Fresno State Athletics
No. 11 Baseball Gears Up For 2002 Season
1/8/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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Alumni Game
On Saturday, Jan. 26 the Bulldogs will hold their annual Alumni/Old-Timers games. The first game will begin at 12:30 p.m. and the second is scheduled for 2 p.m. Last year the Bulldogs snapped a three-game losing streak to the Alumni team by pulling out a 7-6 victory. A then-junior, Jared Walker (Gardnerville, Nev.) hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth to give the Bulldogs the win. Among the former Bulldogs that particiapted last season were Shawn Gilbert (1986-87), Eddie Zosky (1987-89), Randy Asadoor (1981-83), Bobby Jones (1989-91), Jeff Weaver (1996-98) and Steve Hosey (1987-89).
Bulldogs Begin Preseason Practice
Fresno State will begin its 2002 practice schedule on the Monday, Jan. 14. Practices on the field begins at 2 p.m. and ends at 5 p.m. The Bulldogs will be trying for their third consecutive visit to the NCAA tournament. FS will be led by a core of seniors in pitchers Bob Runyon (Atwater, Calif.), Zach Minor (Walnut Creek, Calif.), and Francisco Nieves (Oakland, Calif.). Onthe field seniors catcher Brad Harper (Madera, Calif.) and outfielder Tobey Riday-White (Berkeley, Calif.) will provide leadership. Among the newcomers that look to make immediate contributions are junior transfers pitcher David Bair (Merced, Calif.), first baseman Brian Pierce (Clovis, Calif.) and outfielder Brendon Suga (Mililani, Hawaii).
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. 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 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 day at 7:05 p.m. The ceremony will be held prior to the game.
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 (Atwater, Calif.), 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 (San Jose, Calif.) 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. Fritz was voted Summer League first team All America by Baseball America. He was also named the second best Major League prospect in the Alaska League.
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 SS Josh Labandeira, 1B Brandon Gemoll, 2B Oscar Lopez and 3B 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 newcomer freshman Carl Lipsey (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 junior Scott Beshears (Fresno, Calif.), freshman 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.
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.
