2008 Fresno State Bulldogs baseball team
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Fresno State Bulldogs baseball team represented California State University, Fresno
in the NCAA Division I baseball
season of 2008. They played their home games at Beiden Field in Fresno, California
. The team was coached by Mike Batesole
who was in his fifth season at Fresno State. Under Batesole, Fresno State has won three Western Athletic Conference Championships in a row, and he has a 172-134 record with the Bulldogs.
In a surprise Cinderella
run through the postseason, the Fresno State Bulldogs defeated the Georgia Bulldogs
in the 2008 College World Series
finals to win its first NCAA Division I Championship in baseball (or, for that matter, in any men's sport). The Bulldogs visited President George W. Bush at the White House in November 2008, and by the end of the year, a book was released capturing their upset story.
wonderdogsbook.comUnderdogs to Wonderdogs: Fresno State's Road to Omaha and the College World Series Championship, was written by the team's radio announcer, Paul Loeffler. Another book by a Fresno sportscaster is in the works too.
Fresno state was preseason pick of the WAC coaches as the favorite to win the 2008 season; additionally, seven players were selected to the Preseason All-Wac Team, including the preseason Player of the Year Steve Susdorf and Pitcher of the Year Clayton Allison
In game one of the three game Championship Series against Georgia, Fresno St. lost late in the 8th inning after holding a decent lead for most of the game. Game 2 started out bad for Fresno St., but the Bulldogs fought back in the third inning and held off Georgia on the way to an impressive 19-10 beat down. In the final game of the series, with the NCAA Championship on the line, Fresno was led by Steve Detwiler and Justin Wilson to a victory and Championship in a 6-1 rout of Georgia.
California State University, Fresno
California State University, Fresno, often referred to as Fresno State University and synonymously known in athletics as Fresno State , is one of the leading campuses of the California State University system, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA.The campus sits at the foot of...
in the NCAA Division I baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
season of 2008. They played their home games at Beiden Field in Fresno, California
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
. The team was coached by Mike Batesole
Mike Batesole
Mike Batesole is the head baseball coach at Fresno State. In 5 seasons as head coach, he has compiled a 172-134 record. He previously coached for 7 seasons at Cal State Northridge. His overall record stands at 428-292-1. In 2006 and 2007, his teams won back-to-back WAC championships in baseball...
who was in his fifth season at Fresno State. Under Batesole, Fresno State has won three Western Athletic Conference Championships in a row, and he has a 172-134 record with the Bulldogs.
In a surprise Cinderella
Cinderella (sports)
In American and Canadian sports, a Cinderella or "Cinderella Story" refers to a team or player who advances much further in a tournament or career than originally anticipated. Cinderellas tend to gain much media and fan attention as they move closer to the championship game at the end of the...
run through the postseason, the Fresno State Bulldogs defeated the Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia Bulldogs baseball
The Georgia Bulldogs baseball team represents the University of Georgia in NCAA Division I college baseball.Along with most other Georgia athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Eastern division of the Southeastern Conference...
in the 2008 College World Series
2008 College World Series
The 2008 College World Series was held June 14 through June 25, in Omaha, Nebraska. Eight NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a 64-team bracket to play at historic Rosenblatt Stadium...
finals to win its first NCAA Division I Championship in baseball (or, for that matter, in any men's sport). The Bulldogs visited President George W. Bush at the White House in November 2008, and by the end of the year, a book was released capturing their upset story.
wonderdogsbook.comUnderdogs to Wonderdogs: Fresno State's Road to Omaha and the College World Series Championship, was written by the team's radio announcer, Paul Loeffler. Another book by a Fresno sportscaster is in the works too.
Pre-Season
Fresno State entered the season ranked in the Collegiate Baseball newspaper's Fabulous 40 for the third consecutive season, at #21 . Fresno State was also ranked #21 by the preseason magazine Baseball America.Fresno state was preseason pick of the WAC coaches as the favorite to win the 2008 season; additionally, seven players were selected to the Preseason All-Wac Team, including the preseason Player of the Year Steve Susdorf and Pitcher of the Year Clayton Allison
NCAA Tournament: Super Regionals
Played Arizona St. at Arizona St.; Lost game one, and then bounced back and won two straight to advance to the College World Series.NCAA Tournament: College World Series
In their first game, they defeated Rice 17-5. In their next game, they continued their miracle run defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels 5-3. After the Tar Heels defeated LSU in the second round of the loser's bracket, they returned once again to play Fresno St., who they would have to beat twice as Fresno St. had no losses, to earn a spot in the Championship Series. In the first game, N. Carolina won 4-3. The following evening, in the second of two games, Fresno St. outplayed N. Carolina to a 6-1 victory, moving on to the championship series.In game one of the three game Championship Series against Georgia, Fresno St. lost late in the 8th inning after holding a decent lead for most of the game. Game 2 started out bad for Fresno St., but the Bulldogs fought back in the third inning and held off Georgia on the way to an impressive 19-10 beat down. In the final game of the series, with the NCAA Championship on the line, Fresno was led by Steve Detwiler and Justin Wilson to a victory and Championship in a 6-1 rout of Georgia.
Coaches
| Name | Title | First Season at Fresno State | Alma Mater |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Batesole Mike Batesole Mike Batesole is the head baseball coach at Fresno State. In 5 seasons as head coach, he has compiled a 172-134 record. He previously coached for 7 seasons at Cal State Northridge. His overall record stands at 428-292-1. In 2006 and 2007, his teams won back-to-back WAC championships in baseball... |
Head Coach | 2003 | Cal State Fullerton (1990) |
| Pat Waer | Assistant Coach | 2006 | Washington State Washington State University Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university... (1995) |
| Matt Curtis | Assistant Coach | 2002 | Fresno State California State University, Fresno California State University, Fresno, often referred to as Fresno State University and synonymously known in athletics as Fresno State , is one of the leading campuses of the California State University system, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA.The campus sits at the foot of... (1996) |
| Mike Mayne | Assistant Coach | 2007 | UC Riverside (1968) |
Players
| No. | Players | Position | Year | Ht/Wt | Bats/Throws | Hometown (Last School) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Eric Wetzel | INF | JR | 6-1/180 | R/R | Chino, CA (Don Lugo HS) |
| 4 | Danny Grubb | C | JR | 5-11/185 | R/R | Orange, CA (Orange Lutheran HS) |
| 5 | Trent Soares | OF | FR | 6-0/180 | L/R | Fresno, CA (San Joaquin Memorial High School San Joaquin Memorial High School San Joaquin Memorial High School is a private Catholic high school located in Fresno, California. Founded in 1945, it is the only Catholic high school located in the greater Fresno area. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno with a current enrollment of about 620 students... ) |
| 7 | Nick Hom | INF | FR | 6-0/180 | R/R | Benicia, CA (De La Salle HS) |
| 9 | Alan Ahmady | INF | SO | 5-11/195 | R/R | Fresno, CA (Clovis West HS) |
| 10 | Jason Breckley | RHP | SR | 6-1/220 | R/R | Moorpark, CA (Moorpark HS) |
| 11 | Todd Sandell | INF | SR | 6-2/190 | R/R | Somis, CA (Camarillo HS) |
| 14 | Tanner Scheppers | RHP | JR | 6-4/220 | R/R | Laguna Niguel, CA (Dana Hills HS) |
| 15 | Steve Detwiler | OF | SO | 6-1/220 | R/R | Forest Knolls, CA (San Rafael HS) |
| 16 | Danny Muno | INF | FR | 5-11/170 | S/R | Thousand Oaks, CA (Loyola HS) |
| 19 | Jordan Ribera | INF | FR | 6-0/220 | L/R | Fresno, CA (Clovis West HS) |
| 21 | Justin Wilson | LHP | JR | 6-3/210 | L/L | Clovis, CA (Buchanan HS) |
| 24 | Ryan Overland | C | SR | 6-2/200 | L/R | Atascadero, CA (Atascadero HS) |
| 25 | Brandon Burke | RHP | SR | 6-3/200 | R/R | San Diego, CA (Rancho Bernardo HS) |
| 27 | Steve Susdorf | OF | SR | 6-1/195 | L/L | Newhall, CA (Hart HS) |
| 29 | Gavin Hedstrom | OF | JR | 6-1/190 | R/R | Irvine, CA (Woodbridge HS) |
| 30 | Blake Amador | OF | SR | 6-0/190 | L/L | Turlock, CA (Modesto JC/UNLV) |
| 32 | Tommy Mendonca | INF | SO | 6-1/200 | L/R | Turlock, CA (Turlock HS) |
| 33 | Justin Miller | RHP | JR | 6-5/195 | R/R | Bakersfield, CA (Bakersfield College Bakersfield College Bakersfield College is a public community college located in Bakersfield, California, USA. Bakersfield College has an official Twitter account at @bcrenegades and an official... ) |
| 34 | Jake Johnson | C | FR | 6-2/205 | R/R | La Mirada, CA (La Mirada HS) |
| 37 | Sean Bonesteele | RHP | SO | 6-5/220 | R/R | Santa Ana, CA (Foothill HS) |
| 38 | Jake Floethe | RHP | FR | 6-3/195 | R/R | Lafayette, CA (Acalanes HS) |
| 40 | Clayton Allison | RHP | SR | 6-5/230 | R/R | Visalia, CA (College of the Sequoias) |
| 42 | Gene Escat | RHP | FR | 6-5/190 | R/R | Hanford, CA (Hanford HS) |
| 43 | Kris Tomlinson | LHP | JR | 6-0/180 | L/L | Visalia, CA (Golden West HS) |
| 47 | Holden Sprague | RHP | JR | 6-2/210 | R/R | Fresno, CA (Bullard HS) |
| 50 | Jake Hower | RHP | SR | 6-4/190 | R/R | Roseville, CA (American River CC) |
Schedule/Results
| 2008 Fresno State Bulldogs baseball Game Log | |
|---|---|
Awards and honors
| Player | Award/Honor |
|---|---|
| Clayton Allison | WAC Pitcher of the Week (April 16 - April 27) |
| Alan Ahmady | WAC Player of the Week and National Player of the Week (March 24 - March 30) |
| Steve Susdorf | WAC Player of the Week (April 16 - April 27), WAC Player of the Year 2008, ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American |
| Justin Wilson | WAC Pitcher of the Week (May 7 - May 13) |
| Mike Batesole | NCBWA National Coach of the Year Award |
Fresno State Bulldogs in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft
The following members of the 2008 Fresno State baseball team were drafted in the 2008 MLB Draft.| Player | Position | Overall | MLB Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Wilson | LHP | 144 | Pittsburgh Pirates Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions... |
| Erik Wetzel | 2B | 407 | Colorado Rockies Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains... |
| Justin Miller | RHP | 483 | Texas Rangers Texas Rangers (baseball) The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have... |
| Steven Susdorf | OF | 586 | Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League... |
| Clayton Allison | RHP | 817 | Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming... |
See also
- Fresno State Bulldogs baseballFresno State Bulldogs baseballThe Fresno State Bulldogs baseball team represents Fresno State University in NCAA Division I college baseball.Along with most other Fresno State athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Western Athletic Conference...
- Fresno State's Cinderella run continues with defeat of UNC