Matt Weir / The Collegian
Spring training begins in preparation for the season ahead
Bulldog baseball will not take the diamond against Nebraska for almost another three weeks, but practice is now under way in preparation for the much anticipated home opener.
Head coach Mike Batesole’s 2010 squad began spring training Friday and competed in two live scrimmages over the weekend at Pete Beiden Field.
Saturday’s scrimmage and practice lasted nearly three hours and also marked the first media day. The afternoon mostly showcased sophomore Tom Harlan and junior Gene Escat on the mound, with senior Zac Bischoff filling in late.
Excitement was definitely in the air among the players. With a lot of shouts of encouragement and communication, the Bulldogs look like a confident unit early on.
The Bulldogs boast a top-40 national ranking in the Collegiate Baseball Fabulous 40 preseason poll, the only team in the WAC listed among the nations preseason elite.
Matt Weir / The Collegian
Some concern entering the initial days of practice may be the age and experience of Batesole’s team. Leaders such as Tom Mendonca, Alan Ahmady and Holden Sprague are now out of Fresno State uniforms. And with only five seniors on the 32—man squad, the 11 newcomers and returners such as Danny Muno and Dusty Robinson should expect to play a prominent role in the ‘Dogs pursuit of a third straight WAC championship.
“Obviously, losing Tommy [Mendonca] is going to be a tough spot to replace,” Batesole said. “We’ve brought in a couple guys and each one picks up a little bit of the slack. We have a chance to throw them out there. If the guys returning all get a little bit better, then I think we can handle it.”
Over the course of the initial three days, Batesole was especially pleased with the performance of his pitching staff. Josh Poytress and Taylor Garrison saw the bulk of the pitching time during Sunday’s scrimmage, giving the ‘Dogs plenty of security on the mound.
“The good news is we get to stretch some of our pitchers out,” Batesole said. “We’ve been working hard. We have them in some bullpens, up to 30 or 40 pitches depending on the guy, and the last couple days we’ve been able to stretch some guys out to 60 and 70 pitches. That means by opening day we should have our starters ready to roll.”
Opening day features the premier of Fresno State’s tough schedule against opponents from quality conferences this season. Big 12 foe Nebraska comes in on Feb. 19 for the first game in the four-game series. Batesole, however, sees the vigorous schedule as an opportunity for improvement rather than a road block.
“It’s an excellent schedule,” Batesole said. “We have 21 preseason games against Big 12, Big West and Pac 10 opponents that will definitely have us ready for WAC play.