Starting pitchers Steve Cuckovich and Chris Kinsey combined to throw 10 shutout innings as the Sacramento State baseball team swept its two-game series against the Cal State Stanislaus Warriors at the newly remodeled Hornet Baseball Field last weekend.

Sac State scored 23 runs in the weekend series, beating Stanislaus 9-5 on Saturday and smashing them 14-2 in Sunday’s contest.

The Hornets’ record improved to 5-1 on the year, the team’s best start since the 1991 squad began the season at 6-1.

“This team is gelling and it’s a lot of fun being out there right now,” said Cuckovich, the starter in Saturday’s game. “I have high expectations for this team.”

Cuckovich (2-0) bewitched the Warriors’ bats Saturday, pitching five innings of shutout ball, allowing only one hit while walking one and striking out six.

“We didn’t know much about Stanislaus coming in, but after our coaches watched their batting practice, we decided to go right after them with fastballs,” said Cuckovich, who sports a 0.91 ERA in his two starts.

The Hornets never trailed in either game, thanks mostly to sharp starting pitching and productive hitting in the early innings.

Junior left fielder Mikela Olsen led the Hornet hitting attack Saturday by going 3-for-4 with 3 RBI, including a two-run homer off Stanislaus starter Scott Geissler that capped the Hornets’ three-run first inning.

“[Geissler] started me off with two offspeed pitches, so I knew it was going to be a battle,” said Olsen of his home run at-bat. “With two strikes, I fouled one off, then he just hung a curveball.”

After Stanislaus first baseman Jeren Livernois singled to lead off the second, Cuckovich clamped down by retiring the next six batters he faced, four on strikeouts.

Stanislaus’ porous infield defense and utterly hittable pitching allowed the Hornets to blow the game open in the middle innings, as Hornet second baseman Cliff Hinkle’s two-run double in the sixth gave the team a 7-1 lead.

Stanislaus threatened a late comeback, putting the tying run in the on-deck circle in the top of the ninth, but substitute third baseman Pedro Santiago’s sweet snag of Livernois’ line drive ended the threat.

“This is just the right group of guys, laid-back yet hard-nosed, and the only thing we care about is winning,” Olsen said.

Sunday’s contest was never in doubt, as the Hornets once again piled on the runs early by scoring in each of the first four innings. Kinsey allowed no runs and only two hits in his five innings of work, and his solo home run in the first inning gave the Hornets the lead for good. Catcher Matt Wilson also contributed a three-run blast in the third inning that gave the Hornets a 7-0 lead.

That was more than enough for Kinsey, whose performance was a near mirror-image of Cuckovich’s commanding Saturday start. After giving up his first hit in the second inning, Kinsey retired seven consecutive Stanislaus batters.

The Hornets next travel to face the University of Hawaii for a three-game series starting Friday. The Rainbow Warriors were 29-27 last season, and routinely draw several thousand fans to see them play in Honolulu. Sac State’s next home game is on Feb. 21 against Saint Mary’s College.

Despite the torrid start, the team is trying to stay in perspective. “We’re good to a point, but with lots of room for improvement,” said Olsen, whose 8 RBI tie with Kinsey to lead the team. “We’re not firing on all cylinders yet, but when our lineup gets set, watch out.”