Long Beach State University Athletics
Dirtbags to host LMU then travel to UC Riverside
4/12/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 12, 2010
Long Beach, Calif. -
Complete Baseball Release in PDF Format 
Leading Off
Following two weeks with just weekend contests, the Dirtbags return to Blair Field on Tuesday for a midweek matchup with Loyola Marymount at 6:30 p.m., and will try to avenge a March 16 loss on the road to the Lions. After that game, the team will then return for a second straight Big West road series, traveling to Riverside for a three-game set against UC Riverside. That series will begin on Friday, April 16 with a 6 p.m. start and continue with another 6 p.m. start on Saturday. The final game is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday. Live radio and Gametracker will both be available through www.longbeachstate.com.
Davis Blues
Long Beach State lost its first weekend series since the beginning of March after dropping two of three on the road at UC Davis. Three unearned runs in the first game negated a two-run home run by Devin Lohman as the Dirtbags continued their Friday struggles. Then, playing a doubleheader on Saturday, Long Beach State fell into an early hole 8-0 and coudn't recover in a 10-8 loss in game one. The team rallied in the second game, continuing their offensive resurgence in an 11-0 win which featured 18 hits and a season-high six doubles along with an outstanding pitching performance from sophomore Branden Pinder.
Pinder POW
Branden Pinder's effort Saturday earned the sophomore his first career Big West Pitcher of the Week award. Pinder became the third Dirtbag honored this season after his start Saturday, where the righty allowed three hits and no runs in his first career complete game. The shutout was the first of the season for Long Beach State. Pinder faced only three batters over the minimum and retired the last 15 batters without allowing a hit.
Starting Off
Long Beach State's starting rotation of Andrew Gagnon, Jake Thompson and Branden Pinder has anchored the weekends since the start of the season and the trio has been solid throughout. On weekends, the rotation has compiled a 10-7 record and a 3.18 ERA, and both Pinder and Gagnon's ERA are under 3.00. The three have combined for 150 IP and each have a complete game on the year.
Scouting LMU
Scouting UC Riverside
This weekend is an important series for both UC Riverside and the Dirtbags, as each team enters with identical .500 records in league play through six conference games. Against common opponents in Big West play, both teams have played Pacific with Long Beach State taking two games, and Riverside taking one. The Highlanders have the superior overall record though, winning three of four games against Saint Mary's and sweeping BYU on the way to a 15-11 record, and are very good at home with a 9-2 overall record. Justin Shults (.373) and Brian McConkey (.367) are the two top hitters for UCR, and the team has won despite a high team ERA of 5.50 overall, partly because of a number of lopsided losses to San Diego State, Oregon State and Arizona State.
