Brandon McIlwain drew the start in center field and did damage with his bat and legs in a 10-2 victory over Cal Poly to open a three-game series.
McIlwain, a two-sport athlete who sat out last season after transferring from South Carolina, manufactured a run in the fourth inning with some daring base running and tripled home another two innings later.

Throw in his second-inning double, and McIlwain finished just a home run short of the cycle and scored three runs as Cal won its second in a row.
It was the first glimpse the Bears (2-3) have gotten – in an official game at least -- of the impact that the redshirt sophomore can have on the diamond. He played quarterback in the fall for the Cal football team.

"He obviously showed what his athleticism and speed can do," Cal head coach Mike Neu said. "He put a lot of pressure on them, made some great plays in the outfield. That was fun to see him kind of in his element and just take advantage of being able to press the defense with his speed."

The Bears produced quite the unusual box score, busting out for 10 runs on 10 hits despite striking out 17 times.

Vaughn, the reigning Golden Spikes award winner and Pac-12 Player of the Year, crushed a tape-measure two-run homer in the third that sailed far over the wall in left field. Vaughn's third homer in five games this season broke a 2-2 tie and put Cal in front for good.

The junior first baseman finished 2-for-4 and is hitting .467.

It was an ensemble effort on the mound as usual for the Bears. Lefty Arman Sabouri made his third start of the season in the "opener" role, and he was charged with two runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings.

Freshman right-hander Sam Stoutenborough was outstanding in long relief. After  Jack Hinrichsen got the final out of the second inning, Stoutenborough took over and delivered six scoreless innings to keep Cal Poly (1-4) at bay as the Bears added to their lead.

Cal benefited from three errors by the Mustangs that led to four unearned runs. The Bears scored two of those in the second on a two-out throwing error by Cal Poly shortstop Willie Cano that broke a scoreless tie.

The Mustangs tied it in the bottom of the second before Vaughn untied it with his two-run shot that accounted for his sixth and seventh RBI of the season.
Grant Holman went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run for Cal from the designated hitter spot.

McIlwain played a season of baseball for South Carolina, but his second-inning double marked his first hit in an official college game since 2016, so he savored his big night.

"It felt amazing," he said. "This team has been working hard to put something together. To be able to be a part of that, and part of a great win, it was such a good feeling."