SACRAMENTO -- Fresh off a rare midweek shutout of long-time rival Fresno State on the road, the Sacramento State baseball team takes its first stab at Western Athletic Conference play this weekend, opening the league slate with a three-game series against Grand Canyon on March 17-19 at John Smith Field. First pitch for Friday's series opener is 6 p.m., followed by a 4 p.m. start in game two on Saturday, and a Noon start for the finale on Sunday.
PLAY BALL…
WHAT: Grand Canyon (12-4, 3-0 WAC) at Sacramento State (9-7, 0-0 WAC)
WHEN: Friday-Sunday, March 17-19, 2023
TIME: 6 p.m. | 4 p.m. | Noon
WHERE: Sacramento, Calif.
STADIUM: John Smith Field
WATCH LIVE: ESPN+ … Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
LIVE STATS: HornetStats.com
GAME NOTES: Sacramento State
BE A FOLLOWER...
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IN THE RANKINGS...
Neither the Hornets, nor the 'Lopes, are ranked among the top 25 in the any of the national polls. Grand Canyon, however, is receiving votes in both the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and the USA Today coaches polls released on March 13.
THE BUZZ ON THE HORNETS...
Sacramento State is coming off a 2022 season that saw the Hornets finish 32-26 overall and 17-14 in Western Athletic Conference play, ending the year third in the league's West Division and finishing the conference tournament with a 2-2 record. Sacramento State returns 15 letter winners, six position starters, and eight pitchers for the 2023 campaign, while welcoming 20 new faces -- 13 freshmen and seven transfers -- for the upcoming season.
SCOUTING GRAND CANYON...
The 'Lopes enter the weekend with a 12-4 overall record and a 3-0 mark in WAC play, defeating New Mexico, 11-8, in a midweek battle on Wednesday prior to heading to Sacramento... This weekend marks the first true road games of the year for Grand Canyon, which played a pair of neutral site games at the season-opening MLB Desert Invitational and the remaining 14 contests on its home field... GCU opened WAC play with a three-game sweep of New Mexico State, outscoring the Aggies by a combined 27-8 count on March 10-12... Junior infielder Jacob Wilson leads the team with a .459 average to go with 14 runs scored, 11 extra-base hits, and 23 RBI... The 'Lopes three scheduled starters this weekend are a combined 5-1 with a 1.90 ERA and 77 strikeouts against only 15 walks.
SERIES NOTES...
Sacramento State holds a narrow, 21-20, lead in the all-time series with Grand Canyon, but the 'Lopes have won the last three series against the Hornets, going 7-3 in those contests... Sacramento State has won the opening game in each of the last two series, but haven't won a series from GCU since taking 2-of-3 at home in 2019... The Hornets are a combined 12-10 at home against the 'Lopes, but are 4-6 in the last 10 meetings at John Smith Field... Since both have been WAC members beginning with the 2014 season, Grand Canyon leads the series, 18-14.
FOR OPENERS (CONFERENCE STYLE)...
The Hornets enter their 22nd season of WAC play at home for only the 10th time overall and the third time in the last seven years... Sacramento State has won three of its last four conference-opening series, ending a three-game winning streak after Utah Tech took 2-of-3 at home last season... Prior to that, the Hornets won on the road at New Mexico State (2-1) in 2018, at home against UTRGV (2-1) in 2019, and at Tarleton (3-1) in 2021... Sacramento State is a combined 30-34 on opening weekend in conference play, winning eight of its last 12... This is the first time that the Hornets will open WAC play against the 'Lopes.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS...
With Mother Nature doing her best to thwart the Hornets' ability to get games in, the coaching staff has been busy putting together additional contests to make up those that have been missed. The game against San Jose State scheduled for April 4 will now be played at home on March 22 at 6 p.m. The Hornets have also added home games against Saint Mary's on May 10 and Pacific on May 16 at home, both scheduled for 6 p.m. starts at John Smith Field.
MONSTERS OF THE MIDWEEK...
Thanks to their 9-0 victory over Fresno State on Wednesday, the Hornets improved to 3-0 in midweek contests this year -- adding wins over Nevada and UC Davis -- and winning six of their last seven midweek clashes dating back to the end of last year.
A LONG TIME COMING...
The 9-0 shutout of Fresno State on Wednesday marked the team's second shutout of the season (2-0 in the opener against St. Thomas on Feb. 25) and the first against long-time rival Fresno State since a 4-0 win over the 'Dogs in 2008. Coupled with their win over FSU on May 10 of last season, the Hornets also posted back-to-back wins over the Bulldogs for the first time since the 2014 campaign.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS...
The Hornets just don't lose on Friday's. Thanks to its 5-3 victory over Central Michigan last weekend, Sacramento State has now won its last 20 regular season series openers dating back to a four-game series against Western Athletic Conference rival California Baptist on May 7, 2021, and has not lost a series opener since April 30, 2021, against league foe Grand Canyon. Sacramento State finished a perfect 14-0 in series openers in 2022, standing as the lone Division I school to not lose an opener after UConn started 11-0 before falling to Xavier on May 13, 2022.
ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END...
Freshman Wehiwa Aloy's nation-best 13-game hitting streak came to an end in the third game of the series against Central Michigan last week after entering the day tied with Auburn's Bryson Ware for the longest in the country as of March 9. Aloy's 13-game hitting streak was the longest by a Hornet since Cesar Valero had a hit in 13 straight from March 11 - April 2 last season.
BUT THERE'S STILL SOME GOOD NEWS...
Aloy has continued to make his presence known on the base paths despite that hitting streak coming to an end, reaching base safely in all 16 games of his collegiate career after collecting a hit at Fresno State.
EXTRA! EXTRA!...
The Hornets' lineup has produced an extra-base hit in every game this season after tying a season high with four doubles and slugging a home run in the win over the Bulldogs.
PLAYING ONLY THE HITS...
Six different players accounted for the team's 12 hits against Fresno State on Wednesday -- the second-highest hit total of the year behind only the 14 against Nevada on March 2.
HEALTHY DOSE OF VITAMIN "K"...
While the Hornet bats were busy collecting hits, the pitching staff was busy collecting strikeouts, punching out 12 Bulldogs in the 9-0 win. The total was the team's highest since putting up 13 strikeouts in the series finale against North Dakota State back on Feb. 19.
GOING... GOING... GUNNER!...
Junior Gunner Gouldsmith became the latest Hornet to slug the first home run of his career, clearing the screen in right field in the series finale against Central Michigan on March 11 and promptly following that up with his second career blast in the first inning at Fresno State on Wednesday night.
HORNETS DIG THE LONG BALL...
Sacramento State has hit a home run in 11 of its 16 games this season -- including a run of six straight games from Feb. 25 - March 5. The power has been spread throughout the lineup as eight different players have cleared the fence this season and the team's last eight home runs have been hit by seven different players: Garet Crenshaw (3/2 vs. Nevada - the first of his Hornet career), JP Smith (3/3 at USC - the first of his career), Josh Rolling (3/3 at USC), Jeffery Heard (3/4 at UCLA), Martin Vincelli-Simard (3/5 vs. Tulane), Aloy (3/9 vs. Central Michigan), and Gunner Gouldsmith (3/11 vs. Central Michigan and 3/15 at Fresno State).
GOOD AS GOULD!...
Gouldsmith has been one of the Hornets' hottest hitters since returning from injury, collecting a hit in nine of his 10 games (batting .484), including a career-high four hits in the second game of the series against Central Michigan and a career high-tying three RBI in the opener against the Chippewas that brought Sacramento State back from a 3-1 deficit for a 5-3 win. Against Fresno State on Wednesday, the junior from Reno, Nev., finished a triple short of the cycle going 3-for-4 with three runs scored.
VERY GOOD VALERO...
After teammate Jorge Bojorquez had his five-game hitting streak snapped at Fresno State, Cesar Valero picked up the mantle as the Hornet with the longest active hitting streak, extending his run to four games with a 2-for-4 performance against the Bulldogs. Valero is batting .500 (6-for-12) over his last four, collecting doubles in three straight games.
OH SAY CAN YOU LUCCHESI...
In sophomore left-hander Noah Lucchesi's three starts this year, the sophomore from Elk Grove is 2-1 with a stingy 1.76 ERA, holding opponents to a .241 average over 15.1 innings, allowing only three earned runs in the process. He has walked only one hitter in his four appearances overall, ranking second in the WAC -- and No. 11 in the NCAA overall -- with 0.52 walks per nine innings.
ABC - ALWAYS BE CLOSIN'...
If you see senior right-hander Jack Zalasky jogging in from the bullpen, chances are, the game is over. Zalasky has made seven appearances this season and posted a save in five of them, allowing just one run and two hits in nine innings combined while holding opponents to an .067 average. His five saves are tied for third in the nation (as of March 16), one behind Georgia Tech's Terry Busse and Oklahoma State's Nolan McLean.
SAVING HISTORY...
Zalasky's five saves this year give him 20 for his career, placing him third on the school's all-time list behind only Sutter McLoughlin (33 from 2013-15) and Mike Frame (26 from 1987-89).
FULL NELSON...
It probably feels like that for opposing hitters when facing junior right-hander Jasper Nelson, who enters the weekend unscored upon over 12.1 innings of work. Scheduled to get the ball on Friday night against Grand Canyon, Nelson is off a Sacramento State career-high seven-strikeout performance over 4.1 innings against Central Michigan -- two more than he had in his previous four appearances combined.
NO RUNNING!...
Runners beware... junior catcher Carson Blatnick is watching. The Roseville, Calif., native has thrown out six would-be basestealers entering the weekend, tied with New Mexico State's Nick Gore for the most in the Western Athletic Conference. As a team, the Hornets have caught 10 batters trying to steal this season, matching the Aggies for the most in the league.
CORTEZ MAKES IT COUNT...
Freshman Jacob Cortez make his first collegiate start a memorable one at Fresno State on Wednesday, collecting his first career RBI with a sacrifice fly in the fourth, his first career hit with a single in the sixth, and his first career multi-hit game with an infield hit in the eighth.
THINK BIG...
With their five-run fourth inning in the win over Fresno State, the Hornets collected their fifth "big inning" (four runs or more) of the season. Sacramento State is 4-1 when they have a "big inning" with its only loss coming at USC on March 3 when they scored five in the fifth only to fall, 8-7, on a late rally.
WE DEMAND, A SACRIFICE!...
Of Sacramento State's nine runs at Fresno State on Wednesday, three of those came home on sacrifice flies by Wehiwa Aloy, Griffin Harrison, and Jacob Cortez. The total was a season high and gave the Hornets 11 sac flies on the year -- the most in the WAC and No. 18 in the NCAA as of March 16. Sacramento State was one of the more adept teams at scoring runs on fly balls in 2022, finishing second in the nation with 43 (just one behind UConn for the NCAA lead), while Steven Moretto led the country with 12.
WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER...
Gunner Gouldsmith's home run in the first against Fresno State gave him his second straight game-winning hit and his second game-winning run of the year as the Hornets cruised past the Bulldogs. In all, five different players have accounted for eight game-winning RBI (led by three from Martin Vincelli-Simard), while eight different players have accounted for the nine game-winning runs (led by Gouldsmith's two).
HORNETS PICKED FOURTH IN THE WAC...
According to a vote of the league's head coaches released on Feb. 9, Sacramento State was picked to finish in a tie for fourth in the new-look WAC standings, receiving 100 points to match Abilene Christian and UT Rio Grande Valley. Reigning regular season champion Grand Canyon picked up 10 first-place votes and 141 points overall to out-pace Sam Houston, which received three first-place votes and 131 points. California Baptist was third with 115 points.
ZALASKY NAMED PRESEASON ALL-WAC...
Senior right-hander Jack Zalasky was one of 14 players named to the WAC's preseason all-conference team in advance of 2023 after finishing 3-4 with a 3.21 ERA and 11 saves on the year -- the latter stat tied for second on the school's single-season list, third in the league, and No. 18 in the NCAA at the end of 2022. Zalasky struck out 53 against only 11 walks over 47.2 innings and held opponents to a .226 average as the Hornets' closer.
MORE HONORS FOR ZALASKY...
The senior was also named to the preseason watch list for the NCBWA's Stopper of the Year award -- given to the top relief pitcher at the NCAA Division I level since 2005 -- on Feb. 16, one of 81 players to make the cut among group that features 12 preseason All-Americans.
D1 BASEBALL ACCOLADES...
Sacramento State receiving some national attention in advance of the 2023 campaign as D1 Baseball highlighted a number of Hornets in its preseason WAC preview. Newcomer Wehiwa Aloy was the site's pick for league Freshman of the Year, while outfielder Cesar Valero, infielder/outfielder Josh Rolling, and infielder Jorge Borjorquez, were among its top 25 prospects for the 2023 Draft. Aloy and fellow newcomer Xavier Richards were among their top 10 list of impact first-year freshman as well. You can read their entire conference preview at D1Baseball.com (subscription required).
THE SCHEDULE...
The old mantra of, "in order to be the best you have to play the best," rings true for the Hornets in 2023 as they will face six programs that reached last year's NCAA Tournament (Stanford, UCLA, Louisiana Tech, Central Michigan, Grand Canyon, and New Mexico State) and seven schools that finished in the top 100 in the final NCAA RPI rankings (Stanford, Louisiana Tech, UCLA, Grand Canyon, Central Michigan, Nevada, and Tulane).
CHANGES IN THE WAC...
The Western Athletic Conference baseball landscape looks a little different than it did in 2022. Gone are the West and Southwest Divisions as the league now consists of a single 13-team table for 2023. Gone is Lamar, which returned to the Southland Conference, replaced by UT Arlington. Also gone is Dixie State, but in name only, as they enter the year rebranded as Utah Tech. California Baptist is now eligible for the WAC Tournament, while Utah Tech and Tarleton have two seasons remaining on their transition to the Division I level.
NEW KIDS ON THE BENCH...
The Sacramento State bench will feature a new face and a familiar face in a new position in 2023 as former Grand Canyon pitching mentor Jon Wente joins the Hornets in a similar role while all-time great Matt Smith with serve as a volunteer coach this season. The two take the places of the departed Tyler LaTorre, who is now the head coach at NAIA Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Calif., and Victor Sanchez, who accepted a full-time position as the pitching coach at Queens University in Charlotte, N.C. Also joining the staff is Tyler Wente, the son of Jon, who assumes the role as the program's Director of Baseball Operations.
AND A COUPLE MORE...
Head Coach Reggie Christiansen is only 14 wins away from 500 for his career, entering this week's games with a 486-454 (.517) career record at Sacramento State, South Dakota State, and Menlo College, while standing just 21 victories shy of 400 at the helm of the Hornets, entering the week with a 379-312 (.548) record at Sacramento State -- the second-most wins by a head baseball coach in school history behind only John Smith, who won 882 games in 32 seasons (1979-2010).
PERFECT 10...
No other Division I program in the state of California has been the picture of consistency quite like Sacramento State has over the last 10 years as the Hornets have won 30 games in each of the last 10 full seasons dating back to 2012 -- something no other Division I school has done in that span -- while also winning 40 games twice (2014 and 2019) and claiming the WAC Tournament title and subsequent NCAA Tournament berth three times (2014, 2017, 2019).
CAL-I-FORN-IA WINNING...
It's no dream on such a winter's day for the Hornets, whose 352 wins during their 10-year streak of 30-or-more wins in a season ranks fourth among California schools in that span, trailing only UCLA (402), Stanford (387), and UC Santa Barbara (374).
IT'S IN THEIR BLOOD...
The green and gold runs strong in the veins of these Hornets, who have connections to Sacramento State:
• Carson Blatnick is the third in his family to attend Sacramento State after both his brothers, Connor and Chase, graduated from the University.
• Ryan Christiansen is the son of Head Coach Reggie Christiansen.
• Conor Hourigan's father, Daniel, was a pitcher at Sacramento State in 1982-83.
• Kevin Haynes' sister, Lexi, was a four-year letter winner for the Hornets' rowing team (2015-18).
• Evan Gibbons' mother, Raechelle, graduated from Sacramento State.
• Trey Goodrich's older brother, Trent, was an infielder for the Hornets in 2016-17.
• Jack Zalasky's father, Patrick, was a pitcher for the Hornets in 1992-93, while his grandfather, Vince, played football at Sacramento State in 1962-63.
THE TREE GROWS STRONGER...
Head Coach Reggie Christiansen has three former members of the Sacramento State staff who are now Division I head coaches: Jake McKinley, who was an assistant with the Hornets from 2010-13), takes over as head coach at Nevada this season; Tommy Nicholson, who served two stints as an assistant in 2011-12 and 2017, is in his second year at Causeway rival UC Davis; and Steve Holm, who was an assistant/associate head coach from 2013-16, is in his fifth year as head coach at Illinois State. In addition, Jake Angier, who was an assistant and associate head coach for the Hornets from 2014-19, is an assistant at Oregon, while former players Trevor Paine and Grant Kukuk are head coach at William Jessup and assistant coach Utah Valley, respectively.
