The Cal Poly softball team raised more than $1,700 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society during its first Power in Pink Day on April 4 against UC Santa Barbara.
This is the third year the Mustangs have raised money for cancer awareness. Combined with previous efforts, known then as Strikeout Cancer Day, the team has raised over $6,700.
“We’re honored as a program to be able to donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society,” Cal Poly head coach Jenny Condon said in a statement. “It’s an incredibly important cause and we enjoy any opportunity we can to help.”
The event, sponsored by Under Armour, saw Mustangs wearing pink jerseys that were auctioned off during the doubleheader alongside a raffle to help secure the donations.
Lymphoma survivor Monica Robinson tossed out the ceremonial first pitch before watching the Mustangs sweep UC Santa Barbara.
Winning at home has been commonplace for Cal Poly, special cause or not. The Mustangs (31-9, 10-2 Big West Conference) remain undefeated at home winning all 16 contests at Bob Janssen Field. They return to action on Saturday completing a six-game road trip with a three-game series at UC Davis.
Golf
Cal Poly junior Stephanie Yocum won the Big West Conference women’s individual championship Tuesday afternoon at the San Luis Obispo Country Club.
Yocum highlighted the Mustangs’ performances finishing with a nine-over 225 total, three strokes ahead of four golfers who shared second place.
The Mustangs finished fourth as a team, 16 strokes behind champion Long Beach State. Senior Hannah Brabb finished seventh overall, eight strokes behind Yocum.
On the men’s side, Cal Poly junior Geoff Gonzalez settled for a ninth-place finish after being tied for third heading into the final round. He finished three shots behind UC Davis’ Austin Graham and Ramie Sprinkling. Graham would go on to win the individual championship in a playoff.
The men’s team finished seventh overall 34 shots behind clear victor UC Davis. The Aggies were the only team to shoot under par, finishing with a three-under 861.
Men’s tennis
Cal Poly freshman Andre Dome became the first player in program history to be named Big West Freshman of the Year on Tuesday.
Dome, who was celebrated as one of the biggest recruits to ever arrive at Cal Poly, took the award after a season in which he was named Big West Athlete of the Week twice.
Dome also claimed First Team singles honors. Senior Andrew Gerst and sophomore Drew Jacobs were named to the second team.
Dome finished as the only Mustang with a winning record this season after going 8-7 overall. He was 5-7 playing exclusively at No. 1 singles, including a win over No. 99 Patricio Alvarado of Southern Miss.
Dome had been 8-4 in his first 12 matches at Cal Poly before suffering an injured ankle that would hamper him for the rest of the year.
Gerst finished 9-12 overall and led the team with six victories at the No. 2 slot. He was named to the first team a year ago.
Jacobs played a versatile role for the Mustangs, winning at least one match at all six singles positions over the course of the year, eventually moving up to, and competing at the No. 1 slot at year’s end.
Pacific senior Moritz Starke and UC Santa Barbara sophomore Alex Konigsfeldt would share the Co-Player of the Year award.
The Mustangs would also secure doubles honors as junior Robert Foy, who was also a singles honorable mention, and senior Darryn Young made first team doubles for the
second-consecutive season while Gerst and sophomore Alexander Sonesson were named to the second team.
Cal Poly (11-10, 3-2), which achieved its first national ranking earlier this season, fell to UC Irvine in the Big West Championship Semifinals.
Baseball
The Cal Poly baseball team was ranked as high as 11th in one collegiate poll. The Mustangs (27-9, 8-4 Big West Conference) continue to dominate at home having lost just once at Baggett Stadium this year.
Cal Poly has already surpassed last year’s win total and have swept four series this season.
Senior outfielder Ryan Lee broke the school’s hitting streak record on Sunday, connecting on a hit in his 26th consecutive game. Freshman second baseman Matt Jensen currently has a 23 game streak, just behind Lee.
The Mustangs, sitting in second place in the Big West Conference, are looking to secure their first regional bid.
Cal Poly returns to action on Friday when they begin a three-game series at UC Santa Barbara.
Women’s tennis
Juniors Brittany Blalock and Suzie Matzenauer were named to the All-Big West First Team in both singles and doubles on Tuesday.
Blalock, who was joined by Steffi Wong on the doubles team for the second-consecutive season, had the biggest victory in Cal Poly history when she defeated No. 8 Maria Sanchez of USC earlier this year.
The first team honor came for the third-consecutive year for Blalock who was also named Big West Freshman of the Year in 2007. She finished the year with a 23-10 overall record and was rated as high as 72nd in the nation.
Matzenauer, a transfer from Northwestern, finished the year with a team-best 24-9 record. She also thrived in doubles, alongside sophomore Amy Markhoff. The duo went 18-3 including wins over the No. 51 and 59 doubles teams in the country during the season.
Blalock along with Matzenauer and Markhoff are hoping to be invited to the NCAA tournament when brackets are announced on April 29.