Fresno State Athletics
July 26: 1988 Baseball Team Wins a School Record 56 Games and Records School Best 32-Game winning streak
7/26/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
July 26, 2009
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State Athletics has had many memorable moments during its history. Each day during the month of July, Gobulldogs.com will highlight a great moment from Fresno State Athletics history.
July 26- 1988 Baseball Team Wins a School Record 56 Games and Records School Best 32-Game Winning Streak
Exactly 20 years before the Fresno State baseball team won its first NCAA Championship, the 1988 Diamond `Dogs put together a magical season that included 56 wins, a 32-game winning streak and made the second trip to the College World Series in school history.
After finishing the 1987 campaign with just a 34-26 record and relying on a mostly unproved pitching staff, the Bulldogs were expected to be a middle-of-the-pack Pacific Coast Athletic Association team. But by May 2, Fresno State was the No. 1 team in the country in both the Collegiate Baseball/ESPN and Baseball America polls.
Not only did Fresno State rack up an unprecedented win total, but also did it against some of the elite teams in the country. The `Dogs were 19-8 against ranked teams and knocked off the likes of USC, California, Texas A&M, Clemson, BYU, Stanford, Loyola Marymount and others.
On March 9, the Bulldogs defeated Cal State Fullerton, 10-3, which began arguably the best extended stretch of baseball in school history. Fresno State would not lose for almost two months, as it compiled a 32-game winning streak, which is still the longest in school history and the fourth longest in NCAA history. During that period, the Bulldogs beat 12 ranked teams.
With a 20-1 conference record, the Bulldogs won the 1988 PCAA Championship and earned an invite to the NCAA Tournament. As hosts of the NCAA West I Regional, the Bulldog bats were on display, as they knocked in 74 runs and went 6-1, including a pair of doubleheader wins against USC to punch the `Dogs' ticket to the College World Series.
The 1988 squad will forever be the team offensive production will be compared against at Fresno State. The '88 Bulldogs still hold school records for runs (670), batting average (.350), hits (916), home runs (120), game-winning RBIs (52), total bases (1,492) and many other categories.
PCAA Player of the Year Lance Shebelut led Fresno State with his record setting season that included 32 home runs and 94 RBIs - both still school records. However the Diamond 'Dogs as a whole featured a dream lineup in 1988. First Team All-American sophomore centerfield Tom Goodwin leading off, followed by future major leaguer Eddie Zosky, setting the plate for First Team All-American Lance Shebelut and NCAA West I Region All-Tourney team member Brandon Mitchell providing protection.
The bottom half was also impressive and featured two Third Team All-Americans (second baseman Steve Pearse and outfielder Steve Hosey) and every player in the lineup had at least a .296 batting average. From top to bottom, the Bulldogs had five players with at least 10 home runs, six with at least 60 RBIs and seven with a .400 on base percentage or better.
When all was said and done, the Bulldogs scored 10 or more runs in 34 games in 1988.
Individually the Diamond 'Dogs left their marks on the school record book. In addition to Shebelut's 32 home runs and 94 RBIs, he still holds the record for runs in the season with 97, followed by '88 teammates Goodwin at No. 2 with 87, Mitchell in third with 85 and Hosey in fourth with 78. Goodwin also set the record for single season stolen bases with 62 and went on to set the career mark with 164 -- more than double the next highest career total. Hosey sent the single season double record with 26, which has been broken but is still in fourth place.
With only three pitchers on the roster with a Div. I decision on their record and the bullpen consisting mostly of junior college transfers and freshmen, pitching clearly was the major question mark for the Bulldogs as they entered the 1988 season.
Early on the season, the prognostications appeared accurate, as Fresno State knocked in 49 runs in the first five games, but compiled a meager 2-3 record. However a trip to the University of San Diego on Feb. 2 served as the turning point for the pitching staff, as junior right-hander John Salles took the mound and led the Bulldogs to a 14-2 victory over the Toreros.
From that point on, the pitching staff provided the stability to allow the offensive explosion to win games.
Salles went 15-2 on the year with a 3.45 ERA, struck out 152 batters and still holds the Fresno State record for innings pitched in a season with 177.1. Sophomore lefty Rich Crane also went 15-2 to go with his 3.30 ERA and 134 strikeouts. The emergence of freshman Erik Schullstrom provided the `Dogs with a legitimate third ace in the rotation. The right-hander from San Leandro, Calif., put together a 14-2 record with a 2.40 ERA and 146 strikeouts, and was named to the Baseball America Freshman All-America team.
Fresno State faithful took notice of the historic season and came out to support their Diamond `Dogs in droves. The Bulldogs saw an increase from 2,212 for the home opener to 5,021 for the final home game of the year against Stanford on April 27. The Bulldogs' average home attenance of 2,406 per game led the nation in 1988.
After Fresno State was selected to host the NCAA West I Regional, the fans responded with six more Bulldog home games with more than 5,000 in attendance, including the still three biggest crowds in Beiden Field history (5,673 against USC, 5,455 also against USC and 5,455 against Brigham Young).
Fresno State's magical season finally came to an end in Omaha, Neb., when the Bulldogs lost their first two games of the College World Series, 3-10 to Stanford and 4-8 to Miami (Florida).
The Bulldogs took home a plethora of individual accolades also. Nine Bulldogs were named to the All-PCAA First Team and another to the Second Team. Head coach Bob Bennett was named the Coach of the Year and Shebelut was the Player of the Year.
The `Dogs were also recognized on the national scene. Shebelut, Goodwin and Salles were each named to the ABCA and Baseball America First Team All-America. Crane and Hosey were Baseball America Third Team All-Americans, while Pearse was a ABCA Third Team All-American. Schullstrom was a Baseball America Freshman All-American.
A total of 13 players from the '88 squad were drafted and three -- Goodwin, Hosey and Zosky -- would play in the majors. Goodwin later that summer won a gold medal for the United States at the Olympics in the Seoul, South Korea.
