GAME 4: Fresno State (3-0) at Sacramento State (1-2)
THE GAME
Date: Feb. 21, 2024
First Pitch: 4 p.m. PT
Stadium: John Smith Field
Dimensions: 335 (LF), 375 (LC), 400 (CF), 375 (RC), 335 (RF)
FOLLOW ALONG
Watch Live: ESPN+
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
Twitter (X): @FresnoStateBSB
THE MATCHUP
All-Time: Fresno State leads 120-34-1
Last Meeting: May 2, 2023, Fresno State won 9-6 in Fresno, Calif.
Current Streak: Fresno State W1
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Fresno State baseball team is headed to the capital for the first midweek game of 2024. The Bulldogs will face the Hornets for the 155th time at John Smith Field on Wednesday at 4 p.m. PT.
NEIGHBORS TO THE NORTH
Fresno State is heading north to the state's capital for its 155th contest against Sac State in program history.
The Bulldogs have a .779 win percentage over the Hornets with 120 wins over Sac State since first meeting in 1950.
Fresno State split the season with the Hornets with one win and one loss in midweek games, both hosted at Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium.
Sacramento State is starting the season with a 1-2 record after hosting LMU, an opponent the Bulldogs will face twice later in the season.
POWER FROM THE 'PEN
Fresno State opened the 2024 season going 3-0 with lots of help from the Bulldogs bullpen to hold the Panthers.
The relievers allowed only one run throughout the course of the weekend, giving the group a 0.90 ERA for the series.
Junior Jake Riding earned his first win of the season with 3 innings pitched, three strikeouts and one hit.
Tommy Hopfe earned his first save of 2024 to close Sunday's shutout over the Milwaukee Panthers.
Aidan Cremarosa stepped out of the 'pen on Sunday to relieve Jack Anker and stuck out the side in his first inning of the season.
HOT START
Fresno State swept the opening series over Milwaukee and scored 18 total runs, tying the amount of runs scored in last year's opening series against Omaha.
The Bulldogs have won 15 of the last 16 opening days and 13 of the last 15 opening series, not including a tied series with Oregon in 2017.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
The Bulldogs kept the Red Wave on the edge of their seats during opening weekend with 13 of their 18 runs scored in the sixth inning or later.
Fresno State also only allowed one run later than the sixth inning in the series.
The Diamond 'Dogs scored a total of 11 runs in eighth innings over the Panthers.
GRADY MORGAN 🤝 RIGHT FIELD
Fresno State grad student Grady Morgan is a biiiiig right field guy making three starts in the outfield during opening weekend and hitting home runs in consecutive games over the right field wall.
Morgan became the Bulldogs' regular right fielder last season with 54 games started in the spot.
MOUNTAIN WEST PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore pitcher Jack Anker has been named Mountain West Pitcher of the Week after his lights-out performance against Milwaukee, the conference announced on Monday morning.
Jack Anker set the tone of the shutout victory with a three-pitch strikeout to start the game. He went six scoreless innings with five strikeouts, just one shy of his career-best, to claim his first win of the season.
He also recorded a putout as he put the wheels on to beat a batter to first.
This is Anker's first conference honor and his second start on the Bulldog's squad to start his sophomore campaign.