Cal Poly baseball has kicked off their 2022 Big West season after a 7-9 start to non-conference play. As the season continues along, the support that the team received from the school and community is clear.
After opening weekend, Cal Poly baseball had the highest attendance rate in all of California with over 6,000 fans at Baggett Stadium, showing the impact that the team has on the San Luis Obispo community.
The baseball team is helping to bring the school and community together with sports. Cal Poly baseball fan Joe Lyons, a mechanical engineer senior, believes that the team is a crucial part of our school’s culture.
“The UCSB soccer games are always a good time, besides that the only other games I come out to are the baseball games,” Lyons said. “I have been seeing a lot of students coming out and we came out with our crew today so hopefully this will continue and we will have more students out here.”
Lyons came to the game with one of his closest friends, Will Newell, a industrial technology and packaging junior. Newell agrees that more students need to come out to show their support.
“This is something I am very passionate about in school spirit,” Newell said. “In high school we had more people at our games than a lot of these college games and that is very upsetting to me. We should have a lot of pride in our school and we should have more events and incentives.”
Having over 6,000 fans attend opening weekend shows a step in the right direction for Cal Poly athletics getting student and community support. In fact, many fellow student athletes can be found at baseball games, including kinesiology senior wrestler Brawley Lamer.
It’s really cool to see that Cal Poly is growing and putting more emphasis on their athletics and bringing in more fans,” Lamer said.
Besides students and fellow athletes, there are a lot of community members and alumni at Cal Poly baseball games. Robert Costa graduated from Cal Poly in 1984, had two daughters graduate as well and has been going to games ever since his daughters started at Cal Poly.
“I started attending games on a fairly regular basis when my daughter started six or seven years ago,” Costa said. “I was up to visit often, so I found myself with her at many games with both of my daughters actually.”
Costa, who is an avid baseball fan, was excited to hear about the attendance after opening weekend.
“I was shocked… normally there are about 1,200 to 1,300 earlier in the week,” Costa said. “I thought it was fabulous.”
Cal Poly President Jeffery D. Armstrong is also in attendance for many baseball games on campus. President Armstrong loves going to the games and encourages people to come show their support.
“It’s a good place to bring the family, and to come together and enjoy a wonderful evening and enjoy the weather on the central coast while at the same time supporting our amazing Cal Poly Mustangs,” Armstrong said. “I expect big things out of our Cal Poly Mustangs, our baseball team and our other sport teams this year.”
President Armstrong is “so proud of the baseball team” and was overjoyed to hear about the attendance after opening weekend.
“I was so excited that Cal Poly was the most attended,” Armstrong said. “Look at this venue, look at the fans, look at the team, it’s amazing. So many people support it and especially some amazing donors that add a special aspect to the press box, krukos corner and many others and yet it’s the student athletes and the coaches and staff that really make it happen because everyone is here to watch them.”
With the majority of conference matchups still ahead for Cal Poly, Lamer encourages people to continue to show support for Cal Poly Athletics.
“We are growing, getting better and putting a lot of effort in so please come support us,” Lamer said.