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What 2 Watch 4
Only one weekend of Big West regular season ball left and there are two spots up for grabs in the upcoming 2025 Big West Basbeall Championship, presented by the Ontario International Airport, hosted by Cal State Fullerton at Goodwin Field, May 21-25.
So far conference leader UC Irvine (38-11, 23-4 BW), Cal Poly (34-16, 20-7 BW) and Cal State Fullerton (27-24, 17-10 BW) have secured a berth in the conference postseason.
Four teams will compete for the final two tickets to Fullerton. Long Beach State (22-28, 15-15 BW) concluded conference play last week and currently has the fourth most wins in the conference. UC Santa Barbara (34-16, 14-13 BW), Hawai'i (31-18, 14-13 BW) and UC San Diego (25-23, 14-13 BW) are all tied with 14 league wins.
The Gauchos can secure a spot with two home wins against Cal State Bakersfield (17-36, 8-19 BW) this weekend and also knock out the Beach from contention. The scenarios for a LBSU championship berth hinges on UCSB not winning its series against the Roadrunners,
UC San Diego (25-23, 14-13 BW) will travel and play at Hawai'i (31-18, 14-13 BW) with the winner of the series claiming a ticket to Fullerton.
Two teams that will not have to worry about their spots in the championship will play each other with the Anteaters welcoming the Titans to Cicerone Field. There is still a lot to pay for though, as UC Irvine is still looking to build its resume to host a regional, while Cal State Fullerton is looking to stay out of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 play-in game.
The other two conference matchups to close out the regular season are UC Riverside (16-33, 5-22 BW) at Cal Poly and CSUN (14-32, 9-18) at UC Davis (25-27, 11-16 BW). Long Beach State will head to Oregon State for a three-game series against the No. 7 Beavers (38-13).
Big West Baseball Schedule
National Attention
Four Big West teams are featured on the national rankings of several publications.
UC Irvine is nationally ranked 12th by D1Baseball, 12th by USA Today Coaches, 12th by Baseball America, 12th by Perfect Game and 13th by NCBWA.
Cal Poly is receiving votes in the NCBWA poll.
Hawai‘i is receiving votes in the NCBWA poll.
UC Santa Barbara is receiving votes in the NCBWA poll.
• D1Baseball
• NCBWA
• Baseball America
• Perfect Game
• USA Today Coaches
2025 Big West Baseball Championship, presented by Ontario International Airport
For the first time in 27 years, The Big West will have a conference championship. The league’s top five teams will advance to the Big West Baseball Championship May 21-24 at Cal State Fullerton's Goodwin Field, with the winner earning an automatic berth in the NCAA Championship. The No. 4 and No. 5 seeds will play in a single-elimination game on Wednesday, May 21. From there, the winner will play No. 1 seed, while No. 2 and No. 3 seeds face each other in a double elimination bracket.
Big West Baseball Championship Box Office
Preseason Poll & Team
UC Santa Barbara has been picked to win The Big West, according to a poll of the conference’s 11 head coaches. It is the third year in a row that the Gauchos have been selected as the favorites in February.
UC Santa Barbara earned nine of the 11 first-place votes to total 99 points. The Gauchos, winners of three of the last five Big West titles (2019, 2022, 2024) under 14th-year head coach Andrew Checketts, finished 2024 with a 44-14 overall record and won the conference crown with a 26-4 league mark to earn the right to host the regional round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time on campus. UC Santa Barbara is expected to compete nationally this season, appearing on several media outlets’ preseason NCAA rankings (22nd by D1Baseball, 22nd by USA Today, 22nd by NCBWA, 23rd by Baseball America, 24th by Perfect Game).
The Big West coaches also voted on an 11-player preseason team and the Gauchos had three representatives in junior right-handed pitcher Tyler Bremner, sophomore right-handed pitcher Jackson Flora and sophomore right-handed pitcher Cole Tryba.
Bremner was an All-Big West First Team and an All-American according to three outlets (ABCA, NCBWA, Perfect Game). The San Diego, Calif. product went 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA, striking out 104 batters in 88.2 innings pitched. With expectations for a repeat performance, Bremner’s name is also featured on numerous outlets’ preseason All-America teams including D1Baseball (First Team), Perfect Game (First Team) and Baseball America (First Team).
Tryba was an All-Big West Honorable Mention selection in 2024 with three saves, a 3.64 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 47.0 innings on the mound. Tryba is anticipated to produce on a national level and was named a Preseason All-American by D1Baseball.
Flora was an All-Big West Honorable Mention selection last season with a 3.83 ERA, 40 strikeouts and five saves in 47.0 innings of work on the hill.
Outside of the trio that made the preseason team, UC Santa Barbara’s pitching is reinforced by the return of junior left-handed pitcher Hudson Barrett who was an All-America Third Team, Freshman All-America First Team, All-Big West First Team and Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year selection in 2023 with a 1.92 ERA and 82 strikeouts on 61.0 innings pitched. LeTrey McCollum is the top returning hitter for the Gauchos, after slashing .320/.383/.400 with 33 runs, 14 RBI and 10 stolen bases last season.
UC Irvine is second in the poll with 89 points and received the remaining two first-place votes. Last year, the Anteaters went 45-14 for all games, placed second in the conference with a 22-8 league mark and earned a trip to the regional round of the NCAA Tournament. UC Irvine joins the Gauchos in the preseason national polls, being rated No. 24 by Baseball America and receiving votes by USA Today and NCBWA. UC Irvine head coach Ben Orloff begins a seventh season in charge at the alma mater.
The Anteaters took two spots on the Big West preseason team with junior first baseman Anthony Martinez and sophomore left-handed pitcher Ricky Ojeda.
Martinez was an All-Big West First Team member slashing .316/.422/.492 with 18 doubles, nine home runs, 54 runs and a UCI single-season record 74 RBI. The Anteater first baseman is a Third Team Preseason All-American according to D1Baseball, Baseball America and Perfect Game.
Ojeda was an All-Big West First Team honoree and Freshman All-American by NCBWA and D1Baseball last season. The lefty made 25 relief appearances for 52.0 innings and recorded a 6-1 record, one save, a 3.46 ERA and 74 strikeouts.
Excluding the two on the preseason team, the Anteaters also bring back Will Bermudez, an All-Big West Second Team member a year ago after recording a slash line of .301/.420/.447 with 43 runs, 12 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 48 RBI.
Cal Poly was picked third with 79 points. The Mustangs were tied for third in last year's standings with a 20-10 conference record, 35-22 overall.
Two Mustangs were placed on the preseason team in sophomore infielder Alejandro Garza and sophomore right-handed pitcher Griffin Naess. The second-year pair were last season’s Big West Freshman Field Player of the Year and Freshman Pitcher of the Year, respectively. Garza appeared in 56 games with 52 starts as a rookie and batted .346 with 28 RBI and 27 runs. Naess had an undefeated pitching record on the mound (7-0) in 15 appearances, 12 starts, with a 3.58 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. The Mustang freshman hurler compiled 62 strikeouts in 73.0 innings of work.
Outside of Garza and Naess, Larry Lee, the league’s longest-tenured head coach with 23 seasons at the reigns, returns two 2024 All-Big West honorees in redshirt senior infielder Ryan Fenn (.325/.362/.461, 43 R, 43 RBI, 10 SB) and redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Tanner Sagouspe (4-2, 9 SV, 3.23 ERA, 47.1 IP, 54 K).
Hawai’i was predicted for fourth with points. The Rainbow Warriors were tied for third in with a 20-10 league mark, 37-16 for the season. Senior Jordan Donahue earned a spot on the preseason team. Last year, the Rainbow Warrior shortstop hit .349 with 30 RBIs to go along with 17 doubles, 43 runs scored and 10 stolen bases en route to an All-Big West Second Team selection.
Two 2024 All-Big West honorees in sophomore third baseman Elijah Ickes (36 R, 28 RBI) and junior outfielder Matthew Miura (.303/.427/.410, 49 R, 41 RBI) also return for fourth-year skipper Rich Hill. The Hawai'i head coach enters a 38th season overall in the NCAA (1998-93 at Cal Lutheran, 1994-98 at San Francisco, 1999-2021 at San Diego).
Entering its inaugural year of being a full-fledged Division I and Big West member, UC San Diego was selected to finish fifth with 63 points. The Tritons were fifth last season with a 17-13 league record, 30-23 overall. Graduate catcher Emiliano Gonzalez earns a spot on the preseason team. The UCSD backstop hit .317 with 10 doubles, 6 home runs, 46 RBI and 30 runs.
Bolstering the Triton lineup for 13th year head coach Eric Newman are sophomore utility Anthony Potestio (.318/.395/.439, 20 R, 20 RBI), sophomore outfielder Michael Crossland (.292/.393/.433, 37 R, 26 RBI) and junior outfielder Patrick Hackworth (2023 All-Big West Honorable Mention).
CSUN (50), UC Davis (25), Cal State Fullerton (36), Long Beach State (36), Cal State Bakersfield (18) and UC Riverside (12) round out the poll.
CSUN finished above .500 in league play last season at 16-14 and were 30-24 overall. Third-year head coach Eddie Cornejo looks to build on the momentum and brings back sophomore outfielder Jarren Sanderson who slashed .312/.385/.435 with 26 runs and 31 RBI last season.
UC Davis senior left-handed pitcher Bryan Green, an All-Big West Honorable Mention selection in 2024 with a 3.86 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 63.0 innings of work, was placed on the preseason team. For fourth-year head coach Tommy Nicholson, senior right-handed pitcher Carter Delaney reinforces the Aggie pitching staff, coming off an All-Big West Honorable Mention season with a 5-3 record, 2.23 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 44.1 innings pitched.
Cal State Fullerton, the hosts for the returning Big West Baseball Championship, and fourth-year skipper Jason Dietrich bring back two of its top hitters in Eli Lopez (.300/.406/.415, 32 R, 19 RBI) and Maddox Latta (29 R, 31 RBI).
Long Beach State junior right-handed pitcher Kellan Montgomery fills out the preseason team. Montgomery had a 3.95 ERA with 73 strikeouts in 86.2 innings pitched last season. The Beach return Kyle Ashworth (45 R, 27 RBI) an All-Big West Honorable Mention selection a year ago.
There will be two new head coaches in the league at the helm of the Cal State Bakersfield and Long Beach State programs. The Roadrunners have hired Jordon Banfield as its new baseball head coach. The Beach have tabbed TJ Bruce as their new skipper. Banfield spent the previous four seasons as the head coach at Oakland. Bruce was the associate head coach at TCU for the previous two seasons.
History of Big West at College World Series
The Big West has sent at least one team to the Men’s College World Series in 21 seasons, including a stretch of eight consecutive years from 1988-95 and four in a row from 2014-17. Four current members have represented The Big West at the MCWS - Cal State Fullerton (1975, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2015, 2017), Long Beach State (1989, 1991, 1993, 1998), UC Irvine (2007, 2014) and UC Santa Barbara (2016).
In 2007, CSUF and UCI played in the longest game in MCWS history - a five-hour-and-40-minute marathon that lasted 13 innings and ended in a 5-4 Anteater victory. The Big West has won two national titles, both by the Titans, in 1995 and 2004.
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