Dirtbags
off to best start in team history
By
Michael Bower
On-line Forty-Niner
The
No.5-ranked Dirtbags are off to their best
conference start in school history as the
team improved its first-place record to
9-0 in the Big West Conference with a three-game
sweep over the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Mustangs.
“There
is no question about it, we’re playing
our best baseball of the year right now,”
head coach Mike Weathers said. “We’re
pitching, hitting and playing solid defense.
I think now the job is to try to sustain
this, and our goal is to win conference.”
The
coast still is not clear for the Dirtbags
to recapture the Big West title as Cal State
Fullerton has rebounded from a bad non-conference
start and has begun conference play with
an 8-1 record, while UC Riverside is 7-2.
“It
does not surprise me a bit where [Fullerton]
is,” Weathers said. “I think
they are going to be right there at the
end. You never count them out.”
Pitching
is usually what drives the Dirtbags to success,
but the bats were unleashed over the weekend
as the Dirtbags pounded out 46 hits, which
resulted in 30 runs for the three-game series.
The
Dirtbags have watched its team-batting average
slowly climb to the .296 mark. The team
has seven players hitting over .300, while
Jason Vargas, Brad Davis and John Bowker
are all hitting over .350 with three home
runs apiece.
“I
knew they could do this,” hitting
coach Don Barbara said of the offense. “I
thought this is how it was going to be from
the start.”
Barbara
said he has worked with many of the players
on adjusting and fine-tuning their mechanics.
Barbara pointed out the change in hand position
for Vargas, who has been producing more
extra-base hits since. Barbara said he also
worked with Bowker and Davis.
Bowker
and Davis have been on a tear as of late
at the plate. Bowker ripped the Mustangs
by going a combined 6-for-13, including
two homers in Friday night’s 11-5
victory. Davis tacked on a 6-for-14 performance
over the three games.
The
pitching has not missed a beat as the trio
of Weaver, Cesar Ramos and Vargas all picked
up wins on the mound. Weaver passed Andy
Croghan as the all-time leader in wins at
Long Beach State with 34.
The
pitching staff’s combined earned run
average is 2.37 while the offense is averaging
five runs per game – a good equation
for winning games.
“If
we can continue on this offensive path then
I have no doubts about [going to the College
World Series,] but you have to play every
game and see what happens. Barbara said.
“ I think this is the team to do it
though.”
Weaver
brought in a Baggett Stadium record 3,274
fans, which watched Weaver strike out 14
Mustangs en route to an 11-5 Dirtbag victory.
Vargas
provided the offensive firepower with a
4-for-4 night, which included a two-run
homer in the fifth and an RBI double in
the ninth inning. Bowker chipped in a couple
of homers, while Steve Velazco and Davis
also had multi-hit games. The Beach had
17 hits in all.
The
Dirtbags trailed 3-2 after an inning play
as the Mustangs took advantage of a couple
of errors by the Dirtbags allowing two unearned
runs to score.
The
Dirtbags responded with five unanswered
runs, and went on to score at least one
run in all of the innings except two.
Weaver
hurled seven innings walking just one and
giving up just two earned runs in his 12th
victory in as many tries.
The
Dirtbags continued to pound Mustang pitching
Saturday as the team banged out 17 more
hits in a 15-6 laugher.
Ramos
was the beneficiary hurling seven innings
striking out a season-high seven, giving
up just four runs – two were unearned
– on six hits. Ramos has now won four
in a row for the Dirtbags and his ERA is
2.05.
The
Dirtbags poured it on after scoring twice
in the second inning by sending 11 men to
the plate in the third inning scoring seven
more runs to push the score to 9-0.
Bowker
came a homer away from the cycle as he went
4-for-5 with a double and a triple. Sean
Boatright, hitting leadoff for the first
time in his career, had a 3-for-5 day with
four RBIs including a three-run double in
the third inning. Mike Hofius chipped in
by driving in five runs on a 3-for-5 day
including a three-run homer in the fifth
and an RBI double in the second inning.
The
Dirtbags also saw the return of Chuck Sindlinger
at second base. Sindlinger had been out
since March 12 with a left wrist injury.
He went 3-for-4 with a RBI single, and also
made two great defensive plays at second
base.
The
series finale Sunday showed the versatility
of Vargas.
Vargas
got the job done on the mound and at the
plate as he struck out eight, and went 3-for-4
with two RBIs as the Dirtbags defeated the
Mustangs, 4-1.
Vargas
threw 6 1/3 innings before being relieved
by Brian Anderson who extended his scoreless
streak to 21.2 consecutive innings. Neil
Jamison pitched the ninth and picked up
his 11th save of the year.
The
Dirtbags will return home for a four-game
home stand this week, beginning with UCLA
Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and then a three-game
conference series with UC Santa Barbara
beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m.
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