Long Beach State University Athletics
Dirtbags Set to Host Western Illinois Tuesday
3/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
The Dirtbag relief core has allowed just one run this season, posting an 0.26 ERA and winning six of the team's nine games. Five relievers with five or more appearances have yet to allow an earned run this season as the team has posted a 2.12 ERA overall.
LBSU moved up to No. 7 in two polls, Collegiate Baseball and the USA Today Coaches Poll, and were up a spot to No. 9 in Baseball America's national poll.
Rightfielder Jason Corder, after missing the first five games of the season (knee), is batting .462, while third baseman Taylor Krick has posted a .417 average. Shortstop Danny Espinosa has a team-best 12 runs this season and a .370 average.
This is the first-ever meeting between WIU and Long Beach State. The Leathernecks will play at Pepperdine on Wednesday and play at San Diego and Point Loma after that. Western Illinois opened up the year with two one-run losses to Alabama State, before dropping four-straight at the University of Oklahoma.
Stan Hyman is in his seventh season, winning 30 games in back-to-back seasons in 2006 and 2007. Catcher Cooper Stewart is batting .467, third baseman Drew Laidig has a .462 average and outfielder Jared Wolf is batting .438, as the team is batting .296, but has a 7.96 ERA.
