Ben RozakAt the start of the week, Larry Lee, head coach of the Cal Poly baseball team, wasn’t willing to hit the panic button.
Even though his Mustangs had fallen to 1-5 in Big West Conference play, he said Monday it wasn’t too late to turn things around. He may have been right.
Cal Poly, which entered the week having lost 10 of its past 12 games, ventured outside of conference play, winning 10-5 at Pepperdine on Tuesday and 8-5 against Fresno State at home Wednesday.
At 6 tonight, the Mustangs (11-17, 1-5 Big West) will look for their first three-game winning streak of the season while hosting Pacific at Baggett Stadium.
By all indications, the Tigers (7-22, 1-5 Big West), tied for the worst record in conference play, could be a telling barometer of Cal Poly’s Big West outlook.
Pacific, which finished seventh in the Big West at 16-43 a year ago, rank last in the nine-team conference in hitting (.237), staff earned-run average (6.55) and fielding percentage (.949).
Freshman center fielder Nick Longmire, at .303, boasts the best batting average for the Tigers, who have fallen in 10 of their past 13 outings.
Cal Poly, which is fourth in the Big West with a batting average of .303, yet eighth in staff ERA at 5.83, has won its most recent five contests with Pacific, and 18 of the past 24 meetings.
First pitch Saturday is also scheduled for 6 p.m., while Sunday’s is slated for 1 p.m.