MORAGA, Calif. - After a 12-12 start to their non-conference schedule, Saint Mary's will officially kickoff WCC action this weekend in a three-game series with bay area rival San Francisco starting on Friday, March 28th. Since returning to Moraga, head coach Eric Valenzuela has put together one of the more challenging non-conference schedules in recent memory with trips to 15th ranked Vanderbilt and Big East member Creighton as well as a home-and-home series with UC Santa Barbara who ranked as high as 15th in the DI Baseball national poll. 

Highlights from the team's non-conference slate included a road win over no. 21 UC Santa Barbara and a three-game sweep over San Diego State that added to a five-game win streak for the team's longest of the season. The Gaels offense has picked up where they left off in 2024, leading all WCC programs with a .287 batting average and averaging seven runs per game. 

The quest for another NCAA Tournament appearance begins for Valenzuela and his squad after leading the Gaels to 34 wins and their most successful season since his departure in 2019. Saint Mary's was picked to finish third in the 2025 WCCPreseason Poll and have won eight of the last ten meetings with the Dons dating back to 2021.    

GAME COVERAGE

BSB | Saint Mary's vs. San Francisco| Benedetti Diamond
San Francisco, Calif. | March 28th | 2:00 PM
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets

GAELS OUTLOOK

Non-Conference Slate and RPI…

Head coach Eric Valenzuela has taken his team to some of the most unique venues in college baseball and as a result, his team has the highest RPI rank out of any WCC program entering conference play. The Gaels took on one of the most recognizable brands in college baseball in Vanderbilt and then got to play at legendary Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, home of the college baseball world series since 2011. 

The Gaels are just 1-5 in those games but held leads in two of the three games against the Commodores and held a four-run lead in the series finale with the Bluejays, proving their offense can hang with the best of them. After being picked to finish third in the 2025 WCC Preseason Poll, Valenzuela and his squad will start their quest for their second ever NCAA Tournament appearance after winning the conference tournament in 2016.   

History in the WCC…

San Diego was the league's lone 40-win team in 2024 and won their second WCC Tournament Title in the previous three seasons. They represented the WCC with their tenth regional appearance but fell to the region's top seed in UC Santa Barbara to end their postseason run. 

Saint Mary's put together their best season since 2019 with 34 wins and finished third in the conference standings with a 17-8 record. The Gaels had a shot at the regular season title going into the final week of the regular season but a road sweep against Portland would solidify their third place finish. Since the WCC tournament started in 2013, Saint Mary's has made five appearances and secured one tournament championship in 2016. 

Eric Valenzuela is responsible for four of the program's five appearances and also has the program's lone NCAA Regional appearance back in 2016. In his first year back in Moraga, Valenzuela led Saint Mary's to a 34-win season for their most wins since 2019. With his return, all signs point to this Gaels program reaching new heights and continuing to emerge as a top west coast program.   

Series History…

Since 2002, San Francisco owns the series history against Saint Mary's with a 36-24 record, but recent success has belonged to the Gaels as they have won eight of their previous ten meetings dating back to 2021. 

The Dons won just four games in conference play last season and finished dead last. They were picked to finish eighth in this year's preseason poll but are off to a nice start after taking two of three against Santa Clara, sitting just one game below .500. The Dons will look for their first series sweep over the Gaels since 2019.   

ABOUT THE DONS (WCC)

San Francisco enters Friday's series with a 12-13 overall record and a 2-1 WCC record, taking two of three against Santa Clara in their conference opener last week. The Dons rank fourth in the conference with a .256 team average and are led by four players with a .300+ average. 

When San Francisco scores seven or more runs they are 8-2 this season, but when the bats go cold they are just 3-9 scoring five runs or fewer. A bright spot for the Dons so far in the season has been their pitching, leading the WCC with a 5.46 team ERA. Two of their three leading starters have two wins and ERA's under 4.60 and the Dons also boast one of the best closers in the league in Quentin Pohorksi. Pohorski leads the WCC with four saves and holds a 1.08 ERA in his seven appearances. 

Key wins for the Dons during their non-conference slate include a series win over Central Michigan, a single win over Creighton and two wins over Santa Clara to start conference play 2-1. 

Rob DiToma was named the fifth head coach of the University of San Francisco baseball program on June 15, 2022 after spending the previous three seasons at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where he was head coach of the Knights since June 2019. DiToma won a career high 21 games in 2024 but will look to get the Dons to above .500 in WCC play for the first time since 2022. 

First pitch for Friday's game is scheduled for 2:00 PM at Benedetti Diamond and tickets can be bought online at smcgaels.com. The three-game series will also be streamed live on ESPN+.  

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