Fresno State Athletics
No. 11 Baseball Kicks Off Season Against Santa Clara
1/28/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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Coming Up
This weekend the Bulldogs will open their 2002 schedule at Santa Clara for three day games. The season opener on Friday will be aired on Fresno State radio KFSR 90.7 FM.
Injury Report
Junior second baseman Scott Beshears is doubtful for this weekend against Santa Clara with a dislocated shoulder injury. Junior outfielder Brendon Suga is questionable with a left knee strain. Freshman RHP Chad Edwards will not be available with a fractured foot injury.
All-Time vs. Santa Clara
Fresno State holds the 68-36 lead against the Broncos all-time. The teams have played each other every year since 1992. The Bulldogs have won seven straight over Santa Clara dating back to 1999.
Fresno State vs. Santa Clara - The Last Time
(FRESNO, Calif. - Feb., 2001)
Last year the Bulldogs swept the season series at home 8-5, 11-10 and 10-7. The 11-10 win was a memorable one as it broke the Fresno State record for longest game ever, lasting five hours and 33 minutes. Oscar Lopez (1997-01) drove in Tobey Riday-White (Berkeley, Calif.) to give FS the victory in the bottom of the 16th inning. Ozzie Gonzalez (1999-01), Jason Gutknecht (Madera, Calif.) and Francisco Nieves (Oakland, Calif.) each collected a win in the series.
Scouting Santa Clara
With nine of 18 players coming back this season the Broncos feature a balanced blend of solid hitting and pitching. Santa Clara will enter the Mark O'Brien era as he takes over the helm after serving as an assistant at Stanford for the past three seasons. The Broncos finished with a 23-33 record last season including a 17-13 WCC mark. At the plate they will be led by junior second baseman/outfielder Jack Headley and senior infielder Pat Peavey, who led the Broncos with a .368 batting average in 32 games played. Headley batted .341 with a home run and 25 RBIs last year. On the mound sophomores lefty John Redmond and right-hander Chad Fillinger will look to pace Santa Clara. Redmond went 5-4 with a 4.39 ERA last season starting 14 games, most on the team.
Bulldogs in the Polls
The first poll for the new season was released by Collegiate Baseball. Fresno State debuted at No. 11 on the list. It marks the highest ranking for the Bulldogs since May of 1992 when they also reached No. 11. Among the 2002 Bulldog opponents that are ranked in the top 25 include No. 1 Stanford, No. 12 Rice, No. 13 Nebraska and No. 17 Cal State Fullerton. Fresno State received a No. 22 ranking in the Coaches' Poll. Last season Fresno State went 3-8 against top 25 opponents.
Pete Beiden Statue Day
On April 20, legendary Fresno State baseball coach, Pete Beiden, will be honored with the unveiling of a statue at Beiden Field. The statue will be approximately seven-feet tall on a three-foot base. It will feature Beiden with his infamous fungo bat in hand watching over the crowd as they enter the stadium. The Bulldogs will face Nevada that night at 7:05 p.m. The ceremony will be held prior to the game.
Bulldogs Picked First in the WAC by Collegiate Baseball Fresno State was picked to win the WAC title in Collegiate Baseball's preseason poll. The Bulldogs were picked ahead No. 12 Rice and Nevada. Last season FS finished second behind the Owls. RHP Bob Runyon was selected as the preseason WAC Pitcher of the Year and Rice third baseman Hunter Brown was selected as preseason WAC Player of the Year. Last season shortstop Josh Labandeira was WAC Player of the Year becoming the first Bulldog to ever win the award.
Ben Fritz earns preseason WAC Player of the Year selection by Baseball America
Junior catcher/pitcher Ben Fritz (San Jose, Calif.) was selected as the preseason WAC Player of the Year by Baseball America. Fritz was selected by the WAC as a preseason selection in two positions. Fresno State was picked second behind Rice in the preseason poll. Also earning preseason honors was freshman second baseman Carl Lipsey (Fresno, Calif.). Lipsey was selected as the preseason WAC Freshman of the Year. Also earning preseason All-WAC selections by Baseball America were seniors catcher Brad Harper (Madera, Calif.) and pitcher Bob Runyon (Atwater, Calif.).
WAC Preseason Poll by Collegiate Baseball
1. Fresno State
2. Rice
3. Nevada
4. San Jose State
5. Hawai'i
6. Louisiana Tech
WAC Preseason Poll by Baseball America
1. Rice
2. Fresno State
3. Nevada
4. San Jose State
5. Hawai'i
6. Louisiana Tech
WAC Preseason Poll
1. Rice
2. Fresno State
3. Nevada
4. San Jose State
5. Hawai'i
6. Louisiana Tech
Aces in the Deck
Last season the Bulldogs had three pitchers take most of the load, each going over 100 innings. The good news is they're all back to do it again. Seniors Bob Runyon, Zach Minor (Walnut Creek, Calif.) and Francisco Nieves (Oakland, Calif.) were one, two, three in several pitching categories including innings pitched, wins and complete games. Runyon led the staff going 10-1 with a 3.54 ERA, four complete games, 93 strikeouts and 127 innings pitched.
The Runyon File
Runyon's consistency from last season has propelled him to several preseason awards in the preseason. He was voted second-team preseason All-America by the NCBWA (National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association) and third-team by Collegiate Baseball. Runyon earned national attention last season in the NCAA Regionals when he threw a complete-game gem against Oral Roberts to keep Fresno State alive in the tournament. He allowed just one run and fanned seven batters. In 2001, Runyon was a secon-team All-WAC selection.
Ready to Break Out
Junior Ben Fritz has proven to be Fresno State's most versatile player filling any role he is called upon. The P/C/1B/DH has excelled in all positions throwing out over 50 percent of runners, saving seven games and hitting over .280 last season. Fritz needs 11 more saves to break the Bulldogs all-time mark of 17. This past summer Fritz showcased his talents in the Alaska League for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots, guiding them to a National Baseball Congress World Series title along with Bulldog teammate Zach Minor. He was voted Summer League first team All America by Baseball America. Fritz was voted to the preseason All-WAC team as a DH and relief pitcher, being the only player named to two positions.
Super Sophomore
Casey McGehee (Aptos, Calif.) will try to avoid the "sophomore jinx" clich? and continue building on his first year success that landed him freshman All-America honorable mention and second team All-WAC honors. Last season, McGehee started 62 of the 64 games he played in with a .324 BA, five home runs and 50 RBIs. McGehee finished third on the team in several offensive categories including runs scored (45), hits (80), RBIs and total bases (117). The right-handed slugger made his presence felt in the biggest game of his life. Against Pepperdine in the NCAA Regionals last year, McGehee exploded for four RBIs including a two-run homer to help the Bulldogs defeat the Waves 8-6 and keep Fresno State alive in the regionals. This season he will make the switch to his natural position at third base after playing in the outfield last season.
Revamped Infield
The Bulldogs will have a fresh new look in the infield for the 2002 season. After the departures of shortstop Josh Labandeira, first baseman Brandon Gemoll, second baseman Oscar Lopez and third baseman Nick Garcia, the Bulldogs will have a new regular at each spot. At third base, sophomore Casey McGehee will be making the switch from the outfield. The double-play combination will feature junior Scott Beshears (Fresno, Calif.) at second base and sophomore Chris Patrick (Fresno, Calif.) at shortstop. At first base newcomers freshman Kyle Atrat (Clovis, Calif.) and junior transfer Brian Pierce (Clovis, Calif.) will both look to contribute. Others that also look to challenge for playing time in the infield include freshmen Carl Lipsey (Fresno, Calif.), Jordan Prieto (Clovis, Calif.) and junior transfer T.J. Boyd (Kingsburg, Calif.).
End of an Era
2002 will mark the end of an illustrious coaching career by one of college baseball's legends, Bob Bennett. Coach Bennett is in his 34th and final season that has seen him win numerous awards, make two College World Series appearances and have 31 players go on to the Major League level. Bennett remains as solid today as he was 35 years ago coming off WAC Coach of the Year accolades from last season.
Countdown to 1,300
Bob Bennett needs 30 wins to become the sixth or seventh baseball coach (Larry Hays, Texas Tech - 1,278 wins) in NCAA division I history to reach the plateau. During the 2000 season Bennett became on the 10th coach in NCAA baseball history to reach the 1,200-win milestone. The Bulldogs will begin their quest against Santa Clara this weekend.
What About Bob?
Bob Bennett remains as consistent today as he did when he took over the reigns in 1967. Coach Bennett earned his third career WAC Coach of the Year honor last season guiding the Bulldogs to their second consecutive 40+ win season. Since 1987 the Bulldogs have won at least 33 games. Bennett has guided Fresno State to 25 consecutive winning seasons.
Bulldogs in the NCAA Tournament
Fresno State will look to make its 29th appearance in the NCAA tournament in program history. The Bulldogs have qualified for the tournament the past two seasons but have failed to advance each time. FS has not advanced past the regionals since 1991 when they reached the College World Series. The Bulldogs are 48-54 all-time in postseason play with a 4-6 mark in three College World Series appearances (1959, 1988 and 1991). Last season the squad traveled to Los Angeles for the NCAA Regionals and won two straight after losing the first game. Host team, USC, eliminated the Bulldogs with a 8-0 shutout. Under Bennett, the Bulldogs have made 21 NCAA tournament appearances and two College World Series appearances.
Alumni Pitching Too Tough for Bulldogs
This past Saturday, Fresno State faced the toughest trio of pitchers it will probably see all year. Former Bulldogs Bobby Jones, Jeff Weaver and Denis Springer combined for six innings in which they only allowed one run. The alumni defeated the 2002 Bulldogs 5-2. Jones started the game by pitching two no-hit innings to pick up the win. Among former Bulldogs that participated in the Alumni game sponsored by Rival Sports Video were Tom Goodwin, Steve Hosey, Josh Labandeira, Matt Curtis and Oscar Lopez. The alumni squad scored all its runs in the second inning. Carl Lipsey and Chris Patrick each drove in a run to account for the Bulldogs' runs. Patrick's came on a solo home run in the eighth inning. Zach Minor, who started for FS, suffered the loss. The game and pregame presentation can be purchased on tape courtesy of Rival Sports Video. They can be reached at (866) 427-4825.
