BASEBALL WELCOMES SAN JOSE STATE FOR FOUR GAME SET AT HORNET FIELD
4/30/2009
HORNETS HOST SPARTANS IN WAC PLAY
After splitting a four-game series with Louisiana Tech in Western Athletic Conference play, the Sacramento State baseball team will host San Jose State this weekend.
San Jose State split a four-game series with Fresno State this past weekend, and will play midweek games against Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara before travelling to Hornet Field. The Spartans are 29-14 overall and 7-5 in WAC play, which is good for third in the conference standings. They are led offensively Anthony Bona and Jacob Bruns, who are both hitting .402 on the season. David Berner, a lefthanded pitcher, leads the club on the mound with a 6-1 record and a 2.47 ERA, having thrown three complete games over the course of the season.
Live audio and live stats for all four games this weekend will be available on www.hornetsports.com
MONDAY: BULLDOGS 10, HORNETS 5
The Sacramento State baseball team dropped a 10-5 decision to the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on Monday, April 27 at Hornet Field.
Both teams struck for a run in the first inning, with the Bulldogs taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly by Devon Dageford. Senior Hunter Martinez tied the score at 1-1 for the Hornets with a solo home run to lead off the bottom half of the inning, his fourth of the season.
The Bulldogs retook the lead in the top of the fifth, as back-to-back solo home runs by Dageford and Chris Kersten gave Louisiana Tech a 3-1 lead. Insurance came in the top of the sixth, as Alex Williams blasted a solo shot to right field to extend the advantage to 4-1.
Louisiana Tech broke the game open, as with two outs Kersten connected on his second solo home run of the game, extending the lead to 5-1. They extended the inning as Clint Ewing reached base on a wild pitch following a strike out, and Williams reached on an error. Five unearned runs would score in the inning, including a three-run homer by Patrick Thomas, giving the Bulldogs a 10-1 advantage.
After being held hitless following Martinez’ home run for the next four innings, the Hornets showed signs of life offensively in the middle innings, finally breaking through to score in the bottom of the eighth. With one down, junior Josh Powers doubled to left, and was immediately brought home on a double by junior Tim Wheeler. The next two batters, seniors Blake Crosby and Jeff Roth, were both hit by pitches, loading the bases for freshman Aaron Crouch, who drove home Wheeler on a sacrifice fly to make the score 10-3. A walk reloaded the bases, but with two outs already in the inning, the Hornets were unable to capitalize any further.
The bottom of the ninth saw the Hornets once again rally, as with runners on second and third and no one out, Powers earned a RBI on a groundout to third, cutting the lead to 10-4. Wheeler followed with a RBI single, scoring redshirt freshman Ivan Otsuka to pull Sacramento State to within five at 10-5. With runners on first and second and one out, reliever Mike Jefferson was brought out of the bullpen for the third time in the series, and induced a game-ending double play.
Casey Jones (3-0) picked up the win in a spot start for Louisiana Tech, allowing three runs on seven hits in 7.1 innings of work. Freshman Alex Taku (0-1) picked up the loss for the Hornets, allowing three runs on six hits in 3.2 innings of work.
Wheeler and Crosby led the Hornets with two hits apiece, with Wheeler adding his 57th and 58th RBI of the season, which puts him in a tie for ninth place all-time on the Hornets single season charts. Kersten went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored to pace Louisiana Tech, while Dageford finished 2-for-3 with two RBI.
LAST SUNDAY: BULLDOGS 7 HORNETS 4
The Sacramento State baseball team dropped a 7-4 decision to the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on Sunday, April 26 at Hornet Field.
Sacramento State opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, as junior Josh Powers doubled home senior Hunter Martinez, who had led off the inning with a single, to give the Hornets a 1-0 advantage.
One swing of the bat tied the game in the top of the second for the Bulldogs, as Clint Ewing hit a solo home to right center to make the score 1-1. Louisiana Tech scored two runs in the top of the third to take a 3-1 lead, but the advantage could easily have been three runs, as junior Tim Wheeler was able to knock down an apparent home run off the bat of Kevin Winn, holding him to a double.
Wheeler then pulled the Hornets to within a run in the bottom half of the inning with a deep home run over the right center field fence, his 15th of the season, making the score 3-2 in favor of the Bulldogs.
But the Bulldogs got the run right back on a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth, and added three more runs in the top of the fifth on a pair of RBI singles and a sacrifice fly, pushing their lead to 7-2.
The Hornets, however, fought back in the bottom of the seventh, as following a double off the wall by freshman Aaron Crouch and a single by Wheeler, Powers once again laced a double down the left field line, scoring two runs and pulling the Hornets to within three at 7-4.
Sacramento State was able to load the bases with three straight one-out singles in the bottom of the eighth, and with two down Wheeler hit a towering fly ball to right that was caught at the base of the wall by the Bulldogs’ Devon Dageford, ending the threat. The Hornets then brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with one out, but Louisiana Tech reliever Mike Jefferson got back-to-back strikeouts to close out the Bulldogs victory. Tommy Elrod (4-3) picked up the loss, allowing seven runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings of work. Dylan Moseley (4-3) allowed four runs on 12 hits in 7.1 innings of work, striking out two without walking a batter. Jefferson picked up his first save, allowing one hit in 1.2 innings pitched.
Powers led the Hornets offensively with a 3-for-5 day at the plate with three RBI, while Martinez went 3-for-5 with a run scored. Louisiana Tech got two hits apiece from Chris Kersten and Winn, with six Bulldog players driving in runs.
LAST SATURDAY: HORNETS 8, BULLDOGS 6
Seniors Blake Crosby and Jeff Roth posted three hits, with each providing a home run, as the Sacramento State baseball team took home an 8-6 victory over Louisiana Tech on April 25 at Hornet Field.
The Hornets opened the scoring in the bottom of the second, as with two on, freshman Justin Lamb hit a three-run homer to left field, his eighth of the season, giving Sacramento State a 3-0 lead.
The lead grew in the bottom of the third, as Crosby started a four-run inning, providing an RBI infield single that plated sophomore Derrick Chung. Roth then drove in three with a towering home run to left field, his seventh of the season, to increase the lead to 7-0.
Louisiana Tech made the game interesting in the top of the fifth, plating five runs to pull to within two at 7-5. Mark Threlkeld started the rally with a RBI single, and later in the inning, ninth place batter Clint Ewing hit a grand slam to left to account for the five run inning.
Insurance came in the bottom of the seventh, as one out Crosby hit a line drive over the left field wall for his fourth home run of the season, pushing the Hornet advantage back to three runs at 8-5.
The Bulldogs mounted a brief rally in the top of the ninth, as Devon Dageford led off the inning with a solo home run to center field to make the score 8-6. Louisiana Tech then brought the tying run to the plate twice in the inning, but Roth, who came in to pitch following the home run, induced a double play and a groundout to close out the win.
Freshman Jesse Darrah (8-2) allowed six runs on nine hits in eight innings, but struck out seven and allowed just one walk. Roth picked up his sixth save of the season, allowing one hit in the final frame. Jeb Stefan (3-5) picked up the loss for the Bulldogs, allowing eight runs on 11 hits in 6.2 innings, striking out 10 Hornet batters.
Both Crosby and Roth finished 3-for-4 on the day, with Roth posting three RBI and Crosby providing two. Five other Hornets posted a single hit, with Lamb providing the remaining three RBI. All nine Bulldog starters posted hits, with Threlkeld being the lone Louisiana Tech player to post a pair of hits.
WHEELER ENTERS CAREER RBI RECORD BOOK; AMONG NATIONS LEADERS
Junior outfielder Tim Wheeler has amassed 58 RBI so far during the 2009 season, giving him 128 runs batted in for his career. This places him third on the school’s career RBI chart, surpassing Gabe Jacobo (2006-08). Wheeler now is tied for second place with Chris Kinsey (2001-03), who amassed 128 RBI in his three years in the Green and Gold. Will Fitzpatrick is the school’s all-time leader with 135.
The El Camino HS product is in the top 25 in the country in six statistical categories. His highest rankings are in the RBI and slugging percentage (0.783) departments, ranking ninth in the nation. He also ranks in the top 25 in home runs (19th, 15), RBI per game (25th, 1.37) and home runs per game (25th, 0.37).
ROTH PROVIDING PUNCH ON MOUND AND AT THE PLATE
Senior Jeff Roth has been serving a dual role as of late for the Hornets, both serving as the team’s everyday left fielder, as well as filling the role of closer. On the hill, Roth is 2-0 with a 2.73 ERA and a team-high six saves, striking out 18 batters in 26.1 innings. At the plate, he is hitting .281 with seven home runs and 29 RBI.
DARRAH DEALING
Freshman Jesse Darrah is ranked 8th in the nation in wins, posting a 8-2 record during his first season in the Green and Gold. Darrah became the first Hornet to amass eight wins since Ethan Katz, who posted nine victories in 2005. He is the first Hornet freshman to collect eight victories during the team’s Division I era (1990-present).
GRAND SLAMS A PLENTY
The Sacramento State baseball team has four three grand slams in a season for the first time since 1998. Junior Tim Wheeler started the festivites with a grand slam in the team’s 14-2 victory over Saint Mary’s on March 8. The next two came four days apart, as senior Jeff Roth hit one in the squads 18-5 victory over Cornell on March 21, and senior Blake Crosby followed that with a grand slam in the Hornets 10-5 victory over Oregon on March 24. Wheeler struck again on April 11, hitting a grand slam in the team’s 7-1 victory over Utah Valley.
INJURY REPORT
The Hornets are currently without five players due to season ending injuries.
Senior lefthander Jose Ramirez was hit in the arm by a line drive during the Hornets first game at Arizona, and will be out the remainder of the season. Senior righthander Eric Fregosi suffered a broken hand against San Francisco on March 17 after being hit in his pitching hand with a line drive. He will miss most likely miss the remainder of the season. Senior lefthander Brian Smith, who led the team in wins last season, is also out, having just recently having surgery on his pitching arm..
Junior outfielder Dan McCarthy suffered a broken foot against Utah Valley, and he will also miss the remainder of the season
Senior righthander Mike Weiss is out for the season following Tommy John surgery. He will look to make a return to the mound during the 2010 season.
Junior righthander Trevor York is active this week for the first time this season after rehabbing an injury to his pitching arm.
MINOR LEAGUE UPDATE
Four former Hornets are currently playing affiliated minor league baseball, with a fifth playing on the independent circuit. David Flores (2005-08) and Mitch Lively (2004-07) are playing at the High-A level, with Flores playing with the Astros affiliate Lancaster Jethawks and Lively pitching for the San Jose Giants, both of the California League. Gabe Jacobo (2006-08) and Ryan Blair (2007-08) are each playing in Low-A, with Jacobo a member of the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Midwest League) for the second straight year, and Blair a member of the Lake County Captains (South Atlantic League). Ethan Katz (2004-05) was recently signed by the Chico Outlaws of the independent Golden Baseball League, after being released by the Colorado Rockies organization during spring training.
