SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team (1-4) will play its first CCAA series of the year this weekend as it welcomes Cal State LA (6-4) to CSUSM Baseball Field. The four-game series will begin with 2 p.m. game on Friday, a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday and the series finale at noon on Sunday.
 
LAST WEEK

• CSUSM played a three-game series against Colorado School of Mines at home this past weekend.
• The Cougars fell 6-4 in the first game before earning a 10-1 win in the second game. CSUSM concluded the series with a 4-0 loss to the Orediggers in the series finale.

 
COUGAR FACTS

• CSUSM is allowing the 14th-fewest hits per nine innings in Division II at 6.92 and ranks second in the CCAA.
• The Cougars have the third-best WHIP in the CCAA at 1.36 while also posting the third-best ERA at 4.38.
• CSUSM's pitching staff is racking up the fifth-most strikeouts per nine innings at 9.0.
• Phoenix Sommay is the toughest player to strikeout in the CCAA with no strikeouts so far while posting a team-best .400 batting average with a team-leading six hits in 15 at-bats.
• At 2.00, Sammy Murphy has the eighth-best ERA in the conference while allowing the fifth-fewest hits per nine innings in the league at 5.00.

CCAA SERIES OPENER

• LA capped off its current non-conference schedule this past weekend with a three-game sweep of La Sierra, winning by scores of 16-7, 25-2 and 7-2.
• Prior to that, the Golden Eagles posted an 11-2 win at Chaminade on Feb. 4 before a 10-1 win at Azusa Pacific on Feb. 13.
• LA was due to face APU again on Tuesday, but the game was postponed due to rain.
• The Golden Eagles are the top base stealing team in the CCAA with 19 this season.
• LA has the second-best team batting average in the league at .329 while having the seventh-best team ERA at 5.34.
• The Golden Eagles rank 15th nationally and lead the conference with 9.9 runs scored per game.
• LA is allowing 5.65 walks per nine innings, ranking next-to-last in the CCAA.
• Reigning NCBWA Region Player of the Week and CCAA Player of the Week Matthew Piotrowski leads the Golden Eagles with a .425 batting average.
• Starting pitcher Jorge Romero (2-0) leads LA's staff with a 1.64 ERA in 11.0 innings.
• The Cougars and Golden Eagles are tied at 14-14 in the all-time series while CSUSM has an 8-4 advantage at home.
• LA took the season series last year for the first time since 2017, winning the first three games in LA before CSUSM won the series finale by a score of 20-10.
• The Golden Eagles were picked to finish next-to-last in the 2024 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll.

TICKETS ON SALE FOR 2024 BASEBALL

• Tickets will be sold for the regular season in person at the gate or by visiting CSUSMCougars.com/tickets.
• General admission tickets will cost $10 while youth (ages 5-12) and senior/military tickets will cost $6.
• Parents who have children wearing a youth jersey can also also purchase tickets for $6. Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets for $4 each.

COUGAR OUTLOOK

• CSUSM will field a roster of 35 this season with nine returners and 26 newcomers.
• The Cougars' pitching staff is made up of 15 arms, including 11 right-handers and four southpaws.
• CSUSM will have 22 position players to choose from, including two two-way players.
• Of the Cougars' 35-man roster, all but seven are upperclassmen.
• Returners Luke Reece and Preston Kelly each earned All-CCAA honors last season as Reece was named to the second team while Kelly was an honorable mention.
• CSUSM was selected to finish ninth in the 2024 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll.

THE GARCIA FILE

• Head Coach Jose Garcia enters his second season in San Marcos after taking over the CSUSM baseball program on Aug. 1, 2022.
• The Cougars ended the 2023 season with an overall record of 20-25 and finished ninth in CCAA play at 14-21.
• Garcia came to CSUSM from fellow CCAA member Chico State where he was the top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Wildcats.
• Joining Chico's staff as a student assistant in Fall 2012, Garcia helped the Wildcats notch 286 victories, seven postseason appearances, two CCAA Championships, one NCAA West Region Championship and one College World Series appearance in 10 years with the program.
• Serving as Chico's primary hitting and infield coach, Garcia coached the Wildcats' offense to a conference-record .344 team batting average while assisting the team to a 34-15 overall record in 2022 despite only returning seven players from the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
• In 2017, Garcia helped Chico to another CCAA record with a win-loss total of 34-4 in conference play while also helping the team to an NCAA Division II-best .983 fielding percentage.
• Garcia is a graduate of Chico State and earned his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in coaching. He later earned his master's degree in School and Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Positive Coaching from the University of Missouri in 2017.