Long Beach State University Athletics
Dirtbags Host Michigan To Open 2015 Season
2/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
LONG BEACH, Calif. - The 2015 season begins is upon us as the Long Beach State Dirtbags host Michigan in a three-game series at Blair Field. The first pitch of 2015 will be thrown out on Friday at 6 p.m. with Saturday's game at 2 p.m. and Sunday's at 1 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 13
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Stadium: Blair Field
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Saturday, Feb. 14
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Stadium: Blair Field
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Sunday, Feb. 15
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Stadium: Blair Field
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THE MATCHUP
· This weekend's series will be the first meeting between Michigan and Long Beach State.
· Michigan is the second Big Ten team in as many years to visit Blair Field. The Dirtbags took two of three from Big Ten member Indiana last year and will visit the Hoosiers in May.
· The Wolverines return eight position players and three pitchers with starting experience from last year's team that went 30-29-1 overall and 13-11 in the Big Ten to finish fourth.
NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK
· The Dirtbags are looking to build off a successful 2014 campaign that saw Long Beach State go 34-26 overall and return to postseason play. However, six position players and all three weekend starters from 2014 are gone via the draft or graduation.
· The 2015 Dirtbags will have a new look on the lineup card as well as in the dugout as 19 new players fill out the roster. Twelve of those 19 are freshmen, who will be getting their first taste of college baseball this weekend.
RETURNERS ON THE MOUND
· Senior Kyle Friedrichs and junior Ty Provencher bring the most experience back to the mound in a relatively young pitching staff. Friedrichs was an All-Big West reliever in 2012 before missing all of 2013 with an injury. Provencher was an All-Big West reliever in 2013 and again in 2014. He posted a 1.77 ERA in 45.2 innings pitched (mainly out of the bullpen) last year.
· Logan Lombana is another experienced reliever that will return in 2015. Senior Ryan Strufing is another 2012 All-Big West pitcher, who will be back in 2015 and sophomore Austin McGeorge saw limited action as a freshman.
· The Dirtbags return just over 19 percent of their innings pitched from last year.
RETURNERS IN THE FIELD
· Star sophomore Garrett Hampson and junior backstop Eric Hutting are the only two regular starters to return in 2015. Hampson had a breakout freshman season, hitting .308 and scoring 44 times to earn Big West Freshman Player of the Year honors.
· Hutting has been behind the plate on a regular basis since his arrival in 2013. He threw out nearly half the runners trying to swipe a base on him last year. Opposing base runners were just 20-of-39 when trying to steal.
· Juniors Jonathan Serven and Zack Rivera both picked up valuable experience as freshmen but saw limited time last season.
· Zack Domingues started 15 games in the beginning stages of the season in 2014. He won a batting title over the summer in the Northwoods League and has emerged as the top candidate for the everyday second baseman.
BUSY AT BLAIR
· The Dirtbags start off with a very home-heavy portion of their schedule. LBSU will play its first eight games on its home turf, including an exhibition game, to start the season.
· Long Beach State is on the road just once in the opening month of the season with a midweek trip to UCLA on Feb. 24. All three of its weekend series in February will be at home.
· The Dirtbags were 19-11 at Blair Field in 2014 and have not had a losing record at home since Coach Buckley took over in 2011.
· Even after a quick road trip to Arizona State in March, the Dirtbags return home for five more in a row. LBSU will play 17 of its first 21 contests at home before entering into Big West play.
BUILDING OFF OF 2014
· It should come as no surprise that all three weekend starters from 2014 will be pitching at the next level this spring and summer. The Dirtbags 2.97 ERA and school-record 10 shutouts are just headlines in a long list of accomplishments.
· With strong pitching and timely hitting (especially in the last month of the season), the Dirtbags found all the needed ingredients for its first trip to the NCAA postseason since 2008.
· Long Beach State defeated North Carolina twice in the Regionals to reach the final of the Gainesville Regional against the College of Charleston, who moved on to the Super Regional.
BUCKLEY SUSPENDED FOR OPENING WEEKEND
Long Beach State Athletics is committed to full compliance with NCAA rules. This fall a violation was discovered within the baseball program and Troy Buckley has been suspended from coaching the opening weekend series against the University of Michigan on February 13-15, announced athletic director Vic Cegles. "As leaders of their respective teams, head coaches are responsible for every aspect of their programs and must take full responsibility for any and all infractions." Jesse Zepeda will be the acting head coach for the series.
DIRTBAGS IN THE BIGS
· Once again, Long Beach State led all of college baseball with 14 alumni in the Major Leagues in 2014. Troy Tulowitzki was a starter in the All Star game and captain of the NL's Home Run Derby squad.
· Evan Longoria became the all-time home run leader for the Tampa Bay Rays.
· Jason Vargas helped the Royals to the club's first World Series since 1985 as part of KC's rotation.
· Matt Duffy became the 45th Dirtbag to reach the majors and helped the Giants to a World Series championship. Duffy and Vargas matched up once in the World Series with Duffy hitting a single.
· Branden Pinder was the latest Dirtbag to be added to a 40-man roster of a major league club. The Yankees added Pinder to their 40-man roster just before the Rule 5 Draft this summer.
WE ARE THE DIRTBAGS
· The OFFICIAL nickname of the Long Beach State baseball program is the Dirtbags.
