In Friday''s 5-3 victory, senior right-hander Ethan Katz picked up his sixth victory of the season after pitching seven innings and allowing just three runs (two earned) on 12 hits. The Los Angeles, native now has 15 career wins, just one short of cracking the program''s career top-10.

Junior left fielder Josh Levin got the Hornets on the scoreboard early with a two-run triple to right center that scored junior Brian Conradi and senior Matt Wilson. Later in the inning, freshman David Flores recorded his 11th RBI of the season when his sacrifice fly scored Levin. In the third inning, junior Brain Blauser then hit a sacrifice fly to center field scoring junior Jim Strombach for a 4-0 lead.

In Saturday''s 2-0 loss, junior left-hander Matt Campbell pitched his second complete game of the season giving up two runs on eight hits, but Sacramento State''s offense was held to scoreless on seven hits while stranding eight base runners.

The Hornets dropped the deciding game 6-2 on Sunday. San Jose State held Sacramento State without a run until the ninth inning when the team put up two runs. Wilson scored the Hornets'' first run and Strombach''s RBI-single scored junior Pat Keiper. Keiper and Strombach both recorded two hits on the afternoon.

Scouting Pacific

The Tigers come into this weekend having won six of their last eight games. Pacific sports a 9-12 record in the Big West Conference, which houses three top-30 teams, comprised of Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State and Cal Poly.

Most recently the Tigers took two-of-three games at Cal State Northridge. In the series, freshman Justin Baum went 10-for-13 with eight RBIs, seven runs and four home runs. Baum currently leads Pacific with a .325 average, 55 hits, 40 RBIs, 15 home runs and 13 doubles. Posting similar numbers is junior Matt Berezay, batting .268, the left fielder has 52 hits, 40 RBIs, 14 home runs, 11 doubles and four triples.

On the mound the Hornets are expected to see junior right-hander Luke Massetti on Friday. He sports a 5.23 ERA and 6-6 record in 16 starts.

He leads all starters having pitched 98 innings this season while recording 55 strikeouts. In the Tigers'' 13-6 win over Cal State Northridge last Friday, Massetti pitched seven innings allowing six runs on 13 hits.

With Saturday''s starter still to be determined, Pacific will put Matthew Pena on the mound on Sunday. Pena, a left-hander, is 3-2 in his five starts this season. The senior has made 16 appearances and has a 2.55 ERA having pitched 35.1 innings and recording 35 strikeouts. Pena pitched 6.2 innings last Sunday allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits while recording six strikeouts in the Tigers'' 9-8 10-inning loss to Cal State Northridge.

Calling all Seniors

Veterans leave their mark

Sacramento State''s season-ending three-game series with Pacific will signal the end of 11 seniors'' careers.

Pitchers Brandon Hall, Marshall Hendon, Ethan Katz, Ken Livesey, Marshall Plouffe and Warren Rosebrock will finish their collegiate time on the mound while catcher Matt Wilson, infielders Brett Flowers, Cliff Hinkle and Pedro Santiago along with outfielder Travis Kassebaum will also play in their final games as Hornets.

Several players will leave Sacramento State with their names in the record books.

Wilson, a fifth-year player out of Canoga Park, Calif., is now eighth in program history with 479 career at-bats.

Rosebrock and Plouffe are tied for second in program history with 77 career appearances apiece. Rosebrock, out of Valley Christian Academy, is also eighth in program history having pitched 211.2 career innings. The Citrus Heights, Calif., native also made 23 appearances this season, tieing him for seventh in program history.

Plouffe''s 24 appearances this season tied him for fifth in career appearances in a single season. The Castaic, Calif., native has also pitched 258.2 innings in his career, leaving him fourth in program history. His five saves this season tie him for 10th in single season history. A fifth-year senior, his 186 strikeouts are also fourth in program history.

Katz has 15 career wins, just one short of cracking the career top-10. In his two years after transferring from East Los Angeles JC, Katz has posted three wins over top-25 teams. In 2004 he pitched in a 2-1 upset of Stanford and this season gained a 4-3 victory over the Cardinal and a 7-4 win over then fifth-ranked Arizona. His 148 career strikeouts also rank him ninth in program history.

Unexpected Surprises

Newcomers continue to impress

A nice surprise this season has been the strong performances of Sacramento State''s newcomers. Freshman Taylor Watanabe took over the starting position at second base mid-season and made an immediate impact offensively. Arguably the Hornets'' best bunter, in just 33 games this season, Watanabe leads the team with eight sacrifice hits. The mark also cracks the top-10 for sacrifice hits in a single season. Although he has not started since May 7 because of an injury, Watanabe leads the team with a .316 batting average.

Freshman David Flores has also shown the ability to play at the Division I level. Out of Union City, Calif., Flores was asked to play a major role in the infield starting 20 games at third base and 13 at shortstop. In his first year, Flores had two home runs, three stolen bases and 11 RBIs.

Junior pitchers Matt Campbell and Travis Kane have also made an impact in the starting rotation. Campbell, a left-hander out of San Mateo JC, has pitched two complete games this year and has made 12 starts. Kane, out of Walla Walla CC, has made 10 starts with three victories including two over Pac-10 teams, Cal and Washington State.

Welcome to the WAC

Next season poses a host of changes

After playing its third season of independent baseball, the program will join the Western Athletic Conference in 2006 as an affiliate member.

Conference members will include local opponents such as San Jose State, Nevada and Fresno State as well as Hawai''i, Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State. The Hornets were former affiliate members of the WAC from 1993-96 were they posted a conference record of 42-65 in four seasons.

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 773 wins, ranking him among the top 60 active Division I coaches. The 773 victories and his 26-year tenure are also the most by any coach in Sacramento State baseball history. Smith''s current mark is 773-739.

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

Friday vs. Pacific, May 20, 2:30 p.m.

E. Katz (6-8, 4.52) vs. Luke Massetti (6-6, 5.23)

Saturday vs. Pacific, May 21, 1 p.m.

M. Campbell (3-8, 4.69) vs. TBA

Sunday vs. Pacific, May 22, 1 p.m.

T. Kane (3-5, 5.43) vs. Matt Pena (3-2, 2.55)