Long Beach State University Athletics
Dirtbags Host No. 8 Vanderbilt For Season Opening Series
2/12/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 12, 2014
Game 1: Friday, Feb. 14
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Stadium: Blair Field
Listen Online
Game 2: Saturday, Feb. 15
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Stadium: Blair Field
Listen Online
Game 3: Sunday, Feb. 16
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Stadium: Blair Field
Listen Online
HERE WE GO
The 2014 college baseball season gets underway this weekend. The Long Beach State Dirtbags will host No. 8 Vanderbilt in a three-game series from Feb. 14-16. The two are facing off to open the season for the second year in a row as the Dirtbags went to Nashville, Tenn. top open the 2013 season with a three-game series at Vanderbilt. The Commodores took two of the three games with the Dirtbags capturing the final game of the series.
SENIOR HEAVY
The Dirtbags enter the season with nine seniors on the roster. Ino Patron and Michael Hill headline the group of senior as two fourth year players at The Beach. Patron is going into his fourth season as a starter and Hill will look to pick up right where he left off with the bat. Both hit over .300 last year. Senior Colton Vaughn will join the pair in the starting lineup and senior Colby Brenner will likely make some starts in the outfield. Jake Stassi returns for his fourth year on the mound for the Dirtbags after posting a team-best 3.32 ERA as a starter last year. Nate Underwood, Josh Frye, Ryan Millson, Nick Rosetta and Josh Frye also return for their senior seasons and will contribute in various roles on the mound.
WELCOME BACK
The Dirtbags excitedly welcome back three All-Big West selections from 2012 the missed all of the 2013 season. Johnny Bekakis will return to the lineup and to the outfield for the Dirtbags in 2014. He hit .290 and swiped seven bases in 2012 on the way to All-Big West Honorable Mention. Ryan Strufing will return to the starting rotation after surgery sidelined him for 2013. He went 7-3 with a 2.99 ERA as the Saturday starter in 2012 and was also All-Big West Honorable Mention. Finally, 2012 All-Big West Second Team closer Kyle Friedrichs will return in the same role in 2014. He was also sidelined by surgery last season after posting a 1.88 ERA in 2012 with 10 saves.
FORMER DIRTBAGS LEAD THE WAY AGAIN
The Dirtbags had 14 former players make their way on to major league rosters last year, which is again the most of any college. Shane Peterson and Joey Terdoslavich made their MLB debuts during the 2013 season and Troy Tulowitzki was selected as a starter in the All-Star game. The 2013 season marked the fourth in a row that the Dirtbags had more alums in the majors than any other college.
FOUR DIRTBAGS TAKE THE NEXT STEP
Long Beach State had four players drafted in the 2013 MLB Draft, continuing a run that has seen at least one player drafted in every season in the Dirtbag era. Friday night starter Shane Carle was the first to hear his name called, picked in the 10th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Jeff McNeil was picked next, joining the New York Mets in the 12th round. Pitcher Jon Maciel was selected in the 18th round by the Detroit Tigers, and senior Juan Avila rounded out the draft for Long Beach State, picked by the Miami Marlins in the 20th Round.
HAMPSON COULD JOIN ELITE COMPANY
Freshman Garret Hampson could make his Dirtbag debut right out of the gates on Friday as the starter at shortstop. If he makes the start as projected, Hampson will be the first freshman to start at short since Danny Espinosa did so in 2006. Espinosa was the first freshman to start Opening Day at shortstop since Bobby Crosby in 1999. Both Crosby and Espinosa are easily recognizable names in the history of Shortstop U. Both made the majors with Crosby winning the Rookie Of The Year Award for the American League. Another name that comes up when talking about the long line of elite shortstops at Long Beach State is Troy Tulowitzki. He did play on Opening Day and went on to start 50 games as a freshman but entered the Dirtbags' first game of his freshman season as a pinch hitter.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
The Dirtbags will have an opportunity to get rolling to start the season with five of their first six games at home. LBSU hosts Vanderbilt for three this weekend, goes on the road for a Tuesday game at Pepperdine, then returns home for games against Arizona State and Wright State. They will be looking to capture the same magic they found last year within the confines of Blair Field when they went 23-10 at home. The Dirtbags hit above their season average with a .285 team batting average at Blair and the pitchers posted a 2.85 team ERA, which is nearly a full run lower than their season ERA.
ANOTHER TOUGH SCHEDULE AHEAD
Long Beach State has gained somewhat of a reputation for playing one of the toughest nonconference schedules in the country. This year will be no different with several top teams on the docket this year. Conference-rival Cal State Fullerton is ranked No. 1 in numerous polls and will face the Dirtbags six times this year. Top-10 teams Vanderbilt and Indiana come in to Blair for three-game series. Defending national champion UCLA is on the schedule four times this year, twice at Blair and twice at Jackie Robinson Stadium. A trip to Wichita State and Arizona are also on the schedule this season. Last year, Boyd's World had the Dirtbags with the sixth toughest nonconference schedule in the nation and this year should bring a similar ranking.
YES, WE'RE REALLY CALLED THAT
The OFFICIAL nickname of the Long Beach State baseball program is the Dirtbags.
