Sacramento State enters the week with a 28-20 record after dropping contests to 20th-ranked Arizona (21-13) and Hawai''i (10-7) earlier this week. The Hornets, who ended their season-high tying four-game winning streak with Monday''s loss to the Wildcats, are off to their best start after 48 games since 1993 (29-19).

San Jose State enters the game with an 22-23 mark after dropping two-of-three games against Hawai''i (2-3, 2-9, 5-3) over the weekend before defeating Saint Mary''s (8-3) on April 30.

The Hornets will conclude their homestand with a single game against Santa Clara on Tuesday, May 6, at 2:30 p.m.

HEAD COACH JOHN SMITH

Since taking over the program in November of 1978, Smith has produced 16 winning seasons, including 10 years with at least 30 wins and four years with at least 40 wins. In his 25th seasons as a head coach, he has posted 722 wins, ranking him among the top-60 active Division I coaches. The 722 wins and his 25-year tenure are also the most by any coach in Sacramento State baseball history. Smith''s current mark is 722-670.

Smith has led the team to four NCAA postseason appearances, winning two regional crowns and two trips to the NCAA Div. II Championship. Smith was named American Baseball Coaches Association/NCAA Western Regional Coach of the Year twice, in 1986 and 1988.

Several Smith-coached players have advanced to the minor and major leagues. Most recently, Casey Fuller signed with the Colorado Rockies in June and Jeff Groeger inked with the Cincinnati Reds in August of 2002. Chad Elliott and Casey Martinez were drafted in the 2000 Amateur Draft, and Jesse Krebs and Jimmy McFarland each signed free agent contracts that same year.

A native of Redding, Calif., Smith spent three years in the U.S. Army Special Forces as a Green Beret. He played collegiately at Sacramento State in 1971 and 1972 and began his coaching career the following season. After five seasons as the head coach at Encina HS in Sacramento, Smith took over the Hornet program in 1978.

A LOOK AT THE LATEST ACTION

Joshua Green’s running catch in the right field gap ended the Hornets’ bases-loaded threat as the Sacramento State dropped a 10-7 contest to Hawai’i, on April 30, at Hornet Field.

Hawai’i jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after scoring two runs in the first and one run in the second.

Sacramento State cut the lead to 3-1 in the second when sophomore Everet Rincon drove in sophomore Bret LeVier with a base hit to right field.

The Rainbows increased their lead to 9-1 with a five-run fourth and a solo home run by Green in the fifth.

The Hornets cut the lead to 9-4 in the fifth after a two-run homer by junior Jesse Schmidt and an RBI double by junior Chris Kinsey.

Hawai’i added an insurance run in the eighth when Andrew Sansaver drove in Green from second with a double to left center.

Sacramento State cut the lead to 10-7 in the bottom of the ninth after a bases-loaded wild pitch by Rainbow reliever Guy McDowell, an RBI single to right field by Olsen and a bases loaded fielding error by Hawai’i third baseman Brent Cook. With two outs and the bases still loaded, freshman Brian Blauser sent a deep drive towards the gap in right center. Before the ball could drop, Green managed to reach out, drop down to his right and make the catch in stride to end the game.

Schmidt led the Hornet offense by finishing 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs and two RBI. Reimer (2-for-3), Kinsey (2-for-4) and Olsen (2-for-5) also finished with multiple hits to lead the squad.

THE SAN JOSE STATE SPARTANS

Sam Piraro is in his 17th year at the helm of the Spartan baseball program and has amassed a 558-407-4 overall record.

Last season, San Jose State finished with a 45-17 overall record including a 22-5 record in the WAC (2nd).

Junior third baseman Kevin Frandsen leads the Spartan offense with a .330 batting average (58-for-176), 58 hits, 30 runs, 74 total bases and a .400 on-base percentage.

Junior catcher Nick Guerra leads the squad with four home runs and 29 RBI.

A LOOK AT THE HORNETS

This Week’s Probable Starters

Friday at San Jose State, May 2, 2:30 p.m.

D. Smith (3-1, 5.97) vs. M. Durkin (6-4, 2.36)

Saturday vs. San Jose State, May 3, 2 p.m.

S. Correa (2-0, 4.79) vs. F. Esposito (1-3.5.4)

Sunday vs. San Jose State, May 4, 1 p.m.

M. Cuckovich (0-1, 5.00) vs. TBA

TRADING PLACES

Junior outfielders Mikela Olsen and Jesse Schmidt have become the one-two punch of the Sacramento State offense since their jump from the JC level.

Olsen, a transfer from Santa Ana JC, has only dipped below the .400 mark on one occasion this season (March 28, .396). The Oakhurst, Calif., native currently leads the squad with 75 hits, 17 doubles, 57 RBI, 136 total bases and a .739 slugging percentage.

Schmidt, a transfer from Palomar JC, has surpassed Olsen for the top batting average on the squad for the second time this season (first time was on April 26). The San Diego native currently leads the Hornets with a .414 average, 47 runs, 16 home runs and a .485 on-base percentage.

Olsen and Schmidt have each recorded three multi-homer games and two games with home runs from both sides of the plate. The duo has also combined to hit back-to-back home runs on three occasions and have accounted for Sacramento State''s last seven home runs.

The tandem will look to become the first Hornets to hit above the .400 plateau since Dan Ferreira (1990).

HORNET NOTABLES

Since starting the last 14 games in left field, freshman Jim Strombach has raised his batting average from .271 to .290. During that span, Strombach has batted .327 (19-for-49) with a double, nine runs, six RBI, four walks, seven stolen bases and two outfield assists...senior Tim Reimer is in the midst of a six-game hitting streak. During that span, he has batted .500 (10-for-20) with two doubles, two triples, eight runs, eight RBI, four walks and only two strikeouts...senior Steve Correa has a record of 2-0 in his last three appearances (including his first career start on April 26) while allowing only four earned runs on 10 hits (none for extra-bases) with five walks and 10 strikeouts...junior Jesse Schmidt needs three home runs to capture second in the season record book.