Thursday, April 18
Long Beach, Calif.
6 p.m.
Long Beach State University
vs
Cal Poly
Photo by: John Fajardo
LBSU’s Big West Homestand Continues Thursday vs. Cal Poly
4/16/2019 4:53:00 PM | Baseball
The Dirtbags will host Cal Poly for a three-game series beginning Thursday night at 6 p.m. The Mustangs are among the leaders in the conference at 7-2, and LBSU will look to build on a 3-1 week last week which included a series victory over CSUN on Bohl Diamond at Blair Field.
Thursday, April 18
Long Beach State vs. Cal Poly
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Bohl Diamond at Blair Field
Watch: Beach Vision | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats
Friday, April 19
Long Beach State vs. Cal Poly
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Bohl Diamond at Blair Field
Watch: Beach Vision | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats
Saturday, April 20
Long Beach State vs. Cal Poly
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Bohl Diamond at Blair Field
Watch: Beach Vision | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats
LAST TIME OUT
• Long Beach State claimed its first series win of the season last weekend, defeating CSUN on Friday and Sunday to make it a 3-1 week for the Dirtbags.
• LBSU won in dramatic fashion in game one of the series, coming back from a 3-0 deficit to take the lead, before winning with heroics in the ninth inning. After CSUN took a 5-4 lead with two runs in the top of the ninth, the Dirtbags rallied for two runs in the bottom half, winning on a walk-off single by junior Dominic Campeau.
• Junior Jacob Hughey had a hit in all four games last weekend, hitting .438 with four runs, four RBIs, a double, two walks, and his first career stolen base. Hughey has five multi-hit games in his last eight contests and has recorded two or more hits a team-leading eight times this season. He also leads the Dirtbags with 18 RBIs on the year.
• Freshman Chase Luttrell hit .600 last week in 10 at-bats, going 5-for-8 (.625) with two runs, two RBIs and a double in his two starts. He has raised his batting average by 67 points over his last five games.
• Sophomore catcher Chris Jimenez matched his career high in hits with three and also delivered a pair of RBIs in Sunday's win over CSUN. He also had a multi-hit game Mar. 30 at Cal, when he drove in a career-best four runs.
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS
• Cal Poly got off to a rough start to the season, going 2-9 in the team's first 11 games with series at Oklahoma, vs. Cal and at Washington. The start of conference play has been good to the Mustangs, who have series sweeps vs. CSUN and at UC Davis while going 1-2 against Cal State Fullerton. At 7-2, Cal Poly is right at the top of the conference standings with 5-1 UC Santa Barbara.
• Freshman infielder and leadoff man Connor Gurnik is the only batter hitting over .300 for the Mustangs, with a .310 average. Junior CF Bradlee Beesley is the team's RBI leader with 22 on the season and he also leads the power-starved Mustangs with 11 doubles. Cal Poly has hit just three home runs as a team this season.
• Versatile reliever Michael Clark is the best arm for Cal Poly, and is the reigning Big West Pitcher of the Week. He has pitched 37.0 innings in his conference-leading 19 appearances out of the bullpen. He has a 2.19 ERA with six saves and 29 strikeouts.
• The Dirtbags were swept at Cal Poly last season, but hold a 94-53-1 advantage in the all-time series with the Mustangs.
FACING THE BEST
• Long Beach State has certainly been challenged so far this season, with nine of its 13 opponents appearing the national rankings at some point during the season, and seven of those opponents holding a ranking when they played the Dirtbags.
• The Dirtbags had a stretch of eight straight games against nationally-ranked teams earlier in the year, going 2-6 in those contests. Three of Long Beach State's five wins have been against ranked teams and LBSU has played 15 games against Top 25 competition.
SPREADING THE LOVE
• A total of 21 position players have appeared in multiple games for the Dirtbags this season, with 18 making five or more starts and getting 16 or more at-bats.
• Only freshman infielder Tyler Porter has played in all 34 games this season for the Dirtbags, making 29 starts.
• With a group of pitchers returning from injury, the pitching staff has had its fair share of fluidity as well. Eight different pitchers have picked up a start for Long Beach State this season with seven of them earning three or more starts.
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.
• The 2019 MLB season got underway with 10 former Dirtbags featured on Opening Day rosters to start the year: Troy Tulowitzki (Yankees), Evan Longoria (Giants), Jason Vargas (Mets), Bryan Shaw (Rockies), Nick Vincent (Giants), Marco Estrada (A's), Jared Hughes (Reds), Matt Duffy (Rays), Shane Carle (Braves), Garrett Hampson (Rockies), and Jeff McNeil (Mets).
• RHP Drew Gagnon made his season debut with the New York Mets on Apr. 16, giving Long Beach State 11 representatives on big league rosters. That puts LBSU one ahead of Cal State Fullerton for the nation's lead.
• Long Beach State also has representation among the coaching ranks as former players Brandon Hyde and Jeremy Reed are in their first years serving key roles in their respective dugouts. Hyde is the manager of the Baltimore Orioles and Reed is the hitting coach for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Long Beach State vs. Cal Poly
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Bohl Diamond at Blair Field
Watch: Beach Vision | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats
Friday, April 19
Long Beach State vs. Cal Poly
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Bohl Diamond at Blair Field
Watch: Beach Vision | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats
Saturday, April 20
Long Beach State vs. Cal Poly
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Bohl Diamond at Blair Field
Watch: Beach Vision | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats
LAST TIME OUT
• Long Beach State claimed its first series win of the season last weekend, defeating CSUN on Friday and Sunday to make it a 3-1 week for the Dirtbags.
• LBSU won in dramatic fashion in game one of the series, coming back from a 3-0 deficit to take the lead, before winning with heroics in the ninth inning. After CSUN took a 5-4 lead with two runs in the top of the ninth, the Dirtbags rallied for two runs in the bottom half, winning on a walk-off single by junior Dominic Campeau.
• Junior Jacob Hughey had a hit in all four games last weekend, hitting .438 with four runs, four RBIs, a double, two walks, and his first career stolen base. Hughey has five multi-hit games in his last eight contests and has recorded two or more hits a team-leading eight times this season. He also leads the Dirtbags with 18 RBIs on the year.
• Freshman Chase Luttrell hit .600 last week in 10 at-bats, going 5-for-8 (.625) with two runs, two RBIs and a double in his two starts. He has raised his batting average by 67 points over his last five games.
• Sophomore catcher Chris Jimenez matched his career high in hits with three and also delivered a pair of RBIs in Sunday's win over CSUN. He also had a multi-hit game Mar. 30 at Cal, when he drove in a career-best four runs.
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS
• Cal Poly got off to a rough start to the season, going 2-9 in the team's first 11 games with series at Oklahoma, vs. Cal and at Washington. The start of conference play has been good to the Mustangs, who have series sweeps vs. CSUN and at UC Davis while going 1-2 against Cal State Fullerton. At 7-2, Cal Poly is right at the top of the conference standings with 5-1 UC Santa Barbara.
• Freshman infielder and leadoff man Connor Gurnik is the only batter hitting over .300 for the Mustangs, with a .310 average. Junior CF Bradlee Beesley is the team's RBI leader with 22 on the season and he also leads the power-starved Mustangs with 11 doubles. Cal Poly has hit just three home runs as a team this season.
• Versatile reliever Michael Clark is the best arm for Cal Poly, and is the reigning Big West Pitcher of the Week. He has pitched 37.0 innings in his conference-leading 19 appearances out of the bullpen. He has a 2.19 ERA with six saves and 29 strikeouts.
• The Dirtbags were swept at Cal Poly last season, but hold a 94-53-1 advantage in the all-time series with the Mustangs.
FACING THE BEST
• Long Beach State has certainly been challenged so far this season, with nine of its 13 opponents appearing the national rankings at some point during the season, and seven of those opponents holding a ranking when they played the Dirtbags.
• The Dirtbags had a stretch of eight straight games against nationally-ranked teams earlier in the year, going 2-6 in those contests. Three of Long Beach State's five wins have been against ranked teams and LBSU has played 15 games against Top 25 competition.
SPREADING THE LOVE
• A total of 21 position players have appeared in multiple games for the Dirtbags this season, with 18 making five or more starts and getting 16 or more at-bats.
• Only freshman infielder Tyler Porter has played in all 34 games this season for the Dirtbags, making 29 starts.
• With a group of pitchers returning from injury, the pitching staff has had its fair share of fluidity as well. Eight different pitchers have picked up a start for Long Beach State this season with seven of them earning three or more starts.
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.
• The 2019 MLB season got underway with 10 former Dirtbags featured on Opening Day rosters to start the year: Troy Tulowitzki (Yankees), Evan Longoria (Giants), Jason Vargas (Mets), Bryan Shaw (Rockies), Nick Vincent (Giants), Marco Estrada (A's), Jared Hughes (Reds), Matt Duffy (Rays), Shane Carle (Braves), Garrett Hampson (Rockies), and Jeff McNeil (Mets).
• RHP Drew Gagnon made his season debut with the New York Mets on Apr. 16, giving Long Beach State 11 representatives on big league rosters. That puts LBSU one ahead of Cal State Fullerton for the nation's lead.
• Long Beach State also has representation among the coaching ranks as former players Brandon Hyde and Jeremy Reed are in their first years serving key roles in their respective dugouts. Hyde is the manager of the Baltimore Orioles and Reed is the hitting coach for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Players Mentioned
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