At 21-11, the Big West has started the 2020 season at an impressive pace. Once a perennial multi-bid league, the Big West has sent only one team to the NCAA Tournament each of the last two years. That looks to change this season as several Big West teams are off to a hot start.
#21 UCSB leads the way in the Big West. The Gauchos traveled to Sacramento State in the Opening Weekend where they took two out of three games against the preseason favorite in the WAC. UCSB followed up the series win with a Monday night victory over Cal, a team expected to finish in the top half of the Pac-12.
#22 Cal State Fullerton also impressed as the Titans traveled to Stanford for a three-game set. Fullerton won the first two games of the weekend to clinch the series against a Stanford team that should be in the top tier in the Pac-12. The Titans won in dominating fashion, allowing only four runs all weekend.
#23 Cal Poly had the most surprising result of Opening Weekend. Not only did the Mustangs blank UConn to begin their stay at the MLB4 Tournament, but they also defeated then #2 Vanderbilt in a wild 9-8 game. Their 2-1 start propelled the Mustangs into the top 25.
Long Beach State started the season off against Cal with a series victory under first year head coach Eric Valenzuela. The Dirtbags will play Washington, Wake Forest, San Diego, Mississippi State, and San Diego State over their next nine games and will have several opportunities to prove their mettle.
Other notable results include Cal State Northridge's sweep of San Francisco and UC Davis's series victory over Pac-12 foe, Utah.
Though the season is young and there are plenty of games to be played, all early signs point to a banner year for the Big West.
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