This week is full of action for Cal Poly athletics.
Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams face Cal State Northridge this Saturday while swimming and diving are away at conference championships this weekend.
Individual wrestlers are preparing for Pac-12 championships after last Sunday’s 23-15 homecoming win over Boise State.
The men’s basketball team successfully ended its five-game losing streak with an 86-78 win over UC Riverside last Saturday.
This week, the Mustangs (9-15, 3-8 Big West) return home to host three games in Mott Athletics Center.
The Mustangs open their three-game homestand with a matchup against UC Davis (10-14, 5-6) on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Cal Poly lost 66-52 to the Aggies in their last meeting at an away game on Jan. 30.
Looking ahead, the men’s basketball team will also host Cal State Northridge (9-16, 4-7) this week, facing the Matadors Saturday at 7 p.m. The game is labeled “Neon Night,” and the team asks that all spectators come to the game in ’80s or neon attire.
CSUN beat the Mustangs in a close 76-74 game earlier this season. Cal Poly is currently eighth in Big West Conference standings.
After two losses last week, the women’s basketball team (11-13, 4-7 Big West) will travel south this weekend, competing in two away matchups.
The Mustangs head to Cal State Fullerton (2-23, 0-11 Big West) on Thursday and will compete in Titan Gym with a 7 p.m. tipoff.
Following Thursday’s matchup, the women’s basketball team will continue on the road to face Cal State Northridge (6-18, 4-6 Big West) on Saturday. The matchup will be televised on ESPN3 and starts at 4 p.m.
The Mustangs took a 66-62-overtime win over the Matadors during their last matchup on Jan. 21 in Mott Athletics Center.
Currently, the women’s basketball team is ranked sixth in the Big West Conference.
Both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams are currently competing in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships in Los Angeles.
The meet started on Wednesday and continues through Saturday.
According to a press release from the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, Cal Poly ranks No. 1 in finish times for four different events among the entire conference. Sophomore Bonnie Diamond is ranked at the top of the women’s standings for both the 1650 free and 500 free. Junior Caleb Davies boasts the top time for the men’s 100 breast and sophomore Nolan Newland leads in the 500 free.
The baseball team begins its season by hosting Pacific in Baggett Stadium this weekend with four nonconference games against the Tigers.
Both teams meet on Friday at 6 p.m., followed by two games on Saturday at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and a final matchup on Sunday at 1 p.m. The series against the Tigers will mark the start of nonexhibition preseason play for the Mustangs.
After coming out of last weekend’s tournament with a 3-2 record, the softball team returns to the diamond this weekend to compete in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic Tournament in Cathedral City. The tournament begins with a matchup against Central Michigan on Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m., followed by a game against Army at 6 p.m.
The Mustangs continue on Saturday with a 10 a.m. matchup against Notre Dame and a 5:30 p.m. game against UCLA. The softball team closes the tournament on Sunday morning with a game against Arizona at 11:30 a.m.
The men’s tennis team (3-4) travels to Texas this weekend, facing No. 2 TCU on Saturday and SMU on Sunday.
The women’s tennis team (1-4, 0-2 Big West) will host UC Santa Cruz Saturday at 12 p.m. on the Mustang Tennis Courts, followed by another home game on Sunday against Pacific at 11 a.m. The Mustangs are currently suffering a four-match losing streak.
The men’s golf team travels to Palm Desert this weekend for the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate. The tournament tees off on Friday morning and continues into Saturday and Sunday.
While spring teams prepare for conference competition with a schedule of preseason competition, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are nearing the end of conference play. That combination leaves this weekend as one of the final opportunities for the Mustangs to improve their season records.