Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Gonzaga
Bulldogs close out the regular season on Monday hosting Gonzaga
5/21/2017 5:25:00 PM | Baseball
FRESNO, Calif. - After finishing out Mountain West play winning two out of three games at San Diego State over the weekend, the Fresno State baseball team returns home to wrap up the regular season on Monday night hosting WCC Co-Champion Gonzaga.
Game 55: Gonzaga (31-17, 19-7 WCC) at Fresno State (31-23, 18-12 MW)
First Pitch:Â May 22Â - Mon: 6:05 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 27-1
Last Meeting: Fresno State defeated Gonzaga 10-4 (Feb. 19, 2011 in Fresno, Calif.)
Radio:Â 790 AM ESPN2
Play-by-play:Â Paul Loeffler
Video: N/A
Live Stats:Â GoBulldogs.com
Twitter:Â @FresnoStateBSB
Bulldog Headlines
• Fresno State wraps up the regular season on Monday evening when West Coast Conference Co-Champion Gonzaga comes to Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium.
• The 'Dogs are coming off winning two of three games at San Diego State over the weekend to conclude Mountain West play with a 18-12 mark as the Bulldogs finished third in the conference.
• Fresno State will open the Mountain West Tournament hosted by regular season champion New Mexico at Santa Ana Star Field in Albuquerque on Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m. PT facing San Diego State who will enter the tournament as the number two seed.
• This year's senior class is coming down the home stretch of their careers and has won 126 games over their four years at Fresno State, won Mountain West championship in 2016 and have combined to play in 1,069 games in their Bulldog careers.
• This will be the Bulldogs first game against Gonzaga since opening up the 2011 season against the Zags in Fresno.
• The 'Dogs rank among the national leaders in hits (617), double plays (64), doubles (116), batting average (.311) and runs (395).
Fresno State vs. Gongaza - The Series                                                Â
• Fresno State and Gongaza have met 28 times with the 'Dogs leading the all-time meeting 27-1.
• The two teams have not met since 2011 when the Bulldogs opened up the season with a 10-4 win at home over the Bulldogs.
• The lone win for the 'Zags came in Fresno in 1999 when Gonzaga defeated the 'Dogs 9-1 in the Pepsi/Johnny Quick Classic.
• Twelve of the 28 meetings came over 1986-1988 & 1990 with a three-game series each season as the teams have never met more than twice in any other another season.
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Fresno State leads 27-1
Last Meeting: Feb. 19, 2011 - W, 10-4
Current Streak: W6
Last Fresno State Win: Feb. 19, 2011 (10-4) - Fresno, Calif.
Last Gongaza Win: March 8, 1999 (9-1) - Fresno, Calif.
Where Fresno State Ranks Offensively in the Mountain West in 2017 (as of 5/21/17) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• .311 Batting Average: No. 4 [Leader, AFA - .344]Â
• .481 Slugging Pct: No. 3 [Leader, AFA .556]Â
• .381 On base Pct: No. 4 [Leader, UNM - .421]
• 43 sacrifice bunts: No. 2 [Leader, NEV - 49]
• 395 Runs: No. 3 [Leader, UNM - 477]Â
• 617 Hits: No. 4 [Leader, AFA - 678]Â
• 365 RBI: No. 3 [Leader, UNM - 430]
• 116 Doubles: No. 4 [Leader, AFA - 153]Â
• 21 Triples: No. 1Â
• 60 Home Runs: No. 3 [Leader, AFA - 75]
Where Fresno State Ranks Pitching in the Mountain West in 2017 (as of 5/21/17) 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
• 5.59 ERA: No. 2 [Leader, SDSU - 3.86]
• .280 Opposing bat average: No. 2 [Leader, SDSU - .263]
• 15 saves: No. T-1
• 438 strikeouts: No. 1
• 304 Earned runs allowed: No. 2 [Leader, SDSU - 216]
• 533 Hits allowed: No. 2 [Leader, SDSU - 503]
• 269 walks allowed: No. 6 [Leader, SDSU - 167]
• 96 doubles allowed: No. 2 [Leader, SDSU - 86]
• 11 triples allowed: No. 1
• 37 home runs allowed: No. 1
Where Fresno State Ranks Fielding in the Mountain West in 2017 (as of 5/21/17) 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
• .971 Fielding Percentage: No. 4 [Leader, SDSU - .979]
• 592 Assists: No. 7 [Leader, SJSU - 636]
• 64 double plays: No. 1
A look at the Gonzaga Bulldogs
Much like the Diamond 'Dogs, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are equally as hot as the Zags come into Monday's contest winners of 14 of its last 17Â games dating back to April 13.
The Zags, who are currently on a four-game winning streak, are coming off a three-game series sweep over WCC foe BYU to win a share of the WCC regular season title. Gonzaga, who shared the regular season title with BYU and Loyola Marymount, will enter this week's WCC Tournament hosted in Stockton as the number one seed and will look to make back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament after making the field in 2016.
Gonzaga comes into Fresno hitting .276 as a team and averaging 5.5 runs and 9.6 hits per game. Seniors Sam Brown and Justin Jacobs lead the Zags from the dish hitting .322 and .321, respectively. Brown leads the team in hits (64), at-bats (199), triples (3) and is one of three Bulldogs with a team-leading three stolen bases. Jacobs leads the team with 11 doubles, while junior Tyler Frost leads the club in runs (37) and home runs (9).
As a pitching staff, the Bulldogs have a 3.45 ERA and a stellar 3.05 strikeout-to-walk ratio with 400 strikeouts to only 131 walks. Only allowing four runs per game, the Zags have held opponents below four runs in 30 of its 48 games on the year.
Monday's starter, redshirt sophomore left-hander Justin Blatner, will make his first start of the season after only appearing in two games this season tossing three innings with four strikeouts. He made seven appearances with two starts in 2016 going 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in 13.0 innings picking up 16 strikeouts.
Fresno State rolls into its regular season finale on Monday on fire                                      Â
Since defeating Nevada 27-5 on April 23, the Bulldogs have been red-hot going 13-3 over its last 16 games and have been putting up eye-popping offensive numbers.
As a team, the 'Dogs are hitting .351 from the plate and have racked up 79 extra-base hits in that span with 38 doubles, seven triples and 34 home runs. Junior first baseman Aaron Arruda, junior outfielder Jared Akins and senior second baseman Scott Silva are each hitting over .400 over that span and six 'Dogs who have started all 16 games are hitting north of .300. The Bulldogs are averaging 10.1 runs per game and have scored seven or more runs in 11 games.
'Dogs going for fourth straight season with 20-plus wins at home                                       Â
This year's senior class has won 85Â games at home in their four years and will look to cap off its fourth consecutive season with 20 or more wins at home with a win on Monday,
Arruda finishes the regular season as the Mountain West leader in RBIs                                  Â
After picking up three more RBIs on Saturday at SDSU, Arruda now has 64 on the season and will finish the season as the leader in that category in the Mountain West as all other Mountain West teams are done with regular season play. New Mexico's Carl Stajduhar is right behind Arruda with 63 and sits one home run in front of Arruda with 16.
Arruda continues climb up Bulldog home run lists
With a home run on Saturday in the 'Dogs 11-2 win over San Diego State, Arruda now has 15Â home runs in 2017 and 27Â in his career. His 15Â home runs on the season are currently tied for 15th all-time and are the most in a season since Dusty Robinson had 16 in 2011.Â
His 27 career long balls put him in a tie for 14th place all-time in program history with Steve Vondran and he can move into the top 10 all-time with three more home runs.
Silva sees 20-game hitting streak end on Thursday at SDSU                                        Â
Silva saw his 20-game hitting streak, where he hit .378 from with 34 hits, including nine doubles and five home runs, scored 23 runs and drove in 24 RBIs, end on Thursday at San Diego State. He rebounded on Friday to hit three singles and is currently hitting .319 from the dish on the season with 73 hits.
A look at the 'Dogs eight seniors                                       Â
Eight Bulldog seniors will play their final game at Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium on Monday night. The class has the most wins for a senior class with 126 since the 2013 class finished with 132.
2016 - 118; 2015 - 113; 2014 - 122; 2013 - 132; 2012 - 143; 2011 - 159
Mountain West Tournament on deck
After Monday's game, the 'Dogs will head to Albuquerque, New Mexico to Tuesday to participate in the 2017 Mountain West Tournament hosted by New Mexico starting Thursday afternoon. This will be the Bulldogs fifth MW Tournament since moving into the conference in 2013 and will be the second straight year it is hosted by the Lobos after UNM claimed the regular season title on Saturday.
The 'Dogs are 5-8 in MW Tournament games over the past four seasons and are 1-2 against the Aztecs who will they will face on Thursday.
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