“Being in California means that the Red Wave can come watch some more Fresno State baseball.”
——————————–
By Al Scott
For the 37th time in program history and the second straight season, the Diamond ‘Dogs are headed to the NCAA tournament.
Following them winning the Mountain West Conference, the Fresno State Bulldogs have received a spot in the Los Angeles Regional, along with Arizona State (35-22), #23 UC Irvine (41-15) and host #13 UCLA (42-16).
Fresno State, under Head Coach Ryan Overland, will begin the tournament on Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. against the Bruins at Jackie Robinson Stadium. All games will be available on ESPN+.
Murf Mania
After winning Co-Player of the Year during the regular season, Murf Gray was named Mountain West Tournament MVP for the second straight year.
Gray hit .330 with a team-leading 18 HR, 73 RBI and a 1.063 OPS on the season. His big time ability to come through when it matters most was very apparent on Friday night versus Nevada. Not only did he deliver the go-ahead three-run double in the top of the 14th inning. His defensive prowess in the 9th inning may have saved the Bulldogs season. For Gray, it’s all mental.
“The more comfortable you are, the more fluid you are, the better you’re gonna finish the play,” Gray said.
The star third baseman added that assistant coach Richie Price has been crucial to his defensive development since coming to Fresno State.
Gray was particularly happy about their location for the regional.
“You hope to end up anywhere, as long as you’re playing baseball. But being in California means that the Red Wave can come watch some more Fresno State baseball, “Gray said.
Dueling arms
Jack Anker and Aidan Cremarosa very well could be pitching professionally in a few months, but for now, their focus will be trying to take the Bulldogs to another weekend.
They are the first pair of Bulldog teammates since Doug Fister and Andy Underwood in 2006 to strike out over 100 batters in a single season.
Anker, along with Cremarosa, were both named to the 1st team All-Mountain West after an excellent season. The Bulldog ace went 9-4 with a 5.72 ERA and a conference leading 107 strikeouts in 91.1 innings pitched. He even gave the Bulldogs eight innings on Thursday against San Jose State despite being ill.
Cremaosa earned Mountain West Pitcher of the Year in his first season as a starter. He went 6-5 on the season with a 4.13 ERA and 105 strikeouts over 89.1 innings. The right-hander grew up not too far away from UCLA, in Burbank.
“I think they understand the moment and understand how to play at a really high level,” Overland said. “I know what’s in those two guys’ hearts and I’m glad they’re on our team.”
If Anker and Cremarosa can each give the Bulldogs seven plus innings, they will stand a fighting chance.
The competition
The Bruins come into the tournament as the 15th overall seed (1st in the Los Angeles regional) after winning the Big-10 during the regular season, before falling to Nebraska in its conference tournament. They are led by longtime Head Coach John Savage who is making his 14th NCAA Tournament appearance since taking over for the Bruins.
Sophomore infielder Roch Cholowosky (.369, 23 HR, 69 RBI) was recently named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award. He was also named conference player and defensive player of the year for the Big-10. Sophomore first baseman Mulivai Levu (.316, 11 HR, 74 RBI) is a dangerous bat as well.
Pitching wise, junior righty Michael Barnett (11-1, 4.18 ERA, 70 K’s) is one of the best arms on the entire west coast. He is expected to face the Bulldogs on Friday afternoon.
Arizona State comes into the tournament as one of the better offensive teams in the country, slashing .318/.408/.527 as a team. As a unit, they had eight different qualified hitters with an OPS above .850, including shortstop Matt King. The UTSA transfer won Big-12 Newcomer of the Year after hitting .405 with 7 HR and 54 RBI this season to lead the Sun Devils offense.
Jack Martinez (6-3, 4.76 ERA, 108 K’s) and former UCLA lefty Ben Jacobs (3-3, 5.03 ERA, 114 K’s) headlines a rocky, yet talented pitching staff for the Sun Devils.
UC Irvine is one of the more complete teams, not only on the west coast, but in the entire country. The Anteaters lost to Cal Poly during the Big West tourney but still find themselves as the two seed in this regional thanks to a strong regular season.
Shortstop Colin Yeaman (13 HR, 1.065 OPS) and outfielders Jacob McCombs (11 HR, 1.070 OPS) and Chase Call (1.042 OPS) are all extremely potent hitters. As a team, the Anteaters slashed .301/.418/.476.
Right handed starter Tevor Hansen (9-2, 3.24 ERA, 87 K’) and lefty Ricky Ojeda (3.63 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 27 GP) lead a strong pitching staff.
The Anteaters went 7-5 in Quad I games this season and should definitely be considered a darkhorse to make a deep run in this tournament if they can advance past this regional.
“There’s four historic baseball programs in this tournament, and for us to all face each other in California, it’s gonna be pretty special,” second baseman Eddie Saldivar said.
Replacing Sky Collins
Bulldog center fielder Sky Collins left Saturday’s championship win during the seventh inning after breaking his left ankle.
“That was about as tough a situation on the field as maybe I’ve ever been through,” Overland said.
The Buchanan High School alum had surgery this week and will be in attendance this weekend to support his team.
Playing is another story. There will be quite a recovery process but Collins does have one more year of eligibility.
As for the rest of the season, replacing Collins won’t be easy. He hit .288 on the season with six HR and 10 stolen bases, serving as a perfect number nine hole hitter, able to turn the lineup over. Where his team will miss him the most is his defense.
“The Earth is what, 70% water? The rest is Sky Collins,” Gray said. “He covers everything out there, man. He tracks it down. His speed on the bases, his speed in the outfield, everything he does for us with the bat, dropping down bunts, getting those clutch hits.”
Overland didn’t name his replacement but it is possible right fielder Bobby Blandford slides over to center. Two-way player BJ Rodriguez is also an option. The lefty played the final two innings on Saturday following Collins’ departure from the game.
The X-factor
Gray, Anker, Cremarosa and even catcher Justin Stransky will receive a lot of attention for their success and accolades this season. But if there was one singular under-the-radar difference maker this season, it would have to be Lee Trevino.
The shortstop led the Bulldogs with a .368 batting average this season but has really turned it on the last couple of weeks. In his last eight games, Trevino is 18-for-34 with a HR and 13 RBI. He has only struck out twice during that stretch of play.
What to expect
The Bulldogs are definitely underdogs in this tournament, but it would not be a surprise to see them win a game or two, if not the whole regional.
“Fresno brings that sort of scrappiness, that vibe, to where you gotta go finish,” Gray said. “We’re good at digging deep, we’re good at playing with heart and we’re good at playing as hard as we want.”
Overland added that the chemistry of his team, with many of them having grown up playing together, has been crucial to their success and ability to bounce back.
“Every team’s got to create their own way to do it. I will say this team is extremely close. They’ve got some bonds that run really deep and they truly do play for each other and for the team,” Overland said.
For more coverage of the tournament, follow @AlScott1998 on Twitter/X or @FresnoSportsMag on Twitter/X.