Only Fresno State in 1988 got off to a better start in Big West play in the conference’s history than Cal Poly baseball this season. Before a loss to Hawai’i, the Mustangs started out 12-0 against Big West opponents, six wins away from tying Fresno State’s mark.
Heading into the season, Cal Poly was a team that lacked expectations, ranked as a distant third in the Big West preseason poll. Key contributors from last season had either been plucked away by the MLB Draft or had run their course with the program.
Cal Poly lost a total of 16 players over the off-season, including six players who saw consistent playing time.
Despite this roster turmoil, the Mustangs still had solid pieces, including reigning Big West Freshman Field Player of the Year in third baseman Alejandro Garza and Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year Griffin Naess as their Friday starter.
The opening series against unranked UCLA, a decorated program coming off a rough year, seemed like a good initial challenge for the Mustangs.
The Bruins proceeded to outscore the Mustangs 37-4 en route to a sweep of the three-game set, delivering a wake-up call to the Cal Poly clubhouse.
Things didn’t get any easier from there, as the Mustangs traveled to College Station, Texas, to take on then-No. 1 ranked Texas A&M. Even with a historical win against the Aggies, the Mustangs still dropped two out of three, giving them a 1-5 record to start the year. Yet, hope never wavered within the team when it very well could have.
“You don’t know if what we went through destroys you, especially as an offensive team, or if it prepares you for what lies ahead,” manager Larry Lee said. “Just for whatever reason, the latter is what happened.”
It sure did seem like the early-season wake-up call was answered, as when the Mustangs returned to Baggett Stadium for the first homestand of the year against Seton Hall, the team found their identity.
The Mustangs have only lost four games since a 4-3 defeat at the hands of Texas A&M on Saturday, Feb. 22. Although the Aggies have since fallen out of the top-25 rankings, they still wield top-tier pitching that provided a challenge to a good Cal Poly offense. UCLA has since found itself ranked in the top 10 in the nation, which helps to further contextualize the Mustangs’ struggles to begin the year.
As conference play began, rock-bottom had seemingly already been reached, and there was only one way to go: up.
“I feel like after that first week, we kind of had nothing to lose,” catcher Jack Collins said. “We were already at the bottom, the lowest it gets.”
After transferring from Long Beach State this past summer, Collins has been a revelation for Cal Poly this season. The Mustang backstop has been a staple in the middle of the batting order and among the Big West leaders in home runs.
With his experience playing in the Big West, Collins knows well how difficult it is to have a stretch like this.
“Every team, even the teams at the bottom [of the conference] are capable of beating you,” Collins said. “[It requires] really just being on top of our game every single time we go out there.”
But the Mustangs haven’t made the conference look so difficult. Consecutive sweeps of Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, UC Davis, and UC San Diego placed Cal Poly second in the history books for consecutive Big West wins to start a season, surpassing 2002 Cal State Fullerton’s streak, which coincidentally was ended by Cal Poly.
Records such as this one don’t mean much to Lee, however. The long-time Mustang skipper is focused on one game at a time, with records and accolades inevitably coming along the way with the approach.
Even with their historical start, Lee is more focused on the Big West teams that are nipping at the heels of Cal Poly.
“We got an Irvine team that’s 11-1, so we haven’t created any type of cushion,” Lee said.
The lack of cushion in the conference standings makes Cal Poly’s start that much more important. But just like Lee, Naess shares the sentiment that the Mustangs need to keep winning, and everything will shake out in their favor.
“Nobody’s complacent,” Naess said. “Baseball is a weird game where anybody can win a game.”
Naess filled the Friday starter role from now-Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Jakob Wright and has excelled in the role. The lanky righthander has been just as effective this season, utilizing a devastating changeup to keep hitters honest.
Unlike Collins, Naess was a part of last year’s team, a solid club but one that never reached the heights that this year’s team has already reached. However, the 2025 team didn’t have to make any drastic changes to show improvement.
“It kind of just happened naturally,” Naess said. “Everyone kind of just waits for their opportunity. Nobody’s really selfish. And once they get their opportunity, they shine.”
This next-man-up mentality has fueled the Mustangs’ success. Whether production from freshmen such as Dante Vachini, Nate Castellon, and Jake Downing or returning players in an increased role like Casey Murray Jr., the team has seen many players take advantage of opportunities.
The season, of course, does not end after a mere 12 conference games. The Mustangs will now play the rest of the season with a target on their back, a token for their elite play. In a conference with playoff hopefuls such as UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), Cal Poly can not slow down now.
Slowing down isn’t in the Mustangs’ plans. Despite other Big West clubs breathing down their neck, the Mustangs will continue to play their brand of baseball.
“The identity of our team is playing loose, having fun,” Naess said. “It’s a win-every-game mentality, and we can’t afford to lose a single game this year. And so, just going out every day and taking care of business.”
Cal Poly has yet to face UC Irvine or UCSB, both of whom are the true tests of the legitimacy of this year’s team. With plenty of meaningful games to play and a lot up in the air, one thing remains clear: the Mustangs win and have fun doing it.