Two-time All-WAC selection Dusty Robinson suspended for September DUI incident

Brianna Cambell/Collegian File Photo

Baseball season is a mere days away, and head coach Mike Batesole’s team will be without one of its premier players in two full series.

Outfielder and Bulldog slugger Dusty Robinson will serve a five-game suspension to open the 2011 season for an incident that occurred in September of last year.

Just two days after turning 21 years old, Robinson was cited for driving under the influence near the Fresno State campus.

The junior’s blood alcohol concentration level was nearly twice the legal limit for a 21-year-old at 0.14.

After serving less than a week of jail time, Robinson was released but had a hearing in front of Fresno State’s athletic code of conduct committee. Originally, there was no announcement of punishment for Robinson, which drew some scrutiny to the baseball program.

But this past weekend the announcement was made that Robinson would be forced to sit through the home-opening series against Gonzaga, as well as the home series with 2006 and 2007 College World Series champion Oregon State.

Robinson will also sit the first game in a three-game home series with Pepperdine. He will be eligible to play his first game on Feb. 26 against the Waves.

The Bakersfield product is expected to be a key component in Fresno State’s quest to avenge last season’s disappointing snub of the national tournament. The Bulldogs fell in the WAC championship game to Hawaii, missing out on the NCAA Tournament automatic qualifying bid.

But Robinson, along with the 21 other leftovers from last year’s roster, have a daunting schedule and their eyes set on Fresno State’s eighth regular-season WAC title. The Bulldogs were picked to win this year’s conference championship in the preseason coach’s poll.

Robinson, meanwhile, is a preseason All-WAC selection after garnering All-Conference honors in his first two seasons in a Bulldog uniform. Robinson had 74 hits and drove in 60 runs last year to go along with 16 home runs while hitting .308 from the plate. Altogether, Robinson already has 31 career home runs.

His freshman season, Robinson was named to the 2009 Louisville Slugger freshman All-American team. The junior has started 115 of Fresno State’s 125 games the past two seasons, including all 63 games last year.

Robinson is still eligible to play in the annual alumni game to kickoff the 2011 season, which will be held on Feb. 12 at Beiden Field.
Robinson is not the only Fresno State athlete in recent memory to have run-ins with the law concerning alcohol-related arrests. In 2006, Fresno State football player Jason Shirley ran his car into an apartment complex while driving intoxicated.

Shirley was later dismissed from the football team.

Neither Robinson nor Batesole were immediately available for contact.