Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
San Diego State
Diamond 'Dogs venture to San Diego State for lone series versus Aztecs
4/19/2018 2:00:00 PM | Baseball
After facing San Diego State nine times in 2017, the Diamond 'Dogs hit the road this weekend for their lone series of the season with the Aztecs traveling south to San Diego for a three-game Mountain West series.
Games 37-39: Fresno State (22-14, 8-10 MW) at San Diego State (24-13, 8-6 MW)
First Pitch: April 20-22 - Fri: 6:00 p.m.; Sat: 6:00 p.m.; Sun: 1:00 p.m.
Stadium: Tony Gwynn Stadium (3,000)
Surface: Grass
Dimensions: 340 (LF), 410 (CF), 340 (RF)
All-Time Series: Series tied 98-98
Last Meeting: San Diego State defeated Fresno State 5-3 (May 28, 2017 in MW Tournament Championship Game in Albuquerque, N.M.)
Radio: 940 AM ESPN
Play-by-play: Paul Loeffler
Video: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Twitter: @FresnoStateBSB
Bulldog Headlines
• The Diamond 'Dogs are coming off a 8-5 win over Saint Mary's at home on Tuesday night as redshirt senior Nick Warren smacked a fifth-inning grand slam to break open a 3-3 tie ball game.
• The 'Dogs hit the road this weekend for their fourth Mountain West road series of the season traveling south to San Diego to take on the Aztecs in the lone series of the regular season between the two programs.
• Fresno State & San Diego State met nine times in 2017 with the final meeting coming in the MW Tournament championship game as the Aztecs rallied for a 5-3 win.
• The Bulldogs are currently tied for 4th in the MW with Air Force as SDSU sits in 3rd.
• Fresno State Baseball honored the 10-year anniversary of the Wonderdogs 2008 National Championship run with an on-field ceremony last Sunday as 16 members of the team made their way back to Fresno for the special celebration.
• The Bulldogs currently lead the Mountain West in sacrifice bunts (30) while ranking second in home runs (36) and slugging percentage (.453).
• Junior OF Zach Ashford ranks fifth in the MW with a .367 batting average and is currently on a 38-game on-base streak for the 5th-longest active streak in Division I.
Fresno State vs. San Diego State - The Series
• Fresno State and San Diego State have met 196 times; the second-most played opponent for the Bulldogs trailing only San Jose State (253).
• The two teams met nine times in 2017 with the Aztecs winning two of three games in Fresno while the 'Dogs returned the favor winning two in San Diego to close out the regular season.
• The Bulldogs & Aztecs then met three times the following week in the 2017 MW Tournament splitting the first two meetings before squaring off with a MW Championship on the line as SDSU edged the 'Dogs, 5-3.
• Fresno State is 14-19 vs. SDSU since joining the MW in 2013 and 6-6 on the road.
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Tied 98-98
Last Meeting: May 28, 2017 - L, 5-3 (MW Tournament Championship Game in Albuquerque, N.M.)
Current Streak: L1
Last Fresno State Win: May 27, 2017 (12-1 in 7 innings) - MW Tournament in Albuquerque, N.M.
Last San Diego State Win: May 28, 2017 (5-3) - MW Tournament in Albuquerque, N.M.
Where Fresno State Ranks Offensively in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 4/19/18)
• .299 Batting Average: No. 3
• .453 Slugging Pct: No. 2
• .371 On base Pct: No. 4
• 30 sacrifice bunts: No. 1 - 19th nationally
• 217 Runs: No. 5
• 372 Hits: No. 4
• 200 RBI: No. 5
• 67 Doubles: No. 5
• 8 Triples: No. T-6
• 36 Home Runs: No. 2
Where Fresno State Ranks Pitching in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 4/19/18)
• 5.06 ERA: No. 4
• .268 Opposing bat average: No. 3
• 10 saves: No. T-4
• 311 strikeouts: No. 1
• 181 Earned runs allowed: No. 3
• 332 Hits allowed: No. 3
• 150 walks allowed: No. 5
• 56 doubles allowed: No. 2
• 9 triples allowed: No. 3
• 18 home runs allowed: No. 3
Where Fresno State Ranks Fielding in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 4/19/18)
• .967 Fielding Percentage: No. T-6
• 376 Assists: No. 3
• 37 double plays: No. T-4
Where Fresno State Players Rank in the Mountain West/NCAA in 2018 (as of 4/19/18)
Batting average: Zach Ashford - 5th (.367)
Hits: Ashford - T-9th (51)
Doubles: Bins- T-7th (12)
Home runs: Bins - T-4th (7)
RBIs: Bins - T-7th (34)
Sacrifice bunts: Korby Batesole - 1st (10) - 9th nationally
ERA: Jamie Arias - 1st (1.79)
Opposing Batting Average: Arias - 1st (.160)
Innings pitched: Gonzalez - 1st (60.0)
Strikeouts: Gonzalez - 1st (73) - 24th nationally
Wins: Gonzalez - 4th (5)
Saves: Jamison Hill - T-5th (5)
Appearances: Jaime Arias - T-5th (18)
Earned runs allowed: Arias - 1st (9)
Hits allowed: Arias -1st (25)
Walks allowed: Arias -1st (6)
A look at the San Diego State Aztecs
San Diego State enters this weekend's series with the Bulldogs with a 24-13 overall record and a 8-6 mark in Mountain West play as the Aztecs currently sit in third place in the league.
The Aztecs, who were selected second in the MW preseason poll after winning the MW Tournament and playing in the NCAA Tournament a season ago, are coming off a 3-2 win over CSUN on Tuesday after taking two out of three over Cal State Fullerton at home last weekend.
SDSU, who is 14-7 at home on the season, is hitting .301 as a team to rank second in the MW while ranking fourth in the league in scoring at 6.1 runs per game. The Aztecs have scored six or more runs in 15 games and are 13-2 in such games.
Junior first baseman Jordan Verdon leads the team and ranks fourth in the MW with a .373 average and leads the team in hits (53), doubles (18), RBIs (36) and total bases (88).
Five other Aztecs starters are hitting .300 or above as San Diego State ranks third in the MW in on-base percentage (.374), runs (226) & hits (388) while ranking fourth in slugging percentage (.438), doubles (74) and home runs (27).
On the mound, San Diego State leads the MW in ERA at 3.88 and opponents batting average (.252). The Aztecs are third in the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.13) as the team has combined for 298 strikeouts while allowing 140 walks and are allowing 5.0 runs per game.
Redshirt junior right-hander Garrett Hill has been a standout for the Aztecs on the mound so far this season leading the MW in wins (6), ranks third in ERA (2.47), fourth in strikeouts (52) & earned runs allowed (14) and fifth in innings pitched (51.0). Hill will face the 'Dogs Edgar Gonzalez on Saturday night in one of the top pitching matchups in the MW this season.
'Dogs at San Diego State since 2013
The Bulldogs are 6-6 against the Aztecs on the road since moving into the Mountain West in 2013 winning one game in 2013 and 2014 and winning two of three games in 2016 and 2017.
April 26-28, 2013 - W, 7-5; L, 8-10; L, 2-4
March 28-30, 2014 - L, 1-2; W, 6-4; L, 0-1
March 4-6, 2016- W, 3-2 (10); W, 10-5; L, 4-5
May 18-20, 2017 - W, 4-0; L, 3-13; W, 11-2
Ashford extends his on-base streak to 38 games
Junior outfielder Zach Ashford has reached base in all 34 games he has played in this season and has reached base in 38 straight games dating back to 2017. It currently ranks tied for the 5th-longest active streak in the country.
He is currently fifth in the Mountain West with a .367 average from the plate and leads the team with 51 hits (tied for 9th in MW). He has a base hit in 31 of the 34 games he has played in this season and has only struck out 12 times in 139 at-bats.
Diamond 'Dogs offense coming alive
Over the last 14 games, the 'Dogs are 9-5 hitting .342 from the plate as a team scoring 127 runs and totaling 182 hits with 54 (33 doubles, two triple and 19 home runs) going for extra-bases.
Nine Bulldogs have double-digit hits over that stretch led by 22 from Goldstein, and have added 21 from Nolan Dempsey while Jeremiah Burks and Ashford each have 20. JT Arruda has recorded 19 while Carter Bins has 17, Miles Tomczak (14) and Korby Batesole (14) & Zach Presno (13) round out the Bulldogs producing from the plate as those nine have combined for 160 of the 182 (87.9 percent) hits.
Ouch!
The 'Dogs currently lead the Mountain West and rank 12th in the nation in hit by pitchers as Bulldog pitchers have hit 56 batters. 12 of Fresno State's 13 pitchers have hit at least one batter with Isaiah Davis being the lone hurler not to hit a batter.
Diamond 'Dogs continue to smack the longball
The Bulldogs have hit at least one home run in 12 of their last 15 games with a season-high four against Long Beach State on March 30 in a 15-7 win. The 'Dogs have hit a home run in 25 of 36 games and the 36 home runs on the season rank 33rd in the nation.
Goldstein continues impressive run from the plate
After earning Mountain West Player of the Week & Fresno State Student-Athlete of the Week honors last week after going 9-for-13 on the week, Torin Goldstein had another impressive week going 10-for-16 in four games adding a double, home run, two runs scored and six RBIs.
Over his last nine games, dating back to March 30, the Irvine native has a hit in all nine games, multiple hits in seven outings, while combining to go 22-for-33 with five runs scored and 13 RBIs while making seven starts at first base.
Sacrificing for the team
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 30 on the season to lead the MW and rank 19th in the nation. Senior shortstop Korby Batesole leads the club and Mountain West with 10, ranking 9th 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, but did not make the semifinalists cut which was announced on Thursday.
Nevertheless, Bins is putting together a solid sophomore campaign as the Freshman All-American and the Co-Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2017, has played in all 36 games this season starting 35 while hitting .305 from the plate leading the team in at-bats (141), doubles (12), runs (29), home runs (7), RBI (34) and total bases (76) and ranks second in hits (43) and slugging percentage (.539).
Batesole closing in on 800 career wins
Head coach Mike Batesole continues to rack up the wins as he is closing in another milestone sitting only nine wins shy of 800 in his career. Now in his 16th season at the helm of the Bulldogs, Batesole has won 535 games at Fresno State and 256 at CSUN from 1996-2002. With eight more wins, Batesole will have his 13th season of at least 30 wins at Fresno State and 18th overall in his 22 years as a Division I head coach.
Up next
The 'Dogs return home to host CSUN (17-19) at Bob Bennett Stadium for the second time in two weeks on Tuesday night at 6:05 p.m.
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