Friday, February 28
Norman, Okla.
2:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
at
#16 Oklahoma
Photo by: Chuck Marvel
CSUN Makes First-Ever Trip to #16 Oklahoma
2/27/2025 11:48:00 AM | Baseball
GAME NOTES
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball (2-4) hits the road once more for a weekend series at No. 16 Oklahoma. The series opener is set for 2 p.m. PT with the rest of the series set for Saturday at 12 p.m. PT and Sunday at 11 a.m. PT. All three games will be broadcast SECN+.
FOR STARTERS
The Matadors are making their first-ever trip to Norman to face the Oklahoma Sooners. The series opens a seven-game road stretch for the Matadors, which includes next week's Big West opening series at UC Santa Barbara. CSUN closes the road swing on March 11 at LMU before finally returning home to host UC Irvine in their first conference series at Robert J. Hiegert Field from March 14-16.
ABOUT LAST WEEK
CSUN opened up its home schedule with a three-game series against BYU last weekend. The Matadors would drop the first two games of the series before salvaging the finale on Saturday. In the opener, BYU belted 10 home runs including four in the top of the first in a 19-3 win last Thursday. A day later, the Cougars built a six-run lead in game two before holding off CSUN in a 7-3 win to take the series. The Matador bats finally came alive in the series finale, scoring four in the third and five in the sixth en route to a 9-4 victory.
Seven different Matadors picked up hits in the game three win with Andrew Becker and Elijah Fairchild picking up two RBI apiece. Matthew Kurata homered for the first time as a Matador as well in the win. On the pitching side, Max Mendes earned his first win in relief, working 1.1 shutout innings while the CSUN bullpen scattered four hits over 4.1 shutout innings.
A LONG TIME COMING
RIght hander Noah Rinehart made his first start on a pitching mound since 2021 last Saturday against BYU. Although he did not figure into the decision, Rinehart worked into the fifth inning, allowing four runs over 4.2 total innings to go with three strikeouts. Rinehart left the mound with a 4-3 lead before BYU evened the game in the fifth. The start was the culmination of a long road back for Rinehart, who overcame two separate arm injuries that forced him to missing the past three seasons. Prior to Saturday, Rinehart last started with Mt. SAC in 2021 while he was out of action for all of 2022 and 2023 with Sacramento State. On the season, Rinehart has worked 7.1 innings, striking out six and allowing five runs for the Matadors.
LEADING THE WAY
Freshman Colton Boardman has got off to a fast start in his first season with CSUN, hitting a team-high .318 at the plate with six runs scored, three RBI and two doubles. Boardman has reached base safely in all six games this season and hit safely four times. Elsewhere in the lineup, sophomore Matthew Pena has also given CSUN power in the middle of the lineup, already generating 10 RBI with two homers. Pena is slashing .250/.360/.600 on the young season for CSUN. Senior Roberto Gonzalez is also hitting the ball well at the top of the lineup, batting .313 with five walks, four runs scored and two RBI.
Out of the bullpen, junior Hayden Hall has not allowed a run over 2.2 innings and three total appearances to go with four strikeouts. Sophomore Logan Miller is off to a solid start to his CSUN career as he sports a 1.93 ERA and six strikeouts through four appearances and 4.2 total innings pitched.
SCOUTING OKLAHOMA
The 16th-ranked Sooners are a perfect 8-0 on the season, after sweeping a midweek series with Texas Southern. Oklahoma already has wins over No. 7 Oregon State (8-4) and No. 2 Virginia (5-4) this season. In 2024, the Sooners went 40-21 overall, winning the Big 12 regular season title before finishing as runner-up in the Norman Regional of the NCAA Tournament. Prior to the year, the team was picked to finish 11th in its first season in the SEC.. Kyson Witherspoon, a right hander, was selected to the Preseason All-SEC Second Team this season. Thus far in 2025, Witherspoon sports a 2.25 ERA with a 2-0 record and 21 strikeouts. On the hitting side, Kyle Branch tops the team with a .452 batting average to go with one homer and eight RBI while Sam Christiansen is hitting at a .450 clip with one homer, seven RBI and 15 walks and Jason Walk is batting .406 with five RBI. As a team Oklahoma already has 22 stolen bases through eight games.
Series History: CSUN has played Oklahoma just once ever in baseball with that meeting taking place on a neutral site in 2004. The Sooner came out on top by a 4-2 score.
#GoMatadors
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NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball (2-4) hits the road once more for a weekend series at No. 16 Oklahoma. The series opener is set for 2 p.m. PT with the rest of the series set for Saturday at 12 p.m. PT and Sunday at 11 a.m. PT. All three games will be broadcast SECN+.
FOR STARTERS
The Matadors are making their first-ever trip to Norman to face the Oklahoma Sooners. The series opens a seven-game road stretch for the Matadors, which includes next week's Big West opening series at UC Santa Barbara. CSUN closes the road swing on March 11 at LMU before finally returning home to host UC Irvine in their first conference series at Robert J. Hiegert Field from March 14-16.
ABOUT LAST WEEK
CSUN opened up its home schedule with a three-game series against BYU last weekend. The Matadors would drop the first two games of the series before salvaging the finale on Saturday. In the opener, BYU belted 10 home runs including four in the top of the first in a 19-3 win last Thursday. A day later, the Cougars built a six-run lead in game two before holding off CSUN in a 7-3 win to take the series. The Matador bats finally came alive in the series finale, scoring four in the third and five in the sixth en route to a 9-4 victory.
Seven different Matadors picked up hits in the game three win with Andrew Becker and Elijah Fairchild picking up two RBI apiece. Matthew Kurata homered for the first time as a Matador as well in the win. On the pitching side, Max Mendes earned his first win in relief, working 1.1 shutout innings while the CSUN bullpen scattered four hits over 4.1 shutout innings.
A LONG TIME COMING
RIght hander Noah Rinehart made his first start on a pitching mound since 2021 last Saturday against BYU. Although he did not figure into the decision, Rinehart worked into the fifth inning, allowing four runs over 4.2 total innings to go with three strikeouts. Rinehart left the mound with a 4-3 lead before BYU evened the game in the fifth. The start was the culmination of a long road back for Rinehart, who overcame two separate arm injuries that forced him to missing the past three seasons. Prior to Saturday, Rinehart last started with Mt. SAC in 2021 while he was out of action for all of 2022 and 2023 with Sacramento State. On the season, Rinehart has worked 7.1 innings, striking out six and allowing five runs for the Matadors.
LEADING THE WAY
Freshman Colton Boardman has got off to a fast start in his first season with CSUN, hitting a team-high .318 at the plate with six runs scored, three RBI and two doubles. Boardman has reached base safely in all six games this season and hit safely four times. Elsewhere in the lineup, sophomore Matthew Pena has also given CSUN power in the middle of the lineup, already generating 10 RBI with two homers. Pena is slashing .250/.360/.600 on the young season for CSUN. Senior Roberto Gonzalez is also hitting the ball well at the top of the lineup, batting .313 with five walks, four runs scored and two RBI.
Out of the bullpen, junior Hayden Hall has not allowed a run over 2.2 innings and three total appearances to go with four strikeouts. Sophomore Logan Miller is off to a solid start to his CSUN career as he sports a 1.93 ERA and six strikeouts through four appearances and 4.2 total innings pitched.
SCOUTING OKLAHOMA
The 16th-ranked Sooners are a perfect 8-0 on the season, after sweeping a midweek series with Texas Southern. Oklahoma already has wins over No. 7 Oregon State (8-4) and No. 2 Virginia (5-4) this season. In 2024, the Sooners went 40-21 overall, winning the Big 12 regular season title before finishing as runner-up in the Norman Regional of the NCAA Tournament. Prior to the year, the team was picked to finish 11th in its first season in the SEC.. Kyson Witherspoon, a right hander, was selected to the Preseason All-SEC Second Team this season. Thus far in 2025, Witherspoon sports a 2.25 ERA with a 2-0 record and 21 strikeouts. On the hitting side, Kyle Branch tops the team with a .452 batting average to go with one homer and eight RBI while Sam Christiansen is hitting at a .450 clip with one homer, seven RBI and 15 walks and Jason Walk is batting .406 with five RBI. As a team Oklahoma already has 22 stolen bases through eight games.
Series History: CSUN has played Oklahoma just once ever in baseball with that meeting taking place on a neutral site in 2004. The Sooner came out on top by a 4-2 score.
#GoMatadors
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