Ryan ChartrandIn the offseason, the Cal Poly baseball program’s incoming freshmen class received high praise and expectations. Collegiate Baseball Newspaper ranked the Mustangs’ recruiting class the 20th-best in the nation.
This year, head coach Larry Lee hopes that young talent will translate into victories – fast.
Cal Poly has a preseason schedule littered with a gauntlet of perennial powers, including two of the past four national champions in Rice (2003) and Oregon State (2006). The preseason also features dates with Pac-10 teams USC and Washington. The media picked Cal State Fullerton to win the Big West Conference, meaning Cal Poly will play three of the last four national champions this season.
“You want to play the best, period,” Lee said. “With a (young) team like this, we’re going to find out what kind of team we are early on.”
The Mustangs finished last year 29-27. This season, coaches picked the Mustangs to finish fifth in a conference of eight teams.
There is no doubt that youth will play a definitive role on this team as Cal Poly lost all but three starters in the field and lost seven players overall to the major leagues via the draft.
Lee envisions as many as three freshmen and three sophomores in the lineup at any given time.
The pitching staff will also feel the void left by starters Gary Daley Jr. and Bud Norris (drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros, respectively), who combined for more than half of the team’s wins last year.
Lee said the probable rotation for the Mustangs will consist of sophomore right-hander D.J. Mauldin (2-2, 5.65 ERA in 2006), freshman southpaw Matt Leonard and sophomore right-hander Thomas Eager.
Mauldin was the only one of the trio who saw action for the Mustangs last season.
Cal Poly will try to close games out with junior right-hander Marc Nobriga, who posted a 5-3 record and 2.64 ERA for Hartnell College of Salinas last year.
“You want to reload, but when you lose that many guys you have no choice but to throw these (young) guys into the mix,” Lee said.
Lee cited Leonard, shortstop Kyle Smith and outfielder Luke Yoder as freshmen who could have an immediate impact.
Lee added that Smith could be “one of the best young players on the West Coast.”
Despite the overall youth on the team, the Mustangs do have a solid core of experienced players, although Lee didn’t name a single player as the team leader but rather, leadership by committee.
Lee identified the top leaders on the team as sophomores Adam Buschini (.266 batting average last year), Brent Morel (.259) and junior Grant Desme.
“I look forward to teaching the young guys,” Desme said. “We’re young but we know we can be good right away.”
Desme, a junior infielder who hit .287 with 33 RBI last season, welcomes the crucible that is the preseason schedule.
“That’s Division I baseball,” he said.
Both Lee and Desme believe the Mustangs can be as good as they want to be this year.
Aside from the daunting preseason schedule, the Mustangs play in one of the best conferences in the country, with Cal State Fullerton ranked 12th in the nation.
Lee is not worried about Cal Poly’s talent level, but is concerned with “mental barriers” against teams like the Titans, who have taken eight of the last nine meetings from the Mustangs.
“We’re going to see what happens when the lights go on,” Lee said. “We’ll see what kind of competitors we have.”
The Mustangs begin the season Jan. 26 at the University of San Diego. Their first home game is Feb. 2 against San Diego State, which is coached by Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn.