Tuesday, March 3
Moraga, CA
2:00 PM
Saint Mary's College of California
vs
UC Davis
BSB | Saint Mary’s Takes Best Record in WCC Into Week Four of College Baseball Season
3/2/2026 4:05:00 PM | Baseball
MORAGA, Calif. - The Saint Mary's baseball team came out of a grueling five-game week with a 4-1 record, getting wins over Bakersfield and San Jose State, to now sit atop of the conference standings along with San Diego with a 7-4 overall record. The Gaels recorded two extra-inning wins including a 12-inning midweek win over the Roadrunners and then a two-day 13-inning victory over the Spartans.
Saint Mary's continues to mash the ball as they lead the West Coast Conference in batting average (.348), slugging (.586), on-base percentage (.420), total hits (138), home runs (21) and runs scored (88).
The Gaels will take on UC Davis on Tuesday in a midweek matchup before heading to Southern California for a three-game series with San Diego State starting on Friday.
GAME COVERAGE AND INFORMATION
BSB | Saint Mary's vs. UC Davis | Louis Guisto Field at Br. Ronald Gallagher Stadium
Moraga, Calif. | March 3 | 2:00 p.m.
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets
BSB | Saint Mary's at San Diego State | Tony Gwynn Stadium
San Diego, Calif. | March 6-8 | 6/5/1 p.m.
Live Stats | Mountain West Network | Tickets
GAELS OUTLOOK
Gaels Go 4-1 in Five-Game Week…
Five-game weeks are not typical during the collegiate baseball season but they do occur every now and again during the non-conference slate as the Gaels took on Bakersfield last Tuesday for their midweek matchup before a four-game series with San Jose State starting on Thursday. The first two games of the five-game stretch combined for 25 innings as Saint Mary's held off Bakersfield for a 12-inning win on Tuesday and then took game one against San Jose State in 13 innings, a game that stretched over two days after being suspended due to darkness on Thursday.
Win number three on the week for Saint Mary's came later that day on Friday in a 15-5 run-rule victory. San Jose State managed to hand the Gaels just their second shutout defeat over the past two seasons in game three but Saint Mary's bounced back for another offensive explosion, scoring 13 runs in the finale to seal the series win.
Over its five games, Saint Mary's tallied a combined 43 runs, 64 hits and six homers with a team batting average of .330. Sam Kretsch picked up a win and his first two career saves on the mound during the week while Diego Emerling, John Damozonio and Jake Hilton got credit for wins as the Gaels pitching staff combined for a 3.31 ERA.
Sam Kretsch Earns Two Saves and a Win…
Sophomore right hander Sam Kretsch has been utilized in several high leverage situations early this season and he showcased some of his arsenal this week making three appearances over the five games and recording two saves and a win. Kretsch leads the team with five appearances this season and got credit for his first two career saves in the Gaels win over Bakersfield and the series finale victory over San Jose State.
Kretsch pitched the bottom of the 12th against Bakersfield, inducing a ground ball double play and a strikeout to earn his first career save in the 10-8 12-inning victory. He then came in to start the 13th inning in game one against San Jose State and struck out the side in dominant fashion, setting the Gaels up for a walk-off single from Makoa Sniffen in the bottom half of the inning to win 5-4. His week ended on Sunday with three scoreless innings in relief including a career high six strikeout to seal the 13-4 victory and help cap-off a four win week for Saint Mary's.
For the season, Kretsch now has a 6.50 ERA in five appearances with a 1-0 record and a team high two saves in his ten innings pitched.
Gaels' Offense Garners National Attention…
Saint Mary's has emerged as a west coast offensive powerhouse over the last few seasons and after leading the WCC in offense a season ago, they are off to another great start with nationally recognized offensive numbers. The Gaels rank 11th in the country in batting average (.348), 10th in hits (138), 13th in home runs (21), 51st in on-base percentage (.410) and ninth in slugging (.586).
The Gaels have been performing well as a team at the plate but have had several individual standout performances to start this season. Sophomore transfer Jacob Johnson was tied for the national lead in home runs going into last week and currently ranks fourth with seven on the season. Johnson is also one of four players for Saint Mary's to rank inside the top-five in slugging percentage in the WCC with the other three being Tanner Griffith, Makoa Sniffen and Diego Castellanos.
Diego Castellanos leads the WCC with five doubles to rank 61st individually in the country and junior leadoff hitter Tanner Griffith is currently tied for the national lead in on-base percentage at .667. Cody Kashimoto also came off a nice week for the Gaels hitting .368 for the week and also showcased his small ball ability, now ranking fifth in Division I with four sac bunts on the season. Kashimoto led all of Division I with 23 sacrifice bunts a season ago.
Series History…
Saint Mary's and UC Davis will meet for the first time in two seasons. The Gaels own an 18-17 record over the Aggies dating back to 2003 but UC Davis won the last meeting in 2024 with a 9-3 victory at Louis Guisto Field at Br. Ronald Gallagher Stadium. Over their last ten matchups, Saint Mary's owns a record of 7-3 and have won seven of its last nine games dating back to 2018. The Gaels will look for their first home win over the Aggies since 2022.
After not facing off for a decade, head coach Eric Valenzuela and his squad will head down to San Diego State to take on the Aztecs for the second consecutive season. The Gaels hosted the Aztecs in a three-game series last season and swept them in their first meeting since 2015. The last time Saint Mary's went to Tony Gwynn Stadium was in 2015 where they took two games to one after a 20-6 defeat in the series opener.
ABOUT THE AGGIES (5-6, Big West)
UC Davis enters the week with a 5-6 overall record and is fresh off a series win over Nevada who was picked to win the Mountain West. The Aggies are 2-2 over their last four games and have seen fellow WCC schools San Francisco and Santa Clara. They beat the Dons 2-1 in a midweek clash before taking two games against the Broncos to finish 3-1 against WCC foes.
UC Davis was picked to finish 8th in the 2026 Big West Preseason Coaches poll. Evan Gentil leads the Aggies at the plate with a .333 batting average, eleven hits and a team high three home runs. Tyler Howard and Elijah McNeal are also near .300 hitters for UC Davis, combining for 21 hits on the season. The Aggies were known as a solid pitching and defensive team a season ago, ranking third in the Big West with a staff ERA of 4.56. This season, they have an ERA of 5.94 and are led by sophomore right hander Keenan Anzai. Anzai is 2-0 on the hill in his four appearances while returner Noel Valdez has a 3.60 ERA over his three starts this season.
ABOUT THE AZTECS (7-4, Mountain West)
San Diego State enters the week at 7-4 but are riding some nice momentum heading into the fourth week of the college baseball season. The Aztecs went 1-2 at their own Tony Gwynn Legacy tournament earlier this month but bounced back with a signature victory, knocking off No. 1 UCLA 4-3 in a midweek clash. The Aztecs garnered national attention after holding the Bruins to three hits and recording their first victory over a top-five opponent since 2008.
Following the upset win, San Diego State went to Washington for a four-game set with the Huskies. The Aztecs have two of three games in the series with the finale being played today at 1:00 p.m. The only other fellow WCC school on their schedule has been San Diego who gave SDSU a thumping in the Tony Gwynn Legacy tournament, beating the Aztecs 15-4.
Jabin Trosky leads the Aztecs at the plate with a .364 batting average and 16 hits. The Aztecs only have ten homers on the season with the power coming from Tyce Peterson, Anthony Marnell IV and Gage Adams who all have two on the year. San Diego State embarked on a new chapter in its program history after hiring Kevin Vance this past summer. Vance was a long-time assistant coach at Arizona, helping the Wildcats to an NCAA College World Series berth in 2025.
Additional game information and media links can be found at smcgaels.com. Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
Saint Mary's continues to mash the ball as they lead the West Coast Conference in batting average (.348), slugging (.586), on-base percentage (.420), total hits (138), home runs (21) and runs scored (88).
The Gaels will take on UC Davis on Tuesday in a midweek matchup before heading to Southern California for a three-game series with San Diego State starting on Friday.
GAME COVERAGE AND INFORMATION
BSB | Saint Mary's vs. UC Davis | Louis Guisto Field at Br. Ronald Gallagher Stadium
Moraga, Calif. | March 3 | 2:00 p.m.
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets
BSB | Saint Mary's at San Diego State | Tony Gwynn Stadium
San Diego, Calif. | March 6-8 | 6/5/1 p.m.
Live Stats | Mountain West Network | Tickets
GAELS OUTLOOK
Gaels Go 4-1 in Five-Game Week…
Five-game weeks are not typical during the collegiate baseball season but they do occur every now and again during the non-conference slate as the Gaels took on Bakersfield last Tuesday for their midweek matchup before a four-game series with San Jose State starting on Thursday. The first two games of the five-game stretch combined for 25 innings as Saint Mary's held off Bakersfield for a 12-inning win on Tuesday and then took game one against San Jose State in 13 innings, a game that stretched over two days after being suspended due to darkness on Thursday.
Win number three on the week for Saint Mary's came later that day on Friday in a 15-5 run-rule victory. San Jose State managed to hand the Gaels just their second shutout defeat over the past two seasons in game three but Saint Mary's bounced back for another offensive explosion, scoring 13 runs in the finale to seal the series win.
Over its five games, Saint Mary's tallied a combined 43 runs, 64 hits and six homers with a team batting average of .330. Sam Kretsch picked up a win and his first two career saves on the mound during the week while Diego Emerling, John Damozonio and Jake Hilton got credit for wins as the Gaels pitching staff combined for a 3.31 ERA.
Sam Kretsch Earns Two Saves and a Win…
Sophomore right hander Sam Kretsch has been utilized in several high leverage situations early this season and he showcased some of his arsenal this week making three appearances over the five games and recording two saves and a win. Kretsch leads the team with five appearances this season and got credit for his first two career saves in the Gaels win over Bakersfield and the series finale victory over San Jose State.
Kretsch pitched the bottom of the 12th against Bakersfield, inducing a ground ball double play and a strikeout to earn his first career save in the 10-8 12-inning victory. He then came in to start the 13th inning in game one against San Jose State and struck out the side in dominant fashion, setting the Gaels up for a walk-off single from Makoa Sniffen in the bottom half of the inning to win 5-4. His week ended on Sunday with three scoreless innings in relief including a career high six strikeout to seal the 13-4 victory and help cap-off a four win week for Saint Mary's.
For the season, Kretsch now has a 6.50 ERA in five appearances with a 1-0 record and a team high two saves in his ten innings pitched.
Gaels' Offense Garners National Attention…
Saint Mary's has emerged as a west coast offensive powerhouse over the last few seasons and after leading the WCC in offense a season ago, they are off to another great start with nationally recognized offensive numbers. The Gaels rank 11th in the country in batting average (.348), 10th in hits (138), 13th in home runs (21), 51st in on-base percentage (.410) and ninth in slugging (.586).
The Gaels have been performing well as a team at the plate but have had several individual standout performances to start this season. Sophomore transfer Jacob Johnson was tied for the national lead in home runs going into last week and currently ranks fourth with seven on the season. Johnson is also one of four players for Saint Mary's to rank inside the top-five in slugging percentage in the WCC with the other three being Tanner Griffith, Makoa Sniffen and Diego Castellanos.
Diego Castellanos leads the WCC with five doubles to rank 61st individually in the country and junior leadoff hitter Tanner Griffith is currently tied for the national lead in on-base percentage at .667. Cody Kashimoto also came off a nice week for the Gaels hitting .368 for the week and also showcased his small ball ability, now ranking fifth in Division I with four sac bunts on the season. Kashimoto led all of Division I with 23 sacrifice bunts a season ago.
Series History…
Saint Mary's and UC Davis will meet for the first time in two seasons. The Gaels own an 18-17 record over the Aggies dating back to 2003 but UC Davis won the last meeting in 2024 with a 9-3 victory at Louis Guisto Field at Br. Ronald Gallagher Stadium. Over their last ten matchups, Saint Mary's owns a record of 7-3 and have won seven of its last nine games dating back to 2018. The Gaels will look for their first home win over the Aggies since 2022.
After not facing off for a decade, head coach Eric Valenzuela and his squad will head down to San Diego State to take on the Aztecs for the second consecutive season. The Gaels hosted the Aztecs in a three-game series last season and swept them in their first meeting since 2015. The last time Saint Mary's went to Tony Gwynn Stadium was in 2015 where they took two games to one after a 20-6 defeat in the series opener.
ABOUT THE AGGIES (5-6, Big West)
UC Davis enters the week with a 5-6 overall record and is fresh off a series win over Nevada who was picked to win the Mountain West. The Aggies are 2-2 over their last four games and have seen fellow WCC schools San Francisco and Santa Clara. They beat the Dons 2-1 in a midweek clash before taking two games against the Broncos to finish 3-1 against WCC foes.
UC Davis was picked to finish 8th in the 2026 Big West Preseason Coaches poll. Evan Gentil leads the Aggies at the plate with a .333 batting average, eleven hits and a team high three home runs. Tyler Howard and Elijah McNeal are also near .300 hitters for UC Davis, combining for 21 hits on the season. The Aggies were known as a solid pitching and defensive team a season ago, ranking third in the Big West with a staff ERA of 4.56. This season, they have an ERA of 5.94 and are led by sophomore right hander Keenan Anzai. Anzai is 2-0 on the hill in his four appearances while returner Noel Valdez has a 3.60 ERA over his three starts this season.
ABOUT THE AZTECS (7-4, Mountain West)
San Diego State enters the week at 7-4 but are riding some nice momentum heading into the fourth week of the college baseball season. The Aztecs went 1-2 at their own Tony Gwynn Legacy tournament earlier this month but bounced back with a signature victory, knocking off No. 1 UCLA 4-3 in a midweek clash. The Aztecs garnered national attention after holding the Bruins to three hits and recording their first victory over a top-five opponent since 2008.
Following the upset win, San Diego State went to Washington for a four-game set with the Huskies. The Aztecs have two of three games in the series with the finale being played today at 1:00 p.m. The only other fellow WCC school on their schedule has been San Diego who gave SDSU a thumping in the Tony Gwynn Legacy tournament, beating the Aztecs 15-4.
Jabin Trosky leads the Aztecs at the plate with a .364 batting average and 16 hits. The Aztecs only have ten homers on the season with the power coming from Tyce Peterson, Anthony Marnell IV and Gage Adams who all have two on the year. San Diego State embarked on a new chapter in its program history after hiring Kevin Vance this past summer. Vance was a long-time assistant coach at Arizona, helping the Wildcats to an NCAA College World Series berth in 2025.
Additional game information and media links can be found at smcgaels.com. Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
Players Mentioned
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/ BaseballBSB | Saint Mary's at San Jose State Game 4 Highlights, 3-1-26
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Friday, February 27
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Friday, February 27
BSB | Saint Mary's at Bakersfield Highlights, 2-24-26
Wednesday, February 25
