The offseason, normally used for rest, has been especially busy for Cal Poly baseball’s head coach Larry Lee, entering his 21st season with the Mustangs.
Only three starting position players return for Cal Poly with 19 newcomers added to the mix which means it will be an inexperienced bunch to start the season.
“We always like to reload instead of rebuild and we’ll see starting in three weeks when we play our first game where we're at and hopefully we can get off to a good start,” Lee said.
Also new to the clubhouse are three brand new assistant coaches hired over the summer; pitching coach Seth Moir, outfielder and associate head coach Matt Fonteno and volunteer assistant Logan Denholm.
“It's difficult,” Lee admitted. “Not only did you lose majority of your players, I lost all three assistant coaches.”
In addition, the Mustangs will also be without their two All-Americans from last season; pitcher Drew Thorpe and shortstop Brooks Lee, both of whom were drafted this past July to the MLB. Despite losing them on the roster, they were present at Baggett Stadium over the summer training for the next level.
“They're always welcome to come back and work out,” Lee said. “Brooks works out here when he's in town…Drew Thorpe just came back for about ten days.”
In 2022, Cal Poly went 37-21 on the season. The Mustangs have three weeks with their fresh new look roster and staff to prepare for a three game series against Missouri State Feb. 17 at home.
