Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
UC Santa Barbara
Diamond 'Dogs travel to UC Santa Barbara for Wednesday matinee
2/20/2018 11:30:00 AM | Baseball
Fresh off a four-game sweep over Michigan State to start 2018, the Diamond 'Dogs look to keep their hot start going on Wednesday afternoon at 2 p.m. taking a trip to play at UC Santa Barbara for the first time since 2015.
FRESNO, Calif. -  Fresh off a four-game sweep over Michigan State to start 2018, the Diamond 'Dogs look to keep their hot start going on Wednesday afternoon at 2 p.m. taking a trip to play at UC Santa Barbara for the first time since 2015.
Game 5: Fresno State (4-0, 0-0 MW) at UC Santa Barbara (0-3, 0-0 Big West)
First Pitch:Â Feb. 21 - Wed: 2:00 p.m.
Stadium:Â Caesar Uyesaka Stadium
All-Time Series: Fresno State leads 51-40
Last Meeting: UC Santa Barbara defeated Fresno State, 9-3 (April 4, 2015 in Santa Barbara, Calif.)
Video: Big West.TV
Audio:Â https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ucsb/
Live Stats:Â PrestoSports
Twitter:Â @FresnoStateBSB
Pitching Probable: Fresno State at UCSB
Wednesday: Fr. LHP Nikoh Mitchell (0-0 13.50, 1.1 IP, 1 K) vs. Jr. RHP Luke Andrews (0-0, 0.00, 1.0 IP, 2 K )
Bulldog Headlines
• The Bulldogs opened their 90th season as a program on the diamond over the weekend at home against Big Ten foe Michigan State sweeping a four-game series over the Spartans.
• The 'Dogs are off to their third 4-0 or better start to a season in the Batesole era, since 2003, joining 2011 (6-0) & 2016 (11-0).
• Junior RHP Edgar Gonzalez, a Preseason All-Mountain West selection, earned his first career Mountain West Pitcher of the Week honor after tossing seven innings allowing five hits, all singles, one earned run while striking out seven in a 2-1 win on Saturday night.
• This will be the 'Dogs first contest against UC Santa Barbara since 2015 when the Gauchos swept a four-game series at UCSB when Santa Barbara was ranked No. 15 in that nation.
• The 'Dogs are 4-11 under Batesole in road openers with wins in 2003 (1-0 at UC Irvine), 2011 (12-4 at UC Davis), 2014 (2-0 at UC Irvine) and 2016 (3-2 at San Diego State).
• The Bulldogs improved to 12-4 in season openers under Batesole with a 5-4 walk-off win on Friday night extending its winning streak to 10 in season openers.
• The 'Dogs currently lead the Mountain West in double plays (3), fielding percentage (1.000), hits (42), sacrifice bunts (4) and wins (4).
• Carter Bins currently leads the MW in doubles (3), hits (8), RBIs (8).
Fresno State vs. UC Santa Barbara - The Series                                             Â
• Wednesday's game against the Gauchos will be the first meeting vs. UCSB since 2015 when the 'Dogs were swept in a four-game series.
• Fresno State leads the all-time series 51-40.
• The 'Dogs are 4-12 under Coach Batesole against UCSB with a 2-6 record on the road.
• The last time the Bulldogs defeated UCSB came in its 2013 season opener, 8-1 win in Fresno.
Where Fresno State Ranked Offensively in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 2/20/18) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• .307 Batting Average: No. 3 - 41st nationallyÂ
• .453 Slugging Pct: No. 3 - 49th nationally
• .371 On base Pct: No. 4
• 4 sacrifice bunts: No. 1 - 8th nationally
• 21 Runs: No. 4
• 42 Hits: No. 1 - 18th nationally
• 20 RBI: No. 2
• 9 Doubles: No. 2 - 23rd nationally
• 1 Triple: No. 3
• 3 Home Runs: No. 2
Where Fresno State Ranked Pitching in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 2/20/18) 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 Â Â
• 3.25 ERA: No. 2
• .203 Opposing bat average: No. 2
• 2 saves: No. 1
• 40 strikeouts: No. 1
• 13 Earned runs allowed: No. T-4
• 26 Hits allowed: No. 4
• 15 walks allowed: No. T-4
• 3 doubles allowed: No. T-1
• 0 triples allowed: No. T-1
• 3 home runs allowed: No. 6
Where Fresno State Ranked Fielding in the Mountain West/nation in 2018 (as of 2/20/18)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 Â Â Â
• 1.000 Fielding Percentage: No. 1
• 40 Assists: No. T-1
• 3 double plays: No. 1
Where Fresno State Players Ranked in the Mountain West/NCAA in 2018 (as of 2/20/18)
Slugging percentage: Carter Bins - 4th (.778)Â
RBI: Bins - 1st (8) - 12th nationally
Hits: Bins - 1st (8) - 11th nationally
Zach Ashford - 2nd (7)
Doubles: Bins - 1st (3) - 11th nationally
Ashford & Jeremiah Burks - T-3rd (2)
Triples: Korby Batesole - 1st (6)
Home runs: Arruda - 2nd (2) - 16th nationally
Sacrifice bunts: Â Korby Batesole - 1st (2) - 4th nationally
Earned run average: Ryan Jensen &Â
Oscar Carvajal - 1st (0.00)
Innings pitched: Jensen & Edgar Gonzalez - T-1st (7.0)
Strikeouts: Gonzalez - T-3rd (7)
Wins: Jensen, Carvajal, Hill & Sullivan - T-1st (1)
Saves: Hill & Sullivan - T-1st (1)
Junior RHP Edgar Gonzalez earns first career MW Pitcher of the Week honors
Gonzalez earned his first career Mountain West Pitcher of the Week honor after the Newark, Calif., native and Preseason All-Mountain West selection notched his first win of the season on Saturday evening tossing seven innings in the 'Dogs 2-1 win over Michigan State limiting MSU to five hits, all singles, one earned run while striking out seven.Â
Only allowing one baserunner past second base through the first six innings, Gonzalez came within two outs and two strikeouts of matching his career high in innings pitched (7.2) and strikeouts (9).
A look at the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos                 Â
UCSB, coming off a 24-32 overall record in 2017 finished tied for eighth in the nine-team Big West, is off to a 0-3 start to 2018 after being swept at San Diego State over the weekend.
The Gauchos are hitting .168 from the plate as a team totaling 10 runs and 16 hits in its first three games.
On the mound, UCSB has posted a 7.88 ERA giving up 33 hits and 24 runs, 21 earned, in the first three games against the Aztecs. Wednesday's starting pitcher, sophomore left-hander Ben Brecht, has tossed 1.1 innings this season striking out all four batters he has retired.
The Wilmette, Ill., native went 4-2 as a freshman in 2017 finishing a 3.99 ERA appearing in 14 games, including eight starts, and tossed 58.2 innings notching 39 strikeouts.
Road Openers Under Batesole                                        Â
The 'Dogs are 4-11 in road openers under Batesole and have won two of their last four after only winning two of the previous 11.The 'Dogs have opened road action in the state of California 13 times under Batesole only traveling out-of- state to Oregon (2009), Washington (2010) and Nevada (2015).
The last four road openers have all gone to extra innings as the 'Dogs have a 2-2 record in those contests. This will be the fourth time the Bulldogs have opened their road schedule against a Big West foe under Batesole joining 2003 (UC Irvine) and 2006 & 2007 (Cal Poly).
Fresno Road Openers Under Batesole
2017 - L, 8-7 (12) at Pepperdine
2016 - W, 3-2 (10) at San Diego State
2015 - L, 9-8 (10) at Nevada
2014 - W, 2-0 (10) at UC IrvineÂ
2013 - L, 3-1 at Stanford
2012 - L, 4-0 at Bakersfield
2011 - W, 12-4 at UC Davis
2010 - L, 10-9 at Washington
2009 - L, 1-0 at Oregon
2008 - L, 5-2 at San Diego
2007 - L, 6-3 at Cal Poly
2006 - L, 6-3 at Cal Poly
2005 - L, 12-1 at Stanford
2004 - L, 6-2 at UCLA
2003 - W, 1-0 at UC Irvine
Bulldogs Selected Third in Mountain West Preseason Coaches Poll
The Fresno State baseball team was picked to finish third in the Mountain West preseason poll, announced by the conference on Tuesday. The Bulldogs garnered one first-place vote and tallied 24 points overall falling shy seven of first-place New Mexico. The Lobos picked up 31 votes and three first-place votes to repeat as MW preseason favorites for the third straight year. San Diego State came in second and was followed by Nevada in fourth, UNLV in fifth and rounded out by Air Force in sixth and San Jose State in seventh. All selections were based on votes by MW coaches - coaches could not vote on their own team or players.Â
2018 MOUNTAIN WEST COACHES PRESEASON POLL
Team Rank (1st-place votes) Points
1. New Mexico (3) - 31
2. San Diego State (2) - 29
3. Fresno State - (1) - 24
4. Nevada - 22
5. UNLV - (1) - 21
6. Air Force - 11
7. San José State - 9
2018 Preseason Honors for Gonzalez  & Carter Bins
In addition to being named to the All-Mountain West Preseason Team, Gonzalez has also been named the Mountain West Preseason Pitcher of the Year by D1Baseball.com. Baseball America and Perfect Game. Gonzalez was also named the top prospect in the MW for the 2018 MLB Draft by Baseball America.
Joining Gonzalez on the Preseason All-Mountain West Team by Perfect Game was 2017 Co-Mountain West Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-American Carter Bins.
How many freshman?                               Â
Nearly half of this year's Bulldogs will be freshman or redshirt freshman as 17 of the 36 student-athletes on the roster are in their first or second year in the program. With over 1,200 career games played departing with the loss of eight position players and over 250 career appearances and 600 innings of work by five departing pitchers, there will be plenty of opportunities for newcomers to make their mark this season.
Ten-year anniversary of the 2008 National Championship Team
On Saturday, April 14, Fresno State Athletics will honor the 2008 National Championship Wonderdogs prior to the Bulldogs' game vs. San Jose State.
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. Please plan to join us as we honor one of Fresno State Athletics greatest team accomplishment.
"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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