Fresno State Athletics
Baseball Team to Be Paced by Balanced Attack
1/17/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
As Fresno State enters its first season in the new millennium, one constant remains -- head coach Bob Bennett. He enters his 33rd season at the helm of the Fresno State program in 2001. He will be looking to start the new millennium by leading the Bulldogs to a WAC championship and back into the NCAA Tournament. Fresno State is only three years removed from its last WAC championship in 1998, its 17th under the direction of Bennett.
This season will see the Bulldogs field a balanced attack offensively, defensively and on the mound. Twenty-one players with at least one year of experience in the program return from a squad that went 40-21 a year ago, Bennett's 24th consecutive winning season.
"I think we will take up from where we left off at the end of last year," Bennett said. "I think we have a good ballclub with players who know what they have to do to win games. We have many good athletes that know what they need to do to be successful and get off on the right track. This team has the potential to be special."
Pitchers
The strength of this year's team lies in its pitching staff led by Juniors Beau Hintz, Zach Minor, and Nick Moran. Coach Bennett expects that sophomores Mike Hernandez and Ben Fritz will continue to make major contributions this season. The senior leadership will come from veterans J.J Durmanich and Ozzie Gonzalez.
Hintz leads this year's squad with the most games started last season (9), innings pitched (75.2) and complete games (2) in 2000. He will be asked to carry the load in his junior campaign.
"Beau Hintz started a lot of games for us," Bennett said. "He will be looked upon as our number one starter this season." Hintz adds yet another quality arm to the staff. Hintz appeared in 18 games, starting nine, and logged 75.2 innings as a sophomore. This season coach Bennett expects that Hintz will improve on his outstanding stats from last season. Hintz will see action as a starter, but can be used out of the bullpen in situational role against left-handed hitters.
"Beau is a versatile athlete who can pitch in addition to playing in the outfield and first base," Bennett said.
Zach Minor and Nick Moran are two pitchers who will see a lot of action this year. Each throws in the high 80s and are capable of hitting the 90s on the radar gun. Bennett said each improved tremendously each of their first two seasons as a Bulldog. Minor will be looked to build upon his strong second season that saw him post a 3-1 record and a 3.44 ERA in 49.2 innings of work. Moran started 6 games and posted a 3-2 record in 53.1 innings of work in his sophomore season.
In his freshman season Ben Fritz appeared in 16 games with a record of 1-1. He posted a 2.60 ERA over 27.2 innings with 17 strikeouts. He will be expected to improve upon his success of his freshman season.
In the closer role this season there will be many possibilities to see who will become the teams number on e closer. 2000 WAC Freshman of the year Mike Hernandez could possibly be the front runner in the contest to be the number one closer. Last season he appeared in 25 games, saving one logged 47 innings with a record of 5-1 in his second season.
Francisco Nieves is a solid Junior College transfer from Laney College that has the ability to make an impact on the veteran pitching staff.
J.J. Durmanich appeared in ten games, with a record of 1-0, logged 21 innings in his first season as a Bulldog. Ozzie Gonzalez brings multiple years of experience to the staff he sat out last season with an injury to both of his feet. Merced College transfer Bob Runyon is one of the top transfers in Northern California. Freshman Jason Gutknecht from Madera High School in Madera, Calif. He is a crafty left-handed pitcher that will definitely rattle a couple of hitters this season.
"The bottom line is that we have a mixture of veterans and youngsters that are very good," Bennett said. "We always like that setup. It allows us to use our veterans early in the season and it gives the youngsters a chance to smell the competition without much pressure."
Catcher
Brad Harper returns for his third season behind the plate. Harper hit .249 (45-for-181) in 53 games as a sophomore with four home runs and 31 RBIs.
"Brad is a very solid catcher," Bennett said. "He has an uncanny ability to help pitchers throughout the game to help them improve as the game progresses."
Ben Fritz returns this season as both a catcher and a pitcher. Being both a pitcher and a catcher gives him an advantage over most catchers, because he knows what a pitcher is thinking while he is on the mound. Bennett said he reminds him of former Bulldog All-American catcher Todd Johnson.
"Ben has an outstanding arm," Bennett said, "and he is a great defensive catcher, and being a pitcher give him an advantage behind the plate."
Dave Hafiz is a solid defensive catcher and is expected to see action behind the plate this season.
First Base
Brandon Gemoll returns for his junior season after seeing action in 60 games last season. He hit .367 (91-for-248) with six home runs and 52 RBIs.
"Brandon played well as a sophomore," Bennett said. "He plays good defense and had several big, game-winning hits for us last year. He is one of our better clutch hitters."
Matt Creighton a transfer from Stanford will see some playing time at first base this season. He hit .400 last season while playing in seven games.
Second Base
Pepsi /Johnny Quik MVP second baseman Tom Creighton returns for his third season. Creighton hit .279 (64-for-229) in 60 games last year and was tied with three other Bulldogs with three stolen bases.
"Tom is not only a great player but a good student too," Bennett said. "He was an inspirational leader as a freshman and sophomore. He will definitely continue in that role this year. Tom goes all out everyday no matter whether it is out at practice or game day."
Scott Beshears brings a switch-hitting bat, solid offense and defense and good speed to the middle infield. He stepped in a couple of times last season while Creighton was injured.
"He played a bit last season so he has a good amount of experience at second base," Bennett said. "He is a versatile switch hitter that really improved during the off season."
Jeff Prieto and one of the Bulldogs top recruits Chris Patrick also can play second if called upon, Bennett said.
Shortstop
Josh Labandiera returns to the position after starting the 54 games in 2000. He hit .318 (71-for-223) with a pair of homers and 36 RBIs in 57 games. Bennett said he was instrumental in the team's success last season.
"He has a good arm, is a consistent fielder and a clutch hitter," Bennett said. "He is an outstanding defensive and offensive player with great athletic ability. He isn't a real big kid, but he makes things happen on the field, " Bennett said. "He is a gutsy, consistent player. He is a Bulldog in every sense of the word."
Coach Bennett expects senior Oscar Lopez will see some action at both shortstop and second base for the Bulldogs this season. He has the talent to play both positions at a moments notice with out skipping a beat. He appeared in 37 games last season and posted a .950 fielding percentage.
Chris Patrick a true freshman and an outstanding hitter will see some action at shortstop this season. He is a multi talented athlete that can play any of the middle infield positions. Last season at Clovis High School Patrick hit .489 (46-for-94) with five home runs and 22 RBIs while starting all 31 games. "He is a solid offensive and defensive player," Bennett said. "He will make an immediate impact on the team this season."
Third Base
Nick Garcia returns after finishing 2000 with a .329 batting average (76-for-231) in all 61 games with two home runs and 37 RBIs. Garcia can play the other three infield positions and has done so in past seasons. This season will see Garcia surpass the 200-career hits mark.
"Nick has played for three years for us after being one of the top recruits in Southern California," Bennett said. "We have been really happy with his performance and he has improved every year he has been here."
Casey McGehee is a very accomplished player for a freshman, Bennett said. He is an outstanding athlete at the hot corner that carries a lot of power with his bat. McGehee can also play first base or in the outfield.
Matt Creighton can play both corner positions, but Bennett said his biggest asset is his bat.
"We have good middle and corner infielders, Bennett said. "We also have good depth at each position.
Outfield
Simon Tafoya appeared in 33 games for the Bulldogs last season batting .200 with 14 RBIs and two home runs. Last season was his first season returning from injury but also is coming off a winning battle against Hodgkin's Disease. The cancer is in remission and he is fully recovered from the torn hamstring that forced him to redshirt his sophomore season.
"Sim?n is a versatile player that can play any position," Bennett said. "He showed outstanding hitting potential last season when he hit 2 home runs and 14 RBIs. He has all the tools necessary to play professionally in the future."
Tony Guzman returns as the incumbent starter after hitting .288 (36-for-125) in 52 games with 29 runs scored. Since becoming a starter his sophomore season he has posted a 1.000 fielding percentage. His consistency in center has made him a staple in the outfield. Guzman looks to continue his success into his senior season, and complete his Fresno State career without committing an error.
"Tony had a good year last season," Bennett said. "He consistently got big, clutch hits for us. He also gets a great jump on the ball in center."
Tobey Riday-White a transfer from Laney College looks to be the front runner in the in the competition for a starting position in right field. Last season at Laney College he hit .321 with four home runs and 46 RBIs. Riday-White is both an outstanding offensive and defensive player. He has the ability to really step up and make some major contributions to the team during his first season as a Bulldog.
Sophomore Joey Myers has the talent to play any of the outfield positions at a moments notice. This off-season Myers has been working to improve on his already powerful arm. A versatile and athletic player Myers will make some big contributions to the team this season.
Bennett said Joey Myers can run well, has a good arm and is an outstanding outfield prospect.
"I think we will begin to see his real potential now that he has relaxed." Bennett said. "He has good power and speed and good arm as well."
Christian Hallaian is a big, athletic freshman from Clovis West High School who played first base in 1999. Bennett said he has good speed and is a powerful athlete who could eventually settle into either the outfield or first base.
Jared Walker is a talented junior college transfer from Merced College. He has outstanding tools and can push somebody for a starting position this season.
Will Thomas is a promising freshman from Encinal High School in Alameda, Calif. He is expected to make his mark in the future for the Bulldogs.
Dan Young is the fastest player on the team. Bennett said he has a lot of potential and he could contribute.
"Dan did not see a lot of playing time last season, but he knows how to hustle out in the outfield," Bennett said. "His speed is an advantage for him on the bases and in running down a ball in the outfield. He can run down a balls in the outfielder that most outfielders can not get to."
Schedule
Once again, the Bulldogs face another challenging schedule this season. They open the season on Jan. 26 with a three-game series against preseason No. 11 Stanford in Palo Alto, Calif. In all, Fresno State plays three teams ranked in either the Baseball America or Collegiate Baseball preseason polls -- Rice, and Notre Dame in addition to Stanford. The Bulldogs also will host the 23rd Annual Pepsi/Johnny Quik Classic from March 12-17.
"Playing a tough out-of-conference schedule has been our philosophy as long as I have been here," Bennett said. "Our schedule is always strong and it prepares us for conference play. In the postseason, you need to be playoff tested and that is what we try do with our schedule."
