Be in Beiden Field to watch history as Tom Mendonca needs three home runs to become Fresno State's home run king.
April 7, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
FRESNO, Calif. -
The Fresno State baseball team opens WAC play against New Mexico State April 10-13.The 'Dogs look to win their fourth consecutive WAC League and Tournament championships. Watch history in the making this weekend as third baseman Tom Mendonca closes in on Fresno State's home run record. Mendonca needs three more home runs to become the home run king.
Fresno State vs. New Mexico State
The Bulldogs lead the series against NMSU 15-5. The `Dogs played the Aggies nine times last year. The `Dogs won seven of the nine games. The last meeting between the two teams was a four-game series May 2-4 in Fresno and the `Dogs split the series.
About The Aggies
New Mexico State is leading the WAC with a 3-1 league record and 28-4 overall mark. The Aggies The Aggies took three of four against Sacramento State. The team is batting .372 with 72 home runs and 93 doubles. Bryan Marquez leads the team and WAC in home runs with 16. Marquez is batting .396. The Aggie pitching staff has a combined ERA of 5.01 with 252 strikeouts in 275 innings. Daniel Simon has a perfect 6-0 record with an ERA of 3.38. Simon has struck out 37 batters in 40 innings of work.
Bulldogs Begin Quest for Fourth WAC Championship
Fresno State has dominated the Western Athletic Conference for the past three seasons, winning both the regular season and WAC tournament each year. The Bulldogs have a 12-0 record in WAC tournament action during that
time. Fresno State has won 70% (56-24) of their WAC regular season games over the last three seasons. The Bulldogs outscored their WAC opponents 23-14 in four games of the tournament in 2008.
Mendonca Inches Closer To Record
Tom Mendonca is close to breaking the all-time Fresno State home run record. The junior has 12 home runs on the season and 41 in his career. Mendonca passed Lance Shebult and former teammate Stephen Susdorf, moving into second place on all-time record book. He needs three more home runs to move past current all-time leader Guiseppe Chiramonte.
`Dogs Against Ranked Opponents
New Mexico State is the first ranked opponent the Bulldogs have faced in 2009. Fresno State faced eight ranked teams in 2008, three of which were during the College World Series. The Bulldogs were 11-6 against teams ranked in the top 25 last season.
Hot `Dogs
Third baseman Tom Mendonca has a 14 game hitting streak heading into the first week of conference games. The streak began on March 14 against Buffalo. Gavin Hedstrom had the second longest hitting streak of the year at nine games in row. Last year, Hedstrom had the third longest hitting streak in the WAC and longest on the team at 16 games.
Home Run Fun
Six Bulldogs hit home runs last week. Tom Mendonca, Jake Johnson, Alan Ahmady, and Steve Detwiler each knocked one out of the park. Trent Soares hit two home runs in one game. One sailed over the left field wall, while the other was an inside-the-park home run.
Take Me Out to the Ball Park
The Bulldogs are averaging 2,296 people at Beiden Field. A total of 27,555 fans have come out to Beiden Field to see the Bulldogs in action. Every home game has had over 2,000 fans and last year the `Dogs only broke the 2,000 mark once at Beiden in 2008. The average attendance at Beiden Field in 2008 was 1,692 and the average attendance is up nearly 600 in 2009.
Schedule Change
The Bulldogs four-game series against Sacramento State has changed to May 14-16. Thursday's game starts at 3 p.m. followed by Friday's game at 3 p.m. and concluding with a doubleheader Saturday starting at noon.
"Join the State - Fresno State!" - The `Dogs travel to CSU Bakersfield for a two game series April 7-8 with the game starting at 2:00 pm each day. The `Dogs return to Beiden Field April 10-13 as they host New Mexico State in the WAC opening series. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Bulldog Ticket Office, calling 278-DOGS or online at gobulldogs.com.
