Wednesday, March 16
Long Beach, Calif.
6 P.M.
Long Beach State University
vs
UConn
Photo by: John Fajardo
Dirtbags Set for Another Top 25 Opponent, Welcome No. 23 UConn to Blair Field
3/15/2022 4:19:00 PM | Baseball
This will be Long Beach State’s eighth game against a ranked opponent this season.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – The Dirtbags will welcome another ranked opponent to Bohl Diamond at Blair Field tomorrow night as they play host to No. 23 Connecticut for a midweek matchup. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+
Wednesday, March 16
Long Beach State vs. No. 23 Connecticut
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Bohl Diamond at Blair Field
Pitching Matchup: Zach Voelker (LBSU) vs. TBD (CONN)
Live Stats | Audio | Watch on ESPN+
ABOUT LAST WEEK
• The Dirtbags had a four-game week last week, going 3-1 with a midweek win over Pepperdine and a series win over #15 Gonzaga. LBSU has now won five of their last six games as they head into conference play.
• Against the Waves, Zach Voelker was tremendous in his first start for the Dirtbags with four scoreless innings on the mound. Tanner Carlson was the difference maker with an RBI single in the seventh for the 2-1 victory.
• The Zags took game one of the series, 7-2, on Friday night. They jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first and never relinquished it. The Dirtbags matched Gonzaga with nine hits on the night, but left 10 runners on base in the loss.
• Game two went to the 'Bags as the offense matched their season-high with 13 runs and set a new season-high with 17 hits. The duo of Chase Luttrell and Rocco Peppi were the headliners combining to go 6-for-7 with four homers, 10 RBI, and six runs scored.
• It was an incredible pitchers' duel in the series finale as both pitching staffs combined for eight and a half scoreless innings before a walkoff RBI single from Tyler Porter in the bottom of the ninth gave the Dirtbags a 1-0 victory.
BIG WEST PLAY IS HERE
• After four weekends of non-conference opponents, Long Beach State is set to open Big West play this weekend as Hawai'i comes to Long Beach for a weekend three-game set.
• The Dirtbags will play five home series and five away series against the conference with their home matchups coming against the 'Bows, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, and Cal State Fullerton.
• While it is conference season, the 'Bags will 12 more non-conference games, including a three-game set with Oregon State and nine midweek matchups.
PRESEASON FAVORITES
• The Big West Conference announced the results of the preseason coaches' poll on Monday and the 'Bags were tabbed as the favorites in the league. They received 7 first-place votes and 97 total points.
• It marks the first time Long Beach State has been voted as the favorites since the 2008 preseason poll when they topped rival Cal State Fullerton by three points.
• UC Irvine (3 first place votes, 92 points) and UC Santa Barbara (1 first place votes, 81 points) also received first place votes and round out the top three in the poll.
AGAINST THE HUSKIES
• The midweek matchup with UCONN will mark just the second game the Huskies and Dirtbags have played each other.
• The only other game the two times met was in 1991 in the NCAA Central Regional in Wichita, Kansas. Long Beach State came out on top with a big 16-9 victory on their way to a College World Series appearance.
ABOUT UCONN
• The Huskies enter the week as the #23 ranked team in the nation by Perfect Game with an 11-2 record on the season after a weekend series win over Pepperdine.
• The UConn offense slashes .301/.395/.463 averaging 7.2 runs per game. Erik Stock leads the way with a .453 average with 24 hits on the season. His on-base percentage is .508 while TC Simmons just edges him out for the team lead at .518.
• The pitching staff is even better as the Husky arms rank tops in all of NCAA with a 5.45 K-BB ratio and fourth in the nation with a 1.85 team ERA. They also rank fifth with 2.23 walks per nine and sixth with 12.2 strikeouts per nine.
Tickets are still available at longbeachstate.com/DirtbagsTickets
Wednesday, March 16
Long Beach State vs. No. 23 Connecticut
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Bohl Diamond at Blair Field
Pitching Matchup: Zach Voelker (LBSU) vs. TBD (CONN)
Live Stats | Audio | Watch on ESPN+
ABOUT LAST WEEK
• The Dirtbags had a four-game week last week, going 3-1 with a midweek win over Pepperdine and a series win over #15 Gonzaga. LBSU has now won five of their last six games as they head into conference play.
• Against the Waves, Zach Voelker was tremendous in his first start for the Dirtbags with four scoreless innings on the mound. Tanner Carlson was the difference maker with an RBI single in the seventh for the 2-1 victory.
• The Zags took game one of the series, 7-2, on Friday night. They jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first and never relinquished it. The Dirtbags matched Gonzaga with nine hits on the night, but left 10 runners on base in the loss.
• Game two went to the 'Bags as the offense matched their season-high with 13 runs and set a new season-high with 17 hits. The duo of Chase Luttrell and Rocco Peppi were the headliners combining to go 6-for-7 with four homers, 10 RBI, and six runs scored.
• It was an incredible pitchers' duel in the series finale as both pitching staffs combined for eight and a half scoreless innings before a walkoff RBI single from Tyler Porter in the bottom of the ninth gave the Dirtbags a 1-0 victory.
BIG WEST PLAY IS HERE
• After four weekends of non-conference opponents, Long Beach State is set to open Big West play this weekend as Hawai'i comes to Long Beach for a weekend three-game set.
• The Dirtbags will play five home series and five away series against the conference with their home matchups coming against the 'Bows, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, and Cal State Fullerton.
• While it is conference season, the 'Bags will 12 more non-conference games, including a three-game set with Oregon State and nine midweek matchups.
PRESEASON FAVORITES
• The Big West Conference announced the results of the preseason coaches' poll on Monday and the 'Bags were tabbed as the favorites in the league. They received 7 first-place votes and 97 total points.
• It marks the first time Long Beach State has been voted as the favorites since the 2008 preseason poll when they topped rival Cal State Fullerton by three points.
• UC Irvine (3 first place votes, 92 points) and UC Santa Barbara (1 first place votes, 81 points) also received first place votes and round out the top three in the poll.
AGAINST THE HUSKIES
• The midweek matchup with UCONN will mark just the second game the Huskies and Dirtbags have played each other.
• The only other game the two times met was in 1991 in the NCAA Central Regional in Wichita, Kansas. Long Beach State came out on top with a big 16-9 victory on their way to a College World Series appearance.
ABOUT UCONN
• The Huskies enter the week as the #23 ranked team in the nation by Perfect Game with an 11-2 record on the season after a weekend series win over Pepperdine.
• The UConn offense slashes .301/.395/.463 averaging 7.2 runs per game. Erik Stock leads the way with a .453 average with 24 hits on the season. His on-base percentage is .508 while TC Simmons just edges him out for the team lead at .518.
• The pitching staff is even better as the Husky arms rank tops in all of NCAA with a 5.45 K-BB ratio and fourth in the nation with a 1.85 team ERA. They also rank fifth with 2.23 walks per nine and sixth with 12.2 strikeouts per nine.
Tickets are still available at longbeachstate.com/DirtbagsTickets
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