SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team (0-2) will play its first home games of the 2024 season as it faces Colorado School of Mines (1-5) in a three-game series beginning on Friday at 2 p.m. at CSUSM Baseball Field. The Cougars will finish up the series with the Orediggers on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.
 
LAST WEEK

• CSUSM was due to face Concordia University Irvine in a four-game series in Irvine, but the first two games of the series were canceled due to rain and poor field conditions.
• The Cougars and Golden Eagles were able to begin their 2024 seasons this past Saturday as CUI took both games of the doubleheader by scores of 10-3 and 6-4.
• Phoenix Sommay and Mateo Lake each led the team with three hits in CSUSM's games at CUI.
• On the mound, Sammy Murphy led the team with four strikeouts in 4.0 innings and posted an ERA of 2.25.

 

GAMES 3-5 | COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
Dates	Friday, Feb. 16 - Saturday, Feb. 17
Times	Friday, Feb. 16 - 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17 - 11 a.m. (DH)
Locations	San Marcos, Calif.
Venue	CSUSM Baseball Field
Records	CSUSM (0-2) MINES (1-5)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video ($)	CCAA Network
Tickets	HomeTown Ticketing

HOME OPENER AGAINST MINES

• The Cougars and Orediggers will meet for the first time since 2022 when Mines took three out of four games in the teams' first-ever series against each other.
• Mines is off to a 1-5 start in 2024 as it lost its first five games. It took single losses to Arkansas-Monticello and No. 17 Southern Arkansas in the opening weekend of play before falling in three of four games at Emporia State this past weekend.
• Against the Hornets, the Orediggers fell 3-2, 5-4 and 2-0 before earning its first win of the season with a 10-1 victory.
• Canon Humphreys has Mines' top batting average at .316 with six hits in 19 at-bats.
• Starting pitcher Ben Schoneman has a team-leading nine strikeouts to go along with a 0.69 WHIP and a 2.31 ERA in 11.2 innings while opponents are batting .132 against him. He earned RMAC Pitcher of the Week honors on Feb. 6.
• Mines was picked to finish fourth out of nine teams in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Preseason Coaches Poll.
• RMAC Freshman of the Year outfielder Jackson Woolwine returns along with RMAC Honorable Mention I-Ly Hsue.

TICKETS ON SALE FOR 2024 BASEBALL

• Tickets will be sold for the regular season in person at the gate or by visiting CSUSMCougars.com/tickets.
• General admission tickets will cost $10 while youth (ages 5-12) and senior/military tickets will cost $6.
• Parents who have children wearing a youth jersey can also also purchase tickets for $6. Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets for $4 each.

COUGAR OUTLOOK

• CSUSM will field a roster of 35 this season with nine returners and 26 newcomers.
• The Cougars' pitching staff is made up of 15 arms, including 11 right-handers and four southpaws.
• CSUSM will have 22 position players to choose from, including two two-way players.
• Of the Cougars' 35-man roster, all but seven are upperclassmen.
• Returners Luke Reece and Preston Kelly each earned All-CCAA honors last season as Reece was named to the second team while Kelly was an honorable mention.
• CSUSM was selected to finish ninth in the 2024 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll.

THE GARCIA FILE

• Head Coach Jose Garcia enters his second season in San Marcos after taking over the CSUSM baseball program on Aug. 1, 2022.
• The Cougars ended the 2023 season with an overall record of 20-25 and finished ninth in CCAA play at 14-21.
• Garcia came to CSUSM from fellow CCAA member Chico State where he was the top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Wildcats.
• Joining Chico's staff as a student assistant in Fall 2012, Garcia helped the Wildcats notch 286 victories, seven postseason appearances, two CCAA Championships, one NCAA West Region Championship and one College World Series appearance in 10 years with the program.
• Serving as Chico's primary hitting and infield coach, Garcia coached the Wildcats' offense to a conference-record .344 team batting average while assisting the team to a 34-15 overall record in 2022 despite only returning seven players from the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
• In 2017, Garcia helped Chico to another CCAA record with a win-loss total of 34-4 in conference play while also helping the team to an NCAA Division II-best .983 fielding percentage.
• Garcia is a graduate of Chico State and earned his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in coaching. He later earned his master's degree in School and Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Positive Coaching from the University of Missouri in 2017.