Despite winning just one of four games last week, the proverbial monkey is off the back of the Sacramento State baseball team. The Hornets’ one win last week came at UC Irvine giving the team its first Big West Conference victory of the season and preventing the team from becoming the first squad to go winless in the league’s history.

This week, Sacramento State travels to UC Santa Barbara for its final road trip of the season. The Hornets are currently 19-31 overall and 1-17 in the Big West. The series, which will be played at Cesar Uyesaka Stadium on the UCSB campus, will be held from May 17-19. Friday’s game is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. while Saturday’s and Sunday’s games will be played at 1 p.m. and noon, respectively.

The Gauchos enter the week with a 19-30 overall mark and a 5-13 record in the Big West. The team took two-of-three games at Pacific last weekend to snap an eight-game conference losing streak. After reaching the NCAA Regionals last season, UCSB will finish with a losing record for the first time since 1998. One factor for the team’s record this season is the fact that eight Gauchos were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft last year.

UCSB leads the all-time series, 18-14. Last season, the Gauchos won two-of-three games at Sacramento State. The last time the two teams met in Santa Barbara, UCSB captured a pair of games in the three-game series in May of 2000.

• A Look at Last Week

Sacramento State posted a 1-3 record last week, losing a single game at home against San Jose State before dropping two of three games at UC Irvine. The one win against the Anteaters, however, proved to be a big one as it prevented the team from going winless during the Big West season.

Tuesday, May 7, No. 22 San Jose State scored six runs over the final two innings to pull away for a 13-7 win. The Spartans led, 5-0, after three innings before the Hornets began their comeback. Sacramento State scored two runs in the third inning and three in the fifth to tie the game. SJSU put the game out of reach with four runs in the eighth and two in the ninth.

Friday, May 10, senior Jeff Groeger pitched a complete game and struck out eight to lead the Hornets to a 4-2 victory over UC Irvine. Casey Fuller put the team up, 1-0, with a solo home run in the fourth inning. After UCI tied the game in the fifth, Sacramento State scored two runs to take a 3-2 lead. The team later added a run in the eighth.

Saturday, May 11, UC Irvine broke a 5-5 tie by scoring five runs between the fifth and eighth inning en route to a 10-6 win. Ryan Brown continued his hot play by going 3-for-5, including hitting his third home run of the year. Brown also drove in three runs to lead the team.

Sunday, May 12, senior Kevin Marzion made his first trip to the mound after having his appendix removed and tossed seven strong innings where he did not allow a walk in a 4-3 loss. Sacramento State scored three runs in the second inning on a bases-loaded double but watched as UCI capitalized on a two-out error in the third to score three runs to tie the game. The Anteaters took the lead in the eighth on a sacrifice fly.

A Look at the Hornets

• Blistering Brown

After a slow start to his senior season, Ryan Brown might be the hottest hitter in the Big West. Over his last 14 games, the senior is hitting .426 (20-47) with eight doubles and two home runs. He also has a .723 slugging percentage and a .471 on-base percentage during that span.

Last week, Brown cooled down at the plate going just 5-for-17 (.294) with a pair of doubles and a home run.

Overall, he ranks third on the team with a .303 batting average and is second on the squad with a .416 on-base percentage. He also leads the team with four sacrifice flies.

• Going the Distance

One year after setting the school record with 122.1 innings pitched, senior Jeff Groeger is again chewing up innings. Over his last six starts, Groeger has tallied four complete games and now has 97.1 innings logged this season.

One week after picking up the save at Nevada and throwing a complete-game victory at Fresno State, Groeger was named Big West Pitcher of the Week for his effort at UC Irvine. The Diamond Bar, Calif., native threw all nine innings and struck out eight while allowing just two runs in the team’s 4-2 victory over the Anteaters.

Groeger became the first Hornet pitcher to earn the award this season and joins Chris Kinsey as the only players on the team to be named pitcher or player of the week.

In his last three appearances (two starts), Groeger has allowed six earned runs while fanning 14 in 20.0 innings. He has a 2.70 ERA and is 2-0 with a save during that span.

• From the Top

Tim Reimer and Casey Fuller have each joined Brown in the revamped top of the lineup for the Hornets. The trio are all hitting above .389 over the past 10 games and have played a factor in the team’s recent play.

Reimer, who has led off 40 times this season, is now second on the team with a .306 average. The junior is 16 for his last 37 (.432) and is riding a nine-game hit streak.

Fuller is batting .395 (15-for-38) over the last 10 games and has also shown some power at the plate. The senior from Dixon, Calif., has one double, a triple and three home runs since April 27. He has recorded at least two hits in four of the last five games including a career-high four hits at Fresno State on May 5.

Together, the trio is hitting .405 (45-111) with six doubles, two triples and six home runs in the last 10 games. The group has also scored 26 of the team’s last 51 runs.

• Surprise Return

After having his appendix removed on April 9, it appeared that starting pitcher Kevin Marzion would be done for the year. Marzion, however, shocked teammates by coming to the team’s next game just three days later and vowed he would pitch later this season.

That promise came true last Sunday (May 12) when the senior pitched at UC Irvine. The Wilton, Calif., native threw seven innings and allowed just two earned runs in another tough-luck loss.

This season, Marzion is now 2-6 but leads the team with a 4.22 ERA.

• News and Notes

Sophomore Chris Kinsey continues to lead the Big West with 16 home runs...Groeger now ranks fifth at Sacramento State with 219.1 career innings.

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