Coming off a dominant midweek performance against Pepperdine, Cal Poly doubles back and heads up north to take on UC Davis from Friday, March 28, through Sunday, March 30.
The Mustangs (15-8, 6-0 Big West) currently sit in first place in the Big West Conference despite playing three fewer games than anyone else. The Aggies (12-10, 3-3 Big West) returned from the islands empty-handed, being swept by Hawai’i (18-5, 6-3).
Probable starters
Friday: RHP Griffin Naess (2-2, 3.86 ERA) vs LHP Bryan Green (1-1, 2.15 ERA)
Saturday: LHP Josh Volmerding (2-1, 7.31 ERA) vs RHP Noel Valdez (2-2, 4.70 ERA)
Sunday: RHP Ethan Marmie (3-2, 4.23 ERA) vs RHP Tyler Wood (2-1, 4.50 ERA)
Friday has sophomore righty Griffin Naess going up against the second-best starter by ERA in the conference Bryan Green. Although that number in conference play is a more human 3.00 ERA in his two starts, Green shut down the Hawai’i offense with six scoreless innings.
Saturday starter Josh Volmerding draws Noel Valdez, who was knocked around his last start against Hawai’i. Volmerding has locked up hitters at the plate, getting the sixth most strikeouts looking in the conference.
Sunday features workhorse Ethan Marmie going against Tyler Wood. Wood has not had a scoreless appearance all year, either in relief or while starting. Marmie is second in innings pitched in the Big West and just a third of an inning behind the leader.
UC Davis also features two-way player Braydon Wooldridge, who has thrown 9 scoreless innings in relief while hitting .377, ranking sixth in the Big West.
Mustang offense back on track
After a tough series against Oregon State, a top-five pitching team in the nation, Cal Poly dropped 10 runs on Pepperdine, which was their seventh such game.
The Mustangs matched their run output from the weekend series and collected six extra-base hits, with home runs by junior catcher Jack Collins and senior second baseman Ryan Fenn.
Collins has been outstanding to start the season after transferring from Long Beach State. As it stands, he leads the team in many statistical categories with a .380 batting average and 1.181 OPS with seven home runs.
Collins also ranks fifth in the Big West in batting average, third in OPS, third in slugging percentage, tied for second in home runs and leads the conference in doubles.
With five starters in Cal Poly’s lineup hitting over .300, expect the Mustangs to be in for a challenge as the Aggies allow the fourth-lowest batting average to opponents in the conference.
Scouting the Davis lineup
Wooldridge is the key to the Aggies offense, leading the team in batting average, hits, on base percentage and slugging percentage.
Catcher Riley Acosta has cut down the most baserunners in the Big West, with 11 caught stealing. He has four more than the next catcher, Cal Poly’s own Jack Collins.
As a team, Davis grounds into the most double plays (24) in the Big West. Cal Poly turns more than their fair share of double plays, meaning that the Aggies offense could come to a screeching halt if they can’t keep it off the ground.
Cal Poly tries to keep their perfect Big West record alive as they travel to Davis, Friday March 28 to Sunday, March 30 at Dobbins Field.
