Cal Poly baseball’s postseason run caps historic year for Cal Poly sports

Cal Poly baseball is on the verge of something the program has never seen before.

The Mustangs made history last weekend, winning an NCAA Regional for the first time ever to punch their ticket to the Super Regionals.

And on Wednesday, the unranked Mustangs arrived in Morgantown, West Virginia, to take on the No. 16 Mountaineers for a third win-or-go-home weekend where everything is on the line.

The Super Regional appearance is more than a baseball milestone. It is a measuring point for Cal Poly athletics.

For years, the Mustangs have built their identity around Big West success, but national breakthroughs have been harder to come by.

This year, that narrative has started to change.

Volleyball reached the Sweet 16 after an upset against USC. Beach volleyball advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals. And now baseball is two wins away from the College World Series.

The question now is no longer whether Cal Poly can win in its conference. It is whether the Mustangs are beginning to belong on a bigger stage.

Cal Poly president cheers baseball team’s run, salutes coach

With a trip to Omaha within reach, Cal Poly baseball has already placed itself in the middle of one of the most significant athletic moments in school history.

“Cal Poly going to the Super Regionals is one of the most amazing achievements ever for baseball,” Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong told The Tribune. “And it’s one of the top ones for Cal Poly Athletics.”

Armstrong said the Super Regional run pushes the university’s visibility beyond what an NCAA Regional appearance can provide, and he has already seen the baseball team’s run introduce Cal Poly to people outside of California.

“I have some friends and colleagues who are deeply connected to West Virginia,” Armstrong said. “And I can tell you directly, they’re talking more about Cal Poly because of the baseball team.”

For 24 years, Head Coach Larry Lee has been at the helm of the Cal Poly baseball program. He’s reached the Regionals five times, but until this year, Lee has never made it out of the first round.

Two and a half decades of building a program, developing players and grinding through the margins of the postseason have now led Lee and the Mustangs to the doorstep of Omaha.

But before Cal Poly ever reached this stage, Lee had already built the standard that carried the Mustangs here.

“Larry’s about getting the job done, being the best you can in every moment, every pitch,” Armstrong said. “He is just steady and excellent. We’re blessed to have one of the best baseball coaches in the NCAA.”

The breakthrough was personal for a roster that understood how long Lee had been chasing this moment.

“It means a lot,” Gavin Spiridonoff said postgame after winning the Los Angeles Regional. “(Coach Lee) has been here forever, giving everything he has to this program. To get him to a Super Regional for the first time means so much to our team.”

What’s behind Cal Poly’s athletic success

Contributing to Cal Poly’s athletic rise over the last decade have been factors like improved facilities, increased donor support and more resources invested into student-athletes.

In 2020, Cal Poly completed the Dignity Health Baseball Clubhouse, providing the program with a facility that has since become important for recruiting and player development.

And on Saturday, Cal Poly is set to unveil the John Madden Football Center, bringing a state-of-the-art training facility to that program.

With more investment in student-athletes, upgrades like those can translate into real competitive results.

The university has seen just that in its last few years of Big West performance.

Cal Poly won its second Commissioner’s Cup in three seasons this year, which goes to the Big West program with the most combined success across all sports, totaling a record 163.3 points. The Mustangs also claimed 11 Big West championships this academic year alone.

“Our donors, our alumni, members of our local community, have stepped up to support sport after sport,” Armstrong said. “That combination of factors has really been a driver.”

That support extends beyond the local community. As Cal Poly baseball prepares for the biggest series in program history, one of their own came through.

Former Mustang and major league pitcher Bryan Woo donated cleats and shoes to the entire team ahead of their Super Regional matchup in Morgantown, a gesture that shows the program’s reach is growing right along with its success.

How Cal Poly matches up against West Virginia

Cal Poly (39-22) opens the Morgantown Super Regional on Friday at 9 a.m. in a best-of-three series against West Virginia (43-15) at Kendrick Family Ballpark at the Monongalia County Baseball Complex.

The Mountaineers are expected to start Maxx Yehl, one of the top pitchers in the country.

Yehl is coming off a Big 12 Pitcher of the Year award and enters with an 8-2 record, 101 strikeouts and a 2.12 ERA, which ranks seventh nationally.

But dealing with elite pitching is nothing new for Cal Poly.

The Mustangs have already faced two of the best arms in college baseball this season in UC Santa Barbara’s Jackson Flora and USC’s Mason Edwards, who rank first and second nationally in ERA. Flora leads the country with a 1.06 ERA, while Edwards sits right behind him at 1.85.

For a lineup that has already seen top-end pitching, Yehl presents another challenge, but not an unfamiliar one.

Cal Poly is expected to turn to Griffin Naess on Friday, continuing the role he has held throughout the postseason.

Naess is 8-4 on the season with a 4.0 ERA and 96 strikeouts.

Naess started the opening game of the Big West Championships and the Los Angeles Regional, where he allowed just one earned run against Virginia Tech.

His start in Morgantown would come with the same responsibility he’s held all season: Quiet West Virginia’s lineup long enough for Cal Poly to settle into the moment.

Offensively, the Mountaineers are led by junior catcher Gavin Kelly, who’s hitting .381 with 16 home runs and 56 RBIs.

They have four regulars who are hitting above. 300, including speedy utility player Armani Guzman, who’s stolen 36 bases in 39 attempts.

The running game could become a factor, as the Mountaineers also have speed in the outfield with Paul Schoenfeld, who is 23 for 29 in stolen bases.

For its part, Cal Poly also boasts a top hitting catcher in junior Arroyo Grande High School alum Ryan Tayman, who’s hitting .362 with 18 home runs and 56 RBIs.

Even better than the Mountaineers, the Mustangs have five .300 hitters.

Sophomore shortstop Nate Castellon is hitting .328 while junior third baseman Alejandro Garza is right behind him at .325.

Friday’s game starts at 9 a.m. and will stream on ESPN2. Cal Poly is also planning a watch party at the Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex on campus.

Saturday’s game will be at 9 a.m. as well, followed by a winner-take-all game on Sunday if necessary.

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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 5:44 PM.