WAC NOTES

FRESNO STATE’S WISE AND HAWAI‘I’S SISTO NAMED VERIZON WAC BASEBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Fresno State designated hitter Kenneth Wise and Hawai‘i pitcher Matt Sisto have been named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Baseball Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for April 30 – May 6.

Wise, a senior from Camarillo, Calif. (Camarillo HS), hit .714 (10-for-14) with three runs scored, a double, a home run, seven RBI and four walks as the Bulldogs went 3-1 on the week with a win over UC Davis and two wins over Sacramento State. Wise went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI in an 11-4 non-conference win over UC Davis. He went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a double, two RBI and a pair of walks as the Bulldogs took game two from the Hornets 10-6. In the series finale against Sacramento State, Wise went 2-for-4 at the plate with one run and one RBI as Fresno State defeated the Hornets 8-6. Wise had a 1.000 slugging percentage and a .737 on base percentage over the four games.

Sisto, a senior from Anaheim, Calif. (Cypress HS), pitched seven innings in a 5-3 win over New Mexico State. Sisto foiled the Aggie order for much of the game, working seven complete innings while allowing one run on five hits with four strikeouts. He picked up his league-best eighth win of the season.

The other hitter of the week nominations: Hawai‘i senior right fielder Zack Swasey … Louisiana Tech junior third baseman Taylor Terrasas … Nevada freshman first baseman Kewby Myer … Sacramento State junior infielder Andrew Ayers.

The other pitcher of the week nominations: Fresno State junior Justin Haley … Louisiana Tech freshman Phil Maton … Nevada sophomore Bradey Shipley.

HAWAI‘I AND NEW MEXICO STATE RECEIVING VOTES IN NATIONAL POLL
After being swept at the hands of Hawai’i over the weekend NM State enters its second consecutive week without a top 25 ranking. However, the Aggies are still receiving a vote in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll. With Hawai‘i’s sweep over the Aggies last week, UH received four votes in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll.

WAC TEAMS AMONG NATIONAL STAT LEADERS
Teams from the WAC rank in the top-10 nationally in 16 different statistical team categories. Individually, WAC players rank in the top-10 in four categories. As a team, New Mexico State leads the nation in walks with 288. Sacramento State leads the nation in fielding percentage at .981. Individually, New Mexico State’s Tanner Waite leads the nation with 56 walks this season. He also rank first nationally in walks per game at 1.19.

WAC RPI REMAINS AT NO. 9 THIS WEEK
According to WarrenNolan.com, the WAC’s league RPI comes in a No. 9 this week, the same as last week. The WAC is sandwiched between the Southern Conference at No. 8 and the Atlantic Sun Conference at No. 10. New Mexico State holds the WAC’s highest team RPI at No. 30. The WAC currently has three teams with 75 or better RPI ratings.

2012 WAC TOURNAMENT RETURNS TO MESA’S HOHOKAM STADIUM
After succesful 2010 and 2011 tournaments, the WAC baseball tournament will return to Mesa, Arizona this May. The event will be played at Mesa’s Hohokam Stadium, the Chicago Cubs Spring Training home. The City of Mesa, Mesa Convention & Visitors Bureau and Phoenix Regional Sports Commission worked in tandem to secure the event for a third-straight season, which features Hawai‘i, Fresno State, Louisiana Tech, Sacramento State, Nevada, New Mexico State and San Jose State. The City of Mesa will once again host the double-elimination tournament with the winner earning the WAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The top six teams from the WAC’s regular season standings will advance to the tournament. The WAC Baseball Tournament is no stranger to the state of Arizona and the City of Mesa. The league’s championship has been played in Arizona 11 times (1963, 65, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 76, 78, 2010 and 2011) and the event was held in Mesa in 1971, 1973, 2010 and 2011.

WAC COACHES SETTING MILESTONE VICTORY MARKS
The WAC hosts some of the most successful coaches in NCAA history. San Jose State head coach Sam Piraro won his 800th game this past weekend. He becomes one of only 28 active head baseball coaches with 800 or more wins. Piraro is in his 25th season with San Jose State. Nevada head coach Gary Powers becomes one of only 21 acrive head baseball coaches with 900 or more victories as he picked up win No. 900 on April 17. Powers is in his 30th season with Nevada. Fresno State head coach Mike Batesole picked up his 600th career victory on April 17. Batesole is in his 17th season as a head coach.

SJSU’S PIRARO PICKS UP 800TH CAREER VICTORY
The April 14th doubleheader sweep of Fresno State brought numerous milestones to the San Jose State baseball team, though none bigger than Head Coach Sam Piraro’s 800th career victory. San Jose State defeated Fresno State 4-0 in the first game of the doubleheader, then beat them 4-3 in the nightcap. Piraro becomes the 28th active head coach in NCAA Division I baseball to earn his 800th career win, and the third this season, following Southern University (La.)’s Roger Cador and North Carolina State University’s Elliot Avent.

NEVADA’S POWERS WINS 900TH CAREER GAME
Nevada’s 10-5 victory over San Francisco on April 17 was the 900th for Wolf Pack head coach Gary Powers.  All of Powers 900 wins have come in his 30 seasons directing the Nevada baseball program.  His 900 victories ranks 21st among active NCAA I coaches.

FRESNO STATE’S BATESOLE TALLIES 600TH CAREER WIN
Down to its final three outs and trailing by two, the resilience of the Fresno State baseball team powered the Bulldogs to a thrilling 5-3 comeback road victory over the Cal Poly Mustangs on April 17 for head coach Mike Batesole’s 600th career win.

WAC TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTES

Fresno State Bulldogs (21-23, 4-8 WAC)
Fresno State went 3-1 last week ... the Bulldogs opened the week with an 11-4 win against UC Davis at home ... the team then won two of three games at home against Sacramento State ... the Bulldogs dropped game one to the Hornets, 9-7 before winning the final two games by scores of 10-6 and 8-6 ... Kenneth Wise was named the WAC’s Hitter of the Week after batting .714 with 10 hits, three runs scored, one double, one home run, seven RBI and four walks over the four games ... Trent Garrison  hit .429 with a team-best eight RBI on the week ... Garrison also had five runs, six hits, one double, one home run and four walks ... this week, Fresno State travels to play New Mexico State in a three-game series that starts on Thursday.

Hawai‘i Rainbows (28-18, 8-4 WAC)
Hawai‘i went 3-0 last week as it swept New Mexico State in a three-game series at home by scores of 5-2, 14-2 and 1-0 ... Zack Swasey led the Rainbows at the plate, batting .545 with six hits, three runs and a pair of RBI ... Collin Bennett hit .500 with five runs, two RBI and two walks ... Matt Sisto was named the WAC’s Pitcher of the Week after going 7.0 innings in the 5-2 win over NM State ... Sisto gave up only one run and five hits while striking out four ... Jarrett Arakawa was also impressive in his appearance on the mound, pitching 7.0 innings, giving up only two runs with nine strikeouts ... Hawai‘i travels to play Sacramento State in a three-game WAC series that starts on Friday.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (23-23, 6-9 WAC)
Louisiana Tech went a perfect 3-0 last week, sweeping San Jose Statte at home in a three-game set ... the Bulldogs took down the Spartans by scores of 4-3, 10-5 and 4-1 ... Ryan Gebhardt led the team at the plate with a .556 batting average ... Gebhard tallied five hits, three runs, on RBI and three walks ... Taylor Terrasas hit .500 with five hits, five runs, one home run and four RBI ... Bre’shon Kimbell led Tech with five RBI on the week ... Jamie Gilley made two appearances on the mound for the Bulldogs last week, pitching four shutout innings with eight strikeouts, a save and a win ... Trevor Petersen and Phil Maton each pitched 7.0 innings on the week with each giving up only one earned run and victory ... Tech plays at Northwestern State on Wednesday.

Nevada Wolf Pack (27-21, 7-5 WAC)
Nevada went 2-2 last week in non-conference play ... the Wolf Pack defeated Saint Mary’s 6-5 to open the week ... the team then dropped the first two games of a three-game series at Seattle U by scores of 2-1 and 4-1 before winning the series finale 8-5 ... Kewby Meyer hit .429 with six hits, two runs scored, one double, two RBI and a walk over the four games ... Jay Anderson also hit .429 with six hits, two runs, two walks and an RBI ... Braden Shipley had an impressive performance on the mound, pitching 6.0 innings with four strikeouts ... Shipley gave up only one earned run ... Nevada opened this week with a 9-8 win over UC Davis ... the Pack now returns to conference play when it hosts San Jose State for a three-game set starting on Friday.

New Mexico State Aggies (30-17, 7-5 WAC)
New Mexico State went 0-4 last week ... the team dropped a 12-7 decision at home against Texas Tech to open the week ... NM State then dropped three games at Hawai‘i in a WAC series by scores of 14-2, 5-2 and 1-0 ... Bryan Karraker led the Aggies at the plate during the four games batting .333 with four hits, two runs scored, one home run, two RBI and three walks ... Tanner Waite hit .300 with three hits, one run and four walks on the week ... Michael Ormseth pitched 9.0 innings in a pair of outing last week, giving up only one run while striking out seven and giving up only five hits ... this week, New Mexico State looks to get back on track as the team returns home to host Fresno State in a three-game conference series.

Sacramento State Hornets (26-23, 8-7 WAC)
Sacramento State went 1-3 last week ... the team opened the week with a 10-1 loss at home against San Francisco ... the Hornets then went 1-2 in a three-game series at Fresno State ... Sacramento State won the first game of the series 9-7 before dropping the final two games by scores of 10-6 and 8-6 ... Andrew Ayers led the Hornets at the plate batting .389 with seven hits, four runs scored, two doubles, one home run, four RBI and two walks ... Justin Higley hit a home run and tallied five RBI and three runs over the four games ... Sacramento State opened this week with a 2-1 win over Saint Mary’s at home ... the team now hosts Hawai‘i in a three-game conference series starting on Friday.

San Jose State Spartans (21-22, 5-7 WAC)
The Spartans went 1-3 last week ... the team opened the week with an 8-5 win at home over seventh-ranked Stanford ... the team then traveled to Ruston where it dropped all three games of a three-game set at Louisiana Tech ... the Spartans dropped the three games by scores of 4-3, 10-5 and 4-1 ... Kyle Gallegos led the Spartans at the plate batting .417 with five hits, one run scored, one double and a walk ... Michael Gerlach hit .400 with six hits, one runs scored and three RBI ... Jacob Valdez hit .375 over the four games with four runs scored, one home run, one RBI and one walk ... this week, San Jose State continues road play at Nevada for a three-game series that starts on Friday.