All seven teams are in action this weekend and play three-game series beginning on Friday. Louisiana Tech puts first-place on the line when it travels to Sacramento State. The Bulldogs have won seven straight games after taking two from Arkansas-Pine Bluff earlier this week. In other WAC matchups, Hawai'i hosts New Mexico State and Fresno State travels north to San Jose State in a meeting of the second and third place teams in the WAC. Nevada takes a break from conference action and hosts Utah Valley State.
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XBOX LIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
HITTER ?“ Hawai'i designated hitter Justin Frash, a junior from Camarillo, Calif. (Oxnard CC), hit .625 (5-for-8) in a two-game sweep of Nevada in Reno last week. On Friday, he was 2-for-3 with a RBI and then went 3-for-5 with four RBI on Saturday. In the latter game, the Rainbows trailed 5-4 with two outs when Frash hit a three-run double that helped give Hawai'i both the game and series win (the third game on Sunday was cancelled due to rain and snow). He had a total of five RBI and scored three runs in the two games combined. It is Frash?™s first career WAC Hitter of the Week award and second for a Rainbow player this year.
PITCHER ?“ Louisiana Tech right-handed pitcher Matt Lacy, a senior from Longview, Texas (Pinetree HS), pitched a complete-game shutout in Louisiana Tech?™s 1-0 win over Fresno State on Saturday. Lacy allowed eight hits and two walks while striking out four. The one-run victory was the third in a row for Louisiana Tech over Fresno State. Tech trailed Fresno State by a game and a half for first place entering the series but is now the WAC leader with an 8-3 record in conference play. It is Lacy?™s fourth career WAC Pitcher of the Week award (second in a row) and third for a Bulldog this year.
Other hitters nominated:
Adam Harvey, Sr., 1B/DH, New Mexico State - hit .636 (7-11) in three games against North Florida last week. He drove in seven runs, scored five times and hit two home runs. He had three RBI in each game on Friday and Sunday.
Ryan Angel, Jr., OF, San Jose State - was 5-for-13 (.385) in three games against Sacramento State last week. Angel had a total of five RBI and scored three runs in the series. On Saturday, he drove in four in the Spartans?™ 6-4 come-from-behind win.
Other pitchers nominated:
Andy Underwood, Jr., Fresno State - pitched a complete game in Fresno State?™s 1-0 loss at Louisiana Tech on Saturday. Underwood allowed just six hits, one run and no walks while striking out six.
Steven Wright, Jr., Hawai'i - earned the victory in the Rainbows?™ 13-4 win at Nevada on Friday. He pitched seven innings and gave up just seven hits, one run and no walks while striking out eight to improve to 3-0 on the road this season.
Jason Conner, Jr., New Mexico State - picked up a win in NMSU?™s 9-3 victory over North Florida on Saturday. He allowed no runs and one hit in his first six innings before giving up three runs on three hits in the seventh.
Loren Moneypenny, Jr., San Jose State - threw a complete game in Thursday?™s 6-1 win over Sacramento State. Moneypenny allowed just four hits, three walks and one run while striking out seven. At one point in the game, he retired 10 consecutive batters.
TECH SWEEPS FRESNO STATE IN THREE ONE-RUN GAMES ?“ Louisiana Tech began last week a game and a half behind first place Fresno State, but won three straight one-run games against the Bulldogs to move into first place by a game and a half. On Thursday, Tech won 5-4 after Matt Lacy hit a two-run double in the bottom of the 12th inning. On Friday night, Louisiana Tech won again, 5-4, in a game that went to 10 innings. In the series finale, Matt Lacy pitched a complete-game shutout in Tech?™s 1-0 win. Jericho Jones hit a solo shot in the sixth for the winning run.
GARY WARD RETURNS TO COACHING ?“ Last week, New Mexico State announced that former head coach Gary Ward (the father of current head coach Rocky Ward), has returned to the Aggie baseball program and will serve as pitching coach through the remainder of the season on a volunteer basis. The elder Ward, who was recently nominated to the College Baseball Hall of Fame?™s inaugural class, served as the Aggies?™ head coach during the 2001 and 2002 baseball seasons. Under his guidance, NMSU posted a combined record of 69-48 and advanced to the program?™s first ever NCAA Tournament in 2002.
STOPPER OF THE YEAR ?“ Hawai'i?™s Darrell Fisherbaugh was one of 30 players that were named to the midseason watch list for the second annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award. The award is given to the top relief pitcher in Division I college baseball. Fisherbaugh is 25th in the nation with seven saves and is 2-2 with a 3.63 ERA in 13 appearances this season. At the end the regular season, the Division I leader in saves and four other relief pitching standouts will be selected as the award?™s finalists. These finalists will be released on Wednesday, May 31, just prior to the beginning of NCAA regional play. From the list of finalists, the NCBWA?™s All-America Committee will select a winner. The second annual winner will be announced on Wednesday, June 7, two days prior to the beginning of NCAA super regional action.
HOPKINS TOPS NATION IN RBI AND WALKS ?“ New Mexico State first baseman Luke Hopkins leads the nation in both RBI and walks per game in the NCAA?™s statistical release that came out on April 18. The sophomore is averging 1.69 RBI per game and 1.25 walks per contest. He is also ranked in slugging percentage (2nd-.844), home runs per game (12th-0.38) and batting average (13th-.431). Hopkins has missed the last eight games due to an injury.
STREAKING ?“ Fresno State sophomore third baseman Beau Mills has the WAC?™s longest current hitting streak at 15 games. Mills has hit .450 (27-for-60) with 19 RBI and 20 runs scored. The longest streak this season was 17 games by New Mexico State teammates Luke Hopkins and Abe Aguirre. The WAC record is 45 games set by Arizona State?™s Roger Schmuck in 1972.
IN THE POLLS ?“ Fresno State dropped out of the Collegiate Baseball rankings after being swept at Louisiana Tech last week. No other teams are currently ranked, but Tech is receiving votes in both the NCBWA and USA Today polls. Hawai'i and Fresno State are also receiving votes in the USA Today poll.
WALLACE WATCH LIST ?“ The WAC has five players on the 2006 Wallace Watch as announced by the Collge Baseball Foundation in Lubbock, Texas. The Brooks Wallace Award is presented to the national college baseball player of the year. The WAC candidates are Fresno State?™s Beau Mills (3B), Hawai'i?™s Joseph Spiers (SS), Hawai'i?™s Steven Wright (SP), New Mexico State?™s Luke Hopkins (1B) and San Jose State?™s Branden Dewing (SP). The Wallace Watch will be trimmed to 12 semifinalists by late May. Additional candidates will be added as the season progresses.
NON-CONFERENCE ?“ In non-conference games, the WAC is 110-83 (.570). Fresno State is 19-8 (.704), Hawai'i is 22-6 (.786), Louisiana Tech is 15-10 (.600), Nevada is 10-13 (.435), New Mexico State is 13-18 (.419), Sacramento State is 11-17 (.393) and San Jose State is 20-11 (.645). Last year, the WAC was 85-80-1 (.515) in non-conference matchups. Against Collegiate Baseball top 30 opponents this season, the WAC is 11-16 (.407) as Fresno State is 3-3, Hawai'i is 2-2, Louisiana Tech is 2-4, Nevada is 1-5, New Mexico State is 3-1, Sacramento State is 0-1 and San Jose State is 0-0.
2006 FORMAT ?“ The 2006 season features a few differences from the last few years. The WAC is comprised of the six baseball playing members of the conference along with an affiliate member ?“ Sacramento State. The seven teams play a 24-game league schedule. Each team will play a three-game series home and home versus two opponents and a three-game series either home or away against the other four opponents.
POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT ?“ For the first time since the 1999 season, the WAC will conduct a postseason tournament. The top six finishers in the WAC standings will play a double-elimination format at Pete Beiden Field in Fresno, Calif., May 25-28. The winner will receive the WAC?™s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. A credential request will be sent to the media about a month before the tournament. There will not be a media hotel for the tournament.
TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Fresno State Bulldogs (26-13, 7-5 WAC)
Has lost five of its last seven games after being swept at Louisiana Tech last week ... it was the second year in a row that Fresno State was swept in Ruston ... is 0-3 in its current six-game road trip ... leads the WAC in team ERA (3.74) ... junior SS Christian Vitters had his 21-game hitting streak in conference games only snapped last Thursday at Louisiana Tech ... sophomore 3B Beau Mills has a 20-game hitting streak in WAC games only dating back to last season, the longest current streak in the WAC ... junior LHP Eddie Romero leads the WAC in wins and is 8-1 on the season ... was 16-0 in the month of March.
Hawai'i Rainbows (27-11, 5-5 WAC)
Has won five of its last seven games ... completed its 13-day road trip with a 3-2 record ... is now 8-2 on the road, the second best road record in the nation ... has not finished the season with a winning road record since 1999 (10-7) ... Sunday?™s game against Nevada was cancelled due to rain and snow ... the game will not be made up ... has had eight games cancelled or moved due to rain this year ... has hit the fewest home runs (7) of any team in the WAC this season ... Darrell Fisherbaugh leads the WAC in saves with seven ... junior RHP Steven Wright leads the WAC in strikeouts (79) ... he is 3-0 in three road starts with a 0.78 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 23.0 innings pitched.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (26-13, 8-3 WAC)
Has a seven-game winning streak, currently tied for the sixth best in the nation ... has won 15 of its last 16 games ... freshman OF/RHP Jericho Jones is currently hitting .385, the third best average in the WAC ... he is tied for the WAC lead in home runs with 12 after hitting one on Wednesday against Louisiana-Lafayette ... he has hit home runs in five of the last seven games including the last three ... Jones is also 5-1 on the mound with a 7.21 ERA ... Tech leads the WAC in hitting with a .319 team average ... senior RHP Matt Lacy leads the WAC in fewest walks allowed per game with 1.40 ... Lacy has given up just two runs in his last 25 innings pitched.
Nevada Wolf Pack (15-19, 5-6 WAC)
Has lost seven of its last eight games ... plays six of its next seven games at home ... Sunday?™s game against Hawai'i was cancelled due to rain and snow ... the game will not be made up ... senior OF Shawn Scobee is tied for the WAC lead in home runs with 12 ... sophomore 3B Matt Bowman leads the Pack in batting average (.385) ... the Pack is last in the WAC in both hitting (.255) and fielding (.957) ... hosts Utah Valley State this weekend ... the Wolverines are 12-27 and 3-4 versus WAC teams after going 1-2 versus Fresno State and 2-2 versus Sacramento State ... it?™s the first ever meeting between the two schools.
NMSU Aggies (14-26, 1-8 WAC)
Has lost four of its last six games ... head coach Rocky Ward needs one more win to reach 200 for his career ... faces Hawai'i this week for the first time in school history ... sophomore 1B Luke Hopkins leads the WAC in hitting with a .431 average ... he has missed the last eight games due to a hamstring injury ... Hopkins leads the WAC in RBI (54), home runs (12-tied for lead) and total bases (92) ... Hopkins has 12 more RBI than the player with the second most in the WAC (Louisiana Tech?™s Jericho Jones-42) ... senior OF Vince Rodden leads the WAC in runs (44) and stolen bases (29 in 36 attempts) ... senior SS Abe Aguirre leads the WAC in hits (58).
Sacramento State Hornets (17-23, 6-6 WAC)
Had its five-game winning streak snapped in the series?™ opener against San Jose State last Thursday ... has lost three of its last four games ... sophomore 3B David Flores is hitting a WAC-best .500 (20-40) in conference games only ... he is hitting .576 in the Hornets?™ last eight games ... junior Mick Joyce leads the Hornets with a 5-1 record and a 3.09 ERA ... junior 2B/OF Gary Johnson is the only Hornet to start all 40 games this season ... he has been hit by a pitch a WAC-high 15 times this season ... senior DH Pat Keiper is the Hornets?™ top hitting with a .345 batting average ... Sacramento State was also an affiliate member of the WAC from 1993-96.
SJSU Spartans (25-15, 5-4 WAC)
Has won three of its last four games ... Branden Dewing leads the WAC in ERA (2.40) and is 5-3 on the year ... set a school record last year in fielding percentage (.978) and leads the WAC this season (.982), third in the nation ... OF Ryan Angel has no errors in 76 chances, the most chances by any non-catcher in the WAC with 0 errors on the season ... senior Steve Jones has nine saves in his career, one shy of tying the school record, but has not had a save since March 14 ... the Spartans have the best overall winning percentage of the six Division I teams in the Bay Area (California, Saint Mary?™s, San Francisco, Santa Clara and Stanford).