After ending the past month with a 4-13 non-conference record, Cal Poly Softball will begin Big West play at Bob Janssen Field this weekend with a three-game homestand against CSU Northridge.
The Big West season provides a clean slate for the Mustangs, who Head Coach Jenny Condon believes have “gotten all the butterflies out.”
“I think the team has gotten a lot more comfortable around one another and they’ve learned to communicate a lot better,” Condon said.
Struggles on both sides of the ball
The biggest takeaway from non-conference play is how the Mustangs are dead last in the Big West in batting average with a .232 average.
Senior catcher Julia Barnett has a .382 batting average, but no other batter has hit over .300 so far. The Mustangs have struggled to string hits together to generate a consistent offense.
The defense has also been an area of struggle throughout the season.
This season, Cal Poly has made 31 fielding errors. They are eighth in the Big West in total errors and fielding percentage with .939. At this point in the season in 2024, Cal Poly had collected 20.
Filling the shoes of Xiara Diaz at shortstop, freshman Sienna Erskine is still adjusting to finding her voice as a vocal leader on the team.
“Being loud is going to be a challenge, but I’m all for it,” Erskine said. “I want to be a leader in the future.”
Right now, starting third baseman junior Mylina Garza has been the most vocal on the field. Garza enjoys working with Erskine on the left side of the infield because she is “adaptable,” takes criticism well and always wants to learn more.
“Something everyone on the team should strive for is that hunger for knowledge about the game but also that passion and fire,” Garza said.
Freshmen on the rise
The team has a new look after losing ace pitcher Sophia Ramuno and 2024 Big West Player of the Year Jessica Clements to the transfer portal.
The team also lost several key seniors including Big West honorees Xiara Diaz and Juju Sargent to graduation.
Eight freshmen joined the team this year, and four have shown signs of capability recently.
On the pitching side, right-hander Bree Brennan earned Big West Freshman of the Week after recording a 0.60 ERA in 11 ⅔ innings in relief against Loyola Marymount, Omaha and Utah Tech.
Her efforts were highlighted in Cal Poly’s most recent win against LMU in the final game of the Louisville Slugger Invitational.
Brennan entered the game with the Mustangs down 3-1 with one out in the top of the second, allowing just three hits the rest of the game. Brennan’s performance allowed the Mustangs to overtake the Lions 4-3 in her first collegiate victory.
Righty Natalie Camerena has contributed on both sides of the ball and has shined in moments. In February, she shut down Oregon State and gave up just one run over 5 ⅓ in her first collegiate win. That same game, she hit her first collegiate home run, one of three for the Mustangs this season.
On the offensive end, freshman outfielder Maddy Bermudez’s .286 batting average is second on the team. She started every game so far and leads the team with eight runs.
Erskine has had a hot bat the past few games. After just one hit through her first seven games, she garnered six hits through her past five games.
An intriguing trend
The Mustangs have played at least three games in four straight weekends of either a tournament or a series. Every single game that they have won this season was the final game of the weekend—All other games were losses.
Erskine explains that the team needs to “play like it’s practice,” meaning that they must enjoy the game like there are no stakes to ease pressure.
“When we hype up the game in our heads, it can get a little intense and we get scared to make mistakes,” Erskine said. “I think we can turn this around with the mindset of playing loose and playing fun.”
According to Erskine, they put pressure on themselves the first three games in the Louisville Slugger Invitational, a four-game tournament from Feb. 28 – March 2.
However, they went into their matchup against LMU with low expectations and played as if they were in practice.
The stakes of each game are higher in Big West play, making it all the more important for the team to be calm and settled into each game.
After placing third in the Big West last season, there are still big expectations for this young team.
New Big West postseason format
The Big West coaches’ poll selected Cal Poly to take fifth place after finishing in third with an 18-8 record in 2024.
Incumbent Big West runner-up Long Beach State, with nine first place votes, is projected to win the conference this season.
However, having the best conference record at the end of the season no longer guarantees a Big West championship.
The 2025 season introduces a four-day Big West Softball Championship, a double-elimination postseason tournament featuring the top six teams. The winner gets an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships and this tournament is also being introduced to Big West Baseball.
This tournament may bode well for the Mustangs this season. They are not expected to win the regular season, but the tournament offers any mid-level team that ends the season hot an opportunity to win the conference.
“I’m exhilarated by it,” Garza said. “I think it gives us an opportunity to show our endurance and reveal who can stay on top, even after playing nine series of games.”
If the Mustangs gain a top six seed, they will travel to Anderson Family Field at Cal State Fullerton from May 7-10 to compete.
“I’m excited, I think we’re ready to peak at the right time,” Condon said.