Diamond 'Dogs face Gauchos Wednesday for Community Benefit Night

Wednesday, February 28

Fresno, CA

6:05 PM

Fresno State

UC Santa Barbara

Photo by: Keith Kountz/Fresno St

Diamond 'Dogs face Gauchos Wednesday for Community Benefit Night

2/27/2018 2:00:00 PM | Baseball

Fresno State Notes (PDF)UCSB Notes (PDF)

Hosting UC Santa Barbara for the first time since 2014, the Fresno State baseball team closes out a five-game homestand on Wednesday night at 6:05 p.m. squaring off against the Gauchos at Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium.

By: Travis Blanshan / Assistant Director of Communications

FRESNO, Calif. - Hosting UC Santa Barbara for the first time since 2014, the Fresno State baseball team closes out a five-game homestand on Wednesday night at 6:05 p.m. squaring off against the Gauchos at Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium.

Game 10: UC Santa Barbara (2-5, 0-0 Big West) at Fresno State (7-2, 0-0 MW)

First Pitch: Feb. 28 - Wed: 6:05 p.m.
Stadium: Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium
Surface: Grass
Dimensions: 330 (LF), 400 (CF), 330 (RF)
All-Time Series: Fresno State leads 51-41
Last Meeting: UC Santa Barbara won 7-2 on Feb. 21, 2018 in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Radio: AM 940 ESPN
Play-by-play: Paul Loeffler
Video: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: Sidearm
Twitter: @FresnoStateBSB

Pitching Probable: Fresno State vs. UCSB
Wednesday: Fr. LHP Nikoh Mitchell (1-0, 4.32, 8.1 IP, 7 K) vs. Jr. RHP Luke Andrews (1-0, 1.12, 8.0 IP, 6 K)

Promotions: COMMUNITY BENEFIT NIGHT!
Wednesday

We will be honoring local community benefit organizations throughout the game.
Habitat for Humanity and Sierra Foothill Conservancy will have information tables near the main entrance during pre-game.
First Pitch: Matthew Grundy, CEO of Habitat for Humanity, Fresno

Bulldog Headlines
• The Bulldogs wrap up a five-game homestand on Wednesday night hosting UC Santa Barbara for Community Benefit Night.
• The 'Dogs are currently riding a three-game winning streak after winning the final three games of a four-game series vs. Houston Baptist last weekend.
• Fresno State has now matched its third-best start after nine games under Coach Batesole matching 2014 (7-2) and only surpassed by 2011 (8-1) and 2016 (9-0).
• Junior RHP Edgar Gonzalez, a Preseason All-Mountain West selection, was named the Mountain West Pitcher of the Week for a second consecutive week after tossing a career-high eight innings allowing three hits, all singles, zero earned run while striking out a career-best 17 in a 3-2 win over HBU on Feb. 24.
• This will be the first of seven midweek games the 'Dogs host this season; all against opponents from California.
• The 'Dogs currently lead the Mountain West in sacrifice bunts (10) and wins (7) while ranking second in batting average (.281), double plays (8), double plays (17), hits (85), home runs (7), slugging percentage (.426) and strikeouts (91)
• Junior outfielder Zach Ashford currently leads the MW in doubles (4) and ranks second in average (.500) and on-base percentage (.533).

Fresno State vs. UC Santa Barbara - The Series
• Wednesday's game against the Gauchos will be the second meeting vs. UCSB over the last week after the 'Dogs visited UC Santa Barbara last Wednesday falling 7-2 at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
• The Gauchos have now won eight straight games in the series dating back to Feb. 15, 2013.
• This will be UCSB's first visit to Fresno since 2014 when the Gauchos won 5-4 in 10 innings.
• Fresno State leads the all-time series 51-40.
• The 'Dogs are 4-13 under Coach Batesole against UCSB with a 2-6 record at home with wins in 2005 (5-4) and 2013 (8-1).

Where Fresno State Ranked Offensively in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 2/27/18)
• .281 Batting Average: No. 2
• .426 Slugging Pct: No. 2
• .341 On base Pct: No. 5
• 10 sacrifice bunts: No. 1 - 1st nationally
• 34 Runs: No. 4
• 85 Hits: No. 2 - 18th nationally
• 34 RBI: No. 4
• 17 Doubles: No. 2 - 27th nationally
• 3 Triple: No. 4
• 7 Home Runs: No. 2

Where Fresno State Ranked Pitching in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 2/27/18)
• 3.07 ERA: No. 4
• .223 Opposing bat average: No. 3
• 4 saves: No. T-1
• 91 strikeouts: No. 2
• 28 Earned runs allowed: No. 4
• 65 Hits allowed: No. 3
• 33 walks allowed: No. 5
• 10 doubles allowed: No. 4
• 0 triples allowed: No. T-1
• 6 home runs allowed: No. 6

Where Fresno State Ranked Fielding in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 2/27/18)
• .983 Fielding Percentage: No. 4
• 95 Assists: No. 1
• 8 double plays: No. 2

Where Fresno State Players Ranked in the Mountain West/NCAA in 2018 (as of 2/27/18)
Batting average - Zach Ashford - 2nd (.500) - 26th nationally
RBI: Carter Bins - 3rd (11)
Hits: Ashford & Bins - T-3rd (14) - 23rd nationally
Doubles: Bins, Ashford & Tatum - T-1st (4)
Home runs: Arruda - T-3rd (4)
Sacrifice bunts: Korby Batesole - 1st (5) - 1st nationally

Earned run average: Ryan Jensen - 1st (0.00) - 1st nationally
Opposing batting average - Jensen - 3rd (.140)
Innings pitched: Edgar Gonzalez - 1st (16.0)
Strikeouts: Gonzalez - 1st (26) - 1st nationally
Wins: Gonzalez - T-1st (2) - 4th nationally
Saves: Jamison Hill - T-1st (2)

Junior RHP Edgar Gonzalez earns second consecutive Mountain West Pitcher of the Week honor
Gonzalez earned his second career Mountain West Pitcher of the Week honor after the Newark, Calif., native and Preseason All-Mountain West selection notched his second win of the season on Saturday evening in the second game of a doubleheader against Houston Baptist helping the Diamond 'Dogs complete a doubleheader sweep over the Huskies.

Gonzalez tossed a career-high eight innings in the 'Dogs 3-2 win limiting HBU to three hits, all singles, zero earned runs while striking out a career-high 17. Only allowing one baserunner past first base in his entire outing, Gonzalez struck out seven consecutive Huskies at one point with the final out of the third and struck out the side in the fourth and fifth innings. After giving up a pair of singles to start the sixth inning, Gonzalez retired the final nine HBU batters he faced, including six via the strikeout.

A look at the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
UCSB, coming off a 24-32 overall record in 2017 finished tied for eighth in the nine-team Big West, is off to a 2-5 start to 2018.

The Gauchos defeated the 'Dogs last Wednesday in its home opener for its first win and won one of three games at the Kleberg Bank Classic in Corpus Christi, Texas over the weekend defeating Nicholls State, 8-6 on Sunday after falling to Mississippi State, 7-4 and Texas Corpus-Christi, 2-1 on Saturday.

The Gauchos are hitting .227 from the plate as a team averaging 4.3 runs per game and 7.5 hits per game with redshirt junior Thomas Rowan leading the team hitting .400 with a double and four RBIs. Clay Fisher leads the team with 10 hits, three stolen bases and three runs scored.

On the mound, UCSB has posted a 4.88 ERA holding opponents to a .283 average from the plate while striking out 56 and only allowing 18 walks. Wednesday's starting pitcher, junior right-hander Luke Andrews, made his first career start last week against the 'Dogs tossing seven innings allowing four hits, one run and struck out four.

'Dogs off to a hot start
The Bulldogs are off to their third-best nine-game start to a season in the Batesole era, since 2003, matching its 7-2 start in 2014 and only surpassed by 2011 (8-1) and 2016 (9-0).

Ryan Jensen off to a dominating start
Sophomore right-hander Ryan Jensen has been lights out early in the season tossing 14.0 shutout innings while allowing only six hits, one double, while striking out 14 and holding opponents to a .140 average.

'Dogs leading the nation in sacrifice bunts
Playing a National League style of play this season, the 'Dogs have to manufacture runs in creative ways and one of those ways is through sacrifice bunts as the 'Dogs have 10 on the season to lead the nation. Senior shortstop Korby Batesole leads the club with five, also leading the country.

Up next
The 'Dogs open Mountain West play this weekend traveling to Las Vegas to take on the UNLV Rebels (7-1). The Bulldogs return home next week for four home games hosting San Francisco on Tuesday and MW foe New Mexico next Friday through Sunday.

Ten-year anniversary of the 2008 National Championship Team
On Saturday, April 14, Fresno State Athletics will honor the 2008 National Championship Wonderdogs prior to the Bulldogs' game vs. San Jose State as we encourage fans to help come out and honor one of Fresno State Athletics greatest team accomplishments in school history.

The first No. 4 regional seed ever to advance to the College World Series, the 'Dogs proved all the doubters wrong and upset a talented field and came back from a 1-0 deficit to defeat the Georgia Bulldogs in the final two games of the championship series for the title.

"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.

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