'Dogs running on all cylinders
Hitting, pitching and fielding all clicking for the Bulldogs as they enter WAC play
Andrew Riggs / The Collegian
The Bulldogs’ Friday night starter, Doug Fister, is the owner of a 3.00 ERA. Fister also ranks second in the Western Athletic Conference in strikeouts with 52. Fister will take the mound for Fresno State in Friday’s game against Sacramento State. Below: Being named an all-tournament team catcher capped off the best week ever in a Bulldog uniform for Frank LoNigro. LoNigro is hitting .304 with 2 home runs.
Ryan Tubongbanua / The Collegian
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By Darrell Copeland III
The Collegian
If the Fresno State baseball team were an automobile, auto shop’s would be in rough shape.
The Bulldogs (19-8) have a 12-game winning streak entering Friday, the longest for the program in 10 years. Newcomer to the Western Athletic Conference, Sacramento State (11-15), will make its conference debut tonight when it visits Beiden Field.
Fresno State senior ace Doug Fister will welcome the Hornets properly when he brings his 3.00 earned run average and 52 strikeouts to the table. Fister’s 52 strikeouts currently rank second in the WAC.
“Numbers really don’t matter to me,” Fister said.
That couldn’t be truer after Fister passed up an opportunity to play in the New York Yankees organization when he was drafted in the sixth round after the 2005 season.
Fister’s battery mate, catcher Frank LoNigro, is also on his game after being named to the Pepsi/Johnny Quik Classic All-tournament team.
“It’s something that is safe to say,” LoNigro said.
Even with his Bulldogs seemingly at their peak, head coach Mike Batesole is still wary of the danger that any team poses, let alone the Hornets.
“I know they can beat anybody on any day,” Batesole said.
But the Bulldogs’ recipe for winning has been unbeatable of late, especially after a 6-0 week in the Pepsi/Johnny Quik Classic.
“We’ve attacked every game like it’s the last one and that’s what we’re going to do [tonight],” Batesole said.
And with the spring weather finally making an appearance, Batesole expects Fresno State baseball fans to show up in full force.
“I expect we’re gonna have some good crowds this weekend,” Batesole said.
Fans have been a factor in multiple games for the Bulldogs this season, Batesole said, and he wants that to be the case against the Hornets this weekend.
“We need them to be a big factor for us,” Batesole said.
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