced the 2026 schedule featuring 29 games to be contested at Robert J. Hiegert Field.Â
"We are looking forward to 2026 and the schedule we have," said Cornejo. "I like our team chemistry and work ethic. It should be a fun 2026."
The Matadors will play 53 regular season games this season, facing a host of challenging opponents. CSUN is set to square off with five teams that played in last season's NCAA Tournament while 11 teams on the schedule had winning records in 2025 including nine with 30-plus wins.Â
The 2026 season kicks off Friday, Feb. 13 for the Bob Hiegert Memorial Game when the Matadors open a three-game home series against Seattle U (Feb. 13-15). CSUN will honor the legacy of CSUN Hall of Famer and former head coach Bob Hiegert, who led the Matadors from 1967-84. Hiegert won two NCAA Division II Championships in his legendary Matador tenure as head coach, winning a program-record 586 career games over 18 seasons.Â
After hosting Portland in a midweek game on Feb. 18, CSUN hits the road for the first time to meet Saint Mary's in a three-game series from Feb. 20-22. The Gaels are coming off a West Coast Conference title and trip to the NCAA Regionals.Â
The Matadors' first midweek road matchup features a trip to California Baptist on Feb. 24 while CSUN returns home to conclude the month versus Western Michigan (Feb. 27-March 1). CSUN also welcomes the University of Michigan to Hiegert Field for a midweek clash on Tuesday, March 3.Â
Big West play begins on March 6 as CSUN travels to the defending Big West regular season champion UC Irvine in a three-game set. A four-game homestand kicks off on March 9 with CSUN hosting Pepperdine while the Matadors open their home Big West schedule with a three-game series against UC San Diego (March 13-15).Â
The remainder of the month of March includes a Big West series at Cal State Fullerton (March 20-22) along with a home weekend series with Cal State Bakersfield (March 27-29). Road midweek matchups are also set against defending Mountain West champion Fresno State (March 17) and Pepperdine (March 31).Â
April begins with a four-game homestand, which includes a weekend series with Long Beach State (April 2-4) and a third midweek matchup with Pepperdine (April 7). The conference slate continues with a weekend series at UC Riverside (April 10-12) followed by a five-game homestand as CSUN hosts LMU (April 14), UC Davis (April 17-19) and San Diego State (April 21).Â
CSUN travels to last season's Big West tournament champion Cal Poly for a weekend series from April 24-26 before the month concludes with a return meeting with Fresno State at Robert J. Hiegert Field (April 28).Â
In the final month on the regular season, CSUN makes the trip to Oregon State for a three-game series (May 1-3). The Beavers are coming off another trip to the College World Series in 2025.Â
The remainder of the schedule includes a four-game homestand, beginning with a return meeting with California Baptist (May 5). The home schedule then wraps up with a weekend series with perennial Big West contender UC Santa Barbara (May 8-10). CSUN will conclude the regular season slate on the road at Hawai'i from May 14-17.Â
The 2026 Big West Baseball Championship will be held at UC Irvine's Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark from May 20-24 to determine the conference's automatic qualifier for the NCAA Tournament.Â
Cornejo enters his fourth season leading CSUN in 2026 as the Matadors return 14 letterwinners and add 24 newcomers to the program. Among the returning group, CSUN brings back two All-Big West selections in second baseman Kyle Panganiban and outfielder Andrew Becker. The newcomers include 13 transfers, five of which from Division I schools, and 11 true freshmen.Â
#GoMatadors
Â
"We are looking forward to 2026 and the schedule we have," said Cornejo. "I like our team chemistry and work ethic. It should be a fun 2026."
The Matadors will play 53 regular season games this season, facing a host of challenging opponents. CSUN is set to square off with five teams that played in last season's NCAA Tournament while 11 teams on the schedule had winning records in 2025 including nine with 30-plus wins.Â
The 2026 season kicks off Friday, Feb. 13 for the Bob Hiegert Memorial Game when the Matadors open a three-game home series against Seattle U (Feb. 13-15). CSUN will honor the legacy of CSUN Hall of Famer and former head coach Bob Hiegert, who led the Matadors from 1967-84. Hiegert won two NCAA Division II Championships in his legendary Matador tenure as head coach, winning a program-record 586 career games over 18 seasons.Â
After hosting Portland in a midweek game on Feb. 18, CSUN hits the road for the first time to meet Saint Mary's in a three-game series from Feb. 20-22. The Gaels are coming off a West Coast Conference title and trip to the NCAA Regionals.Â
The Matadors' first midweek road matchup features a trip to California Baptist on Feb. 24 while CSUN returns home to conclude the month versus Western Michigan (Feb. 27-March 1). CSUN also welcomes the University of Michigan to Hiegert Field for a midweek clash on Tuesday, March 3.Â
Big West play begins on March 6 as CSUN travels to the defending Big West regular season champion UC Irvine in a three-game set. A four-game homestand kicks off on March 9 with CSUN hosting Pepperdine while the Matadors open their home Big West schedule with a three-game series against UC San Diego (March 13-15).Â
The remainder of the month of March includes a Big West series at Cal State Fullerton (March 20-22) along with a home weekend series with Cal State Bakersfield (March 27-29). Road midweek matchups are also set against defending Mountain West champion Fresno State (March 17) and Pepperdine (March 31).Â
April begins with a four-game homestand, which includes a weekend series with Long Beach State (April 2-4) and a third midweek matchup with Pepperdine (April 7). The conference slate continues with a weekend series at UC Riverside (April 10-12) followed by a five-game homestand as CSUN hosts LMU (April 14), UC Davis (April 17-19) and San Diego State (April 21).Â
CSUN travels to last season's Big West tournament champion Cal Poly for a weekend series from April 24-26 before the month concludes with a return meeting with Fresno State at Robert J. Hiegert Field (April 28).Â
In the final month on the regular season, CSUN makes the trip to Oregon State for a three-game series (May 1-3). The Beavers are coming off another trip to the College World Series in 2025.Â
The remainder of the schedule includes a four-game homestand, beginning with a return meeting with California Baptist (May 5). The home schedule then wraps up with a weekend series with perennial Big West contender UC Santa Barbara (May 8-10). CSUN will conclude the regular season slate on the road at Hawai'i from May 14-17.Â
The 2026 Big West Baseball Championship will be held at UC Irvine's Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark from May 20-24 to determine the conference's automatic qualifier for the NCAA Tournament.Â
Cornejo enters his fourth season leading CSUN in 2026 as the Matadors return 14 letterwinners and add 24 newcomers to the program. Among the returning group, CSUN brings back two All-Big West selections in second baseman Kyle Panganiban and outfielder Andrew Becker. The newcomers include 13 transfers, five of which from Division I schools, and 11 true freshmen.Â
#GoMatadors
Â
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball2025 CSUN Women's Volleyball Intro Video
Thursday, December 11
2025-26 CSUN Men's Basketball Intro Video
Thursday, December 11
2025-26 CSUN Women's Basketball Intro Video
Thursday, December 11
Peter J. Accardy Pool Naming Campaign
Wednesday, October 29