Long Beach State University Athletics
Dirtbags host USC tonight, No. 20 California this weekend
2/21/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 21, 2012
Long Beach, Calif. -
Leading Off
Long Beach State continues a seven-game homestand to open the season this week, hosting USC at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday before No. 20 California comes to Blair Field for a three-game series this weekend. Friday's game will start at 6:30 p.m., following by a 5:30 p.m. start on Saturday and a 1 p.m. matinee on Sunday afternoon. All Dirtbag games can be followed through live audio or Gametracker at www.longbeachstate.com.
Victory over VCU
After playing 17 one-run games a year ago, Long Beach State started off the season with a trio of tight contests against VCU to start the season, winning the series 2-1 after three wild games. Leading 4-1 in the ninth, the Dirtbags couldn't close out the game in a 5-4 loss on Friday, but turned the tables on the Rams on Saturday, winning on a walk-off wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth to take a 7-6 win. Then on Sunday, the Dirtbags came back from a 2-0 deficit with a suicide squeeze to take a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning, and the bullpen gave starter Ryan Strufing 2.1 innings of scoreless relief to let Long Beach State start off the season a series win.
Scouting USC
USC had a good weekend to start the season, sweeping Jacksonville at Dedeaux Field on their opening weekend. Adam Landecker hit .625 on the weekend, going 5-for-8 while reaching base nine times in all. The Trojans hit .313 as a team against Jacksonville, and had two blowouts before winning 4-3 with a late comeback on Sunday. Brandon Garcia, Tuesday's starter, plays two ways and leads USC with two home runs, and his hitting .429. He makes his first appearance on the mound on Tuesday.
Catching Up
Sophomore Royce Murai had a tremendous weekend to start the season in 2012. After getting one RBI in 37 games played in 2011, Murai knocked in a career-high three RBI in the season opener, and followed that up with another RBI in Saturday's win before turning over the backstop duties to senior Kellen Hoime. Murai's four RBI lead the Dirtbags through three games in the season, through Hoime also got into the act from the catcher position with an RBI on Sunday.
In Buck We Trust
In Troy Buckley's first season as head coach of the Dirtbags, Long Beach State made immediate strides in a number of areas. After finishing the 2010 season in last place in the Big West, the Dirtbags improved to a fourth-place finish and a .500 record in league play. Additionally, Buckley's work with the pitchers also showed immediate dividends, as the Long Beach State lowered its team ERA over a full point, moving from 4.67 to a 3.55 ERA, with 11 pitchers throwing 15 or more innings. Long Beach State has eight of those pitchers returning to form the heart of the staff in 2012.
Schedule Strength
The Dirtbags, as usual, have one of the toughest schedules in the nation coming into the season. While down from last year's No. 1 rated non-conference schedule, the Dirtbags still have the No. 6 non-conference schedule and are 18th overall in a year that is perceived to be down in the Big West from some publications. That being said, the Dirtbags are receiving votes themselves to start the season, and 11 of the 18 team's scheduled to start the year are either ranked or receiving votes in at least one poll, including four other Big West schools.
