WAC tournament capsules
Here’s a look at the teams in the baseball tournament based on seed:
1. HAWAII
Record: 32-23 (17-7 WAC)
Next game: Thursday vs. TBD, 4 p.m.
All-WAC players: 2B Kolten Wong, Jr. (.375, 6 HRs, 46 runs, 49 RBIs, 22 SBs); DH Zack Swasey (.320, 12 2Bs, 41 RBIs, 11 SBs); 1B Jeff Van Doornum, Sr. (.302, 15 2Bs, 31 runs, 38 RBIs); RHP Lenny Linsky, Jr. (1-1, 1.39 ERA, 12 SV, .195 BAA)
Notes: Clinched a share of its first WAC regular-season championship since 1992. Defending WAC tournament champions. Did not lose a conference series all season. Four players finished the season batting over .300, including sophomore Breland Almadova (.301, 53 runs, 16 SBs). Junior Collin Bennett, who set a WAC tournament record in 2010 with 13 hits and seven doubles, finished third in league games with a .417 batting average.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
2. FRESNO STATE
Record: 37-14 (17-7)
Record vs. UH: 2-2
Next game: Thursday vs. TBD, noon.
All-WAC players: OF Aaron Judge, Fr. (.351, 32 runs, 10 2Bs, 9 SBs); OF Dusty Robinson, Jr. (.310, 19 2Bs, 14 HRs, 46 RBIs); 1B Jordan Ribera, Jr. (.246, 15 2Bs, 8 HRs, 38 RBIs); 3B Danny Muno, Sr. (.328, 61 hits, 29 runs, 12 SBs); SS Garrett Weber, Sr. (.287, 28 runs, 5 HRs, 32 RBIs); C Austin Wynns, So. (.333, 36 runs, 52 hits, 8 2Bs); RHP Greg Gonzalez, Sr. (10-0, 1.44 ERA, 93 2/3 IP, 118 K); OF Brennan Gowens, Jr. (.251, 38 runs, 9 2Bs, 31 RBIs); LHP Josh Poytress, Jr. (6-2, 2.74 ERA, 2 CG).
Notes: The Bulldogs finished with at least a share of the regular-season WAC title for the sixth straight season. FSU was swept in three games by Cal State Bakersfield to end the season, killing its hopes to host a regional. FSU won its last five, and nine of its last 11, league games to finish the season. Senior Greg Gonzalez struck out at least 12 batters three times. His 1.44 ERA is the fifth best in school history and FSU went 12-2 when he took the mound, losing only to San Jose State and Hawaii.
3. LOUISIANA TECH
Record: 32-25 (12-12)
Record vs. UH: 1-3
Next game: Today vs. New Mexico State, 4 p.m.
All-WAC players: OF Kyle Roliard, Jr. (.338, 14 2Bs, 40 runs); LHP Mike Jefferson, Jr. (6-3, 3.13 ERA, 67 K); 3B Mark Threlkeld, Jr. (.310, 43 runs, 17 2Bs, 8 HRs, 39 RBIs); SS Ryan Gebhardt, Fr. (.331, 20 runs, 20 RBIs).
Notes: LaTech’s last WAC tournament win was against Hawaii at Les Murakami Stadium in 2009. The Bulldogs have pitched five shutouts this year, the most since 1990. LaTech has used 40 different starting lineups in 2011. The Bulldogs have given up only 17 homers all year. Caleb Dudley set a school record with 10 saves this year. The Bulldogs have won four games in their final at-bat this year. Gebhardt is riding a 13-game hitting streak into the tournament.
4. NEVADA
Record: 23-29, 12-12
Record vs. UH: 1-3
Next game: Today vs. San Jose State, noon
All-WAC players: 1B Brock Stassi, Sr. (.376, 27 runs, 19 2Bs, 34 RBIs); OF Brian Barnett, Sr. (.267, 29 runs, 5 HRs, 24 RBIs); OF Nick Melino, Jr. (.312, 40 runs, 18 2Bs, 4 HRs, 25 RBIs); SS Bradey Shipley, Fr. (.271, 35 hits, 6 2Bs, 17 runs); RHP Troy Marks, Jr. (2-5, 3.88 ERA, 67 1/3 IP, 50 K).
Notes: The Wolf Pack will play the Spartans in their first tournament game for the fifth time in six years. Stassi has the fourth-highest batting average in the conference and is third in doubles. Nevada is 23-20 since starting the season 0-9. Head coach Gary Powers, in his 29th season, is the longest tenured coach in the history of Nevada athletics. 2007 Kamehameha graduate Waylen Sing-Chow is batting .286 with 25 runs, 24 hits, a home run and 10 RBIs in his senior season.
5. SAN JOSE STATE
Record: 33-24, 11-13
Record vs. UH: 1-3
Next game: Today vs. Nevada, noon
All-WAC players: 1B Danny Stienstra, Sr. (.347, 40 runs, 15 2Bs, 52 RBIs, .453 SLG); LHP Roberto Padilla, Jr. (8-6, 3.18 ERA, 3 CG, 75 K, .234 BAA); OF Craig Hertler, Sr. (.343, 36 runs, 59 hits, 15 SBs); RHP Esteban Guzman, Jr. (5-3, 3.51 ERA, 2 CG, 69 K).
Notes: The Spartans lost three of four to today’s opponent, Nevada, to end the regular season and fall from the third to fifth seed. SJSU ranks second in the conference with a .975 fielding percentage. Senior Jason Martin set a school record with his 797th at-bat in a game against Hawaii two weeks ago. Martin is the program’s all-time leader with 172 runs, 232 games played, 273 hits, 65 hit-by-pitches and 815 at-bats. Starting pitchers Padilla and Guzman rank in the top three in the WAC in ERA and strikeouts.
6. NEW MEXICO STATE
Record: 34-22 (9-15)
Record vs. UH: 2-2
Next game: Today vs. LaTech, 4 p.m.
All-WAC players: OF Tanner Waite, Jr. (.401, 67 hits, 49 runs, 12 2Bs); RHP Scott Coffman, Jr. (3-0, 1.08 ERA, 9 SV, .211 BAA); 2B Parker Hipp, So. (.395, 45 runs, 6 HRs, 57 RBIs); SS Tyler Forney, Jr. (.362, 36 runs, 50 hits, 5 SBs); DH Zac Fisher, So. (.396, 13 2Bs, 8 HRs, 55 RBIs).
Notes: The Aggies dominate the offensive statistics, leading the WAC in batting average (.340), slugging percentage (.478), on-base percentage (.445), runs (488), hits (640), RBIs (459), doubles (122) and total bases (901). Waite was the only Aggie to hit over .400 in the WAC and Wesley Starkes led the league with 59 runs scored. Coffman edged Hawaii’s Linsky for first-team honors as the league’s top closer.