TURLOCK, Calif. — Stan State returns to Warrior Baseball Field this weekend to host Cal Poly Pomona, who is receiving votes nationally in the Collegiate Baseball poll as of last week, in a four-game CCAA series March 20–22 in Turlock. The series begins Friday at 6:00 p.m., followed by a Saturday doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. during the program's Alumni Baseball Game, and concludes Sunday at 12:00 p.m.
Weekend Recap
Stan State went 1-3 on the road at Cal State Los Angeles last weekend and enters the week 12-12 overall and 3-5 in CCAA play. The Warriors recorded 27 hits and scored 20 runs in the four-game series, highlighted by Bradley Morris' grand slam home run. Chase Wilson led Stan State offensively, batting .375 with six hits and two doubles, while Zach Lewis had four hits and four RBI and Eric Perez also homered during the series. Austin Balentine earned the Warriors' lone win, allowing one run on seven hits while striking out five in six innings, while Pierce Sailer recorded a save during the weekend.
CCAA Standings
Cal Poly Pomona currently leads the CCAA standings with a 7-1 conference record and a 15-7 overall mark. Cal State Monterey Bay sits second at 6-2 in conference play and 17-5 overall, followed by Cal State Los Angeles at 5-3 in CCAA action and 15-10 overall.
Chico State, Stan State and Cal State San Bernardino are tied at 3-5 in conference play, with the Warriors entering the weekend at 12-13 overall. Cal State East Bay stands at 2-2 in conference play and 11-11 overall, while Cal State Dominguez Hills is 2-6 and Cal State San Marcos is 1-3 in conference games.
Around the CCAA This Week
Conference play continues across the CCAA this weekend with several four-game series. Stan State hosts Cal Poly Pomona at Warrior Baseball Field in Turlock, while Cal State Los Angeles travels to San Bernardino to face Cal State San Bernardino. Cal State East Bay heads to Carson to take on Cal State Dominguez Hills, and Cal State San Marcos travels to Chico State.
Non-conference action will also take place in Seaside as Cal State Monterey Bay hosts Western Oregon in a four-game set.
Most series begin Friday afternoon and continue with Saturday doubleheaders before concluding Sunday. Games throughout the conference will be available through live stats and streaming on FloCollege.
Warriors Update
Through 25 games, Stan State is batting .275 as a team with 221 hits, 45 doubles, six triples and 18 home runs while scoring 146 runs. The Warriors carry a .412 slugging percentage and a .354 on-base percentage entering this weekend's CCAA series.
On the mound, Stan State owns a 4.41 team ERA with 156 strikeouts in 206 innings. Opponents are hitting .258 against Warrior pitching, and the defense has compiled a .956 fielding percentage.
Offensive Leaders
Kian Sanchez continues to lead the lineup, batting .452 with 28 hits, five doubles, three home runs and 16 RBI. He also owns a team-best .710 slugging percentage and .541 on-base percentage.
Tyler Crudo is hitting .324 with 24 hits and 11 RBI, while AJ Carter is batting .324 with 23 hits, three triples and 18 RBI. Mason Kelley has recorded 24 hits with seven doubles and three home runs while driving in a team-high 19 runs.
Zach Lewis has collected 26 hits and a team-high 10 doubles, while Jacob Reyes has added 19 hits and eight RBI. Carter's three triples lead the team, while Sanchez and Korey Likens each have one to account for the Warriors' six triples this season.
Pitching Leaders
Austin Balentine anchors the rotation with a 5-1 record and a 3.16 ERA over 37 innings while striking out 25. He has also been recognized as a two-time FloCollege/CCAA Baseball Pitcher of the Week and an NCBWA West Region Pitcher of the Week this season. Balentine is tied for sixth in Stan State history with 20 career wins and ranks 10th in program history with 161 strikeouts.
Rocco Gurrola has worked 25.2 innings this season, while Payton Hawkinson has struck out 20 batters in 31.1 innings and earned one save.
Out of the bullpen, Pierce Sailer has recorded three saves with a 2.57 ERA in 21 innings and was also named the FloCollege/CCAA Baseball Pitcher of the Week earlier this season. Eli Blurton owns a 2.81 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 16 innings, giving Stan State reliable late-inning options as conference play continues.
CCAA Leaders
Stan State ranks among the CCAA leaders in several categories this season. As a team, the Warriors rank first in shutouts and saves while sitting second in sacrifice hits. Stan State is third in doubles, triples and ERA, fourth in hits and total bases, and fifth in stolen bases and strikeouts.
Individually, Austin Balentine is tied for first in wins while ranking sixth in ERA, fifth in opponent batting average and tied for eighth in strikeouts. AJ Carter is tied for second in triples and tied for ninth in stolen bases, while Zach Lewis leads the conference in doubles. Korey Likens is tied for first in sacrifice hits.
On the mound, Payton Hawkinson ranks fourth in opponent batting average and is tied for eighth in saves. Pierce Sailer is tied for second in saves, while Eli Blurton is tied for sixth in saves.
NCAA Leaders
Stan State also ranks among the NCAA Division II leaders in several categories this season. The Warriors are seventh nationally in shutouts, 12th in sacrifice hits and 28th in ERA.
Individually, Pierce Sailer ranks 21st in the nation in saves, AJ Carter is 13th nationally in triples, and Austin Balentine sits 11th in Division II in wins.
Scouting Cal Poly Pomona
Cal Poly Pomona enters the weekend at 15-7 overall and sits atop the CCAA standings with a 7-1 conference record. The Broncos are batting .278 as a team with 199 hits, 29 doubles and 17 home runs while scoring 134 runs through 22 games. They carry a .393 slugging percentage and a .381 on-base percentage.
Jack Sanders leads the Broncos with a .346 batting average and seven home runs while driving in 22 runs. Julian Angulo is hitting .365 with 23 hits and three home runs, while Bryan Richman is batting .302 with 17 RBI. Evan Nahra has also provided offense with a .400 average in limited action.
On the mound, Cal Poly Pomona owns a 4.93 team ERA with 171 strikeouts in 190 innings. Andrew Campbell leads the staff with a 5-1 record and a 3.38 ERA over 32 innings, while Dylan Esquival has been dominant with a 0.00 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 20 innings. Sean Suriyaniel has recorded two saves out of the bullpen.
Defensively, the Broncos are fielding .975 as a team and have turned 20 double plays this season.
Series History vs. Cal Poly Pomona
Cal Poly Pomona holds a 38-24 advantage over Stan State in the series since 2008. The Broncos won the most recent matchup, 13-2, on April 6, 2025 in Pomona.
Stan State is 17-18 in games played in Pomona and 7-19 at home in Turlock during that span. In CCAA contests, Cal Poly Pomona also holds a 37-24 edge in the series. The Warriors' most recent victory in the series came on April 5, 2025 in Pomona when Austin Balentine tossed a complete-game 4-2 win, allowing seven hits and two runs while striking out five and walking two.
The Warriors' longest winning streak against the Broncos during that stretch was five games from May 3, 2008 through Feb. 21, 2009, while the longest losing streak was eight games from April 15, 2012 through April 18, 2014.
Stan State's largest margin of victory in the series was a 13-1 win on April 24, 2010, while the smallest margin of victory was a 4-3 decision on April 18, 2014. The two programs have combined for 256 runs in the series since 2008, averaging 4.13 runs per game.
Blue Chip Broadcasting / FloCollege
All four games of this weekend's series can be heard on Blue Chip Broadcasting and streamed live on FloCollege, with Stan State Hall of Famers Bryan Nelson and Eric Davis on the call. Live stats will also be available at https://warriorathletics.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary.
Up Next
Following the four-game home series with Cal Poly Pomona, the Warriors will travel to San Marcos, Calif., for a four-game CCAA series at Cal State San Marcos, March 27–29. The series begins Friday, March 27 at 3:00 p.m., followed by a Saturday doubleheader on March 28 at 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., and concludes Sunday, March 29 at 11:00 a.m. at CSUSM Baseball Field.
Stan State then heads to San Bernardino, Calif., for another four-game CCAA series at Cal State San Bernardino, April 10–12. The series opens Friday, April 10 at 3:00 p.m., continues with a Saturday doubleheader on April 11 at 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., and wraps up Sunday, April 12 at 11:00 a.m. at Fiscalini Field.
The Warriors return home April 17–19 to host Chico State in a four-game CCAA series at Warrior Baseball Field in Turlock, Calif. The series begins Friday, April 17 at 6:00 p.m., followed by a Saturday doubleheader on April 18 at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., and concludes Sunday, April 19 at 12:00 p.m. Home games will be streamed on FloCollege and broadcast on Blue C
