Cal Poly, the 2026 Big West Championship winners and regular-season co-champions, showcased their prowess by defeating Virginia Tech 6-2 in the Los Angeles regional opener of the NCAA Baseball Championship. The game took place at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium, marking a significant win for the Mustangs.
Game Highlights
Cal Poly’s starting pitcher, Griffin Naess, delivered an impressive performance, improving his season record to 8-4. He pitched for seven innings, allowing five hits and three walks, resulting in two runs, one of which was earned, while striking out nine batters. Closer Nick Bonn secured the win with a program-record 16th save, pitching the final 1.1 innings.
Center fielder Casey Murray Jr. was a standout player, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs and one run. Left fielder Dante Vachini also contributed significantly, going 3-for-4 with one RBI and one run. Other notable performances included catcher Ryan Tayman and second baseman Jake Downing, who each recorded two hits and scored a run, while designated hitter Cam Hoiland added one RBI and two runs.
Scoring Breakdown
The Mustangs took an early lead with a 2-0 start in the second inning, thanks to RBIs from Gavin Spiridonoff and Vachini. Although Virginia Tech responded with a run in the bottom of the second, Cal Poly maintained their momentum, scoring one run in each of the following innings until the sixth. Hoiland’s home run in the third inning, Murray Jr.’s RBI single in the fourth, Garza’s ground out in the fifth, and another RBI from Murray Jr. in the sixth solidified their lead.
Virginia Tech managed to score another run in the seventh inning, narrowing the gap to 6-2, which remained the final score. In the eighth inning, with two Hokie runners on base, Bonn took the mound and efficiently retired four out of five batters, securing the Mustangs’ victory.
Cal Poly, now 37-22 overall, will advance to face Saint Mary’s on Saturday, May 30, at 6 p.m. PT. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech, with a 30-25 record, will compete against the No. 1 national seed and host UCLA on the same day.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
