Things looked a little different in Taylor Chris’ final visit to the Baggett Stadium mound of 2015. By Owen Main

A little less than a year later, Taylor Chris came off the mound once again.

On June 2, 2014, Taylor Chris pitched 6.1 innings in relief and held Pepperdine in-check. His gutsy performance had kept the Mustangs in the game. As he treaded off the mound, head down,

On Sunday afternoon, the crowd cheered just as proudly, though the look on Chris’ face was the opposite. A year ago, Chris pitched in relief of starter Danny Zandona. On this day, Chris came off the mound after an inning and a third, giving way to fellow senior Zandona on senior day. Zandona recorded the final two outs and the Mustangs recorded their 13th conference win and 13th home victory in their final 15 home games.

The final was 11-1.

Jarred Zill started the game and pitched very well for Cal Poly, giving up just one run and four hits in seven innings. Zill has made seven starts this season and is now 4-1 this season. Only Zill and Casey Bloomquist have pitching records above .500 this season. Zill also dropped his ERA to 3.03.

The Mustangs were 10-18 a few weeks before Big West play started and moved one game over .500 for the first time this season. With a series win over UC Davis on the road next weekend, Cal Poly will secure their 10th winning season in Larry Lee’s 13 years at the helm.

While there were lots of popular and talented faces who left Cal Poly after last season, this year’s senior class also played a big role in the team’s first ever hosted regional and the best two-year run in team history.

While the Mustangs don’t have a shot at winning the Big West title or making a regional appearance this season, they were just a few games — and probably really a few innings — away from being in real contention for the conference title. UC Davis, Cal Poly’s opponent next weekend, is 7-14 in Big West play and it’s likely Cal Poly will finish third or fourth in the Big West this season.

This season hasn’t been what some fans expected. If not for the bad start they had, the Mustangs could be in the running for a regional appearance. Cal Poly has four one-run losses in Big West play. As I write this, Cal Poly is 2 1/2 games back in the conference standings. If this is what a “bad” season at Baggett Stadium has become, sign this fan up for the ride.

Photos by Owen Main

Bryan Granger and the Cal Poly bullpen could be called-on to pitch some big innings in this weekend’s regional. By Owen Main

Matt Imhof. Reed Reilly. Mark Mathias. Casey Bloomquist. Nick Torres, Brian Mundell, Zack Zehner, Nick Torres, and Jimmy Allen. There are lots of names that people are talking about going into Cal Poly’s 2014 regional, but names that people aren’t mentioning may make a really big difference.

If Cal Poly is to move on in the San Luis Obispo regional, which starts today, they’ll almost certainly need some contribution from players outside of the names everyone knows.

If Larry Lee has his way, Cal Poly will use Matt Imhof and Casey Bloomquist for 7-plus innings in wins Friday and Saturday, setting up a Sunday game where the Mustangs would have Taylor Chris, Reed Reilly, or both relatively fresh for Sunday to back-up presumed starter Justin Calomeni.

But an NCAA Regional is a fickle proposition. Decisions that need to be made, in the moment, to win today’s game, may test pitching depth later in the weekend. This is where I believe someone less heralded will have to step out of the Cal Poly bullpen and make a statement.

Maybe it will be Bryan Granger. The right-handed junior from Hollister, CA was a starter last season before being moved to a middle relief role this year. Granger, who sports a 3.04 ERA, has recorded some big outs, especially in games started by neither Imhof nor Bloomquist. His delivery comes just enough from the side to throw hitters off for at least one time through the rotation. If things get tough for the Mustangs, they may need him to go through an opposing order more than once at some point this weekend.

Beyond Reilly, Chris, and potential game-four starter, Danny Zandona, the bullpen might start to get a little thin. Slater Lee was the Saturday starter for most of the non-conference slate, pitching a complete-game shutout at UCLA. During conference, though, Lee’s ERA ballooned to 6.20 as he lost his role in the starting rotation. Michael Dingilian, Jearl Jesson, and Nick Suniga are the only other Mustangs to take the hill this season. All of their ERA’s are over 5.00 and, as a group, they only pitched 26 1/3 innings.

A regional tournament tests a team’s fortitude, character, and, sometimes, pitching depth. Starting tonight, we’ll see if any of these less-used Mustangs are thrust into the spotlight at some point this weekend with the task of getting big outs with Cal Poly’s season on the line.