It has been a tough season for Stanford baseball , but even though the program fell well short of its goals this year, manager David Esquer enjoyed a full circle moment. On Sunday, the Cardinal beat NC State 9-5 to win the series while also securing Esquer his 300th win as Stanford's head coach.

An alumni of Stanford University and a former player on the baseball team, Esquer's 300th win is a crowning achievement for someone that has spent so many springs on a baseball diamond at Stanford.

Taking over as the Cardinal's head coach in 2018, Esquer succeeded his former coach, Mark Marquess — a two-time College World Series champion — and was tasked with keeping the Cardinal, one of the nation's most competitive programs, a top contender even through a rebuild.

In his first six seasons, minus the COVID-impacted 2020 campaign, Esquer led the Cardinal to the NCAA tournament five times, including three straight College World Series appearances from 2021-2023.

And even though recent seasons have seen Stanford…