Cal Poly Baseball is back in the win column in the Big West after defeating Hawai’i 12-5 on Saturday afternoon at Baggett Stadium.
After scoring just two runs in their first conference loss of the season on Friday night, the Mustang offense exploded for 12 runs and 13 hits, more representative of their output for most of the season.
Lefty Josh Volmerding got the start for the Mustangs (24-9, 13-1 Big West), and although the Rainbow Warriors (24-9, 10-7) hit him around for eight base hits, Volmerding kept the runners on base for the most part, only allowing two runs in four and two-thirds innings.
Fellow sophomore southpaw Chris Downs did an excellent job in relief, earning the win with 3 1/3 solid innings.
Three Mustang hitters, sophomore third baseman Alejandro Garza, redshirt senior infielder Ryan Fenn and freshman outfielder Dante Vachini, are currently riding double-digit hit streaks. Garza, whose streak is now at 16 games, tallied two hits and an RBI in the effort.
The bottom third of the Mustang lineup was productive in the win, responsible for seven hits and five RBIs. Senior Cam Hoiland and freshman shortstop Nate Castellon both had solo home runs.
Hoiland and Castellon shine.
The seven and eight-hole hitters, Hoiland and Castellon, showed their power stroke on Saturday. Hoiland has now homered in three straight games, while Castellon muscled out his second collegiate homer.
After an ice-cold road trip to start the season, the Mustang offense has been borderline unstoppable, Hoiland and Castellon a big part.
“Our coaches have done a really good job preparing us for every situation that could be thrown at us,” Hoiland said.
For Castellon, the offense has steadily improved, but there has been no question about how the defense has looked all year long. In Saturday’s win, the Mustang shortstop made multiple diving stops to save runs from scoring.
“I take the most pride probably in my defense,” Castellon said. “Defense has always been my thing.”
High stakes, high morale
Cal Poly currently finds themselves in a tie with UC Irvine for first place in the Big West. With still multiple conference series to come against good competition, the Mustangs are ready for the challenge and glad they took care of business against inferior opponents.
“Being able to sweep four series in a row, that [was] huge for us,” Castellon said. “As long as we play our game, it’s gonna be easy for us.”
Last year’s team was, without question, a good baseball team, but the air feels different this year. Returning players can sense that as well.
“We had a great team culture last year, but this chemistry we’ve had, it’s just fun watching how good these guys are,” Hoiland said. “Especially these young guys, they’re playing out of their minds and doing a really good job filling the shoes of the guys who left a great legacy behind for us.”
Fans show out
With Cal Poly’s success this season, more and more students have been showing up to the yard to witness the team do its thing. In Saturday’s affair, a formidable student section was formed along the first baseline, assuring that their presence was felt.
The section even started a roll-call for the players on the field, a tradition made famous by the Yankee’s fans who sit in the right-field bleachers at Yankee Stadium. The engaged fans are appreciated by the players.
“When the stadium is packed, it’s so much more fun, it’s so much more competitive,” Hoiland said. “It’s an adrenaline rush that [you] can’t really ever replicate anywhere else.”
Baggett Stadium will fill up once again for a high-stakes series finale against Hawai’i on Sunday, with the first pitch slated for 1 p.m.