Coming into this past weekend’s Big West Conference baseball series, there was still an outside shot for both Cal Poly and UC Irvine. After the Anteaters won the series two games to one, both teams fell in the standings and, barring a complete collapse, the split series secured Cal State Fullerton’s spot as the frontrunner in this season’s Big West title chase.

The Mustangs dropped the opener on Friday night, scoring just a single run and failing to back-up a solid pitching performance from lefty Trent Shelton. On Saturday evening, Cal Poly got on the board early with the help of a fly ball that was lost in the lights in the first inning and went on to win 4-3. On Sunday, the Mustangs lost the rubber game, scoring just a single run again in a 4-1 loss. 

The series loss to UC Irvine evened Cal Poly’s Big West record at 9-9 with six conference games (two weeks) to play. It also dropped them from a second place tie to a fourth place tie in conference play. UC Irvine moved to 10-8, four games behind Cal State Fullerton in the loss column (3 games overall).

Giving up 10 runs in three games is often enough in college baseball, but UC Irvine pitchers shut the Mustangs down to the tune of just six runs of their own in the three games.

Anteaters pound the zone

UC Irvine pitchers did a nice job throwing strikes when they had to. Anteater pitchers walked just six Mustangs all weekend and there were many fairly short at-bats in the innings I saw in-person. Kyle Marinconz didn’t seem to mind, going 7-11 in the series. 

No fun league

One thing Cal Poly players credited their mid-season turnaround to was having more fun. Players (mostly relief pitchers) have been dancing in the dugout and bullpen for nearly two months during rallies. Their coordination has been top-notch and added a really fun element to the game. 

On Friday night, Big West home plate umpire Scott Letendre put an end to all that. Letendre’s attention was on everything from shutting down the dancing multiple times to talking to Mustang starter Trent Shelton about where he needed to put the rosin bag on the mound. Did it make a difference as to who won the game? Almost definitely not. But nobody — opposing players or any of the umpires — has had a problem with it for weeks and it comes off looking like baseball is not a place to have fun. Not a great look for that ump. 

Seven more games

Cal Poly (23-27 overall) has seven games remaining this season, including four at home this week. On Tuesday, they’ll play their final mid-week game at home against Pepperdine. This weekend, they’ll finish their home schedule against rival UCSB, including the senior day game on Sunday afternoon. Seniors on this year’s roster include Josh George, Colby Barrick, Trent Shelton, Elijah Skipps, and Kyle Smith. Other Mustangs who you might have your last chance to see in a Cal Poly uniform include juniors Alex McKenna, Nick Meyer, Kyle Marinconz, and Michael Clark. Juniors are eligible for the Major League Baseball draft, which will take place June 4-6.

The Mustangs will finish their season next weekend (May 24-26) at UC Riverside. 

Photos by Owen Main

For more photos click here. If you just want to contribute to the cause, Venmo @Owen-Main or paypal owen@fansmanship.com. 

The Big West is not top-heavy this year. Or maybe it’s all top-heavy. There is no one team that has clearly separated itself from the rest. UC Irvine has the pedigree. UC Davis has Chima. Cal State Fullerton has a big three. Long Beach State has history and the conference’s most experienced coach. Hawai’i has a steady hand and a bunch of steady dudes on a roster that makes sense. UCSB may have the best overall talent and a fresh new coach that is probably both an advantage and disadvantage early in the conference season. 

On a given night there are 2-3 AMAZING games in the conference. Basically, this race is shaping up to be a mid-major Royal Rumble cage match where only one team will be left standing. 

So let’s continue the metaphor (not a simile — I didn’t use like or as). Which team matches up with which WWF early-90’s wrestler?

Hawai’i (4-1)

Hawai’i is 3-1 in conference play. Eron Ganot’s program has transitioned into one with players who also know their roles and play mostly sound basketball. For me, they are Shawn Michaels. The Heartbreak Kid was a solid wrestling personality. Hawai’i is a solid basketball team. (I picked them 4th going into the season.) That said, they are also very confident. They like to jaw and trash talk. They maybe think they’re better than they are, though they might be just that good. 

While you could probably say it about any wrestler, the irrational confidence and all-around classic personality of this team reminded me of Michaels. 

Cal State Fullerton (4-2) 

The Titans are off to their best start in years. They have three very good players at their core with a supporting cast that understands their roles. Fullerton knows exactly who they are and aren’t. They do a few things really well and playing against them is like staring into the cold eyes of The Undertaker. The Undertaker is big and physical and knows exactly who he is. He joined WWF in 1990 — a sort of new kid on the block at our targeted time period. So, too, are Cal State Fullerton. 

Long Beach State (4-2)

I used to never pick Dan Monson’s team out of the top 4. They were always in the hunt for a conference title and a chance at the conference’s NCAA tournament bid. Some of the sheen is off Long Beach State. Recent years have brought transfers in and out, but they still play the toughest non-conference schedule and probably have the biggest overall revenue of any program in the conference. For that, this team is the Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase. DiBiase’s upfront capitalist attitude (“Everybody’s got a price!”) made so many people uncomfortable and made him a classic heel. 

DiBiase’s character didn’t just elicit emotional responses. He made you introspective about why you did or didn’t like him. He brought all your own moral defects to your conscious mind. In the end, you had to respect the character because he did what he did. At some point, as a fan, you knew what was coming.

UCSB (3-2) 

In a week, UCSB could be right back on top of the conference. For me, they are still the team to beat, though currently they’re in SIXTH place. SIXTH. 

Because of their big start, UCSB is Hulk Hogan. Even into the early 90’s, Hogan was still dominant and still a good guy. Eventually he turned, but the bright yellow hulk tank from ’92 screams Isla Vista to me. 

Oh yeah, Brother!

Really though, Hulk Hogan was a centerpiece of WWF for most of two decades and UCSB has a rich history and is still the favorite in my mind. The Gauchos as Hulk just makes sense to me. 

UC Davis (3-2) 

UC Davis was my preseason #1 pick. Jim Les has an intense game demeanor that, under the surface, I know is basically Ric Flair. The Nature Boy was a top-3 dominant personality in the sport for years. Kids at my high school used to put up both hands and go WOOOOOOOOOO on a regular basis. One of our student body presidents used to read the announcements in homage to Flair just about every morning. 

A few years ago, I might have picked Long Beach State to be Flair. They were the team who was always there — year after year. Davis has become that team now. They have the marquee talent in the conference in Chima Monecke. They have worked hard to get relevant and they’ll do everything they can to stay there, even if it means turning heel sometimes. 

UC Irvine (3-3)

Russell Turner continues to amaze. He’s lost two seven-footers in recent years, but still boasts the biggest team in the conference in the paint. Between Jonathon Galloway, Tommy Rutherford, Elston Jones, and Brad Greene, UCI’s power forward nearly always has a post-up advantage against the opponent. Last night, the Anteaters outscored Cal Poly 44-16 in the paint. UCI has talented guards too, but for me they are Big Boss Man. 

Big Boss Man was, first and foremost, big. He didn’t let anybody get away with anything, and that’s the way UCI has played over the past 3-5 years. The Anteaters take advantage of opponents’ mistakes and don’t let them get away with anything either. To beat the Big Boss Man, you had to be on the top of your game. Same with UCI this season. 

CSUN (2-3)

I didn’t really know where to put the Matadors, so I enlisted some help. Ghizal Hasan, their radio voice, said Razor Ramon would be a good choice. So we’ll go with Ramon. 

Ramon was good times. CSUN can be good times too when things are going well. The hair is amazing. I had one other person vote for Hardy Boys for CSUN. 

Cal Poly (1-4)

The Mustangs won their first game in wild fashion, and thank goodness they did. Cal Poly has since lost three straight including last night in Irvine. They are at their best when their games are a little weird. They have some very specialized skills, and also some very specific weaknesses. 

I couldn’t find anywhere to put them, so maybe they’re Sgt. Slaughter. Maybe it works. Cal Poly is a pretty conservative campus overall. 

As a Cal Poly fan, I’ll say this — Sgt. Slaughter isn’t afraid of anybody. Neither is Cal Poly. Sgt. Slaughter is self-made. Lots of Cal Poly guys are too — many are JUCO transfers or transfers from other larger programs. Yeah, I think Sgt. Slaughter is a decent proxy for the Mustangs. 

UC Riverside (0-5)

I don’t want to pile-on. This group lost their head coach on New Year’s Day. They’ve been without their star point guard for all of conference play so far. What wrestler should UCR be?!

I thought about this one not very much, but the guy who I haven’t gotten on this list yet is Jake “The Snake” Roberts. Since it’s pretty unorthodox to fire a coach midseason, and having a huge python in the ring is also pretty uncommon, maybe this is a match made in heaven. Jake the Snake. 

Dude, how did they let Macho Man get bit by Jake’s snake? Holy crap. 

Big West season is upon us! Owen and Nick give their first-half All-Big West players and talk through the tiers of teams as it stands at the moment. Cal Poly plays UCSB and Cal State Fullerton in Mott Athletics Center this week. 

It was a total team effort. Cal Poly used hot shooting early and clutch baskets and defense late to upend Big West frontrunner UC Irvine 79-66 at the Bren Event Center on Thursday night.

Victor Joseph played big for the Mustangs in Irvine on Thursday. By Owen Main

Victor Joseph led four Mustangs in double figures with 22 points. Donovan Fields score 15 and Ridge Shipley had 12. Luke Meikle scored 10 to go with six rebounds for the Mustangs, who are now 6-14 overall, 1-5 in Big West play.

Cal Poly came out hot, making eight of their first nine shots from the field, en route to an early lead. UC Irvine stormed back to take a 47-43 lead with 14:07 to play in the game. But Cal Poly stayed strong and didn’t flinch. Joseph and Fields took turns making shots, Ridge Shipley controlled the tempo, and Aleks Abrams and Zach Gordon set good screens and played good defense as the Mustangs began to pull away.

With three minutes to go, it became clear that Cal Poly was going to pull the upset.

Box score from UCI

Happy birthday coach Kirby

Cal Poly assistant coach Sam Kirby tweeted this before the game:

All I want for my bday is a W!!! Let's go @calpolymbb !!!! On ESPN 3 at 7pm vs. UC Irvine

— Sam Kirby (@coachkirb) January 27, 2017

Coach Kirb got his birthday wish, as Cal Poly did a really nice job digging on Ioannis Dimakopoulos just enough to keep him off balance.

Happy birthday coach Kirb!

Joseph gets hot

Victor Joseph, who had been in a mini-slump to start Big West play, lit it up for the Mustangs. Joseph shot 8-12 from the field to go with 2 rebounds and 2 assists.

I hate to say I called it but….

With his confidence, he'll get back on-track sooner than later. #Victor CP vs. UCI at 7pm on ESPN3 tonight.

A photo posted by Fansmanship.com (@fansmanship) on Jan 26, 2017 at 6:46am PST

I’m mostly playing around, but it’s true that Joseph has a certain quiet confidence to his personality that is well-suited to not being in a slump for too long. He’s under six feet tall, but he packs a punch, especially when he gets his jumper going early.

Little dudes do it

Along with Joseph, Donovan Fields was a nightmare for UCI to stay in front of. Fields is lightning quick into the paint to start and then uses both hands really nicely around the hoop. Between Shipley, Fields, and Joseph, Cal Poly’s three point guard options combined for 49 points. Their movement with the ball and into the paint proved really disruptive for UC Irvine’s zone and man-to-man defenses.

They also combined for five assists and zero turnovers. That’s a ratio Joe Callero will be pleased with.

Don’t foul

Believe it or not, the taller (by a lot) UC Irvine team only got to the line six times in the game to Cal Poly’s 18. The Mustangs didn’t commit a lot of dumb fouls away from the basket and they played pretty straight-up on the rebounding side of things too.

Luke Nelson not being in the game probably contributed to Cal Poly not committing silly fouls, but the Mustangs had a good game plan and stuck to it until the Anteaters started to erode. Nelson, my preseason pick for Big West Player of the Year, was dressed out but didn’t play due to a hamstring injury.

Revenge trip?

Cal Poly has a chance to avenge a loss on the road for the second time in three days when they visit Cal State Fullerton on Saturday night. The Titans beat the Mustangs 87-74 at Mott two weeks ago in a game that wasn’t very close in the second half. Tip at Titan Gym is set for 6:00pm on Saturday and can be seen on ESPN3.

All the pre-conference games have been played. Rust has been knocked-off. New players have been integrated into teams. Big West schools have played a huge range of opponents from BCS conferences, NAIA, Division II, and others.

On Wednesday night, six of the nine conference schools will tip-off their 16-game Big West season, hoping to earn a top seed in the Big West Tournament, which takes place March 9-11 at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

Here are a few pages I’ll be using consistently. I recommend you get a subscription to KenPom.com if you haven’t already.

CBS Sports strength of schedule

KenPom.com

Big West Men’s Basketball page

Let’s take a look at each team’s preseason, how they’ve done, and what it means for the next 10 weeks.

UC Davis Link to Team’s Site

Record: 8-7

Strength of Schedule – 301/351

KenPom Ranking – 229/351 (3rd in the Big West)

Preseason Media Poll: 5th

UC Davis has the best record this year in the Big West’s non-conference. While several other Big West teams have a top-100 non-conference schedule this season, the Aggies have gotten used to winning against teams who largely play at the level of many Big West Schools.

6’6″ Junior forward Chima Moneke — a JUCO transfer who is originally from Australia — has been a revelation for head coach Jim Les. Moneke leads the team in both scoring (14.9 ppg) and rebounding (8.3 rpg) and is one frontrunner for the Big West’s newcomer of the year award. Brynton Lemar, Seiler Schneider, and Darius Graham all shoot 39 percent or better from three point range, giving  Moneke and super senior JT Adenrele room to operate down low. Adenrele is second on the team in rebounding, with five per game.

Cal State Fullerton Link to Team’s Website

Record: 6-7

Strength of Schedule: 325/351

KenPom Ranking: 291/351 (8th in the Big West)

Preseason Media Poll: 6th

Dedrique Taylor’s squad this year has been generally competitive, if a little inconsistent this year. They have four Division I wins, including against a few average Division I teams — but they’ve also lost against Alabama State – ranked 335/351 on KenPom.com. Senior Tre Coggins is averaging over 20 points per game and could be a sleeper Big West Player of the Year candidate. Sophomore Khalil Ahmad has played in just two games (16.5 ppg), but figures to pair with Coggins to make Fullerton’s back court one of the best in the conference offensively.

Jackson Rowe, a 6′ 7″ freshman from Toronto, leads the team in rebounding and he and Lionheart Leslie both average in double digits in scoring. A combination of conference parody, great guards, and some program consistency means this year’s Fullerton team may finally be ready to start to fulfill Taylor’s vision for the program and compete for a spot in the top half of the conference.

Hawai’i Link to Team’s Website

Record: 6-7

Strength of Schedule: 286/351

KenPom Ranking: 261/351 (5th in the Big West)

Preseason Media Poll: 8th

With a year to plan for the Rainbow Warriors’ postseason ban in 2017, head coach Eron Ganot and co. saw some familiar faces leave this past offseason, including center Stefan Jovanovic (Loyola Marymount).

In this, a rebuilding year, Hawai’i has beaten a number of the bottom 20-50 Division I teams in the country. A number of new faces lead Hawai’i this year, including Australian Jack Purchase — an Auburn transfer — JUCO transfer F Gibson Johnson, and senior UCLA transfer Noah Allen, who leads the team in scoring and rebounding.

Look for Hawai’i to be in games throughout the conference season. They’re not as talented as last year, but a record at or above .500 for conference would not be a surprise given Ganot’s pedigree. Even though they are ineligible for postseason play, Ganot’s team should keep up in a down year in the Big West.

If you want to read more about Hawai’i, Brian McInnis is a great read in the Holonolu Star Advertiser.

UC Irvine Link to Team’s Website

Record: 7-9

Strength of Schedule: 81/351

KenPom Ranking: 181/351 (First in the Big West)

Preseason Media Poll: 2nd 

Russell Turner’s team has become a perennial Big West contender. Sure, the departed Mamadou Ndiaye had something to do with that, but senior Luke Nelson was this author’s preseason pick for Big West Player of the Year. Nelson, out with injury for much of the preseason, would have made a difference in Irvine’s pre-conference record. Irvine’s top-100 strength of schedule makes their 7-9 record without Nelson actually really good.

In Nelson’s absence, Jaron Martin has shown marked improvement from last year as the team’s leading scorer at 14.3 points per game over the first 16. Martin is a notorious clutch shooter, making UC Irvine’s backcourt tandem really, really good.

Without Ndiaye, look for Ioannis Dimakopoulos to go to work inside. A 7′ 2″ senior, Dimakopoulos averages 10 points and four rebounds in just over 20 minutes per game. Jonathan Galloway, listed at 6′ 10″ (did he grow?!), plays good defense and is a role player that great teams need to have.

There is a next generation of UCI players that fans will see this season too. Max Hazzard and Eyassu Worku — freshman guards also recruited by other Big West schools, along with 6′ 8″ freshman forward Tommy Rutherford will see lots of minutes for the Anteaters.

Add up the star power, depth, discipline, leadership and athleticism, and the Anteaters are one of the top two teams going into conference play — if not the best.

Cal Poly Link to Team’s Website

Record: 5-9

Strength of Schedule: 236/351

KenPom Ranking: 270/351 (7th in the Big West)

Preseason Big West Media Poll: 9th

It’s weird that Cal Poly has played at three Pac 12 schools and still has a SOS as low as they do, but here they are.

Joe Callero’s team was already thin enough for the Mustangs to be picked 9th in the preseason media poll, but they’ve also lost probably their two best players in the preseason. Josh Martin only played in five games before a season-ending foot injury. Guard Jaylen Shead — the team leader in assists — left the program as soon as finals were done.

What Callero is left with is a weird situation. The Mustangs basically start three point guards (some combination of Kyle Toth, Ridge Shipley, Victor Joseph, and Donovan Fields), a stretch-four (Luke Meikle), and a defense/rebounding specializing center (Zach Gordon, Aleks Abrams, or Hank Hollingsworth).

Joseph, Fields, Toth, and Hollingsworth have never played in a Big West Conference game before and only Shipley, Meikle, and Gordon have seen consistent minutes.

Things might pivot on Meikle’s ability to carry the load both in rebounding and scoring in the half-court against athletic defenders in the Big West.

Cal Poly’s roster is weird and they haven’t won a game in the four since Shead left, but Callero and his staff often do their best work when things get weird. With as small as this team is, a lot will ride on their ability to defend the paint, rebound, and make three pointers. Look for the 40 percent mark from downtown and free throw differential to be good barometers of how the Mustangs are playing on a given night.

Long Beach State Link to Team’s Website

Record: 5-11

Strength of Schedule: 32/351

KenPom Ranking: 188/351 (2nd in the Big West)

Preseason Big West Media Poll: 1st

Dan Monson’s team always plays one of the toughest pre-conference schedules in the country, and this season was no different. After losing to a number of great teams early in the season, the 49ers rattled off back-to-back wins at Oregon State and at home against Colorado State.

Long Beach brings back firepower in Evan Payne and Gabe Levin — former Loyola Marymount players who transferred to Long Beach. Payne is a pure scorer (14.5 ppg) and Levin does a lot of dirty work, averaging 12.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest.

Noah Blackwell, Roschon Prince, and Temidayo Yussuf are all solid rotation players who do a lot of work on both ends of the floor.

The heartbeat of Long Beach State, though, is 5’8″ Justin Bibbins. A junior this year, Bibbins was a vocal leader on the court as an underclassman last season. Bibbins was injured at the end of the Colorado State win on December 22nd and didn’t play at Eastern Michigan. His ability to be full-speed will mean A LOT for a Long Beach State team that is battle-tested and ready to compete for a Big West title once again.

They’ll get a test right out of the gate, facing UC Irvine on Thursday night in Irvine. The game will be an ESPN3 production.

CSUN Link to Team’s Website

Record: 4-9

Strength of Schedule: 139/351

KenPom Ranking: 239/351 (4th in Big West)

Preseason Media Poll: 3rd

Reggie Theus‘ team has been one of the hardest to figure out thus far. With a bevy of transfers from schools in power conferences, CSUN was poised to make a big improvement this year. Maybe they still are.

They still have those talented players. Rakim Lubin (UCONN), Darin Johnson (Washington) Kendall Smith (UNLV), Reggie Theus Jr. (South Carolina) and Dylan Johns (Texas A&M) are all contributing this year. Tavrion Dawson is a talented wing player too.

But inconsistent pre-conference play has given reason for pause. Losses to teams like UCLA and Texas A&M don’t look bad, but the loss to Bethesda at home is a real head-scratcher. Maybe senior Aaron Parks (11.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists per game), who didn’t play in the Bethesda game, really means that much to the Matadors.

This team will go as far as it is willing to stay disciplined on defense. The Matadors will get their 75 or so points (they average almost 80 per game so far), but their ability to limit turnovers and get defensive stops will be the difference between a winning or losing conference record.

UC Riverside Link to Team’s Website

Record: 2-9

Strength of Schedule: 131/351

KenPom Ranking: 301/351 (9th in the Big West)

Preseason Media Poll: 7th

There’s no doubt about it, UC Riverside has struggled this preseason. Before December 31st, they hadn’t beaten a Division I team this year. But on New Years Eve, they hosted Grand Canyon, a top-200 team, and came away with a victory at the SRC.

The win may be a building block for a team looking for positives.

Secean Johnson is the team’s scoring and rebounding leader at 11.4 points and 5 rebounds per game. Gentry Thomas and Chance Murray are the other Highlanders averaging double-figure points. Dikymbe Martin, a freshman guard from local high school JW North, might be the most interesting player on the team. Martin leads the team in assists and steals and averages 8.5 points per game.

With their overall performance this year, it’s hard to see UC Riverside finishing near the top half of the conference, but the league is so weird this year that anybody could convince themselves they belong in the top four.

UC Santa Barbara Link to Team’s Website

Record: 2-10 

Strength of Schedule: 34/351

KenPom Ranking: 269/351 (6th in the Big West)

Preseason Media Poll: 4th

It’s unusual to see Bob Williams teams struggle, but struggle this year’s squad has. Their only Division I win was against Cal State Bakersfield and losses to San Diego and Seattle weren’t particularly good. In the Seattle game over winter break, the Gauchos gave up a 20-point lead with 9:09 left in the game to lose at the Thunderdome.

Things aren’t all doom and gloom in Goleta, though. UCSB has played the 34th toughest schedule this season and it would be easy to see Williams’ players improving and adjusting as they got into conference. This year’s team is led by junior Gabe Vincent — a sharp shooter deluxe who averages 16.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Junior Jalen Canty is a big 6’8″ JUCO transfer from San Francisco who was the California JUCO Player of the Year last season. He averages 10 points and seven rebounds for the Gauchos while sharpshooting freshman Max Heidegger (Oaks Christian High School) is averaging nine points. Senior Eric Childress leads the team with 3.8 assists per game.

It’s always hard to imagine UCSB near or at the bottom of the Big West when the dust settles, so don’t be surprised if you see them seeded in the 4-6 range in the conference tournament, despite their slow start.

They can’t be worried about playoffs. Right now, Steve Sampson and company are trying to figure out how to win a Big West game. After netting zero point in their first road weekend in conference and getting just one point from two home games last weekend, the Mustangs have now only a tie and a single point to show for their first two weeks in conference play. This makes their path to a conference playoff birth a really tough one. Their record now stands at 2-7-2 overall and 0-3-1 in Big West Conference play.

Freshman Kenneth Higgins plays with what seems like unlimited energy, but the team hasn’t won in 2 weeks since beating UCLA. By Owen Main

The Good News

There is SOME good news. Maybe. If you turn the standings and schedule to hit the light just so. Wins will still play. With six games to go — home and away series with each of UCSB, Sacramento State, and UC Davis — Cal Poly can make up ground fast with wins. Home games against both UC Davis and UCSB this weekend would be a great place to start.

The Bad News

This Mustangs are sitting on one point, which is five points behind both Sac State and UC Davis — the teams tied for 2nd place in the North currently. To pass either of then would take, probably, some serious help.

What will it take?

Road points are tough in the Big West, so their play this weekend could either give Cal Poly a fighting chance or seal their fate. Thursday night vs. UC Davis is the first of these tough tasks. Win that game, and the UCSB game will loom as a really big opportunity to gain ground.

Last season, 11 points was not enough for Sacramento State to make the playoffs out of the Big West’s North Division, but this year’s a little different. If Sac State and UC Davis each win two of their remaining six games to get to 12 let’s put the target at 13 to make the playoffs. Less than that COULD garner a spot, but 13 will for sure do so.

The answer is that Cal Poly needs wins. Lots of them. With six games left, they’d get 18 points with six straight wins. That’s not likely, but 11 or 12 points will not come easily. The math says that four wins or three wins and 2-3 ties would get them where they need to be.

All this is pretty unlikely, but stranger things have happened — especially in soccer. A little change in mindset or a little change in luck can make a lasting difference. It’s not an easy task. Then again, nothing worthwhile ever was.

Click here for Photos from Cal Poly Men’s Soccer this year.

Click here for Photos from Cal Poly vs. CSUN.

Click here for Photos from Cal Poly vs. UCI.

Cal Poly baseball was probably already out of postseason contention. So, when their three weekend starters were suspended for this weekend’s series against UC Irvine, things looked pretty down.

Three games later, Cal Poly has to feel decent about a home series win against an Anteater team they were tied with coming into the weekend. Now 9-9 in conference play, Cal Poly goes into the final few weeks of Big West play with a few wins and maybe some more confidence.

Pitching depth

Justin Calomeni was really good in a spot start on Sunday. By Owen Main

When any college team has their entire weekend staff suspended, you don’t expect much. Cal Poly’s teams in the past that have been really good have been pretty short in terms of pitching depth. This team has 10 — yes I said TEN — different guys who have started games and also 10 players with over 20 innings.

This is a double-edged sword. It means that the back end of the rotation hasn’t given Lee much reason to stay with guys on a week-to-week basis. It also means that lots of guys have gotten some experience. While that might not be enough to get the Mustangs to the postseason this year, it bodes well for next season and made the team unusually equipped to mentally handle situations like this weekend.

Spencer Howard, who started on Friday, has pitched BIG innings en route to a 2-1 record coming into the weekend prior to his series-opening win. Craig Colen, starting just his second game of the season on Saturday, has a 20-6 k/bb ratio. Justin Calomeni, one of the stalwarts of the bullpen before this weekend, started on Sunday and pitched very well.

While Calomeni could easily be drafted and gone after this season, all the other pitchers who have thrown major innings for Cal Poly will/should be back next season. If Cal Poly can fill some gaps on defense and in the order, there should be a solid battle for innings from a very experienced staff is 2017.

That’s a long way away though. For this weekend, it just meant that they had a shot against UC Irvine.

Offensive

Cal Poly put up seven runs in the 5th inning, including a grand slam from John Schuknecht and a solo homer from Nick Meyer on the very next pitch.

It shouldn’t surprise anybody that I had left before the inning and was barely off-campus when Schu’s homer cleared the left field fence.

I got a really great photo of him getting beaned earlier in the game though. So, pretty much I got all the important action right?

In other news, Alex McKenna went 3-6 with two runs, capping his return week. Prior to this week, McKenna missed 12 straight games with an injury. In the four games since he’s been back, the outfielder managed five hits, four runs, and six RBIs.

Barbs all over

I just wanted to mention something about Cal Poly (center fielder, left fielder, first baseman, catcher) Brett Barbier. Barbier was the preseason first-team catcher in the Big West conference and hasn’t really played there in a while.

When the Mustangs needed a first-baseman with some pop, Barbs went and played there like he hadn’t ever played anywhere else. When he was needed in left field, Brett went out there and got re-acclimated. Since McKenna and Josh George went down, Barbier has filled the position more than adequately.

I love to see when athletes play baseball, and Barbier has done everything he can for this team. I think there is only one game this season where he hasn’t reached base. He went 2-4 on Sunday and is hitting .365 through 50 games this year. Without Barbier’s CONSTANT presence this season in the middle of the order and saving balls at first base, Cal Poly might be under .500.

Whatever is in Brett’s future, let’s be clear how valuable he’s been to this Mustangs team this season.

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Cal Poly travels to Bakersfield on Tuesday before visiting Troy Percival’s UC Riverside Highlanders next weekend in Riverside.

Photos by Owen Main

Okay, day one of the Big West Tournament is in the books and I went 2 for 2.  I am a .500 prognosticator.  But, as we say in show business, “The show must go on”! (I have literally never heard anyone say this). Here are my picks for Round Two of the Big West Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Game #1: #1 Hawaii vs #4 UCSB

UCSB has won nine games in a row, and Hawaii is just really good, so this has the potential to be a really great game. I think Hawaii is the better team, but this is the right time of the year for a team to be hot, and UCSB has some momentum. Their mascots are really cool (Gauchos vs. Rainbow Warriors), so I can’t give an advantage there. So, let’s move on to notable alumni. One of the biggest alumni of UCSB is the great actor Michael Douglas. He has been a myriad of great films, and was excellent recently in “Ant-Man”. For Hawaii, we have the man who created the man, Barack Obama, Sr. To be fair, Daddy Obama wasn’t always there for Barack, in fact, he was not there at all, but he is still responsible for giving us our current President, so I think that gives a little bit of an edge

Winner: Hawaii

Game #2: #2 UC Irvine vs. #3 Long Beach State

Justin Bibbins has tangibly improved his game by leaps and bounds over the past two years for Long Beach State. By Owen Main

This also looks to be a good game, as the classic LA vs. OC rivalry is ignited. This means a lot to me because I was raised in Orange County, but now I live in LA County. I am kind of repping LA until I die now, so for me it is hard to go against Strong Beach, especially since their alumni game is mad strong (Steve Martin, Steven Spielberg). However, UC Irvine, and it’s notable alumni, John Lovitz, in the end is just going to be too much for them. It pains me to say it because I left the OC fifteen years ago, and have never looked back.  There’s a lot of pain there.  And don’t get me started about the Irvine Spectrum!!!!!

Winner: UC Irvine.

Yeah, that’s the ticket…

That’s it for today.  Stay tuned for tomorrow’s championship pick!

Hi,

So the Big West Tournament starts in about four hours, and I am hoping to give my daily picks as to who is going to win each game, and I have a hunch, each game is going to be chosen for some insane reason, because I am a crazy person (which I have said several times in my posts).  Okay, no time like the present, so let’s get to some picks.

The longest-tenured Big West head coach, Bob Williams looks to avoid an upset at the hands of his former team. By Owen Main

Game #1: #4 U.C. Santa Barbara vs. #5 U.C. Davis

The Bob Williams Bowl!  Yes, Bob Williams used to coach at UC Davis, and led them to the (Division II) National Championship in 1998 as you can read about here A guy I played with in high school actually started on that team.  That means nothing to what I am currently writing, just felt like saying it.

This was like twenty years ago now, and I am sure there is almost no bad blood between the two teams, so this one is kind of a toss-up.  That being said I have to pick someone, so I am going to say the Aggies get revenge on the man who created them a la Kylo Ren killing Han Solo (this is no longer a spoiler when the film makes billions of dollars).

pick: UC Davis

Game #2: #1 Hawaii vs. #8 Cal State Fullerton

This doesn’t need to take long.

pick: Hawaii

Game #3: #2 UC Irvine vs. #7 Cal Poly

Now, as a “journalist” (that just sounds weird when talking about myself), I need to be unbiased here, and call this game the way I see it, but as a Cal Poly alumnus, it’s really hard to go against the Mustangs.  In reality, UC Irvine is the pick here.  They have a legit argument for making the tournament if they don’t win the conference tournament, and they will be playing post-season basketball regardless.  They have NBA talent on their team, and the Mustangs really don’t have anyone who can match up with their big three.

pick: Cal Poly

Game #4: #3 Long Beach State vs. UC Riverside

The nightcap, which features probably the greatest mascot match up, which is saying a lot based on the other match ups, but I mean 49ers vs. Higlanders (seriously why have I not written a post about the Highlander mascot and the Highlander movies.  That’s coming). That being said, Pound State (LBS) would be the top team in the conference if UC Irvine or Hawaii didn’t exist, so…

pick: Strong Beach

Those are my picks for today!  Check back tomorrow for the next round.  Now as my homegirl Heidi Klum says: Let’s start the show!

I’ve watched a lot of Big West basketball this year. Not like Trent Schlom or Richie Schueler level, but still, a lot. Probably too much.

Here’s a quick break-down of how each Big West Tournament team could get hot and win the title. Cal Poly was a 7-seed two years ago, so I guess nobody is truly safe, starting in the first round.

1 – Hawai’i (12-4 conference record)

Hawai’i’s Eran Ganot was the Big West coach of the year. By Owen Main

To win the tournament, Hawai’i will have to do what they’ve done all season. The Rainbow Warriors have continued to be relentless on defense and have run offense in a really efficient way. Roderick Bobbitt and Big West Player of the Year Stefan Jankovic are a great 1-2 punch and Aaron Valdes gets to go on a personal 8-0 run from time to time. Isaac Fleming left the program in the middle of conference play and Hawai’i did lose to UC Davis late in the year at home, but that might not be a bad thing for this club going into the tournament.

Hawai’i made the Big West final last year, giving guys valuable experience and they beat the conference’s second-best team twice this year. I think we now what we’re getting from Bobbitt and Jankovic at this point. Teams are scheming hard against them. Valdes as the third scorer could win a game on his own, and not many teams have a guy like that. He’s the kind of player who can go for 6 points or 36 points and Hawai’i may need at least one or two BIG games out of him in Anaheim.

2 – UC Irvine

Russell Turner’s Anteaters are looking for back to back tournament titles. By Owen Main

The Anteaters went to their first NCAA Tournament in 2015 and most of their team is back this year. They are one of the most calm teams under pressure. Whatever they’re good at, they have two or three guys who can do it. Luke Nelson and Alex Young can shoot off the dribble or pass with the best of them — and at the right times too. Mamadou Ndiaye makes like tough for opponents inside, but Ioannis Dimakopoulos is 7’3″ and would start on most other Big West teams. Oh yeah, Mike Best is 6’10” and has range from the 4 or could play the 5 in a UCI “small” lineup.

Russell Turner’s team is always well-prepared. Look for how Luke Nelson is shooting in the tournament. Usually he likes to pick his spots, but he may need to get hot in a second half or two for UCI to make a big run.

3 – Long Beach State (12-4 conference record)

Nick Faust is one of the most explosive players in the Big West. By Owen Main

Even in down years, Long Beach State never seems to be below third or fourth. This season, a group led by sophomore Justin Bibbins and transfers Nick Faust and Gabe Levin were able to gel quickly en route to a 12-4 record, one game out of first place in the conference.

Faust is clearly the best player on Long Beach State, but Bibbins has really excelled this season and is the little engine that makes the 49ers go. He’s a sophomore point guard who leads on the court. If he hadn’t have been injured for part of this season, Long Beach State might have had an even better record. Teams will do everything they can to make Bibbins uncomfortable, but with talent like Travis Hammonds, Levin, and Faust around him, that won’t be an easy task.

Long Beach State is where I start talking more about matchups. With the conference tournament re-seeded for the second round, things could get wacky. I never count a Dan Monson team out, though. Nobody would be surprised if the 49ers ride point guard leadership and the best pure talent in the conference to a tournament title.

4 – UC Santa Barbara (11-5 conference record)

Michael Bryson is probably the best all-around player in the Big West. By Owen Main

The Gauchos are the hottest team in the conference for sure, but this is where we get even deeper into talking about match-ups. UCSB does a great job playing to their strengths — lots of offensive movement and guards getting shots and drives they want to. Gabe Vincent can get as hot as anybody in the conference and Michael Bryson has developed his game enough to get some serious looks from people at the next level. Again, a third scorer in John Green could be a guy to watch out for in the tournament as could the combination of Mitch Brewe and Sam Beeler. The two UCSB bigs know their roles, set hard screens, and get lots of easy buckets. If other teams can jam-up their motion offense, keep limit the big men’s layups and make UCSB settle for contested jumpers, it could be a good game plan.

It’s easier said then done. UCSB’s offense is relentless and makes defenses pay dearly for every lapse and sometimes it doesn’t matter whether Vincent’s jumpers are contested. Bob Williams has completely retooled this team this season and his conference tournament experience can’t be ignored as a huge advantage for the Gauchos.

5 – UC Davis (6-10 conference record)

The Aggies are last year’s regular season Big West champs and lost a lot of talent. With that in mind, getting to fifth place in the conference is a big deal. Head coach Jim Les has developed his team into one who can beat anybody. Davis went through a six-game losing streak in the second round of conference play. They played UCSB close twice, but lost both regular season games.

If Davis is to win, they need one or two of their guards to have big games. Brynton Lamar and Darius Graham have both been a little better than expected this year and Neal Monson has stabilized the inside, leading the conference in rebounds. There are lots of ways UC Davis could lose, but to win, they’ll need to shoot well, take care of the ball, and play the tough defense that has kept them in most games they played this season.

6 – UC Riverside (5-11 conference record)

Jaylen Bland can be a cold-blooded assassin scorer and makes UCR dangerous with or without Taylor Johns. By Owen Main

The Highlanders were dealt a big blow when Taylor Johns was dismissed from the team halfway through conference play. One can imagine the tumult that can cause and the kind of effect it has when a returning all-conference senior star is kicked off the team.

Sometimes teams respond to something like that with strong play. UCR lost four of their final five games after the Johns dismissal and have a tough matchup against Long Beach State. To beat the 49ers, the Highlanders will have to get some big-time production and defensive play from Secean Johnson and Jaylen Bland. While they have some good players left — they beat Hawai’i in Honolulu post-Johns’ departure — the loss of Johns would have been the single player I didn’t think any team could lose in the conference this year. Truly, if UCR can overcome and get to the second round or make a big run, it will be a huge story. The team isn’t playing great. The matchup isn’t great. The circumstances aren’t great. But it’s March. Bland can be a cold-blooded assassin and loves making crucial free throws. Stranger things have happened.

7 – Cal Poly (4-12 conference record)

I can’t wait to see what David Nwaba has in store for his final Big West Conference Tournament. By Owen Main

OK, I’m not impartial on this one. I would love to see Cal Poly win. That said, I think may be a path for them here. It’s all going to come down to Thursday though.

The Mustangs are a team with enough talent to play close with everybody in the Big West. The question will be: can they finish? And they don’t have any more margin for error. Normally I’d say that taking the beatings they have throughout the year in the heartbreaking fashion they’ve taken them would be a negative, but then I start thinking about two years ago. In 2014 they lost bad to 2nd seeded UCSB at home in the final week of the season, only to beat them by 30-plus points the following week.

This year, they lost a game at UCI in the final week of the season and have lost four in a row going into the conference tournament. There isn’t any real reason to think they can do it, except that they’ve done it before and games up ’til now have been close. The Mustangs lost seven conference games by 4 points or less.

If a few shots start to fall in the Honda Center, will UCI start to have flashbacks and tighten up? Cal Poly were a freshman defensive brain fart away from beating the Anteaters in SLO. Might Cal Poly be ready to make a leap forward?

They’re the seven seed, so it’s not likely. But after two years ago, when lots of the guys on this team contributed to an NCAA Tournament run, I’m not counting anything out.

8 – Cal State Fullerton (3-13 conference record)

You better believe Fullerton is going to play loose and fluid against Hawai’i. By Owen Main

I really think the 1-8 and 2-7 games could be the most fun of Thursday’s games in Anaheim. Cal State Fullerton caught fire from three-point range when I saw them in-person. They only shoot 33 percent from three-point range as a team, but Malcom Brooks, Khalil Ahmad, and Tre Coggins are capable.

You better believe Diedrique Taylor’s team will compete and, like UC Irvine, I believe that Hawai’i is most vulnerable in the first round. If Coggins can hang with Bobbitt and the Titans can neutralize Jovanovich for most of the first half, I’d say Fullerton has a chance. It’s a super long shot, but nothing would surprise me in this year’s Big West.

What’s really going to happen?

The obvious final is UC Irvine vs. Hawai’i. My prediction is that if either of those teams win in the first round, they’ll make it to the final. If one of them loses in the first round, stuff could get really interesting.

Given conference records, the second round will be the best, but I think the first will be just as entertaining.

First round winners:

Hawai’i

UC Irvine

Long Beach State

UC Davis

Second round winners:

Hawai’i

UC Irvine

Champion: UC Irvine

Tournament MVP: Luke Nelson

I really wanted to pick Cal Poly over UC Irvine, but I just can’t. Go ahead guys, prove me wrong. I guess I’ll say this — the tournament winner is the winner of that first round game between the Anteaters and Mustangs.

Here’s to a great tourney.