WAC TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES
Bakersfield (23-29, 14-10 WAC)
Bakersfield went 3-2 last week ... the ‘Runners dropped a 5-3 decision to UC Santa Barbara to open the week ... the team then defeated Fresno State 6-3 ... CSUB then took two of three games against New Mexico State ... Nick Rogowski came on in relief of James Barragan against NM State May 10 and threw seven innings of five-hit ball ... Rogoowski struck out a season high nine as Barragan (6), Rogowski (9), and Max Carter (1) combined to strike out a school record 16 ... unior Hayden Carter came up big in the 6-3 victory against Fresno State May 7 ... Carter tossed his first career complete game against the Bulldogs, using 120 pitches (75 for strikes), and scattering eight hits. Carter got 15 ground ball outs and struck four ... Chance Gusbeth posted his team leading 10th and 11th outfield assist during the NM State series. He is the national leader in the category.
Chicago State (15-35, 3-18 WAC)
Chicago State went 1-4 last week ... the Cougars split a double-header at Milwaukee, dropping game one 7-5 before winning the second game 9-6 ... Chicago State was then swept in a three-game series at home against Northern Colorado ... the Bears defeated the Cougars by scores of 9-7, 8-4 and 6-4 ... Jordan Stroschein led the Cougars at the plate, batting .478 with 11 hits, three runs scored, four RBI, one walk and two stolen bases ... Mattingly Romanin hit .474 with nine hits, three runs scored, two doubles, five RBI, four walks and three stolen bases ... Nick Kostalek picked up the lone win on the mound for the Cougars, working 7.1 innings with three strikeouts ... Kostalek did not give up an earned run in his outing ... Chicago State wraps up the 2014 season with four games at New Mexico State starting on Thursday.
Grand Canyon (28-20, 17-7 WAC)
The Antelopes won three of four games last week, dropping a one-run game at No. 13 Washington before sweeping North Dakota in a three-game WAC series in Grand Forks ... GCU led until the eighth inning against the Huskies but eventually fell 8-7 ... the Lopes rebounded by picking up their second WAC series sweep of the season and are now just 1.0 game behind conference leader Sacramento State ... Andrew Naderer tossed a complete-game in the opener, allowing just one run for his fourth straight victory ... he was followed by a complete game shutout by Coley Bruns in the second game of the series as GCU won 4-0 ... Brian Kraft hit .429 (3-for-7) in two games, while Ben Mauseth went 5-for-12 (.417) in three starts at third base ... Michael Pomeroy extended his hit streak to 13 games after going 5-for-13 (.385) with two multi-hit affairs ... Pomeroy collected his 200th career hit in the eighth inning at Washington.
New Mexico State (19-27, 10-11 WAC)
New Mexico State went 1-2 last week in a three-game league series at Bakersfield ... the Aggies dropped the first two games of the series by scores of 13-1 and 7-6 ... the Aggies picked up the win in the series finale, 19-7 ... Senior first baseman Kristoffer Koerper hit .500 (7-of-14) on the weekend with a walk, two doubles, a home run and eight RBI ... senior left-handed pitcher Robert Kraft picked up his first win of the year and is now 1-3 on the season after working 5.2 innings on the mound while giving up just one run on five hits during a 19-7 victory over Bakersfield ... he gave up just one walk while leading NM State to its 10th win in WAC play this season ... the Aggies wrap up regular season play this week at home as the team welcomes Chicago State for a four-game series.
North Dakota (10-26, 8-13 WAC)
North Dakota opened the week with another win over rival North Dakota State, 3-2, before dropping three games to Grand Canyon ... junior Jeff Campbell picked up his first save of the season, working the ninth in the win over the Bison ... UND’s scheduled game for Monday with South Dakota State was rained out, completing the home schedule for the season ... junior Dalton Parrott reached base in six straight appearances (five straight hits, walk) in the weekend series with Grand Canyon ... senior Taylor Petersen slugged two more doubles and a pair of homers to give him a team-high 18 extra-base hits ... he sits one double shy of cracking the top 10 for two-baggers in a single season at North Dakota ... UND will hit the road to complete its regular season, heading to Sacramento State for a three-game series beginning Thursday.
Northern Colorado (10-40, 4-20 WAC)
Northern Colorado went a perfect 3-0 last week ... the Bears swept a three-game WAC series at Chicago State by scores of 9-7, 8-4 and 6-4 ... Ben Netzel hit .667 with six hits, four runs scored, two doubles, one home run, four RBI and a stolen base ... Jensen Park was also impressive at the plate in the series sweep over the Cougars, batting .538 with seven hits, four runs, one double, two home runs and five RBI ... Chris Hammer had an impressive performance on the mound for the Bears, working 6.2 innings without giving up an earned run ... Hammer gave up only three hits and tallied four strikeouts ... Josh Tinnon also picked up a win on the mound, working 6.2 innings with three strikeouts ... Tinnon did not give up an earned run ... this week, Northern Colorado wraps up its 2014 season at home against Texas-Pan American for a three-game league series.
Sacramento State (32-21, 18-6 WAC)
Sacramento State handed UTPA senior Sam Street his first loss of the season, scoring three runs in the seventh inning behind seven shutout innings from Sam Long to give Street his first loss in a full calendar year ... despite losing two of three at Texas-Pan American, the Hornets clinched the top seed for the WAC Tournament ... sophomore Nathan Lukes had a hit in each game last week and has now reached base in 32 consecutive games ... the Hornets dropped a 6-3 decision to UC Davis at Raley Field on Tuesday ... the team now closes the regular season with a home series vs. North Dakota that starts on Thursday.
Seattle U (23-24, 11-10 WAC)
Although Seattle U lost two of three to Utah Valley over the weekend, the Redhawks still clinched a spot in the WAC Baseball Tournament thanks to other results within the league ... Friday, Seattle U took a 7-1 lead, but gave up back-to-back four-run innings to fall behind, 9-7 ... SU scored single runs in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings, with Cullen Hendrickson’s ninth-inning home run proving to be the game-winning tally ... Grant Gunning faced the minimum six batters in two innings for the victory, while Connor Moore pitched a perfect ninth inning for his first save of the season ... SU lost both games, 8-2 and 9-4 on Saturday ... Sam Finfer went 5-for-8 in the twinbill ... Seattle U will play its final five regular season games in the Puget Sound area, starting with the 6-0 loss at Washington Tuesday ... SU then hosts Bakersfield in a three-game WAC series May 15-17.
Texas-Pan American (24-28, 14-10 WAC)
Texas-Pan American went 2-1 in a three-game series against league leader Sacramento State at home last week ... the Broncs dropped the first game of the series 3-1 ... UTPA then won the final two games by scores of 2-0 and 2-0 ... Alex How was impressive in the three-game series ... Howe recorded a .444 slugging percentage and a .455 on-base percentage ... he drove in the Broncs lone run on Friday, which would have been enough if not for a seventh inning error ... Howe scored the game-winning run on Saturday after first of two walks ... he had the Broncs first two hits in Sunday’s win ... Blake English earned WAC Pitcher of the Week honors after he pitched a complete 9.0 inning shutout ... English retired his first eight batters and only one of the four hits he gave up reached the outfield ... he also induced 13 ground ball outs ... UTPA travels to play a three-game WAC series at Northern Colorado.
Utah Valley (24-26, 15-9 WAC)
Utah Valley won three out of four games on the week including two of three from Seattle U in WAC play ... earlier in the week, the Wolverines knocked off Mountain West co-leader New Mexico in Albuquerque, 12-8 ... in the series against Seattle U, the Wolverines lost a heartbreaker on a ninth-inning home run by Cullen Hendrickson, but responded with a doubleheader sweep on Saturday, 8-2 and 9-4 ... it was a six-run eighth inning in the first game of the twin bill that propelled UVU to the win ... in that game Craig Brinkerhoff drove in four runs and Ryan Evans pitched eight solid innings to get the win ... in the series finale, UVU trailed 3-0 after the top of the first but came back with five in the bottom half of the inning, and later got a three-run home run from Kade Andrus, who drove in 10 runs on the week and six in the series.
WAC NOTES
UTAH VALLEY’S ANDRUS NAMED WAC HITTER OF THE WEEK
Utah Valley junior outfielder Kade Andrus has been named the Western Athletic Conference Baseball Hitter of the Week for May 5-11.
Andrus, a junior from Highland, Utah (Lone Peak HS), hit .389 (7-for-18), to lead Utah Valley to a 3-1 record last week, including wins at Mountain West Conference co-leader New Mexico and two wins over Seattle U in a three-game WAC series. He had four RBI in the win at UNM and a pair of three RBI games in the SU series. He hit a three-run home run in the series-clinching 9-4 win in the SU series finale. Andrus also had two outfield assists, including cutting down a runner at the plate in game two of the SU series, an 8-2 win for the Wolverines. Overall on the week, Andrus tallied seven hits, four runs scored, one double, one triple, one home run and 10 RBI.
The other hitter of the week nominations: Bakersfield senior infielder Oscar Sanay ... Grand Canyon junior second baseman Chad De La Guerra ... New Mexico State senior first baseman Kristoffer Koerper ... North Dakota senior catcher Taylor petersen ... Northern Colorado junior center fielder Jensen Park ... Sacramento State sophomore outfielder Nathan Lukes ... Texas-Pan American senior catcher Alex Howe.
TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN’S ENGLISH NAMED WAC PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Texas-Pan American right-hander Blake English has been named the Western Athletic Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week for May 5-11.
English, a junior from Del Valle, Texas (Del Valle HS), pitched a complete game shutout in a 2-0 victory against league leader Sacramento State. English limited the WAC’s top offensive team to just four hits, no runs and only two walks in 9.0 innings of work. Only one of the four hits that English gave up left the infield (two bunts and one dribbler). English induced 13 ground ball outs as he picked up his fourth win of the year.
The other pitcher of the week nominations: Bakersfield senior Taylor Aikenhead ... Grand Canyon junior Coley Bruns ... New Mexico State senior Robert Kraft ... Northern Colorado senior Chris Hammer ... Sacramento State freshman Sam Long ... Utah Valley senior Ryan Evans.
TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN’S STREET NAMED TO COLLEGE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME PITCHER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
Texas-Pan American senior Sam Street is one of 47 pitchers of the Pitcher of the Year Award Watch List. The award is presented by the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. Street is the only WAC pitcher and one of only four pitchers in the State of Texas on the list. Texas-Pan American senior pitcher Sam Street has pitched an NCAA-best nine complete games this season. He holds an 11-1 record this season. He has made 13 appearances this season and holds a 1.50 ERA. Street has recorded 74 strikeouts and has given up only 88 hits in 113.2 innings pitched this year.
WAC TEAMS AMONG NATIONAL STAT LEADERS
As of May 11, teams from the WAC rank in the top-10 nationally in three statistical categories. New Mexico State is just one of eight teams this year to record a triple play. Bakersfield ranks fourth in the nation with 23 triples this season , while Northern Colorado ranks 11th in the same category with 19. Bakersfield also ranks sixth in the nation in triples per game at 0.45. Individually, players from the WAC rank in the top-10 in four different statistical categories. Texas-Pan American’s Sam Street ranks first nationally with 10 complete games. Street also ranks second in the nation with 11 wins. Northern Colorado’s Josh Tinnon is first nationally with 15 games started. Chicago State’s Jerry Silva currently ranks sixth in the nation with 31 appearances on the mound this season.
SACRAMENTO STATE DEFEATS HIGHEST-RANKED OPPONENT IN PROGRAM HISTORY
Sacramento State stunned No. 4 Oregon State on April 21, rallying from a 6-1 deficit for a 7-6 win at Raley Field. At No. 4 in the country at the time of the win, Oregon State was the highest ranked opponent that the Hornets have defeated in program history. Sacramento State pounded out 16 hits in the game, all singles, while four relievers combined to throw seven shutout innings after the Beavers scored six runs in the first two innings. Five Hornets scored runs and five had RBIs in a complete team effort in front of 1,569 fans, including several MLB scouts. The win was the third of the year for the Hornets over a ranked team, having also defeated No. 21 Texas A&M and No. 24 Fresno State, and the team is 3-3 vs. top-25 squads this year. Oregon State is now ranked No. 1 in the NCBWA Top-30 poll.
SACRAMENTO STATE’S MCLOUGHLIN CLOSING IN ON WAC CAREER SAVES RECORD
Sophomore pitcher Sutter McLoughlin leads the WAC with nine saves this season. He now has 26 career saves in just his second season. He has now tied Sacramento State’s all-time saves record of 26-a mark that was set during the 1989 season by Mike Frame. McLoughlin is now just four saves away from breaking the WAC career saves record of 29, set by Louisiana Tech’s Caleb Dudley (2010-13). McLoughlin already holds the WAC single season saves record of 17, which he set last season during his freshman campaign.
STREAKIN’
Sacramento State’s Nathan Lukes’ WAC-best hitting streak came to a rest against Oregon State on April 21. Lukes hit safely in 20-straight games, the best streak in the WAC by three games this season. The 20-game hitting streak is a career high for Lukes. Bakersfield’s Mylz Jones holds the best current hitting streak in the WAC at 16 games.
UTAH VALLEY’S BEDDES NAMED TO GREGG OLSON AWARD WATCH LIST
Utah Valley’s Danny Beddes has been named to the 2014 Gregg Olson award watch list. Through hard work, strength of mind and determination, eighty players have made the list to honor college baseball’s “Breakout Player of the Year”.
The award is named after former Auburn Tiger star pitcher Gregg Olson, who became one of the top collegiate players in the nation after an initial season filled with only mixed success. Olson went on to become a two-time All American, first round draft pick, American League Rookie of the Year and MLB All Star. Like Olson, these players have elevated their game to an elite level and in many instances their team has mirrored their success as a direct result. The finalists and winner will be determined by an independent panel. Semifinalists are slated to be named, Friday, May 30th at the start of NCAA Regional play and the finalists are scheduled to be announced on Friday, June 6th at the beginning of Super Regional action. The winner of the 2014 Gregg Olson Award will be named in Omaha, Nebraska during the College World Series which is to be held this season at TD Ameritrade Park from June 15-June 25/26. 2013. The winner of the 2014 Gregg Olson Award will be named in Omaha, Nebraska during the College World Series which is to be held this season at TD Ameritrade Park from June 14-June 24/25. For more information about the award visit http://www.olsonaward.com
MCLOUGHLIN NAMED TO NCBWA’S MID-SEASON STOPPER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
Sacramento State sophomore closer Sutter McLoughlin has been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Mid-Season Stopper of the Year watch list. McLoughlin, who was named to the preseason watch list in February, is one of 50 of the top collegiate relievers in the country named to the mid-season watch list. The award is given annually to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball.
SEATTLE U’S OLSON NAMED TO JOHNNY BENCH AWARD WATCH LIST
Brian Olson was named to the official watch list for the Johnny Bench Award, given annually by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission to the top Division I collegiate catcher in the country. The watch list will be narrowed down to the semifinalists, whom will be announced May 15, 2014. Ballots will be sent to the national voting panel at the end of May for a vote to determine the three finalists. The finalists will be announced June 3, 2014. A final vote among the national committee will occur during the College World Series. All finalists will be brought to Wichita and the winner will be announced at the 17th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 26, 2014.
WAC TOURNAMENT HEADS TO MESA, ARIZONA’S CUBS PARK
The WAC has awarded Mesa, Ariz. the WAC Baseball Tournament for the 2014 season. The event will be played at the Chicago Cubs new Spring Training complex in Mesa. Visit Mesa, the destination marketing organization for the city, worked to secure the event which will feature the WAC’s top six baseball teams in May. In May of 2014, the City of Mesa will 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 12 times (1963, 65, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 76, 78, 2010, 11, 12) and the event was held in Mesa in 1971, 1973, 2010, 2011 and 2012. The $99 million new winter home of the Chicago Cubs is major league baseball’s newest stat-of-the-art spring training venue. The stadium will feature a 15,000 seat ballpark reminiscent of historic Wrigley Field; a state-of-the-art team clubhouse facility; a cluster of top-notch baseball practice fields; pristine youth soccer fields and a sparkling public lake that will boast an exciting new design.