Feb. 25, 2000
Berkeley, Calif. - Junior right-handed pitcher Justin Wayne picked up his 20th career victory, pitching #2 Stanford (9-4) to a 6-2 victory over California (5-8) in a non-conference game on Friday at Evans Diamond. Wayne recorded 10 strikeouts in 7.2 innings to improve to 4-0 with a 2.02 ERA this season, allowing just two runs and four hits. His career record is now 20-1, the best winning percentage by a pitcher in Stanford history. The Cardinal wins for the third time in its last four games, while California falls for the eighth time in 10 games.
Jeff Bruksch relieved Wayne in the eighth inning and retired four straight California hitters, including Collegiate Baseball Preseason Player of the Year and potential tying run Xavier Nady, with two outs in the eighth, to pick up his second save of the season.
Edmund Muth (3-for-4, 3B, 3 RBI) and Joe Borchard (3-for-5, 2B) led a 10-hit offensive attack by the Cardinal. Craig Thompson also continued his excellent start in 2000, going 2-for-5 to raise his team-high batting average to .393.
Wayne, who tossed a complete game three-hitter with a season-high 12 strikeouts in his last outing versus Texas a week ago, was dominant for his second straight appearance. He allowed only two hits through the first seven complete innings, striking out the side in the seventh and recording a pair of strikeouts in two other innings.
"Justin has pitched this way all season," said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess. "I think he is the most underrated pitcher in college baseball. He's not really doing anything different this season. He's been phenomenal throughout his Stanford career."
"One of the keys to Justin's success is his location," continued Marquess. "He can really dot it. He has great control. He can throw inside, outside, up and down. It's not often that you see a young pitcher who can do that. He has opened a lot of eyes recently."
"I really don't think about the record too much," said Wayne about his career 20-1 mark following the game. "I have a job to do and that is to give our team a chance to win. In order to do that, I have to shut the other team down the best I can. I just want us to win every day. It doesn't matter to me who gets credit for the victory in the statistics."
The Cardinal opened today's scoring in the top of the second with a two-out RBI-single by Billy Jacobson to score Borchard. Stanford increased its lead to 2-0 in the top of the third when Chris O'Riordan came across the plate on a two-out RBI triple by Muth.
The Golden Bears cut the score in half and recorded their first hit off Wayne with a solo homer by Mike Tonis in the bottom of the fourth.
The score remained 2-1 until the Cardinal picked up a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. With Eric Bruntlett on first and Thompson on second, Muth hit an RBI-single to left field to score Thompson. Bruntlett would also score on the play when California left fielder Brent Cook failed to field the ball cleanly.
California answered in the bottom of the eighth with a solo homer by Jason Williams to lead off the inning, cutting the Stanford margin to 4-2. Cook followed with a single before Wayne retired the final two batters he would face. Bruksch relieved Wayne and retired Nady on his first pitch.
The teams will continue their three-game series with single games at Evans Diamond on Saturday and Sunday, both beginning at 1:00 p.m.