SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – In a matter-of-fact end to their 2023 campaign, Azusa Pacific fell 11-2 in an elimination game to Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday afternoon in the NCAA West Region playoffs.  With the win, the Yotes advance to the West Region finals for the first time in school history, while the Cougars' season ends with a record of 35-19.

How It Happened:  Cal State San Bernardino jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, scoring in the top of the first on a solo home run off Cougar starter Cameron Kessel.  The Yotes continued to add to their advantage, pouring on two more runs in the third and then a three-run homer in the fourth to take a 6-0 lead.  The Cougars, serving as the designated home team for this game, would get on the board in the bottom of the fifth.  Brett Soria and Cade Marshman began the inning with consecutive hits, putting runners at second and third.  Leadoff hitter Will Medina hit a grounder to third, and the Yotes' attempt to throw Soria out at the plate went wide, allowing Azusa Pacific to finally claw a run back.  They would add another in the inning on an Omar Lopez single to make the score 6-2.

Unfortunately for the Cougars, that was as close as they would get, as the Yotes answered back with two runs in the top of the sixth, and while the Cougars would get two runners on base in the bottom half, they were unable to convert those into runs and would only record one more hit over the final three innings, while Cal State San Bernardino was able to add three more and celebrate advancing on their home field.

By the Numbers:  Four different Cougars (Carson Collett, Tido Robles, Soria, and Marshman) each had two hits in the contest.  Azusa Pacific used five different pitchers in the game.  Lopez ends the season leading the Cougars offense with 12 home runs and 49 RBI.  As a team this season, Azusa Pacific batted .284, scoring 374 runs and hitting 64 home runs, while the pitching staff struck out 388 batters in 446 innings.  The Cougars are now 15-13 all-time in NCAA postseason play, and have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in seven out of eight seasons for which they were eligible, including six in a row dating back to 2017.  Azusa Pacific ends the season with a record of 35-19, having won the first-ever PacWest Conference tournament.