Tuesday, February 25
Long Beach, Calif.
6 p.m.
Long Beach State University
vs
San Diego
Photo by: John Fajardo
No. 25 Long Beach State Hosts San Diego for Midweek Clash
2/24/2020 3:30:00 PM | Baseball
The Dirtbags entered the national rankings this week, and they will be put to the test immediately with a 6-1 San Diego Toreros squad visiting Bohl Diamond at Blair Field on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Tuesday, February 25
No. 25 Long Beach State vs. San Diego
Time:Â 6 p.m.
Location: Bohl Diamond at Blair Field
Beach Vision Live Stream | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats
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Probable Pitching Matchup:
LBSU – RHP Tyler Gums (1-0, 1.59 ERA)
vs.
USD – RHP Jack Hyde (0-0, 16.20 ERA)
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LAST TIME OUT
•  Long Beach State continued its strong start to the 2020 season with a three-game sweep of then-No. 17 Wake Forest. It was LBSU's first ever sweep of an ACC opponent, and it helped propel the Dirtbags into this week's national rankings.
•  Dirtbags pitching held the vaunted Wake Forest offense to just five runs on 12 hits and held the Demon Deacons scoreless over the final 16 innings of the weekend. Among the noteworthy performers on the mound was freshman Luiz Ramirez, who tossed seven innings on Saturday, allowing one unearned run on three hits while racking up 12 strikeouts. Incredibly, he retired the last 17 batters he faced and Wake Forest's final 23 batters of the game all failed to reach base.
•  Ramirez is the first Dirtbags freshman to strike out 12 batters in a game since Jered Weaver fanned a dozen against Pepperdine in 2002.
•  Junior Jonathan Lavallee got his first career start in Sunday's game and was able to deliver five scoreless frames to pick up the win and help the Dirtbags complete the sweep.
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SCOUTING THE TOREROS
•  Tuesday's contest will be San Diego's eighth game of the season against eight different opponents. The Toreros played at the Angels College Classic in Tempe, Ariz. on opening weekend, then took part in the Tony Gwynn Legacy in the 619 this past weekend. Tuesday's game also represents the first true road game of the season for the Toreros, who are off to an impressive 6-1 start with six straight wins. In their previous midweek game, USD earned a 9-1 victory over UC Irvine.
•  The Toreros are averaging nearly eight runs per game this season. Junior C/1B Shane McGuire is leading USD's offense with a .455 average, eight runs scored and nine RBIs. Senior 2B Thomas Luevano is hitting .375 with a pair of homers and second runs batted in. USD has also been very active on the base paths, stealing 15 bases in 19 attempts this season.
•  Projected starter Jack Hyde has struggled so far this season in two starts. The freshman righthander has allowed nine earned runs on 14 hits in just 5.0 innings pitched. Closer Jake Miller is a talented reliever with 12 strikeouts over 7.1 innings this season.
•  The Dirtbags have a 41-36-1 edge all-time against the Toreros. The teams split last season's two meetings with USD claiming a 4-0 win in Long Beach and the Dirtbags getting revenge with a 5-4 win later in the season.
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LOOK WHO'S BACK
•  Leading hitter Jacob Hughey returns for his redshirt senior season after hitting .324 in 2019. He leads a large crop of returners in the lineup, as less than 28 percent of the at-bats taken last season were by departed players. Infielder Santino Rivera has 101 starts in his two years on campus. Other key contributors Chase Luttrell, Calvin Estrada, Tyler Porter, Kaden Hogan, Chris Jimenez, and Aidan Malm each started 28 or more games last season.
•  Junior Adam Seminaris is an experienced Friday Night Starter who had a 3.35 ERA in 14 starts in 2019. He has 24 starts in his Dirtbags career and is coming off a successful summer in the Cape Cod League. Sophomore Alfredo Ruiz made five starts as a freshman and has made great strides this offseason. Senior Tyler Gums should be a key reliever in a bullpen that will feature several new faces.
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LB IN MLB
•  Long Beach State had more former players in the big leagues than any other college or university from 2010-17, with 12 MLB representatives in 2019, again placing the Dirtbags among the nation's leaders.
•  Jeff McNeil was named a 2019 NL All-Star, representing the New York Mets in the Midsummer Classic. His All-Star Game debut was the 20th All-Star appearance by a former Dirtbag, and the fourth in the last five seasons by four different players. There has been at least one former Dirtbag in 11 of the last 12 All-Star Games, with a combined 14 ASG selections since 2008.
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No. 25 Long Beach State vs. San Diego
Time:Â 6 p.m.
Location: Bohl Diamond at Blair Field
Beach Vision Live Stream | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats
Â
Probable Pitching Matchup:
LBSU – RHP Tyler Gums (1-0, 1.59 ERA)
vs.
USD – RHP Jack Hyde (0-0, 16.20 ERA)
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LAST TIME OUT
•  Long Beach State continued its strong start to the 2020 season with a three-game sweep of then-No. 17 Wake Forest. It was LBSU's first ever sweep of an ACC opponent, and it helped propel the Dirtbags into this week's national rankings.
•  Dirtbags pitching held the vaunted Wake Forest offense to just five runs on 12 hits and held the Demon Deacons scoreless over the final 16 innings of the weekend. Among the noteworthy performers on the mound was freshman Luiz Ramirez, who tossed seven innings on Saturday, allowing one unearned run on three hits while racking up 12 strikeouts. Incredibly, he retired the last 17 batters he faced and Wake Forest's final 23 batters of the game all failed to reach base.
•  Ramirez is the first Dirtbags freshman to strike out 12 batters in a game since Jered Weaver fanned a dozen against Pepperdine in 2002.
•  Junior Jonathan Lavallee got his first career start in Sunday's game and was able to deliver five scoreless frames to pick up the win and help the Dirtbags complete the sweep.
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SCOUTING THE TOREROS
•  Tuesday's contest will be San Diego's eighth game of the season against eight different opponents. The Toreros played at the Angels College Classic in Tempe, Ariz. on opening weekend, then took part in the Tony Gwynn Legacy in the 619 this past weekend. Tuesday's game also represents the first true road game of the season for the Toreros, who are off to an impressive 6-1 start with six straight wins. In their previous midweek game, USD earned a 9-1 victory over UC Irvine.
•  The Toreros are averaging nearly eight runs per game this season. Junior C/1B Shane McGuire is leading USD's offense with a .455 average, eight runs scored and nine RBIs. Senior 2B Thomas Luevano is hitting .375 with a pair of homers and second runs batted in. USD has also been very active on the base paths, stealing 15 bases in 19 attempts this season.
•  Projected starter Jack Hyde has struggled so far this season in two starts. The freshman righthander has allowed nine earned runs on 14 hits in just 5.0 innings pitched. Closer Jake Miller is a talented reliever with 12 strikeouts over 7.1 innings this season.
•  The Dirtbags have a 41-36-1 edge all-time against the Toreros. The teams split last season's two meetings with USD claiming a 4-0 win in Long Beach and the Dirtbags getting revenge with a 5-4 win later in the season.
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LOOK WHO'S BACK
•  Leading hitter Jacob Hughey returns for his redshirt senior season after hitting .324 in 2019. He leads a large crop of returners in the lineup, as less than 28 percent of the at-bats taken last season were by departed players. Infielder Santino Rivera has 101 starts in his two years on campus. Other key contributors Chase Luttrell, Calvin Estrada, Tyler Porter, Kaden Hogan, Chris Jimenez, and Aidan Malm each started 28 or more games last season.
•  Junior Adam Seminaris is an experienced Friday Night Starter who had a 3.35 ERA in 14 starts in 2019. He has 24 starts in his Dirtbags career and is coming off a successful summer in the Cape Cod League. Sophomore Alfredo Ruiz made five starts as a freshman and has made great strides this offseason. Senior Tyler Gums should be a key reliever in a bullpen that will feature several new faces.
Â
LB IN MLB
•  Long Beach State had more former players in the big leagues than any other college or university from 2010-17, with 12 MLB representatives in 2019, again placing the Dirtbags among the nation's leaders.
•  Jeff McNeil was named a 2019 NL All-Star, representing the New York Mets in the Midsummer Classic. His All-Star Game debut was the 20th All-Star appearance by a former Dirtbag, and the fourth in the last five seasons by four different players. There has been at least one former Dirtbag in 11 of the last 12 All-Star Games, with a combined 14 ASG selections since 2008.
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