WVU Baseball is just two wins away from its first trip to the College World Series. The final stop on the potential road to Omaha comes in the form of the first-ever Morgantown Super Regional. The Cal Poly Mustangs make the long trip out to the Mountain State with hopes of playing spoiler after sweeping the Los Angeles Regional. Read more: Breaking down the Cal Poly Mustangs: what to expect in Morgantown.
From veteran coaching to solid fundamental roots, the Mustangs have quite the makeup of a Cinderella squad. Make no mistake, Cal Poly earned the right to play another weekend.
Related: WVU Baseball to host first-ever Super Regional; Who else?
WV Sports Nation spoke with recently retired head coach of Taft College, also in California, for more insight into the Mustangs’ program. Vince Maiocco took over for TC a year after Cal Poly brought in head coach Larry Lee, so there is familiarity.
It starts with coach
Cal Poly takes its orders from the aforementioned longtime skipper, Lee, who is well over two decades into his stint. Coach Lee has been in the area even longer. He was born in San Luis Obispo, California, where both Cal Poly and his previous coaching stop Cuesta (1987-2002) are located.
“It all stems from Larry,” Maiocco said. “A large percentage of West Virginia fans have probably never heard of [him], but he’s a veteran of the game.”
Lee has more than 750 NCAA wins to his name, and 460 more at the Juco level (Cuesta). While the California native has coached his hometown team to five Regional appearances, including this past weekend, Friday will mark his first head coaching gig in the Supers.
His Mustangs even reached the top of the national polls for a week in 2014, thanks in part to taking down then-powerhouse Cal State Fullerton.
On the trivial side of the conversation, baseball must be genetic. Lee’s son, Brooks, is in his second season as the primary shortstop for the Minnesota Twins.
Flip the page back to coach Lee and his program, this season’s squad is well-crafted and highly-skilled. Consistency is the name of their game.
Not flashy, just good
Usually a team with a .304 batting average and 22 successful stolen base attempts does not jump off the page. That is where statistics can mislead.
“They don’t beat themselves and that is fundamental,” Maiocco said.
While the Mustangs are not an offensive juggernaut when it comes to blasting home runs at the plate, they do not necessarily play small ball either. Look back to the number of stolen bases, it equals out to 0.36 per game. Cal Poly thrives off playing a clean, well-disciplined style of baseball. That is how they got to this big of a stage.
“They grinded things out,” Maiocco said. “They won the games they were supposed to win and put themselves in a position to be seeded nicely.”
This is not to say the Mustangs breezed by tough opponents, though. Cal Poly entered the Los Angeles Regional with a 3-13 record against teams in this year’s NCAA Tournament field. None of that matters when you sweep UCLA’s supposed cakewalk weekend.
One potential advantage of coming to Morgantown is the playing surface. Cal Poly plays on grass and players have to prepare for bad hops from the ball. That does not happen on Wagener Field’s artificial grass (and dirt).
On one hand, the Mustangs can focus on other fundamentals without the creeping thought of a bad bounce. On the other, players may not be used to the consistency.
Individual standouts
And on the topic of players, Cal Poly has a few stars who stand out among a class of solid athletes.
Cal transfer Ryan Tayman is the cornerstone of the offense, with team-leading numbers in BA (.362), HR (18), and RBI (56). He is one of five players batting +.300 on the team at this point.
Nate Castellon is the other top guy offensively, batting .328 with 31 RBI.
Alejandro Garza, whose brothers played for coach Maiocco, is an extra base machine, pumping out 21 doubles this year. Garza, only a junior, holds the program record for base hits.
As for the pen, they have talent there too.
Carson Turnquist is the main threat on the mound. For comparison, he is the Maxx Yehl of Cal Poly’s pitching staff. The Oklahoma transfer touts a 9-2 record and 3.35 ERA through 13 starts (15 appearances). Turnquist limits damage, only allowing 16 doubles, five homers, and two triples in 278 at-bats. Expect Turnquist to start Saturday instead of Friday, as Cal Poly saved him for Game 2 this past weekend. It seems to be a trend in this tournament.
Griffin Naess is another great arm, holding a 4.0 ERA and 8-4 record. Naess has clocked the most innings and starts on the roster. Both Turnquist and Naess boast a +3-1 strikeout to walk ratio.
Nick Bonn is the one to watch out of the bullpen. He leads the entire country in saves (17).
Final thoughts
“None of the numbers really wow you,” Maiocco said. “But they are just a good ball club. They don’t beat themselves. But are they ready for the environment with rabid fans in Morgantown? WVU has a large home field advantage.”
Despite the home field advantage, Maiocco said Cal Poly should be prepared.
“Cal Poly is the type of team that may not even be impacted,” Maiocco said. It’s not the most talented team [on paper], but they play the game the right way.”
Solid feedback from a longtime coach in the game.
What’s next
Cal Poly makes the cross-country trip to the mountains of West Virginia to take on the Mountaineers, with Game One set for 12 p.m. Friday. It will be a shocking time change for the Mustangs, playing at 9 a.m. on their internal clocks. First pitch for Game Two is also set for noon.
Tune in to 100.9 FM The Torch or any of its affiliate stations for play-by-play coverage of WVU Baseball’s quest to reach its first College World Series. ESPN has varying TV coverage depending on the game.
WV Sports Nation will be on-site for comprehensive coverage of the 2026 Morgantown Super Regional. You can find live updates on X at _wvsportsnation and read every article on wvsportsnation.com or the WV Sports Nation app.
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