Fresno State Athletics
Baseball Preview: vs. Wagner [March 10-11]
3/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
By: Matt Burkholder
mburkholder@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
Games 17-18: Wagner Seahawks (0-5-1, 0-0 NEC) at Fresno State Bulldogs (7-9, 3-3 MW)
First Pitch: March 10-11 - Tues: 6:35pm; Wed: 6:35pm
Stadium: Beiden Field
Surface: Grass
Dimensions: 330 (LF), 400 (CF), 330 (RF)
All-Time Series: Never met
Radio: AM 940 ESPN (Tues. Only)
Play-by-play: Paul Loeffler
Video: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: GoBulldogs.com
Twitter: @FresnoStateBSB
The Fresno State baseball team returns home from a four-game road trip on Tuesday to host the Wagner Seahawks of the Northeast Conference, it is a two-game midweek series with first pitches set for 6:35 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday evening. The Wagner series leads into a three-game set versus UC Davis over the weekend, completing a five-game homestand over a six-day span at Beiden Field.
The Bulldogs homecoming will be a welcome sight, as Fresno State boasts a 7-2 record at Beiden Field, versus now a 0-7 road record after being swept in its four game series at Oregon State last weekend.
Fresno State's weekend rotation of Jimmy Lambert, Dylan Lee and Garrett Mundell all had solid outings in the losses in Corvallis. Lambert allowed one run in a 2-1, 11 inning loss on Friday, Lee allowed two earned runs in a 5-2 defeat Saturday, and Mundell was outmatched in the second 2-1 Fresno State loss of the series on Sunday. The second game of the doubleheader got away from Fresno State with Dominic Topoozian making his first career start. On the other side, the Bulldog run support was minimal as the team produced six runs over four games. Fresno State was limited to a team .167 batting average against a stout Oregon State pitching staff.
Senior captain Manny Argomaniz was one of the Bulldogs bright spots from the batters' box in the OSU series, he went 3-for-3 on Sunday and produced his eighth double of the season - tied for the Mountain West lead.
The Bulldogs, back at Beiden, own a team .287 batting average on its home field and will look to get back on track against a winless Wagner (0-5-1) squad. The Seahawks dropped its last three games to Bakersfield last weekend to kickoff of a California road swing for the team from Staten Island, New York.
In six games, Wagner owns a .182 team batting average while its pitching staff has a 6.39 team earned run average. Its best hitter in 2015 is Ben Ruta, who is 8-for-24 (.333) with two doubles and a triple.
Wagner will start RHP Nick Pavia (0-0, 40.50 ERA) Tuesday and RHP Eric McGough (0-0, 4.50 ERA) on Wednesday. Pavia has appeared in one game, surrendering three earned runs in 2/3 innings work. McGough will make his first start of 2015 too. The righty has made two appearances, working a total of two innings.
RHP Tim Borst (1-1, 7.00 ERA) is projected to make his second consecutive Tuesday start for Fresno State. On March 2 versus Sacramento State, the junior pitched five innings of scoreless work and allowed just two hits. LHP Anthony Arias will make his first career start on Wednesday for the Bulldogs. Since making his first career appearance against Sacramento State, he appeared once in the Oregon State series.
"Be Bold!" - The official home of the Fresno State Bulldogs is 940 AM ESPN Radio.
