To open up the 100th season for the Fresno State men’s baseball team, the ‘Dogs hosted the UC Riverside Highlanders for a three-game opening weekend series at Bob Bennett Stadium.

The Diamond Dogs’ edged out the Highlanders 5-3 in a close battle to take their first victory of the 2021-2022 season, making it the 14th straight season they have won their season opener.

Head Coach Mike Batesole talked about a good start to the 100th year of baseball and how the team picked each other up.

“Yeah, that’s what championships are made out of man — everybody picking each other up and it will be somebody else tomorrow — every championship team you have probably ever heard of, they say it’s a different guy every week or every day it’s a different guy, right?” Batesole said. “So we will see if we ever get there this year, but that’s what I’m looking for.”­­

In the first game of the opening series, the Highlanders took the lead first on a sacrifice fly in the top of the second inning. That wouldn’t last long as the Dogs’ struck right back on newcomer Travis Welker’s two RBI single,  scoring redshirt seniors Vinny Bologna and Nate Thimjon to take a 2-1 lead.

The bottom of the seventh was where the Bulldogs took control of the game after being down 3-2. Welker singled up the middle to start it off and then redshirt senior Josh Lauck ripped a triple to center scoring Welker making it 3-3. Junior Andrew Kachel walked, and Lauck then came around to score when catcher Zach Morgan struck out swinging, Kachel stole second on the play and came around to score on a UCR error making it 5-3.

Junior Jake Dixon got the start and went 4.2 innings striking out six batters while giving up two runs and only one earned in a no decision.

A trio of relief pitchers Trevor Gracia, Robbie Peters and Statzer came in and shut down the bats of the Highlanders, not allowing a run in the win.

Peters got the first win of the season in his relief role and Statzer got the first save of the season for the Bulldogs. 

“They came in and pumped strikes and that’s what you want from your bullpen is to just come in and throw strikes and make them beat you, just don’t lose the game,” Batesole said.

In his Bulldog debut, shortstop Travis Welker went 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI’s. 

Batesole talked about what he loved when Welker got his first hit as a Bulldog.

“Yeah you know what I loved about that was as soon as he hit that ball about six guys in the dugout said ‘thats your runswick’ for putting down the bunt. I love that stuff. That’s good team baseball, but yeah good for him. That was the biggest hit of the game I think,” Batesole said. 

In their second game of the series on Saturday, the Bulldogs offensive power was on full display. Barreling three homers, nine extra-base hits and enjoying an 11-run third inning that helped fuel the Dogs’ to a 17-2 rout over the Highlanders in game two of the weekend series.

The Bulldogs started off the scoring with an 11-run third inning beginning with Morgan’s double to left, scoring Kachel for the first run of the long inning, Morgan would come around to score on a wild pitch. With the bases loaded, junior Peyton Allen singled to right scoring Ivan Luna, then back-to-back-to-back walks scored three runs making it 7-0. 

Morgan would then hit a two RBI single down the right side scoring Lauck and Welker who reached on walks. Then in Luna’s second at bat of the third, he crushed a three-run homer over the right field wall, scoring Kachel and Morgan and making it 12-0 in just the third inning.

The rest of the way was quiet for both sides until the seventh when UC Riverside got on the board on a two-run homer by right fielder Dylan Orick, scoring Ely Stuart and making it 13-2.

A four run inning by the ‘Dogs in the bottom of the eighth would put it out of reach in the blowout win. 

Morgan led the way with a 4-for-5 performance smacking three doubles, driving in four RBI’s and scoring a pair of runs.

Sophomore starter Ixan Henderson was spectacular in his season debut and picked up the win going five innings strong with a whopping 12 strikeouts, one walk and allowing four hits and no runs.

In their last game of the series on Sunday afternoon, the Bulldogs completed the opening weekend series sweep of the Highlanders, winning 5-1.

Fresno State continued its strong start offensively finishing with 10 hits as a team, giving them 33 total hits and 27 runs in the series. 

UC Riverside started off scoring its lone run of the game in the top of the first on a two-out RBI single by Anthony Mata.

The Dogs’ answered right back with a run of their own off the bat of Luna on an RBI single to center scoring Lauck to tie it up at 1.

Then the Bulldogs took the lead with two runs in the third thanks to an RBI single up the middle, with Allen scoring Grotto and Welker, later reaching on a fielder’s choice and scoring Bologna to make  it 3-1.

The big hit of the day came in the bottom of the fifth when Thimjon cranked a homer over the right field wall making it 4-1.

Grotto would add an RBI single to score Luna in the bottom of the sixth and that was all the Dog’s would need in the 4 run victory.  

Redshirt senior Nikoh Mitchell got his first start on the mound since 2019 and went two innings giving up an earned run and two walks, adding two strikeouts as well. 

Sophomore Tommy Hopfe got the win in relief of Mitchell for the ‘Dogs,with Kyle Prushmeier following with three perfect innings. In his Bulldog debut, Roman Angelo closed out the game with a clean final two innings.

The 3-0 Diamond ‘Dogs will be on the road at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for a one-game series on Tuesday, Feb. 22. First pitch is currently scheduled for 6 p.m.