Cal Poly heads to Big West tourney as No. 2 seed. Can they repeat last year’s magic?
A year ago, Cal Poly baseball celebrated its first-ever Big West Championship, a title that sent the Mustangs to the NCAA Eugene Regional, where they made their first national appearance since 2014.
Now, Cal Poly (22-8, 33-21 overall) heads to UC Irvine with the same goal and a familiar seed, looking to do it all over again.
The Big West co-champs are on the way to Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark for the 2026 Big West Championships. Cal Poly baseball holds the No. 2 seed despite sharing a piece of the regular-season title with UC Santa Barbara.
The Gauchos’ series sweep over the Mustangs back in April gave them the tiebreaker for the No. 1 spot, and it’s the second year in a row that Cal Poly enters the tournament at No. 2.
Standing in Cal Poly’s way first is No. 3-seeded UC San Diego (18-12, 24-26), a team the Mustangs took the series from back in April.
The Mustangs nearly swept the three games in La Jolla, taking the first two 11-3 and 5-3 before dropping the final matchup in a 16-15 shootout.
The tournament follows a double-elimination format, and winning the Big West title would give Cal Poly an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
In a double-elimination tournament, bullpen reliability becomes one of the most critical factors heading into the week, especially as teams navigate quick turnarounds and no days off.
Falling into the loser’s bracket can make that challenge even harder. That forces teams to navigate a longer path to the title while stretching their bullpen across multiple elimination games.
The ideal scenario for the Mustangs would be a three-game series with the championship clinched by Saturday. But as last year proved, a single loss could stretch things to five games including a doubleheader on Saturday, putting far greater demands on the bullpen.
Earlier this season, Lee didn’t shy away from the concern, noting that “some pitchers haven’t been as consistent as they once were.”
“We need as many pieces in the bullpen as we can get because there won’t be just a three-game series; it might be a five-game series,” Lee said.
Griffin Naess has held the No. 1 slot in the rotation all season, and there is little doubt he will take the mound to open the tournament against UC San Diego.
Naess told the Tribune it hasn’t been his “greatest” season, but said the lineup has consistently picked him up with its offensive production to overcome the runs he’s allowed this year.
Cal Poly’s lineup carries the pressure
If there’s one thing keeping Cal Poly near the top of the conference standings, it’s the lineup. The Mustangs have been the Big West’s most dangerous offense, ranking No. 1 in the conference at the plate.
Ryan Tayman is the driving force behind that offense, tied with UC San Diego’s Gabe Camacho for the Big West lead with 16 home runs this season.
Batting .357, Tayman is the “total package,” Lee says. He ranks in the top three in nearly every offensive category, and his impact extends beyond the batter’s box.
Behind the plate, he has been equally impressive. He leads the conference in caught stealing (17), putouts (451) and total chances (507).
With Alejandro Garza and Nate Castellon producing throughout the order, Cal Poly is one of the teams that has made it difficult for opposing pitchers to find a break. Lee said the threat doesn’t stop at the top or middle of the lineup — but runs from top to bottom.
“We can put stress on the pitcher where he knows everybody is capable of doing some damage,” Lee said. “If you have runners on base, especially runners in scoring position, then a pitcher’s throws are more stressful, more mentally and physically.”
With confidence in his lineup heading into the tournament, Lee also acknowledged that his hitters must remain consistent regardless of the pitcher they face.
“We need to be able to hit (against) the high-end pitchers,” Lee said.
Flora presents possible title-game obstacle
Standing in the way is UC Santa Barbara’s Jackson Flora, one of the toughest arms in the conference.
The Gauchos are the only Big West team to sweep Cal Poly this season, with Flora throwing a complete game shutout in the opening game of that series in April.
Boasting a 1.03 ERA and considered one of the top prospects in the 2026 MLB Draft, Flora is a formidable obstacle. If the bracket plays out as seeded, a Blue-Green rivalry matchup could determine who takes home the Big West Championship title.
Santa Barbara enters the tournament with one of the toughest pitching staffs in the country, ranked No. 4 nationally with a 3.45 team ERA.
With a tournament that could stretch into a five-game series, how and when UCSB deploys Flora will be worth watching.
Last year, Cal Poly started Naess in the opening game, and he never returned to the mound despite the Mustangs playing five games.
Will Flora get the ball early, or will the Gauchos manage his arm with an eye toward tougher matchups later in the week?
For Cal Poly, the formula is familiar. The Mustangs won the Big West from the No. 2 seed a year ago behind timely offense, enough pitching depth and a lineup that refused to go quiet.
To do it again, they will need all three to hold up one more time.
“A lot of the guys are returners, so they’ve already experienced (the Big West tournament),” Naess said. “I think the freshmen this year are built for it. They’ve been in high-leverage situations, so I think we’re just gonna go out there and just be us.”
Tournament schedule and how to watch
The tournament opens with an elimination game between No. 4 Hawaii (16-14, 27-22) and No. 5 Cal State Fullerton (15-15, 23-30) at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
The winner of that game plays No. 1 seed UCSB (22-8, 37-16) at 1 p.m. on Thursday while Cal Poly hosts the nightcap at 6 p.m. against UC San Diego.
All games will be livestreamed on ESPN+.