SAN LUIS OBISPO – Playing two of its final three Big West regular season series at home, the Cal Poly softball program hosts Long Beach State for a Saturday, April 18 doubleheader and Sunday, April 19 solo matchup. First pitch each afternoon is 1 p.m. for Cal Poly (10-27, 4-14), which enters the weekend in eighth place in the Big West standings and three games behind UC San Diego (18-22, 7-11) and CSUN (11-25, 7-11) for the final spot at the May 6-9 Big West Championship. Long Beach State (24-17, 12-6), meanwhile, moved into third place in the Big West standings last weekend after sweeping previous conference leader UC Santa Barbara at home.
CAL POLY VERSUS LONG BEACH STATE: Swept at Long Beach State to close the 2025 regular season, Cal Poly trails in the all-time series, 60-33, dating to the first meeting between the two programs on April 22, 1978. Cal Poly’s last series win against Long Beach State came in 2022 with the Mustangs taking two of three home matchups. The program’s last series sweep occurred in 2016 as Cal Poly took all three matchups on the road.
FRESHMEN FUEL THE OFFENSE: Cal Poly’s top two hitters entering the April 18-19 series versus Long Beach State remain freshmen with first baseman Myleigh Cooper (.370) topping the lineup while third baseman Leilani Allen (.357) is second. Cooper, the only Mustang to start all 37 games this spring, has batted .417 (17-for-41) during Cal Poly’s last 13 games and ranks 11th among Big West performers with her .370 mark. Overall, Cooper leads Cal Poly with 40 hits, 15 RBI, 53 total bases and 13 multi-hit games. Allen, having hit safely in Cal Poly’s last 12 matchups and .462 (18-for-39) since March 21, has also reached base in 22 straight. Allen, hitting a team best .382 (21-for-55) in 18 Big West matchups, remains second in the lineup with 35 hits while enjoying seven multi-hit outings.
THE BYRD FLIES HIGH: A .188 career hitter entering her junior season, outfielder A’Niyla Byrd ranks third in Cal Poly’s lineup with a .333 (26-for-78) mark after batting .452 (14-for-31) during the past seven games. Having produced more than half of her season hit total – and three, three-hit games – since March 22, Byrd is second in the lineup with eight multi-hit outings this spring.