FRESNOFRESNO STATESTATE ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS www.gobulldogs.com 5305 N. Campus Dr., Rm 153 Fresno, CA 93740-8020 559-278-2509 Fax: 559-278-4689 2002 Schedule 2/1 @Santa Clara 2 p.m. Contact: Chris Ramos January 21, 2002 2/2 @Santa Clara 1 p.m. 2/3 @Santa Clara 1 p.m. 2/8 @Cal State Fullerton 7 p.m. Bulldog Baseball 2/9 @Cal State Fullerton 1 p.m. 2/10 @Cal State Fullerton 1 p.m. No. 11 Fresno State (0-0, 0-0 WAC) vs. Santa Clara (0-0) 2/12 @Cal Poly 5 p.m. 2/15 Stanford 7:05 p.m. Dates: Fri. - Sun., Feb. 1-3 2/16 Stanford 1:05 p.m. Start Times: 2 p.m., 1 p.m., 1 p.m. 2/17 Stanford 1:05 p.m. Stadium: Buck Shaw Stadium (6,800) 2/22 7:05 p.m. 2/23 Washington 1:05 p.m. Site: Santa Clara, Calif. 2/24 Washington 1:05 p.m. All-time Series: FS 68, SCU 36 2/26 @Long Beach State 6 p.m. Local Radio: None 2/28 Nebraska 7 p.m.

3/1 Nebraska 7 p.m. 3/2 Nebraska 1 p.m. 3/8 San Jose State* 7:05 p.m. 3/9 San Jose State* 7:05 p.m. Alumni Game Sponsored by Rival Sports Video 3/10 San Jose State* 1:05 p.m. On Saturday the Bulldogs will hold their annual Alumni/Old-Timers 3/11-16 Pepsi/Johnny Quik TBA UCSB, Gonzaga, Illinois State, games sponsored by Rival Sports Video. The Old-Timers game will Pacific, Liberty University, begin at noon and the Alumni game will start at 2 p.m. Last year the Oral Roberts, Fordham Uni. 3/22 @Louisiana Tech* 4:00 p.m. Bulldogs snapped a three-game losing streak to the Alumni team by 3/23 @Louisiana Tech* 11 a.m. pulling out a 7-6 victory. A then-junior, Jared Walker (Gardnerville, 3/24 @Louisiana Tech* 11 a.m. 3/26 @Houston 5 p.m. Nev.) hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth to give the Bulldogs 3/29 @Rice* 5 p.m. the win. Among the former Bulldogs that particiapted last season were 3/30 @Rice* Noon 3/31 @Rice* 11 a.m. Shawn Gilbert (1986-87), Eddie Zosky (1987-89), Randy Asadoor (1981-83), Bobby Jones (1989-91), Jeff Weaver (1996-98) and Steve 4/5 Louisiana Tech* 7:05 p.m. 4/6 Louisiana Tech* 7:05 p.m. Hosey (1987-89). Rival Sports Video will be taping the games which 4/7 Louisiana Tech* 1:05 p.m. will be available for purchase throughout the season during Fresno 4/12 @San Jose State* 7 p.m. 4/13 @San Jose State* 1 p.m. State games. 4/14 @San Jose State* 1 p.m. 4/16 @Cal 2:30 p.m. 4/19 Nevada* 7:05 p.m. Bulldogs Begin Preseason Practice 4/20 Nevada* 7:05 p.m. Fresno State began its 2002 practice schedule on Monday, Jan. 14. 4/21 Nevada* 1:05 p.m. Along with on-field workouts, the Bulldogs did some conditioning and 4/24 @UC Irvine 7 p.m. 4/26 @Hawai’i* 8:35 p.m. scrimmaging towards the end of the week. The Bulldogs try for their 4/27 @Hawai’i* 8:35 p.m. third consecutive visit to the NCAA tournament this season. FS will be 4/28 @Hawai’i* 3:05 p.m. led by a core of seniors in pitchers Bob Runyon (Atwater, Calif.), Zach 5/3 Sacramento State 7:05 p.m. Minor (Walnut Creek, Calif.), and Francisco Nieves (Oakland, Calif.). 5/4 Sacramento State 7:05 p.m. 5/5 Sacramento State 1:05 p.m. Onthe field seniors catcher Brad Harper (Madera, Calif.) and outfielder 5/10 @Nevada* 2 p.m. Tobey Riday-White (Berkeley, Calif.) will provide leadership. Among 5/11 @Nevada* 1 p.m. 5/12 @Nevada* 1 p.m. the newcomers that look to make immediate contributions are junior 5/17 Rice* 7:05 p.m. transfers pitcher David Bair (Merced, Calif.), first baseman Brian Pierce 5/18 Rice* 7:05 p.m. 5/19 Rice* 1:05 p.m. (Clovis, Calif.) and outfielder Brendon Suga (Mililani, Hawaii). 5/24 Hawai’i* 7 p.m. 5/25 Hawai’i* 7 p.m. 5/26 Hawai’i* TBA Bulldogs in the Polls 5/31 NCAA Regionals TBA The first poll for the new season was released by Collegiate Baseball.

6/7 NCAA Super Regionals TBA Fresno State debuted at No. 11 on the list. It marks the highest rank- 6/14-22 ing for the Bulldogs since May of 1992 when they also reached No. 11. Among the 2002 Bulldog opponents that are ranked in the top 25 in- HOME GAMES IN BOLD All Times Pacific clude No. 1 Stanford, No. 12 Rice, No. 13 Nebraska and No. 17 Cal * Indicates WAC Game Baseball Information State Fullerton. Fresno State received a No. 22 ranking in the Coaches’ Head Coach (Year) ...... (34th) Poll. Last season Fresno State went 3-8 against top 25 opponents. Alma Mater ...... Fresno State, ‘56 Assistant Coaches ...... Mike Rupcich, ...... Arizona State, ‘72; Steve Pearse, Pete Beiden Statue Day ...... San Francisco State, ‘90 2001 Record ...... 41-25 On April 20, legendary Fresno State baseball coach, Pete Beiden, will WAC Record (Place) ...... 22-14 (2nd) honored with the unveiling of a statue at Beiden Field. The statue will Letterwinners Returning/Lost ...... 20/15 Starters Returning/Lost ...... 3/5 be approximately seven feet tall on a three foot base. It will feature Starting Pitchers Returning/Lost ...... 4/1 Facility (Capacity) ...... Pete Beiden Field (6,575) Beiden with his infamous fungo bat in hand watching over the crowd Website ...... www.gobulldogs.com as they enter the stadium. The Bulldogs will face Nevada that day at 7:05 p.m. The ceremony will be held prior to the game. Media Relations Baseball Contact ...... Chris Ramos Office Phone Number ...... (559) 278-6187 Bulldogs Picked First in the WAC by Collegiate Baseball Home Phone Number ...... (559) 285-0089 E-mail ...... [email protected] Fresno State was picked to win the WAC title in Collegiate Baseball’s Fax ...... (559) 278-4689 preseason poll. The Bulldogs were picked ahead No. 12 Rice and Press Box Phone Number ...... (559) 278-7678 Nevada. Last season FS finished second behind the Owls. RHP Bob Ticket Information Runyon was selected as the preseason WAC Pitcher of the Year and Tickets for all home games are on sale Rice 3B Hunter Brown was selected as preseason WAC Player of the at the Bulldog Ticket Office. Office hours are M-F from 9-6 p.m. on home game Year. Last season SS Josh Labandeira was WAC Player of the Year week, opening at 10 a.m. on game days. becoming the first Bulldog to ever win the award. For ticket information or to order, call Bull- dog Ticket Office (559) 278-DOGS or go WAC Preseason Poll by Collegiate Baseball online at www.gobulldogs.com. 1. Fresno State 2002 Bulldog Baseball Ticket Prices 2. Rice Reserved Chairback 3. Nevada Seat option owner ...... $132.00 4. San Jose State Faculty/staff option ...... $110.00 5. Hawai’i Non-seat option owner ...... $264.00 Fac/Staff non-option ...... $220.00 6. Louisiana Tech Bulldog Foundation ...... $270.00 (Half Pledge) WAC Preseason Poll 1. Rice General Admission Bleachers 2. Fresno State Adult ...... $66.00 Youth (High school and younger) ...... $33.00 3. Nevada Senior (age 65 and above) ...... $33.00 4. San Jose State Groups (20 or more) ...... $30.00 5. Hawai’i Family plan ...... $120.00 6. Louisiana Tech Single Game Tickets Adult ...... $5.00 Aces in the Deck Youth/Senior...... $3.00 Last season the Bulldogs had three pitchers take most of the load, Team Rate (min 9 players/max 2 coaches) . $2.00 each going over 100 innings. The good news is they’re all back to do Children ages 5 and under ...... Free it again. Seniors Bob Runyon (Atwater, Calif.), Zach Minor (Walnut Creek, Calif.) and Francisco Nieves (Oakland, Calif.) were one, two, Interview Policy Head coach Bob Bennett and players will 2001 WAC Standings be available for interviews after games. The players and coaches will have a 10 WAC Overall minute cooling down period before com- School W L Pct. GB Hm Rd W L Pct. Hm Rd ing out of the dugout for interviews. Prac- Rice 26 10 .722 — 14-4 12-6 47 20 .723 29-9 15-9 tices are closed to the general public. Fresno State 22 14 .611 4.0 12-6 10-8 41 25 .621 28-14 11-10 Members of the media are welcomed to TCU 21 15 .583 5.0 10-8 11-7 32 28 .533 17-11 13-12 attend practice but must stay off the field. San Jose State 21 15 .583 5.0 15-4 6-11 37 22 .625 26-8 11-14 Contact the Fresno State Media Rela- Nevada 17 19 .472 9.0 10-9 7-10 30 26 .536 19-10 11-16 tions Office for practice times or interview Hawai’i 16 20 .444 10.0 10-8 6-12 29 27 .518 22-15 7-12 requests. Hawai’i-Hilo 3 33 .083 23.0 2-14 1-19 5 45 .100 4-26 1-19 2001 Fresno State National Top 25 Polls Record Breakdown Collegiate Baseball Baseball America (2002 Preseason Poll) Record:...... 41-25 (2002 Preseason Poll) No. Team Record No. Team Record Longest Win Streak: 6 (2/3-2/17) 1. Stanford 0-0 1. Stanford 0-0 Longest Los. Streak:..... 3 (Three 2. Florida State 0-0 2. Clemson 0-0 times) 3. Tulane 0-0 3. Miami, Fla. 0-0 Extra Innings: ...... 5-3 4. USC 0-0 4. USC 0-0 1 Run Games: ...... 9-9 5. LSU 0-0 5. Notre Dame 0-0 2 Run Games: ...... 4-2 6. Clemson 0-0 6. Florida State 0-0 3 Run Games: ...... 7-5 7. Miami, Fla. 0-0 7. LSU 0-0 4 Run Games: ...... 2-4 8. South Carolina 0-0 8. Nebraska 0-0 5+ Run Games: ...... 19-5 9. Wichita State 0-0 9. Texas 0-0 10. Oklahoma State 0-0 10. Tulane 0-0 11. Rice 0-0 January: ...... 1-2 11. FRESNO STATE 0-0 12. Rice 0-0 12. Wichita State 0-0 February:...... 10-3 13. Nebraska 0-0 13. Georgia Tech 0-0 March: ...... 11-9 14. Mississippi 0-0 14. South Carolina 0-0 April: ...... 11-5 15. Texas 0-0 15. Cal State Fullerton 0-0 May: ...... 8-6 16. Wake Forest 0-0 16. Baylor 0-0 17. Cal State Fullerton 0-0 17. Mississippi State 0-0 Home: ...... 27-14 18. Baylor 0-0 18. Arizona State 0-0 Road: ...... 12-10 19. Notre Dame 0-0 19. North Carolina 0-0 Neutral:...... 2-1 20. Arizona State 0-0 20. Mississippi 0-0 21. Florida 0-0 21. Wake Forest 0-0 Day: ...... 18-12 22. Georgia Tech 0-0 22. Cal State Fullerton 0-0 Night: ...... 23-13 23. Mississippi State 0-0 23. Oklahoma State 0-0 24. Ohio State 0-0 24. Washington 0-0 25. Rutgers 0-0 25. Rutgers 0-0 Monday: ...... 3-0 Tuesday:...... 5-2 (Bold - 2002 Bulldog Opponent) (Bold - 2002 Bulldog Opponent) Wednesday: ...... 3-1 Thursday: ...... 2-2 Friday: ...... 6-5 Baseball Weekly/ ESPN Saturday:...... 15-7 Coaches’ Poll Sunday: ...... 5-9 (2002 Preseason Poll) 19. Georgia Tech 0-0 vs. RH Starter: ...... 31-21 No. Team Record 20. Mississippi State 0-0 vs. LH Starter:...... 10-4 1. Stanford 0-0 21. Wake Forest 0-0 2. Miami, Fla. 0-0 22. FRESNO STATE 0-0 3. USC 0-0 Bulldogs on the Web 23. Florida 0-0 4. Florida State 0-0 Fresno State ...... www.gobulldogs.com 24. Rutgers 0-0 5. Clemson 0-0 WAC ...... www.wac.org 25. Tennessee 0-0 6. LSU 0-0 Dugout Club ...... 7. Tulane 0-0 www.fresnostatebaseball.com (Bold - 2002 Bulldog Opponent) 8. Nebraska 0-0 9. South Carolina 0-0 NCAA Baseball Polls 10. Cal State Fullerton 0-0 Collegiate Baseball ...... 11. Rice 0-0 www.collegiatebaseball.com 12. Texas 0-0 Baseball America ...... 13. Notre Dame 0-0 www.baseballamerica.com 14. Oklahoma State 0-0 Baseball Weekly ...... 15. Wichita State 0-0 www.baseballweekly.com 16. Baylor 0-0 ABCA ...... www.abca.org 17. Arizona State 0-0 18. Mississippi 0-0 Bennett Bullets Head Coach Bob Bennett - Eighth all-time winningest Division I coach with 1,270 career wins Bob Bennett, one of college - Fifth winningest active coach in Division I baseball’s legendary coaches, enters - Bennett needs 30 more victories to become only the sixth coach in his 34th and final season at the helm Division I to reach that plateau of Fresno State baseball. Bennett, - 25 consecutive winning seasons who became skipper of the Bulldogs - Two College World Series appearances (1988 and 1991) following the retirement of fellow Fresno State Hall of Fame coach - 1988 NCAA College Coach of the Year Award recipient Pete Beiden, ranks 8th all-time in vic- - 14 conference coach of the year awards tories among NCAA Division I - Has coached 30 All-Americans coaches with 1,270. - Eight first round draft picks In the 2001 season he guided - More than 100 players have gone on to careers in professional baseball Fresno State to its 25th consecutive winning season earning a third WAC - 17 conference titles and 21 NCAA Regional appearances Coach of the Year award. Last year - Has coached 31 Major League players also saw Bennett lead the Bulldogs - A member of the ABCA and Fresno State Baseball Hall of Fame to a 21st appearance in the NCAA tournament. Bennett’s Career Record During the 2000 season he be- came only the 10th coach in NCAA Year W-L-T Pct. baseball history to reach the 1,200- 1967 38-10 .792 1987 34-26 .567 win plateau. Bennett’s success and 1970 35-20 .636 1988 56-12 .824 longevity are virtually unparalleled in 1971 35-24 .593 1989 44-19 .698 the collegiate coaching ranks. Since 1972 31-26 .541 1979, his teams have averaged more 1990 38-24 .613 1973 31-24 .564 1991 42-23 .646 than 40 wins a season and he has 1974 38-20 .655 guided the Bulldogs to 20 NCAA Tour- 1992 37-20 .649 naments during that span. 1975 26-33 .441 1993 41-22 .651 The nation’s fifth-winningest ac- 1976 28-29 .491 1994 36-27 .571 tive coach, Bennett enters his 34th 1977 39-21 .650 1995 41-22 .651 season at the helm hoping to ride into 1978 38-20 .655 1996 36-24 .600 the sunset with the same level of suc- 1979 37-27 .578 1997 40-28 .589 cess that has made him one of the 1980 43-12 .782 1998 33-28-1 .541 most successful coaches ever. He 1981 43-22 .662 1999 33-30 .524 holds a career coaching mark of 1982 45-13 .776 2000 40-21 .656 1,270-732-4 in his 33 seasons with 1983 45-19 .703 2001 41-25 .621 31 winning campaigns Ð including 25 1984 54-12-2 .809 Total 1,270-732-4 .636 consecutive. Bennett’s numbers and 1985 43-22 .662 results are impressive across the 1986 29-27-1 .518 board, 1,270 victories, 17 conference championships, 20 NCAA Tourna- ment berths, 30 All-Americans, eight first-round draft picks and two College All-Time Winningest Division I Coaches ( * - active) World Series appearances. Dedicated, hard working and Name, Last School Years Wins Losses loyal, Bennett has taken a program 1. , Texas 29 1,427 373 that was enjoying a successful run 2. , USC 45 1,332 571 under former head coach Pete 3. *, Texas 33 1,323 651 Beiden and taken it to another level. 4. *, Wichita State 24 1,310 405 He helped Fresno State build Beiden 5. *Chuck Hartman, Virginia Tech 42 1,305 679 Field into a first-class facility and is 6. *, Texas Tech 31 1,278 686 largely responsible for the Bulldogs 7. , Miami 30 1,271 438 becoming a model in the area of fa- 8. *Bob Bennett, Fresno State 33 1,270 732 cilities, ticket sales, fan support and 9. , Georgia Southern 39 1,256 796 community pride. Bennett and the Bulldogs 10. Al Ogletree, Texas-Pan American 41 1,217 691 have been a marriage of growth and 11. *, Oklahoma 35 1,211 712 prosperity. Under his leadership, 12. *, San Diego State 30 1,187 728 Fresno State has consistently been 13. *Mike Martin, Florida State 22 1,179 402 a national leader in attendance and 14. , Washington State 33 1,162 523 fan support — not to mention post- 15. , Clemson 36 1,161 536 ing 25 consecutive winning seasons 16. *Richard Jones, Illinois 35 1,128 651 and regional berths in 12 of the past 17. *Norm DeBriyn, Arkansas 32 1,126 622 14 seasons. More than 100 of his 18. *, Mississippi State 28 1,123 534 players have gone on to careers in 19. , Hawai’i 31 1,106 597 professional baseball. 20. , Arizona State 23 1,100 440 three in several pitching categories including innings pitched, wins 2002 Preseason All-WAC Team and complete games. Runyon led the staff going 10-1 with a 3.54 OF Austin Davis, So., Rice ERA, four complete games, 93 strikeouts and 127 innings pitched. OF Chris Dickerson, Sr., Nevada OF A.J. Porfirio, Sr., Rice OF Tobey Riday-White, Sr., Fresno State The Runyon File 1B Gregg Omori, Sr., Hawai’i Runyon’s consistency from last season has propelled him to several 2B Gabe Lopez, Sr., San Jose State SS Jose Enrique Cruz, So., Rice preseason awards in the preseason. He was voted second-team pre- 3B Hunter Brown, Sr., Rice season All-America by the NCBWA (National Collegiate Baseball Writ- C Adam Shorsher, Sr., San Jose State ers Association) and third-team by Collegiate Baseball. Runyon earned UT Cullen Simmons, Sr., Louisiana Tech DH Ben Fritz, Jr., Fresno State national attention last season in the NCAA Regionals when he threw SP Mateo Miramontes, So., Nevada a complete-game gem against Oral Roberts to keep Fresno State SP Darrell Rasner, Jr., Nevada SP Bob Runyon, Sr., Fresno State alive in the tournament. He allowed just one run and fanned seven RP Ben Fritz, Jr., Fresno State batters. In 2001, Runyon was a secon-team All-WAC selection.

Player of the Year: Hunter Brown, Sr., Rice Pitcher of the Year: Bob Runyon, Sr., Ready to Break Out Fresno State Junior Ben Fritz (San Jose, Calif.) has proven to be Fresno State’s most versatile player filling any role he is called upon. The P/C/1B/ DH has excelled in all positions throwing out over 50 percent of run- ners, saving seven games and hitting over .280 last season. Fritz 2001 All-WAC Teams needs 11 more saves to break the Bulldogs all-time mark of 17. This past summer Fritz showcased his talents in the Alaska League for the First Team Anchorage Glacier Pilots, guiding them to a National Baseball Con- Pos. Name, School C Brad Harper, Fresno State gress World Series title along with Bulldog teammate Zach Minor. He 1B JaRell McIntyre, Nevada was voted Summer League first team All America by Baseball America. 2B Gabe Lopez, San Jose State SS Josh Labandeira, Fresno State Fritz was voted to the preseason All-WAC team as a DH and relief 3B Hunter Brown, Rice pitcher, being the only player named to two positions. OF Tom Bates, TCU OF Austin Davis, Rice OF A.J. Porfirio, Rice Super Sophomore DH Bo Bryant, Nevada Casey McGehee (Aptos, Calif.) will try to avoid the “sophomore jinx” UTI Matthew Purtell, Hawai’i SP Kenny Baugh, Rice cliché and continue building on his first year success that landed him SP Chris Bradshaw, TCU freshman All-America honorable mention and second team All-WAC SP Jon Skaggs, Rice honors. Last season, McGehee started 62 of the 64 games he played RP Stan Newton, TCU in with a .324 BA, five home runs and 50 RBIs. McGehee finished Second Team third on the team in several offensive categories including runs scored Pos. Name, School (45), hits (80), RBIs and total bases (117). The right-handed slugger C Jason Price, TCU 1B Brandon Gemoll, Fresno State made his presence felt in the biggest game of his life. Against 2B Oscar Lopez, Fresno State Pepperdine in the NCAA Regionals last year, McGehee exploded for SS Erick Macha, TCU 3B Mike Settle, TCU four RBIs including a two-run homer to help the Bulldogs defeat the OF Casey McGehee, Fresno State Waves 8-6 and keep Fresno State alive in the regionals. This season OF Junior Ruiz, San Jose State he will make the switch to his natural position at third base after play- OF Ryan Petersen, Hawai’i-Hilo OF Terry Trofholz, TCU ing in the outfield last season. DH Cortland Wilson, Hawai’i UTI Rudy Ontiveros, TCU SP Chris Sherman, San Jose State Revamped Infield SP Mateo Miramontes, Nevada The Bulldogs will have a fresh new look in the infield for the 2002 SP Bob Runyon, Fresno State season. After the departures of SS Josh Labandeira, 1B Brandon RP Phillip Barzilla, Rice Gemoll, 2B Oscar Lopez and 3B Nick Garcia, the Bulldogs will have a Player of the Year: Josh Labandeira, new regular at each spot. At third base, sophomore Casey McGehee Fresno State Pitcher of the Year: Kenny Baugh, Rice will be making the switch from the outfield. The double-play combina- Freshman of the Year: Austin Davis, Rice tion will feature sophomore Scott Beshears (Fresno, Calif.) at second Coach of the Year: Bob Bennett, Fresno base and sophomore Chris Patrick (Fresno, Calif.) at shortstop. At State first base newcomers freshman Kyle Atrat (Clovis, Calif.) and junior transfer Brian Pierce (Clovis, Calif.) will both look to contribute. Oth- ‘Dog Bones ers that also look to challenge for playing time in the infield include freshmen Carl Lipsey (Fresno, Calif.), Jordan Prieto (Clovis, Calif.) - Bob Bennett looks to finish sixth or and junior transfer T.J. Boyd (Kingsburg, Calif.) seventh all-time on the Division I coaches wins list. End of an Era - Coach Bennett was the 2000 Lefty 2002 will mark the end of an illustrious coaching career by one of Gomez Award recipient. college baseball’s legends, Bob Bennett. Coach Bennett is in his 34th and final season that has seen him win numerous awards, make - FS has appeared in three College two College World Series appearances and have 31 players go on World Series all-time (1959, 1988 and 1991). to the Major League level. Bennett remains as solid today as he was 35 years ago coming off WAC Coach of the Year accolades - The Bulldogs have won at least 33 from last season. games since 1987. What About Bob? - Last season FS went 23-13 in night games. Bob Bennett remains as consistent today as he did when he took over the reigns in 1967. Coach Bennett earned his third career WAC - Last season the Bulldogs were 31- Coach of the Year honor last season guiding the Bulldogs to their 21 against right-handed starting second consecutive 40+ win season. Since 1987 the Bulldogs have pitching. won at least 33 games. Bennett has guided Fresno State to 25 - SS Josh Labandeira became the consecutive winning seasons. first Bulldog to earn WAC Player of the Year honors in 2001. Bennett Conference Coach of the Year Awards Year Record Conference - Six FS players were named All- WAC first or second team last sea- 1967 38-10 California Collegiate Athletic Association son. 1971 35-24 Pacific Coast Athletic Association 1977 39-21 North California Athletic Association - Junior Ben Fritz’ seven career saves 1980 43-12 North California Athletic Association ties him for fifth most all-time in pro- gram history. 1981 43-22 North California Athletic Association 1982 45-13 North California Athletic Association - Last year’s team ERA of 3.77 was 1983 45-19 North California Athletic Association the best since 1995 when it had a 1984 54-12-2 North California Athletic Association 3.67 ERA. 1985 43-22 North California Athletic Association - Last year’s 717 hits was the most 1988 56-12 Pacific Coast Athletic Association by the Bulldogs since 1989 when 1991 42-23 Big West Conference they recorded 722 hits. 1993 41-22 Western Athletic Conference 1995 41-22 Western Athletic Conference - The Bulldogs have reached a No. 1 ranking twice in program history, in 2001 41-25 Western Athletic Conference 1988 and preseason of 1989.

- This preseason’s No. 11 ranking is Bulldogs in the NCAA Tournament the highest since 1992 when they Fresno State will look to make its 29th appearance in the NCAA also were reached a No. 11 ranking. tournament in program history. The Bulldogs have qualified for the - SS Josh Labandeira became the tournament the past two seasons but have failed to advance each 27th Bulldog to be named All- time. FS has not advanced past the regionals since 1991 when they America and it marked the 32nd time reached the College World Series. The Bulldogs are 48-54 all-time a Bulldog was named All-America. in postseason play with a 4-6 mark in three College World Series - Last season’s 8-6 victory over appearances (1959, 1988 and 1991). Last season the squad trav- Pepperdine was the first postseason eled to Los Angeles for the NCAA Regionals and won two straight win for FS since 1997. after losing the first game. Host team, USC, eliminated the Bulldogs with a 8-0 shutout. Under Bennett, the Bulldogs have made 21 NCAA - FS has had 35 players go on to play tournament appearances and two College World Series appearances. in the Major Leagues. 2001-02 Player Notes

C ¥ Brad Harper ¥ Sr. OF ¥ Tobey Riday-White ¥ Sr. RHP ¥ Zach Minor ¥ Sr. RHP ¥ Francisco Nieves ¥ Sr.

- 2001 first team All-WAC - came on strong last sea- - has a good fastball along - throws in the high 80’s - 2001 Pepsi/Johnny Quik son as the Bulldogs starter with a slider with good movement All-Tournament at right field. - is working on throwing a - was one of only three - threw out 65 percent of - was second on the team split-finger pitch pitchers to go over 100 in- would-be base stealers last season with a .355 BA - won a career-high eight nings last season for - .993 fielding percentage - had a career-high three games last season Fresno State was team-best last sea- RBIs against TCU last sea- - career best for strikeouts - should round out the ro- son son, May 4 is 11, against Eastern Michi- tation as Fresno State’s - set career-high hit streak gan last year third starter of eight games last sea- - named WAC Pitcher of the - went 7-4 last season with son Week last year, Feb. 28- 51 strikeouts - set career highs in all of- Mar. 7 fensive categories last - his 78 K’s last season was year: HR (8), RBIs (42), a career best BA (.297), Runs (42) and - led Alaska League with a SLG (.477) 1.16 ERA last summer while playing for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots

SS ¥ Chris Patrick ¥ So. OF ¥ Will Thomas ¥ Fr. OF ¥ Brendon Suga ¥ Jr. 2B ¥ Scott Beshears ¥ Jr.

- should step in as start- - leading candidate to take - leading candidate for the - looks to take over the ing shortstop over at left field this season center field spot starting spot at second - has a lot of range and - fast runner with some - is a junior transfer from base runs well power Laney College - had solid year in 2001 - appeared in 18 games - sat out as a redshirt last - contact hitter that can coming off the bench with last season starting four season cover a lot of ground in cen- a .295 BA - provides Fresno State with ter field - appeared in 33 games a lefty bat in the lineup - possible leadoff hitter that last year can steal bases - a switch hitter that pro- vides versatility in the lineup - can play at second or shortstop 2001-02 Player Notes

1B ¥ Brian Pierce ¥ Jr. 2B ¥ Carl Lipsey ¥ Fr. RHP ¥ Sean Ruthven ¥ Sr. OF ¥ Jared Walker ¥ Sr.

- looks to see time at the - will challenge for the start- - has a good fastball to go - fast player that will con- first base spot ing spot at second base along with his breaking pitch tribute in the outfield - showed power in the fall - comes to Fresno State with - can swing the bat well - saw limited action last workouts by hitting a a reputation of stealing along with being a pitcher season but posted a .412 couple of home runs bases - averaged a little over one slugging percentage - is a transfer from Fresno - solid contact hitter that can strikeout per inning in high - transferred from Merced City College do damage at the leadoff school College last season - batted .403 with 61 RBIs spot in the lineup - could be an immediate at Fresno CC last year contributor as a relief or starting pitcher

1B ¥ Kyle Atrat ¥ Fr. LHP ¥ David Bair ¥ Jr. LHP/INF ¥ Jason Gutknecht ¥ So. INF/OF ¥ Jordan Prieto ¥ Jr.

- could see action as a first - junior transfer from Merced - appeared in 27 games as - looks to be an immediate baseman this year College a reliever last season contributor as a utility - showed power in the fall - has a good fastball to along - posted a team-low 1.76 player workouts with his slider ERA in 30.2 innings of work - can play anywhere - had an outstanding high - looks to give Frenso State - will contribute at the offen- around the infield and out- school career in which he quality innings out of the sive end this season as well field batted .400 his senior sea- bullpen as pitching - provides another lefty bat son - potential to be the ace re- - his lefty bat and arm give in the lineup for Fresno - looks to be an immedi- liever along with Ben Fritz the Bulldogs versatility on State ate contributor on the of- the mound and in the lineup fensive end for Fresno State 2002 Current Roster

No. Player Pos. B/T Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown (Previous School) 1 Brendon Suga OF R/R 5-5 165 Jr. Miliani, Hawai’i (Laney College) 2 Carl Lipsey 2B R/R 5-9 151 Fr. Fresno, Calif. (Edison HS) 3 Chris Patrick SS R/R 5-10 170 So. Fresno, Calif. (Clovis HS) 4 Brian Wong C R/R 5-11 185 Fr. Fresno, Calif. (Bullard HS) 6 Will Thomas OF L/R 6-1 187 Fr. Alameda, Calif. (Encinal HS) 7 T.J. Boyd 3B L/R 6-1 190 Jr. Kingsburg, Calif. (Fresno City College) 8 Scott Beshears 2B/SS S/R 5-8 175 Jr. Fresno, Calif. (Bullard HS) 9 Christian Hallaian OF R/R 6-3 211 So. Fresno, Calif. (Clovis West HS) 11 Francisco Nieves P R/R 6-1 185 Sr. Oakland, Calif. (Laney College) 13 Brian Pierce 1B R/R 6-2 195 Jr. Clovis, Calif. (Fresno City College) 14 Brad Harper C R/R 6-0 225 Sr. Madera, Calif. (Madera HS) 16 Casey Creamer OF R/R 5-10 160 Sr. Madera, Calif. (Reedley College) 17 Matt Scott P R/R 6-0 175 Fr. Merced, Calif. (Merced HS) 18 Nate Harelson C/P R/R 6-4 190 Fr. Bathesda, Md. (Walt Whitman HS) 19 Jordan Prieto 3B L/R 5-10 195 Fr. Clovis, Calif. (Buchanan HS) 20 Brent Nishikawa C R/R 5-10 180 Jr. Fresno, Calif. (Central HS) 22 Jared Walker OF R/R 6-4 195 Sr. Gardnerville, Nev. (Merced College) 23 Ben Fritz C/P R/R 6-4 225 Jr. San Jose, Calif. (Oak Grove HS) 24 David Bair P L/L 6-3 230 Jr. Merced, Calif. (Merced College) 25 Nathan Lee P R/L 6-0 180 Fr. Fresno, Calif. (Hoover HS) 27 Casey McGehee IF R/R 6-1 186 So. Aptos, Calif. (Soquel HS) 28 Brandon Esparza IF L/L 6-2 240 Fr. Gilroy, Calif. (Monte Vista Christ. HS) 29 Adrian Avila C R/R 5-9 160 Fr. Winton, Calif. (Atwater HS) 30 Joey Myers OF R/R 5-10 180 Jr. Fresno, Calif. (Bullard HS) 31 Mike Hernandez P L/L 6-4 200 So. Fresno, Calif. (Central HS) 32 Zach Minor P R/R 6-6 215 Sr. Walnut Creek, Calif. (Northgate HS) 33 Jason Gutknecht IF L/L 6-0 195 So. Madera, Calif. (Madera HS) 34 George Rodriguez P R/R 6-0 175 Jr. Sanger, Calif. (Reedley College) 35 Kyle Atrat 1B L/R 6-3 210 Fr. Clovis, Calif. (Clovis HS) 36 Tobey Riday-White OF R/R 6-5 211 Sr. Berkeley, Calif. (Laney College) 37 Bob Runyon P S/R 6-2 200 Sr. Atwater, Calif. (Merced College) 38 Sean Ruthven P R/R 6-5 165 Fr. Alpharetta, Ga. (Milton HS) 39 Chad Edwards P R/R 6-2 195 Fr. Gosford, Australia (Lisarow HS) 40 Justin Crisp IF R/R 6-3 175 Fr. Fresno, Calif. (Washington Union HS) Jason Huss P R/R 6-2 170 Fr. Fresno, Calif. (Bullard HS) Matt Palmer P R/R 6-2 170 Fr. Canyon Country, Calif. (Canyon HS) Josh Smith P R/R 6-0 175 Fr. Needles, Calif. (Needles HS)

Coaching Staff 26 Bob Bennett, Head Coach 50 Mike Rupcich, Assistant Coach 10 Steve Pearse, Assistant Coach 12 Matt Curtis, Volunteer Assistant 21 Jason Papi, Student Assistant