Long Beach State University Athletics
LBSU Begins Final Non-Conference Series Thursday at Fresno State
3/28/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Thursday, March 29
Long Beach State at Fresno State
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Fresno, Calif. (Beiden Field at Bennett Stadium)
Live Stream | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats
Friday, March 30
Long Beach State at Fresno State
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Fresno, Calif. (Beiden Field at Bennett Stadium)
Live Stream | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats
Saturday, March 31
Long Beach State at Fresno State
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Fresno, Calif. (Beiden Field at Bennett Stadium)
Live Stream | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats
LAST TIME OUT
• Long Beach State suffered a midweek loss to No. 23 San Diego State on Tuesday, falling 5-2. The Dirtbags had chances to mount a comeback, but left nine men stranded, including six in the final three innings.
• LBSU picked up a second straight series victory, winning two out of three at rivals Cal State Fullerton in a non-conference series. The Dirtbags have now won three consecutive road series at Fullerton going back to 2016.
• Long Beach State got terrific starting pitching against the Titans, with the weekend rotation of Zak Baayoun, Tyler Radcliffe and Clayton Andrews combining to allow just one earned run in 22 innings pitched. The trio surrendered just 12 hits and four walks while striking out 16.
• Baayoun's eight scoreless innings with eight strikeouts were good enough to earn him his second Big West Pitcher of the Week award this season. Andrews was honored as the Big West Player of the Week thanks to his terrific week at the plate. The junior LHP/OF hit .500 (6-for-12) and was on base multiple times in all four games last week. He also tripled in all three games against Fullerton, including a two-run, game-winning triple in the eighth inning on Sunday to put LBSU up 2-0.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
• Fresno State has been a much better home team this season, going 13-4 at Beiden Field while posting a 1-6 record on the road. The Bulldogs opened the season with a four-game sweep of Michigan State, and are coming off a series loss at home against Nevada. Most recently, FSU defeated UC Riverside, 11-5, on Tuesday night.
• Junior CF Zach Ashford leads the Bulldogs with a .395 average, and there are three other regulars hitting over .300 for FSU. Junior 2B Jeremiah Burks is hitting .314 with a team-high five stolen bases, while sophomore C Carter Bins supplies the power with five home runs and 22 RBIs to lead the team. • Sunday starter Edgar Gonzalez has been the most effective starter for Fresno State this season, going 4-1 with a 2.85 ERA and an impressive 53 strikeouts in 41.0 innings.
• The last meeting between the Dirtbags and Bulldogs was a midweek game during the 2016 season, a 10-5 win for Fresno State on their home field.
PUT TO THE TEST
• Long Beach State is playing one of the most difficult non-conference schedules in the nation this season. The Dirtbags have played three road series against teams that reached the College World Series in 2017 (TCU, Texas A&M, and Cal State Fullerton), all in the first six weeks of the season.
• The Dirtbags strength of schedule currently ranks 14th in the nation with a combined opponents' record of 319-208.
BOHL DIAMOND AT BLAIR FIELD
• Long Beach State received a multi-million dollar donation during the offseason from longtime supporter Marilyn Bohl. In recognition of her generous gift, , the Dirtbags' home field has been renamed Bohl Diamond at Blair Field.
• Bohl has been actively involved in supporting the Blair Field renovation project for years, and previously gave a one million dollar gift to help kick off the initial phase of the renovations prior to the 2016 season.
• So far, the renovation efforts have included a new outfield fence, the Troy & Danyll Tulowitzki Batting Facility, the Jered Weaver Bullpen, and improvements to the Dirtbags locker room. Future plans include new stadium lighting, improved field drainage, a new multi-purpose team room along the left field line, plus restroom and seating upgrades.
LB IN MLB
• For the eighth consecutive year, Long Beach State had more players in the major leagues than any other college or university. There were 15 former Dirtbags who played in the major leagues in 2017 and the all-time total for Long Beach State is 48 big league representatives.
• There were two former Dirtbags who made their MLB debuts in 2017. First, it was RHP Shane Carle who appeared for the Colorado Rockies on April 14. Later in the season, C Mike Marjama made his debut with the Seattle Mariners on September 3.
• Kansas City Royals lefthander Jason Vargas made his first All-Star Game appearance during the 2017 season. The Dirtbags will be giving away commemorative Vargas bobbleheads prior at the UC Irvine game on April 7.
