SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The regular season champion Sacramento State baseball team treks to Mesa, Ariz., this week as the No. 1 seed for the 2025 Western Athletic Conference Tournament. By virtue of their seed, the Hornets have earned a double-bye and will not play until Thursday (May 22) at 12:30 p.m. PT against an opponent to be determined.
PLAY BALL!
2025 WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
WHAT: #1 Sacramento State (31-24, 15-9 WAC) vs. TBD
WHEN: Thursday, May 22, 2025
TIME: 12:30 PM PT
WHERE: Mesa, Ariz.
STADIUM: Hohokam Stadium
WATCH: ESPN+ | WAC International (outside of the U.S.)
LIVE STATS: HornetStats.com
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: WACSports.com
TICKETS: WACSports.com
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Tuesday, May 20 (Single-Elimination)
Game 1: No. 6 Tarleton State vs. No. 7 UT Arlington, Noon PT (TV: ESPN+)
Game 2: No. 5 California Baptist vs. No. 8 Utah Tech, 4 p.m. PT (TV: ESPN+)
Wednesday, May 21 (Double-Elimination Begins)
Game 3: No. 3 Utah Valley vs. Tarleton State / UT Arlington, Noon PT (TV: ESPN+)
Game 4: No. 4 Grand Canyon vs. California Baptist / Utah Tech, 4 p.m. PT (TV: ESPN+)
Thursday, May 22
Game 5: No. 2 Abilene Christian vs. Game 1 Winner, 9:30 a.m. PT (TV: ESPN+)
Game 6: No. 1 Sacramento State vs. Game 2 Winner, 12:30 a.m. PT (TV: ESPN+)
Game 7: Loser Game 4 vs. Loser Game 5, 4 p.m. PT (TV: ESPN+)
Game 8: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 6, 7 p.m. PT (TV: ESPN+)
Friday, May 23
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 11 a.m. PT (TV: ESPN+)
Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 3 p.m. PT (TV: ESPN+)
Game 11: Winner Game 10 vs. Loser Game 9, 7 p.m. PT (TV: ESPN+)
Saturday, May 24 (Championship)
Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 11, 3 p.m. PT (TV: ESPN+)
Game 13: Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 12, 7 p.m. PT (TV: ESPN+) (if necessary...)
TROPHY HUNTING
• With its share of the conference's regular season crown, the Hornets clinched their third WAC regular season title and their sixth league trophy overall since rejoining the conference in 2006
• Sacramento State's regular season crown is its first since 2014 when they pulled off the double, adding a tournament title and a trip to the NCAA San Luis Obispo Regional
• In addition to this year's trophy, Sacramento State has won WAC regular season titles in 2012 and 2014, while winning tournament titles in 2014, 2017, and 2019
BACK TO THE WAC (TOURNEY)
• Sacramento State returns to the WAC Tournament for the second straight season after missing out on the field in 2023 and making its 15th appearance overall in the league's postseason event
• This year marks the Hornets' 12th trip to the conference tournament in 15 seasons under the direction of Head Coach Reggie Christiansen
• The program's 15 appearances in the tournament are the most of any current league member, outpacing Utah Valley (nine)
• Sacramento State's three tournament championships are also the most of any active league member
• The Hornets are a combined 28-23 in tournament play since rejoining the WAC in 2006, while the 28 wins are the most among active members (Utah Valley, 13)
• Sacramento State has taken a few different roads en route to its three tournament titles
• The Hornets lost their first game in 2014 before rallying to win four straight en route to the 2014 crown and advance to the NCAA Regional in San Luis Obispo, Calif., hosted by Cal Poly
• Sacramento State followed a similar path in 2019, falling to Utah Valley before winning six straight elimination games to claim the title and advance to the NCAA Stanford Regional
• In 2017, the Hornets went a perfect 4-0 with wins over Seattle U, Northern Colorado, and Cal State Bakersfield (twice), en route to the title, scoring double digits in three of the four wins.
PLANTING THE SEED
• This year's trip to Mesa will have the Hornets standing as the tournament's No. 1 seed for only the second time in program history, joining the 2014 squad that won it all
• Sacramento State has been a No. 2 seed three times (2012, 2018, 2022), a No. 3 seed three times (2017, 2019, 2021), a No. 4 seed twice (2015, 2016), a No. 5 seed once (2013), and a No. 6 seed three times (2006, 2007, 2008
• The Hornets were a No. 8 seed in 2024; however, the tournament was limited to the top six teams in the league from 2006-22 when eight teams were then invited to participate
AGAINST THE FIELD
• Sacramento State finished the year with six series wins against league opponents, sweeping Abilene Christian on the road and taking 2-of-3 from UT Arlington, Seattle U, California Baptist, Grand Canyon, and Utah Valley
• The Hornets lost only two series: at Tarleton State and at home against Utah Tech
COACH 'EM UP
• For the third time in his Sacramento State career, Head Coach Reggie Christiansen was named the WAC Coach of the Year
• He won his first award in 2012 -- his second year at the helm -- after guiding the Hornets to 31 wins and a 12-7 mark in league play to finish second after being picked seventh in the preseason
• Christiansen's second award came in 2014, leading the Hornets to 40 wins and a 21-6 mark in the WAC, winning both the regular season and tournament titles that year
HORNET HURLER IS TOPS
• Senior right-hander Evan Gibbons was named the WAC Pitcher of the Year as well as earning first-team all-conference honors
• He is the first-ever Hornet to earn the league's award for the top hurler and picked up his first-ever all-league honor
GIMME FIVE (AWARDS)!
• In addition to Gibbons' first-team award, sophomore Kade Brown, junior JP Smith, and junior Luis Pimentel-Guerrero were named to the first team, while sophomore Jakob Poturnak picked up second-team honors
• The five Sacramento State all-conference selections were a league high and the most for the program since 2021 (Scott Randall, Matt Smith, and Ryan Walstad on the first team; Dawsen Bacho and Steven Moretto on the second team)
• This year's four first-team honorees are the most in the program's history since rejoining the WAC in 2006
• Prior to this year, the previous high for first team honorees was three in 2012-15, 2018, and 2021
HE'S BEEN AROUND
• Now in his seventh year as a member of the program, Gibbons has seen a lot in his time in the green and gold
• Recruited as an infielder before taking to the mound full-time as a sophomore, Gibbons has undergone a pair of Tommy John surgeries before ascending to the Friday night spot for the second straight season
• He is the only remaining member of the team that has played in an NCAA Regional, helping the Hornets to 40 wins, a conference tournament title, and a win over UC Santa Barbara at the Stanford Regional in 2019
• As of May 19, at least 221 players have appeared in at least one Major League game who were born AFTER Gibbons in February of 2000
THE SPOTLIGHT GROWS BRIGHTER
• Closer Kade Brown garnered attention from yet another national organization when he was named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser National Player of the Year Trophy
• Believed to be the first-ever Hornet to be named to either the watch list or as a semifinalist for the award, Brown was among a group of 67 players from across the nation named to the list
• He was the lone representative from the WAC and one of 11 players from the West Coast
• Earlier this year, Brown was named a preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and was one of 56 named to the organization's midseason watch list for the "Stopper of the Year" Award
• Brown is one of nine pitchers on the midseason "Stopper" list that were named to the initial watch list back in February and one of two that also earned NCBWA Preseason All-America honors along with Tennessee's Nate Snead
• He is also one of four Hornets to make the midseason list for the award since its inception in 2005 joining Sutter McLoughlin (2013-14), Tyler Beardsley (2016), and Jack Zalasky (2023)
PERAZZO ON BROOKS WALLACE WATCH
• Joining Brown in the limelight, freshman infielder Michael Perazzo was named as one of the top 100 shortstops from across the nation named to the initial watch list for the 2025 Brooks Wallace Award on April 18
• The award honors the nation's top shortstop and will be presented by the College Baseball Foundation later this year
• Perazzo is one of 11 true or redshirt freshmen out of the group of 100 and is one of four from the WAC along with Abilene Christian's Nick Arias, Grand Canyon's Emilio Barreras, and Tarleton State's Ike Shirey
RETURN TO THE VALLEY OF THE SUN
• This week's trip to Mesa for the tournament marks a homecoming for a trio of Hornets as Orlando Cobarrubias (Tucson, Ariz. / Sunnyside HS), Colin Hunter (Scottsdale, Ariz. / Chaparral HS), and Christian Perez (Phoenix, Ariz. / Sunnyslope HS) will be making the trip
ONLY A MATTER OF "WIN"
• Sacramento State enters the postseason with 31 wins on the year -- the 12th time in the last 14 full seasons that the Hornets have reached that plateau under Head Coach Reggie Christiansen
• The 31 victories are the most for Sacramento State since it finished 32-26 overall in 2022
• Finishing 15-9 in WAC play, the conference win total is the highest since the 2022 team finished 17-13 in an 11-team league
• Overall, the Hornets have now won 30-or-more 25 times in the program's history since 1949
SMITH IN THE HISTORY BOOKS
• Already the school's career leader in home runs, JP Smith knocked the 11th and 12th round-trippers of the year against Utah Tech in the final weekend of the regular season
• His 48 home runs rank sixth on the WAC's career list, standing eight behind Arizona State's Bob Horner (1976-78) and Fresno State's Tom Mendonca (2007-09) for fourth
• Smith's 144 career RBI are now fourth on the school's all-time list, passing both Dawsen Bacho (2017-22) and Tim Wheeler (2007-09)
• He needs six more to match Steven Moretto (2018-22) for third, seven to reach Martin Vincelli-Simard (2019-23) for second, and 14 to catch record-holder Matt Smith (2016-21)
• With 35 career doubles, Smith is seven spots out of the school's top 10, while his 18 doubles this year put him one shy of breaking into the single-season top 10
• Should he accomplish the feat, he would be the first Hornet to reach the single-season top 10 since Steven Moretto (22) and Ryan Walstad (20) both did so in 2021
"SERIES"-OUS BUSINESS
• Utah Tech put an end to the Hornets' six-series winning streak to close out the regular season, but Sacramento State was still an impressive 9-2-3 in weekend series this season
• The six straight series wins was the longest such streak for the Hornets since winning seven-in-a-row during the 2019 campaign
• Outside of last weekend, Sacramento State lost only one other WAC series, dropping 2-of-3 at Tarleton State on March 28-30 on the road
• Sacramento State also split a pair of four-game series against San Francisco (Feb. 14-17) and Ball State (Feb. 20-22) as well as a weather-shortened set with Saint Mary's (March 15)
• The nine series wins overall are the most for the Hornets since winning nine in 2022 and one shy of the 10 series wins in 2019
• However, with its win in the opener against Utah Tech to clinch the WAC regular season title and No. 1 seed, Sacramento State improved to 12-2 on "Friday nights," while posting an 8-6 record in game two's and a 7-6 mark in game three's this year
WHITE NOISE
• A notable omission from the conference's postseason honor roll, senior Tyler White is streaking heading into the league tournament
• The Hornet centerfielder carries an 11-game hitting streak into this week's games in Mesa, Ariz., finishing 6-for-15 (.400) in the three-game series against Utah Tech
• White's 11-game streak is his longest in the green and gold and the third-longest by a Hornet this year, trailing Jakob Poturnak's 14-game run from Feb. 17 to March 11, and Cameron Sewell's 13-game streak from March 15 to April 6
• During this recent run (which dates back to April 29 against UC Davis), White is batting .404 (21-for-52) during his streak, scoring 13 runs and driving in 11 from his leadoff spot
• White has hit safely in 17 of his last 18 contests -- including 10 multi-hit performances
• The senior's 55 runs are just one shy of breaking into the school's single-season top 10
CENTER(FIELD) OF ATTENTION
• In addition to his prowess at the plate, White has also been a spectacular defender from his spot in centerfield, ranking among the best in the WAC with five outfield assists
• He posted his latest in game two against Utah Tech, throwing out a runner at third after an errant throw on a pickoff attempt at second
• White also has assists against Nevada (March 10 and May 6), UT Arlington (March 23), and Grand Canyon (May 4)
WE DEMAND... A SACRIFICE!
• You can add "record holder" to Michael Perazzo's name as the freshman has sacrificed his way to the top of the Hornet record book
• Perazzo's sacrifice in the opener against Utah Tech last weekend was the 14th of the year, officially moving him past Dane Fujinaka (2014), Blake Crosby (2008), and Bob Stevens (1975) for the school single-season record
• Perazzo, who leads the WAC in the category entering the postseason, has given himself up more than all but two players in the NCAA, ranking tied for third in the nation
• His total trails only Yale's Jeff Pierantoni (20) and NC State's Matt Heavner (15) nationally
• One more sacrifice this season would tie Perazzo with Fujinaka and Kyle Moses (2012-15) for 10th on the career list
NUMBER 9... NUMBER 9... NUMBER 9
• Perazzo has excelled at the bottom of the Hornets' lineup as a second lead-off hitter, batting .310 in 41 games at that spot in the order, scoring 21 runs, walking 11 times, and driving in 21 while putting down 13 of his 14 sacrifice hits
• For comparison, Perazzo has hit elsewhere in the lineup in 12 other games (seven at No. 8, three at No. 2, and two at No. 7), collecting a combined 10 hits (compared to 40 at the No. 9 spot), four walks, and seven RBI
LUIS IS MORE
• The Hornets' leading hitter and All-WAC first-team selection Luis Pimentel-Guerrero has been one of the team's most consistent hitters over the course of the last month
• Pimentel-Guerrero has tallied hits in 16 of his last 18 games, batting .435 (27-for-62) with 13 runs and 12 RBI to go along with 14 walks
• During that run, the junior has collected multiple hits in seven of his last 12 contests and is second on the team with 21 such games
• Pimentel-Guerrero enters the postseason ranked No. 7 in the WAC in average and is second in the league in on-base percentage (.487) thanks to 33 walks -- which also rank tied for seventh -- and 12 hit by pitches and 10th in hits (66)
JAKOB POTUR-"JACK"
• With 13 home runs this season, Poturnak leads the Hornets and enters the postseason ranked tied for fifth in the league in the category
• The 13 home runs are the most by a Hornet newcomer since then-freshmen JP Smith and Wehiwa Aloy set the school's Division I era freshman record with 14 apiece in 2023
• With Poturnak's 13 home runs, the Hornets have now had at least one player reach double digits in the category for the fourth straight season
• Poturnak had his nine-game hitting streak snapped in game two against Utah Tech, but has hit safely in 10 of his last 11, batting .383 (18-for-47) with six multi-hit games, seven runs scored, and 15 runs driven in -- including multiple RBI in four of his last five
NOWHERE TO PUT THEM
• The Hornets have taken full advantage with the bases loaded this season, scoring 25 times on free passes (22 bases-loaded walks and three off bases-loaded hit batters) issued by opposing pitchers as of May 20
• Of those walks, Tyler White leads the group with six RBI in that situation, followed by JP Smith and Ryan Christiansen with three, and two each by Jakob Poturnak and Luis Pimentel-Guerrero
• Matt Masciangelo, Christian Perez, Michael Perazzo, Orlando Cobarrubias, Myles Walton, and Elie Kligman round out the group with one each
• Perez and White (twice) are the two Hornets that have driven in a run after being hit by a pitch
MASCIANGEL-OW!
• Senior Matt Masciangelo has been plunked by a pitch 36 times in his Sacramento State career, keeping his hold on third on the all-time list behind only current Hornet assistant David Flores (38 from 2005-08) and record holder David Del Grande (43 from 2011-14)
• Masciangelo, who has been hit a total of nine times this year, already holds the single-season record with his 27 HBPs in 2024
• The Huntington Beach, Calif., native went viral in his Hornet debut in 2024, hit by a pitch eight times in his first nine plate appearances in a doubleheader against Loyola Marymount
WINNER, WINNER CHICKEN DINNER
• Sacramento State has had a player drive in the winning run in 30 of the team's 31 wins this year, with the only exception coming on a wild pitch in the finale of the series at Utah Valley
• All told, 12 different Hornets have posted a game-winning RBI this year
• This season, junior Elie Kligman leads the team with six game-winning RBI, followed by four from Jakob Poturnak and JP Smith, three each by Tyler White and Matt Masciangelo, as well as two apiece from Ryan Christiansen, Michael Perazzo, and Luis Pimentel-Guerrero
• Orlando Cobarrubias, Jacob Cortez, Luke Oyler, and Cameron Sewell each have one
• All four of Poturnak's game-winning RBI this year have come via the home run, while 12 of the Hornets' 30 (minus the wild pitch) game-winners this season have come via homers
• JP Smith's three-run home run in the opener against Utah Tech provided the winning scores and gave him 10 career game-winning RBI -- the most of any active Hornet (Elie Kligman is second with eight)
RUN HORNETS, RUN!!
• With four runs in the fourth in the opener against Utah Tech, the Hornets posted their 23rd inning of four-or-more runs this season and improved to 14-3 in games in which they have had a "big inning"
• Sacramento State scored a season-high eight runs in the ninth inning at Abilene Christian back on April 6, and added seven in the seventh at Utah Valley on May 11
• The Hornets have won their last six games in which they have scored four-or-more runs in an inning this year
AND THEN THERE WAS ONE
• Sacramento State has played a total of 18 one-run games through 55 contests this year, posting a 9-9 record in those games
• The nine one-run victories are the most for the Hornets since they posted 10 one-run victories in 17 chances during 2022 (58 total games)
• Meanwhile, four more of the Hornets' outings have been decided by two runs (2-2 record)
STRIKE FIRST, STRIKE HARD, NO MERCY SIR!
• Sacramento State has outscored opponents, 93-73, over the first two innings, with the 93 runs standing as the second-most over any two-inning span behind only the 94 runs between the fourth and fifth frames
• The 54 runs scored in the second inning alone are the most of any single inning this year
• Sacramento State is 13-8 when scoring in the first inning and 16-11 when scoring first
CYCLE SEEKING
• Hornet hitters have come this close to hitting for the cycle this season, doing so eight times entering this week's tournament
• Sophomore Myles Walton is the latest "near miss," finishing 3-for-5 in the series finale at Utah Valley, needing only a home run to complete the cycle
• Jakob Poturnak (Feb. 22 vs. Ball State [triple] and May 3 at Grand Canyon [double]) and Tyler White (March 21 vs. UT Arlington [home run] and April 15 at UC Davis [triple]) have missed out twice
• Other Hornets to come close in 2025: Michael Perazzo against Abilene Christian on April 6 (triple), Ryan Christiansen in game three against South Dakota State on Feb. 28 (triple), and Luis Pimentel-Guerrero against Nevada on March 10 (triple)
• 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
6+4+3 = 2
• Sacramento State has been able to "turn two" 47 times this year, ranking third in the WAC behind Utah Tech (53) and California Baptist (48)
• The Hornets' total ranks tied for No. 15 in the nation along with BYU, Hawai'i, and former conference rival UTRGV (UCLA leads the NCAA with 54)
• Junior JP Smith has been a part of a WAC-high 35 of those double plays, while sophomore Cameron Sewell is tied for seventh with 27
EVAN ALMIGHTY
• Enjoying one of the finest seasons by a Hornet pitcher, Gibbons enters the postseason with a 9-2 overall record, leading the WAC in victories and ranking tied for 12th in the NCAA
• His nine wins are a career high and make him the first Sacramento State hurler to win at least that many since Austin Root finished 11-3 in 2018
• Gibbons' 20 career wins tie him with Dick Bach (1959-62) for ninth on the program's all-time list and is one back of Mike Eby (1993-95) and Gary Wilson (1990-92) for seventh
• Between losing his first start of the year at San Francisco and his next in the opener at Utah Valley, Gibbons went 8-0 with three no-decisions, posting a 3.18 ERA in 70.2 innings to go along with a better than 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (53 strikeouts against 15 walks)
• Last week, Gibbons earned the win in the championship-clinching opener against Utah Tech, allowing just one earned on seven hits and striking out four over six innings in a 13-5 win
• The performance was his seventh "quality start" in his 14 overall this year, giving him 20 in 43 career starts as a Hornet
• In addition to his league-high win total, Gibbons enters the postseason leading the WAC in innings (83) and innings per game (5.93), while standing tied for 10th in strikeouts, 12th in ERA, and ninth in both fewest walks allowed per game (2.17) and fewest runs allowed per game (4.55)
"QUALITY" YOU CAN COUNT ON
• Sacramento State pitchers have thrown a total of 16 "quality starts" this season, with Gibbons and mound mate Ethan Lay combining for 14 of those (seven apiece)
• Senior right-hander Tyler Stewart (at Pacific on March 8) and junior right-hander Colin Hunter (at Pacific on March 18) accounting for the other two
• All told, the Hornets are 13-3 in those 16 "quality starts" including a 7-0 record in all seven of Gibbons' "quality" outings this year
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?
• Over his last 10 appearances, preseason All-American and Stopper of the Year candidate Kade Brown is 2-0 with six saves, allowing just six runs on 18 hits over the last 19.1 innings, walking nine and striking out 19 batters while posting a 2.79 ERA
• Brown, however, has not entered the game in a save situation in each of his last three starts, entering in the fifth at Grand Canyon in the series finale on May 4, coming in after one batter in the fourth at Utah Valley on May 11, and starting the fifth against Utah Tech in the finale
• Overall, Brown's 13 saves still rank him third in the NCAA as of May 19 behind Alabama's Carson Ozmer (16) and Clemson's Lucas Mahlstedt (15)
• The 13 saves are second on the school's single-season list, trailing only Sutter McLoughlin, who set the record with 17 as a freshman in 2013
• Now with 21 career saves, Brown ranks fourth on the school's all-time list -- five behind Mike Frame (1987-89) and Jack Zalasky (2019-23) for second
• Entering the week, Brown leads the league in saves, fewest runs allowed (15), and fewest earned runs allowed (14), while standing second in the WAC in ERA (3.00), opposing batting average (.208), fewest hits allowed per game (6.86), fewest runs allowed per game (3.21), and fewest earned runs allowed per game (3.00)
"LAY"-MAN'S TERMS
• Junior right-hander Ethan Lay was a single inning shy of his eighth "quality" start of the year in game two against Utah Tech, allowing just two runs on five hits over five innings in a no-decision
• He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in five of his last six starts dating back to April 13 at home against Seattle U
• In that stretch, Lay is 3-1 with a 3.03 ERA while striking out 32 against only six walks
• Overall, he has allowed three runs or fewer in 10 of his 12 starts this season
• Entering the postseason, Lay stands fourth in the WAC in ERA (3.45), fourth in fewest runs per game (4.09), sixth in fewest walks per game (1.92), seventh in innings per game (5.41), tied for eighth in wins (5), tied for 10th in strikeouts (61) with mound mate Evan Gibbons, and 12th in innings pitched (70.1)
COUNT ON CARSON
• Since moving into the Hornet rotation on April 12 against Seattle U, junior right-hander Carson Latimer has been solid
• The Delta, British Columbia, native has allowed nine earned on 20 hits over 21.2 innings (six starts), striking out 12 while posting a 3.74 ERA
• He has allowed two or fewer earned runs in six of his last seven starts
DR. NO-AH
• Since suffering the loss in game two against California Baptist, senior left-hander Noah Lucchesi has been lights-out for the Hornets
• In his last seven appearances, Lucchesi is 1-0 with a pair of holds, allowing three runs over his last 11 innings (2.45 ERA) and striking out 19 in that stretch against only two walks.
KEEPING UP APPEARANCES
• Andrew Monson has appeared in a WAC-leading 28 games this season in relief -- including all three against Utah Tech last weekend
• The 28 appearances for Monson are just three shy of the single-season top 10, trailing Travis Martizia (2019) and Tyler Hoelzen (2012), who had 31
• Lucchesi is right behind him with 24 appearances, which are tied for fifth in the WAC entering the postseason
• Lucchesi's 78 career appearances on the mound now rank tied for sixth on the school's all-time list along with Martizia (2018-21), Warren Rosebrock (2002-05), and Steve Cuckovich (2000-03)
PLEASE HOLD
• Working late into games, Andrew Monson leads the team with six "holds" on the year, followed closely by Noah Lucchesi and his five
• Brady Chavez is next on the list with three, Bryce Stockton has a pair, and Sean Carey has one
WALK THE WALK
• The Hornet pitching staff has been stingy when it comes to handing out free passes this year, walking only 173 batters -- a total that ranks second in the WAC behind UT Arlington (160)
• Walking a league-low 3.20 batters per game, Sacramento State ranks No. 6 in the NCAA in walks per nine innings while standing No. 35 in the nation -- and No. 1 in the WAC -- in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.47)
• This season, the Hornets' staff has walked three or fewer batters in a game 35 times in 54 total contests, including three games with ZERO walks against Pacific (March 9), California Baptist (April 17), and UC Riverside (April 26)
• If the season ended today, the 173 walks would rank as the seventh-fewest in a single season in school history, following up a 2024 season when the Hornets walked only 180 hitters for the ninth-fewest in a season
