Otters top CCAA baseball standings, host conference championship tournament

By Ryan Barnett

CSU Monterey Bay’s baseball team continues to dominate its conference foes. [May 8 update: The team finished their regular season with a 14-5 victory over San Marcos on May 6, earning their second consecutive regular season California Collegiate Athletic Association title.]

The team will also have the chance to win its first-ever CCAA Tournament title in front of the home crowd, as the Otters will host the 2023 CCAA Baseball Championship Tournament May 10-13 at the Otter Sports Complex. 

The tournament kicks off May 10 with a pair of play-in games. But the Otters, who currently hold a 28-8 conference record, have already secured a first-round bye and will begin their quest for the conference championship in double-elimination play on Thursday, May 11. 

“We’re excited and proud to host the best six teams in the conference on our campus,” said CSUMB Athletics Director Kirby Garry. “It’s a bonus that we’re the number one team in the conference and have home-field advantage.”

At the friendly confines of the Otter Sports Complex this season, CSUMB has won 16 of 20 contests and has not dropped a conference series at home. In fact, the Otters have only lost one conference series throughout the entire 2023 season. 

The Otters are currently ranked as the top team in the NCAA Division II West Region and 13th overall in NCAA Division II. Last weekend they surpassed the 30-win mark for the fourth consecutive season – the seventh time overall in program history. 

As a team, the Otters are hitting .305, the best since the 2018 season. They have logged 170 extra base hits on the year – good for top marks in the CCAA – and boast the highest fielding percentage in the conference. The Otters should be a formidable foe for any opponent in this tournament while playing on their home field. 

All information for the upcoming tournament, including game times, team information, and ticketing policies, can be found on the 2023 CCAA Baseball Tournament webpage. 

All spectators must purchase tickets for admission to the ballpark, as this is a CCAA postseason event. The team hopes to see as many community members as possible out there to cheer them to victory. As part of the CCAA Cares Initiative, the NCAA will donate 10% of profits from ticket sales of the CCAA Baseball Tournament being hosted at CSUMB, to go to the university's Basic Needs program.