SAN MARCOS, Calif. – After rain canceled its first series of the year, the Cal State San Marcos baseball team will open its 2024 season with a four-game series at Concordia University Irvine on Friday and Saturday at Golden Eagles Field in Irvine.
 
LAST SEASON

• In Head Coach Jose Garcia's first season at the helm of the CSUSM baseball team, the Cougars ended the year with an overall record of 20-25 and finished ninth in the CCAA standings at 14-21.
• Returners Luke Reece and Preston Kelly each earned All-CCAA honors as Reece was named to the second team while Kelly was an honorable mention.

 
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.
• CSUSM was selected to finish ninth in the 2024 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll.

OPENING SERIES AT CUI

• Like CSUSM, CUI had its first series of the year canceled due to rain as it was supposed to host Central Washington this past weekend before a midweek game against Northwest Nazarene on Tuesday that was also canceled.
• The Golden Eagles finished the 2023 season with an overall record of 19-25 and tied for sixth in PacWest play at 14-17.
• CUI was picked to finish fourth in the 2024 PacWest Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Outfielder Michael Dixon II and starting pitcher Riley O'Sullivan were named to the 2024 Preseason All-PacWest team while O'Sullivan was selected as the Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
• CSUSM won last year's home-and-home series against CUI, taking the first three games by scores of 15-3, 6-1 and 6-2 before falling 3-0 in the seven-inning finale.
• The Golden Eagles have a slight edge in the all-time series at 21-17 and are 13-9 against the Cougars when playing in Irvine.

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.