SEASIDE >> Next year it will be one for the thumb. This spring it’s flashing four fingers to commemorate a historic achievement.

For Cal State Monterey Bay, the journey is just beginning. Yet, that doesn’t take away the appreciation of an unprecedented milestone.

A jubilant group of Otters celebrated on the mound Saturday, clinching their fourth straight California Collegiate Athletic Association baseball title on the final day with a 9-3 win over San Francisco State at the Otter Complex.

“I don’t think people understand how hard this is,” CSUMB coach Walt White said. “The common person sees you keep doing it, so it becomes an expectation. It’s our expectation as well. But this isn’t easy. This was the hardest one yet.”

With the title, the Otters became the first baseball program in the CCAA since Cal State Northridge — now a Division I program — to win four straight conference titles from 1970-73.

The Otters, who came into the weekend series a game behind San Francisco State and Dominguez Hills, took three-of-four games from the Gators, while Dominguez Hills dropped three straight to Cal State Los Angeles to fall out of contention.

“Wally (Walt White) lost his mind,” said CSUMB shortstop Max Farfan during the celebration. “I mean four in a row. God, it’s so cool. The best part is all of our families got to be part of the celebration.”

CSUMB (33-16), which will look to defend their title next week in the CCAA tournament, likely ensured itself of a spot in the NCAA West Regionals in two weeks.

“This series against SFS should put us in there comfortably,” White said. “We have one of the best records in the region. But I want to win the conference tournament. Then we’ll turn our attention to the regionals.”

Last year CSUMB came within three outs of advancing to the NCAA Division II World Series before falling in extra innings at Point Loma, then dropping the third and deciding game.

“I have a pillow from Point Loma that I still take with me on the road to remember,” said Farfan, a Salinas graduate, who homered and drove in five runs. “Everyone remembers. It drives us.”

For the second straight season, the Otters won the conference title on the final day of the regular season, then went on to beat San Francisco State twice in the conference tournament and again in the West Regionals.

In what could be San Francisco State’s final season after the baseball program was informed that it will be cut next year, the Gators had gone 14-2 in its last 16 conference games coming into their four-game series with CSUMB.

“I think they (San Francisco State) are playing with a chip on their shoulder,” White said. “They started finding a way to get over the hump last year. That gave them some belief. We believe that we’ll see each other down the road.”

Falling in the second game of a doubleheader on Friday to the Gators kept CSUMB from clinching the title, making the season finale the biggest game of the year.

“We have 28 seniors,” White said. “All of their families were here today. The place was packed. Just a cool atmosphere. We were able to draw on our experiences from the previous year. It helped us move forward.”

Tied at one in the fourth, the Otters turned to their local recruits, as Monte Vista Christian graduate Dominic Felice sent a shot over the fence for a three-run homer to stake them to a 4-1 cushion.

“Dominic set the place on fire when he hit that bomb,” said White, who has over 400 wins in his Otters’ coaching career. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard this place that loud.”

The lead was extended to eight during a five-run fourth, highlighted by Farfan ripping a three-run homer, his 11th of the season. His two-run double in the eighth padded his RBI total to 49 in 49 games this spring.

“They were blowing me up with inside fastballs on Friday,” Farfan said. “I took my ego out of it and gave up the inside pitch. I went the other way on the double. I let it fly on the 3-1 pitch in the third.”

The Otters put a lineup on the field that had five starters hitting over .300, including KW Quilici and his .388 batting average, who drove in a run in the seventh.

Seven of the nine hitters in the lineup had at least one hit, with Javier Felix collecting three of the team’s 16 hits, singling home a run in the eighth, and Farfan driving in two more runs to extend CSUMB’s lead to 13-3.

“Even when we lost yesterday, there’s this weird confidence that never leaves us,” said Farfan, a four-year starter at Salinas, whose senior season was cut short because of the pandemic.

Getting six strong innings from Mitchell Torres, White turned the game over Andrew Kotin, who tossed three innings of scoreless relief, lowering his earned run average to 3.00.

“He’s had some arm and knee issues,” White said. “He didn’t pitch a lot last year. He didn’t pitch at all in the fall. The last intra-squad game before I set the roster, I wasn’t going to put him on the roster. Then he goes out and throws 93 mph and I’m like ‘you are not going anywhere.’”

As conference champions, CSUMB won’t play in the conference tournament at Cal State, Los Angeles until Thursday against an opponent yet to be determined.