SEASIDE, Calif. - When Noah Zertuche arrived at Cal State Monterey Bay, he wasn't just looking for a place to play baseball—he was searching for a home base to close out his collegiate career with the people who mattered most.
 
"I chose CSUMB because my best friend got recruited here, and I wanted to end my college baseball career playing with friends that I grew up playing with," he said.
 
The proximity to the Bay Area also meant family could easily make the trip, turning every series into a reunion.
 
That homegrown support paid off in one of his most memorable moments last season. Playing an away series at Cal State East Bay in Hayward—his hometown—Zertuche put on a show.
 
"It was kind of a homecoming for me because I'm from the Bay Area," he said. "I got to play in front of a lot of my family and friends. I went 2-for-3, and it was great to succeed and have a bunch of fun playing in front of my family."
 
The weekend only got better. "Later on in the series I got a pinch hit opportunity," he added. "I ended up going 2-for-3 in that game with a home run left-handed and a home run right-handed. I had never really done that before or really seen that done. It was a great experience."
 
Joining a Winning Program
 
Zertuche's decision to become an Otter came with a clear vision. "I saw that the Otters were very successful and a really good program, so I really wanted to play for a winning program," he said. Stepping into a team that had already won three straight CCAA titles meant embracing high expectations from day one.
 
"When I first got here, there was a lot of hype surrounding the program," he recalled. "Coach White made a point to tell us that we have a huge target on our back because nobody else has really won the CCAA for a few years now. So everyone's going to be giving us their best shot." The Otters leaned into the pressure with a simple mantra: that's just the way we like it. "No matter what kind of adversity is thrown our way… that's just the way we like it here," Zertuche said.
 
He credits the veteran players for making his transition seamless. "Once they kind of understood like, oh, this guy is kind of here to help us win, we just played together," he said. "There was no ego. It was really fun to play with all those guys."
 
Raising the Bar
 
After earning Newcomer of the Year honors, Zertuche's focus shifted to building on that momentum.
 
"Improving on last year has really been on my mind," he said. "This year, teams are going to know who I am and what I can do, so being able to find the same success and go about at-bats better, smarter… I really want to continue taking steps forward rather than finding a plateau."
 
For the team, the goal is clear: earn the right to stay home in the postseason. "A great team goal is to win enough games to host a regional or a Super Regional this year," he said. "Last year we spent three weeks on the road playing some very intense playoff baseball. If we could put ourselves in a position to host, stay at home, and stay in our routines, that would put us in a great position to make it to North Carolina and compete for a national championship."
 
Looking Beyond Baseball
 
Even as he chases another title, Zertuche is preparing for a future beyond the diamond. "A huge goal that I have for myself after my time at CSUMB is getting into dental school and pursuing a degree in dentistry," he said. Balancing applications, the DAT, and a full baseball schedule hasn't been easy, but the support around him has kept him moving forward. "Hopefully I am waiting to hear back from a couple schools," he said. "It's tough to study and apply to dental schools while I'm juggling baseball and finishing up my undergrad degree, so hopefully in the very near future I'm in dental school and studying to become a dentist."
 
Whether he ends up practicing in Monterey or back home in the Bay Area, Zertuche's time with the Otters has shaped the way he approaches challenges—and success.
 
"I'm excited to keep the tradition going and hopefully we win another one this year," he said.
 
CSUMB opens the 2026 season on the road for a three-game set at No. 19 Point Loma. The two squads face off in a doubleheader on Friday, Jan. 30, and close out the series with a Saturday matinee.