WAC TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Fresno State Bulldogs (13-11, 0-0 WAC)
Fresno State snapped their five game losing streak and rebounded with a three game winning streak ... the ?Dogs went 3-1 against Lipscomb ... Fresno State lost game one, but then took the final three games 13-11, 10-0, and 7-6 ... freshman Derek Benny pitched a near perfect game ... he allowed only two hits after the Bison batters averaged 17.5 hits a game ... in the final game of the series, Fresno State rallied in the bottom of the ninth inning scoring five runs and earning the win ... the ?Dogs defense turned four double plays over the weekend and now have 20 on the season ... the Bulldogs pitching staff struck out 33 batters in 36 innings and walked only 10 ... Fresno State dropped an 11-3 decision at UC Davis on Tuesday and will host UC Davis on Wednesday.
Hawai?i Rainbows (16-9, 0-0 WAC)
Hawai`i won the series vs. No. 18 Coastal Carolina, rebounding from getting no hit in the first game, then won the next three games of the series ... UH is now 7-5 in games against ranked teams ... UH is currently ranked No. 8 in the RPI on WarrenNolan.com with a strength of schedule that ranks fifth ... Kolten Wong batted .333 in the series vs. No. 18 Coastal Carolina, scoring four run while driving in two ... he had two, two-hit games in the doubleheader on Mar. 27 ... Matt Sisto picked up the win vs. Coastal Carolina (Mar. 27), allowing just one run in 5.0 innings, leading UH to a 7-1 win over the Chants ... the freshman is now 3-1 on the season with a 3.69 ERA in 31.2 innings.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (12-9, 0-0 WAC)
Louisiana Tech went 0-3 last week after they dropped three games to Dallas Baptist ... for the second week in a row, Kevin Winn led the Bulldogs in hitting ... Winn batted .500 (6-for-12) with five runs scored, a double, a triple, three RBI and three walks last week ... Louisiana Tech was schedule to play a game on Tuesday night at UALR but it was cancelled due to wet conditions ... the game will not be rescheduled ... the Bulldogs will open up WAC play with a four-game series beginning Friday at 6 p.m. against Nevada at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
Nevada Wolf Pack (11-15, 0-0 WAC)
The Nevada Wolf Pack won 3-of-4 games from Utah Valley University last weekend to win their first series of the season ... after not hitting a triple in the first 18 games of the season the Pack have collected six in the last seven games ... five came last week, four in the Utah Valley series including three in game two of the series ... reliever Dan Tinlin earned the first two saves of his Pack career versus Utah Valley over the weekend ... this week, Nevada dropped a 9-3 decision at home against Saint Mary’s on Tuesday night ... the team now gears up for WAC play ... the Wolf Pack will travel to Ruston to play Louisiana Tech for a four-game series starting on Friday and ending on Sunday.
NMSU Aggies (25-3, 0-0 WAC)
The Aggies are 6-0 on the road and 25-3 heading into conference play this week ... the Aggies continue to lead the nation in offense with 12.9 runs per game and in on-base percentage, which is at .500 ... NM State also lead the country in doubles with 85 and home runs with 63 ... the Aggies were ranked at No. 24 last week in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper ... senior Richard Stout became the all-time leader for NM State with 121 walks throughout his career, while hitting in the lead-off position ... he surpassed Chris Fanning, who held the record since 1991 ... Stout led the team with nine hits and three doubles in five road games last week. New Mexico State opens WAC play this week at home against Sacramento State.
Sacramento State Hornets (16-9, 0-0 WAC)
Tim Wheeler hit .450 in leading the Sacramento State Hornets to a 5-1 mark on the week ... Wheeler went 9-for-20 while posting three home runs and 12 RBI, while also posting four stolen bases in five chances ... Wheeler hit a solo home run at Oregon, and posted two home runs against Menlo ... Brandon Sandoval faced the minimum in three innings pitched against Oregon on Wednesday, allowing just two hits, and followed that up with a seven inning victory over Menlo on Sunday afternoon ... senior Hunter Martinez hit .560 on the week, going 14-for-25 with 12 singles, a double and a solo home run ... the Hornets open WAC play against New Mexico State on Friday night.
SJSU Spartans (19-5, 0-0 WAC)
SJSU went 3-2 this past week, and now heads into the opening weekend of WAC play at Hawai’i ... the Spartans continue to lead the WAC in team ERA (3.62) and fielding percentage (.981), and are still second in batting average with a clip that is currently all the way up to .346, well ahead of the school-record mark of .319 from 1993 ... SJSU’s three weekend pitching starters so far, David Berner, Max Peterson and Scott Sobczak, are a combined 14-0 with a 2.19 ERA and 106 strikeouts ... Jason Martin continues to lead the WAC in hit-by-pitches, now with 13, as the Spartans are still on pace to break that school record (112) as well, now with a WAC-best 49 on the year ... SJSU opens WAC play at Hawai?i on Friday.
WAC NOTES
FRESNO STATE’S MENDONCA NAMED WAC HITTER OF THE WEEK
Fresno State third baseman Tom Mendonca has been named the Western Athletic Conference Baseball Hitter of the Week for Mar. 23-29.
Mendonca, a junior from Turlock, Calif. (Turlock HS), hit .533 in helping the Bulldogs to three wins over Lipscomb last week. Mendonca went 8-for-15 at the plate with six runs scored, eight RBI, two doubles and three home runs. He also walked three times and was twice hit by a pitch. Trailing 3-6 in the bottom of the ninth inning against Lipscomb on Sunday, Mendonca hit a three-run homer to tie the game, which led the Bulldogs to the 7-6 come-from-behind victory. With his three home runs last week, Mendonca now ranks second all-time at Fresno State with 40 career home runs. He needs just four more home runs to break Fresno State’s all-time record.
The other hitter of the week nominations were Hawai?i freshman outfielder Kolten Wong, Louisiana Tech junior outfielder Devon Dageford, Nevada senior third baseman Tyson Jaquez, New Mexico State senior center fielder Richard Stout, Sacramento State junior center fielder Tim Wheeler and San Jose State senior outfielder Jacob Bruns.
FRESNO STATE’S BENNY NAMED WAC PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Fresno State right-handed pitcher Derek Benny has been named the Western Athletic Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week for Mar. 23-29.
Benny, a freshman from Roseville, Calif. (Roseville HS), pitched a complete game shutout in a 10-0 victory over Lipscomb. He became the first Fresno State pitcher in 42 years to face the minimum 27 batters in nine innings. He is just the second pitcher in Fresno State history to accomplish the feat, which was last done in 1967. Benny threw a career-high nine innings for his first complete game shutout in just his third start of the season. Benny struck out a career-high eight batters and didn’t give up a walk. He allowed only two hits against a Lipscomb team that was averaging 17.5 hits per game entering the contest.
The other pitcher of the week nominations were Hawai?i freshman Matt Sisto, Nevada sophomore Brock Stassi, New Mexico State junior DJ Simon, Sacramento State sophomore Brandon Sandoval and San Jose State senior Scott Sobczak.
WAC RPI ON THE RISE
As of March 31, the WAC now owns a league RPI of 11 according to WarrenNolan.com and BoydsWorld.com. The WAC ranks just ahead of the Big Ten and Big East. Hawai?i holds the top RPI in the WAC at eight, followed by San Jose State at 97.
NEW MEXICO STATE LEADS NATION IN SEVEN NCAA STATISTICAL CATEGORIES
As of March 29, New Mexico State ranks fifth or better in 13 team statistical categories. The Aggies lead the nation in scoring (13.0), runs (363), doubles (85), Home Runs (63), slugging percentage (.661), base on balls (229) and win-loss percentage (.893). NMSU also ranks second in the nation in hits (368) and home runs per game (2.25). The team ranks third in doubles per game (3.04). Individually, NMSU’s Richard Stout leads the nation in four categories. Stout fronts the country in runs per game (1.74), runs (47), base on ball per game (1.41) and base on balls (38).
HAWAI?I PRESEASON STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE RANKS FIFTH IN THE NATION
Hawai?i’s strength of schedule is ranked fifth on the WarrenNolan.com website and eighth on the BoydsWorld.com website. Hawai?i has an RPI of eight on both websites as of Tuesday, March 31. Seven of UH’s 11 opponents thus far have been ranked at some point this season. UC Irvine heads the list, ranking at No. 8 in Baseball America and No. 12 in Collegiate Baseball. Oregon State moved back into those two polls at No. 19 and 23, respectively, while Minnesota ranks No. 25 in Baseball America. Coastal Carolina ranks No. 19 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll, also ranking at No. 22 in the NCBWA poll, while dropping out of the Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball polls. UC Santa Barbara and Mississippi State also appeared in the polls earlier in the season. Arizona State heads the list of teams ranked that are still coming up on UH’s schedule, ranking at No. 3 in Baseball America and No. 7 in Collegiate Baseball. WAC opponent New Mexico State is ranked No. 24 in this week’s Collegiate Baseball poll, while both Fresno State and San Jose State were ranked earlier this season. The Rainbows are currently 7-5 in games against ranked opponents. The Rainbows also found their way into the national spotlight this week, moving into the Rivals.com Top 25 poll at No. 24. This is the Rainbows’ first appearance in the Rivals.com poll since the 2006 season, when UH went to an NCAA Regional.
NEVADA’S POWERS EARNS 800th WIN, SAN JOSE STATE’S PIRARO PICKS UP 700th
Head coach Gary Powers recorded his 800th career victory when the Wolf Pack defeated Oregon 6-5 on March 12. Powers the longest tenured coach in the history of Nevada athletics is in his 27th year as skipper of the Pack. Coming into the 2009 season he ranked 26th among NCAA Division I active coaches in career victories. Currently his career mark stands at 806-636-4. San Jose State’s 6-1 victory over Dartmouth College inside Municipal Stadium on Thursday night, March 19, marked win No. 700 for 22nd-year Spartan head coach Sam Piraro. The winningest coach in program history, he now has a record of 704-525-6 in charge at his alma mater.
NMSU BREAKS INTO NATIONAL POLLS, SJSU’S RANKING ON MARCH 9th FIRST SINCE 2002.
New Mexico State is off to its best start in the program’s history at 25-3. The 1990 team started 19-3 and went on to a 40-19 finish under former head coach Elliot Avent. The Aggies broke into the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division I baseball poll last week and stayed at No. 24 after picking five consecutive road wins. They also beat No. 20 New Mexico (3/10) and earned three wins over a respectful San Francisco team (3/20-22). San Jose State entered Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s NCAA Division I baseball poll at the No. 25 spot on March 9. It was San Jose State’s first in-season national ranking since the 2002 campaign, which marked the last time the Spartans made the NCAA Championship field, finishing with a school-record 45 wins at 45-17. Although not currently ranked, SJSU continues to receive votes in the top-25 poll.
SJSU ENJOYS BEST START IN TWO DECADES
San Jose State’s incredible 9-0 start marked the program’s best in two decades, since the Spartans reeled off 15 straight victories to begin the 1989 season, 22nd-year head coach Sam Piraro’s third in charge. The Spartans’ nine-game win streak was their longest since an 11-game stretch between April 28 and May 15, 2001. It’s 16-3 start is the best 19-game mark for San Jose State also in almost two decades, since the Spartans began the 1990 season at 17-2. That team went on to start 29-2, with the only two blemishes a pair of one-run road defeats at area rivals Stanford and USF, before finishing 43-17. Piraro and associate head coach Tom Kunis were together on both the 1989 and 1990 staffs.
NEW MEXICO STATE SETS SCHOOL RECORD FOR HOME RUNS IN A SINGLE GAME, JUST THREE SHY OF TYING WAC RECORD
The New Mexico State baseball team set the school record for most home runs in a game when it hit 10 home runs against Chicago State, Friday, Feb. 27. The old record was nine, when the Aggies accomplished that feat against Pacific, May 3, 1997. Steven Anderson, Chuck Howard, Leo Aguirre, Bryan Marquez, Nate Shaver, Mike Sodders, and Max Taylor all got in on the fun, with Aguirre, Marquez and Sodders each hitting two bombs in the game. The all-time WAC single game record for home runs is 13, set by Cal State Northridge against Fresno State in 1997. The 10 home runs are just three shy of tying the WAC single-game record of 13 set by Cal State Northridge in 1997.
MENDONCA HITS CAREER HOME RUN #40
Tom Mendonca continues to front the WAC as the league’s active career leader in home runs with 40. Mendonca hit three out of the park in the series against Lipscomb. The junior has 11 home runs on the season and 40 in his career. Mendonca passed Lance Shebult and former teammate Stephen Susdorf to move into second place on all-time Fresno State home runs list. He needs four more home runs to move passed current all-time Fresno State leader Guiseppe Chiramonte.
WAC REPRESENTED AMONG NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Louisiana Tech senior Chris Kersten was named National Hitter of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) on Feb. 24. Kersten, along with David Berner, was named to the Week No. 1 National All-Star Lineup presented by The College Baseball Foundation and Diamond Sports. Jeff Farnham was named to week two’s National All-Star Lineup for his play last week.
In Week #4, Bryan Marquez was named to the College Baseball Foundation’s National All-Star Lineup. Marquez had two grand slams on the weekend, and finished the week going 9-for-15 at the plate with nine hits, 13 RBI and four home runs.
TECH SCORES MOST RUNS IN A THREE-GAME SERIES SINCE 1972
The Bulldogs opened the 2009 season with a bang as they swept Grambling State in a three-game series. Tech scored 15 runs in the season opener at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park on Friday, Feb. 20 and then followed that effort by scoring 20 runs at Tiger Stadium in Grambling on Saturday. They topped off their weekend by scoring 20 more in Ruston on Sunday. Tech’s 55 runs are the most runs scored in a three-game or more series dating back to 1972 involving the Bulldogs. The team also illuminated the hits section of the scoreboard as they totaled 48 in their three wins. Senior Chris Kersten led the Bulldogs in the series with a .700 batting average (7-for-10), 13 RBI, two doubles, four home runs and zero strikeouts. He also contributed to the three big wins by scoring nine times, walking twice and stealing a base. He concluded his weekend with a .769 on-base percentage and an astonishing 2.200 slugging percentage.
2009 WAC PRESEASON POLL AND ALL-WAC TEAM ANNOUNCED
Fresno State has been selected as the favorite to win the 2009 Western Athletic Conference regular season baseball crown in a vote by the league’s seven head coaches. The coaches also voted on a preseason all-WAC team, and Fresno State placed four players on the team while Hawai?i, Nevada and New Mexico State each had three. Fresno State junior third baseman Tommy Mendonca was named the preseason player of the year, while Hawai?i senior Jared Alexander was picked the preseason pitcher of the year.
The preseason all-WAC team included four Fresno State players: senior outfielder Gavin Hedstrom, junior outfielder Steve Detwiler, sophomore shortstop Danny Muno and junior third baseman Mendonca. Mendonca was picked as the preseason player of the year after hitting .281 last year with 70 RBI, 19 home runs and eight doubles. Hawai?i had three players on the team: Alexander, senior catcher Landon Hernandez, and sophomore relief pitcher Josh Slaats. Alexander was selected the preseason pitcher of the year after posting a 7-3 record with a 3.27 ERA last season. Nevada had three players on the team: junior first baseman Shaun Kort, senior second baseman Matt Bowman, and senior utility player Tyson Jaquez. New Mexico State also placed three on the team in senior outfielder Richard Stout, senior pitcher Tyler Sturdevant, and senior relief pitcher Erik Nyquist. Junior outfielder Tim Wheeler represented Sacramento State. San Jose State’s representative was junior pitcher Max Peterson.
FRESNO STATE’S MENDONCA, SACRAMENTO STATE’S WHEELER NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
Fresno State junior third baseman Tommy Mendonca and Sacramento State junior outfielder Tim Wheeler have been named to the preseason All-American team by Baseball America. Mendonca received first team honors while Wheeler was named to the third team.
Mendonca capped off his sophomore campaign with four home runs and 11 RBIs at the College World Series earning the CWS Most Outstanding Player award. Mendonca started 77 games for the Bulldogs in 2008 and recorded 19 home runs, eight doubles, and 70 RBIs. He also was named the 2009 Preseason WAC Player of the Year.
Last season, Wheeler earned first team all-WAC honors after hitting .330 with three home runs and 43 RBI. He had eight outfield assists on the season, while ranking second on the team during WAC play in RBI (22) and stolen bases (5). Wheeler also tied for the longest hitting streak in the WAC last season, hitting safely in 20 straight games during the year.
2009 WAC TOURNAMENT
The 2009 WAC Tournament will be held at Les Murakani Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii, May 21-24. The top six teams in the WAC’s regular season standings will advance to the double-elimination tournament. The winner receives the WAC’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.