TURLOCK, Calif. — Stan State returns to Warrior Baseball Field this weekend to begin CCAA competition with a four-game series against Cal State East Bay. The series starts Friday at 6 p.m., continues with a Saturday doubleheader at 1 p.m., and concludes Sunday at noon. The Warriors enter conference play with a 9-8 overall record, including a 6-5 mark at home.

Weekend Recap
Stan State went 1-2 on the road last weekend against Chico State, hitting .305 as a team with 32 hits and 16 runs scored in the three-game series. Tyler Crudo led the Warriors offensively, batting .500 (6-for-12) with a double and a .583 slugging percentage, while Jacob Reyes also hit .500 (5-for-10) with two RBI and Chase Wilson went 4-for-8 (.500). Mason Kelley added five hits, including two doubles, and drove in two runs, and Kian Sanchez recorded four hits with a home run and four RBI.

On the mound, Rocco Gurrola earned the win with five strong innings, allowing just one run while striking out three, while Payton Hawkinson tossed seven innings and surrendered just one earned run with four strikeouts. Eli Blurton contributed two scoreless innings with a save in relief as Stan State pitching totaled 15 strikeouts in 23 innings during the series.

Warriors Update
Through 17 games, Stan State is batting .287 as a team with 162 hits, 34 doubles, four triples and 14 home runs while scoring 102 runs. The Warriors carry a .436 slugging percentage and a .353 on-base percentage into the first weekend of CCAA action.

On the mound, Stan State owns a 3.45 team ERA with 103 strikeouts in 141 innings. Opponents are hitting .229 against Warrior pitching, and the defense has compiled a .963 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.  AJ Carter is hitting .342 with 13 hits and 14 RBI and is tied for the team lead with two triples. Mason Kelley is batting .313 with seven doubles, two home runs and 15 RBI while posting a .507 slugging percentage.  Zach Lewis has recorded 19 hits and a team-high eight doubles, adding a .476 slugging percentage. Carter's two triples share the team lead, while Sanchez and Korey Likens each have one to account for the Warriors' four triples this season.  Jacob Reyes is batting .304 and ranks among the team leaders with a .381 on-base percentage, helping pace a balanced offensive attack heading into CCAA play.

Pitching Leaders
Austin Balentine anchors the rotation with a 4-1 record and a 3.20 ERA over 25.1 innings. 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.  Rocco Gurrola has compiled a 2.78 ERA over 22.2 innings and leads the team with two saves, while Payton Hawkinson has struck out a staff-best 19 batters in 22.2 innings and earned one save.  Out of the bullpen, Eli Blurton owns a 0.84 ERA with 13 strikeouts and two saves in 10.2 innings, giving Stan State a reliable late-inning option as conference play begins.

Balentine Climbs Career Wins, Strikeout Charts at Stan State
Austin Balentine continues to climb the Stan State career record book. With 19 career victories, he is tied for seventh all-time with Tyler Murphy and Gene Oliver. Andrew Stueve ranks sixth with 20 career wins, while Jeff Blobaum holds the program record with 41.  Balentine also ranks 10th in career strikeouts with 150. Eric Federico sits ninth with 180 strikeouts, and Marquis Fleming holds the Stan State record with 292 career strikeouts.

Amongst the National Leaders
Stan State ranks among the NCAA Division II national leaders in several team categories, sitting second in shutouts (3), ninth in walks allowed per nine innings (2.93), 14th in WHIP (1.23), 18th in ERA (3.64), 27th in doubles (33), and 32nd in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.32).

Individually, Austin Balentine is tied for third nationally with four wins. Zach Lewis ranks 11th with eight doubles, while AJ Carter is 13th with two triples. Kian Sanchez sits 14th with 27 hits, Korey Likens is 17th with three sacrifice hits, and Mason Kelley ranks 18th nationally with seven doubles.

Scouting Cal State East Bay
Cal State East Bay enters the weekend at 8-7 overall, including a 3-2 mark on the road. The Pioneers are hitting .290 as a team with 145 hits, 29 doubles, six triples and seven home runs while scoring 124 runs. They carry a .414 slugging percentage and a .401 on-base percentage.  Logan Stelling leads East Bay with a .382 average, five doubles and 11 RBI, while Caleb Chance is batting .390 with a .500 on-base percentage. Gio Martini is hitting .326 with two home runs and 12 RBI and owns a .532 on-base percentage. Marc DiCarlo Jr. has added seven doubles and 13 RBI, and Dominick Najar has stolen eight bases in 10 attempts.

On the mound, East Bay owns a 5.71 team ERA with 120 strikeouts in 126 innings. Jaxen McAdara is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 17 innings, while AJ Gamboa is 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA. Lincoln Juarez has recorded two saves with a 3.00 ERA out of the bullpen.  Defensively, the Pioneers are fielding .960 as a team and have turned 24 double plays this season.

Series History vs. Cal State East Bay
Since March 14, 2008, Stan State has won 47 of the 75 meetings against Cal State East Bay. The Warriors have won 10 of the last 13 matchups dating back to 2023, including a four-game sweep in Hayward in April 2025 and a 3-1 series win in Turlock in 2024.

Listen and Watch
All three games of the series will be streamed live on FloCollege. Stan State home games can also be heard on Blue Chip Broadcasting, with Bryan Nelson providing the play-by-play.

Up Next
Stan State hits the road for Los Angeles for a four-game CCAA series at Cal State Los Angeles, March 13–15. The series begins Friday at 6 p.m., followed by a Saturday doubleheader at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., and concludes Sunday at noon at Reeder Field.

The Warriors then return home to host Cal Poly Pomona in a four-game CCAA series at Warrior Baseball Field in Turlock, Calif. The series opens Friday, March 20 at 6 p.m., continues with a Saturday doubleheader on March 21 at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., and concludes Sunday, March 22 at noon. All games will be streamed on FloCollege, and Stan State home games will also air on Blue Chip Broadcasting, with live stats and tickets available online.