Fresno State Athletics
Quest for Three WAC Crowns Begins This Week
3/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 19, 2008
FRESNO, Calif. - The Bulldogs are the two-time defending WAC champions and will open the WAC schedule Thursday in search of a third straight league title. Over the 2006 and 2007 seasons, Fresno State rolled up 83 wins and owned a WAC record of 35-13. The Dogs have never won three straight outright WAC crowns, and have not won three straight conference titles since 1983-85 when they won two Nor Cal titles and the initial PCAA championship. The Dogs will play two of their first three WAC series at home. The Dogs have a four-game series at Hawaii beginning March 20.
Gametime Update
As a reminder, due to a three-hour time change, the Fresno State vs. Hawaii games will be played at the following Pacific Times:
March 20: 9:35 p.m. PT
March 21: 9:35 p.m. PT
March 22 (Doubleheader): 4:05 p.m. PT /7:35 p.m. PT
All game will be live on KMJ Radio.
About the Rainbows
The Rainbows enter the Fresno State series with a 7-13 record after a loss to No. 19 San Diego at home on Tuesday. This is the WAC opener for both teams. Head coach Mike Trapasso is in his seventh season and closing in on 200 career victories. The Bows were 34-25 last season, 11-13 in the WAC and tied for fourth place. The Bows are coming off a series against No. 8 UC-Irvine. Jared Alexander is leading the WAC in ERA with a 0.96 average and innings pitched, 28.
Against the Rainbows
Fresno State owns a 63-41 all-time lead in the series that began in 1960. The two schools split the six games played last season but the Dogs have won eight of the last 12 in the series. The two schools have played at least four times a years since 1993, Fresno State's first team in the WAC.
Dogs on a WAC Roll
The Dogs are 11-3 in their last 14 WAC regular season games dating back to last season, but two of those losses were at Hawaii in the final regular season series of the 2007 season. Despite Fresno State clinching the WAC regulalr season title, Hawaii won two of three in last season's series in Honolulu, losing the opener 7-5, and then winning the final two by scores of 7-6 and 1-0. Including the WAC tournament, in which the Dogs went 4-0, and a non-conference game last week against New Mexico State, Fresno State is 14-5 in the last 19 games against teams from the Western Athletic Conference.
Batesole to Sit
Fresno State head coach Mike Batesole has been suspended for two games by the Western Athletic Conference after an incident in the Fresno State vs. Indiana game during the Pepsi Johhny Quik Classic in which both teams left the dugout area. Batesole and Indiana head coach Tracy Adams will each be suspended for two games. Batesole served the first game of his suspension against San Francisco and will miss the first game of the Hawaii series on Thursday.
Scheppers Honored
For the second time this season, Bulldog pitcher Tanner Scheppers has been selected the WAC Pitcher of the Week. Scheppers, a junior from Laguna Niguel, Calif. (Dana Hills HS), was named Most Outstanding Pitcher of the 30th annual Pepsi Johnny Quik Classic last week. In his one appearance, he recorded 10 strikeouts in seven innings of work. Scheppers allowed just two hits and did not allow a run as the Bulldogs shutout Utah 10-0. He lowered his ERA from 1.42 to 1.04 after the effort and improved his record to 3-1 on the season. He now has 39 strikeouts in four games (26 innings) while walking just seven this season. He's scheduled to open the Hawaii series with a start on Thursday.
Bulldog Bites
- The Bulldogs rank second in the WAC in fielding percentage (.973) and have the second-fewest errors, with 18 through 18 games.
- Erik Wetzel is tied for the WAC lead in hits with 30 on the season and is third in batting average at .411.
- Tommy Mendonca has the second-most homeruns in the WAC this season with four.
- Justin Miller leads the WAC in opponents batting average (.145)
- Todd Sandell's five hits against Gonzaga earlier this season is the most by a WAC player in 2008.
- Freshman Danny Muno has 15 hits in the last 11 games and is batting .395 in that time. He ranks 7th in the WAC in batting average .357.
Bulldog Pitching Leads the WAC
Three Dogs are among the top five WAC pitchers in earned run average. Leading the way for the Dogs is Tanner Scheppers (1.04), followed by Brandon Burke (2.01),who rank 1-2 in the WAC Holden Sprague (2.33) ranks fifth. Scheppers leads the WAC in average strikouts per game, 13.15, total strikeouts with 39 and second in the league in opponents' batting average, .179.
Looking Ahead
Fresno State returns from Hawaii with a seven-game home stand. The Dogs host Cal Poly for two games March 25-26 before hosting WAC-rival Nevada for four games March 28-30.
"Join the State - Fresno State!" -
The Fresno State baseball team begins a quest for three consecutive Western Athletic Conference Championships on Thursday, when the Dogs travel to Hawaii for a four-game series at Les Murakami Stadium in Honolulu. The Dogs return home March 24 against Cal Poly. Log on to www.gobulldogs.com and click on Tickets.
