Two of Cal Poly softball’s key players, senior outfielder Jessica Clements and junior pitcher Sophia Ramuno, both announced via Instagram that they have transferred to new programs.
Clements will be completing a graduate program and finishing her collegiate career at UCLA, while Ramuno is heading to the University of Washington.
The Mustangs will be losing their best offensive weapon as well as their ace in the circle.
Cal Poly Careers
Clements was awarded the 2024 Big West Player of the Year, marking the first time the program has received the individual award for one of their players in 14 seasons. She also made the All-Big West first team for the third time in as many seasons.
She finished the regular season fourth among all Division-I hitters with a .464 batting average, which is also the third-highest single-season average in Cal Poly history.
She was also ranked 15th nationally in on-base percentage (.526) while leading the Big West in total bases (105) and slugging percentage (.686).
Clements was the leadoff hitter for Cal Poly for three consecutive years (116 out of 135 games), finishing with a .416 career batting average which is the highest in program history and second-highest in Big West history.
As for Ramuno, she joined Clements on the All-Big West first team.
Ramuno ended her second season as a Mustang leading the Big West in strikeouts with 160, which placed her 54th among Division-I pitchers.
She also led the Big West in shutouts (5), second in innings pitched (160.1) and third in earned run average (ERA) at 2.31. Ramuno was fifth in the conference in wins (13), starts (24) and complete games (12).
Ramuno was awarded a 2023 All-Big West honorable mention as she recorded 142 strikeouts as a true freshman. With just two years as a Mustang under her belt, she ranks seventh in program history in strikeouts with 302.
Looking ahead
While it’s no surprise the two garnered attention from other programs around the country, it comes as a huge loss for a Cal Poly team that had one of its best seasons in recent years.
The Mustangs finished with a 28-17, their first winning record since 2017. Clements and Ramuno helped lead Cal Poly to a third-place Big West finish, their highest since coming in second place in 2014.
Head Coach Jenny Condon – after winning her fourth Big West Coach of the Year – will look to replicate the team’s success without much of her returning roster.