Juan Villa / The Collegian

After such a poor start, it was getting easy to doubt the Fresno State baseball team.

But after taking 2-of-3 from then No. 16 San Diego, maybe things were not as bad as it would have appeared.

Consistency has been the big killer for the Bulldogs this year, as they have rarely been able to combine the three areas of importance (pitching, hitting and defense) all together in a single game.

However, of late, the Bulldogs have began to incorporate all three of those qualities into their games, and it has paid off.

With a pitching staff so inexperienced at the Division I level, it seems like a lot to ask for ‘A’ quality performances, but if the Bulldogs are to win, they’ll need to pitch effectively.

In the Bulldogs lone loss to the No. 16 Toreros, they walked 12 batters. The bats could also use a bit more of a pick-me-up.

1. Erik Wetzel (2B): Move to leadoff spot may have sparked offense

2. Loren Storey (LF): A perfect hitter for either the No.1 or No.2 slot

3. Todd Sandell (SS): Not as good defensively as David Hernandez, but keeping him in the lineup for his bat is the right move

4. Steve Susdorf (DH): Leads the team in RBIs (19) and batting average (.349)

5. Ozzie Lewis (RF): Teams are finding his weakness on the inner half of the plate

6. Brian Lapin (CF): Still a mystery as to why a guy with his size (6’6″, 225 lbs.) hits for no power

7. Tom Mendonca (3B): Hot start beginning to cool off; defense remains steady

8. Jason Hershfield (1B): Not guaranteed to start after struggles at the plate

9. Danny Grubb (C): Pitching staff improving under his care