Cal Poly gets blasted by Irvine at Big West Championship

FULLERTON, Calif. - UC Irvine defeated Cal Poly by a final score of 15-3 in seven innings to advance to the title game of the 2025 Big West Baseball Championship, Friday at Goodwin Field.

The Anteaters (41-13) secured the win with back-to-back six-run innings in the fourth and fifth, showcasing their offensive strength. UCI tallied 15 hits, including two home runs, while holding Cal Poly (38-17) to three runs on 10 hits. Blake Penso tallied five RBIs, while Jacob McCombs recorded four RBIs and a home run. Anthony Martinez excelled at the plate, leading the team with 3 hits and driving in 2 runs. Anteater starter Trevor Hansen improved to 9-2 on the year with giving up three runs on 6.0 innings of work, recording six strikeouts.

The Mustangs recorded 10 hits of their own, with Ryan Fenn and Nate Castellon accounting two each.

UC Irvine started off with two runs in the opening frame, with McCombs and Chase Call driving in one run apiece. A Cal Poly fielding error in the third inning increased the Anteaters' lead to 3-0.

A RBI from Colin Yeaman, three-run home run from McCombs and a two-run bomb from Blake Penso in the fourth inning gave UCI a 9-0 advantage. In the fifth inning Martinez hit a 2-RBI double, Penso drove in three runs and Alonso Reyes recorded an RBI single to make it 15-0 in favor of the Anteaters.

Cal Poly responded with three runs in the top of the sixth with Alejandro Garza, Casey Murray Jr. and Dylan Kordic getting one RBI each to account for the final score of the game.

(Article courtesy of Big West)