The Fresno State baseball team pounded Sacramento State 10-6 on Saturday evening behind a strong pitching performance by Justin Haley and clutch hitting up and down the line-up.
Fresno State head baseball coach Mike Batesole picked up his 600th career victory as the Bulldogs rallied for four runs in the ninth to defeat Cal Poly, 5-3.
Mike Batesole enters his 10th season as head coach at Fresno State. Batesole and the Bulldogs won the program's sixth consecutive Western Athletic Conference tournament championship last season with a 17-7 record. Overall, the 'Dogs finished the season 40-16 and went on to win their fifth WAC league title.
The Bulldogs have played in every WAC tournament championship game since the tournament format was brought back in 2006. Every returning player under Batesole has won a conference championship every year of their career in the program. Fresno State finished the 2011 season at the UCLA Regional, the team's fifth appearance in the NCAA tournament in the past six years. Under Batesole, the 'Dogs have made five NCAA appearances, made it to the regional title game three of the last six years and won the National Championship in 2008.
Batesole coached three All-Americans in 2011. Greg Gonzalez and Dusty Robinson were named to the Louisville Slugger All-American first and third teams, respectively, while Aaron Judge was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American.
Nine Bulldogs were named to 2011 All-WAC teams with Robinson, Gonzalez and Judge taking home the top honors. Robinson was named WAC Player of the Year (the fourth straight Bulldog named top conference player), Gonzalez pitcher of the year and Judge freshman of the year. The threesome were joined on the All-WAC first-team by Jordan Ribera, Danny Muno, Garrett Weber and Austin Wynns. Brennan Gowens and Josh Poytress were named to the second team.
After an award filled season, it was no surprise when 10 'Dogs were selected in the 2011 Major League Baseball draft. In all, the Bulldogs have had 39 players drafted, 39 first-team All-WAC selections, six conference MVPs, two Joe Kearney award winners and six freshman All-Americans under Batesole's watch.
Dedicated not only to excellence on the diamond but in the classroom as well, Batesole saw eight Bulldogs earn Academic All-WAC honors in 2011. Overall, 53 Bulldogs have earned Academic All-WAC honors under Batesole.
In 2010, he was named the WAC Coach of the Year, while Bobby Coyle, Gonzalez, Ribera and Robinson were named first-team All-WAC. Also earning all-conference awards that year were Weber, Poytress and Muno. Ribera was the third consecutive Bulldog to be named WAC Player of the Year.
Ribera led the nation in home runs under Batesole with 27 and was named an All-American by several publications, making him the sixth Bulldog, at the time, to earn All-American honors since Batesole started at Fresno State.
Two Bulldogs were selected in the 2010 MLB draft. Coyle in the 10th round to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Muno in the 28th round to the Chicago Cubs.
The 'Dogs also had a multi-year Academic Progress Rate of 976 out of 1000 in 2010.
In 2009, the Bulldogs brought back a little magic from the 2008 season and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the 32nd time in school history. Fresno State was one of only four teams in the Western Region to make four-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
That same season, the Bulldogs compiled a 12-12 WAC record and a 32-30 overall record with 22 newcomers on the squad. Batesole earned his 500th career victory on May 14, 2009, with a 15-7 win over Sacramento State. Batesole's team had four first-team All-WAC selections in Mendonca, Muno, Sprague and Robinson and four players taken in the 2009 MLB draft. Mendonca earned several All-American honors, while Robinson was named a freshman All-American.
The 2008 season was a historical one for Fresno State. After defying the odds and beating six ranked teams and facing six elimination games, the 'Dogs won the program's first-ever National Championship, defeating Georgia in the College World Series.
The Bulldogs captured their third-consecutive WAC championship in 2008 and finished the postseason run with an overall record of 47-31. Six Bulldogs were drafted in the 2008 MLB draft. Batesole earned four National Coach of the Year accolades from the American Baseball Coaches Association, FieldTurf, the National College Baseball Writers Association and, for the second time, from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Fresno State saw five players earn first-team All-WAC honors in 2008. Under Batesole, Susdorf earned Player of the Year, Muno was named Freshman of the Year and Scheppers became the Pitcher of the Year. Batesole also shared the WAC Coach of the Year title. The 2008 postseason run was the 'Dogs fourth appearance at the College World Series and first National Championship.
The Bulldogs took home a WAC Championship in 2007 and, for the first time in school history, won back- to-back WAC league and tournament championships. The Bulldogs finished with a 17-7 conference mark and a 38-29 overall record. Fresno State captured the title in 2006, producing one of the best records in school history at 45-18. In addition, Batesole has continued the success of producing quality prospects.
Four members of the Fresno State program were drafted in the 2007 MLB draft in Susdorf, Brandon Miller, Brian Lapin and Ozzie Lewis. Batesole also generated six first-team All-WAC selections, one less than the 2006 team.
The Bulldogs earned two regional wins over Minnesota and No. 4 San Diego in 2007. Fresno State also placed Mendonca, Lewis, Danny Grubb, Scheppers, and Susdorf on the San Diego All-Regional team.
The WAC Tournament win in 2006 was the first in the program's history. The Bulldogs reached the postseason for the second time since 2001 with one win against San Diego and another against Minnesota and two losses against Cal State Fullerton. The 2006 Bulldog team closed out the year with the program's 31st-straight season at .500 or above.
Under Batesole, the Bulldogs have had two players selected in the first round of the MLB draft.
Right-handed pitcher Matt Garza was selected as the 27th overall pick in the 2005 draft to the Minnesota Twins. Moving quickly through the minors with short stints Double-A affiliate New Britain and Triple-A Rochester, Garza finished his first season with the Minnesota Twins in 2006.
Garza made the move to the Tampa Bay Rays and helped pitch the Rays from last to first in the 2008 season. Garza and the Rays made an appearance at the World Series and after the Rays were crowned the ALCS champs, he was awarded MVP honors.
Outfielder Richie Robnett was also picked in the first round by the Oakland A's after an All-American campaign with the Bulldogs in 2004.
Among the players in those classes were three Freshmen All-Americans in outfielder Nick Moresi and infielders Beau Mills, Christian Vitters, along with All-American Robnett.
In 2003, Batesole became the third head coach at Fresno State since 1948 and the eighth skipper overall in the program's 82-year history. In his first year, Batesole guided the Bulldogs to their 27th consecutive winning season and 16th-straight campaign with 30 or more wins with a 30-29 record. A season-high nine-game winning streak, that included the school's 13th Pepsi/Johnny Quik Classic title, highlighted the year. Under his tutelage, five Bulldogs earned All-WAC honors.
Batesole joined the Bulldogs after spending seven seasons as head coach at Cal State Northridge. During his tenure, the Matadors captured a Western Athletic Conference (1996) and Big West Conference title (2002). The Matadors made two NCAA Tournament appearances under Batesole and were eliminated by J.D. Drew and the Florida State Seminoles in the NCAA Tournament Regionals in 1996.
In 2002, the Matadors finished first in the conference in home runs (89), RBIs (392), slugging percentage (.503), on-base percentage (.413) and walks (298). The squad featured nine All-Big West selections, including the conference's Player of the Year, Eric Verbryke. Cal State Northridge was ranked as high as 15th in the national polls.
Batesole guided the Matadors to a Big West title with a 19-5 conference mark, earning him Big West Conference Coach of the Year honors in his final season at Northridge.
Batesole solidified a conference affiliation with the Big West in 2001. He also attracted three-consecutive nationally ranked recruiting classes with the 2000 recruits ranked 22nd, the 2001 newcomers ranked 15th and his final Matador recruiting class ranked 20th by Collegiate Baseball. In 2001, Batesole set out to get his team battle tested before its first season in the Big West by assembling one of the toughest schedules ever for the Matadors. He guided a young team that started as many as seven freshmen through a schedule that saw six opponents ranked in the top 25. The squad posted 23 wins for the non-conference slate against the likes of UCLA, Long Beach State, Missouri and Nevada. The Matadors tallied a 34-22 overall record and finished fourth in the Big West.
From 1997-00, Northridge was forced to compete as an independent after the program was cut, then subsequently reinstated in 2001. Despite the time the program spent in limbo, Batesole still was highly successful, compiling a 129-101-1 record.
His career record of 256-158-1 at Northridge ranks him second all-time in program history. His .620 winning percentage also ranks as the best ever in school history. Batesole reached the 250-win mark May 5, 2002, with a 10-3 victory against Pacific.
In Batesole's seven years at Cal State Northridge, 37 of his players made it to the professional ranks.
His desire to win was evident the moment Batesole took the helm at Northridge, when he led the 1996 squad to 19 wins in its first 20 games. He reached the 100-win and 200-win plateaus faster than any other coach in Northridge history.
In 1998, Batesole led a team made up primarily of freshmen and junior college transfers to a 37-19 record. Although predicted to be a rebuilding year for the Matadors, the squad set a program record by winning 16 consecutive games and finished the season ranked in the top 30 by several publications. Northridge won 25 of its final 27 games, including wins over Long Beach State, Cal State Fullerton and UCLA. For his team's incredible turnaround, Batesole was named Collegiate Baseball's National Coach of the Year.
His drive to take Northridge to the College World Series can be traced to his first season as head coach in 1996. That season, he led the Matadors to their first ever Western Athletic Conference title. The team defeated Mississippi State and Stanford before falling one day short of the College World Series in a loss to Florida State in the West Region Final. The squad set 43 school records, highlighted by 52 wins, 129 home runs and 576 RBIs. Cal State Northridge was ranked as high as third in the nation and finished the season ranked tenth in three polls.
Northridge continued its winning ways in 1997 by breaking eight school records and finishing with a 42-20 record. Despite starting five freshmen, Batesole's club managed impressive wins over Cal State Fullerton, Pepperdine and USC. The team defeated a total of six teams that advanced to the NCAA Regionals.
In his first two seasons at Northridge, the squad led the nation in total wins with a record of 94-38-1.
Before taking the reins as head coach, Batesole was an assistant for two years under Bill Kernen, where he worked with the Matador infielders and ran the offense.
He also coached for five years at the junior college level. Batesole was an assistant coach at Cypress (Calif.) College, where he helped lead the Chargers to a 29-18 record and the second round of regional play. He also served as the assistant coach at Orange Coast (Costa Mesa, Calif.) College.
Batesole earned a Bachelor's Degree in Kinesiology from Cal State Fullerton in 1990 and received his Master's Degree in Biomechanics in 1992. During his stay at Fullerton, Batesole became an instructor in the Department of Health and Physical Education. His teaching experience also includes time at Cypress College, the North Orange County Community College District and Orange Coast College.
A major reason Batesole has been one of the most successful coaches in the nation comes from the lessons he learned on the field as a professional and All-American player. As a hard-hitting third baseman, Batesole spent four seasons playing professionally in the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system from 1985-88. He was named to the Florida State League All-Star team in 1987 and played for the Dodgers' Double-A team in San Antonio, Texas in 1988.
Batesole earned Summer League All-America honors and became a member of the U.S.A. Baseball Team in 1984. He put together an impressive season as a member of the Anchorage Glacier Pilots in 1983, finishing with 30 home runs and 140 RBIs over a 12 month period.
A native of Anaheim, Calif., Batesole played shortstop for Garden Grove High School where he earned All-Garden Grove Conference and All-Orange County honors. He finished his senior season in 1982 with an incredible .500 batting average and 24 doubles. Batesole then was a standout player at Oral Roberts where he finished his tenure ranked third in school history in career home runs.
Besides his awards as a player and coach, Batesole has also received recognition for his work in the community. He has twice been awarded ('97 and '99) the prestigious Performance Salary Step Increase Award from the California State Board of Trustees for "meritous performance in the area of teaching, professional accomplishments and service to the university community."
Batesole lives in Fresno with his wife Susie and their four children, Kassy, Kally, Kody and Korby.
Coaching Accomplishments
Awards/Honors
2-time Collegiate Baseball National Coach of the Year (1998, 2008)
Named 2008 National Coach of the Year by American Baseball Coaches Association, National College Baseball Writers Association and FieldTurf.
2-time Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year
2002 Big West Conference Coach of the Year
Milestones
500th career win against Sacramento State (15-7) on May 14, 2009
Had school's first ESPY nomination for "Biggest Upset" in 2008
400th career win against Iowa on March 13, 2007 (14-6)
300th career win against Louisiana Tech on April 4, 2004 (12-4)
100th win as a Bulldog against Portland on March 5, 2006
Only third head coach in Fresno State history to have over 100 wins (Bob Bennett-1,302; Pete Beiden-601)
