Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Hawai'i
Diamond 'Dogs welcome Hawai'i for final non-conference series
5/10/2018 3:30:00 PM | Baseball
The Diamond 'Dogs welcome former WAC foe and current Big West member Hawai'i to Bob Bennett Stadium for a non-conference series starting Friday night.
Games 49-51: Hawai'i (23-19, 9-9 Big West) at Fresno State (27-21, 11-16 MW)
First Pitch: May 11-13 - Fri: 6:05 p.m.; Sat: 6:05 p.m.; Sun: 1:05 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 80-52
Last Meeting: Fresno State won 8-6 over Hawai'i on May 7, 2013 in Fresno, Calif.
Radio: 940 AM ESPN
Play-by-play: Paul Loeffler
Video: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: Sidearm
Twitter: @FresnoStateBSB
Pitching Probables: Fresno State vs. Hawai'i
Friday: Jr. RHP Edgar Gonzalez (7-2, 2.95) vs. RJr. RHP Jackson Rees (4-2, 3.54)
Saturday: So. RHP Jaime Arias(5-1, 3.12) vs. Sr. RHP Brody Hagel-Pitt (1-0, 5.40) OR Fr. RHP Cade Smith (1-1, 4.38)
Sunday: So. RHP Davis Moore (4-2, 4.30) vs. Sr. RHP Neil Uskali (6-2, 4.12)
Promotions:
Friday: Staff & Faculty Night
All Fresno State Staff & Faculty Get In FREE With ID!
First Pitch: Smokey Rickerd, Decorated Vietnam Fighter Pilot
National Anthem: Marissa De La Cruz
Saturday: Aaron Judge Night
We will be throwing out Aaron Judge shirts during the game!
Youth Jersey Saturday! All Kids Wearing Their Youth Team Jersey Get In FREE!
Sunday: Mother's Day
First Pitch: Wayne Easley , Winner of one of the Dugout Club Ultimate Fan Packages
National Anthem: Rebecca Mattox
Salute To Sunday: All Active Military And Veterans Get In FREE!
Post-Game: Kids Will Be Welcomed To Run The Bases
Bulldog Headlines
• Fresno State takes a break from Mountain West play to host Big West foe Hawai'i this weekend.
• This will be the 'Dogs and Rainbow Warriors first meeting since May 7, 2013 and first three-game series in Fresno since 2011.
• Fresno State leads the all-time series against Hawai'i, 80-52 while head coach Mike Batesole is 34-21 against the Rainbow Warriors.
• The 'Dogs played their final road game of the season on Tuesday defeating the Matadors, 6-3 to finish the regular season 7-11 on the road.
• The Bulldogs currently lead the Mountain West in sacrifice bunts (40) while ranking second in home runs (45) and are third in slugging percentage (.453).
• Junior OF Zach Ashford, who saw his 49-game on-base streak come to an end at CSUN on Tuesday, earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors on Thursday.
• Junior RHP Edgar Gonzalez currently leads the MW in innings pitched (79.1), strikeouts (95) & ERA (2.95).
Fresno State vs. Hawai'i - The Series
• Fresno State and Hawai'i have played 132 games all-time against one another.
• The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 80-52 as the teams met at least once a year from 1993-2013 when they were WAC conference rivals.
• The 'Dogs and Rainbow Warriors last met on May 7, 2013 in Fresno with the 'Dogs winning 8-6.
• Head coach Mike Batesole is 34-21 all-time against Hawai'i.
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Fresno State 80-52
Last Meeting: May 7, 2013 (Fresno, Calif.) - W, 8-6
Current Streak: W2
Last Fresno State Win: May 7, 2013 (8-6) - Fresno, Calif.
Last Hawai'i Win: April 7, 2012 (3-2) (10) - Honolulu, Hawai'i
Where Fresno State Ranks Offensively in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 5/10/18)
• .298 Batting Average: No. 4
• .453 Slugging Pct: No. 3
• .368 On base Pct: No. 5
• 40 sacrifice bunts: No. 1 - 18th nationally
• 285 Runs: No. 5
• 497 Hits: No. 4
• 261 RBI: No. 5
• 99 Doubles: No. 4
• 12 Triples: No. 6
• 45 Home Runs: No. 2
Where Fresno State Ranks Pitching in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 5/10/18)
• 5.03 ERA: No. 4
• .271 Opposing bat average: No. 2
• 11 saves: No. T-4
• 409 strikeouts: No. 1
• 238 Earned runs allowed: No. 4
• 448 Hits allowed: No. 3
• 199 walks allowed: No. 5
• 74 doubles allowed: No. 2
• 10 triples allowed: No. 3
• 29 home runs allowed: No. 3
Where Fresno State Ranks Fielding in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 5/10/18)
• .968 Fielding Percentage: No. 6
• 503 Assists: No. 3
• 41 double plays: No. 7
Where Fresno State Players Rank in the Mountain West/NCAA in 2018 (as of 5/10/18)
Batting average: Zach Ashford - 9th (.359)
Hits: Ashford - T-4th (69)
Doubles: Carter Bins- T-4th (18); Ashford - T-6th (17)
Home runs: Bins, Jeremiah Burks & Zach Presno - T-9th (7)
RBIs: Bins - 11th (39)
Sacrifice bunts: Korby Batesole - 1st (12) - 7th nationally
ERA: Edgar Gonzalez - 1st (2.95)
Opposing Batting Average: Jaime Arias - 2nd (.206)
Innings pitched: Gonzalez - 1st (79.1)
Strikeouts: Gonzalez - 1st (95) - 22nd nationally
Wins: Gonzalez - T-1st (7) - 40th nationally
Saves: Jamison Hill - T-6th (5)
Appearances: Hill - 4th (23)
Earned runs allowed: Arias - T-2nd (21)
Hits allowed: Arias - 2nd (45)
Walks allowed: Arias - 2nd (9)
A look at the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors
Hawai'i enters this weekend's series with the Bulldogs with a 23-19 overall record in 2018 and a 9-9 mark in Big West action.
The Rainbow Warriors, who are 6-8 on the road in 2018, come into the series with a .272 average from the dish as a team to rank fifth in the Big West while Hawai'i ranks eighth in the nine-team Big West in scoring at 4.3 runs per game.
Picked to finish seventh in the Big West preseason poll, the Rainbow Warriors rank ninth in the nation in sacrifice bunts with 45 while ranking fourth in the league in doubles (79) and on-base percentage (.358). Sophomore Adam Fogel has started all 42 games leading the team in hits (47), doubles (16), home runs (5), RBIs (28) & slugging percentage (.497).
On the mound, the Rainbow Warriors have a staff ERA of 4.31, fifth in the Big West, while allowing 5.0 runs per game with a 2.16 strikeout-to-walk ratio collecting 279 strikeouts while issuing 129 walks and are holding opponents to a .269 average. Senior RHP Neil Uskali leads the team with six wins while redshirt junior RHP Jackson Rees is 4-2 with a 3.54 ERA and has a team-high 49 strikeouts. Reliever Dylan Thomas leads the team and ranks No. 10 in the nation with 12 saves.
Ashford sees 49-game on-base streak come to end at CSUN
Junior outfielder Zach Ashford's 49-game on-base streak came to an end on Tuesday afternoon at CSUN as he went 0-for-5 being held off the basepaths for the first time this season. It was the third-longest active streak in the nation as Ashford's 20-game hitting streak also came to an end as well.
Dozen games against Big West foes
With four games against Big West opponents this week, the 'Dogs will finish with 12 games against teams from the Big West this season. Fresno St. is 6-3 thus far playing UC Riverside once, UC Santa Barbara twice and Long Beach State, CSUN and Hawai'i three times each.
Offense among nation's best
With only two weekend series remaining in the regular season, the 'Dogs find themselves among the national leaders in four offensive categories ranking in the top 25 in each of them. The 'Dogs are No. 15 in hits (497), No. 21 in batting average (.298), No. 22 in doubles (99) and No. 23 in slugging percentage (.453).
Ashford earns CoSIDA Academic All-District honors
Zach Ashford was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 First-Team honors on Thursday as he holds a 3.32 GPA in kinesiology/exercise science. Ashford was one of three outfielders named to the team & one of only two juniors named to the 11-member team.
Presno goes yard
Freshman catcher Zach Presno hit his seventh home run of the season in the top of the ninth on Sunday at Nevada nearly helping the 'Dogs rally for a comeback win. His seven home runs for a true freshman are the most by a Bulldog rookie since Dusty Robinson smacked 15 in 2009.
Burks swiping bases
Junior second baseman Jeremiah Burks stole his 11th base of the season on Saturday at Nevada. It is the most bases a Bulldog has stolen since Aaron Judge swiped 12 as a junior in 2013.
Double Double
With four more doubles against the Matadors on Tuesday, the 'Dogs now have 99 on the season and with one more double against the Rainbow Warriors will go over 100 for the third straight season.
2018 - 99
2017 - 136
2016 - 102
2015 - 93
2014 - 96
2013 - 93
2012 - 108
Gonzalez looking to finish junior campaign strong
With only two more regular season starts left, Gonzalez enters Friday night's start leading the MW in innings pitched (79.1), strikeouts (95), wins (7), ERA (2.95) and fourth in opposing batting avg. (.222).
In nine Mountain West starts, Gonzalez is 4-2 with a 4.19 ERA tossing 53.2 innings and notching 56 strikeouts while only allowing 24 walks. He picked up wins over New Mexico (March 10), Nevada (March 24), at San Diego State (April 21) and at home against Air Force (April 27).
His 103-pitch complete game two-hitter vs. LBSU on March 31 is one of 12 CG's nationally completed on 105 pitches or less.
'Dogs in plenty of close contests so far in 2018
The Bulldogs found themselves on the wrong end of four hard-fought games last week falling to 9-7 on the season in one-run games and 10-10 mark in one or two run games.
2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013
1-Run Games 9-7 5-7 11-9 8-12 7-10 5-7
1 or 2 Runs Games 10-10 8-10 16-13 13-12 14-15 12-14
- 16 of 48 games (33.3%) decided by one run.
- 20 of 48 games (41.7%) decided by one or two runs.
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 40 on the season to lead the MW and rank 18th in the nation. Senior shortstop Korby Batesole leads the club and Mountain West with 12, ranking seventh in the country.
That's got to hurt!
The 'Dogs have hit 73 hit batters to rank ninth in the nation in hit by pitchers and is the most hit by pitches for Fresno State since 2013. All 13 Bulldog pitchers have hit at least one batter with Ryan Jensen leading the team with 11 to rank second in the MW.
2018 - 73
2017 - 64
2016 - 40
2015 - 60
2014 - 47
2013 - 75
Batesole closing in on 800 career wins
Head coach Mike Batesole continues to close in on a career milestone currently sitting at 796 career wins and is only four wins shy of 800 in his career. Now in his 16th season at the helm of the Bulldogs, Batesole has won 540 games at Fresno State and 256 at CSUN from 1996-2002. With three more wins, Batesole will have his 13th season of at least 30 wins at Fresno State and 19th overall in his 23 years as a Division I head coach.
Up next
The 'Dogs close out the regular season at home next week hosting UNLV (30-19, 11-13 MW) for Senior Weekend Thursday through Saturday.
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