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What 2 Watch 4
Conference play is here!
The first week of conference play is highlighted by the matchup of CSUN at UC Irvine. CSUN is 7-5 and leads the conference with 25 home runs, while UC Irvine (8-5) has a team ERA of 3.88. Another series to look out for is Cal Poly at Hawai‘i (8-4). The Rainbow Warriors have the second-best team ERA in the conference at 2.54, while the Mustangs, picked second in the preseason poll, are looking to correct course after getting swept by USC last week.
The other matchups in the first week of conference play are UC Davis at UC Riverside, Long Beach State at UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Fullerton at Cal State Bakersfield.
Big West Baseball Schedule
Around the Horn
UC Santa Barbara is 9-2 on the year. The Gauchos are ranked No. 22 by Perfect Game and receiving votes in the NCBWA and USA Today polls. After going 1-2 against No. 20 Southern Miss, UCSB has not lost a game, sweeping Portland and Utah in three-game series and defeating LMU twice in the mid-week matchup. Nick Husovsky has five home runs for 14 RBI and 12 runs to lead the Gauchos. Rowan Kelly (.383 BA, 5 RBI, 15 R) and Cade Goldstein (.368, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 10 R) are also top hitters for UCSB. Ace Jackson Flora is 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 18.0 innings. Flora is backed by starters Nathan Aceves (2-0, 2.65 ERA, 21 K, 17.0 IP) and Kellan Montgomery (2-0, 3.32 ERA, 19.0 IP), and reliever Chase Hoover (2 SV, 1.50 ERA, 14 K, 12.0 IP).
Hawai‘i has an 8-4 record so far this season. The Rainbow Warriors have a team ERA of 2.54, led by three starters in Hekili Robello (3-0, 0.95 ERA, 24 K, 19.0 IP), Liam O’Brien (1-1, 2.35 ERA, 15.1 IP) and Isaiah Magdaleno (1-0, 2.79 ERA, 25 K, 19.1 P). Elijah Ickes (.333 BA, 3 RBI, 10 R) and Ben Zeigler-Namoa (.302 BA, 12 RBI, 6 R) are the top hitters for Hawai‘i.
UC Irvine has started the season with an 8-5 record. Alonso Reyes is batting .395 with 11 RBI for the ‘Eaters. Zach Fjelstad is hitting .370 with nine RBI and 11 runs scored. Starters Trevor Hansen (3-0, 2.79 ERA, 25 K, 19.1 IP) and Ricky Ojeda (1-1, 3.38 ERA, 16.0 IP) lead the UCI pitching staff, backed up by bullpen arms of Ryder Brooks (1.93 ERA, 14.0 IP, 14K), Hunter Manning (0.00 ERA, 9 K, 5.0 IP), Tyler Foster (1.23 ERA, 7.1 IP) and Dane Grant (1.29 ERA, 10 K, 7.0 IP).
CSUN is off to a 7-5 record in 2026. The Matadors have 25 home runs to lead the league, led by Matthew Thomas (.372 BA, 7 HR, 13 RBI, 18 R), Klye Panganiban (.311 BA, 5 HR, 15 RBI, 12 R) and Matthew Pena (6 HR, 13 RBI, 10 R).
Cal Poly is led by ace Griffin Naess (0.96 ERA, 25 K, 18.2 IP) on the mound. Alejandro Garza (.314 BA, 9 RBI, 10 R) and Nate Castellon (.308 BA, 3 RBI, 12 R) are the top hitters for the Mustangs.
UC Davis bullpen arm Rowen Barnes (6.2 IP) has a 0.00 ERA so far this season. Tyler Howard (.308 BA, 5 RBI, 13 R) and Evan Gentil (.306 BA, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 5 R) are the top hitters for the Aggies.
Gabe Camacho (4 HR, 10 RBI) and Trevin Martinez (10 RBI) are the offensive catalysts for UC San Diego. Devon King has come out of the bullpen with a 0.00 ERA and nine strikeouts in 8.0 innings.
Cal State Bakersfield has scored 103 runs this season, the most in the conference. The Runners have three hitters above .300 with Evan Cloyd (.417 BA, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 12 R), Elgin Bennett (.394 BA, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 9 R) and Kanoa Morisaki (.360 BA, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 10 R). Jacob May leads the team in runs scored with 14.
Cal State Fullerton ace Mikiah Negrete is 2-1 with a 1.08 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 16.2 innings this season. Ty Thomas (.302 BA, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R)leads the Titans’ lineup in batting average, home runs and RBI.
Two batters for Long Beach State are hitting above .300 with Jake Evans (.353 BA, 4 RBI, 7 R), Trevor Goldenetz (.341 BA, 4 RBI, 7 R), while Dylan Lina leads the team with three home runs and 16 RBI, and Camden Gasser has 12 runs scored. Ace Luke Howe (2-0, 2.45 ERA, 18.1 IP) has buoyed the pitching staff so far this season.
UC Riverside has three hitters above the .300 mark in Evan Chavez (.333 BA, 3 RBI, 6 R), Esteban Sepulveda (.323 BA, 9 RBI, 6 R) and Manoah Chapman (.310 BA, 7 RBI, 7 R).
National Attention
UC Santa Barbara is ranked 22nd by Perfect Game and receiving votes by USA Today and the NCBWA.
UC Irvine is receiving votes by NCBWA, Perfect Game and NCBWA.
• D1Baseball
• NCBWA
• Baseball America
• Perfect Game
• USA Today Coaches
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 fourth year in a row that the Gauchos have been selected as the preseason favorites in February.
UC Santa Barbara earned five of the 11 first-place votes to total 95 points. The Gauchos have won three of the last six awarded Big West regular-season titles (2019, 2022, 2024) and have appeared in the NCAA Tournament four times (2019, 2021, 2022, 2024) during that span. In 2025, UC Santa Barbara tied for fourth in the league standings with a 16-14 conference mark, going 36-18 overall. The Gauchos qualified for The Big West Championship and were eliminated in the opening round. UC Santa Barbara is expected to compete nationally this season, coming in at No. 21 in Perfect Game’s preseason rankings and receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll.
The Big West coaches also voted on an 11-player preseason team and the Gauchos had a representative in junior right-handed pitcher Jackson Flora. A reigning All-Big West First Team member, Flora went 6-3 with a 3.60 ERA and 86 strikeouts over 75.0 innings in 2025.
Cal Poly came in second in the poll, receiving five first-place votes for 89 points. Last year, the Mustangs went overall 43-19 overall and finished second in the conference regular-season with a 23-7 mark. The Mustangs won the revived Big West Championship and earned the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The Mustangs took two spots on the preseason team with junior third baseman Alejandro Garza and junior left-handed pitcher Griffin Naess. Garza is a two-time All-Big West First Team honoree and hit .351 with 54 RBI and 57 runs last year. Naess was Cal Poly’s ace in 2025, going 7-3 with a 3.41 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 95.0 innings of work.
The final remaining first-place vote went to UC Irvine, predicted for third in the poll with 86 points. The Anteaters are the reigning Big West regular-season champion with a 24-6 conference record, going 43-17 overall. UC Irvine was the runner-up in the 2025 Big West Baseball Championship but did well enough to receive an at-large bid to the national tournament. The Anteaters are receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll.
The Anteaters had two representatives on the Big West preseason team with junior right-handed pitcher Trevor Hansen and junior left-handed pitcher Ricky Ojeda. Both were All-Big West First Team selections in 2025. Hansen went 9-3 with a 3.30 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 95.1 innings. Ojeda was 13-1 with a 3.55 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 66.0 innings.
Cal State Fullerton and Hawai‘i tied for fourth in the poll with 67 points. Last season, the Titans were third in the regular season after going 19-11 in league play, 29-27 overall, while the Rainbow Warriors were tied for fourth with a 16-14 conference mark and 35-21 overall. Cal State Fullerton is receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll.
Titan outfielder/first baseman Andrew Kirchner was named to the preseason team after hitting .301 with 12 home runs, 70 RBI and 38 runs en route to All-Big West Second Team honors in 2025.
Hawai‘i had three on the preseason team with junior infielder Elijah Ickes, junior right-handed pitcher Isaiah Magdaleno and graduate outfielder/infielder Ben Zeigler-Namoa. Ickes batted .303 with six stolen bases, 21 RBI and 27 runs in limited action last year. Magdaleno went 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 60.0 innings pitched for All-Big West First Team honors. Zeigler-Namoa was a 2025 All-Big West Second Team member with a .333 batting average, 54 runs and 41 RBI.
UC San Diego was selected to finish sixth with 60 points. The Tritons were sixth last season with a 15-15 league record, 26-25 overall. Senior infielder J.C. Allen and junior outfielder Michael Crossland earned spots on the preseason team. In 2025, Allen earned All-Big West First Team distinction hitting .304 with 14 home runs, 53 RBI and 56 runs. Crossland was also an All-Big West First Team selection last season with a .341 batting average, 15 home runs, six stolen bases, 44 RBI and 49 runs.
Long Beach State (41), UC Davis (40), CSUN (25), Cal State Bakersfield (22) and UC Riverside (13) round out the poll.
The 2026 Big West conference schedule consists of a 30-game slate, with each side facing all 10 opponents in three-game sets starting Friday, March 6. Check listings to see which contests air on ESPN+.
The Big West’s top five teams will advance to the 2026 Big West Baseball Championship, May 20-24 at UC Irvine’s Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark, with the winner earning an automatic berth in the NCAA Championship.
Big West Baseball Championship
The league’s top five teams will advance to the 2026 Big West Baseball Championship May 20-24 at UC Irvine's Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark, with the winner earning an automatic berth in the NCAA Championship.
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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