San Luis Obispo, Calif., is the site for the Big West Conference's matchup of the week as 12th-ranked Cal Poly entertains No. 5 Cal State Fullerton at Baggett Stadium for a three-game series. Both teams hold a conference winning percentage of .667 to tie for second in the conference with Long Beach State. The 49ers and Mustangs are 10-5 in league play, while the Titans own a 12-6 mark.
Cal Poly, who is having one of its best seasons at the Division I level, trails the overall series with Cal State Fullerton, 41-8. On a positive note, three of the Mustangs' eight wins were collected over the past two seasons, which included their first series win over the Titans in 2007. Cal Poly has also won 10 of its 11 weekend series this year, their lone series loss was to then-ranked No. 10 UC Irvine. Cal State Fullerton enters the week having won nine of its last 10 outings, while Cal Poly has had some success of its own, claiming eight victories over an 11-game span. The two teams head to the diamond Friday and Saturday at 6:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Prior to the weekend showdown, both teams face Pac-10 opponents in their midweek tilts. The Mustangs, who posted their first-ever victory over the USC Trojans in a 7-5 win back on March 31, goes for two in-a-row Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in Los Angeles. Cal State Fullerton welcomes the Arizona Wildcats to Goodwin Field for a two-game series Tuesday and Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. The Titans own a 59-33 advantage in the all-time series.
For the third straight week, UC Irvine is tabbed the top team in the nation with an impressive 34-11 overall record and a 14-1 Big West mark. This week the Anteaters, who have won 15 of the last 17 contests, travel to northern California to take on the Pacific Tigers. The Tigers are 8-10 in the conference and needs just two more wins to post its highest league win total since the 1999 season. First pitch of the Anteaters-Tigers meeting is slated for Friday, May 8 at 5:30 p.m. Saturday's contest also begins at 5:30 p.m. and Sunday’s matinee gets underway Sunday at 1:00 p.m. UC Irvine carries a 28-14 series mark into the weekend.
After a slow start to the season, Long Beach State has been picking up steam over the past month and has now won 23 contests, including nine of the last 12 contests. Last week the 49ers registered its second straight conference sweep with a 3-0 mark over UC Davis. They go for three in-a-row this week when they visit UC Santa Barbara for a three-game stint.
While Long Beach State has built its momentum as the season has progressed, UC Santa Barbara has been struggling in recent weeks. After opening the 2009 season winning nine of its first 11 games, which nabbed them a top 25 ranking, the Gauchos have dropped the last six contests. UC Santa Barbara looks to turn things around this week with its meeting versus Long Beach State. The two teams are set to tangle Friday at 2:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 p.m. The 49ers lead the series with the Gauchos, 83-68.
Following a rocky start to open conference play, UC Riverside has now found its winning ways and have won seven of the last eight contests, including back-to-back Big West series victories. The Highlanders open the week with their only road game outside of the Golden State Tuesday evening when they visit UNLV. UC Riverside, who owns an impressive 12-5 road mark this season, continues its road trip over the weekend when it makes the trek to UC Davis for a Big West weekend series. Game times at Dobbins Stadium are scheduled for 2:30, 1:00 and 1:00 p.m.
The Aggies travel to Berkeley, Calif. for a nonconference showdown with the California Golden Bears, closing out a home-and-home series. First pitch will be tossed at 2:30 p.m.
Cal State Northridge has a light week ahead of it as it takes a break from league play with a pair of nonconference games versus USC. The Matadors welcome the Trojans to Matador Field Saturday and Sunday with both contests starting at 1:00 p.m.