Dirtbags Open Big West Play With Road Series At UC Santa Barbara

Friday, March 6

Santa Barbara, Calif.

4:05 p.m.

Long Beach State University

UC Santa Barbara

Dirtbags Open Big West Play With Road Series At UC Santa Barbara

3/5/2026 2:35:00 PM | Baseball

Big West competition begins this weekend as Long Beach State travels to face UC Santa Barbara in a three-game series starting Friday at 4:05 p.m., with the Dirtbags looking to carry their offensive momentum into conference play against the preseason favorite Gauchos.

By: Cianna Smith-Andrews, Assistant Director, Athletic Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Big West play begins this weekend as Long Beach State hits the road for a three-game series at UC Santa Barbara starting Friday at 4:05 p.m. The Dirtbags enter the conference opener after a competitive nonconference slate and will look to carry their offensive momentum into the start of league play against a Gauchos team projected to win the conference.

LEADING OFF

The 72nd season of Long Beach State baseball continues this weekend as the Dirtbags open Big West play with a three-game road series against UC Santa Barbara.
First pitch is scheduled for Friday, March 6 at 4:05 p.m., followed by Saturday's matchup at 3:05 p.m. and the series finale Sunday at 1:05 p.m., with all three games streaming on ESPN+.
UC Santa Barbara was projected to win the Big West in the preseason coaches' poll and placed four players on the conference preseason team.
The Dirtbags took the series the last time the two teams met during the 2025 season at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field. Long Beach State opened with a 9-6 victory on March 28 before dropping the middle game 9-0 the following day. The Dirtbags bounced back in the finale on March 30, earning a 5-4 win to clinch the series.

PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS

Long Beach State is expected to send Jake Fields to the mound in Friday's Big West opener. The right-hander owns a 4.91 ERA with a 1-1 record in three appearances, including two starts, striking out 15 batters in 14.2 innings while holding opponents to a .109 batting average.
Luke Howe is projected to start Saturday. Howe carries a 2.45 ERA and a 2-0 record across three starts, allowing just five earned runs in 18.1 innings while holding opponents to a .215 batting average.
Freshman Jason Gerfers is expected to close out the weekend on Sunday. Gerfers has made four appearances with three starts this season, logging 14.0 innings while striking out 11 and holding opposing hitters to a .229 batting average.

THIS OR THAT

Long Beach State has positioned itself among the conference leaders offensively early in the season, ranking second in the Big West with a .264 team batting average.
Reid Montgomery leads the conference with a .417 batting average, while Camden Gasser continues to show elite plate discipline, leading the Big West with 23 walks.
Dylan Lina ranks second in the conference with 16 RBIs, while Trotter Enright is tied for second in doubles with six.
Trevor Goldenetz has been a catalyst on the basepaths, leading the conference in stolen bases with six while also pacing the Big West in sacrifice bunts with three.
On the mound, Luke Howe has been one of the Dirtbags' most reliable starters, posting a 2.45 ERA while holding opponents to a .215 batting average across three starts.

ABOUT THE GAUCHOS
UC Santa Barbara enters the weekend as one of the top-performing teams in the Big West, leading the conference in team batting average (.292) and team ERA (2.29).
Evan Cloyd has been a major offensive contributor for the Gauchos, leading the conference in both hits (21) and RBIs (21).
The series will also feature an interesting storyline as UCSB transfer Kellan Montgomery faces his former program. Montgomery finished last season with a team-high nine wins (9-4) and 76 innings pitched while striking out 60 batters for the Dirtbags.

LAST TIME OUT
On Wednesday night at Tony Gwynn Stadium, Long Beach State rallied back from an early five-run deficit and briefly took a late lead before San Diego State used a four-run eighth inning to secure a 13-10 victory.
Dylan Lina powered the Dirtbags offensively, going 3-for-5 with two home runs and seven RBIs. Reid Montgomery finished 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and a stolen base, while Jake Evans added two hits.
Trotter Enright reached base three times with a hit and two walks, while Damon Valdez also contributed with two hits.

PLAYER NOTES

#27 Trevor Goldenetz - Hitting .341 through 12 starts, Goldenetz has collected 15 hits with six stolen bases.
#9 Smith Chandler - Batting .381 in eight appearances, Chandler has recorded eight hits and five RBIs while maintaining a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
#5 Jake Evans - Evans is hitting .353 with four doubles and a .471 slugging percentage.
#24 Trotter Enright - Enright has started all 12 games and leads the Dirtbags with six doubles and 11 RBIs while hitting .292.
#23 Matt Toomey - Toomey has recorded 10 hits including four doubles and a triple while scoring seven runs and going a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts.
#22 Camden Gasser - Gasser continues to reach base at a high rate with a .538 on-base percentage and a conference-leading 23 walks.
#13 Dylan Lina - Lina leads the Dirtbags with 16 RBIs and three home runs while adding two doubles and six hit-by-pitches.
#49 Luke Howe - Howe has been the Dirtbags' most consistent starter, posting a 2.45 ERA with a 2-0 record across three starts.
#39 Jake Fields- Fields owns a 4.91 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 14.2 innings while limiting opponents to a .109 batting average.
#40 Jason Gerfers - The freshman has made four appearances including three starts, striking out 11 across 14.0 innings.
#33 Jaxon Baker - Baker has started three games in his first collegiate season while continuing to gain experience as part of the Dirtbags rotation.