By Christian Magdaleno, April 29, 2025
Cal Poly Pomona Broncos’ left-handed pitcher Dylan Esquival approached the mound to face the reigning California Collegiate Athletic Association champion Monterey Bay Otters at home.
It was a routine evening for the veteran lefty. He wore his familiar white jersey on the same mound he’s pitched on for the last three years. Everything was the same, except for one small trick in his back pocket — his lucky dime.
Whether it’s superstition or coincidence, this dime stayed with him the rest of the night as he pitched a complete game shutout against the Otters, earning him the FloCollege/CCAA and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association West Region Player of the Week for Feb. 17-23.
Esquival recorded six strikeouts throughout the night while only giving up six hits and one walk in his seven-inning appearance, allowing the Broncos to come out on top 6-0.
“It was one of the most exciting moments of my career,” Esquival said. “I worked really hard for that moment, so it was really nice to see it pay off.”
The Rancho Cucamonga native said one of the most rewarding aspects was seeing his picture on the university’s banners and social media platforms.
Esquival also expressed how satisfying it was to see his team come back following a loss in the team’s first game in that day’s doubleheader.
In that first game, the Broncos fell short despite having a 7-5 lead going into the ninth inning, which turned out to be a 4-run inning for the Otters.
The Broncos returned for game two that evening with Esquival leading the team on the mound.
Esquival gave up his one hit of the game early in the first inning, but he pitched 1-2-3 out innings until the fifth inning when he walked one Otter.
The sixth inning proved to be one of the most productive innings for the Otters as they collected two hits but were unable to capitalize, leaving two runners stranded.
While it was a successful night for Esquival, he detailed how his lucky dime came into his arsenal.
“It was a week before the season started, and my family kept finding dimes on the floor, and we were all confused and scared for a little bit,” Esquival said. “We were like, ‘Why are all these dimes coming out of nowhere?’”
He continued to find dimes into the next week when the Broncos faced The Master’s University, where his teammate Andrew Campbell found the lucky dime in Esquival’s bag.
“It was pretty freaky, so I put it in my back pocket, and I ended up pitching really good that day,” Esquival said.
In his five innings pitched against The Master’s University, he struck out seven batters while only allowing three hits and 2 runs during the away matchup Feb. 15.
Esquival held The Master’s University hitless until the bottom of the fifth inning, giving up a single and two hits later in the sixth, ending his outing on the mound.
Since picking up his lucky dime, Esquival amassed 48 strikeouts in 51 innings pitched, making him the No. 13-ranked pitcher in the CCAA for strikeouts.
“The presence he has on the mound is just special,” said assistant coach Anthony Mizrahi. “It’s pretty special. It’s a little different. He’s got that edge to him.”
Mizrahi was one of the people who recruited Esquival to the Broncos when deciding where he would take his collegiate career.
Esquival joked that he chose CPP because he would be able to wear the same colors as his local alma mater, South Hills High School.
He maintains a 5.29 earned run average this season, which puts him in the top 25 for ERA in the conference, along with right-handed pitcher Anthony Cosme.
Esquival said despite his success, he would not be able to do it without his teammates and their chemistry, which has allowed the team to endure hardships.
“This is by far my favorite team to play with at Cal Poly Pomona,” Esquival said. “It is a really rare group of people that I get to play with.”
Senior right-handed pitcher Evan Adolphus described him as a great character with a lot of personality.
“Cracking jokes, always makes situations a little lighter, he’s a good guy to have around,” Adolphus said.
As the sole lefty on the team, Esquival nears the end of his season with an even 2-2 win-loss record with 10 appearances.
His overall collegiate record has not changed much, but he has dramatically improved in his strikeouts. Esquival has recorded more strikeouts this season (48) than his previous two combined. He recorded 20 in 2023 and 15 in 2024.
This is due to his proven longevity as a pitcher this season, facing 231 batters compared to his 90 in 2024 and 77 in 2023.
Despite his successes, Esquival still keeps that lucky dime in the back pocket of his jersey.
Feature image courtesy of CPP Athletics
