Long Beach State University Athletics
Dirtbags head to Fullerton for season-ending clash
5/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 19, 2009
Long Beach, Calif. -
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Leading Off
The Dirtbags play their final series of the year this weekend, taking on the Titans of Cal State Fullerton in the traditional rivalry series to end the regular season. The series starts with a nationally televised game Friday night at 7 p.m. at Goodwin Field, and continues through two more night games Saturday and Sunday, with each beginning at 6 p.m. Friday's game will be broadcasted on ESPNU, and fans wishing to follow the entire series can check in at www.longbeachstate.com for live audio and Gametracker.
A Look Back
Long Beach State's final home series ended with a loss to ranked Cal Poly. Senior Adam Wilk battled with Cal Poly's DJ Mauldin Friday, leaving on the wrong side of a 3-2 score despite striking out six after seven solid innings. The Dirtbags took a wild four-hour affair on Saturday, losing a 7-2 lead before recovering from a 12-7 deficit to win 13-12 behind seven RBI from freshman Kirk Singer. The Mustangs then won the rubber game Sunday 9-3 to take the series.
What's At Stake
Long Beach State can still finish as high as second place in the conference with a good showing against Cal State Fullerton. The Dirtbags are three games behind the Titans heading into the final week, and trail Cal Poly by two games. The Mustangs host UC Riverside for an imprortant series for the Highlanders, who are looking to be the fourth team selected for the NCAA Tournament from the Big West.
Scouting CS Fullerton
Fullerton has remained in the Top 10 for nearly the entire season, recovering from a 1-2 start by winning 10 straight and moving out to a 38-14 overall record. Josh Felhauer leads the team in batting with a .398 batting average, though the Titans have three players with 10 or more home runs, including team leader Khris Davis who also has 23 doubles on the year, slugging .629. The staff is led by Friday starter Daniel Renken, who has posted a 8-2 record over 13 starts with a 2.42 ERA.
Long Beach State vs. the Titans
Easily Long Beach State's most common opponent, the teams have met 191 times, with Long Beach State taking 77 of those meetings. Since 1989, the teams have a great rivalry as well, playing over 100 times in just 20 years with the series close at 54-47 in Cal State Fullerton's favor. Last season, the teams met in the final series with the Big West automatic bid on the line. Long Beach State lost the first game 4-1, but recovered to take an 8-6 win on Saturday and then clinched the Big West title with a 12-3 win behind a complete game from Vance Worley.
Keep Running
The Dirtbags have utilized their characteristic small ball style as well as tremendous team speed to go to work on the school's all-time stolen base record. With three games left in the season, Long Beach State has 116 stolen bases through 51 games, which is the fourth-most in school history. Two more steals will give the 2009 squad sole possession of second-place, and seven more will tie the school record of 123, set in 1980 over the course of a 68-game season. Jordan Casas leads the team with 22 steals, though six players have reached double digits, and every player that has played in at least half the team's games has five steals, making the record a truly team effort that ranks among the nation's best at 9th overall.
Coming To You On Fridays
Adam Wilk has come up big in his junior year. Spending his first two seasons in long relief for the Dirtbags, Wilk has solidified himself as the Friday starter, compiling a 7-3 record with a 2.77 ERA. After making his first start of the season against Loyola Marymount on Tuesday, Wilk segued to the Friday role starting with the Wichita State series, and has since pitched over five innings in every start, going 6-2 as a Friday night starter and striking out a team-high 54 batters.
Senior Spotlight
Long Beach State honored its six seniors prior to the final home game of the season last Sunday against Cal Poly. In all, the Dirtbags bid farewell to five pitchers and one catcher in 2009. Sergio Acuna has a 2.25 ERA over five appearances, allowing just one earned run, and Anthony Carrillo has developed in to a reliable long-relief pitcher for Long Beach State in 2009, throwing 20 innings in 14 appearances. Tyler Topp has made seven starts for Long Beach State in his career, including the 2009 opener against USC. David Born and Dustin Rasco form a Left/Right setup tandem for closer Charlie Ruiz, each making over 25 appearances over the season, while catcher Kip Masuda, struck by injury again, has applied for a medical redshirt to receive a fifth season of eligibility.
Dirtbags and Titans Together
A's Catcher and former Titan Kurt Suzuki is spearheading an effort to benefit Jon Wilhite, the only survivor in the car crash that killed Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, Henry Pearson and Courtney Stewart. The first of the three events is scheduled for this weekend at the Long Beach State-Cal State Fullerton series. A silent auction will take place at Goodwin Field over the course of the series, which will include items from both former Titans and Dirtbags now in the major leagues, to benefit Wilhite's mounting rehabilitation costs.
The MASH Ward
Long Beach State was hit hard by injuries over the course of the UC Santa Barbara series two weeks ago and is still recovering. Jordan Casas (ankle) has returned to duty, but Brandon Young (concussion) and starting outfielder Brennan Metzger (elbow) are both out for the season, joining catcher Kip Masuda in the season-ending injuries department. Two more starters are day-to-day, as the two other concussion victims, Jonathan Jones and Steve Tinoco wait for their symptoms to improve.
The Truly Big West
The Big West is living up to its reputation as one of the best college baseball conferences in the nation. UC Irvine became the second team in the conference this season to be ranked No. 1, and the league currently has three teams ranked with the Anteaters, Cal State Fullerton and Cal Poly. The Anteaters also reached a new pinnacle remaining a unanimous No. 1 in all four polls. The league RPI also remains among the nation's best, currently fourth.
