Long Beach State University Athletics
Photo by: John Fajardo
2024 Dirtbags Preview Part 3
2/15/2024 10:52:00 AM | Baseball
Looking At The Outfield & Schedule
LONG BEACH, Calif. ---The 2024 Long Beach State baseball season gets underway this week as the Dirtbags host the University of Washington in a three-game series beginning Friday at 6 p.m. Saturday's action gets underway at six before the weekend concludes Sunday at 1 p.m.
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We wrap up looking at the Dirtbags by focusing on the outfielders.
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Junior Kyle Ashworth moves from center to right field. Ashworth started 51 of 54 appearances in 2023, hitting .312 with one home run and 25 RBI. He scored 36 times, adding seven doubles and one triple.
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After playing primarily at second base last season, Alex Champagne looks to be getting the nod in center. Champagne drove in nine runs and scored 13 times. She was 6-for-6 in stolen bases as well.
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Junior Connor Charpiot, a transfer from Santa Rosa Junior College, looks to be the starter in left. He hit .411 with four home runs as a freshman. As a sophomore, Charpiot hit .398 with eight home runs, 47 RBI, and 12 doubles. He joined Myles Patton on the 2023 California Collegiate All-League team after posting a .422 batting average for the Healdsburg Prune Packers. Sophomore Justin Roulston can crack the lineup at any time. Roulston saw limited action for the Dirtbags as a freshman in 2023.
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"We can always move Jack Hammond to the outfield, and the two talented freshmen, Landon Greenhouse and Reid Montgomery, can also see playing time in the outfield," said interim head coach Bryan Peters. "It's an exciting group, and each brings something the team needs. Justin Roulston is our most improved player from last year; his progress has been incredible."
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Greenhouse earned All-League honors for Martin Luther King High School as a senior after hitting .311 with nine doubles and 11 RBI. Montgomery earned first-team All-League honors as a Capistrano Valley High School senior after hitting .407.
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THE SCHEDULE
Long Beach State opens the campaign with 11 of the first 12 games on Bohl Diamond at Blair Field. After hosting Washington, the Dirtbags welcome North Dakota State to Bohl Diamond at Blair Field on Feb. 20 in the first midweek game of the season. Weekend two sees Omaha come to Long Beach from Feb. 23-25. February closes on the 28th with the first road game of the year at UCLA.
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March begins with a three-game series against Milwaukee (Mar. 1-3). UCLA travels to Long Beach State on Mar. 5 before the Dirtbags head out of state for the first time when Long Beach State travels to Wichita State on March 8-10. After a midweek contest against Dartmouth on Mar. 13, Big West play begins Mar. 15-17 at UC Santa Barbara. USC comes to Bohl Diamond at Blair Field for the first time on Mar. 19 before the initial home conference series commences Mar. 22-24 against Cal State Fullerton. March concludes at Cal State Bakersfield on March 28-30.
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April begins at Pepperdine on the second. UC San Diego heads to Bohl Diamond at Blair Field from Apr. 5-7. Long Beach State plays the next four on the road at San Diego State (Apr. 9) and CSUN (Apr. 12-14). The next four are at home for the Dirtbags against San Diego State (Apr. 16) and UC Riverside (Apr. 19-21).
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Long Beach State begins its most extended road trip of the season when the Dirtbags travel to Riverside for an Apr. 23 matchup against California Baptist. Long Beach State steps outside of Big West play at the University of Michigan Apr. 26-28 before wrapping up the stint May 3-5 at UC Davis.
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A seven-game home stand starts May 7 against USC before UC Irvine comes to Bohl Diamond at Blair Field May 10-12. The Dirtbags host California Baptist on Monday, May 13, in the last non-conference game of the season. The final home series is May 17-19 against Hawai'i. The regular season concludes May 23-25 at Cal Poly.
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"Not much to say here that isn't a coaching cliché. We're past words now; we must get out on the field and let our play speak for us," Peters said. "We can't take the history and tradition established long before we were here for granted. We respect all the coaching legends before us. We appreciate and want to honor every single player who has worn a 49'er or Dirtbag uniform in the past. We are grateful to play in one of the best venues in College Baseball, Bohl Diamond, at Blair Field. It's a thrill to call this ballpark our home. We are most excited to welcome back our fans and supporters. The venue and the fanbase make this an incredible environment to play and a huge home-field advantage."
~#skoBags~
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We wrap up looking at the Dirtbags by focusing on the outfielders.
Â
Junior Kyle Ashworth moves from center to right field. Ashworth started 51 of 54 appearances in 2023, hitting .312 with one home run and 25 RBI. He scored 36 times, adding seven doubles and one triple.
Â
After playing primarily at second base last season, Alex Champagne looks to be getting the nod in center. Champagne drove in nine runs and scored 13 times. She was 6-for-6 in stolen bases as well.
Â
Junior Connor Charpiot, a transfer from Santa Rosa Junior College, looks to be the starter in left. He hit .411 with four home runs as a freshman. As a sophomore, Charpiot hit .398 with eight home runs, 47 RBI, and 12 doubles. He joined Myles Patton on the 2023 California Collegiate All-League team after posting a .422 batting average for the Healdsburg Prune Packers. Sophomore Justin Roulston can crack the lineup at any time. Roulston saw limited action for the Dirtbags as a freshman in 2023.
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"We can always move Jack Hammond to the outfield, and the two talented freshmen, Landon Greenhouse and Reid Montgomery, can also see playing time in the outfield," said interim head coach Bryan Peters. "It's an exciting group, and each brings something the team needs. Justin Roulston is our most improved player from last year; his progress has been incredible."
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Greenhouse earned All-League honors for Martin Luther King High School as a senior after hitting .311 with nine doubles and 11 RBI. Montgomery earned first-team All-League honors as a Capistrano Valley High School senior after hitting .407.
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THE SCHEDULE
Long Beach State opens the campaign with 11 of the first 12 games on Bohl Diamond at Blair Field. After hosting Washington, the Dirtbags welcome North Dakota State to Bohl Diamond at Blair Field on Feb. 20 in the first midweek game of the season. Weekend two sees Omaha come to Long Beach from Feb. 23-25. February closes on the 28th with the first road game of the year at UCLA.
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March begins with a three-game series against Milwaukee (Mar. 1-3). UCLA travels to Long Beach State on Mar. 5 before the Dirtbags head out of state for the first time when Long Beach State travels to Wichita State on March 8-10. After a midweek contest against Dartmouth on Mar. 13, Big West play begins Mar. 15-17 at UC Santa Barbara. USC comes to Bohl Diamond at Blair Field for the first time on Mar. 19 before the initial home conference series commences Mar. 22-24 against Cal State Fullerton. March concludes at Cal State Bakersfield on March 28-30.
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April begins at Pepperdine on the second. UC San Diego heads to Bohl Diamond at Blair Field from Apr. 5-7. Long Beach State plays the next four on the road at San Diego State (Apr. 9) and CSUN (Apr. 12-14). The next four are at home for the Dirtbags against San Diego State (Apr. 16) and UC Riverside (Apr. 19-21).
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Long Beach State begins its most extended road trip of the season when the Dirtbags travel to Riverside for an Apr. 23 matchup against California Baptist. Long Beach State steps outside of Big West play at the University of Michigan Apr. 26-28 before wrapping up the stint May 3-5 at UC Davis.
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A seven-game home stand starts May 7 against USC before UC Irvine comes to Bohl Diamond at Blair Field May 10-12. The Dirtbags host California Baptist on Monday, May 13, in the last non-conference game of the season. The final home series is May 17-19 against Hawai'i. The regular season concludes May 23-25 at Cal Poly.
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"Not much to say here that isn't a coaching cliché. We're past words now; we must get out on the field and let our play speak for us," Peters said. "We can't take the history and tradition established long before we were here for granted. We respect all the coaching legends before us. We appreciate and want to honor every single player who has worn a 49'er or Dirtbag uniform in the past. We are grateful to play in one of the best venues in College Baseball, Bohl Diamond, at Blair Field. It's a thrill to call this ballpark our home. We are most excited to welcome back our fans and supporters. The venue and the fanbase make this an incredible environment to play and a huge home-field advantage."
~#skoBags~
Players Mentioned
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