Fresno State Athletics
Friday, February 28
Fresno, CA
6:05 PM
Fresno State
vs
Columbia
Photo by: Kiel Maddox
'Dogs welcome Columbia to Fresno [Feb. 28-March 1]
2/27/2020 12:00:00 PM | Baseball
FRESNO, Calif. - The Diamond 'Dogs continue their season-opening homestand hosting Columbia for a four-game series for Pride of the Valley Weekend.
Games 8-11:Â Columbia (0-0, 0-0 Ivy) at Fresno State (3-4, 0-0 MW)
First Pitch:Â Feb. 28-March 1 - Fri: 6:05 p.m., Sat (DH): 2:05 p.m., Sun: 1:05 p.m.
Stadium:Â Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium
Surface:Â Grass
Dimensions:Â 330 (LF), 400 (CF), 330 (RF)
All-Time Series:Â First meeting
Last Meeting:Â N/A
Radio (Sun.):Â AM 940 ESPN
Play-by-play:Â Paul Loeffler
Video (Fri. & Sun.):Â Mountain West Network
Live Stats:Â bulldogslive.com
Twitter:Â @FresnoStateBSB
Pitching Probables: Fresno State vs. Columbia (2019 stats)
Friday: Jr. LHP Jaime Arias (1-1, 4.91 ERA) vs. So. RHP Sean Higgins (1-5, 11.77)
Saturday G1:  RJr. RHP Oscar Carvajal (0-1, 4.35) vs. Jr. RHP Billy Black (1-1, 14.11)
Saturday G2: Jr. RHP Jamison Hill (0-0, 3.60) vs. RHP Will Geerdes (N/A)
Sunday: TBD vs. TBD
• .251 Batting Average: No. 3
• .469 Slugging Pct: No. 1 - 26th nationally
• .314 On base Pct: No. 4Â
• 1 sacrifice bunts: T-No. 4Â
• 42 Runs: No. 1
• 60 Hits: No. 4
• 42 RBI: No. 1
• 11 Doubles: No. 4
• 1 Triples: No. T-3
• 13 Home Runs: No. 1 - 5th nationally
Where Fresno State Rank Pitching in the Mountain West/nation in 2020 (as of 2/27/20) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• 5.43 ERA: No. 4Â
• .276 Opposing bat average: No. 4
• 1 saves: No. T-3
• 41 strikeouts: No. T-6
• 38 Earned runs allowed: No. 4
• 69 Hits allowed: No. 5
• 26 walks allowed: No. T-2
• 8 doubles allowed: No. 2
• 0 triples allowed: No. T-1
• 3 home runs allowed: No. T-3
Where Fresno State Rank Fielding in the Mountain West/nation in 2020 (as of 2/27/20) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• .971 Fielding Percentage: No. 4
• 79 Assists: No. 2
• 6 double plays: No. 2
Where Fresno State Players Rank in the Mountain West/NCAA in 2020 (as of 2/27/20)
Batting average: Zach Morgan - 3rd (.381)
Slugging pct.: Nate Thimjon - 1st (.778), Zach Presno - 2nd (.741)
On-base pct.: Andrew Kachel - 3rd (.444)
Runs scored: Thimjon - T-3rd (7)
RBIs: Thimjon - 1st (8)
Doubles: Ryan Higgins - T-1st (4)
Home Runs: Thimjon- 1st (4)- 7th nationally
Total bases: Presno - 3rd (20)
Walks: Kachel - T-2nd (5)
ERA: Alex Kendrick - T-1st (0.00)
Saves: Kevin Larson - T-2nd (1)
Appearances: Nik Cardinal - T-2nd (5)
A look at the Columbia Lions
Columbia gets its 2020 season underway this weekend in Fresno after finishing 19-23 overall in 2019.
The Lions went 13-8 in Ivy League play a season ago finishing second in the league and earned a place in the Ivy League playoff series against Harvard falling in a pair of games.
Columbia returns three of its top four hitters from 2019 in senior outfielder Julian Bury, junior infielder Josh Nicoloff and senior catcher Liam McGill. Bury returns as the top returning player in batting average (.314), at-bats (188), runs (29), hits (59), doubles (16) and total bases (78).
On the mound, Columbia will start sophomore right-hander Sean Higgins on Friday followed by junior RHP Billy Black in game one on Saturday and sophomore righty Will Geerdes in game two.
The Lions feature 10 California natives on their roster, including Nicoloff and Higgins.
2020 IVY LEAGUE PRESEASON MEDIA POLL
Team    Rank (1st-place votes)       Points
1.      Penn (10)                119
2.      Harvard (4)               107
3.      Columbia (2)              100
4.      Yale                     84
5.      Dartmouth                61
6.      Brown                    41
7.      Princeton                 38
8.      Cornell                   26
Fresno State vs. Ivy League opponents
The Diamond 'Dogs will play their first opponent from the Ivy League this weekend.
The Ivy League consists of Columbia, Harvard, Yale, Penn, Brown, Dartmouth, Princeton and Cornell.Â
Bulldogs All-Time Record  from the state of New York (year teams last played)
Wagner: 2-0 (2015)
St. John's: 2-0 (1996)
Iona: 3-1 (2005)
Binghampton: 1-0 (2006)
Fordham: 1-0 (2002)
Buffalo: 4-0 (2009)
New 'Dogs in action
Twelve Bulldogs, including seven true freshman, enter their first years at Fresno State this spring while four 'Dogs are coming off redshirt seasons in infielder Nick Berry, catcher Zach Morgan, outfielder Ivan Luna and pitcher Julian Sotelo.
  Â
Of the 16 newest 'Dogs, nine have seen action this season, including all four redshirt freshman, while true freshman second baseman Andrew Kachel has started all seven games at second base while hitting .318 (5-17) with two home runs, scored four runs, driven in six RBIs and has a .444 on-base percentage.
On the mound, freshman Alex Kendrick has a 0.00 ERA in 8.0 innings allowing six hits, one unearned run striking out six and holding opponents to a .194 average.
Offseason gainsÂ
The Diamond 'Dogs have put their offseason weight room training to good use slugging 13 home runs to rank fifth in the country.
Nate Thimjon leads the Mountain West and ranks seventh in the nation with four home runs while Zach Presno has added three home runs while Andrew Kachel and Jeff Jamison each have a pair.
Up next
The Bulldogs close out their homestand on Tuesday hosting Seton Hall (3-3) at 6:05 p.m. for Canned Food Drive Night.
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit bulldogfoundation.org.
Follow us on:Â
Twitter:Â @FresnoStateBSB
Instagram:Â fresnostateathletics
Facebook:Â FresnoStateAthletics
Games 8-11:Â Columbia (0-0, 0-0 Ivy) at Fresno State (3-4, 0-0 MW)
First Pitch:Â Feb. 28-March 1 - Fri: 6:05 p.m., Sat (DH): 2:05 p.m., Sun: 1:05 p.m.
Stadium:Â Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium
Surface:Â Grass
Dimensions:Â 330 (LF), 400 (CF), 330 (RF)
All-Time Series:Â First meeting
Last Meeting:Â N/A
Radio (Sun.):Â AM 940 ESPN
Play-by-play:Â Paul Loeffler
Video (Fri. & Sun.):Â Mountain West Network
Live Stats:Â bulldogslive.com
Twitter:Â @FresnoStateBSB
Pitching Probables: Fresno State vs. Columbia (2019 stats)
Friday: Jr. LHP Jaime Arias (1-1, 4.91 ERA) vs. So. RHP Sean Higgins (1-5, 11.77)
Saturday G1:  RJr. RHP Oscar Carvajal (0-1, 4.35) vs. Jr. RHP Billy Black (1-1, 14.11)
Saturday G2: Jr. RHP Jamison Hill (0-0, 3.60) vs. RHP Will Geerdes (N/A)
Sunday: TBD vs. TBD
Promotions
Friday
- Pride of the Valley Weekend - Local Organizations
- Youth Jersey Friday - All youth (8th grade and under) wearing a jersey get in for FREE!
- Pride of the Valley Weekend - Ag Celebration
- Pride of the Valley Weekend - Valley Cities
- Salute to Sunday - All active and former military members get in FREE!
- Kids Run the Bases Post Game!
- Fresno State is coming off a 13-0 win over Cal Poly at home on Tuesday in its first midweek game of the season.
- The Bulldogs dropped three games to Washington at home last weekend falling 8-1, 3-1 and 9-6.
- Junior outfielder Nate Thimjon leads the Mountain West and ranks seventh nationally in home runs with four.
- The Bulldogs currently rank fifth in the nation as a team with 13 home runs.
- Freshman RHP Alex Kendrick leads the Mountain West with a 0.00 ERA.
- This will be 'Dogs first-ever series against Columbia as well as the first meeting with one of the eight Ivy League baseball programs.
- Fresno State won its season-opening series at home against UC Irvine on Feb. 14-16.
- Junior catcher/infielder Zach Presno was named the Mountain West Player of the Week on Feb. 17 after hitting .417 (5-12) on the weekend with three home runs, a double, scored four runs and drove in six RBIs while slugging 1.250.
- This will be the first meeting between Fresno State and Columbia.
- This will be the 'Dogs first meeting against a member of the Ivy League.
- Fresno State is 13-1 against the 20 Division I baseball programs from the state of New York.
- The Bulldogs are 2-0 against Wagner & St. John's, 3-1 vs. Iona, 1-0 vs. Binghampton, 1-0 vs. Fordham and 4-0 against Buffalo.
• .251 Batting Average: No. 3
• .469 Slugging Pct: No. 1 - 26th nationally
• .314 On base Pct: No. 4Â
• 1 sacrifice bunts: T-No. 4Â
• 42 Runs: No. 1
• 60 Hits: No. 4
• 42 RBI: No. 1
• 11 Doubles: No. 4
• 1 Triples: No. T-3
• 13 Home Runs: No. 1 - 5th nationally
Where Fresno State Rank Pitching in the Mountain West/nation in 2020 (as of 2/27/20) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• 5.43 ERA: No. 4Â
• .276 Opposing bat average: No. 4
• 1 saves: No. T-3
• 41 strikeouts: No. T-6
• 38 Earned runs allowed: No. 4
• 69 Hits allowed: No. 5
• 26 walks allowed: No. T-2
• 8 doubles allowed: No. 2
• 0 triples allowed: No. T-1
• 3 home runs allowed: No. T-3
Where Fresno State Rank Fielding in the Mountain West/nation in 2020 (as of 2/27/20) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• .971 Fielding Percentage: No. 4
• 79 Assists: No. 2
• 6 double plays: No. 2
Where Fresno State Players Rank in the Mountain West/NCAA in 2020 (as of 2/27/20)
Batting average: Zach Morgan - 3rd (.381)
Slugging pct.: Nate Thimjon - 1st (.778), Zach Presno - 2nd (.741)
On-base pct.: Andrew Kachel - 3rd (.444)
Runs scored: Thimjon - T-3rd (7)
RBIs: Thimjon - 1st (8)
Doubles: Ryan Higgins - T-1st (4)
Home Runs: Thimjon- 1st (4)- 7th nationally
Total bases: Presno - 3rd (20)
Walks: Kachel - T-2nd (5)
ERA: Alex Kendrick - T-1st (0.00)
Saves: Kevin Larson - T-2nd (1)
Appearances: Nik Cardinal - T-2nd (5)
A look at the Columbia Lions
Columbia gets its 2020 season underway this weekend in Fresno after finishing 19-23 overall in 2019.
The Lions went 13-8 in Ivy League play a season ago finishing second in the league and earned a place in the Ivy League playoff series against Harvard falling in a pair of games.
Columbia returns three of its top four hitters from 2019 in senior outfielder Julian Bury, junior infielder Josh Nicoloff and senior catcher Liam McGill. Bury returns as the top returning player in batting average (.314), at-bats (188), runs (29), hits (59), doubles (16) and total bases (78).
On the mound, Columbia will start sophomore right-hander Sean Higgins on Friday followed by junior RHP Billy Black in game one on Saturday and sophomore righty Will Geerdes in game two.
The Lions feature 10 California natives on their roster, including Nicoloff and Higgins.
2020 IVY LEAGUE PRESEASON MEDIA POLL
Team    Rank (1st-place votes)       Points
1.      Penn (10)                119
2.      Harvard (4)               107
3.      Columbia (2)              100
4.      Yale                     84
5.      Dartmouth                61
6.      Brown                    41
7.      Princeton                 38
8.      Cornell                   26
Fresno State vs. Ivy League opponents
The Diamond 'Dogs will play their first opponent from the Ivy League this weekend.
The Ivy League consists of Columbia, Harvard, Yale, Penn, Brown, Dartmouth, Princeton and Cornell.Â
Bulldogs All-Time Record  from the state of New York (year teams last played)
Wagner: 2-0 (2015)
St. John's: 2-0 (1996)
Iona: 3-1 (2005)
Binghampton: 1-0 (2006)
Fordham: 1-0 (2002)
Buffalo: 4-0 (2009)
New 'Dogs in action
Twelve Bulldogs, including seven true freshman, enter their first years at Fresno State this spring while four 'Dogs are coming off redshirt seasons in infielder Nick Berry, catcher Zach Morgan, outfielder Ivan Luna and pitcher Julian Sotelo.
  Â
Of the 16 newest 'Dogs, nine have seen action this season, including all four redshirt freshman, while true freshman second baseman Andrew Kachel has started all seven games at second base while hitting .318 (5-17) with two home runs, scored four runs, driven in six RBIs and has a .444 on-base percentage.
On the mound, freshman Alex Kendrick has a 0.00 ERA in 8.0 innings allowing six hits, one unearned run striking out six and holding opponents to a .194 average.
Offseason gainsÂ
The Diamond 'Dogs have put their offseason weight room training to good use slugging 13 home runs to rank fifth in the country.
Nate Thimjon leads the Mountain West and ranks seventh in the nation with four home runs while Zach Presno has added three home runs while Andrew Kachel and Jeff Jamison each have a pair.
Up next
The Bulldogs close out their homestand on Tuesday hosting Seton Hall (3-3) at 6:05 p.m. for Canned Food Drive Night.
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit bulldogfoundation.org.
Follow us on:Â
Twitter:Â @FresnoStateBSB
Instagram:Â fresnostateathletics
Facebook:Â FresnoStateAthletics
Players Mentioned
Pitcher
/ Baseball
Infield
/ Baseball
Pitcher
/ Baseball
Pitcher
/ Baseball
Infield
/ Baseball
Pitcher
/ Baseball
Infield
/ Baseball
Infield
/ Baseball
Pitcher
/ Baseball
Pitcher
/ Baseball
Catcher
/ Baseball
Catcher
/ Baseball
Pitcher
/ Baseball
Outfield
/ BaseballBSB Los Angeles Regional Preview
Thursday, May 29
BSB MW Championship Final Recap
Sunday, May 25
BSB MW Championship Game 1 Recap
Friday, May 23
VB Read Across America Week
Saturday, March 08