SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – The CSUSB baseball team took both games of the doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, securing the series win over Cal State San Marcos. If they win the final game on Sunday, it will be their third sweep of the season in just four series.
 
The 2023 Yotes already own the best start to a season in program history, and their 12-1 start is just adding on to that legacy. On Monday, the Yotes were nearly the unanimous number one in the NCBWA West Region ranking, receiving 13 of 14 first place votes. The following day, the Yotes were ranked No. 5 in the entire country, marking the highest national ranking in program history. If Saturday's doubleheader was a sign, they're not slowing down anytime soon.
 
CSUSB has proven to be one of the most potent offenses in the nation, hitting a home run in every single game thus far and scoring 10 or more runs in EIGHT of their 13 games played. In addition, they have at least six hits in every game and have only struck out 10 or more times once.
 
 
Game 1: CSUSB 11, CSUSM 10
Luke Hempel delivered a strong start on the mound for the Yotes, going 7.0 innings while striking out four and allowing four earned runs. In the top of the eighth inning, the Yotes bullpen struggled to shut down the Cougars who were making a late surge in the game, allowing five earned runs while only recording two outs. CSUSB's closer Oscar Rauda was called on to stop the scoring – and that's exactly what he did. Rauda escaped the eighth inning and held CSUSM to just one run in the ninth to earn his third save of the season. With the win, Hempel improved to 2-1 on the season.
 
Takuto Kataoka went a perfect 4-4 in the game, recording four singles and three runs scored. DeShawn Johnson also scored three runs in the game while going 2-4 at the plate. Ironically, batting .500 in the game lowered Johnson's batting average, as he is batting an unfathomable .522 in 13 games this season.   
 
Both Giovanni Del Negro and Garrett Macias hit home runs in the game, and Del Negro also recorded a triple. In total, the Yotes recorded 15 hits, six of which were extra base hits.
 
 
Game 2: CSUSB 11, CSUSM 2 (7 innings)
CSUSB didn't let the seven inning cap in Game 2 of the doubleheader prevent them from reaching their double-digit quota, as they scored at least ten runs in a game for the eighth time this season. After scoring two runs in the bottom of the second inning on a Jeremy Giesegh two-run single, the offense exploded in the third inning to make the game 9-1. This came on three separate home runs from Johnson, Jake Borst, and Giesegh.
 
On the mound, Dylan O'Connor delivered a quality start for the Yotes. The junior struck out six batters in 6.0 innings while only allowing two earned runs. Josh Sandoval slammed the door shut in the seventh, striking out the side on 17 pitches.
 
 
Up Next
The Yotes and Cougars will conclude their series on Sunday, March 5^th, in a 12:00 PM game at Fiscalini Field. You can purchase tickets here or catch the action on the CCAA Network at ccaanetwork.com.

To see the full CSUSB baseball schedule, click HERE.


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