May 16, 2007
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STANFORD CARDINAL (22-27)
2007 SERIES
Friday, May 18 (6 pm, PT) - LHP Curtis Pasma (1-6, 4.63) vs. RHP Jeffrey Inman (4-3, 5.02)^
Live Game Coverage: Gametracker
| PC Webcast | Mac Webcast
Saturday, May 19 (1 pm, PT) - RHP Cole Akins (2-2, 4.89) vs. LHP Jeremy Bleich (1-8, 5.88)*
Live Game Coverage: Gametracker
Sunday, May 20 (1 pm, PT) - RHP Jason Haar (2-2, 5.32) vs. RHP Erik Davis (3-2, 4.54)^
Live Game Coverage: Gametracker | PC Webcast | Mac Webcast
^at Stanford, CA;*at Stockton, CA
STANFORD-PACIFIC SERIES HISTORY
All-Time Series: Stanford 46-6-1 (since 1959)
2006 Results: Series - Stanford 2-0 (at Stanford, April 10) - Stanford 2-1; (at Pacific, May 24) - Stanford 14-8
Current Game Win Streak: Stanford - 2 (April 10 - May 24, 2006)
Current Series Win Streak: Stanford - 1 (February 19-20, 1983)
Current Regular Season Series Win Streak: Stanford - 3 (1999-2006)
Series Notes: Stanford and Pacific will be meeting in a full-blown three-game series for the first time since the Cardinal swept a three-game series way back February 19-20, 1983. The two clubs had not met for five seasons from 2000-04 before resuming play against each other in 2005. Stanford won two-of-three over the Tigers in 2005 and then took both meetins in 2006. Pacific's one win since the teams begin playing again was a 2-0 victory in 10 innings at Sunken Diamond on March 29, 2005.
FRIDAY IS FIREWORKS NIGHT
You can bring the entire family out to Sunken Diamond for the opener of the Stanford-Pacific series and then stay after the game for Fireworks Night brought to you by Town & Country Village Shopping Center.
THREE IN A ROW
Stanford's current three-game win streak with a pair of victories over Washington (May 12, May 13) followed by a win at Santa Clara (May 15) marks Stanford's longest win streak since the Cardinal won a season-high eight in a row from February 18 - March 4. The current three-game win streak is also Stanford's second-longest of the season.
PUSH FOR A WINNING SEASON
Stanford's current string of 13 straight winning seasons from 1994-2006 are in serious jeopardy. Stanford will need to go 7-0 in its final seven games to extend the streak and 6-1 over to avoid only its second losing season in the past 43 years. The last time Stanford had a losing season and did not qualify for the postseason was in 1993 when the club was 27-28 overall.
SWEEP BY SANTA CLARA AVOIDED
Stanford's victory at Santa Clara on May 15 helped the Cardinal avoid being swept in the 2007 season series by the Broncos, who had won the first three meetings between the clubs.
SERIES LOSING SKIDS SNAPPED
Stanford two-of-three games series victory over Washington in its most recent Pac-10 series last Friday-Sunday (March 11-13) snapped two significant series losing skids of seven series each. The Cardinal had dropped seven straight overall series since a non-league sweep of California March 2-4, 2007) that was its longest since dropping eight straight series from April 13, 1978 - March 31, 1979. Stanford had also dropped seven straight Pac-10 series with its previous conference series win coming just one day shy of an entire year to winning the Washington sreies when the Cardinal swept a three-game set at Washington (May 12-14, 2006). Stanford's seven straight Pac-10 series losses were the most in the school's recorded history.
RUBBER GAME SLIDE ALSO BROKEN
Stanford won its first rubber game of the season when the Cardinal wrapped up its series versus Washington with a 10-7 victory over the Huskies on May 13. Stanford was playing its fourth rubber game of the season as well as its fourth in as many series as the Cardinal had lost rubber games in each of its previous three series at California (April 22), versus Oregon State (April 29) and at Washington State (May 7).
PLAYING WELL ON CAMERA
Stanford has won each of its last three TV games over Oregon State (April 28, FSN), at Washington State (May 5, FSN Northwest) and versus Washington (May 13, CSTV) after losing its first two TV games of the campaign at Arizona State (April 7, FSN Arizona) and versus Oregon State (April 27, CSTV). Stanford does not have any of its seven remaining regular season scheduled to be televised.
PAC-10 SERIES OPENER PROBLEMS
Stanford's 6-4 win in a Pac-10 series opener at Washington State on May 5 is the only time in seven conference series this season the Cardinal has won the opener.
FINAL MONTH OF REGULAR SEASON
Stanford is in its final month of the 2007 regular season and has a 4-4 record in its first eight games of May. The Cardinal has seven more games scheduled in the month with contests versus Pacific (May 18, 20), at Pacific (May 19), versus UC Davis (May 22) and at USC (May 25-27).
TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE CELLAR
Stanford is currently in last place in the Pac-10 with a 6-15 conference record that is two full games behind eighth-place Washington State's 8-13 mark. Stanford has finished at the bottom of the Pac-10 just twice in 30 previous seasons under current head coach Mark Marquess, tying for fifth in a six-team league with a 1-17 conference record in 1979 and taking sixth of six teams with a 10-20 mark in 1993.
TOUGH STARTS
Stanford started 2007 Pac-10 play with an 0-8 league mark that was the worst in recorded school history before winning its first conference game against Arizona on April 15. Stanford also started the season with an 0-3 record to mark the first time since 1989 the Cardinal had lost its first three games of the season. In addition, the sweep at Cal State Fullerton was also the first time Stanford had been swept in a three-game season-opening series in the school's recorded history.
TEAM STATS
OFFENSE - Stanford's offense is its most improved area as the Cardinal has moved up to tied for third in the Pac-10 in hits (509), fifth in batting average (.295), sixth in home runs (33) and seventh in runs (287). Stanford is still last with 23 stolen bases.PITCHING - Stanford has struggled tremendously on the mound with an uncharacteristically high 6.14 ERA that is last in the Pac-10 by 87 points over eighth-place Washington State (5.27 ERA) and 78 points higher than the highest ERA in the school's recorded history when the 1979 pitching staff posted a 5.36 mark. The team's .314 opponents' batting average is also last in the Pac-10.FIELDING - Stanford also ranks last in the Pac-10 in fielding percentage (.961) despite eight errorless games in its last 20 contests.
TEAM LEADERS
OFFENSE - Sean Ratliff leads or co-leads the Cardinal in nearly every offensive category, including home runs (9, #7T Pac-10), stolen bases (9), triples (4, #5T Pac-10), runs scored (51, #4 Pac-10), hits (64, #9T Pac-10), total bases (110, #8 Pac-10), slugging percentage (.556), games played (48, co-leader) and games started (48, co-leader). Michael Taylor shares the team lead with Ratliff in homers (9) and also has a club-high 45 RBI as well as team-best in hit-by-pitches (7), at bats (199), games played (48) and games started (48). Adam Sorgi paces the club in both batting average (.391) and on-base percentage (.462) but has yet to play in the required 75% of the team's games to qualify for the Pac-10 or NCAA stats. Other offensive team leaders or co-leaders include Cord Phelps (14 2B, #10T Pac-10; 20 BB), Brent Milleville (4 SF) and Joey August (4 SAC).
PITCHING - Jeffrey Inman (4-3, 5.02, 71.2 IP, 61 SO) co-leads the team in wins and complete games, while pacing the club in strikeouts. Inman has also posted the lowest ERA among any pitcher with at least one inning pitched per team game played. Jeremy Bleich (1-8, 5.88, 82.2 IP, 49 SO) has the team lead in innings pitched (#9 Pac-10) and starts (14, #7T Pac-10). Nolan Gallagher (4-6, 7.96,57.2 IP, 41 SO) has equaled Inman's four wins and also has the club's only other complete game and the team's only shutout. David Stringer (1-2, 5.47, 7 SV, 49.1 IP, 32 SO) paces the club with 28 appearances and seven saves, ranking tied for first and tied for seventh in the Pac-10 in those two categories.
HOT BATS REACH ANOTHER SEASON-HIGH
Stanford reached another season-high for team batting average after its most recent game at Santa Clara as the club's average climbed to .295. Stanford is currently on its best offensive run of the season with 13 double digit hits in its last 15 contests with the team raising its batting average 24 points during the span. Stanford is hitting .345 during the stretch with Adam Sorgi (.475, 28-59, 6 2B, 1 3B, 14 RBI) the club's top hitter during the period.
FIFTH ALL-TIME WINNINGEST PROGRAM
Stanford is the fifth all-time winningest program in college baseball history with a record of 2512-1577-32 (.613) in 4121 games over 114 seasons including 2007. Fordham, Texas, USC and Michigan are the top four.
DAY AND NIGHT
Stanford is a respectable 17-15 during day games but just 5-12 at night. Stanford had a nine-game losing streak in night games snapped with a victory at Santa Clara under the lights in its most recent contest on May 15.
LAST SERIES STATS (WASHINGTON)
OFFENSE - Stanford had arguably its most productive offensive series of the season versus Washington with a .400 team batting average and a 7.7 run per game average. Six Stanford players -- Joey August (.583, 7-12, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI), Michael Taylor (.571, 8-14, 2 2B, 1 3B, 5 RBI), Sean Ratliff (.556, 5-9, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBI), Brian Juhl (.500, 3-6) and Ryan Seawell (.500, 3-6, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 SB) all hit .500 or better in the series.
PITCHING - Stanford posted a respectable 4.67 ERA in its most recent series versus Washington despite allowing a .313 opponents' batting average. The success primarily came thanks to just seven walks in 27.0 innings of work. Starters Erik Davis (1.35, 1-0, 1 APP, 1 GS, 6.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO), Jeremy Bleich (3.86, 0-0, 1 APP, 1 GS, 7.0 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB) and Jeffrey Inman (4.26, 0-1, 1 APP, 1 GS, 7.0 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 SO) all made strong starts. Andrew Clauson (0.00, 0-0, 1 APP, 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 SO) had a scoreless outing out of the bullpen.
FIELDING - Stanford had one of its best defensive series of the season with just two errors and a .982 fielding percentage. The Cardinal was errorless in the middle game of the series and made just one in the other two.
SEAN RATLIFF'S OFFENSIVE FOCUS PAYS OFF
Sean Ratliff is having a big season and has arguably been the team's most consistent hitter in 2007. Ratliff is leading or co-leading the Cardinal in nearly every offensive category, including home runs (9, #7T Pac-10), stolen bases (9), triples (4, #5T Pac-10), runs scored (51, #4 Pac-10), hits (64, #9T Pac-10), total bases (110, #8 Pac-10), slugging percentage (.556), games played (48, co-leader) and games started (48, co-leader). He has also contributed 30 RBI and a .323 that rank second and third on the club among regulars, respectively. Ratliff just had a career-best 13-game hit streak (.400, 24-60, 17 R, 5 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 12 RBI) that was also the longest by a Stanford player this season snapped in his most recent contest at Santa Clara (May 15). Ratliff was 0-for-14 with 10 strikeouts last season and has still struggled with his strikeouts in 2007 with a Pac-10-high 60.
ADAM SORGI NOW BATTING AVERAGE LEADER
Adam Sorgi has reached the minimum number of at bats (2.5 per team game played) needed to officially qualify for Stanford's team lead in stats (however he still needs to play in all eight games to reach the Pac-10 and NCAA minimum requirement of playing in 75% of the team's games). Sorgi is currently hitting .391 and is looking to become only the seventh Stanford player to hit .400 or better in a season. He also boasts a team-high .462 on-base percentage. Sorgi has returned from a shoulder injury that caused him to miss the 2006 season and limited his action early in 2007.
WINNING THE CLOSE ONES
Stanford is 6-3 in one-run games and has also won both of its extra-inning contests at San Jose State (March 27) and versus Oregon State (April 28).Michael Taylor ON FIREMichael Taylor has notched 10 multiple-hit games in his last 12 and is hitting .421 (24-57) during the period with five doubles, a triple, four homers and 17 RBI. Taylor has raised his average 29 points to its current .317.
ERIK DAVIS NAMED IN ROTATION
Erik Davis has been named the team's Sunday starter for the team's next series versus Pacific this Friday-Sunday. Davis has actually started each of the team's last three Pac-10 series finales but had never been officially announced in the role at the beginning of the week. In his last two starts, Davis is 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA while striking out 10 batters in 13.2 innings.
LONG GAMES
Stanford has clocked in at 3:00 or over in 31 of its first 49 games this season, gone 3:40 or longer 15 times and more than 4:00 on three occasions, including a season-long 4:12 against UCLA on March 31.
COMEBACK WINS
Stanford has come from behind in 15 of its 22 wins. Stanford's biggest comeback of the year came versus USC (March 11) when the Cardinal was down 8-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning before scoring four times to the game at 8-8 and six more in the eighth in an eventual 14-9 win.
EARLIER LOSING SKIDS
Stanford dropped six straight home games (March 24 - April 14) earlier this season and nine consecutive Pac-10 contests (May 21, 2006 - April 14, 2007) that dated back to the final conference contest of last year that were both the longest in recorded school history.
40-HOMER STREAK
Stanford has 33 homers in its first 49 games this season and will need seven long balls in its final seven regular season contests to extend the team's string of consecutive 40-homer seasons to 20.
DOUBLE DIGIT RUN STREAK
Stanford has scored double digit runs in each of its last two games to mark the first time in 2007 the Cardinal has put together back-to-back games of 10 runs or more. Stanford scored 10 runs against Washington on May 13 to end a drought of 23 straight games without double digit runs before following that up by equaling a season-high in a 14-4 win at Santa Clara on May 15.
PLAYING THE BEST
Stanford has played seven of its first 12 three-game series and 21 of its first 49 games against teams ranked in at least one national poll at some point.
SUNKEN DIAMOND
Sunken Diamond has served as a host site for 13 NCAA Regionals, as well as NCAA Regionals on five occasions. Stanford has clinched 10 of its 15 trips to the College World Series at Sunken Diamond. Stanford has won at least 17 games at home in each of the last 11 seasons prior to 2007 with an amazing 307-99 (.756) record during the stretch. However, Stanford is currently just one game above .500 (15-14) and still needs one more victory in its remaining three regular season home games to avoid the first home losing season in recorded school history. Stanford's worst home record ever came in 1964 when the Cardinal was 13-13 at Sunken Diamond.
Joey August (.200, 1 GP, 1 GS, 1-5, 1 SO)
Jeremy Bleich (0.00, 1-0, 1 APP, 1.0 IP, 2 SO)
Jason Castro (.600, 1 GP, 1 GS, 3-5, 2 R)
Erik Davis (6.75, 0-0, 2 APP, 1 GS, 4.0 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO)
Brendan Domaracki (.250, 3 GP, 1 GS, 2-8, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1 GDP)
Grant Escue (.000, 1 GP, 0-2, 1 BB, 2 SO)
Max Fearnow (0.00, 0-0, 1 APP, 1 H, 1 BB)
Nolan Gallagher (0.00, 0-0, 1 APP, 1.0 IP, 2 SO)
Brent Milleville (.000, 2 GP, 0-4, 1 SO)
Randy Molina (.250, 3 GP, 2 GS, 2-8, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 SO)
Cord Phelps (.500, 1 GP, 1 GS, 1-2, 1 R, 2 BB)
Sean Ratliff (27.00, 0-0, 1 APP, 1.0 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO)
Ryan Seawell (.375, 4 GP, 1 GS, 3-8, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 HBP, 3 SO, 1 GDP)
Adam Sorgi (.000, 3 GP, 3 GS, 0-11, 3 R, 4 BB, 3 SO)
David Stringer (4.15, 0-0, 2 APP, 45.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 SO)
Michael Taylor (.333, 5 GP, 5 GS, 5-15, 4 R, 1 2B, 5 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 1 GDP, 1 SAC)
Austin Yount (0.00, 1-0, 1 APP, 4.1 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 5 SO
2006 STANFORD-PACIFIC GAMES
April 10, 2007 - at Stanford 2-1
Chris Minaker's bouncing RBI single through the left side of the infield with no outs in the bottom of the ninth scored John Hester with the game-winning run to lift Stanford to a 2-1 victory over Pacific. Jeremy Bleich struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the win as the third of three Cardinal pitchers that struck out 13 Tigers.
Quote of the Day ... "All the teams we're playing are quality teams, so we need to get wins whenever we can." - Chris Minaker
May 24, 2007 - Stanford 14, at Pacific 8
Stanford came from behind for a 14-8 non-conference victory over Pacific a. Chris Lewis (4-5, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, SB) led Stanford's 19-hit offense, while Chris Minaker (3-6, 2B, 3 RBI), Ryan Seawell (3-5, 2B) and Jason Castro (3-5) added three hits each. Austin Yount shut the door on Pacific with 4.1 scoreless innings of relief, striking out five while scattering four hits and walking just one. Stanford had trailed 8-4 after Pacific put up five runs in the bottom of the fifth but answered with a six-spot in the top of the sixth. The victory extended Stanford's run of consecutive 30-win seasons to 13.
Quote of the Day ... "That's been our mode of operation lately. We just keep fighting and believe that it's never too late for us, and that we shouldn't be counted out." - Chris Lewis
STANFORD HEAD COACH MARK MARQUESS
One of the nation's premier collegiate coaches and the winningest coach in Stanford Baseball history, Mark Marquess is in his 31st season at the helm of the Cardinal and his 39th associated with the program in 2007. Marquess has won more games than any coach in any sport ever at Stanford with the amazing numbers he has posted during his long tenure on The Farm. Marquess has a 1279-644-5 (.665) all-time record in 1928 career games, as well as equally impressive marks in postseason (112-52, .683), NCAA Regional (68-25, .731), NCAA Super Regional (10-4, .714), CWS (34-23, .596) and Pac-10 (507-342, .597) action. He is currently ranked sixth among all active NCAA Division I coaches in victories and 11th on the all-time list among Division I coaches. Marquess became the 23rd coach in the history of NCAA Division I baseball to reach the 1000-win mark with a victory over Florida State on February 9, 2001. Just over two years later, he picked up win No. 1100 versus Nevada on February 17, 2003. He became the 16th NCAA Division I head baseball coach to win 1200 collegiate games just over another two years after that when the Cardinal defeated California at Sunken Diamond on March 5, 2005. He also won his 100th career postseason game in Stanford's NCAA Super Regional clinching victory over Long Beach State (June 7, 2003). The 1969 Stanford graduate has led the Cardinal to two CWS titles and three runner-up showings in five CWS championship appearances, as well as 13 College World Series trips, five NCAA Super Regional titles, 14 NCAA Regional championships and 12 Pac-10 crowns (includes Southern Division and shared titles). Stanford's two CWS championships under Marquess came in back-to-back fashion in 1987 and 1988 as the Cardinal is just one of four teams to have ever won back-to-back Division I College World Series titles. The three runner-up showings have all come this decade with the Cardinal taking second in Omaha in 2000, 2001 and 2003. Maybe even more amazing, all 13 teams that Marquess has taken to the College World Series have won at least one game. Stanford has qualified for the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship 24 times in the first 30 seasons under Marquess with a current school record run of 13 straight appearances in postseason play. He has been named NCAA Coach of the Year three times and has received Pac-10 or Pac-10 Southern Division Coach of the Year honors on nine occasions, most recently with his Pac-10 selection in 2003. The Cardinal has also recorded 29 winning seasons in the first 30 campaigns under his leadership. His clubs have finished either first or second in the prestigious Pacific-10 (formerly Pac-10 Southern Division) 22 times in the last 26 seasons including 2006. Stanford has had 134 players drafted by professional baseball in the past 22 campaigns, including 18 in the last 20 years that were drafted either in the first round or as a Compensation A pick. Stanford has had more first round picks (6) since 2000 than any other school in the nation, most recently with the selection of Greg Reynolds as the No. 2 overall pick in 2006. A member of the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Marquess was the head coach of the 1988 United States Olympic baseball team that captured the gold medal. He was also an accomplished football and baseball standout on The Farm, and is a member of the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame. He is one of only 10 people to have ever both played and coached in the College World Series. Marquess was the starting first baseman and a First Team All-American on Stanford's 1967 CWS squad and played four seasons in the minor leagues with the Chicago White Sox organization.
STANFORD COACHING STAFF
Dean Stotz is in his 31st season with Stanford Baseball and his eighth as the team's associate head coach after he was promoted to the position prior to the 2000 season following 23 years of service as an assistant. Stotz currently coaches third base while also handling various offensive and defensive aspects of the game. Tom Kunis is in his eighth season as Stanford's pitching coach, while Dave Nakama is also in his eighth campaign over two stints as an assistant.