Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
San Jose State
Bulldogs host San Jose State in pivotal MW series [April 28-30]
4/27/2017 2:30:00 PM | Baseball
The Bulldog baseball team returns home this weekend to host San Jose State and honor Fibber Hirayama on Sunday with his jersey retirement in a pre-game ceremony.
Games 41-43: San Jose State (14-24-1, 7-12-1 MW) at Fresno State (20-20, 9-9 MW)
First Pitch:Â April 28-30Â - Fri: 6:05 p.m., Sat: 6:05 p.m., Sun: 1:15 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 160-84
Last Meeting: San Jose State defeated Fresno State 7-5 in 12 innings (April 24, 2016 in Fresno, Calif.)
Radio:Â 790 AM ESPN2 (Fri. & Sun.) & 940 AM ESPN (Sat.)
Play-by-play:Â Paul Loeffler
Video:Â Mountain West Network (All three games)
Live Stats:Â GoBulldogs.com
Twitter:Â @FresnoStateBSB
Promotions
Friday:Â Student Athlete Night! Come out and help us celebrate our Fresno State student athletes!
Saturday:Â Club Sports Night &Â Youth Jersey Saturday! All kids wearing their youth jersey get in the game for FREE!
Sunday: Fibber Hirayama Jersey Retirement Day!
- Help us honor one of the greatest athletes Fresno State has ever seen as we retire his #3 jersey!
- Special pre-game ceremony to honor Fibber Hirayama will begin at 12:50 p.m.!
- Special Fibber Hirayama jersey replica shirts will be given away!Â
- Also will be Salute to Sunday as all military and veterans get into the game for FREE with ID!
Bulldog Headlines
• Fresno State return home this weekend for a three-game Mountain West series with San Jose State as this will be the lone series between the two programs this season.
• The 'Dogs are coming off a 2-3 five-game road swing that saw them win the final two games defeating Cal Poly 6-3 on Tuesday at Baggett Stadium and take the series finale at Nevada 27-5 in a blowout win over the Wolf Pack on Sunday.
• Junior first baseman Aaron Arruda matched single-game program highs for home runs with three and RBIs with nine while also setting career bests in hits (4) and runs (4). All nine starting position players had two-plus hits as 11 'Dogs had hits in the game and collectively the Bulldogs had nine extra-base hits (four double & five home runs).
• The Bulldogs currently rank 14th in the nation in double plays (42), 21st in hits (439), 26th in doubles (86) & 36th in batting average (.299).
• Fresno State leads the Mountain West in strikeouts per nine innings (8.1).
• Arruda ranks 21st in the nation in total bases (101), 23rd in hits (63), 29th in RBIs (46), & 32nd in batting average (.389) and slugging percentage (.660).Â
• Junior LHP Ricky Tyler Thomas ranks second in the MW in strikeouts (67).
Fresno State vs. San Jose State - The Series
• Fresno State leads the all-time series over San Jose State 160-84.
• SJSU is the most commonly played opponent for the 'Dogs with 244 games between the two schools.
• The Bulldogs downed the Spartans in two of three games in San Jose last year & returned home to win the first two games of the series in Fresno before dropping the series finale 7-5 in 12 innings.
• The 'Dogs are 5-1 at home against SJSU since the Spartans joined the MW in 2014 sweeping the three-game series in 2015 and winning two of three contests in 2016.
• Head coach Mike Batesole is 44-24 against San Jose State as the head coach at Fresno State.
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Fresno State 160-84
Last Meeting: April 24, 2016 (Fresno, Calif.) - L, 7-5 (12)
Current Streak: L1
Last Fresno State Win: April 23, 2016 (8-6) - Fresno, Calif.Â
Last San Jose State Win: April 24, 2016 Â (7-5) (12) - Fresno, Calif.
Where Fresno State Ranks Offensively in the Mountain West in 2017 (as of 4/27/17) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• .299 Batting Average: No. 5 [Leader, AFA - .335]
• .443 Slugging Pct: No. 5 [Leader, AFA .523]
• .373 On base Pct: No. 4 [Leader, UNM - .421]
• 32 sacrifice bunts: No. 2 [Leader, NEV - 40]
• 266 Runs: No. 4 [Leader, UNM - 369]
• 439 Hits: No. 5 [Leader, AFA - 490]
• 245 RBI: No. 4 [Leader, UNM - 335]
• 86 Doubles: No. 4 [Leader, AFA - 112]
• 15 Triples: No. 4 [Leaders, AFA, UNLV & UNM - 16]
• 32 Home Runs: No. 5 [Leader, AFA - 44]
Where Fresno State Ranks Pitching in the Mountain West in 2017 (as of 4/27/17) 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
• 5.73 ERA: No. 3 [Leader, SDSU - 3.39]
• .275 Opposing bat average: No. 2 [Leader, SDSU - .254]
• 10 saves: No. 2 [Leader, SDSU - 13]
• 329 strikeouts: No. 1
• 233 Earned runs allowed: No. 5 [Leader, SDSU - 141]
• 391 Hits allowed: No. 2 [Leader, SDSU - 355]
• 211 walks allowed: No. 7 [Leader, SDSU - 125]
• 69 doubles allowed: No. 2 [Leader, SDSU - 67]
• 7 triples allowed: No. 1Â
• 26 home runs allowed: No. 1
Where Fresno State Ranks Fielding in the Mountain West in 2017 (as of 4/27/17) 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
• .968 Fielding Percentage: No. 4 [Leader, SDSU .980]
• 448 Assists: No. 6 [Leader, SDSU- 477]
• 46 double plays: No. 2 [Leader, SDSU 49]
Where Fresno State Players Rank in the Mountain West/NCAA in 2017 (as of 4/27/17) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Batting Average: Aaron Arruda - 3rd (.389)
Slugging percentage: Arruda - 3rd (.660)
RBI: Arruda - T-3rd (46)
Runs: Jesse Medrano - 10th (37)
Doubles: Jared Akins - 6th (15)
Triples: Austin Guibor - T-3rd (3)Â
Home runs: Arruda - 3rd (10)
Total bases: Arruda - 3rd (107)
Sacrifice bunts: Â Korby Batesole - T-1st (8)Â
ERA: Ricky Tyler Thomas - 6th (4.03)
Opposing batting average: Thomas - 1st (.242)
Innings pitched: Rickey Ramirez - 2nd (65.2)Â
Strikeouts: Thomas - 2nd (67)
         Ramirez - 3rd (53)
Hits allowed: Fred Schlichtholz - 1st (38)
           Edgar Gonzalez - 2nd (39)
Earned runs allowed: Gonzalez -2nd (19)
Doubles allowed: Gonzalez - 1st (5)
Saves: Gonzalez - 3rd (4)
Taking a look at the San Jose State Spartans
San Jose State brings a 14-24-1 overall mark with a 7-12-1 record in the Mountain West into this weekend's series coming off a 6-5 win at home over Saint Mary's on Tuesday, but were swept at home last weekend against Air Force.
The Spartans, who are only 2-17 on the road this season, are 1-8 in Mountain West road contests getting swept at New Mexico and San Diego State and won once at Nevada.
SJSU is hitting .265 from the plate as a team to rank last in the Mountain West and is averaging 4.5 runs per game scoring 175 runs in 39 games. The Spartans rank third in the MW in sacrifice bunts with 31 and lead the conference with 48 stolen bases. Nearly 20 percent of the Spartans' base hits have gone for extra-bases as SJSU checks in with 50 doubles, seven triples and 11 home runs.
Freshman outfielder Kellen Strahm leads the team with a .319 average from the plate and tops the Mountain West with 15 stolen bases. Junior infielder Shane Timmons has started all 39 games leading the club in RBIs (29), slugging percentage (.423) and total bases (63). Sophomore infielder Aaron Pleschner is right behind Strahm hitting .318 and has a team-high 48 hits, 25 runs scored and two triples.
On the mound, the Spartans have a 5.90 ERA to rank fifth in the Mountain West while ranking third in the conference in strikeouts per nine innings (7.1) and are fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.58).Â
SJSU is allowing 6.6 runs per game and 10.3 hits per game while opponents are hitting .296 from the dish against them on the season.
The weekend rotation of right-handers Matt Brown and Jake Swiech have combined to start 18 games as Brown leads the team in wins (3), innings pitched (52.1) and strikeouts (48) while Swiech leads the team in ERA (5.11).
Junior Josh Goldberg leads the Spartans with three saves while sophomore left-hander Zach Wallace is 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 22 appearances.Â
Fresno State Baseball set to retire Fibber Hirayama #3 jersey on Sunday
The 'Dogs will retire their ninth player jersey in program history on Sunday when legendary Bulldog Satoshi "Fibber" Hirayama will see his #3 jersey retired in a pregame ceremony.Â
The Bulldogs will wear their retro Fresno Athletic Club jerseys against the Spartans in honor of Hirayama who played at Fresno State from 1950-52.
Fibber will join fellow players Augie Garrido (#1), Tom Goodwin (#1), Terry Pendleton (#8), Dick Ruthven (#17), Bill Clevenger (#18), Jimy Williams (#22), Bobby Jones (#23) & Mark Gardner (#28) and coaches Pete Beiden (#2) and Bob Bennett (#26) among former Bulldogs with retired numbers.
Batesole two wins shy of #500 at Fresno State
Fresno State head coach Mike Batesole sits at 498 wins at Fresno State and 754 in his career. He is two 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. With two wins this weekend, Fresno State will become only a handful of programs with three head coaches who have won 500 or more games at that school.
1. North Carolina - Walter Rabb - 540, Mike Roberts - 780, Mike Fox - 830*
2. Arizona State - Bobby Winkles - 524, Jim Brock  1,099, Pat Murphy - 585
3. Oregon State - Ralph Coleman - 561, Jack Riley - 613, Pat Casey - 821*
4. California - Clint Evans - 547, Bob Milano - 688, Dave Esquer - 519*
5. Fresno State - Pete Beiden - 602, Bob Bennett - 1,302, Mike Batesole - 498*
*active head coaches
Five Bulldog pitchers limit Cal Poly to four hits on Tuesday in a 6-3 win
JJ Santa Cruz, Ryan Jensen, Mark Reece, Fred Schlichtholz and Dominic Topoozian combined to toss a four-hitter against Cal Poly on Tuesday as the four hits were the second-fewest hits allowed this season by the 'Dogs trailing only the March 22 vs. Pepperdine and at New Mexico on April 2 contests that saw the Bulldogs only allow three hits.
Bulldogs explode for 27 runs on Sunday in blowout win over Nevada
Despite winning only one game last week, the Bulldogs made their one win count as they found their offensive punch on Sunday pushing across 27 runs on 25 hits in a 27-5 defeat of the Wolf Pack. It was the most runs scored since Feb. 27, 2005 when the 'Dogs pushed across 26 in a shutout win over Chicago State. The last time the 'Dogs had 27 or more runs came nearly 35 years to the day as the 'Dogs defeated Nevada 29-5 on April 24, 1982.
All nine position players who started the game finished with two or more hits as 11 different 'Dogs had hits. The Bulldogs finished with nine extra-base hits as it was the second game this season with five home runs and the seventh game with four or more doubles.
Arruda puts together historic afternoon against the Wolf Pack            Â
Junior first baseman Aaron Arruda finished Sunday's game a perfect 4-for-4 with three home runs, nine RBIs, four runs scored and four hits. It was the first time a 'Dogs has hit three home runs in a game since Brian Lapin in 2007 and the nine RBIs matched a program single-game best set by Josh Hannah in 1998.
On the week, Arruda hit .625 (10-16) with a double, three home runs, six runs scored, 11 RBIs and 20 total bases. He had a 1.250 slugging percentage and put together three multi-hit games as he leads the team in that category with 22.
Thomas picks up first win since March 3 on Sunday               Â
Junior southpaw Ricky Tyler Thomas, a first-team All-MW selection in 2016, picked up his first win since March 3 on Sunday tossing 6.0 innings and struck out four in the 'Dogs 27-5 win at Nevada.
Double trouble
The 'Dogs have turned 46 double plays this season to rank 12th in the nation and have already surpassed the total number of double plays in 2016 (39).
Goldstein hits first career home run
Junior Torin Goldstein smacked his first career long ball on Sunday with a two-run shot to left field in the ninth inning and he added two runs scored.
Reece picks up second career save against former mates
Senior relief pitcher Mark Reece earned his first save of the season and second of his career on Sunday tossing the final three innings in relief of Thomas allowing two hits, one run and matched his career-high with four strikeouts. Reece spent his freshman season in 2013 playing for the Wolf Pack under longtime Nevada head coach Gary Powers before transferring to Fresno State in 2014.
Up next: The 'Dogs are back on the road next week with a midweek contest at UC Riverside on Wednesday before traveling to UNLV for a three-game weekend series against the Rebels.
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