Long Beach State University Athletics
Dirtb ags Host Wichita State
3/13/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Beach Host Shockers Starting on Friday Record: 12-9 Big West: 0-0 | Hi Rank: No. 21 | vs. Ranked Teams: 6-5
Carry On Wayward Son: The No. 21-ranked Dirtbags (12-9) continue with the nation's toughest non-conference schedule when they face off with its sixth ranked team of the season, when No. 23-ranked Wichita State (17-2 prior to Tuesday's contest at Kansas State), winners of 13 in a row, comes to Blair Field for three games beginning on Friday. The series opener at 6:30 p.m. will feature All-American RHP Jared Hughes (4-0, 3.40) hosting RHP Travis Banwart (4-1, 3.51), while Saturday's matchup looks to be a good one with RHP Andrew Carpenter (3-1, 2.28) for the Dirtbags and RHP Rob Musgrave (4-0, 0.98) at 2 p.m. In the series finale LHP Kris Johnson (2-0, 6.14) will start against LBSU RHP Vance Worley (1-4, 5.24). The team's 12-9 start, though still ranked nationally, is the team's worst start since the late1990's. In 1998, the Dirtbags started 2-8-1 before reeling off 12-straight and the school's last College World Series appearance, while in 1997, the team started off 8-11 before winning eight straight. So if past history is any indication, a hot streak is on the horizon. Next weekend the Dirtbags travel to arch rival CS Fullerton for three games in the nation's best collegiate baseball rivalry. Courting the Rankings: The Dirtbags dropped to No. 21 in the Coaches Poll (from No. 19) and to No. 27 in Collegiate Baseball. They are unranked in Baseball America's poll for the first time since March 22, 2005. LBSU's highest ranking was on February 6 when they were No. 12 in Collegiate Baseball. The Dirtbags began the season ranked in the top-25 in all three national polls for the 16th time since 1989. Year Two for the Weathers Show: Cirivello's Restaurant at 4115 Viking Way in Long Beach will again the site for the Mike Weathers Show every Wednesday, from an even earlier 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. time slot. This week's show will feature Shane Peterson. The show will not only feature Coach Weathers, but a select player from the team. Prizes and tickets will also be given away during the show. Fans can email questions to the show or during the game to radio voice Rob Buska at kwrmsports@yahoo.com. Two Bad Innings the Difference in Series at Texas: The No. 19-ranked Dirtbags held its own in 80 degree weather at astro-turf laden No. 16-ranked Texas, despite losing two of three. In the opener, Jared Hughes turned it over to the bullpen in the ninth, only to watch the Longhorns score three times and erase a 3-1 lead. Hughes gave up just two runs on four hits and at one point retired 16 of 17, as Texas won 4-3. He also struck out nine. On Saturday it was Andrew Carpenter gutting out his second complete game of the season with a 115-pitch complete game, as the righthander held on to a 5-3 advantage. Shane Peterson came a double short of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs, including his first home run of the season. Tito Cruz had his third-straight multi-hit game. On Saturday after LBSU took 1-0 and 2-1 leads, the Longhorns exploded for five runs in the fifth to take the series with a 7-3 win. One Tough Cookie: The Dirtbags schedule in March features four perennial College World Series teams in Baylor (lost two of three), at Texas (lost two of three), Wichita State (at Blair Field) and at CS Fullerton. LBSU, which features one of, if not the toughest, schedules in the country, has nine opponents receiving national votes, 11 opponents with RPIs better than 60 and 15 of the 21 opponents with .500 or better records. Any Given Friday: The Dirtbags best day of the week has come on Friday's. Ok, All-Americans Abe Alvarez, Jered Weaver and Cesar Ramos helped with that "just a bit." This year, another All-American candidate has taken the reigns in righthander Jared Hughes (Laguna Beach). Hughes is 4-0 on the season with a 3.40 ERA and prior to last Friday had led the Dirtbags to wins in each of his first five starts. LBSU is hitting .309 during the series opener, averaging nearly five runs per game. All-American Evan Longoria has been the prime benefactor to the beginning of the series, batting .500 in the team's first six Friday's of the season. Longoria Hits Cool Stretch: Proving that third baseman Evan Longoria (Downey) is human, a slump over the past nine games has watched the All-American's average dip to .382 on the season. Longoria leads the club with 13 RBIs, 10th-best in the Big West and he still ranks amongst the conference's top-10 in average, slugging (.588) and on-base percentage (.527). Longoria has also walked 19 times on the season and struck out just five times. He has also made just one error at the hot corner this season. Gutty Performance: Righthander Andrew Carpenter (Vacaville) put it all out on the line on Saturday, pitching a complete game at opposing Texas in 87 degee heat and on an Astroturf field. It was Carpenter's second complete game of the season after he pitched a one-hitter against Illinois-Chicago two weeks ago. Carpenter has gone 3-1 with a 2.28 ERA so far this season, with opponents batting just .209 against him. Cruz Earns His Stripes Behind the Plate: Four-year letterman Tito Cruz (Glendale) has finally found his bat, after playing behind draft picks at catcher and third base though out his career. This year's starting catcher has caught fire, batting .321 with three doubles this season. Cruz has also been steady behind the plate in 14 starts, throwing out 4-of-9 would-be base stealers. Last week he had three-straight multi-hit games. Cline Grabs Second Base Job: Infielder Matt Cline (Huntington Beach) entered his first year at The Beach after transferring from Orange Coast Community, "in the mix" but not as a projected starter. Cline made the most an opportunity, when second baseman Chuck Sindlinger came down with the flu and may not give it back, as he is batting .333 with 12 runs and eight RBIs over 13 games. The converted junior college shortstop has made just two errors at second base and has been the team's leadoff hitter for the previous two weeks. Freshman Ignites in Austin: It was only amount of time before freshman Shane Peterson (Temecula) would show his potential as a hitter. After being inserted into the lineup during the Rice Tournament, it took about a week of adjustments before the lefthanded pitcher-slash-designated hitter-slash-leftfielder caught fire. He is batting .346 with a .615 slugging percentage in nine games this season. He just missed hitting for the cycle in the team's win at Texas last week. Bullpen Remains Steady: The Dirtbag bullpen, a large question mark with so many new arms to begin the season, has been one of the team's steadiest performers, so far. LBSU features five pitchers with ERA's in the top-15 amongst the conference's relievers. Freshman righthander Bryan Shaw (1.17) and lefthanded closer Donnie Hume (1.84) have formed a nice 1-2 punch at the end of a game. Prior to Hume's blown save on Friday, the sophomore had converted on each of his first four save attempts. Playing Them Close: The team's ninth inning loss at Texas was the 49ers second loss in the opponent's final at-bat. LBSU has played them so close this season, with eight of the team's first nine losses coming by three runs or fewer. In fact, four have been by a single run. Boatright Remains Out of the Lineup: The Dirtbag offense has struggled without its cleanup hitter Sean Boatright (Mission Viejo) the past 11 games, batting just .255, averaging just under four runs per game and going 6-5 over that span. Boatright, who led the Big West in doubles for the previous two weeks despite not playing, is batting.289 with a .605 slugging percentage. He remains day-to-day. Gold Glove Infield: If there was such a thing as the nation's top defensive infield, Long Beach State's four infielders around the horn from Brandon Godfrey (1B) to Chuck Sindlinger (2B) to Danny Espinosa (SS) to Evan Longoria (3B) may be it. Matt Cline, a junior college shortstop, has not missed a beat playing at second base as well. Not A Bad Set of Wins: So far this season the Dirtbags have beaten some pretty good pitchers. LBSU has five wins over All-American arms (pre-season or former winners), including two over USC closer Paul Koss, one over Cal's Brandon Morrow and Texas' Kyle McCullough and a pair of victories over National Pitcher of the Year candidates Ian Kennedy (USC) and Joe Savery (Rice). Dirtbags Picked Second in Big West: According to the pre-season coaches poll and Baseball America's college preview issue, Long Beach State is picked to finish second to CS Fullerton. As usual, the teams will play two series this season, one from March 24 to 26 at Goodwin Field, and the conference series to close out the Dirtbags regular season from May 26 to 28. Catch the Dirtbags Over the Airwaves: For the second season, veteran broadcast Rob Buska will broadcast the team's games over the radio and internet. All home games can be heard in the Long Beach area on 1370 AM, with all games after 6 p.m. heard on KWRM's larger signal available in Orange County and the Inland Empire. Fans traveling with the team can tune their radios to 88.1 FM and listen to the Long Beach State broadcast at the visitor's ballpark. All games will continue to be over the internet at www.longbeachstate.com. Hard Look at this Dirtbag Duo: Infielder Evan Longoria (Downey) and Friday night righthander Jared Hughes (Laguna Beach) made a couple of pre-season national of player of the year watch lists, as the duo are both on the Wallace Player of the Year list, while Hughes is an initial candidate for the Roger Clemens Award, given two years ago to former Dirtbag Jered Weaver in its first year of existence.
Some of the Best Tools?: According to Baseball America, Evan Lonogoria, the sixth-best college player in the country, is one of the nation's best pure hitters, while Jared Hughes, the 15th-best collegian, has some of the nation's best command, amongst college players. According to Baseball America's Allan Simpson, "Longoria is a late bloomer, who came of age last summer in the Cape Cod League..." Strong Summers: Infielder Evan Longoria (Downey) was named the Cape Cod MVP and a first team Summer All-American after leading the Cape in homers (8) and RBIs (35). Jared Hughes (Laguna), who went a perfect 7-0 in the Cape, and was a two-time Cape player of the week, was also a Summer All-American (second team). The duo were starters for the East at the Cape Cod All-Star Game. Second baseman Chuck Sindlinger was named an All-Star out of the Central Illinois League after batting .300 with a .435 on-base percentage. In Review: The Dirtbags reached its 15th NCAA Regional in 2005, falling at home and watching USC advance to the Super Regionals, finishing 37-22. The team has appeared in four College World Series and two Super Regionals. They have hosted three-straight playoff series. Since becoming Head Coach in 2002, Mike Weathers-led teams have produced 31 professional players and watched seven players make it to the Major Leagues. Eight players have been drafted in the first three rounds over the last four years. Since Leaving The Beach...: Former Dirtbag players have prospered in professional baseball since leaving The Beach, as 10 former players are amongst Baseball America's list of top prospects for the 30 Major League teams, according to the South Day Daily Breeze. In 2006, LBSU had a record 13 players playing in the Major Leagues, as Jason Vargas (Florida) and Chris Demaria (Kansas City, now with Milwaukee) each made their Major League debuts. Both the 10 prospects and the 13 Major Leaguers, are amongst the most from any college program. World Baseball Classic Features the Dirtbags: Two former pitchers were members of the World Baseball Classic and Team Italy in February in Astros reliever Mike Gallo and Angels farmhand and Italian Olympian Kasey Olenberger. Gallo, who just completed his third year in the Majors, was the team's keynote speaker at the Leadoff Dinner on January 26. Baseball to Endow Scholarship for Coach: The baseball program is in the process of endowing a scholarship named after former Head Coach Bob Wuesthoff (1964-69), who led the 49ers to their first conference title in 1964. The seven-man committee of former players and coaches, led by LBSU's first coach John McConnell has already raised $60,000 en route to $150,000 over five years. Those interested can call (562) 985-4662 for more information. |
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