Cal Poly BaseballGreat Moments in

Great Moments in Cal Poly Baseball History

The 1989 Cal Poly baseball team captured the NCAA Division II National Championship in Montgomery, Alabama.

• April 14, 1905 -- Cal Poly wins its first-ever baseball game, defeating Paso Robles High School 9-7. According to the San Luis Obispo Morning Tribune, this game was the first interschool athletic event.

• April 24, 1926 -- Thornton Lee struck out 18 batters as Cal Poly defeated San Jose State Teachers College 7-6.

• May 5, 1926 -- Thornton Lee ties his own school record with another 18-strikeout performance in Cal Poly’s 5-4 win over Paso Robles High School.

• March 7, 1942 -- Cal Poly’s first baseball game as a four-year school, a 5-3 victory over Santa Barbara State College (now UC Santa Barbara).

• April 26, 1943 -- Ed Fisher pitched a no-hitter, allowing just one runner to reach base via a walk, as Cal Poly de-feated Arroyo Grande High School 13-0.

• July 17, 1945 -- Cal Poly played what is believed to be its first game under the lights, an 11-3 loss against the Santa Maria All-Stars at Mission Field in San Luis Obispo.

• March 21, 1950 -- Dick Jacquier broke Thornton Lee’s record by striking out 19 batters as Cal Poly defeated Westmont College 28-1.

• March 13, 1954 -- Frank Romero pitched a no-hitter as Cal Poly blanked Westmont College 9-0.

• May 1964 -- Cal Poly makes its first NCAA Division II postseason playoff appearance in Long Beach, losing to Sacramento State 10-3 in the first round and defeating Chapman College 16-2 in the game for third place. Poly Pomona.

• 1971 -- Cal Poly posts a 39-11-1 record for a .780 winning percentage, best in school history. Head coach of that Mustang team, Augie Garrido, would later coach five College World Series championship teams: Cal State Fullerton in 1979, 1984 and 1995, and at Texas in 2002 and 2005. Catcher Robin Baggett did not allow a passed ball that season and threw out 70 percent of would-be base stealers. Les Ohrn pitched a no-hitter on May 8 against Cal Poly Pomona, a 1-0 Mustang win, and Mike Krukow played the first of his three seasons in a Mustang uniform.

• 1974 -- Ozzie Smith begins his four-year career at Cal Poly.

• March 1, 1975 -- Cal Poly swept a doubleheader against USC by scores of 1-0 and 3-2.

• 1977 -- Cal Poly breaks a school record with 41 victories and qualifies for the NCAA Division II playoffs in Riverside.

• June 1987 – Catcher John Orton selected in the first round of the MLB draft by the California Angels.

• June 2, 1989 – Cal Poly defeats New Haven 9-5 to win the NCAA Division II World Series at Montgomery, Ala. The Mustangs (37-24 for the season), won five straight games in capturing the title.

• May 1992 -- Cal Poly finishes third in NCAA Division II College World Series at Montgomery, Ala. and ties school record with 41 victories.

• June 1993 -- Cal Poly loses to Tampa 7-5 in championship game of NCAA Division II College World Series at Montgomery, Ala., finishing second.

Great Moments in Cal Poly Baseball History

• January 21, 2001 – In the by the Milwaukee Brewers, and is named first game at Baggett Stadium, Big West Conference Player of the Year, the Mustangs defeat Stanford, Cal Poly’s third such honoree. the previous season’s College World Series runners-up, 6-5, • 2013 -- The Mustangs (40-19) earn their on Scott Neal's bases-loaded second NCAA regional bid and garner their walk in the 12th inning. first Division I playoff victory, defeating San Diego 9-2 in the opening round of the Los • May 5, 2002 -- Kevin Angeles Regional at UCLA. Correia's complete-game fivehitter led Cal Poly to an 8-2 • 2014 -- Cal Poly captures first Big West win over Jered Weaver and Conference title and earns third NCAA Long Beach State in Baggett regional bid in a six-year span, hosting the Stadium. San Luis Obispo Regional and splitting four games. The team averaged a record 1,659 • March 28, 2003 -- Sam fans per home game and its 47 victories is Herbert goes 6-for-7 (five sin- a school record as well. Southpaw Matt gles, one double) in Cal Poly's Imhof is drafted in second round by the 22-1 win over Southern Utah Philadelphia Phillies. in the first game of a doubleheader played in light snow • 2020 — Cal Poly upset No. 1-ranked and flurries at Cedar City, Utah. In defending College World Series champion the nightcap, Garrett Olson Vanderbilt 9-8 in the MLB4 Tournament and Tony Saipe combine for a held in Scottsdale, Ariz. The season was no-hitter in a 7-0 Mustang win. called after 16 games due to COVID-19. • April 23, 2004 -- In his junior season, Jered Weaver pitched seven innings for the win as Long Beach State beat Cal Poly 11-5 before 3,274 fans, then a Baggett Stadium record. • May 6, 2005 -- Baggett Stadium’s record for a singlegame crowd rose by 10 fans to 3,284 and they watched No. 1ranked Cal State Fullerton defeat Cal Poly 3-1 as Ricky Romero and Vinnie Pestano outduelled Garrett Olson. • May 31, 2005 -- Catcher Kyle Blumenthal was named Big West Conference Player of the Year, Cal Poly’s first. Dick Morrow soars above the bag in early 1950s game. • June 2005 – Southpaw Garrett Olson was selected in bers of the Western Athletic Conference for the first round of the MLB draft by the their first two Division I seasons. Baltimore Orioles. • March 8, 1996 -- Mike Zirelli outduels Jeff • March 18, 2006 -- Jimmy Van Ostrand Weaver as Cal Poly beats Fresno State 2-1 hits two home runs off Washington ace and at Pete Beiden Field. Five weeks later, two-time Cy Young Award winner, Tim Zirelli beats Weaver again in an 11-8 Lincecum, including the game winner, leadMustang win at SLO Stadium. ing the Mustangs to a 5-4 victory over the 19th-ranked Huskies. • April 4, 1997 -- In Cal Poly’s first year in the Big West Conference, Taber Maier has • May 29, 2007 -- Outfielder Grant Desme a 6-for-6 day at the plate as Cal Poly beats was named Cal Poly’s second Big West Nevada 28-16 in Reno. In that same game, Conference Player of the Year and earned Boyd Dodder hits three home runs for the the Big West regular season Triple Crown. Mustangs. • 2009 – The Mustangs (37-21) earn their first NCAA Division I regional bid, playing in • May 16, 1997 -- Barry Zito suffers the loss the Tempe Regional at Arizona State. as Cal Poly beats UC Santa Barbara 11-10 in the Big West Conference Tournament at • 2012 -- Outfielder Mitch Haniger is Cal Blair Field in Long Beach. Poly's third first-round draft selection, taken Much of the material for this timeline includes research compiled by Don McCaleb