LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Stan State travels to Cal State Los Angeles this weekend for its second weekend of CCAA play after opening conference action with a four-game split at home against Cal State East Bay. The Warriors dropped the first two games, 9-6 and 2-1, before rallying from an early 8-0 deficit to win game three, 12-10, and closing the series with a 5-2 victory to even their conference record at 2-2. Stan State now heads to Reeder Field in Los Angeles, Calif., for a four-game series beginning Friday, March 13 at 6:00 p.m., followed by a Saturday doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., and concluding Sunday, March 15 at 12:00 p.m.

Warriors Split CCAA Opening Series
Stan State opened conference play by splitting a four-game home series with Cal State East Bay, finishing the weekend 2-2 overall and 2-2 in CCAA action. The Warriors fell in the first two games, 9-6 and 2-1, before rallying from an early 8-0 deficit to claim a 12-10 victory in game three and then securing the series finale, 5-2.

In conference play, Stan State hit .274 as a team with 32 hits and 24 runs scored while posting a 4.76 team ERA over 34 innings. AJ Carter led the Warriors with a .471 average (8-for-17) and a .706 slugging percentage, while Chris Ortiz hit .400 with six hits. Tyler Crudo added five hits and three RBI, and Mason Kelley drove in four runs during the series. Pierce Sailer earned two saves without allowing a run in three innings of work, and the Warriors totaled 29 strikeouts in the four-game set.

Around the CCAA
After the opening weekend of conference play, Cal Poly Pomona sits atop the CCAA standings at 4-0 in conference play and 12-6 overall after sweeping Cal State San Bernardino on the road. Cal State Monterey Bay, Chico State, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State Los Angeles, Cal State East Bay and Stan State are all tied at 2-2 in conference action.

Cal State Monterey Bay split its four-game series at home with Cal State Los Angeles, while Chico State split its home series with Cal State Dominguez Hills. Stan State also finished 2-2 after splitting its series with Cal State East Bay.

Cal State San Marcos has yet to begin conference play and stands at 13-2 overall, while Cal State San Bernardino opened CCAA action at 0-4.

Warriors Update
Through 21 games, Stan State is batting .285 as a team with 194 hits, 39 doubles, four triples and 16 home runs while scoring 126 runs. The Warriors carry a .424 slugging percentage and a .359 on-base percentage into the second weekend of CCAA action.

On the mound, Stan State owns a 3.70 team ERA with 132 strikeouts in 175 innings. Opponents are hitting .235 against Warrior pitching, and the defense has compiled a .958 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 .382 with 21 hits, 17 RBI and two triples while posting a .618 slugging percentage. Mason Kelley is batting .291 with seven doubles, three home runs and a team-high 19 RBI.

Zach Lewis has recorded 22 hits and a team-best nine doubles, while Tyler Crudo has added 20 hits and nine RBI. Carter's two triples lead the team, while Sanchez and Korey Likens each have one to account for the Warriors' four triples this season. Jacob Reyes is batting .277 with 18 hits and continues to provide depth in the lineup.

Pitching Leaders
Austin Balentine anchors the rotation with a 4-1 record and a 3.48 ERA over 31 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 worked 23.2 innings this season, while Payton Hawkinson has struck out 19 batters in 27.2 innings and earned one save.
Out of the bullpen, Pierce Sailer has recorded two saves with a 3.06 ERA in 17.2 innings, and Eli Blurton owns a 3.14 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 14.1 innings, giving Stan State reliable late-inning options as conference play continues.

Among the NCAA Division II Leaders
Stan State ranks among the NCAA Division II national leaders in several team categories, sitting seventh in shutouts (3), 10th in ERA (3.70), 11th in sacrifice hits (18) and WHIP (1.26), and 16th in strikeouts per nine innings (3.34).
Individually, Austin Balentine is tied for 15th nationally with four wins. Korey Likens ranks 16th in sacrifice hits with four, and Zach Lewis is 22nd in the nation with nine doubles.

CCAA Leaders
Stan State ranks among the CCAA leaders on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the Warriors are first in doubles, fourth in hits, fourth in triples, fifth in home runs and fourth in total bases. Stan State also ranks second in sacrifice hits and fourth in stolen bases.

On the mound, the Warriors lead the conference in ERA, shutouts and saves, while ranking fifth in strikeouts.
Individually, Austin Balentine is tied for second in wins, ranks seventh in opponent batting average and is tied for eighth in strikeouts. Payton Hawkinson ranks third in opponent batting average and 10th in ERA. Eli Blurton is tied for the conference lead with three saves and is also tied for ninth in wins. Pierce Sailer is tied for the conference lead with three saves, while Korey Likens is tied for second in sacrifice hits. AJ Carter ranks ninth in the CCAA in stolen bases.

Scouting Cal State Los Angeles
Cal State Los Angeles enters the weekend at 12-9 overall and 2-2 in CCAA play, including a 7-4 mark on the road. The Golden Eagles are hitting .296 as a team with 210 hits, 35 doubles, four triples and 17 home runs while scoring 150 runs. They carry a .429 slugging percentage and a .408 on-base percentage through 21 games.

Jonathan Manuel leads the lineup with a .392 batting average, while Carson Panarisi is hitting .387 with a .506 on-base percentage. Cesar Chavez is batting .361 with 26 hits and 23 runs scored. Alberto Prado has driven in 17 runs, and Omar Gonzalez provides power with eight home runs and a team-best .649 slugging percentage.

On the mound, Cal State Los Angeles owns a 7.35 team ERA with 140 strikeouts in 177.2 innings while opponents are hitting .289. Alejandro Huezo is 4-1 with a 3.86 ERA over 28 innings, and Jared Robles is 2-1 with a 1.37 ERA in 19.2 innings. The Golden Eagles have recorded five saves as a staff.

Defensively, Cal State Los Angeles is fielding .958 and has turned 24 double plays this season.

Series History vs. Cal State Los Angeles
Cal State Los Angeles holds a 35-32 all-time advantage over Stan State since the first meeting on Feb. 29, 2008. The Golden Eagles won the most recent matchup, 9-5, on March 9, 2025 in Turlock, and enter the weekend on a two-game winning streak in the series.

The Warriors have won seven of the last 10 meetings dating back to March 2023 and own a 19-15 record at home in the series, while going 13-20 in games played in Los Angeles. In CCAA contests, Cal State Los Angeles also holds a 34-30 edge.

Stan State's longest winning streak in the series was eight games from April 12, 2015 through Feb. 10, 2018, while the longest losing streak was seven games from March 8, 2013 through March 3, 2014.

The largest margin of victory for the Warriors in the series was an 18-1 win on March 23, 2018, while the smallest margin of victory was a 5-4 decision on March 7, 2025. The two programs have combined for 409 runs in the series, averaging 6.1 runs per game.

Up Next
The Warriors then return home to Warrior Baseball Field to host Cal Poly Pomona in a four-game CCAA series beginning Friday, March 20 at 6:00 p.m. The series continues with a Saturday, March 21 doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., and wraps up Sunday, March 22 at 12:00 p.m.

Stan State Hall of Famers and longtime broadcast voices Bryan Nelson and Eric Davis of Blue Chip Broadcasting will be on the call for the Pomona series. Games will be streamed on FloCollege and Blue Chip Broadcasting with live stats and ticket information available online.