Two Cal Poly Mustangs have been named to the baseball preseason Big West All-Conference Team.
Sophomore third baseman Alejandro Garza and sophomore right-handed starting pitcher Griffin Naess are the recipients of the honors.
Garza, a sophomore from Bakersfield, started 52 out of 56 games last season and was the winner of Big West Freshman Field Player of the Year while also being named first-team All-Big West.
Garza boasted an impressive .346 batting average and struck out just 10 times in 235 plate appearances, which was the best in the Big West and second in all of NCAA Division I.
Garza is expected to fulfill a similar role as last season, starting at third base and a staple in the top third of the Mustangs’ batting order.
“[Garza] has old-school 60’s mechanics, while being tough mentally and physically. He never gives in, has a ton of confidence,” Head Coach Larry Lee told GoPoly.
Coming off the Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year award, Naess will look to take another step forward in his sophomore campaign.
The Laguna Beach native posted a perfect 7-0 win-loss record with a 3.58 ERA last season despite not being in the weekend rotation for the first four weeks of the season.
Naess’ best performance came against Cal State Fullerton on March 29, where he took a no-hitter into the ninth inning, striking out seven in the process.
After solidifying himself as a trustworthy arm, Naess will likely be in an increased role this season.
“I would think that Naess is ready to take the Friday role,” Lee said.
Naess will take over the Friday role from Jakob Wright, the Dodgers’ fourth-round selection in the 2024 MLB Draft. Wright excelled as the ace of the rotation, pitching to a 2.97 ERA. Naess seeks to achieve similar success in the prestigious role.
With significant roster turnover due to graduations and the MLB Draft, Garza and Naess now serve as the new anchors of their respective sides of the ball.
This duo will look to lead the Mustangs to another successful season, which kicks off on Friday, Feb. 14, at UCLA.