Fresno State Athletics
Tuesday, May 1
Fresno, CA
6:05 PM
Fresno State
vs
Pepperdine
Photo by: Kiel Maddox
Diamond 'Dogs open month of May hosting Pepperdine on Tuesday
4/30/2018 1:00:00 PM | Baseball
After winning three of four games last week, the Diamond 'Dogs open the month of May hosting WCC foe Pepperdine on Tuesday night at Bob Bennett Stadium for National Principals' Day.
FRESNO, Calif. - After winning three of four games last week, the Diamond 'Dogs open the month of May hosting WCC foe Pepperdine on Tuesday night at Bob Bennett Stadium for National Principals' Day.
Tuesday: Fr. LHP Nikoh Mitchell (3-2, 3.76 ERA, 38.1 IP, 34 K) vs. RJr. RHP Christian Stoutland (3-2, 4.30 ERA, 46.0 IP, 32 K)
Promotion: National Principals' Day
- We will be honoring all local elementary school principals & all School District Employees get in FREE!
- First Pitch: Edith Navarro, Principal at Kings Canyon Middle School (most nominated principal)
Bulldog Headlines
• Fresno State begins the month of May wrapping up a five-game homestand hosting Pepperdine on Tuesday night.
• The Bulldogs are coming off a 3-1 week that saw them win the lone series of the season against Air Force taking two of three games against the Falcons over the weekend and took the midweek game with a 8-2 victory over CSUN.
• The 'Dogs are 41-28 all-time against Pepperdine having split a pair of games in 2017 with the Waves winning 8-7 in 12 innings in a game suspended due to darkness in Malibu and later finished in Fresno with the 'Dogs winning 5-2 in Fresno.
• With the pair of wins over Falcons, the 'Dogs are now 20-9 at home securing their fifth straight season with 20+ wins at home and for the 13th time in Coach Batesole's 16 seasons at Fresno State.
• The Bulldogs currently lead the Mountain West in sacrifice bunts (37) while ranking second in home runs (40) and are third in slugging percentage (.452).
• Junior OF Zach Ashford ranks fifth in the MW with a .359 batting average and is currently on a 45-game on-base streak tied for the 3rd-longest active streak in Division I.
• Junior RHP Edgar Gonzalez currently leads the MW in innings pitched (72.2), strikeouts (88) & wins (7).
Fresno State vs. Pepperdine - The Series
• Fresno State leads the all-time series against Pepperdine, 41-28.
• The 'Dogs and Waves met twice last season with Pepperdine winning 8-7 in 12 innings on March 7 in a game suspended due to darkness and later finished in Fresno on March 22. The 'Dogs went on to win the regularly scheduled game later that day 5-2.
• Since Coach Batesole arrived in 2003, Fresno State is 7-11 against Pepperdine with a 6-2 mark in Fresno.
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Fresno State 41-28
Last Meeting: March 22, 2017 (Fresno, Calif.) - W, 5-2
Current Streak: W1
Last Fresno State Win: March 22, 2017 (5-2) - Fresno, Calif.
Last Pepperdine Win: March 7, 2017 (8-7) (12) - Malibu, Calif. (game finished in Fresno)
Where Fresno State Ranks Offensively in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 4/30/18)
• .298 Batting Average: No. 4
• .452 Slugging Pct: No. 3
• .370 On base Pct: No. 5
• 37 sacrifice bunts: No. 1 - 16th nationally
• 255 Runs: No. 4
• 443 Hits: No. 4
• 233 RBI: No. 5
• 89 Doubles: No. 3
• 10 Triples: No. 6
• 40 Home Runs: No. T-2
Where Fresno State Ranks Pitching in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 4/30/18)
• 4.84 ERA: No. 3
• .266 Opposing bat average: No. 2
• 10 saves: No. 5
• 377 strikeouts: No. 1
• 206 Earned runs allowed: No. 3
• 395 Hits allowed: No. 3
• 175 walks allowed: No. 5
• 61 doubles allowed: No. T-1
• 10 triples allowed: No. 3
• 23 home runs allowed: No. 3
Where Fresno State Ranks Fielding in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 4/30/18)
• .967 Fielding Percentage: No. 6
• 446 Assists: No. 3
• 37 double plays: No. 7
Where Fresno State Players Rank in the Mountain West/NCAA in 2018 (as of 4/30/18)
Batting average: Zach Ashford - 5th (.359)
Hits: Ashford - 6th (61)
Doubles: Carter Bins- T-3rd (18)
Home runs: Bins & Jeremiah Burks - T-6th (7)
RBIs: Bins - T-7th (39)
Sacrifice bunts: Korby Batesole - 1st (10) - 23rd nationally
ERA: Jamie Arias - 1st (1.91)
Opposing Batting Average: Arias - 1st (.178)
Innings pitched: Gonzalez - 1st (72.2)
Strikeouts: Gonzalez - 1st (88) - 22nd nationally
Wins: Gonzalez - 1st (7)
Saves: Jamison Hill - T-6th (5)
Appearances: Jaime Arias - T-5th (20)
Earned runs allowed: Arias - 1st (12)
Hits allowed: Arias - 1st (35)
Walks allowed: Arias - T-1st (8)
A look at the Pepperdine Waves
Pepperdine enters Tuesday's game with the Bulldogs riding a seven-game winning streak sitting at 21-17 overall with a 12-6 mark in the WCC as the Waves are currently first in the conference.
The Waves, who were predicted to finish seventh in the nine-team WCC preseason poll, are coming off a bye week having not played since April 22 and have not lost since April 10 at Cal State Fullerton.
Pepperdine is hitting .259 from the plate as a team ranking sixth in the WCC with redshirt freshman first baseman Brandt Belk leading the team with a .345 average.
Redshirt junior Jordan Qsar, an outfielder as well as a pitcher, leads the conference with 46 RBIs with 40 percent of his hits going for extra bases as the El Cajon, Calif., native has totaled eight doubles, one triple and seven home runs for 16 of his 40 hits totaling more than one base.
On the mound, the Waves have a staff ERA of 3.54, fourth in the WCC, while allowing 4.4 runs per game with a 1.81 strikeout-to-walk ratio collecting 239 strikeouts while issuing 132 walks and are holding opponents to a .258 average.
Tuesday night's starter, redshirt junior right-hander Christian Stoutland, will make his team-leading 11th start of the season and enters the game with a 3-2 mark and a 4.30 ERA tossing 46.0 innings while striking out 32 and is holding opponents to a .246 average.
Ashford extends his on-base streak to 45 games
Junior outfielder Zach Ashford has reached base in all 41 games he has played in this season and has reached base in 45 straight games dating back to 2017. Ashford's on-base streak currently ranks tied for the 3th-longest active streak in the country with David Garza of Tennessee Tech and Ben Troike of Illinois. John Valente of St. John's (54 games) and Rylan Thomas of UCF (51 games) are currently 1-2 in the nation.
The Clovis native is currently fifth in the Mountain West with a .359 average from the plate and leads the team with 61 hits (6th in MW). He has a base hit in 38 of the 41 games he has played in this season and has only struck out 17 times in 170 at-bats (10 percent).
Tale of two halves from the dish
Over the last 21 games, the 'Dogs are 13-8 hitting .327 from the plate as a team scoring 165 runs and totaling 253 hits with 82 (55 doubles, four triples and 23 home runs) (34.2 percent) going for extra-bases.
Six 'Dogs with 76 or more at-bats are hitting above .300 over that stretch led by Nolan Dempsey who is hitting .338 starting all 21 games and has scored a team-high 20 runs and has added 26 hits, 16 RBIs and two doubles and three home runs.
It has been a tale of two halves offensively this season as the 'Dogs have turned it on offensively over the last five weeks.
First 22 games of season: 13-9, .267 avg., 90 runs, 190 hits, 57 XBH
Last 21 games: 13-8, .327 avg., 165 runs, 253 hits, 82 XBH
Bulldogs win 20th home game of season
With the 'Dogs 10-0 win over Air Force, the 'Dogs won their 20th home game of 2018 and have now won 20 or more home games in five straight seasons and for the 13th time in Coach Batesole's 16 seasons.
2006 - 35
2005 - 27
2011, '16 - 26
2003, '04, '07, '08 - 23
2009 - 21
2014, '15, '17, '18 - 20
Diamond 'Dogs hit 40 home run plateau
With Nate Thimjon's home run on Sunday, the 'Dogs now have 40 on the season. The 'Dogs have eight multi-home run games as seven players have multi-home runs and the 'Dogs have hit at least one home run in 27 of 43 games.
2018 - 40; 2017 - 76; 2016 - 37; 2015 - 34; 2014 - 37; 2013 - 36; 2012 - 19
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 37 on the season to lead the MW and rank 16th in the nation. Senior shortstop Korby Batesole leads the club and Mountain West with 10, ranking 23rd in the country.
That's got to hurt!
The 'Dogs hit five more batters over the weekend and now sit at 68 opponents to rank 10th in the nation in hit by pitchers. All 13 Bulldog pitchers have hit at least one batter with Ryan Jensen leading the team with 11 to rank second in the MW and it is the most hit by pitches the 'Dogs have tossed since nailing 75 batters in 2013.
2018 - 68; 2017 - 64; 2016 - 40; 2015 - 60; 2014 - 47; 2013 - 75; 2012 - 54
Batesole closing in on 800 career wins
Head coach Mike Batesole continues to rack up the wins as he picked up three more wins last week and is closing in another milestone sitting only five wins shy of 800 in his career. Now in his 16th season at the helm of the Bulldogs, Batesole has won 539 games at Fresno State and 256 at CSUN from 1996-2002. With four 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 take their final Mountain West road trip of the season traveling to first place Nevada (21-19, 14-6 MW), currently on a six-game losing skid, this weekend for a three-game series Friday through Sunday at Peccole Park.
"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.
Follow us on:
Twitter: @Fresno StateBSB
Instagram: fresnoathletics
Facebook: FresnoStateAthletics
Snap Chat: FSAthletics
Game 44: Pepperdine (21-17, 12-6 WCC) at Fresno State (26-17, 11-13 MW)
First Pitch: May 1 - 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: Fresno State leads 41-28
Last Meeting: Fresno State won 5-2 over Pepperdine on March 22, 2017 in Fresno, Calif.
Radio: 940 AM ESPN
Play-by-play: Paul Loeffler
Video: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: Sidearm
Twitter: @FresnoStateBSB
Tuesday: Fr. LHP Nikoh Mitchell (3-2, 3.76 ERA, 38.1 IP, 34 K) vs. RJr. RHP Christian Stoutland (3-2, 4.30 ERA, 46.0 IP, 32 K)
Promotion: National Principals' Day
- We will be honoring all local elementary school principals & all School District Employees get in FREE!
- First Pitch: Edith Navarro, Principal at Kings Canyon Middle School (most nominated principal)
Bulldog Headlines
• Fresno State begins the month of May wrapping up a five-game homestand hosting Pepperdine on Tuesday night.
• The Bulldogs are coming off a 3-1 week that saw them win the lone series of the season against Air Force taking two of three games against the Falcons over the weekend and took the midweek game with a 8-2 victory over CSUN.
• The 'Dogs are 41-28 all-time against Pepperdine having split a pair of games in 2017 with the Waves winning 8-7 in 12 innings in a game suspended due to darkness in Malibu and later finished in Fresno with the 'Dogs winning 5-2 in Fresno.
• With the pair of wins over Falcons, the 'Dogs are now 20-9 at home securing their fifth straight season with 20+ wins at home and for the 13th time in Coach Batesole's 16 seasons at Fresno State.
• The Bulldogs currently lead the Mountain West in sacrifice bunts (37) while ranking second in home runs (40) and are third in slugging percentage (.452).
• Junior OF Zach Ashford ranks fifth in the MW with a .359 batting average and is currently on a 45-game on-base streak tied for the 3rd-longest active streak in Division I.
• Junior RHP Edgar Gonzalez currently leads the MW in innings pitched (72.2), strikeouts (88) & wins (7).
Fresno State vs. Pepperdine - The Series
• Fresno State leads the all-time series against Pepperdine, 41-28.
• The 'Dogs and Waves met twice last season with Pepperdine winning 8-7 in 12 innings on March 7 in a game suspended due to darkness and later finished in Fresno on March 22. The 'Dogs went on to win the regularly scheduled game later that day 5-2.
• Since Coach Batesole arrived in 2003, Fresno State is 7-11 against Pepperdine with a 6-2 mark in Fresno.
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Fresno State 41-28
Last Meeting: March 22, 2017 (Fresno, Calif.) - W, 5-2
Current Streak: W1
Last Fresno State Win: March 22, 2017 (5-2) - Fresno, Calif.
Last Pepperdine Win: March 7, 2017 (8-7) (12) - Malibu, Calif. (game finished in Fresno)
Where Fresno State Ranks Offensively in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 4/30/18)
• .298 Batting Average: No. 4
• .452 Slugging Pct: No. 3
• .370 On base Pct: No. 5
• 37 sacrifice bunts: No. 1 - 16th nationally
• 255 Runs: No. 4
• 443 Hits: No. 4
• 233 RBI: No. 5
• 89 Doubles: No. 3
• 10 Triples: No. 6
• 40 Home Runs: No. T-2
Where Fresno State Ranks Pitching in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 4/30/18)
• 4.84 ERA: No. 3
• .266 Opposing bat average: No. 2
• 10 saves: No. 5
• 377 strikeouts: No. 1
• 206 Earned runs allowed: No. 3
• 395 Hits allowed: No. 3
• 175 walks allowed: No. 5
• 61 doubles allowed: No. T-1
• 10 triples allowed: No. 3
• 23 home runs allowed: No. 3
Where Fresno State Ranks Fielding in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 4/30/18)
• .967 Fielding Percentage: No. 6
• 446 Assists: No. 3
• 37 double plays: No. 7
Where Fresno State Players Rank in the Mountain West/NCAA in 2018 (as of 4/30/18)
Batting average: Zach Ashford - 5th (.359)
Hits: Ashford - 6th (61)
Doubles: Carter Bins- T-3rd (18)
Home runs: Bins & Jeremiah Burks - T-6th (7)
RBIs: Bins - T-7th (39)
Sacrifice bunts: Korby Batesole - 1st (10) - 23rd nationally
ERA: Jamie Arias - 1st (1.91)
Opposing Batting Average: Arias - 1st (.178)
Innings pitched: Gonzalez - 1st (72.2)
Strikeouts: Gonzalez - 1st (88) - 22nd nationally
Wins: Gonzalez - 1st (7)
Saves: Jamison Hill - T-6th (5)
Appearances: Jaime Arias - T-5th (20)
Earned runs allowed: Arias - 1st (12)
Hits allowed: Arias - 1st (35)
Walks allowed: Arias - T-1st (8)
A look at the Pepperdine Waves
Pepperdine enters Tuesday's game with the Bulldogs riding a seven-game winning streak sitting at 21-17 overall with a 12-6 mark in the WCC as the Waves are currently first in the conference.
The Waves, who were predicted to finish seventh in the nine-team WCC preseason poll, are coming off a bye week having not played since April 22 and have not lost since April 10 at Cal State Fullerton.
Pepperdine is hitting .259 from the plate as a team ranking sixth in the WCC with redshirt freshman first baseman Brandt Belk leading the team with a .345 average.
Redshirt junior Jordan Qsar, an outfielder as well as a pitcher, leads the conference with 46 RBIs with 40 percent of his hits going for extra bases as the El Cajon, Calif., native has totaled eight doubles, one triple and seven home runs for 16 of his 40 hits totaling more than one base.
On the mound, the Waves have a staff ERA of 3.54, fourth in the WCC, while allowing 4.4 runs per game with a 1.81 strikeout-to-walk ratio collecting 239 strikeouts while issuing 132 walks and are holding opponents to a .258 average.
Tuesday night's starter, redshirt junior right-hander Christian Stoutland, will make his team-leading 11th start of the season and enters the game with a 3-2 mark and a 4.30 ERA tossing 46.0 innings while striking out 32 and is holding opponents to a .246 average.
Ashford extends his on-base streak to 45 games
Junior outfielder Zach Ashford has reached base in all 41 games he has played in this season and has reached base in 45 straight games dating back to 2017. Ashford's on-base streak currently ranks tied for the 3th-longest active streak in the country with David Garza of Tennessee Tech and Ben Troike of Illinois. John Valente of St. John's (54 games) and Rylan Thomas of UCF (51 games) are currently 1-2 in the nation.
The Clovis native is currently fifth in the Mountain West with a .359 average from the plate and leads the team with 61 hits (6th in MW). He has a base hit in 38 of the 41 games he has played in this season and has only struck out 17 times in 170 at-bats (10 percent).
Tale of two halves from the dish
Over the last 21 games, the 'Dogs are 13-8 hitting .327 from the plate as a team scoring 165 runs and totaling 253 hits with 82 (55 doubles, four triples and 23 home runs) (34.2 percent) going for extra-bases.
Six 'Dogs with 76 or more at-bats are hitting above .300 over that stretch led by Nolan Dempsey who is hitting .338 starting all 21 games and has scored a team-high 20 runs and has added 26 hits, 16 RBIs and two doubles and three home runs.
It has been a tale of two halves offensively this season as the 'Dogs have turned it on offensively over the last five weeks.
First 22 games of season: 13-9, .267 avg., 90 runs, 190 hits, 57 XBH
Last 21 games: 13-8, .327 avg., 165 runs, 253 hits, 82 XBH
Bulldogs win 20th home game of season
With the 'Dogs 10-0 win over Air Force, the 'Dogs won their 20th home game of 2018 and have now won 20 or more home games in five straight seasons and for the 13th time in Coach Batesole's 16 seasons.
2006 - 35
2005 - 27
2011, '16 - 26
2003, '04, '07, '08 - 23
2009 - 21
2014, '15, '17, '18 - 20
Diamond 'Dogs hit 40 home run plateau
With Nate Thimjon's home run on Sunday, the 'Dogs now have 40 on the season. The 'Dogs have eight multi-home run games as seven players have multi-home runs and the 'Dogs have hit at least one home run in 27 of 43 games.
2018 - 40; 2017 - 76; 2016 - 37; 2015 - 34; 2014 - 37; 2013 - 36; 2012 - 19
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 37 on the season to lead the MW and rank 16th in the nation. Senior shortstop Korby Batesole leads the club and Mountain West with 10, ranking 23rd in the country.
That's got to hurt!
The 'Dogs hit five more batters over the weekend and now sit at 68 opponents to rank 10th in the nation in hit by pitchers. All 13 Bulldog pitchers have hit at least one batter with Ryan Jensen leading the team with 11 to rank second in the MW and it is the most hit by pitches the 'Dogs have tossed since nailing 75 batters in 2013.
2018 - 68; 2017 - 64; 2016 - 40; 2015 - 60; 2014 - 47; 2013 - 75; 2012 - 54
Batesole closing in on 800 career wins
Head coach Mike Batesole continues to rack up the wins as he picked up three more wins last week and is closing in another milestone sitting only five wins shy of 800 in his career. Now in his 16th season at the helm of the Bulldogs, Batesole has won 539 games at Fresno State and 256 at CSUN from 1996-2002. With four 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 take their final Mountain West road trip of the season traveling to first place Nevada (21-19, 14-6 MW), currently on a six-game losing skid, this weekend for a three-game series Friday through Sunday at Peccole Park.
"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.
Follow us on:
Twitter: @Fresno StateBSB
Instagram: fresnoathletics
Facebook: FresnoStateAthletics
Snap Chat: FSAthletics
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