Long Beach State University Athletics
Dirtbags Welcome Fresno State For Monday Night Baseball
3/7/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Long Beach, Calif. - Monday, March 7
Long Beach State vs. Fresno State
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif. (Blair Field)
Listen | | Tickets
LAST TIME OUT
• The Dirtbags won their third straight weekend series to start the season by winning both games of a Saturday doubleheader vs. Nebraska. Pitching was the key to success as LBSU pitchers allowed just one run in 22 innings of work Saturday.
• Nebraska hit a pair of home runs in a 9-2 win in Friday's series opener, getting to LBSU starter Chris Mathewson early and often. It was the first time the Dirtbags had lost back-to-back games this season.
• Darren McCaughan, Austin McGeorge and Joshua Advocate combined to throw 13 scoreless innings. McGeorge was great in relief throwing a career-high five innings and striking out a personal best nine batters, including seven in a row.
• Long Beach State finally got the game's first run in the bottom of the 13th as Alex Muzzi delivered the walk-off single, his fourth hit of the game.
• Tanner Brown allowed just one run in seven innings, Garrett Nelson drilled a two-run home run for a 3-1 lead and freshman Chris Rivera locked down a two-inning save.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
• Fresno State's record speaks for itself, with the Bulldogs starting the year with 11 consecutive victories before suffering their first defeat on Sunday at San Diego State.
• Fresno State has outscored its opponents 76-40 this season, with a sparkling team ERA of just 1.67, and an average offensive output of 6.3 runs per game.
• The Bulldogs played their first nine games at home, sweeping series vs. Creighton and Youngstown State, then took two out of three at SDSU to open Mountain West Conference action.
• Half of Fresno State's 12 games have been one-run games, with the `Dogs going 5-1 in those contests.
• Three players (Brody Russell, Jake Stone, Aaron Arruda) have double-digit RBIs so far this season. Russell is hitting .389 with a .583 slugging percentage. Austin Guibor has scored 14 runs, drawing 12 walks on his way to a team-best .456 on-base percentage.
• Defense has been the only weakness for the Bulldogs, who have committed 21 errors so far this year, fielding just .954. Fresno State has allowed 40 runs this season and half of them have been unearned.
PITCHING FACTS
• Sophomore Darren McCaughan has been fantastic this year, making three quality starts, never allowing more than one run. He boasts an ERA of just 0.84 and opposing batters are hitting just .127 against the Downey, Calif. native.
• Austin McGeorge struck out seven consecutive batters against Nebraska on Saturday, throwing five scoreless innings from the 8th-12th, finishing with a career-high nine Ks.
• The LBSU bullpen has been solid this season, throwing 23.1 innings before allowing its first earned run. Relievers have thrown 37.1 innings, surrendering 28 hits and 13 walks while recording four saves and 36 strikeouts.
• Freshman reliever Chris Rivera picked up back-to-back saves on Saturday and Sunday and has now worked four scoreless innings with three saves this season.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
• Long Beach State was picked to finish third in the Big West by the conference's coaches, anticipating a healthy jump from last season's sixth-place finish. Interestingly, the Dirtbags were also given three first-place votes, just one fewer than preseason favorite, and defending champion, Cal State Fullerton.
• The Dirtbags had two players--junior shortstop Garrett Hampson and sophomore starting pitcher Chris Mathewson--earn Preseason All-American accolades going into the 2016 campaign. It's the first time a Beach player has earned that distinction since Danny Espinosa in 2008.
A NEW BLAIR FIELD
• The 2016 season will be the first played at a modified Blair Field. The multi-phase renovation project began in January of this year with the construction of a new outfield fence that is closer to the batter's box. The old dimensions of 348-387-400-387-348 have been reduced to a slightly more hitter-friendly 335-380-393-380-330 moving from left to right field.
• The new fence is part of the initial phase of the renovations, which will also include a new state-of-the-art batting facility down the right field line, new bullpens behind the outfield walls, a new home clubhouse, grandstand renovations and much more. The estimated total cost of the project is $17 million.
HOME COOKING
• The Dirtbags will get a nice long look at their evolving ballpark to start the season, playing 11 of their first 12 games in Long Beach. In total, LBSU will play 33 of its 56 games at Blair Field this season.
• That slate of home contests also includes some important matchups. Not only do the Dirtbags host a few marquee non-conference series against Arizona State and Nebraska, they'll also have the benefit of hosting important Big West matchups. Long Beach State will host the other three teams (UCSB, UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton) expected to finish in the top four of the conference standings based on the preseason coaches poll.
LB IN MLB
• For the sixth straight year, Long Beach State had more players in the major leagues than any other university. The 2015 total for Dirtbags in the bigs was 16, up from 14 players in 2014.
• Branden Pinder became the 46th former Dirtbag to get the call, having a productive year in the bullpen for the New York Yankees.
• After the Kansas City Royals claimed the World Series title, Jason Vargas became the second straight Dirtbag to win a world championship ring. Third baseman Matt Duffy won a ring with the San Francisco Giants in 2014.
• Playing his first full season in the majors in 2015, Duffy finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting, finishing behind Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs.
WE ARE THE DIRTBAGS
• The OFFICIAL nickname of the Long Beach State baseball program is the Dirtbags.
