COSTA MESA, Calif. — Stan State baseball hits the road this weekend for a three-game non-conference series at Vanguard University, Feb. 6–7, at Dean Harvey Field. The series opens Friday, Feb. 6, with a 2:00 p.m. first pitch, followed by a Saturday doubleheader on Feb. 7 beginning at 11:00 a.m. and concluding at 2:00 p.m. The match-up marks the first all-time meeting between the two programs.

Weekend Sweep versus CWU
Stan State opened the 2026 season with a three-game sweep of Central Washington at Warrior Field, outscoring the Wildcats 20–3 to improve to 3–0 on the year.
The Warriors set the tone in game one with a four-run first inning and went on to a 5–0 victory behind six hitless innings from Austin Balentine, who earned the win, and a three-run home run by Mason Kelley. Payton Hawkinson recorded the save, tossing three scoreless innings.

Stan State followed with a 6–3 victory in game two, using a four-run sixth inning to pull away. After Central Washington briefly took the lead, the Warriors responded with RBI hits from AJ Carter and a decisive two-run home run by Kian Sanchez. Pierce Sailer earned the win with four strong innings of relief.
The sweep was capped Sunday with a 9–0 shutout as the Warriors scored in six of the first seven innings and limited Central Washington to four hits. Kian Sanchez went a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBIs, while

Korey Likens scored three runs. Eli Blurton earned the win in relief as four Warrior pitchers combined for the shutout.
Stan State pitching posted a 1.00 ERA over the series and held Central Washington to a .155 batting average.

Balentine Named FloCollege CCAA Pitcher of the Week
Stan State right-hander Austin Balentine was named the FloCollege CCAA Baseball Pitcher of the Week after a dominant opening-day performance against Central Washington on Jan. 31 at Warrior Field. Balentine tossed six hitless innings to earn the win in a 5–0 shutout, facing the minimum while allowing no hits, runs, or walks and striking out four on just 65 pitches. The senior retired all 19 batters he faced, did not allow a runner to reach scoring position, and set the tone for the Warriors' opening weekend sweep. The honor marks Balentine's second career CCAA Pitcher of the Week award and his first since May 2024.

Stan State Bats Off to Fast Start
Stan State's offense has been led by a group of hitters batting over .400 through the opening weekend. Kian Sanchez has paced the lineup with a .900 average, going 9-for-10 with a home run and five RBIs. Korey Likens is hitting .571 with five runs scored and a triple, while AJ Carter has posted a .500 average with six hits and three RBIs. Mason Kelley is batting .400 with five RBIs, including a three-run home run, and shares the team lead with two doubles alongside Zach Lewis as the Warriors have combined for seven doubles as a team. Stan State is batting .343 as a team and opened the season 3–0.

Stan State Pitching Dominates Opening Weekend
Stan State's pitching staff has been dominant through the opening weekend, posting a 1.00 ERA while holding opponents to a .155 batting average across three games. Warrior pitchers allowed just three runs and 15 hits over 27 innings, striking out 24 while issuing only five walks. Austin Balentine, Pierce Sailer, and Eli Blurton each earned victories on the mound, with Balentine and Sailer leading the staff with four strikeouts apiece. Payton Hawkinson recorded the save in game one, and six different pitchers have yet to allow an earned run as Stan State opened the season 3–0.

Scouting Vanguard
Vanguard enters the weekend with a 2–1 record after opening the season at home against Saint Martin's. The Lions earned wins of 7–5 and 8–1 while dropping a 10–6 decision in the middle game of the series.
Offensively, Vanguard is batting .347 as a team and has scored 21 runs through three games. James Derflinger leads the lineup with a .636 average and a home run, while Angel Perez is batting .667 in limited action. Colton Perez has driven in five runs, and Tyler Shigenaka (.364) and Nathan Hellein (.375) have also been productive early in the order.

On the mound, Vanguard carries a 5.76 team ERA after allowing 16 runs over 25 innings. Seth Wrightstone has been the most effective starter, posting a 1.80 ERA after allowing one run over five innings, while Tyler Prystajko has worked three scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Vanguard pitchers have struck out 25 batters but have also issued 18 walks through the opening series.
The series marks the first all-time meeting between Stan State and Vanguard.

Follow the Series
Fans can follow the three-game series at Vanguard with live video streaming available at https://vanguardlions.com/sports/2023/1/3/watchlive.aspx and live stats provided via StatBroadcast at https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=636410.

Up Next
Stan State returns home following the Vanguard series for a four-game non-conference set against Simpson University, Feb. 13–15, at Warrior Baseball Field. The series opens Friday night before continuing with a Saturday doubleheader and a Sunday finale.

The Warriors will remain home the following weekend to host Western Oregon University in another four-game non-conference series, Feb. 20–22, in Turlock.
Stan State then travels to Chico State for a three-game non-conference series at Nettleton Stadium, beginning Friday, Feb. 27, and continuing with a Saturday doubleheader.

CCAA play begins the following weekend as Stan State opens conference action at home against Cal State East Bay with a four-game series at Warrior Baseball Field, March 6–8. The conference opener is scheduled for Friday night, followed by a Saturday doubleheader and a Sunday finale.