Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
UC Riverside
Diamond 'Dogs continue Spring Break homestand hosting UC Riverside Tuesday
3/26/2018 4:00:00 PM | Baseball
The Diamond 'Dogs continue their seven-game Spring Break homestand on Tuesday night hosting Big West opponent UC Riverside at Bob Bennett Stadium for High School Night.
Game 24: UC Riverside (10-9, 0-0 Big West) at Fresno State (13-10, 4-8 MW)
First Pitch: March 27 - Tue: 6:05 p.m.
Stadium: Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium
Surface: Grass
Dimensions: 330 (LF), 400 (CF), 330 (RF)
All-Time Series: Series tied at 3-3
Last Meeting: Fresno State won 7-5 at UCR on May 3, 2017 in Riverside, Calif.
Radio: N/A
Play-by-play: N/A
Video: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: Sidearm
Twitter: @FresnoStateBSB
Promotions
TUESDAY: High School Night
- High school students get in FREE with a valid ID!
• The 'Dogs continue their seven-game homestand over Spring Break hosting Big West foe UC Riverside on Tuesday night.
• The Bulldogs are 3-3 all-time against the Highlanders after four meetings in 2017 as the two teams each won two games apiece.
• Fresno State is coming off winning one of three games at home over Nevada last weekend defeating the Wolf Pack 5-4 on Saturday night in comeback fashion.
• This will be the 'Dogs first midweek contest in three weeks (March 6) after the last two weeks have been cancelled due to rain.
• The 'Dogs currently lead the Mountain West in sacrifice bunts (21) while ranking second in home runs (20).
• Jr. RHP Edgar Gonzalez leads the MW and ranks 17th in the nation in strikeouts (53).
• Freshman southpaw Jaime Arias leads the MW in opposing batting average (.160), hits allowed (15) and walks allowed (4).
• Junior OF Zach Ashford ranks third in the MW with a .395 batting average and is currently on a 25-game on-base streak.
• Sophomore catcher Carter Bins leads the team in doubles (8), runs (17), RBI (18), at-bats (94), home runs (5) and total bases (51).
Fresno State vs. UC Riverside - The Series
• Fresno State and UC Riverside have met six times with four of those meetings coming last season as the 'Dogs won one of three games in Fresno before winning 7-5 in Riverside.
• The lone game won by the Bulldogs was won 5-4 in bizarre fashion as a potential game-tying home run was reversed after the batter who hit the longball passed a teammate on the basepaths.
• The two teams also played a memorable 18-inning contest that saw the 'Dogs fall 4-3 in 18 innings while setting a program record for strikeouts as Bulldog pitchers combined to strike out 29 Highlanders.
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Series tied 3-3
Last Meeting: May 3, 2017 (Riverside, Calif.) - W, 7-5
Current Streak: W2
Last Fresno State Win: May 3, 2017 (7-5) - Riverside, Calif.
Last UC Riverside Win: Feb. 25, 2017 (6-4) - Fresno, Calif.
Where Fresno State Ranks Offensively in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 3/26/18)
• .274 Batting Average: No. 6
• .420 Slugging Pct: No. 5
• .338 On base Pct: No. 7
• 21 sacrifice bunts: No. 1 - 14th nationally
• 102 Runs: No. 7
• 208 Hits: No. 5
• 93 RBI: No. 7
• 38 Doubles: No. T-5
• 6 Triples: No. 6
• 20 Home Runs: No. 2
Where Fresno State Ranks Pitching in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 3/26/18)
• 4.08 ERA: No. 2
• .242 Opposing bat average: No. 1
• 8 saves: No. T-2
• 216 strikeouts: No. 1
• 92 Earned runs allowed: No. 3
• 185 Hits allowed: No. 2
• 94 walks allowed: No. 5
• 33 doubles allowed: No. 2
• 3 triples allowed: No. 3
• 11 home runs allowed: No. 3
Where Fresno State Ranks Fielding in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 3/26/18)
• .969 Fielding Percentage: No. 5
• 239 Assists: No. 4
• 21 double plays: No. T-5
Batting average: Zach Ashford - 3rd (.395)
Hits: Ashford - T-7th (32)
Doubles: Bins- T-6th (8)
Home runs: Bins & JT Arruda - T-4th (5)
Sacrifice bunts: Korby Batesole - 1st (8) - 4th nationally
ERA: Jamie Arias - 2nd (1.65)
Opposing Batting Average: Arias - 1st (.160)
Innings pitched: Gonzalez - 3rd (41.0)
Strikeouts: Gonzalez - 1st (53) - 17th nationally
Wins: Gonzalez - T-3rd (4)
Saves: Jamison Hill - T-2nd (5)
Appearances: Ryan Sullivan - T-4th (12)
Earned runs allowed: Arias - T-1st (5)
Hits allowed: Arias -1st (15)
Walks allowed: Arias -1st (4)
A look at the UC Riverside Highlanders
UC Riverside enters Tuesday's game with a 10-9 overall record in 2018 and a 2-3 mark on the road. The Highlanders are coming off a bye weekend and have not played since splitting a doubleheader at Nevada on March 18.
The Highlanders, who were selected eighth in the Big West presason poll, are hitting .250 from the plate as a team to rank seventh in the nine-team Big West.
UCR averages 4.4 runs per game to rank sixth in the league in scoring while ranking fourth in the conference in home runs (10), fifth in stolen bases (9) and seventh in slugging percentage (.343).
Redshirt senior shortstop Colby Schultz leads the team with a .351 average from the plate, fourth-best in the Big West, while leading the team in at-bats (74), hits (26), runs (16), total bases (32), slugging percentage (.432) & on-base percentage (.422).
On the mound, the Highlanders have a team ERA of 3.47, second-best in the Big West, while ranking seventh in the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.02) as UCR has 125 strikeouts compared to 62 walks.
UC Riverside is holding opponents to a .266 average from the plate and 4.1 runs per game. The Highlanders have been led by freshman right-hander Cole Percival who has a 3-1 record with a 2.27 ERA in five starts.
2018 BIG WEST PRESEASON COACHES POLL
Team Rank (1st-place votes) Points
1. Cal State Fullerton (6) 73
2. Long Beach State (2) 65
3. Cal Poly 64
4. UC Santa Barbara 49
5. CSUN 48
6 UC Irvine (1) 43
7. Hawai'i 27
8. UC Riverside 26
9. UC Davis 10
Ashford on a 25-game on-base streak
Junior outfielder Zach Ashford started the season collecting a hit in the first 17 games he played in before going 0-for-4 in game two of a doubleheader at San Jose State on March 18.
The Clovis native has reached base in all 21 games he has played in this season and dating back to 2017, has reached base in 25 straight games.
He is currently second in the Mountain West with a .420 average from the plate, tied for seventh in hits (32) and is eighth in on-base percentage (.456).
'Dogs in plenty of close contests so far in 2018
The Bulldogs have found themselves in plenty of close contests so far in 2018 posting a 8-4 record in one-run games and a 8-5 mark in one or two run games.
2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013
1-Run Games 8-4 5-7 11-9 8-12 7-10 5-7
1 or 2 Runs Games 8-5 8-10 16-13 13-12 14-15 12-14
- 12 of 23 games (52.2%) decided by one run leads the nation.
- 13 of 23 games (56.5%) decided by one or two runs.
Bulldogs lead the Mountain West 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 21 on the season to lead the MW.
Senior shortstop Korby Batesole leads the club and Mountain West with eight, ranking fifth in the country.
Carter Bins named to Johnny Bench Award Watch List
Sophomore catcher Carter Bins was named to the 2018 Johnny Bench Award Watch List on March 6 given annually to the top Division I collegiate catcher.
A Freshman All-American and the Co-Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2017, Bins is off to a great start to his sophomore season starting all 23 games hitting .298 from the plate leading the team in at-bats (94), doubles (8), runs (17), home runs (5), RBI (18) and total bases (51) and ranking second in hits (28).
Edgar Gonzalez leads the Mountain West in strikeouts
Two-time Mountain West Pitcher of the Week, junior Edgar Gonzalez currently leads the Mountain West with 53 strikeouts and is third in innings pitched (41.0) and wins (4), seventh in opposing batting average (,231)and eighth in ERA (2.83).
Ten-year anniversary of the 2008 National Championship Team
On Sunday, April 15, 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.
The 'Dogs conclude their seven-game homestand over Spring Break this weekend welcoming another Big West opponent to town as Long Beach State (10-14) comes to Fresno for a three-game series starting Thursday night at 6:05 p.m.
"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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