SAN DIEGO–Both early games today started at 1 p.m., so I started the day at Tony Gwynn Stadium to see Cal Poly lefthander Derrick Saito take on Fresno State before heading over to Cunningham Stadium to catch the second half of the San Diego-Missouri tilt.

A number of scouting directors lingered in San Diego today to get a glimpse of Saito, a junior lefthander listed at 5-foot-9. As a reliever last year, Saito used an electric fastball that reportedly touched 97 mph to rack up 56 strikeouts in 36 innings, and I was curious to see how he’d look as a starter. The diminutive southpaw did not disappoint in the three innings I saw, showing a 92-93 mph fastball that touched 94-95, a good 78-81 curveball that he threw to righties and lefties, a changeup with screwball action and an 87-88 cutter that he used primarily against lefties. The last pitch I saw him him throw was a 94 mph fastball on the outside corner for a called third strike against lefthanded slugger Steve Susdorf, ending the third. He wound up allowing just four hits and four walks over six shutout innings, striking out nine. For more on Saito, check out Matt Blood’s upcoming Draft Dish.

Fresno State got a strong outing from imposing sinkerballer Clayton Allison, who allowed just one run over 7 1/3, and the score is 1-1 in the eighth.