Cal Poly Baseball’s historic season came to an end on Saturday afternoon in Morgantown, W.Va., with a 17-1 loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers.
The Mustangs (39-24) went 0-2 in the Morgantown Super Regional, losing both games by 10 or more runs. The Mountaineers (45-15) have punched their ticket to the College World Series for the first time in program history.
Cal Poly was looking to further an already historic run with an appearance in Omaha, but was outclassed in every phase of the game by West Virginia over the two-day series.
Early momentum belonged to the Mustangs on Saturday, as a Ryan Tayman sacrifice fly put them up 1-0 in the first. Starter Carson Turnquist struck out two batters in the bottom half of the inning and gestured to the crowd as he left the mound.
The Mountaineers responded with 17 unanswered runs, including a seven-run second inning, forcing Turnquist out of the game before he recorded an out in the frame.
The Super Regionals were new territory for everyone on the Mustang side, including longtime Head Coach Larry Lee. The Mustangs did not get the results they wanted, but the appearance still marks a big step forward for the program and showcases the winning culture Cal Poly possesses to the nation.
From record-shattering seasons by Tayman, Alejandro Garza, and Nick Bonn, to back-to-back conference titles and a sweep of the Los Angeles Regional, the season was another success for Lee and the program. In the end, Cal Poly was one of 16 teams standing, a feat not many schools achieve.
There will be plenty of departures in the offseason, and Lee and his staff will need to plug holes both internally and through recruiting. Offensive starters Casey Murray Jr., Dylan Kordic and Cam Hoiland have played their last game as Mustangs, while Tayman and Garza will surely test the waters of the MLB Draft.
Each player was instrumental to the Mustangs’ success over the last few seasons and will be difficult to replace. The returning offensive group is highlighted by Nate Castellon, Jake Downing, Dante Vachini and Gavin Spiridonoff, all of whom have had productive stints at Cal Poly.
Bonn, the nation’s leader in saves, has no eligibility remaining, while Turnquist is likely to hear his name in the draft. Starters Griffin Naess and Josh Volmerding will have to make decisions on their respective futures and could create other openings in next year’s rotation if they leave.
There is much more roster turnover than last year, creating more uncertainty for next season. But if there’s one thing that’s clear, Cal Poly wins, and it wins consistently. Behind Lee, the Mustangs have shown they’ll be ready to defend their conference title and search for another deep run in the NCAA Tournament.