Long Beach State Hosts Minnesota for Three-Game Series This Weekend

Friday, March 15

Long Beach, Calif.

6 p.m.

Long Beach State University

Minnesota

Photo by: John Fajardo

Long Beach State Hosts Minnesota for Three-Game Series This Weekend

3/14/2019 2:38:00 PM | Baseball

Complete Long Beach State Game Notes

The Dirtbags will conclude their eight-game homestand this weekend as the Minnesota Golden Gophers are in town for a three-game series. The first game against the defending Big Ten champions will be at 6 p.m. on Friday, followed by Friday Night Fireworks.

By: Tyler Hendrickson, Associate Athletic Communications Director

Friday, March 15
Long Beach State vs. Minnesota
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Bohl Diamond at Blair Field
Watch: Beach Vision | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats

Saturday, March 16
Long Beach State vs. Minnesota
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Bohl Diamond at Blair Field
Watch: Beach Vision | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats

Sunday, March 17
Long Beach State vs. Minnesota
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Bohl Diamond at Blair Field
Watch: Beach Vision | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats

LAST TIME OUT
•   LBSU took one game against TCU over the weekend before suffering a 2-0 shutout at the hands of No. 2 UCLA. LBSU actually outhit the Bruins 7-4, but stranded 11 runners on base in the loss.
•   Junior Riki DeSa has made the most of his back-to-back starts in left field. First he recorded three hits and scored twice in the series finale against TCU, then added two more hits against UCLA, including a double off the wall in left center.
•   Sophomore LHP Adam Seminaris posted the best start of his career on Saturday, going seven shutout innings with six strikeouts to defeat No. 23 TCU. He also recorded a quality start at Ole Miss in his previous outing, helping solidify LBSU's weekend rotation. Over his last three appearances, he has worked 18.2 innings with a 1.45 ERA and 17 strikeouts.
•   The Dirtbags offense had its best showing of the season last Saturday, setting season highs in both hits (14) and runs (14) in a 14-3 drubbing of TCU. Freshman Tanner Carlson had four RBIs to lead the charge, while classmate Chase Luttrell had three hits and junior Jake Vander Wal chipped in a three-run triple in the offensive onslaught. LBSU got on top early with five runs in both the second and third innings and would lead 14-0 after seven before TCU cracked the scoreboard.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GOPHERS
•   The defending Big Ten champions have come out of the gates slowly, but have certainly played some challenging competition thus far. Minnesota has played two neutral site games against defending champion Oregon State and had a three-game set at unbeaten NC State during its 3-11 start. The Gophers have also been away from home the entire season in favor of friendlier climates and won't play their home opener until Mar. 29.
•   Senior 1B/C Cole McDevitt leads the Gophers offense with a .302 average, nine runs scored, a pair of home runs and 10 RBIs to lead the team in many key offensive categories. Senior OF and leadoff man Ben Mezzenga is hitting .281 with a team-best five stolen bases in seven tries.
•   Minnesota's pitching staff has a team ERA of 5.17 so far this season, and hasn't had much success with its starters. Sophomore RHP/DH Max Meyer got the start against Oregon State last Friday and pitched well, striking out eight in 6.0 innings while allowing just two runs. That was his only start of the season but he's got a 1.76 ERA in 15.1 IP with 18 stirkeouts and a pair of saves. Senior lefty Jeff Fasching sports a 1.12 ERA in five appearances as a key cog in the Gophers bullpen.
•   Long Beach State leads the all-time series with Minnesota, 3-1. The last meeting between the schools was a three-game series May 12-14 in Minneapolis, with LBSU winning two of three against the Gophers.

FACING THE BEST
•   Long Beach State has certainly been challenged so far this season, with five of its seven opponents appearing the national rankings. LBSU's opponents so far this year have a combined 77-33 record, winning 70 percent of their games.
•   The Dirtbags just completed a stretch of eight straight games against nationally-ranked teams, going 2-6 in those contests.
•   Many of these tough tests have come away from home this season. In addition to playing series at No. 3 Florida and at No. 10 Ole Miss, the Dirtbags also have a road game at undefeated Arizona State and at California left on the preseason slate.

SPREADING THE LOVE
•   A total of 19 position players have appeared in multiple games for the Dirtbags this season, with 15 making five or more starts in the lineup.
•   Only infielders Santino Rivera and Tyler Porter have appeared in every game this season for the Dirtbags, starting all 15 contests.
•   With a group of pitchers returning from injury, the pitching staff has had its fair share of fluidity as well. Seven different pitchers have picked up a start for Long Beach State this season and a total of 13 pitchers have been used, up from 11 all of last season. Three pitchers made their Dirtbags debuts in the last two games, with Nick Avila appearing in the Sunday game with TCU and Sagun Gainey and Raul Rizo representing the first two arms used against UCLA on Tuesday.

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.