Keenan Donath
[follow id = “CPMustangSports”]
The Cal Poly baseball team finished its 2015 season with just as many wins as losses. The 27-27 overall record suggests a season of mediocrity, but as is often the case in baseball, a team’s record can paint an incomplete picture of its performance.
Perhaps it was the absence of some of the players who led last year’s team to a first-place finish in the Big West Conference and an NCAA postseason berth. Currently working their way up the big league ladder, Nick Torres, Chris Hoo, Jimmy Allen, Reed Reilly and Matt Imhof were key in the success of last year’s squad.
Their replacements varied in skill and experience. In an increased role this year, outfielder Zack Zehner helped to fill the void left by Torres, a current San Diego Padres minor leaguer. The senior, who is expected to be drafted fairly high himself, batted .304 in 53 games this year. His totals for home runs (9), RBI (45) and slugging percentage (.509) led the Mustangs.
With senior outfielder Jordan Ellis putting up improved numbers in 2015, you would expect the Mustangs outfield to be one of the best in the Big West. But Cal Poly struggled to find a consistent performer to fill that third spot and paid the price. Team totals for batting average, hits and RBI all dropped off, despite many of the consistent starters having solid years.
Cal Poly likely boasted the best middle infield combo in the Big West this year. Junior second baseman Mark Mathias, who is primed to be the highest Mustang drafted in this year’s Major League Baseball draft, posted another steady offensive season despite being injured in the beginning of the year. His numbers for batting average (.356) and hits (72) led the team but were understandably a step down from the remarkable numbers he put up last year.
And there is no one smoother at shortstop than Peter Van Gansen. The Big West Defensive Player of the Year set career bests for batting average (.314), hits (69) and home runs (2), in addition to leading the team in defensive assists (154). The junior should be an intriguing candidate come draft day.
While many of the returning players met expectations for 2015, less-solidified rosters spots had a longer adjustment period.
The Mustangs ended up seeing timely production from previous bench players such as sophomore catcher Brett Barbier (34 RBI) and junior outfielder John Schuknecht (6 HR), but it wasn’t enough to cover the losses from last season.
The Cal Poly defense was its downfall early in the year. The bulk of the team’s errors came in the season’s early days. The Mustangs committed three errors per game in four of their first six contests of the season. Catching without Hoo seemed to be a problem, and a Mathias-less infield was far from ideal.
But as the season progressed the defense started to improve. Barbier settled in as the team’s backstop and a more-than-capable starting nine came to fruition later in the season. An improved defense was the reason the Mustangs were able to rebound from their slow start with a series sweep against Hawaii, a part of their respectable second-half record of 17-10.
Pitching, at times, also proved problematic.
While junior starter Casey Bloomquist was able to put up the type of numbers you would expect from an MLB prospect, posting team bests in wins (8), strikeouts (78) and innings pitched (98), the team struggled to find similar success in games he did not start.
When we talked to head coach Larry Lee in the preseason, he said pitching would be a concern this year. After Bloomquist and senior relievers Taylor Chris and Danny Zandona, the Mustangs were forced to rely on freshman and sophomore arms. Some fared better than others, with two standouts being freshman starters Kyle Smith and Jarred Zill.
Smith, a southpaw, saw a lot of playing time this year, securing the No. 2 slot in the starting rotation. He had the second-most starts (13) and secured wins against top-notch teams such as Oregon State and UC Santa Barbara. Meanwhile, the right-handed Zill had an impressive ERA of 3.18 and went 4-1, with most of his action coming in the second half of the season as he slotted into the Sunday starting slot.
Relievers Zandona and Chris, as well as freshman Michael Gomez, were workhorses for the bullpen this year. While their numbers might not show it, the bullpen was able to hold it together in tough situations. The Mustangs went 26-2 when they had the lead after seven innings.
To be honest, Cal Poly was terrible in the first few weeks of the season. Sure, Mathias wasn’t able to play fully on both sides of the ball until the end of March, and Cal Poly did start its season with some tough road matchups, but the Mustangs should have been able to muster more than one win in their first seven games.
And let us remember, Mathias, Zehner and Bloomquist are among the players who are unlikely to — and in Zehner’s case, won’t — return next year, so the lull in performance due to missing stars will be an insufficient excuse next season.
A 14-10 record in Big West play is nothing to scoff at, especially considering where Cal Poly started the year and how repeatedly Lee commented on the poor quality of the team. Was the season a success? Not particularly. But if you had told me the week before conference play began that the Mustangs would finish fourth in the Big West and compete for the top spot in the last few weeks, I might have laughed.
Next up, the MLB draft.