The Cal Poly softball team will host Long Beach State for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 18, and a single game on Sunday, April 19. Both games are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Cal Poly currently holds an overall record of 10-27 and is in eighth place in the Big West standings, trailing UC San Diego and CSUN by three games for the final spot in the upcoming Big West Championship.
This series is important as it could determine whether Cal Poly advances to the postseason tournament. Long Beach State enters the weekend with a record of 24-17 and sits third in the conference after sweeping previous leader UC Santa Barbara last weekend.
In their history against Long Beach State, Cal Poly trails in the all-time series, which began in 1978. The Mustangs’ last series win over Long Beach State came in 2022 at home, while their most recent sweep was achieved on the road in 2016.
Freshmen have played key roles for Cal Poly this season. First baseman Myleigh Cooper leads the team with a .370 batting average and has started every game this spring. Third baseman Leilani Allen follows closely with a .357 average and has reached base safely in her last 22 games. Outfielder A’Niyla Byrd has also contributed significantly during recent games.
Freshman Karina Choi broke Cal Poly’s single-season stolen base record by swiping her nineteenth bag earlier this month, surpassing Lisa Modglin’s mark set in 2005. In pitching, sophomore Bree Brennan leads the staff with six wins out of ten total victories for Cal Poly this season.
Head coach Jenny Condon stands close to another milestone as she approaches her five-hundredth career win. She is already recognized as both the winningest female head coach at Cal Poly and one of only six coaches to reach such numbers within Big West history.
Looking ahead, Cal Poly will travel to Hawai’i for its final regular season road series before Hawai’i departs from the Big West Conference.
