DAVIS, Calif. – UC Davis baseball heads south for a three-game Big West weekend series at Cal State Fullerton beginning Friday, May 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Goodwin Field. The Aggies (20-24, 9-15 Big West) come in off a Wednesday night statement win at California. UC Davis enters the weekend against a Cal State Fullerton club tied for third in the Big West at 13-8 in conference (21-22 overall).
HOW TO WATCH/FOLLOW
UC Davis at Cal State Fullerton | Goodwin Field | Fullerton, Calif.
Fri., May 1 | 6:30 PM | at Cal State Fullerton (TV: ESPN+)
Sat., May 2 | 5:00 PM | at Cal State Fullerton (TV: ESPN+)
Sun., May 3 | 1:00 PM | at Cal State Fullerton (TV: ESPN+)
THE RUNDOWN
- A statement win still in the rearview: UC Davis enters the weekend off a 6-1 victory at California on Wednesday, the program's first win over the Bears since the 2010 season. It also marked UC Davis' first win ever over a team that was a member of the ACC.
- UC Davis is also fresh off a 3-0 series-finale shutout of Long Beach State on April 26, giving the Aggies wins in two of their last three games.
- Atop the nation in turning two: UC Davis leads all of Division I baseball in double plays per game (1.02) and ranks first nationally in total double plays (45) according to the latest NCAA statistics. The Aggies also rank fifth nationally in total double plays.
- Among the country's best with the glove: UC Davis ranks 64th nationally and fourth in the Big West with a .976 fielding percentage, anchored by the Wright–McNeal middle-infield pairing.
- Final Big West weekends: This season marks UC Davis baseball's final year in the Big West Conference before the program's move to the Mountain West in 2026-27, giving every remaining conference series added weight.
FIRST OVER THE BEARS SINCE 2010
UC Davis' 6-1 victory at California on Wednesday night ended a 16-season stretch since the program's last win over the Bears, with the previous Aggie victory dating back to the 2010 season. Wooldridge took the ball as the starting pitcher and worked five innings of three-hit, one-run baseball with three strikeouts on 68 pitches before the bullpen closed out the final four.
Tyler Howard's two-RBI triple sparked a three-run fifth,
Kai Mault drove in two on a pair of singles, and
Jaxon Murphy's solo home run in the fourth tied the game and turned the night.
ANZAI'S COMPLETE-GAME SHUTOUT STILL THE SIGNATURE OF THE SEASON
Right-hander
Keenan Anzai's nine-inning, one-hit shutout of Cal State Bakersfield on April 9 remains one of the signature pitching performances in recent program history — UC Davis' first complete-game shutout since Robert Garcia blanked UC Santa Barbara on May 6, 2017. Anzai now carries a 4-2 record and a 4.12 ERA across 54.2 innings, with a team-leading 53 strikeouts and one complete game. He ranks 30th nationally and third in the Big West with that complete game. Anzai has continued to contribute at the plate as well, hitting .250 with four doubles, a home run, and eight RBIs in 28 games.
SHUTDOWN MODE: ROWEN BARNES
Graduate right-hander
Rowen Barnes has settled in as one of the nation's most effective closers. Over 20 appearances, Barnes owns a 1.03 ERA, seven saves, and a 2-0 record while limiting opposing hitters to a .200 average. He has fanned 25 batters across 26.1 innings of work, anchoring the back end of the Aggie bullpen.
THE CONFERENCE'S TRIPLE THREAT: TYLER HOWARD
Tyler Howard has extended his hold on the Big West triples race, running his season total to six. The junior outfielder leads UC Davis in runs scored (34) and stolen bases (11-of-14) while hitting .295 with three home runs, nine doubles, and 20 RBIs. His .374 on-base percentage and .466 slugging percentage continue to drive the top of the order, and Howard reached base safely once again in Wednesday's win at Cal with a 2-for-5 night and a triple-driven RBI on the mound.
KEEP AN EYE ON: KAI MAULT
Freshman
Kai Mault has been the most consistent bat among UC Davis' first-year position players, hitting .282 with two home runs, six doubles, two triples, and 19 RBIs across 37 games. His .419 slugging and perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in the outfield speak to a two-way presence the Aggies have leaned on, and he drove in two on a pair of RBI singles in the win at Cal.
THE SHORTSTOP WHO DOES EVERYTHING: ELIJAH MCNEAL
Freshman
Elijah McNeal remains the Aggies' defensive engine at shortstop, posting 106 assists and taking part in 31 double plays — a core reason for UC Davis' national double-play ranking. At the plate, McNeal leads the regular starters with 43 hits and is batting .262 with four home runs and 19 RBIs across 42 games.
WRIGHT'S GLOVE AND ON-BASE EDGE
Joey Wright continues to anchor the middle infield, turning 32 double plays and fielding at a .988 clip at second base. His .382 on-base percentage is among the team's best, and he has contributed seven doubles, two home runs, and 16 RBIs to the lineup. Wright reached base twice on Wednesday at Cal and scored two of UC Davis' six runs.
THE FRESHMAN DAZZLES: JACK PEZZOLO
Southpaw
Jack Pezzolo has stayed one of the tougher matchups in the Big West, posting a 1-2 record with a 3.58 ERA across 10 appearances. Through 27.2 innings, the freshman has tallied 34 strikeouts, including a four-inning, four-walk, four-strikeout effort to start the series-finale shutout of Long Beach State on April 26.
WOOLDRIDGE: A TWO-WAY THREAT
Braydon Wooldridge has emerged as one of the more versatile contributors in the Big West. The senior went five innings on the mound and DH'd in the Aggies' 6-1 win at Cal on Wednesday, picking up his second pitching win of the season (2-1 record, 6.30 ERA) while continuing to anchor the lineup. At the plate, Wooldridge ranks among the most disciplined hitters in college baseball, fanning only once every 14.4 at-bats — placing him among the nation's leaders in the "Toughest to Strike Out" category.
THE BULLDOG: NOEL VALDEZ
Noel Valdez remains the Aggies' Friday-night anchor, ranking second nationally and first in the Big West with 12 starts. He has logged a staff-high 60.2 innings with 49 strikeouts and four quality starts, and while the record (1-5) does not reflect it, he has been the durability the rotation has relied on. Valdez delivered another quality start in Saturday's 8-3 series loss to Long Beach State, going six innings of two-run ball with three strikeouts on 89 pitches.
THE LERMANATOR: MASON LERMA
Mason Lerma has grown into one of the Big West's steadiest setup arms, appearing in 20 games with a 3.10 ERA, a 3-2 record, and 41 strikeouts over 40.2 innings — a 9.07 K/9 rate. His ability to absorb middle innings and bridge to Barnes has been a signature of Aggie bullpen work.
STORJOHANN AND THE STEADY PEN
Peter Storjohann has been one of the most reliable arms in the bullpen, posting a 3-1 record with a 2.55 ERA across 19 appearances. He has fanned 25 batters in 24.2 innings, including the win in Sunday's 3-0 finale over Long Beach State after three perfect innings of relief. Storjohann followed that with two more scoreless innings of three-strikeout work in the win at Cal.
PRODUCTIVE GRINDER: ZACH STORY
Zach Story continues to set the table for the Aggie offense, leading the team with a .392 on-base percentage and 25 walks. His patient approach remains a cornerstone of UC Davis' conference walk total of 170, and he has scored two of UC Davis' last 11 runs across the past two games.
KOREY WILLIAMS MAKING HIS CASE
Korey Williams has continued to force his way into the everyday mix, hitting .292 through 25 games with 21 hits, two doubles, a home run, and 12 RBIs. His .378 on-base percentage mirrors the Aggies' patient team identity, and he came through with the go-ahead pinch-hit RBI single in Sunday's 3-0 finale over Long Beach State.
WATCH OUT FOR THEM AGGIES
Under head coach Matt Nicholson, UC Davis has made a habit of toppling programs ranked above them. In 2023, the Aggies defeated No. 19 UCLA. In 2024, they rallied from eight runs down in the ninth inning to stun No. 19 UC Irvine. In 2025, they used a six-run eighth-inning comeback to upend then-No. 13 UC Irvine, giving Nicholson three consecutive seasons with a win over a nationally ranked opponent. The Aggies also reached as high as No. 25 nationally in the RPI this season after taking two of three from then-No. 2 RPI UC Santa Barbara in mid-March, and added a road win over ACC opponent California on April 29. It was UC Davis' first over the Bears since 2010 and first win in program history over a team that is an active member of the ACC.
FINAL SEASON IN THE BIG WEST
The 2026 season is the final chapter for UC Davis baseball in the Big West Conference. The Aggies will join the Mountain West Conference in 2027, capping a five-season run under Nicholson that has seen the program grow from 6-35 in his first season to back-to-back 27-plus win campaigns in 2024 and 2025. The remaining Big West games carry added weight as the program's last in a conference it has called home since transitioning to Division I.
FROM DAVIS TO THE WORLD SERIES
The UC Davis program's reach extended to the highest level of the sport in 2025, as former Aggie standout David Popkins served as hitting coach for the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series. A two-time All-Big West selection who once set the program record with six hits in a single game, Popkins guided one of the most dramatic offensive turnarounds in MLB. Along with Popkins, former Aggie Robert Garcia is a relief pitcher with the Texas Rangers and made an appearance for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. Tanner Murray, recently, also made his MLB debut with the Chicago White Sox.
CORI ROCKET DOG
The Aggies have their very own bat dog in Cori, a Labrador retriever now in her fourth year with the program. Cori retrieves bats during home games and serves as a morale anchor in the dugout. She was adopted by UC Davis veterinarian and professor Lisa Ann Tell, who brought the idea to Nicholson. UC Davis is believed to be the only college program in the country with a dedicated bat-retrieving dog.
HOME SWEET HOME
UC Davis enters its second season of night baseball at Phil Swimley Field at Dobbins Stadium following a $2.1 million lighting upgrade completed in 2024. The LED system debuted in 2025, ending 38 years of daytime-only play and bringing the facility up to NCAA competition standards while limiting light spill. The addition has improved scheduling flexibility for student-athletes and driven increased attendance. Nicholson credited Athletic Director
Rocko DeLuca for pushing the project forward, while players point to the lights as a symbol of the program's momentum. Along with a new videoboard and field upgrades, the enhancements position UC Davis for its move to the Mountain West.
ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS
UC Davis, the No. 2 ranked public university by the Wall Street Journal, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked No. 1 in Agriculture and Forestry as well as No. 1 in Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27.
