Long Beach State University Athletics
Dirtbags Host Utah Valley In Weekend Series
2/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Friday, Feb. 20
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Stadium: Blair Field
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Saturday, Feb. 21
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Stadium: Blair Field
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Sunday, Feb. 22
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Stadium: Blair Field
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THE MATCHUP
· Long Beach State hosted Utah Valley for a three-game series last year with the Dirtbags taking two of three from the Wolverines. The series was the first meeting between the two teams.
· Utah Valley is in southern California for the second week in a row. It was swept at CSUN last weekend and dropped a midweek contest with Gonzaga.
· Last year's series with UVU was the highest-scoring series for the Dirtbags, who scored 27 runs on the weekend. On Friday, the Dirtbags had 12 runs (the largest output of the season) and Sunday gave up 13 runs, which were also the most runs scored against LBSU all year.
2 RUNS OR LESS
· Long Beach State has allowed exactly two runs to score in three of its first four contests this year to lead the Dirtbags to a 3-1 record.
· The strong pitching numbers continue a trend that has echoed throughout Buckley's coaching career. Last season, the Dirtbags allowed two runs or less 28 times and were 26-2 in those contests.
HAMPSON BRINGS 'EM HOME
· Garrett Hampson comes into this series leading the Big West with six runs batted in through his first four games.
· He has been hitting at the No. 3 slot in the lineup and has responded with a pair of multiple-RBI games.
· Hampson has three hits on the year and only one has brought in a run but he has still found ways to rack up six RBI. He has driven in runs with a bases loaded walk, a bases loaded hit by pitch, two ground balls and a sacrifice fly. The sac fly scored the go-ahead run in the Dirtbags 3-0 win over Pepperdine on Tuesday.
STRIKEOUTS KEEP COMING
· Long Beach State pitchers have struck out 51 batters through the first four contests of the season and currently rank third in the NCAA in strikeouts per nine innings.
· For reference, last year's pitching staff took nine games to record 50 strikeouts - more than double the amount of innings it took this year's Dirtbags.
· The Dirtbags are averaging just over 12 strikeouts per game through their first four. Last year's accomplished pitching staff averaged 5.6 Ks per nine innings.
· In all four games this season, the Dirtbags starting pitcher has struck out at least seven batters. Senior Kyle Friedrichs set the tone with 10 Ks in the season-opener on Friday night. Tanner Brown followed with eight on Saturday and Trey Ferketic had seven on Sunday. Ryan Cruz blew away nine Pepperdine batters in his five-inning start on Tuesday.
SERVEN OFF TO A HOT START
· Junior Jonathan Serven is off to a hot start with at least one hit in all four games this season. He is hitting .417 through the first four games with five singles.
· He is also reaching first in over half of his plate appearances with three walks in addition to his five hits. He owns a .533 on-base percentage.
FANS FILE IN FOR OPENING WEEKEND
· Over 1,500 fans filled Blair Field in all three games of Opening Weekend for the third-highest February series total in the Dirtbags history at Blair Field.
· The total attendance for the weekend was 5,568, which is the 13th highest series attendance in the Dirtbags Blair Field history and the third-most in the month of February.
