SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team faces Sonoma State in a three-game series this weekend at CSUSM Baseball Field.
 
The Schedule
Game 36 & 37
Saturday, April 16 – 12 p.m. (DH)
Sonoma State (13-18, 11-9 CCAA) at Cal State San Marcos (17-18, 9-14 CCAA)
San Marcos, Calif. – CSUSM Baseball Field
Live Stats | Live Video
 
Games 38
Sunday, April 17 – 11 a.m.
SSU at CSUSM
San Marcos, Calif. – CSUSM Baseball Field
Live Stats | Live Video
 
Baseball Social Media
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Sonoma State Preview
All-time vs. SSU: First meeting between these two teams.
 
SSU Breakdown: The Seawolves led the CCAA North Division briefly on Monday before dropping a pair to Cal State Monterey (2-1, 3-1). SSU ranks eighth in the nation after averaging one double play per game. Ryan O'Malley leads the CCAA with a .730 slugging percentage.
 
Last Series Recap
Last weekend, the Cougars were able to play one of the three games schedule at the Swamp, the nickname of San Francisco State's baseball field. And boy, did the Cougars make it a memorable win. CSUSM tied the game at 3-3 in the eighth after junior Ross Lemmel was pinged on the elbow with bases loaded. The Cougars broke the tie in the top of the 16th on senior L.A. Gamo's 2-RBI triple to the right center gap. Junior Hayden Weir picked up his team-leading fifth win after tossing 8 1/3 shutout innings.
 
CCAA Standings
North Division
1. Cal State Monterey Bay 14-8, 25-9
2. Chico State 14-9, 24-11
3. Sonoma State 11-9, 13-18
4. Cal State East Bay 11-11, 20-13
5. San Francisco State 9-10, 16-14
6. Stanislaus State 9-12, 18-15
 
South Division
1. Cal Poly Pomona 14-8, 22-12
2. UC San Diego 13-11, 23-13
3. Cal State San Bernardino 11-11, 16-18
4. Cal State Dominguez Hills 10-13, 17-18
5. Cal State San Marcos 9-14, 17-18
6. Cal State L.A. 6-15, 7-25
 
CSUSM in the CCAA Ranks
Team, top five
BATTING
2. Walks (162)
3. Hits (353)
3. Batting average (.306)
4. Runs batted in (182)
4. Doubles (61)
5. Runs (216)
5. Hit by pitches (34)
 
Individual, top five
BATTING
1. Hit by pitch – Jon Putnam (11)
2. Walks – L.A. Gamo (22)
2. Sacrifice flies –Brandon Bentson (6)
3. Sacrifice bunts – L.A. Gamo (8)
3. Runs scored – Brandon Bentson (28)
4. Hits – Tyler Place (54)
4. Runs scored – Tyler Place (34)
5. Runs batted in – Clinton Perez (31)
5. Sacrifice flies – Jon Putnam (5)


 
Outside the CCAA
CCAA teams have posted a 72-39 (.649) record against non-CCAA teams so far this season. The CCAA schools have a 42-29 (.592) record against Pac West schools. CSUSM has tallied an 8-4 non-conference record in 2016 with a 2-2 record against PacWest schools.
 
Records Are Made To Be Broken
Senior Brandon Bentson became the CSUSM hit leader after recording a single in his fourth at bat on Friday, March 11 against Cal Poly Pomona. The hit passed CSUSM Hall of Famer Austin Coleman's (2008-12) record of 226 hits. Bentson now has 243 hits and counting.
 
Career Record Watch
Brandon Bentson
1st in Hits – 243 (Austin Coleman, 226)
1st in Games started – 181 (Austin Coleman, 176)
1st in Games played – 183 (Austin Coleman, 180)
2nd in Doubles – 43 (Austin Coleman, 56)
2nd in RBIs – 141 (Austin Coleman, 171)
2nd in Sacrifice flies – 18 (Austin Coleman, 24)
3rd in Runs Scored – 136 (Austin Coleman, 158)
3rd in Walks – 65 (Kyle Secciani, 92, 2010-13)
3rd in Sacrifice Hits – 13 (Johnny Omahen, 15, 2008-11)
 
Tyler Place
T2nd in Triples – 10 (Kyle Secciani, 18, 2010-13)


Jon Putnam
3rd in Hit By Pitch – 25 (Austin Coleman, 37)
 
Austin Ott
3rd in Sacrifice Flies – 11 (Austin Coleman, 24)
 
L.A. Gamo
4th in Sacrifice Hits – 12 (Johnny Omahen, 15, 2008-11)
 
Emilio Esquibel
3rd in Wins – 14 (Johnny Holtman, 19, 2008-11)
 
Cameron MacKenzie
3rd in Most Strikeouts Looking – 33 (Johnny Holtman, 59, 2008-11)
 
 
 
New Season, New Surroundings
The Cougars enter their first season of NCAA Division II competition and California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play in 2016 after playing its first nine seasons in the NAIA. CSUSM made three postseason appearances during its time in the NAIA.
 
The Pugh File
Head coach Dennis Pugh enters his tenth season at the helm of the Cougars in 2016. Pugh has accumulated a 254-143-2 on field record while grooming 29 all-conference selections. Prior to his time at CSUSM, Pugh spent 27 years as the head baseball coach at Mission Bay High School in Pacific Beach.
 
New Territory
After nine seasons of competition in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the Cougars enter their first season of NCAA Division II competition in 2015-16. CSUSM is currently in the second year of a three-year transition to full NCAA Division II membership. As a part of the transition, the Cougars will be ineligible for postseason play in 2016 and 2017.

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