April 20, 2004
Updated Season Stats
Stanford Baseball Tickets
Stanford, Calif. - No. 2 Stanford (30-5) reached the 30-win mark after its first 35 games for only the second time in 111 years of baseball on The Farm with a 10-5 victory over Saint Mary's (11-28) in a non-conference game on a chilly evening Tuesday at Sunken Diamond. Greg Reynolds (2-0) earned the win in his first collegiate start, establishing new career-bests in both innings pitched (5.0) and strikeouts (4). Chris Lewis (2-2, 2B, HR, RBI) hit his first homer of the season and drove in a pair of runs, while Chris Minaker (3-5, 2B, 2 RBI) and Sam Fuld (3-6, RBI) had three hits each as all nine starters contributed at least one hit in the Cardinal's season-high-tying 18-hit attack. Brian Hall (2-5, RBI) extended his career-high hit streak to 20 games, while Fuld ran his season-high hit string to 11 in a row.
The only team to post a better record through its first 35 games was the 30-3-2 mark put up by the 1967 club, which was the second team in Stanford history to reach the College World Series.
"There's a lot of season left and a lot of tough games to be played, but you have to give this team its due for what it's done through 35 games to date," said Stanford head coach Mark Marquess. "We play a tough schedule and usually your record suffers a little bit when you do that, but ours hasn't really suffered much. It's a credit to this team and the way it has played so far."
Stanford's victory over Saint Mary's was its 19th in a row against the Gaels since the last Saint Mary's win in the series, 1-0 at Sunken Diamond on February 1, 1994. Stanford has also won a season-high nine straight games at Sunken Diamond, improved to 16-1 at home this season and has won 25 of its last 26 games on The Farm overall. The Cardinal has a 53-9 overall record in its last 62 games dating back to last year.
Jed Lowrie (2-4, 2B, SB, 2 RBI) got his average back to an even .400 and increased his team-high RBI total to 49 with a pair of hits and two RBI, while Chris Carter (2-2, RBI, SB) also had a multiple-hit contest. Danny Putnam, who was named Pac-10 Player of the Week on Tuesday for the second time in his career after hitting .500 (8-16) with three homers and 10 RBI in four games last week, extended his hit streak to eight with a third inning single. Former team manager Cameron Matthews scored his first collegiate run after pinch-running in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Mark Jecmen (2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO) and Matt Manship (2.0 IP, 3 SO) pitched in relief of Reynolds with Manship retiring all six batters he faced over the final two frames.
Sam Carter (2-3, 2B, 3 RBI) and Adam Thompson (2-4, RBI) picked up a pair of hits each for the Gaels.
Saint Mary's starter Justin Sloan (1-3) took the loss, allowing six runs on nine hits and three walks over the first 5.0 innings. Parker Magnum (3.0 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 SO) also pitched in relief for the Gaels.
Stanford jumped out in front by a score of 4-0 after putting up a four-spot in the bottom of the first inning. The Cardinal loaded the bases before the Gaels could record an out when Fuld beat out an infield single, Jonny Ash singled up the middle and Lowrie walked. John Mayberry, Jr. brought home Fuld with a sacrifice fly two batters later for the first Cardinal run before Hall, Carter and Minaker came up with three consecutive RBI singles to plate Ash, Lowrie and Hall.
Saint Mary's answered with two runs in the top of the second to cut the Stanford lead to 4-2. Delaney Gallagher and Carter led off the inning with back-to-back doubles for the first run. Gilbert Gil then moved Carter to third with a sacrifice bunt before an RBI bunt single by Thompson brought him home.
Stanford increased its lead to 6-2 in the fourth when John Hester and Fuld led off with back-to-back singles, moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt from Ash and scored on a two-RBI double by Lowrie.
Lewis' long ball over the left field wall to lead off the top of the sixth gave the Cardinal another run before Saint Mary's scored three times in the seventh to reduce Stanford's lead to 7-5. Mike Sansoe drew a leadoff walk to start the rally and Adam Foushee followed with a single to put runners on first and second with no outs. Jecmen then struck out Michael Harris before allowing an RBI double to Preston Young that scored Sansoe. Gallagher walked to load the bases two batters later and Carter came through with a two-RBI single to score Foushee and Young but Gallagher was thrown out going from first to third on the play to end the inning.
Stanford added two insurance runs in its half of the seventh to go back ahead, 9-5. Carter and Minaker led off with back-to-back singles before pinch-runner Cameron Matthews and Minaker each moved up a base on Hester's sacrifice bunt. Fuld then came through with an RBI single, his third hit of the contest, to score Matthews and Lewis followed with a double to plate Minaker.
"I was just looking for a pitch that I could hit hard and break out that huge slump," said Lewis about his homer that snapped a season-long 0-for-16 skid. "Fortunately, I got a pitch up in the zone that I could hit hard and got under it enough to get it over the fence."
"It has been frustrating," admitted Lewis about the slump. "But if you keep working at it, it all comes, and luckily it came in a big way today."
The Cardinal scored the final run of the game in the eighth when Mayberry led off with a double, moved to third on a bunt single by Hall and scored on a one-out RBI double from Minaker.
Stanford left 12 runners on the base, while the Gaels stranded six. There were no double plays or errors in the contest as Stanford played errorless baseball for the 14th time this year to improve its Pac-10-leading season fielding percentage to .974.
Stanford also leads the conference with a season-high .330 team batting average and a 3.94 ERA. The Cardinal is averaging 9.1 runs per game and has more than doubled the run total of its opponents (317-151). Stanford has won 26 of its games by three or more runs and 16 by five or more, scoring in double digits 16 times and reaching double figures in hits on 28 occasions, including a season-high 11 in a row.
Fuld, who broke Stanford's career record in runs scored last Saturday versus California, moved into a tie for second on Stanford's all-time hit list with his three-hit contest. Fuld now has 331 career hits, equaling the 331 posted by Paul Carey from 1987-90. John Gall holds the all-time school record (368, 1997-2000). Fuld also ranks among the school's all-time leaders in triples (16, #3T), doubles (58, #6T) and games played (235, #7).
Stanford will play a two-game home-and-home series versus Sacramento State (22-26) this Friday-Saturday, April 23-24. The Cardinal will host the Hornets at Sunken Diamond on Friday (6 pm, PDT) before making the trek to Sacramento on Saturday (2 pm, PDT). Stanford will conclude a stretch of four consecutive non-conference games at Santa Clara (Tuesday, April 27, 6 pm, PDT) before returning to Pac-10 action by hosting Washington State in a three-game series Friday-Sunday, April 30-May 2 (6 pm, 1 pm, 1 pm, PDT).
Tickets are available for all 2004 regular season Stanford Baseball home games online at gostanford.com or by calling 1-800-STANFORD.