SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Just over one-third of the way into the 2025 season, the Sacramento State baseball team prepares to open its 24th season in the Western Athletic Conference with a three-game series this weekend at John Smith Field, welcoming UT Arlington to Northern California.
The Hornets and Mavericks kick-off their series on Friday (March 21) at 4 p.m., before a 2 p.m. first pitch scheduled for Saturday (March 22). The two then conclude their series at 1 p.m. on Sunday (March 23).
PLAY BALL!
WHAT: UT Arlington (6-11, 0-0 WAC) at Sacramento State (11-9, 0-0 WAC)
WHEN: Friday-Sunday, March 21-23, 2025
TIME: 4 PM (Fri.) / 2 PM (Sat.) / 1 PM (Sun.)
WHERE: Sacramento, Calif.
STADIUM: John Smith Field
FOLLOW:
Game 1: ESPN+ | WAC International | Live Stats
Game 2: WAC International | Live Stats
Game 3: WAC International | Live Stats
TICKETS: HornetSports.com
GAME NOTES: Sacramento State | UT Arlington | Western Athletic Conference
PROBABLE STARTERS
Game 1: RHP Caylon Dygert (3-2, 5.76 ERA) at RHP Evan Gibbons (2-1, 4.03 ERA)
Game 2: RHP Nicholas Robb (1-3, 4.91 ERA) at RHP Tyler Stewart (1-1, 3.86 ERA)
Game 3: RHP Joe Steeber (1-2, 6.16 ERA) at RHP Ethan Lay (1-0, 3.10 ERA)
WE'LL DO IT LIVE
• Friday's series opener will be streamed live on both the ESPN+ and WAC International platforms
• Saturday and Sunday's games will be shown on the WAC International platform only
• All three games will have live stats
• Links to all of the above are available on the baseball schedule page at HornetSports.com
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS
• UT Arlington enters the week with a 6-11 overall record and is coming off a series win over Little Rock (2-of-3) and a narrow 7-6 midweek defeat at No. 10 Oklahoma that saw the Mavericks tie the game on a home run in the top of the ninth after being down to their last strike
• Sporting a .500 record at home, UTA is just 1-6 on the road this season, having lost its last four dating back to an 8-2 win in the series opener at Louisiana-Monroe on March 7
• The Mavs are 4-1 in weekend series openers this year, winning their last three
• Junior infielder Tyce Armstrong leads the team in hitting with a .313 average, scoring 12 runs, slugging four home runs, and driving in 17
• UT Arlington is scheduled to throw RHP Caylon Dygert (3-2, 5.76 ERA) on Friday, RHP Nicholas Robb (1-3, 4.91 ERA) for game two on Saturday, and RHP Joe Steeber (1-2, 6.16 ERA) in the finale
SERIES NOTES
• This weekend marks the fourth Western Athletic Conference series between UT Arlington and Sacramento State since the Mavericks
• UTA leads the all-time series with the Hornets by a 6-3 count, but Sacramento State took 2-of-3 from the Mavericks last year in Arlington by sandwiching wins of 13-2 (7 inn.) and 7-5 around a 5-0 defeat in game two
• UT Arlington took 2-of-3 from the Hornets in Sacramento in 2023 after rejoining the league and swept a series in Northern California during its first stint in the WAC -- which lasted only one season -- in 2013
• Five of the nine meetings have been decided by two runs or fewer
WAC LID-LIFTERS
• Sacramento State enters its 24th season in the Western Athletic Conference -- and the 19th season since rejoining the league in 2006
• The Hornets open the conference slate at home for the 12th time in that span and the fifth time in the last nine years
• During UT Arlington's previous three seasons as members of the WAC, the Mavericks and Sacramento State have never opened conference play against one another
• The Hornets opened league play in 2024 by taking 2-of-3 from Utah Valley at home, winning the opener (4-3) and finale (10-3) around a game two loss (5-2)
• The series win was the team's first since 2021 when it swept a four-game series from the Wolverines in Orem, Utah
• The Hornets have won four of their last five series-opening games to kick-off WAC play
• Sacramento State is 11-11 in its previous 22 WAC-opening series dating back to 1993, sweeping three of those while being swept five times
ONE AWAY
• Head Coach Reggie Christiansen heads into this weekend's WAC opener needing only one league win to reach 200 conference triumphs in his career
• The 199 career conference wins are the most among current WAC head coaches
• It would be the latest milestone in a storied career for Christiansen, who picked up his 500th career Division I coaching win and coached in his 1,000 career game in 2024, while posting his 500th overall win as a head coach and his 400th win at Sacramento State in 2023
AS THE CROW FLIES
• Tuesday's game at Pacific was only the team's fifth road game of the year after Sacramento State had hosted 15 of the previous 19 games
• The Hornets have yet to leave the state of California for competition, having traveled a total of 780 round-trip miles for games at San Francisco (twice), Pacific (twice), and Fresno State
• The mileage accrued this year so far would be less than half of next weekend's one-way trip to Stephenville, Texas (1,663 miles), for a three-game series at conference rival Tarleton State
SCORE!
• Sacramento State's 13 runs scored at Pacific on Tuesday night marked the sixth time this season that the Hornets have put up double-digit runs, improving to 4-2 in those games
• The 13 runs were the most since they plated 14 runs against South Dakota State on Feb. 27
• Meanwhile, the six runs scored in the third inning against the Tigers are tied for the most in an inning this season, matching the six-run seventh against the Jackrabbits on Feb. 26
IT ONLY TAKES ONE
• At the other end of the spectrum, the Hornets have played to the slimmest of margins as of late as five of their last seven games -- and nine games overall -- have been decided by a single run, with Sacramento State finishing 4-3 in that stretch (5-4 overall)
• Another of the Hornets' outings have been decided by two runs (1-0 record) while four have been decided by three runs (1-3 record)
SO NICE, HE DID IT TWICE
• Cameron Sewell wasted little time in helping stake the Hornets to a substantial led on Tuesday at Pacific, slugging a pair of three-run home runs in his first two at-bats on the night
• It was the sophomore's first multi-homer game of the year and the third by a Hornet this year along with teammate Jakob Poturnak's performances against San Francisco (Feb. 15) and South Dakota State (Feb. 27)
• The six RBI for Sewell were a career high and rank tied for eighth on the school's single-game list, trailing Cesar Valero's record of 10 RBI against Houston Christian (then Houston Baptist) on March 4, 2022
YARD WORK
• Coupled with Sewell's two home runs, Luis Pimentel-Guerrero added his second long ball of the year in the fourth inning
• The three home runs for the Hornets tied the single-game season high, set at San Francisco (Feb. 17) and matched against South Dakota State (Feb. 27)
THESE HORNETS DIG THE LONG BALL
• Sacramento State has slugged 23 home runs through its first 20 games, ranking them No. 82 in the NCAA and second in the WAC behind Utah Valley (25) entering this weekend's series
• Overall the Hornets have homered in all but seven of their 20 games thus far this season, including multiple home runs in a game seven times
• Poturnak's team-high seven home runs -- which includes a pair of two-home run games against San Francisco (Feb. 15) and South Dakota State (Feb. 27) -- has him tied for No. 48 in the NCAA, just five off the lead of Alabama's Justin Lebron, East Tennessee State's Grant Gallagher, and Georgia's Ryland Zaborowski
• The Hornets slugged seven home runs in the series against South Dakota State -- the most since hitting seven in a three-game series at Seattle U on April 12-14 last season
• All but four of Sacramento State's 23 home runs this year have come in the fourth inning or later
• Nine of the Hornets' 23 home runs have been solo shots, seven have been two-run home runs, and six have been three-run blasts
• The only grand slam this year came off the bat of JP Smith at San Francisco on Feb. 17
LPG... OMG!
• Junior Luis Pimentel-Guerrero is in the midst of one of his best offensive stretches of the season, collecting multiple hits in four of his last five games, including the last three straight
• During that stretch, Pimentel-Guerrero is batting .450 (9-for-20), with five runs scored and 10 RBI, along with five extra-base hits -- including his first two home runs as a Hornet
• His seven RBI last week accounted for half of the team's 14 runs scored against Nevada, Fresno State, and Saint Mary's
• One of those nine hits was a walk-off single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth against the Gaels for a 4-3 win
• He now has eight multi-hit games on the year, trailing only teammate Poturnak, who has nine
CYCLE SEEKING
• Pimentel-Guerrero's three-hit night against Nevada on March 10 left him just a triple short of the cycle
• It marked the third near-miss of a cycle by a Hornet this season after Jakob Poturnak needed a triple in game four against Ball State on Feb. 22 and Ryan Christiansen needed a triple in game three against South Dakota State on Feb. 28
• The last Hornet to hit for the cycle was Jason Beeman at CSUN on April 24, 1994, who finished 4-for-6 with two runs scored and six RBI, while also throwing a complete game, allowing six runs on 13 hits and striking out three in a 14-6 victory
SAFETY IS NO ACCIDENT
• Despite Poturnak's 14-game hitting streak coming to an end in the opening game of the doubleheader against Saint Mary's, the sophomore has still found a way to make an impact
• Poturnak has reached base safely in his last 17 games, matching Matt Masciangelo's current streak and the longest since Jorge Bojorquez (19) and Gunner Gouldsmith (18) put up lengthy streaks last year
• During his current run, Poturnak is batting .389 (28-for-72) with 17 runs scored and 16 RBI, slugging four doubles and five of his seven home runs
WHITE WALKERS
• Senior outfielder Tyler White enters this weekend's series with one of the most discerning eyes at the plate in the nation, ranking in a four-way tie for No. 25 in the NCAA with 21 walks and a tie for 33rd with 1.05 walks per game
• This after a 2024 campaign that saw him walk only 12 times in 56 games
• White has drawn at least one walk in 14 of the team's 20 contests this year, including a run of 10 straight games to start the campaign
• He has drawn multiple bases on balls five times, including a career-high three walks in games one and four against San Francisco
• White's .460 on-base percentage is second on the team behind only the injured Matt Masciangelo (.667) and has helped set the table atop the lineup, coming around to score 18 runs
• His efforts have helped the Hornets rank No. 53 in the NCAA in walks (112)
"JUST A WALK IN THE PARK KAZANSKY"
• Sacramento State hitters drew 11 walks off the Pacific pitching staff on Tuesday night -- the fourth time this year that the Hornets have drawn double-digit walks in a game
• Sacramento State is 3-1 in those games
NOW WALK IT OFF (NOW WALK IT OFF)
• When Pimentel-Guerrero's grounder found its way through a drawn-in Saint Mary's infield last Saturday, the Hornet faithful went home happy with a 4-3 win
• It was the third walk-off victory for Sacramento State this year after Ryan Christiansen provided the dramatic finish against Ball State in the first game of a doubleheader on Feb. 21 and Poturnak walked-off Pacific for a 1-0 win in the 10th on March 9
WINNER, WINNER CHICKEN DINNER
• Sewell's first home run at Pacific on Tuesday made him the seventh Hornet to tally a game-winning RBI
• Four Hornets have a pair this year: Ryan Christiansen, Eli Kligman, Jakob Poturnak, and Tyler White
• Sewell joins Luke Oyler and Luis Pimentel-Guerrero as the other three to win it for Sacramento State
BRIGHT AND EARLY
• Sacramento State has seized control of the game early thus far this year, outscoring opponents by a 41-14 count in the first two innings -- including 28 of those runs in the second inning alone
• The 28 runs in the second inning are the most in any inning this year, edging out the 23 runs scored in the fourth inning
• The Hornets are 4-2 this season when scoring in the first inning and 5-5 when scoring first
NOWHERE TO PUT THEM
• The Hornets have taken full advantage with the bases loaded this season, scoring 12 times on free passes issued by opposing hitters
• Teammates White and JP Smith have been the recipients of three of those walks, while Poturnak and Ryan Christiansen have done so twice
• Christian Perez and Michael Perazzo round out the group with one each
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?
• Preseason All-American and Stopper of the Year candidate Kade Brown has made six appearances for the Hornets this year and has come away with a positive result each time
• Brown posted his first win of the season in the opener against Saint Mary's on March 15 to go along with his 5-for-5 in save opportunities
• The sophomore right-hander stranded the bases loaded in the ninth inning of a tie game against the Gaels to set the stage for the Hornets' walk-off win
• In the process, he lowered his season ERA to 0.61 and is holding opponents to a .122 average
• His save total puts him in a 10-way tie for fifth in the NCAA, just two back of Clemson's Lucas Mahlstedt for the national lead as of March 18
• Brown's latest save against Pacific on March 7 was the 13th of his career, putting him in sole possession of sixth on the school's career list, just three back of Tanner Dalton (2018-19) and Michael Penbera (1999-01) for fourth
MY HERO ZERO
• Senior right-hander Evan Gibbons extended his run of innings without allowing an earned run to 16.2 innings in his last start against Pacific on March 7 before the Tigers struck for three runs in the sixth inning of a 6-5 Hornet win
• It was the longest streak by a Sacramento State pitcher since Travis Adams went 18.1 scoreless innings (four appearances) from April 10 to April 30, 2021: the last 2.1 innings vs. New Mexico State, 7.0 innings against SeattleU, 7.2 innings against Northern Colorado, and 1.1 innings against Grand Canyon
• Sophomore closer Kade Brown now owns the longest active streak by a Hornet pitcher at 10.0 innings, allowing just one unearned run over his last five appearances
DON'T WALK
• As a staff, Sacramento State has walked only 60 batters in 179 innings and ranked No. 9 in the NCAA with walks allowed per nine innings (3.02)
• Offensively, the Hornets have walked nearly twice as much (112 - No. 53 in the NCAA) as their pitchers have allowed (60)
• Sacramento State's staff also ranks No. 25 in the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 2.87
"QUALITY" YOU CAN COUNT ON
• Following his efficient 73-pitch, seven-inning performance in the opener against Saint Mary's on March 15, senior right-hander Evan Gibbons collected his third "quality start" of the season and the 16th of his career despite the no-decision
• The Hornets improved to 4-1 in Gibbons' five starts this season with the 4-3 victory
IN "LAY"-MAN'S TERMS
• Over his last two starts, junior Ethan Lay has allowed only one run on five hits over 13 innings of work, walking one and striking out 14
• The two performances have dropped his ERA from 10.80 down to 2.76, allowing only one extra-base hit out of the five hits allowed and holding opponents to a .114 (5-for-44) average
• He made his first appearance in relief in the nightcap against Saint Mary's on March 15, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out a pair of four innings of work
SPECIAL K'S
• When Tyler Stewart struck out a career-high 10 batters in a no-decision at Pacific on March 8, we thought that might stick for a while as the most by a Hornet this season
• That was until Ethan Lay came along and one-upped his teammate with 11 strikeouts in the series finale against the Tigers en route to conference pitcher of the week honors
• The 11 strikeouts were the most since Travis Adams struck out 13 Bears in a game at Northern Colorado on April 14, 2021
• According to available records, the back-to-back double-digit strikeout performances also marked the first time that a pair of Hornet starters finished with 10-or-more strikeouts in back-to-back starts since Mike Eby and Willie Rivera did so in a doubleheader against CSUN at home on March 19, 1995
• Eby struck out 10 Matadors over seven innings in a 17-6 game one win, followed by Rivera's 10 strikeouts in a complete-game effort in a 13-3 game two victory in the nightcap
