Long Beach State University Athletics
Dirtbags Open Conference Play with UCR
4/3/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 3, 2008
LONG BEACH-- No. 9-ranked Long Beach State (17-9, 0-0 Big West) will begin conference play this weekend when they travel to defending champion, UC Riverside (7-15, 1-2 Big West) for a three-game series starting on Friday. The Dirtbags, who have been on the road since March 25, have lost all six games on their current road trip as they finish up their second-straight five-game week in the Inland Empire this weekend.
LBSU has won six of the last seven conference opening weekends.
UCR has lost three of four, dropping a 7-5 decision at USC on Tuesday and losing two of three to No. 21 CS Fullerton last week. Two of the games against the Titans went extra innings, with UCR losing 7-6 in 16 innings in the opener, prior to winning in 12, 6-4.
In Friday's opener at 7 p.m., senior RHP Andrew Liebel (2-1, 1.72) will oppose Stephen Penney (0-2, 4.55), prior to junior RHP Vance Worley (3-1, 3.83) taking the rawhide and opposing freshman RHP Matt Larkins (3-1, 3.33) at 2 p.m. In Sunday's finale at 1 p.m., freshman RHP Jake Thompson (1-2, 3.48) will oppose sophomore LHP Paul Bargas (0-3, 6.23).
Liebel, who leads the conference in innings pitched (47.0), has gone into the seventh in all six of his starts this season, striking out 11 twice and at least six in five starts. Liebel ranks second in the Big West in strikeouts with 46 and is third in ERA.
The Dirtbags team ERA of 2.47 to enter the week was third-best nationally, while the 2.05 walks allowed per nine innings was the nation's lowest. Both Liebel and Worley rank amongst the nation's top-25 in least amount of walks allowed per nine innings.
The Highlanders swept the series at Blair Field last year, but LBSU leads the all-time series 44-24-1 all-time and the Dirtbags have won 18 of 24 meetings since 1989. The Highlanders are hitting just .242 as a team and producing a 5.21 team ERA. Drew Garcia is batting .380 with a team-best 18 RBIs, while Bryan Horst is at an even .300 average. Joe Kelly, last season's Big West Freshman Pitcher of the year has a 15.43 ERA over three appearances. UCR was picked to finish fifth in the Big West this year, behind LBSU, who were picked to win it.
Jonathan Jones is batting .367 over 14 starts, as his season-high 13-game hit streak was snapped on Tuesday in the team's 4-3 loss at Fresno State. First baseman Shane Peterson is batting .364 with a team-best and conference-leading 29 RBIs, while outfielder Jason Corder is batting .357. Corder has a team-best five home runs, including three over the last four games.
