USF Stays Home This Week; Hosting Fresno State On Tuesday, Fairleigh Dickinson For A Weekend Set :: Dons Go 2-3 in Week Four, Prepare for First Home Series.

March 17, 2008

DONS HOST FRESNO STATE ON TUESDAY AND PLAY FIRST HOME SERIES OF 2008 VERSUS FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON THURSDAY-SATURDAY: USF meets Fresno State for the first time in 2008 on Tuesday at Benedetti Diamond. First pitch is set for 2:00 PM. This weekend, USF will play its first home series of the year, hosting Fairleigh Dickinson. Because of Easter, the series will begin on Thursday at 2:30 PM. On Saturday, the Dons have a 12:30 PM start, and on Sunday, first pitch is set for 1:00 PM.

SCOUTING REPORT - WEEK 5

GAME #19 - FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS (8-9)

SCOUTING FRESNO STATE: The Bulldogs are favored to be the first Western Athletic Conference team since Arizona State (1975-78) and just the second team in WAC history to win three-straight regular season and conference tournament titles. Fresno State won its 29th conference championship and made its 30th appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2007 and many pieces from that team return for 2008. Only Brian Lapin and Ozzie Lewis left early for the Major League Draft and the `Dogs lost Loren Storey and Brandon Miller to graduation. Steve Susdorf (.269, 5 2B, 12 RBI), who was also drafted, decided to return for his senior season and has since been named the Western Athletic Conference Pre-Season Player of the Year. Six position starters, four starting pitchers, nine total pitchers, return including senior Clayton Allison (0-2, 4.42 ERA, 9 K) who was the Pre-Season WAC Pitcher of the Year. Along with Susdorf and Allison, Danny Grubb (.129, 1 RBI), Tanner Scheppers (3-1, 1.04 ERA, 39 K), Jason Breckley (0-0, 18.56 ERA), Todd Sandell (.250, 3 2b, 2 HR, 7 RBI) and Erik Wetzel (.400, 5 wb, 6 RBI) also earned Pre-Season All-WAC Honors. Mike Batesole is 436-301-1 in six years as head coach of the Bulldogs. Batesole has led the Bulldogs into four NCAA Tournaments in his tenure.

TEAM COMPARISONS - 2008 SEASON STATS
Team	W-L	BA	RUNS	HITS	HR	RBI	BB 	ERA  SO	OBA
USF 	8-10	.262 	100 	164 	8	91 	65	5.13 111 	.294
FSU	8-9	.285	95	169	12	83	69 	3.80 142	.241

LAST MEETINGS: USF 6, at Fresno State 2 (2/2/07); USF 4, at Fresno State (2/3/07); at Fresno State 5, USF 4 (2/4/07)

GAME #20-22 - FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON KNIGHTS (2-8)

SCOUTING FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON: With nine juniors rostered - the remnants of Head Coach Jerry DeFabbia's first-ever recruiting class - much of the team's success is dependent on their production as upperclassmen. The top of the line-up will undoubtedly dictate the production. Junior outfielders Jeff Vincent (.421, 2 2B, 7 RBI) and Matt Maher (.256 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI) will set the table for the meat of the order. Senior catcher John Paganotti (.200, 2 2B, 3 RBI) and junior infielder Zachary Sand (.333, 2 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI) return to the heart of the order, with senior infielder Luis Rosario (.235, 1 2B, 1 3B, 5 RBI) forecasted to step up his game following exceptional statistics during the fall. Last year, Paganotti and Sand both hit over .300, combining to drive in 45 runs. Left-hander John O'Hara (1-1, 1.96 ERA, 18 K) enters 2008 as a marked man. The senior represents one of the top starters in the NEC. He is a viable Pitcher of the Year candidate, evident by his 66 strike outs and three complete games a year ago. His 188 career K's rank fourth in FDU's all-time program history. DeFabbia has a 33-122 career mark in four years at FDU.

TEAM COMPARISONS - 2008 SEASON STATS Team W-L BA RUNS HITS HR RBI BB ERA SO OBA USF 8-10 .262 100 164 8 91 65 5.13 111 .294 FDU 2-8 .274 64 93 2 51 60 6.94 82 .330

LAST MEETINGS: This is the first meeting between these two teams.

WHO'S HOT FOR THE DONS: In five games last week, senior Mitchell Bialosky led the Dons, batting .368 (7-19) with an RBI and two runs scored... senior Kyle Morgan also batted .368 (7-19) with two doubles, six RBI and two runs scored... senior Joey Railey went 7-21 (.333) with his first homerun of the season, two RBI and two runs scored... junior Zach Kim also smashed his first homerun of the season, going 4-12 (.333) with a double, a homerun, two RBI and six runs scored... sophomore Bobby Ethel had two doubles and two RBI... freshman Connor Bernatz had a double and batted in four... on the mound, senior Matt Baugh threw a complete game (10 Innings), earning a victory over Houston, allowing four runs off eight hits, did not walk a batter, and struck out five... freshman Matt Lujan went 1-0, beating Pacific at home, allowing just one run off three hits, no walks, and four strikeouts.

NEWCOMERS MAKING THEIR PRESENCE KNOWN: In 18 games this season, five of the Dons newcomers are making their presence known in the line-up. Sophomore catcher Ryan Lipkin leads the newcomers at the plate, batting .341 (15-44) with four doubles, six RBI and nine runs scored... freshman Connor Bernatz is batting .333 (17-51) with three doubles, one homerun, 14 RBI (second on the team), eight runs scored and one stolen base... junior Dane Braunecker is batting just under .300 at .286 (10-35) with a double, a homerun, seven RBI and seven runs scored... senior Kyle Morgan leads the team with 16 RBI, along with two homeruns, two doubles, and 11 runs scored... freshman lefty Matt Lujan is 1-0, 2.95 ERA in two starts and five appearances. Lujan has 12 strikeouts and only 12 walks in 21.1 innings pitched

Matt Baugh THROWS 10-INNING COMPLETE GAME: Senior right-hander Matt Baugh (2-2) earned the 6-4 victory for USF against Houston (3/15) in the longest outing of his career. Throwing 10 complete innings, Baugh allowed four earned runs off eight hits, struck out five Cougars and did not walk a batter.