College notebook: Another walk-off victory for Cal Poly baseball team
For the second time this season, the Cal Poly baseball team walked off the field at Baggett Stadium in dramatic fashion.
Reserve junior Kevin Morgan hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning Tuesday night, sending the Mustangs to a 6-5 victory over Pepperdine in a nonconference matchup.
Morgan’s second hit of the game went through the right side and scored freshman shortstop Kyle Marinconz from second base. Marinconz and fellow freshman Alex McKenna each went 3-for-5 to lead the Mustangs offensively.
Cal Poly (7-2) also defeated Pacific last month via a walk-off single from freshman catcher Nick Meyer.
Sophomore right-hander Jarred Zill made his first start of the season Tuesday and scattered four his over five innings on the mound. He struck out eight and walked three.
Junior reliever Justin Calomeni was credited with his first win of the year. Cal Poly’s fourth pitcher of the game came on in the ninth and struck out the final two batters to seal the victory.
The Mustangs continue their 12-game homestand when they begin a three-game series at 6 p.m. Friday against San Francisco (2-8).
Hamilton signs with Portland Timbers
Former Cal Poly soccer standout Wade Hamilton signed a professional contract with the Portland Timbers of the MLS on Tuesday afternoon.
The two-time Big West Goalkeeper of the Year was one of three 2016 SuperDraft picks signed by Portland, joining midfielder Neco Brett and forward Ben Polk.
Hamilton, a three-time all-Big West selection, is the third goalkeeper on the Timbers’ roster behind Adam Kwarasey and Jake Gleeson.
Tuesday’s signings give Portland 27 players on its MLS roster, one shy of the league limit. The Timbers are scheduled to open the season Sunday at Providence Park in an MLS Cup rematch against the Columbus Crew.
Columbus drafted ex-Mustang Chase Minter with the first pick in the second round of this year’s draft.
Mustangs face tough road trip
The Cal Poly men’s basketball team closes out its Big West Conference regular season schedule with two road games this week.
The Mustangs (10-17, 4-10 Big West) will play second-place UC Irvine at 8:30 p.m. Thursday in a game that will be broadcast on ESPN3. When the Anteaters came to Mott Athletics Center last month, they needed overtime to escape with a 78-72 victory.
That loss was one of five straight setbacks for Cal Poly, which is 2-7 over its last nine games.
UC Irvine (22-8, 11-3) is led by junior guard Luke Nelson, who averages more than 13 points and four assists per contest. Center Mamadou Ndiaye, a 7-foot-6 junior, averages 12.6 points and 7.1 rebounds while shooting better than 66 percent from the field.
Then at 4 p.m. Saturday, the Mustangs will take on UC Santa Barbara in the second installment of the Blue-Green Rivalry. The Gauchos (15-12, 9-5) currently sit fourth in the conference standings, one game behind Long Beach State.
UC Santa Barbara senior Michael Bryson leads the Big West in scoring at 18.5 points per game. But when the two teams met Jan. 14, it was sophomore Gabe Vincent who poured in 27 points on 7-for-11 shooting from behind the 3-point line in a 76-73 victory.
Auproux named athlete of the week
Following a standout week on the court, Cal Poly junior Garrett Auproux was named the Big West Men’s Tennis Athlete of the Week on Wednesday afternoon.
A Studio City native, Auproux picked up two singles victories and a doubles win over the weekend, helping the Mustangs defeat Fresno State and Pacific.
It was the second time Auproux earned athlete of the week honors in his career. For the season, Auproux and doubles partner Tim Tan have won four matches together, while Auproux also has five dual-meet singles victories to his credit.
The Mustangs (5-6) host Sacramento State at 3 p.m. Thursday and San Francisco at noon Friday at Mustangs Courts.
This story was originally published March 2, 2016 at 12:26 PM with the headline "College notebook: Another walk-off victory for Cal Poly baseball team."