Dirtbags Back in SEC Country to Face No. 10 Ole Miss

Friday, March 1
Long Beach State at No. 10 Ole Miss
Time: 4:30 p.m. PT
Location: Swayze Field (Oxford, Miss.)
Watch: SEC Network+ | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats

Saturday, March 2
Long Beach State at No. 10 Ole Miss
Time: 11:30 a.m. PT
Location: Swayze Field (Oxford, Miss.)
Watch: SEC Network+ | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats

Sunday, March 3
Long Beach State at No. 10 Ole Miss
Time: 10 a.m. PT
Location: Swayze Field (Oxford, Miss.)
Watch: SEC Network+ | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats

LAST TIME OUT
•   The Dirtbags continued their slow start to the 2019 season, going 0-3 against the Nevada Wolf Pack in LBSU's first home series of the campaign. Each game finished within either one or two runs, but the Dirtbags were unable to come up with enough key hits to take down the visiting Wolf Pack.
•   Junior INF Victor Carlino made a big impact on Sunday with a pair of hits, including a ninth-inning solo home run to bring Long Beach within a run. He is one of 11 position players who have made their first career start for Long Beach State in the early stages of the season.
•   LBSU had some key returners to the starting lineup last Friday as RHP John Sheaks made his first appearance on the mound since the end of the 2017 season and senior INF Laine Huffman returned to the starting lineup at DH for the first time in nearly a year. Sheaks struggled in his first outing, lasting just 1.1 innings while allowing four runs, but Huffman immediately delivered with a first-inning RBI single and run scored.

SCOUTING THE REBELS
•   Ole Miss represents the second SEC road test of the season for the Dirtbags, as well as another Top 10 opponent. The Rebels picked up a series win at Tulane last weekend before a 12-6 midweek victory over UT Martin. The Rebels were picked to finish second in the SEC West and fifth in the conference overall in this year's preseason poll.
•   Junior OF/C Thomas Dillard is off to a terrific start to the season with five home runs and 16 RBIs already, while hitting a team-best .481. Eight of his 13 hits have been for extra bases, leading to an absurd 1.185 slugging percentage.
•   The offense has carried the Rebels so far this season with the team hitting 15 home runs with 61 runs batted in. Senior CF Ryan Olenek is hitting .481 with 12 runs scored and sophomore 3B Tyler Keenan has smacked four homers and has 13 RBIs.
•   Ole Miss has four Preseason All-SEC selections to tie for the most in the conference. Cole Zabowski was the First Team selection at first base, while Keenan, DH Chase Cockrell and RP Parker Caracci were all Second Team selections.
•   These teams played last season in Long Beach, with the Dirtbags winning game one, 4-3, before Ole Miss took the final two contests. The Rebels own a 3-2 advantage in the all-time series with Long Beach State.

HIGH RISP, LOW REWARD
•   The Dirtbags have been able to get runners on base this season, but have struggled getting them home. Dirtbags hitters starting an inning are reaching base at an impressive .429 (27-for-63) clip to easily outpace opponents' on-base percentage in the same situation (.333 in 60 at-bats). Unfortunately for the LBSU offense, the team's batting average is just .133 (13-for-98) with runners on base, and to a paltry .078 (4-for-51) with runners in scoring position.
•   Of those four hits with runners in scoring position, only two have produced runs. That gives Long Beach State the same amount of run-producing hits with men in scoring position as the team has with nobody one on base.

LOOK WHO'S BACK
•   Last season's primary Friday starter Zak Baayoun returns for his junior season after earning Second Team All-Big West recognition last year. Baayoun opened the year with 12 strikeouts in an Opening Night win over St. Mary's in his first career start, and ended up winning nine games for LBSU as a full-time starter.
•   Sophomore southpaw Adam Seminaris was used in a dual role as a midweek starter and reliever during his freshman campaign, making 10 starts and 11 relief appearances in 2018, posting a 4.84 ERA in 57.2 innings. The only other returning pitcher with relief experience last season is junior RHP Dylan Spacke, who was mostly a setup man but also earned LBSU's last three saves of the season, with 43 K's in 35.2 IP and a 4.54 ERA.
•   Offensively, CF Brooks Stotler has plenty of experience with 130 games played in his career and will be looking to take the next step at the plate this season. DH Luke Rasmussen is back for his redshirt senior season and will look to shake off his injury to return to his status as a power hitter and run producer for the Beach. Senior SS Laine Huffman also missed most of last season with injury and will be a leader for the Dirtbags upon his return to the lineup. Sophomore C Chris Jimenez made 54 starts last season as a backstop (49 starts) and at third base (5 starts), leading the team with 32 RBIs.

LB IN MLB
•   Long Beach State had more former players in the big leagues than any other college or university from 2010-17, with 13 MLB representatives in 2018, again placing the Dirtbags among the nation's leaders.
•   Three Dirtbags made their MLB debuts last season, all in the span of two weeks. RHP Drew Gagnon debuted for the Mets on July 10, followed by infielder Garrett Hampson's debut on July 21 for the Rockies and INF Jeff McNeil on July 24 for the Mets.

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Players Mentioned

Zak Baayoun

Victor Carlino

Laine Huffman

Chris Jimenez

Luke Rasmussen

Adam Seminaris

John Sheaks

Dylan Spacke

Brooks Stotler

Long Beach State University Athletics