TURLOCK, Calif.---Stan State opened the 2026 season in dominant fashion Saturday at Warrior Field, sweeping Central Washington behind a three-hit shutout in Game One and a 6–3 victory in Game Two.
Austin Balentine and
Payton Hawkinson combined for the three-hit shutout in the opener as
Mason Kelley's three-run home run proved to be the decisive blow, while the Warriors completed the sweep behind four strong innings of relief from
Pierce Sailer and a two-run home run by
Kian Sanchez in Game Two.
Game One
Stan State set the tone early in the season opener, erupting for four runs in the bottom of the first inning and cruising to a 5–0 shutout.
Zach Lewis opened the inning with a double and later scored on an RBI single by
Korey Likens.
Kian Sanchez followed with a single before
Mason Kelley delivered what proved to be the decisive blow, launching a three-run home run to left field to give the Warriors a 4–0 advantage.
That early cushion was more than enough for senior right-hander
Austin Balentine, who was dominant in his season debut. Balentine tossed six scoreless innings, allowing no hits while striking out four to earn the win.
Stan State added an insurance run in the eighth inning as Likens scored on a bases-loaded walk by
Bradley Morris.
Payton Hawkinson closed out the game with three scoreless innings in relief, allowing three hits and striking out three to earn the save as the Warriors limited Central Washington to just three hits in the opener.
Game Two
Stan State completed the sweep with a 6–3 victory in Game Two, using a four-run sixth inning to pull away from a tightly contested game.
The Warriors struck first in the second inning as
Bradley Morris was hit by a pitch before
Cameron Taylor singled.
Shane Callison laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position, and
Jacob Reyes followed with a bunt single to drive in the game's first run.
Zach Lewis added an RBI single later in the inning to make it 2–0.
Central Washington answered with runs in the third, fifth, and sixth innings to take a brief 3–2 lead, but the Warriors responded immediately in the bottom of the sixth. Reyes singled to start the rally before Lewis doubled down the left-field line to tie the game.
AJ Carter followed with an RBI double to put Stan State back in front, and
Kian Sanchez delivered the decisive blow, blasting a two-run home run to left field to cap the four-run inning and put the game out of reach.
Zach Geiss started on the mound for Stan State and allowed two runs over five innings.
Pierce Sailer earned the win in relief, throwing four strong innings while allowing just one run and striking out four to close out the victory.
Warrior Notables
- Austin Balentine improved his career record to 16–8 with his win in Game One and now owns 144 career strikeouts with 73 walks, ranking 10th in the Stan State record book in strikeouts and sitting one win shy of moving into the program's top 10 in career victories.
- Payton Hawkinson recorded the save in the opener, tossing three scoreless innings.
- Mason Kelley hit the first home run of the season for the Warriors, a three-run shot in the first inning of Game One.
- Pierce Sailer picked up his first win of the season in Game Two, throwing four innings of relief with four strikeouts.
- Kian Sanchez delivered the decisive blow in Game Two with a two-run home run during the four-run sixth inning.
Up Next
The two teams will complete the four-game series with a 10 a.m. starting doubleheader on Sunday, featuring one nine-inning game and one seven-inning contest at Warrior Field.
Stan State will then travel to Costa Mesa, Calif., for a three-game nonconference series at Vanguard University on Feb. 6–7.
