After walk-off win, Cal Poly’s NCAA run ends in blowout loss to Arizona

Cal Poly’s postseason run came to an end in decisive fashion Sunday after a historic stretch that included winning the Big West Championship, advancing to the Eugene Regional and winning two games, including a dramatic extra-inning walk-off in the early game.

Cal Poly started the day against Utah Valley in a must-win game as both teams looked to earn a rematch with No. 2 Arizona later that night.

Zach Daudet played the hero for the Mustangs, launching a walk-off solo shot in the 11th inning to lift Cal Poly to a thrilling 7-6 victory and send them into a championship match-up against the Wildcats.

Arizona had dominated Utah Valley 14-4 just the night before, knocking the Wolverines in the elimination bracket against Cal Poly after the Mustangs eliminated No. 1 Oregon.

After a grand slam from Landon Frei gave Utah Valley a 4-1 lead in the third inning, it looked like momentum had swung away from the Mustangs.

But Cal Poly responded with a five-run outburst in the fourth to take a 6-4 lead, batting around and chasing Utah Valley starter Jacob Heppner from the game.

Cam Hoiland homered to start the rally, before Ryan Fenn singled in a run, another scored on a balk, and Nate Castellon capped the inning with a two-run double.

But the Wolverines didn’t go quietly.

A solo homer from Dominic Longo II and an RBI double from Jayden Smith tied the game in the seventh 6-6, setting the stage for a tense, extra-innings showdown before Daudet ended it for Cal Poly to advance to the final.

Cal Poly pitching breaks down against Arizona

On Friday, Arizona stunned Cal Poly in the opening game of the Eugene Regional when both teams were fresh and everything was still on the table.

But with back-to-back games and four contests in just three days, the Mustangs began to feel the wear and tear, especially in the bullpen, where a lack of fresh arms proved costly.

Arizona, rested and reloaded, capitalized on its advantage and ended Cal Poly’s remarkable postseason run two wins short of a Super Regional berth 14-0.

Playing in its fourth game of the regional, Cal Poly’s bullpen was depleted, and the Mustangs didn’t have enough fresh arms left to pull off the four-game sweep that would have been needed to with the Eugene Regional.

That showed early as Arizona put up five runs in the first inning alone, setting the tone for the rest of the game.

“We’re not built for fourth and fifth games of a regional weekend, so we give credit to (Arizona),” Head Coach Larry Lee said in an in-game interview. “Pitching-wise, we’re just really thin, so we’re just trying to shorten the game, trying to get outs.”

A two-run homer from Aaron Walton sparked an early surge for the Wildcats, the first of three home runs he’d launch in the game. Arizona poured on three more runs in the opening frame, and Cal Poly’s offense struggled to respond as the deficit grew.

Ethan Marmie started on the mound but was pulled with none out in the second inning after allowing six runs.

The Mustangs turned to Josh Morano, who had pitched the day before.

Walton wasted no time adding to the damage, launching his second two-run homer of the night in the second inning. Arizona kept its foot on the gas, with Maddox Mihalakis joining the home run parade to stretch the lead to 8-0.

In their first meeting, Cal Poly outhit Arizona 10-2 but still came up short on the scoreboard. This time around, it was the complete opposite. The Wildcats flipped the script with an offensive explosion, capitalizing on nearly every scoring opportunity.

Home runs just kept flying off Arizona bats, and the deficit only deepened for the Mustangs. Walton crushed his third of the night in the sixth, another two-run shot that brought in Easton Breyfogle and pushed the lead to 10-0.

The Wildcats weren’t finished. They added two more two-run blasts in the seventh and eighth innings. What started as a fast lead turned into a full-on rout, as Arizona’s relentless offense left no room for a Mustang rally.

Arizona now advances to the Super Regionals, joining 15 other regional champions.

Despite the loss, Cal Poly’s postseason run was one for the history books.

The Mustangs captured their first-ever Big West Championships title, earned their first NCAA Regional win since 2014 and eliminated both host Oregon and Utah Valley on the national stage.

Along the way, Lee reached a major milestone, securing his 700th career win, placing him among the top active coaches in Division I baseball.

This story was originally published June 1, 2025 at 11:52 PM.