Sacramento State visits Washington State after losing three games to No. 20 Cal Poly and most recently a 5-3 loss to Santa Clara on Tuesday at Hornet Field.

With a team total of 20 home runs this season, the Hornet offense has not been relying on the long ball to win games, but in Tuesday''s loss to the Broncos all three Hornet runs were scored on homers. Senior Matt Wilson hit his fifth blast of the season over the left field wall scoring junior Brian Conradi and giving Sacramento State an initial 2-0 lead. Wilson is second on the team in home runs this season and now has 13 for his career. Sophomore Billy Sinacori hit his first home run of the year and second of his career, giving the Hornets a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning. Santa Clara came back to score three runs in the last two innings while holding Sacramento State scoreless. The Hornets'' loss brings their losing streak to seven games, tying their longest of the season.

The Cougars and Hornets will be familiar with one another approaching this series. The teams played earlier this season in February with Sacramento State winning the series 2-1. All three games were decided by two runs or less and pitchers Marshall Plouffe and Warren Rosebrock both picked up victories in the series for the Hornets, while Nick Cebula earned the win for the Cougars. Sacramento State has a 5-6 record against Pac-10 teams this season, but has struggled on the road this season with an away record of 2-11.

Scouting Washington State

The Cougars also come into the series on a seven-game losing streak dropping two three-game series against Oregon State and Washington. Washington State, who is winless (0-15) in the Pac-10, had its most recent wins in a two-game sweep of Gonzaga in April.

The Cougars are led by Brady Everett, who is batting .321 with a team-high 49 RBIs and 10 home runs. Also playing well for Washington State is Jay Miller. He is second on the team with a .339 batting average and he also has a team-high 60 hits to go along with 25 RBIs, nine doubles and three home runs.

Leading Off

Strombach continues to post big numbers

The only player to start all 47 games this season, junior Jim Strombach has carved out a home in right field and as the team''s leadoff hitter.

The third-year player out of Moanalua HS is having the best season of his career. He leads the team in hits (58), runs (32), stolen bases (14), doubles (13) and triples (2). All Strombach''s marks this year are career highs. The Aiea, Hawaii, native also has a team-high 17 multiple-hit games this season.

In addition to his offense, Strombach has provided some stellar catches in right field and has a .990 fielding percentage, second on the team.

He is on pace to crack the career and season top-10''s for at-bats. He currently leads the team with 192 at-bats, bringing his career total to 427. His 13 doubles are five shy of the top-10 for doubles in a single season.

Flower''s Power

Designated hitter

Senior Brett Flowers is also having a career year. In his second season out of Santa Ana JC, Flowers is in the top-five of 10 offensive categories this year. Splitting time between first base and designated hitter, Flowers has batted clean-up in 31 of his 45 starts.

His 36 RBIs lead the team along with his six home runs. Arguably the Hornets'' hardest hitter, the Huntington Beach, Calif., native has produced 16 multiple-hit games and 11 multiple-RBI games.

His .303 batting average is second on the team along with his 50 hits. He leads the team with a .473 slugging percentage and has also posted 10 doubles.

Flowers leads the team with 78 total bases and has been walked 16 times.

Cracking the Top-10

Hornets making program history

On the mound Plouffe and Rosebrock have been dominating forces the last five seasons.

Plouffe, a fifth-year senior, has cracked the program''s top-10 in three separate categories. The Castaic, Calif., native is third in program history having made 72 appearances in four seasons. He also ranks fourth all-time in innings pitched with 253.2.

Plouffe, who began his career at Sacramento State in 2001, is also fifth with 182 career strikeouts.

Rosebrock, a fourth-year senior out of Valley Christian Academy, has also cracked several categories. He is second all-time with 74 career appearances, with 20 coming this season alone. He is also ninth in program history with 208.2 innings pitched in the last four years.

Despite being with the Hornets for just two seasons after transferring from East Los Angeles JC, senior right-hander Ethan Katz has also made the record books. His 110 innings pitched in 2004 ranked him ninth for most innings pitched in a single season. The Los Angeles, native also ranks ninth in program history with 142 career strikeouts, 52 of those coming this year. With 14 career victories over the past two seasons, he is just two wins short of cracking the top-10.

The pitchers are not the only ones breaking records. Junior shortstop Everet Rincon tops all former and current Hornets, ranking first in program history with 22 career sacrifice hits, tallying six already in 2005. Rincon, who redshirted last season, is in his fourth-year with the program. Rincon is also second on the team this year with 22 runs while also ranking second with eight stolen bases. He has started 40 games in 2005 and has fielded a team-high 28 double plays. He also has 112 assists.

Quickly on his tail is freshman second baseman Taylor Watanabe. The Aiea, Hawaii, native is currently leading the team with a .314 batting average. He has played in 29 games this season and mid-way through the season began receiving the start at second base. Batting mostly second in the lineup, Watanabe leads the team with eight sacrifice hits on the year, tying him for eighth in program history for sacrifice hits in single season.

The Aiea HS graduate is having a stellar season on offense with 22 hits, 11 runs, eight RBIs, three doubles and three stolen bases. Watanabe, currently on a two-game hitting streak, has eight multiple-hit games this season as well.

Wilson has also cracked the record books. The catcher out of Canoga Park, Calif., has totaled 458 career at-bats in his four seasons, leaving him ninth in program history.

Head Coach John Smith

Since taking over the Sacramento State program in November of 1978, head coach John Smith has produced 18 winning seasons, including 12 years with at least 30 wins and four years with at least 40 wins.

In his 27th season as a head coach, he has posted 771 wins, ranking him among the top 60 active Division I coaches. The 771 victories and his 26-year tenure are also the most by any coach in Sacramento State baseball history. Smith''s current mark is 771-734.

Smith has led the team to four NCAA postseason appearances, winning two regional crowns and making 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.

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 Hornets

This Week’s Probable Starters

Satuday at Washington State, May 7, 7 p.m.

E. Katz (5-7, 4.58) vs. TBA

Sunday at Washington State, May 8, 2 p.m.

M. Campbell (3-6, 4.87) vs. TBA

Monday at Washington State, May 9, Noon

T. Kane (2-4, 5.66) vs. TBA