Wednesday, May 20
Scottsdale, Ariz.
7:00 PM
Saint Mary's College of California
vs
Pepperdine
BSB | Gaels Set for Postseason Clash with Waves in First Round of WCC Tournament
5/19/2026 7:25:00 PM | Baseball
MORAGA, Calif. - The Saint Mary's baseball team will head to Scottsdale and take on four-seed Pepperdine on Wednesday evening in the 2026 West Coast Conference Tournament. Day one will feature a pair of elimination games as the Gaels will battle the Waves in the night cap in what will be their third all-time meeting in the WCC Tournament.
Saint Mary's dropped its final WCC series to San Francisco to slide to the five-seed last weekend but salvaged a series finale victory over the Dons to reach 30 wins for the third consecutive season and the seventh time in head coach Eric Valenzuela's tenure, dating back to 2014. Valenzuela has helped transform the Gaels' baseball program over his nine years in Moraga, responsible for both WCC Championships and NCAA Regional appearances, including the program's first ever NCAA Tournament victory last season.
Saint Mary's will return to postseason action for their fourth consecutive conference tournament appearance and will have their sights set on a third tournament title, looking to become the first repeat WCC Tournament winners since Pepperdine went back-to-back in 2014 and 2015. Wednesday's game against Pepperdine is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Scottsdale Stadium and can be streamed live on ESPN+.
GAME COVERAGE AND INFORMATION
BSB | #5 Saint Mary's vs. #4 Pepperdine | Scottsdale Stadium
Scottsdale, Ariz. | May 20 | 7 p.m.
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets
GAELS OUTLOOK
Gaels Punch Ticket to WCC Tournament and Eclipse 30 Regular Season Wins…
Saint Mary's clinched its fourth consecutive WCC Tournament appearance Thursday night despite dropping game one of their series to San Francisco, thanks to losses from Portland and Seattle U. The Gaels dropped game two to lose the series to the Dons but were able to finish the regular season on a high note, knocking off USF in game three 6-4 to reach 30 regular season wins.
The Gaels jumped out to a 6-0 lead after five innings of play and then got some nice back-end bullpen appearances from Jake Hilton and David Roberts to get out of some big jams and limit the damage. Jacob Johnson connected on his 12th home run of the season with a solo shot in the fifth while Roberts completed the final two innings, not allowing a hit and earning his second career save. Sophomore southpaw Talin Gardini got credit for his first win of the season as the designated opener, completing three scoreless innings allowing just three hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Saint Mary's has now won at least 30 games in three consecutive seasons and seven of the nine seasons with Eric Valenzuela at the helm, dating back to his first year as a Gael in 2014. The Gaels will now look to defend their 2025 crown and secure their third WCC Tournament title in program history in Scottsdale.
Castellanos Enters Postseason Play with 30-Game Hit Streak…
Junior right fielder Diego Castellanos topped his breakout season in 2025 with another career year here in 2026, hitting a team best .382 from the plate with 83 hits, 18 doubles and 42 RBI. Castellanos has been on a historic tear as of late, recording a hit in 30 straight games dating back to March 24, just six games shy of the WCC record which is held by a former Gael in Brenden Kalfus back in 2014.
During the hit streak, Castellanos is hitting .394 from the plate with 50 hits, ten doubles and four home runs. The Morgan Hill native was also named to the All-WCC First Team Tuesday morning for his second consecutive all-conference selection.
All-WCC Recap; Armstrong, Castellanos and Damozonio Named All-WCC First Team…
Saint Mary's had a total of eight All-WCC selections as the teams were announced Tuesday morning including three First Team selections in Ian Armstrong, Diego Castellanos and John Damozonio. Armstrong was named to the All-Freshman Team in 2025 and has surpassed his numbers as a sophomore here in 2026, leading the WCC with 13 homers and a career best .344 average. Armstrong is also an elite catcher in the conference, finishing the season with just two errors and five runners caught stealing.
Castellanos will enter the WCC Tournament with one of the hottest bats in the WCC, riding a 30-game hit streak dating back to March 24. Castellanos is the Gaels everyday right fielder and leads the team with a .385 average. Damozonio took over the Friday starter role as a fourth year senior and did not disappoint, recording a career high seven wins good for second most in the WCC. He finished the regular season with a career low 2.94 ERA and 74 strikeouts good for sixth most in the conference.
Tanner Griffith, Makoa Sniffen and Ian Josephson earned Second Team honors while first year transfer Jacob Johnson was named Honorable Mention with 12 homers on the season. Josephson was also named to the All-Freshman Team to round out the eight total selections for Saint Mary's, its most since the 2024 season.
WCC Tournament History…
Saint Mary's has won the WCC Tournament twice in 2016 and most recently in 2025, entering the week and heading to Scottsdale as the defending champions. Ironically, in the 14-year history of the West Coast Conference Tournament, there has only been one back-to-back champion and that was Pepperdine who claimed the tournament title in both 2014 and 2015.
The Gaels are no strangers to the first elimination day of the tournament, playing in that win-or-go-home game each of their last three tournament appearances. Over those three games, Saint Mary's is 3-0 and has outscored its opponent 40-22. Wins have come over San Diego, Pepperdine and San Francisco in last year's tournament in Las Vegas. All-time in the WCC Tournament, the Gaels are 12-9 with two tournament titles in 2016 and 2025.
Series History…
Saint Mary's saw an eight-game win streak against Pepperdine come to an end earlier this season, as the Waves took games two and three to win the conference series back in late March. The Waves won back-to-back games over the Gaels for the first time since 2021. The two teams will meet for the third time in the conference tournament with Saint Mary's a perfect 2-0 with wins over the Waves in 2016 and 2024.
ABOUT THE WAVES (21-32, 15-12 WCC)
Pepperdine will return to the WCC Tournament for the first time since 2024 after missing out on postseason action in 2025. The Waves met the Gaels in the 2024 tournament but Saint Mary's put up 14 runs to bounce Pepperdine from Las Vegas. This season, Pepperdine finished above Saint Mary's in fourth place in the conference standings and are one of the better pitching teams in the WCC.
The Waves are led by a pair of five-win pitchers in Casey Euper and Tommy Scavone. Both have double-digit starts on the year and over 60 innings pitched. Pepperdine sits in the middle of the conference with a .261 batting average but has five players with 50+ hits on the season. Kai Laxa is hitting .301 for the Waves as their everyday second baseman, transferring into Malibu from West Valley College. Pepperdine will be looking for its first WCC Tournament victory since a first round win over San Francisco in 2018.
Tickets for the 2026 WCC Tournament can be purchased online HERE or at wccsports.com. All tournament games will also be streamed live on ESPN+.
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 dropped its final WCC series to San Francisco to slide to the five-seed last weekend but salvaged a series finale victory over the Dons to reach 30 wins for the third consecutive season and the seventh time in head coach Eric Valenzuela's tenure, dating back to 2014. Valenzuela has helped transform the Gaels' baseball program over his nine years in Moraga, responsible for both WCC Championships and NCAA Regional appearances, including the program's first ever NCAA Tournament victory last season.
Saint Mary's will return to postseason action for their fourth consecutive conference tournament appearance and will have their sights set on a third tournament title, looking to become the first repeat WCC Tournament winners since Pepperdine went back-to-back in 2014 and 2015. Wednesday's game against Pepperdine is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Scottsdale Stadium and can be streamed live on ESPN+.
GAME COVERAGE AND INFORMATION
BSB | #5 Saint Mary's vs. #4 Pepperdine | Scottsdale Stadium
Scottsdale, Ariz. | May 20 | 7 p.m.
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets
GAELS OUTLOOK
Gaels Punch Ticket to WCC Tournament and Eclipse 30 Regular Season Wins…
Saint Mary's clinched its fourth consecutive WCC Tournament appearance Thursday night despite dropping game one of their series to San Francisco, thanks to losses from Portland and Seattle U. The Gaels dropped game two to lose the series to the Dons but were able to finish the regular season on a high note, knocking off USF in game three 6-4 to reach 30 regular season wins.
The Gaels jumped out to a 6-0 lead after five innings of play and then got some nice back-end bullpen appearances from Jake Hilton and David Roberts to get out of some big jams and limit the damage. Jacob Johnson connected on his 12th home run of the season with a solo shot in the fifth while Roberts completed the final two innings, not allowing a hit and earning his second career save. Sophomore southpaw Talin Gardini got credit for his first win of the season as the designated opener, completing three scoreless innings allowing just three hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Saint Mary's has now won at least 30 games in three consecutive seasons and seven of the nine seasons with Eric Valenzuela at the helm, dating back to his first year as a Gael in 2014. The Gaels will now look to defend their 2025 crown and secure their third WCC Tournament title in program history in Scottsdale.
Castellanos Enters Postseason Play with 30-Game Hit Streak…
Junior right fielder Diego Castellanos topped his breakout season in 2025 with another career year here in 2026, hitting a team best .382 from the plate with 83 hits, 18 doubles and 42 RBI. Castellanos has been on a historic tear as of late, recording a hit in 30 straight games dating back to March 24, just six games shy of the WCC record which is held by a former Gael in Brenden Kalfus back in 2014.
During the hit streak, Castellanos is hitting .394 from the plate with 50 hits, ten doubles and four home runs. The Morgan Hill native was also named to the All-WCC First Team Tuesday morning for his second consecutive all-conference selection.
All-WCC Recap; Armstrong, Castellanos and Damozonio Named All-WCC First Team…
Saint Mary's had a total of eight All-WCC selections as the teams were announced Tuesday morning including three First Team selections in Ian Armstrong, Diego Castellanos and John Damozonio. Armstrong was named to the All-Freshman Team in 2025 and has surpassed his numbers as a sophomore here in 2026, leading the WCC with 13 homers and a career best .344 average. Armstrong is also an elite catcher in the conference, finishing the season with just two errors and five runners caught stealing.
Castellanos will enter the WCC Tournament with one of the hottest bats in the WCC, riding a 30-game hit streak dating back to March 24. Castellanos is the Gaels everyday right fielder and leads the team with a .385 average. Damozonio took over the Friday starter role as a fourth year senior and did not disappoint, recording a career high seven wins good for second most in the WCC. He finished the regular season with a career low 2.94 ERA and 74 strikeouts good for sixth most in the conference.
Tanner Griffith, Makoa Sniffen and Ian Josephson earned Second Team honors while first year transfer Jacob Johnson was named Honorable Mention with 12 homers on the season. Josephson was also named to the All-Freshman Team to round out the eight total selections for Saint Mary's, its most since the 2024 season.
WCC Tournament History…
Saint Mary's has won the WCC Tournament twice in 2016 and most recently in 2025, entering the week and heading to Scottsdale as the defending champions. Ironically, in the 14-year history of the West Coast Conference Tournament, there has only been one back-to-back champion and that was Pepperdine who claimed the tournament title in both 2014 and 2015.
The Gaels are no strangers to the first elimination day of the tournament, playing in that win-or-go-home game each of their last three tournament appearances. Over those three games, Saint Mary's is 3-0 and has outscored its opponent 40-22. Wins have come over San Diego, Pepperdine and San Francisco in last year's tournament in Las Vegas. All-time in the WCC Tournament, the Gaels are 12-9 with two tournament titles in 2016 and 2025.
Series History…
Saint Mary's saw an eight-game win streak against Pepperdine come to an end earlier this season, as the Waves took games two and three to win the conference series back in late March. The Waves won back-to-back games over the Gaels for the first time since 2021. The two teams will meet for the third time in the conference tournament with Saint Mary's a perfect 2-0 with wins over the Waves in 2016 and 2024.
ABOUT THE WAVES (21-32, 15-12 WCC)
Pepperdine will return to the WCC Tournament for the first time since 2024 after missing out on postseason action in 2025. The Waves met the Gaels in the 2024 tournament but Saint Mary's put up 14 runs to bounce Pepperdine from Las Vegas. This season, Pepperdine finished above Saint Mary's in fourth place in the conference standings and are one of the better pitching teams in the WCC.
The Waves are led by a pair of five-win pitchers in Casey Euper and Tommy Scavone. Both have double-digit starts on the year and over 60 innings pitched. Pepperdine sits in the middle of the conference with a .261 batting average but has five players with 50+ hits on the season. Kai Laxa is hitting .301 for the Waves as their everyday second baseman, transferring into Malibu from West Valley College. Pepperdine will be looking for its first WCC Tournament victory since a first round win over San Francisco in 2018.
Tickets for the 2026 WCC Tournament can be purchased online HERE or at wccsports.com. All tournament games will also be streamed live on ESPN+.
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
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