With Big West Conference play coming up, the Dirtbags are still trying to figure out what kind of team they will be this year.
Are they the team that was leading Cal State Fullerton by four in the seventh inning on Saturday? Or are they the team that was outscored 7-0 over the final two innings of that game en route to an 8-5 loss?
Long Beach State (9-15) has dealt with inconsistency all season long, but head coach Troy Buckley said a difficult nonconference schedule has prepared the team well for Big West play.
“That’s why you play some challenging nonconference weekends,” he said, “to get the team more mental toughness, to get the team to understand what its kinks are and what we’re going to have to do to continue to evolve.”
Buckley also said that with conference play coming up, the time to figure things out has essentially passed.
“If we weren’t [ready], we don’t really have any other choice,” he said.
The last time the Dirtbags won a share of the Big West title was 2008, when they had current major leaguers Vance Worley and Danny Espinosa on their team.
Since then, LBSU has seen CSUF win three conference titles and solidify its position on top of the Big West. As Buckley said last week, the conference title “goes through Fullerton, and it has for some time.”
The Dirtbags will start their pursuit of a Big West championship when they face Cal State Northridge in a three-game series this weekend. The first game is set for 6 p.m. Thursday at Blair Field.
Cal State Fullerton (21-3)
Avg: .272 ERA: 2.61 May 3-5 at CSUF
The Titans are once again the pride of the Big West, as they were named preseason favorites to win the conference. CSUF has one of the best players in the country in outfielder/closer Michael Lorenzen and a young but incredibly talented starting rotation.
Cal Poly (17-5)
Avg: .295 ERA: 2.85 April 26-28 at Blair Field
Last year’s second-place finishers got off to a hot 7-0 start and haven’t let up much since. The Mustangs have one of the more powerful lineups in college baseball, as freshman catcher Brian Mundell is among the NCAA leaders with seven home runs.
UC Irvine (15-5)
Avg: .304 ERA: 2.66 May 23-25 at UCI
The Anteaters boast the conference’s best offense with six players hitting over .300. They aren’t one dimensional, though, as they have strong pitching led by starter Andrew Morales (6-0, 2.01 ERA) and reliever Jimmy Litchfield (0.90 ERA in 10 games).
UC Santa Barbara (12-10)
Avg: .263 ERA: 4.09 April 19-21 at UCSB
The Gauchos, who haven’t finished higher than fifth in the conference standings since 2008, look to be a middle-of-the road Big West team again. Their biggest star to this point is freshman utility player Robby Nesovic, who is hitting .419 in 16 games played.
UC Riverside (10-9)
Avg: .278 ERA: 4.62 May 17-19 at Blair Field
The Highlanders enter conference play with a record over .500 despite getting very little help from their starting pitchers, who have a combined ERA of 5.34. UCR has proven it can hit in bunches though, as it has scored over 12 runs four times this year.
Cal State Northridge (10-12)
Avg: .251 ERA: 4.09 March 28-30 at Blair Field
The Matadors have an experienced lineup that hasn’t really impressed or disappointed anyone so far this year. They feature quality starting pitchers that keep the team in games but don’t do well enough to win all the time.
UC Davis (9-12)
Avg: .297 ERA: 5.59 May 17-19 at Blair Field
The Aggies’ biggest problem is incredibly thin pitching. Top starter Evan Wolf (1-0, 2.59 ERA) isn’t bad, but after that it gets ugly. UCD’s other regular starters have a combined 5.75 ERA, and the bullpen doesn’t provide much relief either.
Pacific (7-12)
Avg: .253 ERA: 4.79 April 5-7 at Pacific
The Tigers might have more wins if they had a better bullpen. There are four relievers on Pacific’s staff with ERAs over 10, and the bullpen is a combined 3-9. It’s not like expectations were high though, as the Tigers didn’t have single All-Big West player last year.
Hawaii (5-16)
Avg: .232 ERA: 4.46 May 10-12 at Blair Field
The Warriors took on a very difficult nonconference schedule, which explains the poor record and subpar statistics. Keep an eye on senior shortstop Pi’ikea Kitamura, who was a first team All-Western Athletic Conference selection last year.