By Connor Lālea Hampton, March 18, 2025
Cal Poly Pomona’s baseball team was unable to secure a tie in the series finale against the CSU San Bernardino Coyotes, winning one of its four-game series at Scolinos Field March 7-9.
The Broncos dominated the first game on March 7, with a 14-4 victory, showing off their offensive skills as they racked up 19 hits.
Five seems to be this team’s lucky number because by the fifth inning, the Broncos pushed their lead 10-2, and freshman right-handed pitcher Anthony Cosme also delivered five strikeouts throughout the five innings.
Broncos head coach Randy Betten said the team members were feeling the intense schedule although they managed to win.
“I felt great about that one,” Betten said. “I mean, obviously, winning’s rewarding. I think this team desperately needs more to feel good about themselves.”
The Broncos had the toughest strength of schedule (.740) in the West region and the sixth-toughest in the country as they advanced into the next three games, according to Bronco Athletics.
That night would be the high point of the series for the Broncos, as they came into Saturday’s doubleheader in a direct battle against the Coyotes defense, managing a combined seven hits in both games.
CSU San Bernardino managed two runs in the first inning on Saturday’s opening game and another five in the second, creating a seven-point gap early in the game the Broncos failed to bridge — the Coyotes won 15-3.
The Broncos managed to narrow the deficit in the evening game as starting left-handed pitcher Dylan Esquival struck out six Coyotes. However, the Broncos offense failed to produce enough runs despite Esquival’s performance on the mound, and the Coyotes won 3-0.
“Our defensive liability on the infield, I mean, it’s in a dark place, but it’s our job as coaches to rally through that,” Randy Betten said.
Randy Betten also said the team could ponder the negatives, but he is going to look at the positives.
Randy Betten wouldn’t comment on how he felt about the team’s overall series performance or Sunday’s game. He said despite the tough losses, he’s not one to quit or give up, and hopes to rally through the rest of the season and move forward.
The Broncos had a chance to tie the series in the finale game Sunday.
Infielder Julian Angulo brought in a hit in the bottom third inning of the fourth game that let runners Brent Cota, Johnny Pappas and Gage Gonzalez score, putting the Broncos at a three-point lead 3-0.
“Credit to the players in front of me for getting in for me and I had a good pitch, hit it hard and luckily we got through,” Angulo said.
Angulo said despite the Broncos’ grit, the Coyotes were able to maximize on their opportunities while the Broncos were unable to capitalize on their own.
The Coyotes took it all back in the fourth inning, scoring 8 runs to create a 5-run advantage.
Infielder Beau Betten managed to put up another run for the Broncos when Gonzalez singled to left field following a steal that put Betten in scoring position.
“I was trying to get the guys motivated,” Beau Betten said. “Stealing that base, scoring that run. I just felt like when I score, I try to bring that energy into the dugout, and I really try to get the guys going.”
Despite the Broncos scoring another 3 runs, the Coyotes won the final game with a score of 10-7.
Beau Betten said winning the first game felt great, but he wishes they could have kept up that momentum throughout the series.
Randy Betten said the Broncos struggled to execute their routine plays into this series, but he hopes he can improve the team’s defense and consistency. He said despite his efforts to maneuver the Broncos’ defense on Sunday’s game, the Coyotes were hitting everywhere the Broncos weren’t. The Broncos couldn’t cover the gaps in their defense.
“For us, that’s frustrating, but what are you going to do?” Randy Betten said. “I mean, it’s baseball.”
Feature image courtesy of Christian Magdaleno