Dirtbags Close Homestand With Fresno State, Open Road Series At UC Davis

Tuesday, April 21

Long Beach, Calif.

6:05 p.m.

Long Beach State University

Fresno State

Tickets From $12 - $18

Dirtbags Close Homestand With Fresno State, Open Road Series At UC Davis

4/20/2026 4:57:00 PM | Baseball

Long Beach State looks to rebound with midweek matchup before Big West road trip.

By: Cianna Smith-Andrews, Assistant Director, Athletic Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Long Beach State returns to Bohl Diamond at Blair Field for a midweek rematch against Fresno State before hitting the road for a three-game Big West series against UC Davis. The Dirtbags aim to bounce back after a challenging week at home as they wrap up an 11-game homestand and shift focus to conference play.

LEADING OFF
• The Dirtbags close out their 11-game homestand Tuesday with a rematch against Fresno State after dropping the first meeting earlier this season. Long Beach State is looking to regroup following a Big West series sweep against UC Riverside.

• Following Tuesday's contest, the Dirtbags will travel north for a three-game series against UC Davis, beginning Friday at 6 p.m., followed by Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Tuesday's game will be streamed on ESPN+.

STARTING PITCHERS
Tuesday's midweek starter will be right-hander Jake Fields, who enters with a 6.67 ERA across 10 appearances, including six starts. He has recorded 28 strikeouts over 28.1 innings while limiting opponents to a .196 batting average.

The Dirtbags have yet to announce a starter for Friday's series opener at UC Davis.

On Saturday, right-hander Luke Howe is slated to take the mound, bringing a 4.87 ERA and a 4-2 record in 10 starts, along with a team high 54 strikeouts over 64.2 innings of work. Sunday's finale is expected to feature right-hander Jason Gerfers, who holds a 6.00 ERA in 11 appearances (10 starts) and has tallied 51 strikeouts across 54.0 innings pitched.

ON THE MOUND
Caleb Anderson delivered one of the top pitching performances of the season in Long Beach State's win over No. 12 USC, earning the victory with six shutout innings. He allowed just one hit while striking out a career-high nine batters, issuing one walk in a dominant outing.

THIS AND THAT
• Trevor Goldenetz ranks third in the Big West with a .379 batting average, while Jake Evans sits fifth at .364. Goldenetz (.489) and Evans (.483) rank first and second in on-base percentage, respectively, with Evans also placing in the top 10 in slugging (.542).

• Dylan Lina ranks third in the conference with 39 RBIs and is among the top 10 in home runs with eight, while also sitting third in hit-by-pitches.

• Evans is sixth in doubles with 12, just ahead of Matt Toomey's 11, with Toomey also ranking among conference leaders in hit-by-pitches.

• Kaiden Smaka is among the top five in triples, while Trotter Enright ranks fourth in walks with 25. Toomey and Lina lead the conference in sacrifice flies, and as a team, the Dirtbags rank sixth in batting average at .248.

LAST TIME OUT
Long Beach State played five games last week at home, highlighted by a 5-3 win over No. 12 USC behind a standout performance from Caleb Anderson, who struck out nine over six shutout innings.

The Dirtbags also dropped a midweek contest to San Diego State in 12 innings before opening their Big West series against UC Riverside with an 11-inning loss. Long Beach State ultimately fell in all three games of the series, suffering its second sweep of the season.

Despite the results, the Dirtbags saw contributions throughout the lineup, including Sunday's finale when Taylor Tomlin went 3-for-3 after entering as a substitute and Murchael Turner added two hits and a walk to provide an offensive spark.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Fresno State enters the midweek matchup with recent results including a loss at Air Force (5-10), a win over Cal State Bakersfield (10-6), and two losses to San Jose State.

Brady Hewitt leads the Bulldogs offensively, hitting .338 with 50 hits, 12 doubles, three triples and three home runs, while posting a .520 slugging percentage and .424 on-base percentage.

On the mound, Tyler Patrick owns a 7.40 ERA with a 1-3 record across 12 appearances (six starts), striking out 25 over 41.1 innings.

SCOUTING THE AGGIES
UC Davis enters the weekend after picking up a 6-5 win over Pacific, before taking one of three games on the road at CSUN. The Aggies opened that series with an 11-3 victory but followed with a 2-11 loss and a 3-5 defeat.

Tyler Howard leads the Aggies at the plate, batting .294 with 42 hits, nine doubles, four triples and three home runs while adding 30 runs scored and 10 stolen bases.

Keenan Anzai anchors the pitching staff with a 4.25 ERA and a 4-2 record in 11 appearances (eight starts), totaling 46 strikeouts in 48.2 innings.

Against the Aggies last season, the Dirtbags won two of three matchups at home, highlighted by a pair of extra-inning contests. Long Beach State dropped the opener 1-0 in 15 innings on May 2 before bouncing back with a 4-1 win on May 3 and a 5-4 victory in 10 innings on May 4. The Dirtbags hold a 43-19 advantage in the all-time series.

PLAYER NOTES
• Goldenetz continues to be the catalyst at the top of the lineup, hitting .379 with a conference-leading .489 on-base percentage, consistently creating scoring opportunities.

• Evans has developed into a reliable all-around hitter, batting .364 with 43 hits, 12 doubles and a .542 slugging percentage while maintaining a .483 on-base mark.

• Smith Chandler has taken on an expanded role offensively, batting .278 with 27 hits, 19 RBI and three home runs, while also drawing 14 walks and adding speed on the bases.

• Toomey continues to deliver in key moments, compiling 31 hits, 11 doubles and 18 RBI while adding toughness at the plate with 15 hit-by-pitches and strong situational hitting.

• Enright remains a steady presence in the lineup and defensively, totaling 39 hits, 28 RBI and a team-high 25 walks across 39 starts.

• Lina leads the team in run production with 39 RBI and eight home runs, continuing to provide power in the middle of the order.

• Smaka has contributed across the lineup, batting .247 with 22 hits while ranking among the conference leaders in triples.

• Conner Stewart continues to anchor the Dirtbags behind the plate, providing steady defense at catcher while adding 15 hits in 21 appearances.

• Reid Montgomery has provided depth and versatility, collecting 12 hits and seven RBI while contributing defensively across multiple positions.