In the sixth inning, Cal Poly was tied 2-2 with St. Mary’s in the regional final. With two outs and two on, the Mustangs’ No. 8 hitter, Gavin Spiridonoff, came to the plate. On a 2-0 count, Spiridonoff hit a home run to left field, making it 5-2.
Spiridonoff’s homer happened to be the difference-maker in the regional final win, 5-2, sending Cal Poly to its first-ever super regional. The Mustangs head east to play West Virginia in the first-ever Morgantown Super Regional. The Mountaineers are the No. 16 overall seed and went 4-1 in their regional.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Spiridonoff said after his home run. “That’s something you dream of. I think I blacked out. I don’t remember it. I don’t remember the swing at all. Just kind of pure emotion there.”
Spiridonoff didn’t know he was going to play this season. He’s a true freshman, and not a lot of youngsters start their first year, especially now with the transfer portal and teams having a demand for players with more experience. There was a chance he redshirted.
Spiridonoff showed promise during the fall, earning him a shot at the starting lineup. He didn’t have to watch the season go by without contributing.
As a true freshman, Spiridonoff has started in 44 games and made his first start in the first series against Campbell. He had to adjust to the next level quickly and made the jump in the scrimmages in the fall.
“Through the fall, we played so many games,” Spiridonoff said. “It was a tough adjustment. Having these coaches, they prepare you. Coach (Larry) Lee was out there so much with us in the fall, making sure we were ready. My name was called early in the year, and I just had to stick with it.”
Spiridonoff had a successful high school career at Santa Margarita High School in California. He hit .315 as a senior with a .466 on-base percentage and .922 OPS. Spiridonoff was named to the All-Orange County first team.
Spiridonoff comes from an athletic family. His grandfather, Ron Ogle, played for the San Diego Chargers in the NFL and his other grandfather played soccer at the University of San Francisco. His uncle played baseball at UC Santa Barbara and played in the minors for the New York Mets.
In his first season in college, Spiridonoff hits from the eight hole and plays first base, where he’s made an impact. He hits .292 on the season, has four home runs, 26 RBIs and is fourth on the team in OBS. At 6-foot, 185 pounds, Spiridonoff doesn’t hit for much power and opts to get on base, setting up the top of the lineup.
In the Los Angeles Regional, he has three hits and five RBIs in three games, having the big homer in the regional final. Spiridonoff is the only true freshman to start for Cal Poly in the regional.
Spiridonoff hasn’t let the inexperience in the postseason hinder his play at all.
“It’s just playing the same game,” Spiridonoff said. “We preach that a lot. We’re breathing. Don’t let emotions get too high, too low. Try to stay on the same plane throughout the game.”
Spiridonoff’s homer helped send Cal Poly to the super regional for the first time in its 30-plus seasons. The Mustangs had made it regional, but never past.
Spiridonoff hadn’t endured the trials and tribulations of missing the NCAA tournament or coming up short like Lee has in his 20-plus seasons coaching the team. Or, just last year, when Cal Poly failed to make it out of the Eugene Regional, going 2-2.
But when Cal Poly struck out the St. Mary’s batter, ending the game, he knew how special that moment was.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Spiridonoff said. “It’s what you dream of as a young player. You want to win a regional, go to a super regional. You want to play in front of crowds, stuff like that. The work we put in, I couldn’t have been more proud of our guys.”
