WAC NOTES
NEVADA’S ESCOBAR JR. AND JAMESON NAMED VERIZON WAC BASEBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
NNevada catcher Carlos Escobar Jr. and pitcher Tom Jameson have been named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Baseball Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for April 23-29.
Escobar Jr., a junior from Northridge, Calif. (Chatsworth HS), hit .429 (6-for-14) with five runs scored, two doubles, two home runs and six RBI in four starts last week as the Wolf Pack went 3-1. Escobar Jr’s on base percentage was .467 and he had a slugging percentage of 1.000. He had hits in three of four games and multiple hits in two of the contests. Escobar Jr. began the week going 3-for-4 with three runs scored, a double, two home runs and four RBI in a 15-4 win over Pacific. The three hits tied a career high, the two home runs in a game was a first for him, while the three runs scored and four RBI set career highs. In the first game of the Fresno State series on Friday, he was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a double , drove in a run and was intentionally walked once in the 8-2 victory. On Sunday with two outs, he singled in the only run of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Pack won 1-0 to take the series from Fresno State 2-1. Defensively, Escobar Jr. threw out two runners during the week that attempted to steal a base.
Jameson, a junior from Reno, Nev. (Reno HS), pitched his second career shutout allowing eight hits and three walks but no runs as Nevada defeated Fresno State 1-0 on Saturday to take the series from the Bulldogs 2-1. Jameson threw 121 pitches to earn his sixth win of the season. In his last two starts, Jameson has allowed one run in 17 innings. In WAC play, his conference-leading ERA now stands at 0.66 and on the season his ERA is now 1.84.
The other hitter of the week nominations: Fresno State freshman right fielder Jordan Luplow … Hawai‘i freshman second baseman Stephen Ventimilia … Louisiana Tech senior outfielder Justin Gordey … New Mexico State senior infieilder Zach Voight … Sacramento State outfielder/designated hitter Hunter Adrian.
The other pitcher of the week nominations: Fresno State junior Justin Haley … Hawai‘i freshman Kyle Dowdy … Louisiana Tech junior Jamie Gilley … New Mexico State junior Ryan Beck … Sacramento State sophomore Dallas Chadwick
NEW MEXICO STATE STILL RECEIVING VOTES IN NATIONAL POLLS
The Aggies dropped out of the polls after falling in two consecutive games to top ranked Baylor in Waco, Texas last week. NM State was previously ranked in at least one poll for four consecutive weeks and would be No. 27 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll if it continued beyond the top 25. NM State is still currently receiving votes in both the NCBWA and ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll.
WAC TEAMS AMONG NATIONAL STAT LEADERS
Teams from the WAC rank in the top-10 nationally in 14 different statistical team categories. Individually, WAC players rank in the top-10 in three categories. As a team, New Mexico State leads the nation in three statistical categories, including scoring (9.1), runs (390) and walks (276) and second on base percentage (0.433). Individually, New Mexico State’s Tanner Waite leads the nation with 52 walks this season.
WAC RPI REMAINS AT NO. 9 THIS WEEK
According to WarrenNolan.com, the WAC’s league RPI comes in a No. 9 this week, the same as last week. The WAC is sandwiched between the Missouri Valley Conference at No. 8 and the Atlantic Sun Conference at No. 10. New Mexico State holds the WAC’s highest team RPI at No. 23. The WAC currently has three teams with 89 or better RPI ratings.
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. Nevada head coach Gary Powers becomes one of only 21 acrive head baseball coaches with 900 or more victories as he picked up win No. 900 on April 17. Powers is in his 30th season with Nevada. Fresno State head coach Mike Batesole picked up his 600th career victory on April 17. 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.
NEVADA’S POWERS WINS 900TH CAREER GAME
Nevada’s 10-5 victory over San Francisco on April 17 was the 900th for Wolf Pack head coach Gary Powers. All of Powers 900 wins have come in his 30 seasons directing the Nevada baseball program. His 900 victories ranks 21st among active NCAA I coaches.
FRESNO STATE’S BATESOLE TALLIES 600TH CAREER WIN
Down to its final three outs and trailing by two, the resilience of the Fresno State baseball team powered the Bulldogs to a thrilling 5-3 comeback road victory over the Cal Poly Mustangs on April 17 for head coach Mike Batesole’s 600th career win.
WAC TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Fresno State Bulldogs (19-22, 2-7 WAC)
Fresno State went 2-2 last week ... the Bulldogs opened the week with a 3-2 win at home against Cal Poly ... the team then traveled to Reno where it went 1-2 against Nevada ... Fresno State dropped the series opener 8-2 before winning the second game 14-2 ... the Bulldogs then dropped the finale 1-0 ... Jordan Luplow led the Bulldogs last week at the plate hitting .500 with eight hits, one run, three doubles, three RBI and a stolen base ... Trent Garrison hit .471 and knocked in four runs on the week ... Justin Haley made two appearances on the mound, pitching 9.0 innings with a win, 10 strikeouts and only two earned runs ... Fresno State opened this week with an 11-4 win to UC Davis ... the team now hosts Sacramento State for a three-game series.
Hawai‘i Rainbows (25-18, 5-4 WAC)
Hawai‘i went 2-2 last week ... the team won at Grambling State 11-8 before traveling to Ruston for a three-game set ... the Rainbow won the first game of the series at LA Tech 4-3 before dropping the next two games by scores of 9-4 and 4-1 ... Stephen Ventimilia led the Rainbows at the plate over the four games, batting .389 with seven hits, three runs scored, one double, two RBI, two walks and a stolen base ... Kaeo Aliviado hit .316 with six hits, three runs scored, one double, one triple, three RBI and a walk ... Kyle Dowdy picked up a win on the mound with two appearances on the week .... Dowdy pitched 4.1 innings with two strikeouts and he did now allow a run ... this week, Hawai‘i hosts New Mexico State in a three-game series starting on Thursday.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (20-223, 3-9 WAC)
Louisiana Tech 3-1 last week ... the Bulldogs opened the week with an 11-2 win at home over UALR ... the team then took two of three games from Hawai‘i at home ... LA Tech dropped the series opener 4-3 to UH but rallied to win the next two games by scores of 9-4 and 4-1 ... Justin Gordey led the Bulldogs at the plate last week with a .417 batting average ... Gordey tallied five hits, three runs, two RBI, a walk and a stolen base ... Ryan Gebhardt hit .412 with seven hits, four runs, three RBI and a pair of walks ... Jamie Gilley made three appearances on the mound last week, pitching 6.1 innings ... Gilley recorded one save, six strikeouts and allowed only two hits and no runs ... LA Tech hosts San Jose State this week for a three-game WAC series.
Nevada Wolf Pack (25-19, 7-5 WAC)
Nevada went 3-1 last week ... the Wolf Pack defeated Pacific at home 15-4 to open the week ... the Pack then took two of three games from Fresno State at home ... Nevada defeated Fresno State 8-2 in the series opener before falling in game two 14-2 to the Bulldogs ... Nevada then won the series finale 1-0 ... Carlos Escobar Jr. was named the WAC’s Hitter of the Week after batting .429 with six hits, five runs, two doubles, two home runs, six RBI and one walk ... Joe Kohan hit .417 on the week with five hits, three runs and three triples ... Tom Jameson was named the WAC’s Pitcher of the Week after pitching a complete game shutout ... Nevada also defeated Saint Mary’s 6-5 on Tuesday ... the Pack travels to play Seattle U this week.
New Mexico State Aggies (30-14, 7-2 WAC)
New Mexico State went 0-3 this past week ... the Aggies dropped two games at Baylor by scores of 5-0 and 15-5 ... NM State then dropped a 12-7 decision at home against Texas Tech ... Zach Voight led the Aggie attach on the week at the plate, hitting .417 with five hits, three runs scored, one home run and two RBI ... Bryan Karraker hit .333 with four hits, two runs, one home run, two RBI and a pair of walks ... Ryan Beck had the best outing on the mound for the Aggies, pitching 6.0 innings with six strikeouts ... this week, New Mexico State returns to conference action as the team travels to play Hawai‘i for a three-game series starting on Thursday.
Sacramento State Hornets (24-21, 5-4 WAC)
Sacramento State went 2-1 last week in a three-game road series at San Jose State ... the Hornets won the first two games of the series by scores of 7-2 and 8-3 ... Sacramento State then dropped the series finale 8-7 to the Spartans ... Derrick Chung led the Hornets at the plate during the three-game series hitting .545 with six hits, four runs scored, one triple, one RBI and three walks ... Will Soto hit .462 with six hits, three runs, a double, a home run, three RBI and one walk ... Dallas Chadwick pitched a complete game, giving up only three runs with three strikeouts with a win ... this week, Sacramento State opened the week with a 10-1 loss at home against San Francisco ... the team now travles to play Fresno State in a three-game WAC series.
San Jose State Spartans (21-19, 5-4 WAC)
The Spartans went 1-3 last week ... SJSU opened the week with three-straight losses ...the team dropped a 14-5 decision at home to Fresno Pacific ... the Spartans then dropped the first two games of the three-game series against Sacramento State by scores of 7-2 and 3-8 ... Tyler Christian and Nick Schulz each hit .357 at the plate ... Christian tallied five hits, three runs, three doubles, one home run, three RBI and a walk ... Schulz recorded five hits, one run, three RBI and a walk ... Johnny Melero didn’t give up a run in five innings of work last week ... Melero tallied three strikeouts while giving up only two hits ... SJSU opened this week with an 8-5 win at home against seventh-ranked Stanford ... the team now heads out to play three-games at LA Tech on Friday.