Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Air Force
'Dogs set to battle Air Force for Salute to Services Weekend [April 13-15]
4/12/2017 2:48:00 PM | Baseball
The Fresno State Baseball team continues its week-long stay at home for Spring Break hosting Mountain West foe Air Force for Salute to Services Weekend starting Thursday at 6:05 p.m.
Game 33-35: Air Force (14-17, 4-11 MW) at Fresno State (16-16, 6-6 MW)
First Pitch:Â April 13-15Â - Thu: 6:05 p.m., Fri: 6:05 p.m., Sat: 2:05 p.m.
Stadium:Â Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium
Surface:Â Grass
Dimensions:Â 330 (LF), 400 (CF), 330 (RF)
All-Time Series:Â Fresno State leads 24-8
Last Meeting: Fresno State defeated Air Force 15-7 (March 19, 2017 at USAFA, Colo.)
Radio:Â 790 AM ESPN2 (Thu.) & 940 AM ESPN (Fri. & Sat.)
Play-by-play:Â Paul Loeffler
Video:Â Mountain West Network (Saturday Only)
Live Stats:Â GoBulldogs.com
Twitter:Â @FresnoStateBSB
Promotions
Salute To Services Weekend:Â All military and veterans get in the game for FREE all weekend long!
Thursday:Â War Veteran and Amputee Justin Bond to throw out the ceremonial First Pitch!
Friday:Â Help us honor local youth team that raised $20,000 for the Central Valley Honor Flight and members of the honor flight will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch!
Saturday:Â 97 year old WWII veteran Simeon Deming to throw out the first pitch! It's another Youth Jersey Saturday as all kids wearing their youth jersey get in the game for FREE!
Bulldog Headlines
• Fresno State continues its Spring Break week at home hosting its third Mountain West opponent welcoming Air Force to Fresno for a three-game series.
• The Bulldogs dropped a tight 7-6 battle at home to San Francisco on Tuesday as the Dons used a four-run seventh inning to create some separation from the 'Dogs before a late rally by the Bulldogs fell short.Â
• The 'Dogs took a break from MW play last weekend to travel to Michigan to face the Michigan State Spartans in Grand Rapids as the Spartans swept the 'Dogs. It was the first time Fresno State has faced a Big Ten opponent since 2014 & its first in Big Ten country since 2011.
• The 'Dogs posted their first shutout of 2017 with a 9-0 win over Sacramento State at John Smith Field on April 5. It was the 'Dogs first trip to the Hornets' on-campus stadium since 2011 as six pitchers combined to limit the Hornets to six hits.
• The Bulldogs currently rank 12th in the nation in double plays (35), 18th in sacrifice bunts (28) and are 20th in triples (12).
• Junior LHP Ricky Tyler Thomas leads the MW & ranks 23rd in the nation in K's (63).
Fresno State vs. Air Force - The Series
• Fresno State and Air Force have met 32 times on the baseball diamond.
• The Bulldogs lead the all-time series with the Falcons 24-8.
• Fresno State won two of three games at Air Force (March 17-19) winning high-scoring affairs 10-8 and 15-7.
• The 'Dogs are 20-5 against AFA since joining the MW going 12-0 at home & 8-5 on the road.
• Fresno State won all six contests over Air Force in the regular season in 2016, but fell in the Mountain West Tournament to the Falcons 9-7.
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Fresno State 24-8
Last Meeting: March 19, 2017 (USAFA, Colo.) - W, 15-7
Current Streak: W2
Last Fresno State Win: March 19, 2017 (15-7) - USAFA, Colo.
Last Air Force Win: March 17, 2017 (14-5) - USAFA, Colo.
Where Fresno State Ranks Offensively in the Mountain West in 2017 (as of 4/12/17)
• .288 Batting Average: No. 5 [Leader, AFA - .333]
• .422 Slugging Pct: No. 5 [Leader, AFA .507]
• .363 On base Pct: No. 5 [Leader, UNM - .410]
• 28 sacrifice bunts: No. 2 [Leader, NEV - 35]
• 195 Runs: No. 5 [Leader, UNM - 263]
• 334 Hits: No. 5 [Leader, UNLV - 387]
• 179 RBI: No. 5 [Leader, UNM - 236]
• 65 Doubles: No. 5 [Leader, AFA - 87]
• 12 Triples: No. T-1 [20th nationally]
• 22 Home Runs: No. 4 [Leader, UNM- 30]
Where Fresno State Ranks Pitching in the Mountain West in 2017 (as of 4/12/17) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• 5.52 ERA: No. 4 [Leader, SDSU - 3.16]
• .271 Opposing bat average: No. 2 [Leader, SDSU - .257]
• 7 saves: No. 2 [Leader, SDSU - 11]
• 264 strikeouts: No. 1
• 181 Earned runs allowed: No. 4 [Leader, SDSU - 107]
• 310 Hits allowed: No. 3 [Leader, SDSU - 291]
• 174 walks allowed: No. 7 [Leader, SDSU - 103]
• 53 doubles allowed: No. 1
• 5 triples allowed: No. 2 [Leader, SDSU - 4]
• 17 home runs allowed: No. 2 [Leader, UNM - 15]
Where Fresno State Ranks Fielding in the Mountain West in 2017 (as of 4/12/17) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• .963 Fielding Percentage: No. 7 [Leader, SDSU .982]
• 375 Assists: No. 3 [Leader, UNLV- 397]
• 39 double plays: No. 2 [Leader, SDSU 43]
Where Fresno State Players Rank in the Mountain West/NCAA in 2017 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Batting Average: Aaron Arruda - 9th (.351)
Slugging percentage: Arruda - 7th (.573)
RBI: Arruda - T-3rd (32)
Runs: Scott Silva - T-8th (29)
Doubles: Jared Akins - 5th (13) ; Jesse Medrano - T-6th (12)
Triples: Austin Guibor - T-2nd (3)Â
Total bases: Arruda - T-5th (75)
Sacrifice bunts: Â Korby Batesole & Medrano- T-2nd (7)Â
[28th nationally]
ERA: Ricky Tyler Thomas - 4th (3.81)
Opposing batting average: Thomas - 1st (.228)
Innings pitched: Thomas & Rickey Ramirez - T-3rd (52.0)Â
Strikeouts: Thomas - 1st (63) (23rd in the nation)
          Ramirez - 4th (43)
Hits allowed: Thomas -5th (45)
Doubles allowed: Thomas & Ramirez - T-3rd (7)
Saves: Edgar Gonzalez - T-2nd (4)
Taking a look at the Air Force Falcons                                     Â
Air Force is 14-17 on the season with a 4-11 mark in the Mountain West. Since taking one of three games over the 'Dogs at home March 17-19, the Falcons are 5-6 and are coming off a series win at home over UNLV last weekend.
The Falcons, who are 4-10 on the road, lead the nation in batting average hitting .333 from the plate as a team and feature seven players with a .300 batting average or better. Â Air Force leads the nation in doubles (87) and sits atop the Mountain West in slugging percentage (.507) and total bases (569) while checking in second in hits (374), home runs (28), on-base percentage (.508), runs (241) and scoring (7.8 runs per game).
Junior infielder Tyler Zabojnik leads the team and ranks second in the MW with a .397 average. Zabojnik and senior infielder Bradley Haslam lead the conference with 52 hits apiece and the duo along with senior outfielder Adam Groesbeck each have 15 doubles apiece.
Haslam leads the MW in runs (36) and RBIs (36), while Zabojnik leads the league with 86 total bases. As prolific as the offense has been so far this season, the Falcons pitching staff has not had as much luck with a 7.24 ERA as a staff.Â
Air Force has allowed 247 runs in 31 games for an average of eight runs a game for their opponents. The Falcons have a 1.52 strikeout-to-walk ratio with 224 strikeouts to 147 walks while opponents are hitting .331 from the plate.
The weekend rotation of left-handers Jacob DeVries and Ethan Nichols to go along with right-hander Matt Hargreaves are a combined 7-6 on the season and have started 18 games. Hargreaves, who is 1-3, leads the team in innings pitched (45.0) & strikeouts (44). DeVries and Nichols each have three wins apiece to lead the team.
Fresno State vs. Air Force in Fresno
2013 - 6-0 (W, 9-4; W, 8-5; W, 7-0; W, 8-6; W, 5-3; W, 6-4)
2014 - 3-0 (W, 8-1; W, 6-1; W, 11-1)
2016 - 3-0 (W, 14-1; W, 6-3; W, 5-1)
The 'Dogs are a perfect 12-0 at home over Air Force since joining the Mountain West in 2013, including a 11-0 mark in the regular season. The Bulldogs swept the Falcons at home last year exploding for a 12-run third inning in the series opener to ease to a 14-1 win.Â
Fresno State outscored Air Force 25-3 in 2014 in a three-game sweep and defeated the Falcons six times at home in 2013 winning a five-game series in mid-April and won a game in the Mountain West Tournament hosted by Fresno State.
Arruda matches career-high with four RBIs in 'Dogs 7-6 loss to San Francisco
Junior first baseman Aaron Arruda went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and an RBI single in the 'Dogs 7-6 defeat to San Francisco on Tuesday. Â Arruda leads the team with six home runs, 32 RBIs and a .351 average to go along with 46 hits and 75 total bases.
Double trouble
The 'Dogs have turned 39 double plays this season to rank 12th in the nation and have already matched the number of double plays in 2016.
Six Bulldog pitchers combine for first shutout of 2017
Senior Dominic Topoozian got his second career start on Wednesday and needed only 26 pitches to retire eight batters before giving way to Fred Schlichtholz, Adam Medrano, Ryan Jensen, Rickey Ramirez and Ricky Tyler Thomas to shutout Sacramento State and limit the Hornets to six hits.
Fresno State Baseball set to retire Fibber Hirayama #3 jersey on April 30
The 'Dogs will retire their ninth player jersey in program history on April 30 when legendary Bulldog Fibber Hirayama will see his #3 jersey retired in a pregame ceremony. The Bulldogs will wear their retro Fresno Athletic Club jerseys against San Jose State in honor of Hirayama who played at Fresno State from 1950-52.
Batesole within six wins of #500 at Fresno State
Fresno State head coach Mike Batesole sits at 494 wins at Fresno State and 750 in his career. He is six victories shy of his 500th at Fresno State and will become only the third coach to reach that milestone joining Pete Beiden and Bob Bennett. The earliest he can reach that milestone is April 22 at Nevada.
Up next:Â The Bulldogs are back on the road next week to take on Pacific (12-18) on Wednesday at 6 p.m. before traveling to Nevada (9-25) for a three-game series in Reno.
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