RIVERSIDE – Coming off a series sweep, California Baptist University baseball will begin its final extended road trip of the season. The Lancers' five-game road trip begins with a mid-week tilt at the University of San Diego and a Western Athletic Conference series at Seattle U.

CBU out scored NM State 29-8 in its WAC sweep over the weekend to move it a win within its 30^th of the season at 29-15 overall and 15-9 in conference action. San Diego swept Pacific on the road to secures its 30^th win at 30-16 on the year. Seattle U has won five of its last six games, including a series win at Dixie State, to improve to 15-26 and 10-14 in the WAC.

With two conference series to play, the Lancers still sit alone in second place in the WAC West Division standings at 15-9 in league play, while Grand Canyon leads the division by four games at 19-5. CBU has a 2.5 game lead over the rest of the West: Sacramento State (14-13), Dixie State (12-15), Seattle U (10-14), Utah Valley (9-15) and NM State (8-16).

WEEKLY AWARDS
CBU has produced five different players who have earned WAC weekly awards six times this season. Most recently, CJ Culpepper was named the WAC Pitcher of the Week after he threw a seven-inning shutout (three hits, no walks) and struck out a career-high 12 batters on Saturday.
 
Chad Castillo is a two-time WAC Hitter of the Week this year (Feb. 21, April 11). Brandon Downer was named the Lancers' first WAC Pitcher of the Week on March 28. Jake Skipworth (Feb. 28) and David Martin (April 4) were named the WAC Hitter of the Week this year, as well.
 
WHERE CBU'S TRANSITION RANKS
The Lancers are 104-51 over their first three full years in Division I (2019, 2021-22), which is already the third most wins by a program in its first three full D-I seasons and eight games off the leader, Florida Gulf Coast (112-53, 2008-10).
 
Overall, CBU has gone 111-59 in Division I seasons. Its win total is ninth  among first-year Division I teams since 1998, despite the 2020 season being canceled just 15 games in due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lancers' 65.2 winning percentage ranks first among transitioning D1 programs, with Stony Brook (64.7, 112-61); Florida Gulf Coast (63.1, 139-81) and Dallas Baptist (61.2, 139-88) being the only teams to win at least 110 games at 60-percent clip or higher.
 
SAN DIEGO SERIES NOTES
This will be the eighth time CBU and San Diego have met, as the two played four games against each other from 1987-90, two games in 2019 and once again in 2020 and this season. Their game in San Diego on March 11, 2020 was the final game before the 2020 season was shutdown to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
The Toreros have won all eight games in the series, but three of the four games played since 2019 have been decided by two runs or less. USD claimed a 2-0 win on March 11, 2020 and then won on identical scores of 5-4 in 2019 (May 14 and April 16). San Diego won this season's matchup in Riverside, 7-2, on March 29.

GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: San Diego
Dates/Times: Tuesday, May 10 (6 p.m.)
Location: San Diego (Fowler Park)
CBU Radio: Sidearm
Video: WCC Network
Live Stats: Sidearm

TOREROS AT A GLANCE
San Diego comes into this week receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll. USD is being led by first-year Head Coach Brock Ungricht, but it's been the same story for the team. The Toreros are second in the West Coast Conference standings at 16-8.

It continues the Toreros' run of success, as they have posted eight 30-win seasons over the last 10 years and reached the NCAA Regionals twice over that span to give them eight NCAA Tournaments appearances.

Numbers wise, the Toreros are hitting .289, slugging .433 and have a .381 on-base percentage. Six USD players: Caleb Ricketts (.351), Chase Meidroth (.339), Kevin Sims (.322), Camden Vasquez (.318), RJ Teijeiro (.351) and Jack Costello (.309) are hitting above .300.

The pitching staff has a 4.38 earned-run average, 1.39 WHIP and .267 batting average against. The Toreros rely heavily on Jack Hyde and Ian Churchill, who both have three saves this season. Hyde has made a team-high 19 appearances on the year and a 3.94 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 3-1 record and .246 BAA. Churchill has a 3.80 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 3-2 record and .205 BAA. Ivran Romero and Conner Thurman each had two saves this season, as well. Romero has some of the best numbers of an reliever with a 1.82 ERA, 1.24 WHIP in 18 appearances.

SEATTLE U SERIES NOTES
This is the fourth-ever series between CBU and Seattle U. The Lancers come in with a 9-1 record against the Redhawks after they've won eight-straight games in the matchup. California Baptist swept the first series between the two in Riverside this year and the four-game matchup in Washington in 2021.
 
SERIES INFORMATION
Opponent: Seattle U
Dates/Times: Friday, May 13 (10:35 a.m.); Saturday, May 14 (10:35 a.m.); Sunday, May 15 (12 p.m.)
Location: Bellevue, Wash. (Bannerwood Park)
CBU Radio: Sidearm: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Video: WAC Digital Network: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Live Stats: StatBroadcast: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
 
REDHAWKS AT A GLANCE
Seattle U's offense leads the way, as it is putting up a .290 batting average, .427 slugging percentage and .369 on-base percentage this season. Seven of the Redhawks' regulars: Matt Boissoneault (.378), Aidan Welch (.366), Derek Gellos (.321), Shane Jamison (.306), Trevor Antonson (.303), Gavin Rork (.298) and Connor O'Brien (.298) are batting .298 or better.

On the mound, Seattle U has a 7.85 ERA, 1.90 WHIP and .317 BAA. Peter Chronowski is the ace of the staff with a 4.07 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and .258 BAA this season. Brady Liddle (6.75 ERA) and Nestor German (6.84) have each made nine starts this year.

In the bullpen, Alex McBee (17), Mason Hoover (16), Morgan White (15), and Alex Jemal (15) all lead the way with at least 15 appearances. Jemal and Gabe Smith have a team-high two saves, but Hoover has perhaps been most effective with a 4.57 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and .208 BAA.