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Mar 11
0

2026 Pro Day: One final impression

By | Feature, Football | No Comments

17 former Fresno State Football players returned to the field at Valley Children’s Stadium on Monday, March 9th for Fresno State’s annual Pro Day, participating in various drills in front of scouts with hopes of getting an opportunity at the next level. 

Almost half of the NFL had scouts in attendance on Monday, including the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers (2), Kansas City Chiefs, LA Rams, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Commanders.

Participants 

E.J. Warner (QB)

Elijah Gilliam (RB)

Johnathan Arceneaux (RB)

Jordan Brown (WR)

Jake Tarwater (TE)

Kamron Beachem (TE)

Julian Polendo (OL)

Jacob Spomer (OL)

Finn Claypool (DL)

Korey Foreman (DL)

Michael Jordan Jr. (DL)

Jadon Pearson (LB)

Al’zillion Hamilton (DB)

Jakari Embry (DB)

Camryn Bracha (DB)

Dylan Lynch (K)

Wesley Brown (LS)

A Bulldog from A-to-Z

In this day and age of college football, it’s rare for someone to spend all four years at one school, but Al’Zillion Hamilton did and now his time as a Bulldog has come to a close. 

Hamilton posted the top scores of the day in several categories including the 40-yard dash (4.5) and shuttle (4.26). His 6.99 3-cone drill was faster than any of the defensive backs at the NFL combine. His vertical (33 inches) and broad jump (9’10) were also among the best results of the day.

“It felt good,” Hamilton said. “All this work I’ve put in, putting it all together, it felt good today … When I went to the American Bowl I had a couple of teams that seemed like they were interested in me. We’ll see.”

Hamilton had another standout season in 2025, including four interceptions, playing a massive part of a Bulldog defense that held opponents to 293.5 yards per game, the lowest in a season since at least 1992.

The Bulldogs are looking for its first draft since 2023 when the New Orleans Saints selected quarterback Jake Haener in the fourth round. Hamilton might be the one to continue the Fresno State to the NFL defensive back pipeline, with the likes of his former teammates and now NFL stars Evan Williams (Green Bay) and Daron Bland (Dallas).

“We a school that’s kind of on the lower side, but we got players that got great over here. Don’t sleep on Fresno State, that’s all I got to say,” Hamilton said. 

Williams was in attendance to support and also catch up with Hamilton before the event. He said he reminded him to “soak it in” and to enjoy the moment. 

“I remember during my pro day, it’s easy to kind of get caught up in the stress of things. You know, the biggest job interview of your life, you can definitely feel those pressures, like there’s something you’ve been waiting for for your whole life, right? Something that he’s been working for. Just let it loose, you don’t have to be anybody different than you are on any other day,” Williams said. 

Captain Cam

It was an emotional week for Camryn Bracha, in more ways than one. The former Bulldog safety lost his grandpa last week.

Bracha made sure to make one of his biggest inspirations proud on Monday during his final time competing at Valley Children’s Stadium. 

“He was really proud of everything I put into this. I know he’s watching over me and bargaining for me up in heaven, so he’s always rooting for me, one of my biggest fans, and so I’m just honored that I was able to do this,” Bracha said. 

The safety had a solid all-around performance, with a 7 second 3-cone drill, while excelling in the bench, vertical and broad jumps. His hands and footwork stood out during position drills as well. 

The Clovis native road to this point was never a straight shot. Bracha attended Fresno City College after graduating from Buchanan High School. He then transferred to Fresno State where battled injuries both in 2023 and 2024. 

Finally healthy, “Captain Cam,” as some of his teammates call him, was third on the Bulldogs on tackles with 55 stops in 2025. He added 2.5 TFL, two forced fumbles, two interceptions and five pass breakups. He had a season-high nine tackles at Oregon State (Sept. 6).

“I’ve got a lot of good people in my corner who have helped me get here, a lot of friends, family,” Bracha said. “It’s gonna be different with a lot of these guys moving on, even myself, you know, and coming back, there’ll be a lot of new faces, but I just hope we left this place better than we found it.” 

Mind over matter for JP

Monday was a pivotal day for Jadon Pearson’s football career but he didn’t treat it any differently. The now former Fresno State linebacker stood out at the Pro Day, particularly in the 40-yard dash where he ran a 4.55. 

Pearson transferred from Utah State only a couple days after Head Coach Matt Entz took the job at Fresno State and before there were any other coaches on staff, but Pearson had a feeling it was the right move.

“One of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my adult life,” Pearson said. “I put a lot of faith into coming here, and it was well worth it.”

This was Pearson’s second time spent playing football in the valley after playing for Reedley College in 2021. 

He added that he’s letting his agents handle all contact with teams and simply focusing on his training and continuing to be the best person he can be.

“All you need is really just one team to believe in you,” Pearson said. 

The linebacker (105 total tackles in 2025) played a pivotal role this past year leading a Fresno State defense that finished top 10 nationally in total defense, passing yards allowed, passes intercepted and turnovers gained. A big reason for that was Pearson’s leadership and football IQ, an area he’s very confident in.

“There’s a lot of dudes that run fast, that jump far and are super buff, but really the biggest thing that matters is what’s in between your ears. You have to want to process things really fast on the field and also communicate things. It’s pretty rare that you’re going to be able to have full conversations on the field and get lined up. And so that was one good thing I felt like I was able to do this year,” Pearson said. 

Other notable standouts

Both kicker Dylan Lynch and long snapper Wesley Brown had impressive showings and received interest from multiple teams. The former reportedly met with both the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles. The lefty Lynch finished his time at Fresno State 4th in all-time points scored (319), including 64-of-84 field goal attempts (76.1%). 

Brown also spoke to the media Monday. While he didn’t reveal which teams he was talking to, he did confirm that there were at least two teams that were interested in him and were impressed with his performance, particularly his athleticism. It was fitting that Brown wore a “Sneaky Athletic” BTJ hat. 

“I thought if I wore something that was a little different and kind of caught people’s eye, I thought that’d be a good thing. I also wanted to represent the “Bring the Juice” podcast and another valley brand,” Brown said.

Brown said he was pleased with his performance and got a lot of positive feedback on the speed and accuracy of his snaps. He added that he was surprised with how well his vertical jump went. 

Defensive lineman Korey Foreman and Michael Jordan Jr. both completed 29 bench reps. Offensive lineman Jacob Spomer ran a 4.6 shuttle, and a 5.06 40-yard dash while completing 28 reps in the bench. Running backs Johnathan Arceneaux (4.51) and Elijah Gilliam (4.59), cornerback Jakari Embry (4.57), plus wide receiver Jordan Brown (4.58), all timed in the 4.5s in the 40-yard dash. Defensive end Finn Claypool was spry as well, running a 4.64, ahead of the NFL combine average for his position. 

Click here for complete results of the 2026 Fresno State Pro Day. 

The 2026 NFL Draft will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from April 23-25. 

Story written by Al Scott, photos courtesy of Nate Velasco.

Mar 05
0

Nose to the grind: Faust, Diamond Dogs ready for matchup with Arizona

By | Baseball, Feature | No Comments

Fresno State (7-4) is heading to Tucson for a three-game weekend set with Arizona. The previously ranked Wildcats opened the 2026 season with a 10-7 loss to Stanford back on February 13th. 

Arizona has had one of the tougher schedules in the country over the first few weeks of the year, including matchups against Oregon, Oregon State and Michigan. After beginning the season at 1-8, the Wildcats put together back-to-back impressive wins over Vanderbilt and UC Irvine over the weekend before falling 7-5 at home to Grand Canyon on Tuesday night. 

Despite their rough start, Fresno State Head Coach Ryan Overland knows Arizona is not a team to overlook. 

“Going to a big 12 team on the road that had guys that were a game away from Omaha last year, and they understand how to win and how to win at a high level,” Overland said. “And I promise you, whatever their record is today, their talent level is, they’re going to be the best, most talented team in the country at that level, I’m sure of that.”

Projected starters

Kramkowski opens for Arizona as its Friday night senior. The junior righty made 18 starts for the Wildcats in 2025, going 9-6 with a 5.48 ERA while striking out 90 over 92 IP. 

He will be followed by 2025 freshman All-American Smith Bailey who’s picked up right where he left off after pitching to the tune of a 3.94 ERA in 18 starts a year ago. Bailey is coming off back-to-back wins, including a one-run, three-hit performance over six innings against a vaunted Vanderbilt lineup. 

The biggest strength of this Wildcats team may just be the starting pitching. Fladda is a big reason why. The Tulane/Johnson County CC transfer is expected to make another Sunday start after twirling seven shutout frames in a win over UC Irvine (9 strikeouts). 

The Bulldogs are expected to run out the same rotation as it has the first three weekends of the season, beginning with Townson on Friday night. 

Nose to the grind

Owen Faust didn’t have the prettiest beginning to the season in the field. The day before their season opener against Utah last month, Faust took a “Pete Beiden hop” to the face, injuring his nose. The sophomore was required to wear a mask on defense to help ease the pain, something he won’t miss. 

“It wasn’t anything terrible, but the mask was definitely really annoying,” Faust said. 

Despite the injury, Faust hasn’t skipped a beat in the batters box, with not many players in the country hotter than him at the plate right now. Faust has already crossed home plate 16 times in 9 games thanks to a .489 on-base percentage. 

“I’m just seeing the ball really well, trying to get my best swing off and if it’s not there, it’s not there. But yeah, I’m just trying to do my job, get on base for those more powerful guys to drive me in,” Faust said. “Get them on, get them over, get them in.”

Overland has been in the fortunate position of having so many young infielders find success this season, like Mikey Boyd, Mikey Pickett and Brady Hewitt. Finding playing time for all of them has been tricky and forced him to get creative, including putting Faust in right field on Tuesday. The typical infielder is embracing the utility role. He said Wednesday that he’s ready for any opportunity that comes his way. 

Ready for the call 

Parker Heintz was named Mountain West Freshman of the Week after hurling a pair of scoreless outings, with three frames coming last Tuesday against Pepperdine and another four hitless innings to get the save against Stanford on Saturday. 

“He’s done a really good job at his first two outings,” Overland said. “If you can locate a fastball and throw an off speed for a strike, you’re going to be in a pretty good position.”

Overland added that fellow freshmen Brandon Thomas (7 IP, 3 ER, 8 K), Weston Thornbury (4.2 IP, 1 ER) and Jordan Haver (3.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 K) have also impressed and could continue to pitch important innings for the Bulldogs this season.

The Bulldog pitching staff has a 4.01 ERA as a team through 11 games, best in the conference. 

Wildcats to watch

Freshman second baseman Nate Novitske has been on a tear to begin the year, hitting .417 with a team-leading .947 OPS. He also has driven multiple runs in three straight games. Fellow freshman first baseman Tony Lira is hitting .320 with a home run and five runs driven in. 

Arizona’s offense has definitely fallen below expectations this season, hitting just .232 as a team and getting outscored by opponents 65-45. 

Injury report

3B/LF Cam Schneider – out for 1-2 more weeks 

RHP Jake Riding (arm) – no timetable 

1B Cayden Munster (hand) – no timetable

SS Lee Trevino (ACL) – out for season

How to watch 

All three games will be available to watch on ESPN+. Fans can also listen online.

What’s next 

Following the Wildcats series, Fresno State will play a mid-week game at Cal Poly on Tuesday, March 10th at 5:05 p.m. 

Fresno State will begin its quest of a Mountain West three-peat in its final season in the conference at home vs Nevada (3/13-15). 

The Wolf Pack returns seven starters including 2025 Mountain West Freshman of the Year Sean Yamaguchi and fellow 2025 All-Mountain West selections junior pitcher Alessandro Castro, senior infielder Jayce Dobie, senior catcher Jake Harvey and senior designated hitter Billy Ham from a squad that won the MW regular-season title and earned the No. 1 seed in the MW championship before falling in the conference tournament. 

The Wolfpack were picked first in the Mountain West preseason polls, just ahead of the Bulldogs who were picked second. 

Story written by Al Scott, cover photo courtesy of Ryan Sepulveda.

Mar 03
0

Bulldogs shoot to victory over rival Spartans

By | Basketball, Feature | No Comments

The Fresno State men’s basketball team (13-17, 7-12 in MW) prevailed on senior night and their final home game of the season in a 82-68 win over San Jose State University (8-22, 3-16 in MW) on March 3 at the Save Mart Center. 

The senior duo of guards Jake Heidbreder and Cameron Faas combined for 32 points and were hot from beyond-the-arch—combining for 6 of the Bulldogs’ 11 three-point makes. The three-point shooting from Heidbreder and Faas has been on display all season, averaging 31.8% and 36.2% respectively—a season Faas is thankful for. 

“I started at JUCO and it’s been really cool to see each level as I move up. I’m very grateful to be here and have coaches who are willing to literally give you everything,” Faas said. “You never have a time when you can’t workout, you never have someone who’s not available when you need something. The process of being here and working with everybody has been my favorite.”

Heidbreder added that this season was the most diligent team he has been a part of during his long college career.

“This is by far the most hard working team I’ve been on. They’re just in the gym, hours upon hours, every single day, before practice, after practice. That’s been the most fun for me being here,” Heidbreder said. 

Key players

Jake Heidbreder (FS): 20 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

Wilson Jacques (FS): 16 points (2-2 3fg), 19 rebounds, 3 blocks

Colby Garland (SJSU): 26 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists

Adrian Myers (SJSU): 17 points, 16 rebounds, 1 steal

What happened

Both teams started the game cold on offense, going a combined 3-13 from the field in the opening minutes, with the lone scorers for the Bulldogs being forward Deshawn Gory with a quick layup and center Wilson Jacques with the rare three-pointer to tie things up 5-5. 

Following the stall on offense, both teams found their footing, with guard Colby Garland leading the way for the Spartans and forward Deshawn Gory leading the Bulldogs to a 15-12 point lead midway through the first half.

To close out the first half, the Bulldogs kept things rolling with well balanced scoring—with seven of the eight players who received minutes contributing to the scoring column and Gory leading the way with 10 points. For the Spartans, Garland and forward Adrian Myers helped the team stay afloat, combining for 20 of the Spartans’ 34 first half points. 

However, the Bulldogs would pull away in the final minutes of the first half to enjoy a 45-34 lead heading into halftime. 

Garland and the Spartans opened the second half hot on offense, going 3-3 in the early minutes to kickstart a Spartan comeback and trim the lead within single digits. However, the steady play of Heidbreder helped extend the lead back to double digits halfway through the second half.

Following the hot start on offense, both teams ran cold as the ball failed to go through the net which resulted in a lengthy scoring drought. But, the play of Heidbreder once again helped put some points on the board and spur the Bulldog offense to close the game en route to the 82-68 victory.

What’s next

The Bulldogs wrap-up the season against Grand Canyon University (18-11, 11-7 in MW) on March 7 at 5 p.m—a series the Lopes lead 1-0—before heading to Las Vegas for the Mountain West basketball tournament. 

As it stands, the Bulldogs are in a battle with the University of Wyoming for the ninth or tenth seed. Depending on the outcome, the ninth seed will play the eight seed and the tenth seed will play the seventh seed. 

Regarding the sixth through eighth seeds, Colorado State University, Boise State University, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas are all locked in with a record of 10-8—so the fight for tournament seeding is very fluid as teams close out the season this week.

Recap and cover photo courtesy by Vincent Ordonio.

Mar 03
0

Ramirez, Westbrook power Bulldogs to 5th straight win

By | Feature, Softball | No Comments

It took some late game heroics and a brilliant performance out of the bullpen from Alyssa Ramirez, but the Fresno Softball team defeated Cal State Bakersfield 4-3 in 9 innings on the road Tuesday. 

With the win, the Bulldogs have now won five straight under Head Coach Charlotte Morgan, improving to 9-7 on the season. 

Key Players

Alyssa Ramirez: W, 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, K

Tiara Westbrook: 3-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Olivia Hill: 1-for-1, 2 R, 3 BB

What happened

The Dogs fell behind early on Tuesday. Two singles and a throwing error in the first inning allowed Bakersfield to score first on Fresno State freshman Alyssa Loza. The Bulldogs got the run right back though. After a one out walk from Olivia Hill, Tiara Westbrook pulled a ball down the left field line for an RBI double to tie the game. 

Bakersfield loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the third for second baseman Jillian Sanchez, who singled to right, giving the Roadrunners a 3-1 lead. All three of Loza’s runs were unearned. She struck out four in three innings before Morgan turned it over to Alyssa Ramirez.

Like the second inning, Hill worked a one out walk in the fourth with Westbrook following it up with an RBI double, this time finding the right center gap. 

Bakersfield held a 3-2 lead going into the 7th inning, with starter Cedes Saldana looking to close the game out. Rylee Bocchini made that tough for her, pulling out an infield single to lead off the inning. Arianna Aguayo pinch ran for the Bulldog catcher and would score later in the inning on a game-tying triple from senior Natalie Elias. 

Like de ja vu, Bocchini led off the ninth with a single. She would advance to second on a sacrifice and to third on a passed ball. Emma Martinez would bring in the go-ahead run on another infield single. 

Ramirez was untouchable in relief, retiring 18 of the 20 batters she faced, allowing just one hit in six shutout innings to pick up the win. 

What’s next 

The Bulldogs road trip continues to Silicon Valley Classic this weekend with a doubleheader (3:00/5:30 p.m.) at St. Mary’s on Saturday, March 7. They will then play two at Santa Clara the next day, beginning at 10:00 a.m. 

Fresno State returns to Margie Wright Diamond on Friday, March 13th for a three game series as they welcome Utah State to town to begin Mountain West Conference play. 

Recap written by Al Scott, cover photo courtesy of Jazmin Alvarado (FSM). 

Mar 01
0

Bulldogs living on cloud pine, take series over Stanford

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After being walked off on Friday afternoon in Palo Alto, the Diamond Dogs (6-4) rallied together a pair of wins Saturday and Sunday against Stanford to win its first series against the Cardinal in 27 years. 

Key players (stats for all 3 games) 

Parker Heintz: SV, 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, K (44 P)

Sky Collins: 6-for-12, 4 R, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 4 BB/HBP, 2 SB

Owen Faust: 4-for-11, 8 R, 3 RBI, 4 BB/HBP, 2 SB

Mikey Boyd: 6-for-13, 4 R, 5 RBI, 3 BB/HBP

Game 1 (Friday, 2/27): Stanford 6, Fresno State 5

Fresno State led off the game with base hits courtesy of infielders Brady Hewitt and Jett Ruby. With one out, Griffen Sotomayor plated Hewitt across with a single to right field to get the scoring started. 

Stanford tied the game in the bottom of the inning, with a two-out RBI single from Jimmy Nati. The Cardinal second baseman extended his team’s lead in the bottom of the third with a two-run homer to left.

Fresno State loaded the bases to begin the fifth, setting up Sky Collins who singled through the right side, scoring Jett Ruby. Mikey Boyd followed with a two-run single to give the Bulldogs a 4-3 lead. Stanford tied the game in the bottom of the frame with a solo home run from JJ Moran. Drew Townson was pulled with two outs in the fifth, having allowed four runs (two earned) on 75 pitches. 

Both teams added a run before the ninth inning when Stanford outfielder Brock Sell tripled into the right center gap, scoring Teddy Tokheim to win the game 6-5.

Game 2 (Saturday, 2/28): Fresno State 15, Stanford 4

Trailing 1-0, Owen Faust worked a two-out walk in the third before scoring on a double to right from Griffen Sotomayor. Stanford retook a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning with a solo shot from Charlie Bates. 

The Bulldog offense erupted in the fourth for four runs, including a two-run double from catcher Austin Young. Zach Plasschaert added an RBI double in the fifth. Stanford punished a pair of mistake pitches from Tyler Patrick with solo shots from Rintaro Sasaki and Teddy Tokheim. Patrick limited the damage though, allowing just the four runs through five innings, striking out two. 

The Bulldogs added two runs in the sixth and another in the 8th off the Stanford bullpen. The Fresno State lead jumped to 15-4 with a six-run inning including a two-run single from Sky Collins and a three-run blast from Marcus Nolen. 

The Cardinal bats had no answer for freshman left-hander Parker Heintz who retired 12 of the 13 batters he faced, allowing just a walk. The 2025 TRAC Player of the Year is up to seven shutout frames in his college career. 

Game 3 (Sunday, 3/1): Fresno State 11, Stanford 8

The Bulldog bats were hot early on Sunday. Brady Hewitt led off the game with a double to right center. Two batters later, Owen Faust brought him in with a line drive single over the head of Stanford shortstop Charlie Bates. Griffen Sotomayor (HBP) and Sky Collins (walk) reached to load the bases for Mikey Boyd. The freshman lefty went the opposite way, finding shallow left field to score both Faust and Sotomayor. Fresno State went 1-9 in the order but left the bases loaded. 

With two on and one out in the bottom of the frame, Jimmy Nati singled in a run. A wild pitch from Victor Arreola allowed a second run to score. The Cardinal loaded the bases but Arreola got out of the jam, inducing a 4-6-3 double play. 

Hewitt led off the second the same way he led off the first, with an opposite field double. The freshman shortstop advanced to third and then scored on a pair of ground outs. Marcus Nolen singled in Collins in the third to extend the ‘Dogs lead to 5-2. 

Fresno State picked up where they left off in the fourth inning. Three straight singles from Faust, Sotomayor and Collins made it a 6-2 game. The ‘Dogs would score six runs on five hits and two walks in total in the inning, including a two-run triple from Hewitt. 

After throwing scoreless innings in the second and third, Arreola (3.2 IP, 5 R, 5 K) was hit for a three-run bomb from Cardinal catcher Luke Lavin, cutting the deficit to 11-5.

Teddy Tokheim hit a two-run homer in the seventh to make it 11-7. Stanford added another run in the 8th but it wasn’t enough to come back. With the win, Fresno State takes its first series against Stanford since 1999. 

Injury report

3B/LF Cam Schneider – day-to-day

RHP Jake Riding (arm) – no timetable 

1B Cayden Munster (hand) – no timetable

SS Lee Trevino (ACL) – out for season

What’s next 

Fresno State will host Sacramento State (3-8) on Tuesday night at Pete Beiden Field, with first pitch at 6:05 p.m. The two teams split a pair of matchups in 2025 with both games coming down to one run. 

Sacramento State righty Konnor Entz, son of Fresno State football’s Head Coach Matt Entz, struck out five of the seven batters he faced on Saturday. He should be available in relief for the Hornets on Tuesday. 

The Hornets offense has struggled this season. Excluding a 21-2 victory over St. Joseph, Sacramento State are hitting .182 while scoring just 3.2 runs per game this season. 

Fans can get into Tuesday’s game for free by donating a book, in collaboration with the Fresno State Athletics Book Drive. 

Recap written by Al Scott, cover photo courtesy of Ryan Sepulveda.

Feb 28
0

Dogs fall flat in fourth on Senior Day

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The Fresno State women’s basketball team (14-16, 8-10 in MW) fell to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (19-10, 14-5 in MW) in a 68-54 loss on Feb. 28 at the Save Mart Center.

The Lady Rebels are one of the top defensive teams in the Mountain West—ranking highly in different defensive categories—and as a result, held the Bulldogs’ offense to 31.5% shooting on the night. But, with dwindling roster availability, Head Coach Ryan McCarthy also credited it to fatigue.

“Part of it too is fatigue on our part, UNLV is a great team. I don’t think it was what we didn’t do, that’s what a great team does to a team like us,” McCarthy said. 

To name a few statistics, the Lady Rebels rank fifth in opponent field-goal percentage (39%), third in blocks (3.38 bpg), and second in opponent turnovers (12.69 tpg).

Additionally, before tip-off, the Bulldogs honored six seniors: Morelia Chavez, Indiya Clark, Djessira Diawara, Jaisa Gamble, Hedda Köehne, and Emilia Long—players that McCarthy highly values when it comes to creating team culture. 

“In the days of transfers and those types of things, and to have six seniors say, ‘if I could do this again in the same place, I would’, that speaks volumes to the underclassmen and players becoming future Bulldogs,” McCarthy said.

Key players

Emilia Long (FS): 14 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals

Jaisa Gamble (FS): 9 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, 5 turnovers

Aali Alexander (UNLV): 21 points, 2 rebounds, 3 steals

Roland Meadow (UNLV): 17 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists

What happened

The Bulldogs opened the first quarter with a sloppy start, turning the ball over eight times, which the Lady Rebels converted into seven points. Additionally, the Lady Rebels made a living in the paint, scoring 12 points under the rim.

But, the steady play of the Bulldogs’ senior duo of  Emilia Long and Jiasa Gamble was enough to keep the ‘Dogs in the game—given the 18-10 Lady Rebel cushion to end the quarter. 

The Lady Rebels picked up where they left off, in the first quarter, pounding the paint to grow their lead. However, the Bulldogs answer with paint points of their own spearheaded by forward Djessira Diawara and her aggressiveness under the rim to ignite a 7-2 run to cut into the 26-19 LadyRebel lead. 

Despite that, the Lady Rebels responded with a run of their own—and combined with their stout defense—the Lady Rebels entered halftime 36-22.

The Bulldogs opened the third quarter with a 7-4 run, sparked by the freshman guard Ava Marr. Marr was responsible for four of the seven points to trim the Lady Rebel lead to 40-31—forcing the Lady Rebels to call a timeout midway through the quarter. 

Following the timeout, the Lady Rebels made adjustments to keep the Bulldogs’ hot shooting at bay to close the quarter up 48-36.

In the final quarter, the Lady Rebels were sharp on the defensive end, staying in a 2-3 zone defense for much of the quarter—giving the Bulldogs a fit. To add salt to the wound, the Lady Rebels were on a heater on offense, going 8-13 (61.5%) from the field and 4-8 (50%) from beyond-the-arc en route to the 68-54 Lady Rebel victory.

What’s next

The Bulldogs wrap up the season at The Pit to face New Mexico University (20-9, 12-6 in MW) on March 3 at 6 p.m. 

With the Mountain West Basketball Tournament on the horizon, the Bulldogs will most likely finish the season as the seventh seed and face Grand Canyon University (11-17, 10-8 in MW). This season, the Lopes swept the season series against the Bulldogs in double digit wins, going 2-0.

Recap written by Vincent Ordonio, cover photo courtesy of Evan Hernandez.

Feb 28
0

Dogs sweep weekend, Carranco adds to the record books

By | Feature, Softball | No Comments

A statement weekend in Stockton for Fresno State softball (8-7) as the Bulldogs swept the Libby Matson tournament, taking two games apiece from Pacific College and UC San Diego. 

Lauryn Carranco made a pretty cool memory, throwing a no-hitter on Friday afternoon against the Tritons. The Bulldogs also had five different players homer for the first time in 2026 this weekend. 

Key Players

Lauryn Carranco: 2 W, 14 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 6 BB, 16 K

Alyssa Ramirez: 3-run HR / W, 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 K

Emma Martinez: 6-for-15, 3 R, HR, 4 RBI, BB

What happened

Game 1: Fresno State 4, UC San Diego 0

Senior Lauryn Carranco was nearly untouchable Friday, retiring nine of the first 10 batters she faced, including five strikeouts. Her offense backed her up in the fourth inning. With two on and two out, Alyssa Ramirez belted one off the scoreboard over the left-center wall to give Fresno State a 3-0 lead. Jayda Crosby came off the bench to hit a solo shot over the right field wall to provide some insurance, her first career home run. 

Carranco continued her excellence into the later inning, without allowing a hit all game. The Clovis Cougar alum struck out 12, including the final three batters to secure the first no hitter of her collegiate career and the shutout for the Bulldogs. 

Game 2: Fresno State 5, Pacific 4 (10 innings)

Jamie Hicks homered to lead off the fourth inning on Friday, tying the game at one run apiece. Pacific retook the lead 2-1 in the bottom of the frame with a pair of singles with a sacrifice in between. Emma Martinez tied the game in the fifth with a single to center, scoring Arianna Aguayo. Pacific doubled twice in the fifth and once more in the sixth, scoring a run in each inning to take a 4-2 lead. 

With the game on the line in the seventh inning, Alyssa Rebolledo reached with one out on an infield single. Martinez followed with a blast over the left field wall to tie the game. After neither team scored in the eighth or ninth innings, Martinez scored in the 10th thanks to a wild pitch from Pacific. 

Alyssa Ramirez pitched six innings in relief, including four consecutive scoreless frames to end the game for the Bulldogs to get the win. Ramirez and Loza struck out seven on the night while allowing four runs (two earned) on nine hits and no free passes. 

Game 3: Fresno State 5, UC San Diego 4

Like Friday’s game against Pacific, the Bulldogs fell behind early 1-0. Mallory Vancleave doubled to lead off the third inning. Catcher Rylee Bocchini got on thanks to a throwing error from Tritons backstop Lily Hermosillo, advancing Vancleave to third. Bocchini then proceeded to steal second. An errant throw from Hermosillo allowed Vancleave to score. 

Vancleave homered to left in the top of the fifth to give Fresno State a 2-1 lead. UCSD took it right back in the bottom frame though. After loading the bases against Bulldog freshman Alyssa Loza, Triton shortstop Marley Espiau tripled into the right center scoring three. 

The Bulldogs fought back though. Jamie Hicks tied the game in the sixth, hitting a two-run homer over the left field wall. Olivia Hill led off the top of the seventh with a double over the head of Espiau. She was pinch run for by Kealani Nitta, who would later score the go ahead run on a single from Bocchini. 

Loza fought back after a tough fifth inning to pitch seven strong for the Bulldogs and pick up her second win of the season. 

Game 4: Fresno State 3, Pacific 0

Lauryn Carranco was excellent again on Saturday, throwing seven shutout innings (122 pitches) against the Tigers, striking out four while allowing just three hits. 

Natalie Elias drove in Ava Tingey in the third inning, the only score until the seventh when the Bulldogs added a pair of insurance runs, including RBI knocks from Mallory Vancleave and Emma Martinez. 

What’s next 

The Bulldogs road trip continues next week with a Tuesday matchup at Cal State Bakersfield (2-17). First pitch is set for 12:30 p.m. in the afternoon. Fans can watch the game on ESPN+. 

From there, the Bulldogs will play in the Silicon Valley Classic next weekend with a doubleheader (3:00/5:30 p.m.) at St. Mary’s on Saturday, March 7. They will then play two at Santa Clara the next day, beginning at 10:00 a.m. 

Fresno State returns to Margie Wright Diamond on Friday, March 13th for a three game series as they welcome Utah State to town to begin Mountain West Conference play. 

Recap written by Al Scott, cover photo courtesy of Fresno State Athletics.

Feb 27
0

One final ride: Senior Day preview

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The first year under Head Coach Ryan McCarthy for Fresno State women’s basketball (14-15, 9-10) is nearing its end, with just two games left before heading to Las Vegas for the program’s final Mountain West Conference tournament (March 7-10) before joining the Pac-12 this July. 

The Bulldogs will wrap up the regular season at New Mexico on Tuesday, March 3. But before that comes, they have one final home game this Saturday at 2 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the men’s team (scheduled to play at 4:30 p.m.). 

Fresno State will welcome the University of Las Vegas, Nevada (18-10, 13-5) for its final game at the Save Mart Center for the 2025-26 season. The Bulldogs will look for revenge after falling 85-59 to the Rebels on New Years Eve. Fresno State opened the first quarter with a 14-12 lead before falling behind quickly in the second quarter. 

Prior to the game on Saturday, Fresno State will honor its six graduating seniors, all transfers: Emilia Long, Jaisa Gamble, Indiya Clarke, Hedda Köehne, Djessira Diawara and Morelia Chavez.

Photo by Vincent Ordonio (FSM)

Emilia Long

Millie comes to Fresno State after beginning her college career helping lead Peninsula College to back-to-back conference titles and being named defensive player of the year. Long then made a pit stop at Cal Poly Humboldt where she was named Newcomer of the Year in both basketball and soccer. Fun Fact: The Washington native was a four-sport star (basketball, soccer, tennis, track) in High School at Port Angeles. 

Long then transferred to the University of Alaska Anchorage where she ran McCarthy’s offense averaging 12.2 points per game, 5.2 assists per game and 3.6 rebounds per game. She was also named conference DPOY after leading the nation with 4.1 steals per game. Her success has carried over to the Division I level as a captain for Fresno State. The guard leads the Bulldogs this season with 13.4 PPG, 3.7 APG and 2.4 SPG while starting in all 29 games. 

“[Emilia] kind of embodies what we want our program to be about. Three girls on this team out of high school had division one offers, and she was not one of those players. She just plays with that ultimate chip on her shoulder,” McCarthy said. 

Jaisa Gamble

The Bay Area native played at UC San Diego and Laney College before joining McCarthy in Alaska the last two years where she started in 55 of 61 games. A pickpocket wizard, Gamble has averaged at least 1.8 SPG each of the last four seasons. 

Gamble has played in all 29 games for the Bulldogs this season, averaging 8.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2 APG and 2.1 SPG as a captain of the defense. Fun Fact: Gamble did a study abroad program during her senior year of High School.

Gamble has scored in double figures 10 times this season for the Bulldogs, including a 13 point, 7 rebound, 4 steal performance in a win at Utah State earlier this month. She scored a season high 18 against Fresno Pacific to open the season back in November. 

Indiya Clarke

The Alaska native spent her first three seasons playing at Wofford College in South Carolina before coming to Fresno. Clarke has played in 21 games this season (11 GS), averaging 4.9 PPG and 4.2 RPG. She also has a career high 17 steals. 

The senior guard had 11 points, 9 rebounds and a pair of steals in a win over San Jose State on January 7th. Fun Facts: Clarke grew up doing gymnastics before playing basketball. She also loves photography and hiking. 

“She’s been very consistent for us, and she’s just a big, strong woman,” McCarthy said. “That’s not somebody you want to get run over by, so she just gives us that edge that I felt we needed.”

Hedda Köehne

Köehne averaged 10.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG and 2.2 BPG in 50 games playing at Otero Junior College. The German native transferred to the University of Alaska Anchorage for the 2024-25 season where she averaged 5.7 PPG and 1.3 BPG. 

During this season, Köehne has played in 28 of 29 games, averaging 3.2 PPG & 3.9 RPG in just over 17 minutes per game. She also had 16 steals and 9 blocks on the season. Her best game of the game came back in November when she scored 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds in the Bulldogs 61-48 victory over Louisiana. Fun Facts: “Heddi” would like to return to living in Europe after college. She is also bilingual (German and English). 

Djessira Diawara

Arguably the most experienced player on this team’s roster, is currently in her sixth season after stops at Salt Lake CC (2020-22), Clarendon College (2022-23), Houston (2023-24) and San Jose State (2024-25) before coming to Fresno State. 

The Mali native has played in 26 games this season, including 10 starts, scoring 5.1 PPG, while grabbing 4.5 RPG on 47.3% shooting. The forward scored 8 points and grabbed a season high 13 rebounds at San Jose State on February 4th. Fun Facts: Diawara is left-handed but shoots with her right hand. She also speaks three languages: English, French and Bambara. 

Morelia Chavez

Chavez came to Fresno State after spending two seasons with Eastern Arizona College before transferring to Florida State for her junior season. The Michoacan, Mexico native is averaging 3.3 PPG and 1.9 RPG while playing in 24 games (10.6 MPG) this season. 
Chavez has scored in double figures in three of her last six games, including a 13-point, 7-rebound performance in a win at San Jose State on February 4th. Fun Facts: Like Köehne and Diawara, “Momo” speaks multiple languages, Spanish and English.

Story written by Al Scott, cover photo courtesy of Ryan Sepulveda.

Feb 23
0

Bulldogs slam the series shut on Pepperdine

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It was a quiet and peaceful day in Fresno, at least until the Diamond Dogs stood in the batters box this afternoon. Fresno State (4-3) scored 11 runs on 12 hits Monday to defeat Pepperdine 11-3 and take the series victory over the Waves. 

Zach Plasschaert supplied all the runs the Bulldogs needed in the first inning with a grand slam. Buchanan Bear alumni Jett Ruby, Austin Young and Parker Heintz made significant contributions as well. Head Coach Ryan Overland spoke after the game on the offensive depth in his lineup.  

“Even with missing some big pieces, still production one through nine, which you’ll need if you’re gonna score runs,” Overland said.

Key players

Parker Heintz: 3 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, K, 37 P (24 S)

Zach Plasschaert: 1-for-5, R, HR, 4 RBI

Austin Young: 1-for-3, 3 RBI, BB

Jett Ruby: 2-for-5, R, 2 RBI

What happened 

The Bulldogs had as good of a start as they could have asked for on Monday night. After a scoreless first inning from lefty Parker Heintz, Brady Hewitt and Jett Ruby got on with a pair of singles. Griffen Sotomayor then walked to load the bases for Zach Plasschaert, who lofted a ball right over the right-center field fence for the second grand slam in as many days for the Diamond Dogs. 

With one out in the second, Barclay Ovalle blooped a single into shallow left. Hewitt followed with a double to left before they scored on a two-run single up the middle from Ruby. 

Heintz was superb in his first career start. The freshman allowed just one hit over three scoreless frames. His battery mate, Austin Young, delivered a two-run single of his own to extend the Diamond Dogs lead to 8-0. 

“He attacked the strike zone, kept their hitters off balance, and gave us three innings to start a Monday game, which is kind of a midweek game, and both teams kind of deep into their bullpen,” Overland said.

Following a scoreless frame from right hander Jordan Haver, the Bulldogs went to Moose Cuellar in the fifth. The lefty walked two and allowed a single to load the bases before Overland made a switch with one out to Doug Crystal. Waves three-hole hitter Daniel Patterson slapped a single to center to bring in a pair of runs. 

The ‘Dogs extended their lead to 9-2 in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly from Young, scoring Marcus Nolen who doubled. The Waves got the run back in the top of the eighth. Johnny Backus pinch hit and rocketed a ball to center, just over the head of Collins. Backus made it all the way to third before scoring on a throwing error from Fresno State pitcher Will Page-Allen. Excluding the error, Page-Allen was nearly perfect, striking out five and allowing just the one unearned run. 

Fresno State added on two insurance runs in the eighth, including an RBI triple from Mikey Boyd. BJ Rodriguez closed the 9th with a scoreless inning as the ‘Dogs won 11-3. 

Injury report

3B/LF Cam Schneider – day-to-day

INF Owen Faust (nose) — day-to-day

RHP Jake Riding (arm) – no timetable 

1B Cayden Munster (hand) – no timetable

SS Lee Trevino (ACL) – out for season

What’s next

The Bulldogs head north for a three game series at Stanford next weekend, beginning with a 2:05 matchup on Friday, February 27. The Cardinal are 4-4 on the year following a series split against Cal State Fullerton. 

Fresno State will return home for a midweek matchup against Sacramento State on Tuesday, March 3 at 6:05 p.m. before a weekend set at Arizona, March 6-8. 

“A great environment historically, really good programs on the West Coast, to play in that atmosphere and against obviously the cream of the crop to go to Stanford. So we’ll get to see some really good pitching, for sure. I think to this point, we’ve done a really good job hitting with two strikes, and that’s going to be an even bigger challenge here, especially the next two weekends,” Overland said.

Recap written by Al Scott, cover photo courtesy of Ryan Sepulveda. 

Feb 21
0

Potential upset slips out of Dogs paws in 80-78 loss

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Despite holding a 22 point lead in the first half, the Fresno State men’s basketball team (12-14, 6-9 in MW) let it slip away to the University of New Mexico (20-6, 11-4 in MW) in a 80-78 loss on Feb. 21 at the Save Mart Center.

Head coach Vance Walberg felt that mistakes that snowballed into the final minutes of the game was what led to the loss.

“We had some goofy plays along the end, we had some bad turnovers that go to live ball bucket—those are the things we got to clean up,” Walberg said in a post-game press conference.

Walberg also provided an update on guard D.J. Stickman, who left last game against the University of Wyoming with what was confirmed to be an ACL injury and will have surgery next week.

That leaves the Bulldogs without guards Stickman and David Douglas Jr. (knee fracture) for the rest of the season.

With roster availability dwindling, Walberg noted the lack of depth on the roster.

“We got to play picture perfect, and we don’t have enough talent right now to make some of the mistakes we made,” Walberg said in a post-game press conference. “I feel bad for them, because they put their heart out—they’re such good kids and they work their tail off.”

Despite the loss, the Bulldogs saw good production from forward Deshawn Gory, guard Jake Heidbreder, and center Wilson Jacque—who recorded another double-double and even extended his shooting to the mid-range area throughout the game. 

Key players

Deshawn Gory (FS): 21 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal

Jake Heidbreder (FS): 22 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists 3 steals

Wilson Jacques (FS): 16 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist

Deyton Albury (UNM): 21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals

Jake Hall (UNM): 20 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 steal

What happened

The Bulldogs opened the game hot on offense, starting the game on a 9-0 run, kickstarted by the activity on the defensive boards which spurred high paced offense. However, Lobos guard Jake Hall—who is 44.3% from beyond-the-arc— would put a stop to the run following a three-pointer. 

Despite that, the Bulldogs continued to crash the boards and move the ball to jump out to a 26-10 lead midway through the first half, with six players contributing to the scoring column—forward Deshawn Gory and guard Jake Heidbreder lead the offense with eight points a piece.

For the remainder of the first half, the Bulldogs cooled down on both ends of the floor, as the Lobos chipped at the large deficit. Led by Hall and his efficient offense, the Lobos were to get within 10 points of the Bulldogs, but the ‘Dogs’ offense was able to keep them afloat for the 44-32 point cushion heading into halftime.

After one half, Jake Heidbreder led all scorers with 13 points on an efficient 4-5 from the field, 3-4 from three-point range, and 2-2 from the free-throw line— Hall was a close second, with 12 points as both players are already on track to surpass their season averages (17.5 ppg and 15.8 ppg respectively).

The Bulldogs opened the second half flat footed on defense, allowing the guard trio of Deyton Albury, Luke Haupt, and Antionio Chol to combine for 11 points on 4-7 (57.14%) shooting from the field to trim the ‘Dogs’ lead to 54-50—with the lone second half scorer being Gory, who claimed seven points.

Following that, the same Lobo scoring trio continued to put points on the board—even holding a brief lead over the Bulldogs—however, center Wilson Jacques would get the ‘Dogs over the scoring hump as he pitched in eight points to Gory’s 11 to put the ‘Dogs up 66-65 with seven minutes left to play. 

To close out the game, both teams traded the lead, however the late game heroics of Hapt would help the Lobos pull away and eventually take the 80-78 win as the second half performance from Gory and Jacques wasn’t enough to keep the Bulldogs in the game.

What’s next

The Bulldogs take a short road trip to Colorado State University (16-10) to take on the Rams, who are 7-8 in conference play and two spots above the ‘Dogs in the Mountain West (MW) standings, on Feb. 28 at 4:30 p.m. This matchup marks the second meeting between the two teams this season, with the ‘Dogs coming out on top in a 79-69 win on Jan. 13.

Following the Broncos, the Bulldogs host two home games. The first contest is against Boise State University (15-11, 7-8 in MW) on March 3 at 6 p.m. The final home game of the season is against San Jose State University (7-19, 2-13 in MW) on March 7 at 5 p.m. 

This final stretch of the season is important for the Bulldogs as they look to stack up wins for better tournament seeding with the Mountain West Basketball Tournament, which is steadily approaching.

Recap written by and cover photo courtesy of Vincent Ordonio (FSM).