California Baptist University
Utah Tech
BASE PREVIEW: CBU Set to Host Utah Tech for Opening WAC Weekend
3/20/2025 12:55:00 PM | Baseball
RIVERSIDE--- California Baptist baseball enters the first week of Western Athletic Conference play with a winning record after a solid midweek 13-3 win over San Diego State University. CBU will square off against Utah Tech to open the conference season, as the Lancers enter 11-10 and UTU enters 13-11.
THE LANCERS AT A GLANCE
California Baptist is coming off a strong week after picking up a series win over Power 4 Rutgers in New Jersey over the weekend before returning home to dominate SDSU in Riverside. Ryan Kittredge shined on the East Coast, tossing 7.2 innings and allowing just three hits to give the Lancers their first Power 4 series win since 2023. The junior's efforts on the mound earned his WAC Pitcher of the Week honors for CBU's first of the season. The midweek tilt against the Aztecs saw five home runs leave Totman Stadium for a blowout win as Nicholas Dumesnil launched two and Ben Castelli knocked three out of the park.
Bubba Rocha sits at the top of the offense for CBU, maintaining a .361 batting average with 22 hits and five doubles on the year. Dumesnil has risen in the ranks this past week and is now sitting with a .341 batting average with four home runs and 17 RBI. As a whole, the Lancers have four hitters swinging above .300 and a .291 batting average as a team. CBU owns the fourth-most home runs in the WAC at 22 and the second-most doubles at 47.
On the pitching side, CBU has been dominant from the mound as Head Coach Gary Adcock settles into a consistent starting group. The squad owns the lowest team ERA in the WAC and 43rd-lowest ERA in the nation at 4.01. Cody New sits at the top of the stat sheet for the Lancers after checking in with a 1.67 ERA and 32 punchouts this season from the mound. Kittredge's seven innings last weekend have also seen him rise in the ranks as the junior posts a 3.09 ERA across 23.1 innings this season, paired with 19 strikeouts and just 8 earned runs.
SERIES INFORMATION
Opponent: Utah Tech
Dates/Times: Friday, March 21st (6:00 p.m.); Saturday, March 22nd (5:00 p.m.); Sunday, March 23rd (12:00 p.m.)
Location: Riverside, CA
Video: ESPN+: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Live Stats: Statbroadcast: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
SERIES NOTES
This will be the Trailblazer's and Lancer's 55th time meeting and the 13th time in the Division I Era for CBU. The Lancers sport a 9-10 home record and are 23-22 in conference play against Utah Tech. Most recently, California Baptist took the last series 2-1 against UTU in St. George, Utah.
THE TRAILBLAZERS AT A GLANCE
Utah Tech comes to Riverside with a six-game winning streak after taking down Gonzaga before sweeping CSU Bakersfield and defeating BYU on the road this past week. Common opponents with the Lancers include Portland, where the Trailblazers split the series with the Pilots 2-2.
The Trailblazers boast seven batters hitting over .300 this season, while the team as a whole is batting .278. Utah Tech owns the second most hits in the WAC this season, tallying 223 knocks at the plate. The Trailblazers are about the extra bases as well, posting five triples, 35 doubles, and 19 home runs this season. Leading the squad is Kyle McDaniel, a sophomore from Nevada with a .352 batting average with 31 hits on the season. The second baseman owns five doubles, a triple, and two home runs with 10 RBI. CBU will also need to keep its eye on Levi Randall, a junior with speed on the base path who owns 11 stolen bases and a .338 batting average.
From the mound, Utah Tech has solidified four consistent pitchers for the squad as the team owns a 5.32 ERA. Cade Montgomery leads the Trailblazers with a 1.48 ERA and has a perfect 4-0 record this season. The sophomore owns 20 strikeouts and has seen 30.1 innings of action while allowing just five earned runs. Just behind is Ryan Martinez with a 2.33 ERA and 0.96 WHIP, who has dealt 32.1 innings with 24 punchouts this season.
Tickets for the weekend games can be purchased here!
