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. 

This week Owen and Nick relive probably the most exciting home weekend in over a decade for Cal Poly basketball. The Mustangs are 1-1 and headed to Hawai’i, so what better time to bring in Brian McInnis (around the 58 minute mark). McInnis is the beat reporter for the Honolulu Star Advertiser for Hawai’i. We talk some Hawai’i hoops and preview Wednesday night’s game in Hawai’i. 

A lot can happen in one second. 

On Thursday night in a crowded-for-the-students-not-being-there Mott Athletics Center, Cal Poly overcame a 21-point first half deficit and a two-point deficit with one second to play to beat rival UCSB 80-79 in their Big West Conference opener. 

With fifteen seconds to play, Cal Poly’s Donovan Fields scored on a knifing left-handed layup to tie the game at 77. On the ensuing posession, UCSB’s Max Heidegger canned a long jumper to put the Gauchos up by two points with just a second left. 

The Gauchos celebrated. UCSB’s Jalen Canty gave a “shhh” signal to the Cal Poly fans. It was Orlando Johnson and James Nunnally all over again. Or so it seemed. 

Luke Meikle made three big free throws with the game on the line. By Owen Main

After a Cal Poly timeout, Fields used a Marcellus Garrick screen on the man guarding the in-bounds pass, and threw a length-of-the-court pass to Luke Meikle, who hesitated before shooting. It was less than a second, but enough to get the desired result. Meikle’s hesitation got Canty in the air. Canty bumped Meikle as he shot the ball and time expired. After a lengthy review, the officials determined that Meikle was fouled before time expired and awarded the fifth-year senior three free throws. Meikle made all three, sealing Cal Poly’s unlikely Blue-Green Rivalry victory. 

The win over the potential conference favorites moves Cal Poly to 1-0 in Big West play and dropped the Gauchos to 0-1. 

Blue start

I’m like 300-plus words in and I haven’t talked about the start. It was ugly for the home team. UCSB started the game up 23-2 and 27-6 with 11:09 left in the first half. Gabe Vincent couldn’t miss. Gaucho big men were getting to the line. Cal Poly was turning the ball over and getting really bad looks at the basket.

Joe Callero tried everything for about five minutes. He put Mark Crowe in the game and tried a 1-3-1 defense. Heidegger drained a three-pointer. He put Karlis Garoza in. Players rotated in and out like crazy, and it was hard to get traction. Trevor John came in and made a three-pointer. Things started to look up. Donovan Fields and Victor Joseph started to push the ball and not worry about running half-court offense. 

UCSB missed a few shots and the Mustangs inched closer. A single digit deficit at halftime would have been a huge win for Cal Poly. But the Mustangs did better than that, cutting the lead to four points at the break. less than a minute into the second half, Cal Poly tied the game. 

Second half rock fight

The second half went something like this. Cal Poly had no answer for Jalen Canty. The sophomore had just four points in the first half, but managed 17 in the second. UCSB had no answer for Donovan Fields. Fields played a great floor game with 22 points, 6 assists, and no turnovers.

Back and forth they went — the lead changed thirteen times in the final half, and twice in the final second of the game. 

Green Finish

Cal Poly doesn’t usually win these kinds of gams. I can remember distinctly a UC Irvine player open in the corner for a pass from Mamadou Ndiaye at the buzzer, a James Nunnally buzzer beater, and an Orlando Johnson shot that bounced off the rim, hit the moon, and barely touched the net as it went in at the buzzer. 

For once, Cal Poly found a way to win a game like this. It’s safe to say that this is a game fans will be talking about for a long time. 

Cal Poly hosts Cal State Fullerton at Mott Athletics Center on Saturday night. Tip-off is 7:00pm.

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. 

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. 

Cal Poly baseball is finally playing the way they’re capable of. After sweeping rival UCSB, Cal Poly has won six of their first seven series against Big West opponents, moving their conference record to 14-7, after a 12-20 non-conference record. After starting the season just 11-18, the Mustangs would finish with a .500 or better record if they win their final series this weekend at home versus UC Riverside. 

Bradlee Beesley has found a way to be consistently productive at third base during Big West play. By Owen Main

So, this is the formula…

Larry Lee’s team got really hot in Goleta this weekend. Erich Uelmen and Spencer Howard posted back-to-back 8-inning gems on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, Cal Poly showed their pitching depth as Trent Shelton went six strong innings for the win.

 All three pitchers got tons of run support, too. The Mustang mashers put up 27 combined runs on the Gauchos over the three games. Cal Poly was led by many of their hitters, but none has heated-up like shortstop Kyle Marinconz. The junior went 9-15 in the series with two home runs, 6 RBIs, and four runs. 

Not to be out-done, Elijah Skipps belted two homers and drove in six runs on Sunday. Skipps scored four times on the weekend. Freshman Scott Ogrin managed a 5-13 weekend with five runs of his own and catcher Nick Meyer — just a home run shy of the cycle on Friday — ended the weekend 6-12. 

Really the whole Cal Poly lineup seemed to wake up in a big way. It was the first time maybe all season that pitchers and batters combined to have a great weekend at the same time. 

Too little, too late

At the beginning of the season I wrote about how and why I thought Cal Poly would make a regional. Given their early season woes, the Mustangs would have had to win the Big West in order to make the tournament. Long Beach State had other ideas and clinched the conference title with a win over Hawai’i today. 

Cal Poly will finish in either second or third place in the Big West. With a winning non-conference record, that could have been good enough for an NCAA Tournament at-large birth in most years. 2017 seems to be a season where only two Big West teams — Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton — will likely get an invitation to the postseason. 

Had they had a better early-season record, things could be different. Instead, Cal Poly is playing with a winning record on the line in their final weekend. 

Final series

Seniors Michael Sanderson, Brett Binning, Kevin Morgan, Alec Smith, and Slater Lee are all sure to be honored during the upcoming weekend at Baggett Stadium, but this could be the final collegiate series for some other talented juniors on the roster.

Friday and Saturday starting pitchers Erich Uelmen and Spencer Howard are both draft eligible following the season and are possibilities to be selected in a low single digit round. Trent Shelton, Colby Barrick, and Elijah Skipps are also juniors who teams may have their eyes on. Other juniors on the Cal Poly roster include Kyle Smith, Jarred Zill, and Josh George.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned covering college baseball the past few years, it’s that you’ve got to enjoy watching guys while you can.  Senior seasons are not a given for college baseball players. Have fun watching them, while you still can. 

Photos by Owen Main — photos.fansmanship.com 

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.

Don’t look now, but the Cal Poly baseball team is looking like Big West contenders. After the weekend they had at Baggett Stadium, the UCSB Gauchos wouldn’t argue.

After sweeping UCSB in convincing fashion, Larry Lee’s Mustangs are now 7-2 in the Big West Conference and tied for first place with Cal State Fullerton, who they’ve already taken two out of three from this season.

Six Sigma

Cal Poly’s defense has been much better lately. After four straight errorless games, Cal Poly limited the damage from a few errors on Sunday. They’re still averaging more than an error per game, but the trend is going in the right direction

Friday first

On Friday, starting pitcher Kyle Smith and reliever Justin Bruihl put together a two-hit shutout to help Cal Poly start the series. The two combined for 12 strikeouts in the 7-0 Cal Poly win.

In the first two Big West series of the year (vs. Cal State Fullerton and Hawai’i), Cal Poly has had to battle back and win on Saturday and Sunday after losing on Friday night. On Friday, Kyle Smith got his first Big West win of the year.

Third baseman Michael Sanderson had a nice weekend at the plate. By Owen Main

Uelmen bears down on Saturday

Saturday was the only game I got to in-person this weekend, but Erich Uelmen showed that he’s got a little grit and the ability to make a few adjustments beyond his fastball in the 90’s.

The sophomore right hander gave up four runs in the first two innings, but settled down to hold UCSB long enough for Cal Poly’s offense to do some damage.

Uelmen hasn’t lost a conference game and Cal Poly hasn’t lost in three Saturday games in Big West play.

GodZILLa

On Sunday, sophomore right-hander Jarred Zill went 6 1/3 innings and allowed just one earned run. Cal Poly’s defense committed two errors to allow a pair of unearned runs too, but Zill was able to get into the seventh inning and Justin Calomeni shut the door on UCSB to earn Cal Poly their first sweep over the Gauchos since 2012.

Brett Binning, who has been a key part of Cal Poly’s defensive improvement at second base, doubled in a run and scored on a wild pitch. Binning is only hitting .163 on the season, but has an on-base percentage above .300, can move guys over on the bases, and plays a solid second base. He has an infectious on-field positivity and wins in the body language department. The double on Sunday was the first extra-base hit of the season for the former Auburn Tiger.

Here’s the clinching Justin Calomeni strikeout from Krukow’s.

Mustangs sweep ucsb. Final out courtesy of @slocitycoed @BigWestBaseball pic.twitter.com/F4fTT2SeI6

— fansmanship (@fansmanship) April 24, 2016

To top off the great weekend, Cal Poly moved up 32 spots in the RPI (to number 62) and swept the Big West Athlete of the Week Awards for baseball. Kyle Smith earned the Pitcher of the Week and John Schuknecht was the field player of the week.

A pair of @calpoly_stangs earn #BWCAOTW after a big series sweep. https://t.co/uKIH20YP6b #CalPolyProud #BWCBaseball pic.twitter.com/ol6lKjYBfI

— Big West Baseball (@BigWestBaseball) April 25, 2016

In the end, a weekend like this past one basically gives Cal Poly a shot in conference. They’ve played three series in the Big West and have five remaining. Their toughest remaining conference test may be this upcoming weekend at Blair Field when they face Long Beach State on the road.

Before they do that, Larry Lee’s team will visit Cal on Tuesday evening.

Photos from Saturday by Owen Main To see them all, click here.

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.