WAC NOTES
HAWAI‘I’S BENNETT AND NEVADA’S SHIPLEY NAMED VERIZON WAC BASEBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Hawai‘i third baseman Collin Bennett and Nevada pitcher Bradey Shipley have been named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Baseball Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for April 9-15.
Bennett, a senior from Bellevue, Wash. (Newport HS), hit .667 (8-for-12) with four runs scored, a double, a triple, six RBI and one walk as the Rainbows went 2-2 against Saint Mary’s. Bennett had a career-high four RBI with a triple and a run scored in a game two victory against the Gaels. He also had a game-tying two-RBI hit in the final inning against Saint Mary’s in game one of Sunday’s doubleheader. In his four games last week, Bennett had 11 total bases and recorded a .917 slugging percentage. He also registered a .714 on base percentage.
Shipley, a sophomore from Medford, Ore. (North Medford HS), pitched eight shutout innings to earn his sixth win of the season as the Pack defeated Louisiana Tech 3-2 on Friday. The eight innings are a career high in which he struck out five and walked two. Shipley did not allow a hit in his last four innings on the mound. All three hits allowed were singles and came in the first four innings of the game. No LA Tech hitter reached third base when Shipley was on the mound.
The other hitter of the week nominations: Fresno State senior Patrick Hutcheson … Louisiana Tech freshman outfielder Bre’shon Kimbell … Nevada sophomore outfielder Thomas Niebergall … New Mexico State senior shortstop Zach Voight … Sacramento State freshman shortstop Scotty Burcham … San Jose State sophomore first baseman Matt Lopez.
The other pitcher of the week nominations: Fresno State senior Thomas Harlan … Hawai‘i sophomore Jarrett Arakawa … Louisiana Tech junior Jamie Gilley … New Mexico State junior Adam Mott … Sacramento State junior Brandon Creel … San Jose State freshman Kalei Contrades.
NEW MEXICO STATE REMAINS IN NATIONAL BASEBALL POLLS, HAWAI‘I RECEIVING VOTES
The Aggies are ranked No. 25 this week according to this week’s Baseball America Poll, which was released April 16. NM State is also ranked No. 25 according to Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. New Mexico State is also receiving votes in both the National College Baseball Writers Association poll and the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll. Hawai‘i is receiving votes in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll.
WAC TEAMS AMONG NATIONAL STAT LEADERS
Teams from the WAC rank in the top-10 nationally in 12 different statistical categories. Individually, WAC players rank in the top-10 in six categories. As a team, New Mexico State leads the nation in four statistical categories, including scoring (9.8), runs (361), walks (239) and on base percentage (0.440). Individually, NMSU’s Zac Fisher ranks second nationally with 49 RBI this season. New Mexico State’s Tanner Waite ranks third nationally with 45 walks.
WAC RPI CONTINUES TO RISE
According to WarrenNolan.com, the WAC’s league RPI comes in a No. 11 this week. The WAC is sandwiched between the Southland Conference at No. 10 and the Big West at No. 12. New Mexico State holds the WAC’s highest team RPI at No. 22.
2012 WAC TOURNAMENT RETURNS TO MESA’S HOHOKAM STADIUM
After succesful 2010 and 2011 tournaments, the WAC baseball tournament will return to Mesa, Arizona this May. The event will be played at Mesa’s Hohokam Stadium, the Chicago Cubs Spring Training home. The City of Mesa, Mesa Convention & Visitors Bureau and Phoenix Regional Sports Commission worked in tandem to secure the event for a third-straight season, which features Hawai‘i, Fresno State, Louisiana Tech, Sacramento State, Nevada, New Mexico State and San Jose State. The City of Mesa will once again host the double-elimination tournament with the winner earning the WAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The top six teams from the WAC’s regular season standings will advance to the tournament. The WAC Baseball Tournament is no stranger to the state of Arizona and the City of Mesa. The league’s championship has been played in Arizona 11 times (1963, 65, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 76, 78, 2010 and 2011) and the event was held in Mesa in 1971, 1973, 2010 and 2011.
WAC COACHES SETTING MILESTONE VICTORY MARKS
The WAC hosts some of the most successful coaches in NCAA history. San Jose State head coach Sam Piraro won his 800th game this past weekend. He becomes one of only 28 active head baseball coaches with 800 or more wins. Piraro is in his 25th season with San Jose State. With 899 wins heading into this week, Nevada head coach Gary Powers will become one of only 21 acrive head baseball coaches with 900 or more victories. Powers is in his 30th season with Nevada. Fresno State head coach Mike Batesole has 599 career wins heading into the new week. Batesole is in his 17th season as a head coach.
SJSU’S PIRARO PICKS UP 800TH CAREER VICTORY
The April 14th doubleheader sweep of Fresno State brought numerous milestones to the San Jose State baseball team, though none bigger than Head Coach Sam Piraro’s 800th career victory.
San Jose State defeated Fresno State 4-0 in the first game of the doubleheader, then beat them 4-3 in the nightcap.
Piraro becomes the 28th active head coach in NCAA Division I baseball to earn his 800th career win, and the third this season, following Southern University (La.)’s Roger Cador and North Carolina State University’s Elliot Avent.
“I told the guys today (that) when you’re done coaching, those things mean more to you,” said Piraro, who is in his 25th year as head coach of San Jose State. “You look at them and you say, ‘Wow.’ While you’re doing it, I really don’t dwell on those things.
WAC TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Fresno State Bulldogs (15-19, 1-5 WAC)
Fresno State went 0-3 at home last week in a three-game series against San Jose State ... the Bulldogs dropped the three games by scores of 4-0, 4-3 and 11-2 ... Patrick Hutcheson led the Bulldogs at the plate last week, hitting .600 with six hits, three runs scored, one double, one home run, one RBI and one walk ... Daniel Moultrie went 2-for-3 at the plate last week with an RBI ... Thomas Harlan pitched a complete nine-inning game in a one run loss ... Harlan tallied three strikeouts in his outing ... this week, Fresno State steps out of league play, traveling to play Cal Poly on Tuesday before returning home to host CSU Bakersfield on Saturday.
Hawai‘i Rainbows (21-15, 2-1 WAC)
Hawai‘i stepped out of conference play last week to host Saint Mary’s in a four-game set ... the Rainbows went 2-2 last week against the Gaels, winning the first two games by scores of 3-2 and 7-5 ... UH then dropped the final two games by scores of 6-2 and 3-5 ... Collin Bennett had an impressive performance at the plate last week, hitting .667 with eight hits, four runs, one double, one triple and six RBI ... Bennett was named the WAC’s Hitter of the Week for his performance ... Jarrett Arakawa had an impressive outing on the mound, pitching 7.0 innings with five strikeouts while giving up only one earned run ... this week, Hawai‘i returns to league play as the team travels to take on San Jose State in a three-game series.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (17-19, 1-5 WAC)
Louisiana Tech went 1-3 last week, defeating Stephen F. Austin 9-5 at home before dropping three straight on the road to Nevada by scores of 3-2, 7-4 and 4-3 ... Bre’shon Kimbell led the Bulldogs at the plate last week, hitting .385 over the four games ... Kimbell recorded five hits, three runs, one double, three RBI and four walks ... Ryan Gebhardt hit .333 with six hits, four runs scored and a walk ... Jamie Gilley had two appearances on the mound last week, pitching 6.1 innings with six strikeouts and only one earned run ... Gilley only allowed two hits and one walk ... Jeb Stefan pitched 6.2 innings, giving up only three hits while compiling 10 strikeouts ... this week, LA Tech continues WAC play at New Mexico State for a three-game series.
Nevada Wolf Pack (19-16, 4-2 WAC)
Nevada went 3-2 at home last week ... the Pack opened the week with a pair of losses to nationally-ranked Oregon State by scores of 6-5 and 10-7 ... the Wolf Pack rebounded with three-straight wins in a series sweep over Louisiana Tech ... Nevada defeated the Bulldogs by scores of 3-2, 7-4 and 4-3 ... Tommy Niebergall had seven hits over the five games, five of which were doubles ... Niebergall hit .438 with five runs, four walks and four RBI .. Bradey Shipley was named the WAC’s Pitcher of the Week after going 8.0 innings without giving up a run ... Shipley gave up only three hits and tallied five strikeouts ... Nevada hosts San Francisco on Tuesday before traveling to play Sacramento State.
New Mexico State Aggies (27-11, 4-2 WAC)
New Mexico State went 2-1 last week in a three-game conference series with Sacramento State ... the Aggies won the first two matchups by scores of 16-4 and 6-1 ... the team dropped the WAC finale 10-7 ... Kurt Snowley led the Aggies at the plate, hitting .500 with six hits, seven runs scored, one double and a pair of walks ... Zac Fisher hit .412 at the plate with seven hits, four doubles, two runs, four RBI and two walks ... Adam Mott pitched 7.0 innings while giving up only one earned run for his win over the Hornets on the mound ... Mott tallied four strikeouts and gave up only three hits during his outing ... NMSU also dropped an 8-7 decision to the Hornets on Monday in a non-confernce game ... NM State returns home to host Louisiana Tech in a three-game series this week.
Sacramento State Hornets (19-18, 3-3 WAC)
Sacramento State went 2-2 last week ... the Hornets opened the week with an 11-4 win over UC Davis at home ... the team then went 1-2 against New Mexico State in WAC play ... Sacramento State dropped the first two games of the series by scores of 16-4 and 6-1 before rallying in game three to win 10-7 ... Derrick Chung led the Hornets at the plate during the week with a .357 batting average ... Chung tallied five hits, scored four runs, walked twice and drove in two ... Hunter Adrian hit .444 with four hits, including a home run and two doubles ... Brandon Creel pitched 6.1 scoreless innings on the week as he gave up only two hits and struck out seven ... Sacramento State travels to play UC Davis before hosting Nevada in a three-game series this week.
San Jose State Spartans (17-14, 3-0 WAC)
The Spartans went a perfect 3-0 on the road against Fresno State this past week, winning by scores of 4-0, 4-3 and 11-2 ... San Jose State’s Matt Lopez hit .571 at the plate with eight hits, one run and five RBI over the three games ... Nick Schulz hit .364 with four hits, three runs, two RBI and three walks ... Michael Reiling hit .429 with three hits, four runs, one double and two RBI ... Johnny Melero pitched five scoreless innings to pick up a win on the mound ... Melero had three strikeouts ... Kalei Contrades pitched four innings without giving up a run or a hit ... David Wayne Russo put in 6.0 innings of work on the mound while giving up only one run and striking out four ... this week, SJSU travels to play Stanford on Tuesday before returning home to host Hawai‘i.