Stanford Returns to Pac-10 Action With First Games in Eugene, OR Since 1974

April 3, 2009

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STANFORD CARDINAL (9-11, 3-3) at OREGON DUCKS (11-15, 1-2)
Friday, April 3 • 3:00 p.m. • PK Park (Eugene, OR)
RHP Jeffrey Inman (1-3, 5.79) vs. LHP Tyler Anderson (1-3, 3.68)

Saturday, April 4 • 1:00 p.m. • PK Park (Eugene, OR)
RHP Jordan Pries (2-0, 4.76) vs. RHP Erik Stavert (3-1, 2.92)

Sunday, April 5 • 1:00 p.m. • PK Park (Eugene, OR)
**Televised by Comcast SportsNet Northwest**
LHP Brett Mooneyham (1-1, 4.19) vs. RHP Madison Boer (1-3, 3.68)

All times Pacific; every game is broadcast on KZSU (90.1 FM) and gostanford.com

Stanford Returns to Pac-10 Action With First Games in Eugene, OR Since 1974
Winners of three straight games and five of its last six contests, the Stanford Cardinal (9-11, 3-3) will return to Pac-10 play with a three-game, weekend series against the host Oregon Ducks (11-15, 1-2) at PK Park. Oregon has resurrected its baseball program after a 28-year absence, while Stanford will be playing the Ducks in Eugene, Ore. for the first time since the 1974 season. Friday's series opener is set for 3:00 p.m. PT, while Saturday and Sunday's contests will both begin at 1:00 p.m. PT.

Stanford swept its two non-conference games this week, winning 10-2 at Pacific Monday night and posting a 6-5 victory over visiting Santa Clara Wednesday night. The Cardinal has won a season-high three straight games and five of its last six contests, while Stanford will be looking for its second consecutive Pac-10 series victory. Oregon has dropped three of its last four, losing two of three games to Oregon State in the "Civil War" series last weekend and falling to Portland this past Tuesday.

Broadcast Information
All 56 of Stanford's regular season games, and any postseason contests, will be carried live on the home of Cardinal baseball for nearly 51 years - student station KZSU 90.1 FM. The KZSU broadcast is available on the internet either at www.kzsulive.stanford.edu or via a link on www.gostanford.com.

Wyndam Makowsky and Matt Hodson will be behind the mic this weekend in Oregon.

Sunday's game will also be televised on the Oregon Sports Network via Comcast SportsNet Northwest.

"Nine" Moves Into Ninth
With Stanford's 13-3 victory over Washington March 27, head coach Mark Marquess posted his 1,332nd career win - the ninth-most ever by an NCAA Division I head baseball coach.

Marquess, who took over the reins of his alma mater prior to the 1977 season, has compiled a 1,335-680-7 (.662) record during his 33 campaigns as Stanford's head coach. With the March 27 win, Marquess snapped a tie for ninth with Larry Cochell, who logged a 1,331-813-3 (.621) ledger over 39 years with seven schools. Next on the list is Rod Dedeaux, who ranks eighth in NCAA Division I history with 1,342 victories over 44 seasons at USC (1942-47 and 1949-86).

Stanford-Oregon Series
Stanford and Oregon met 14 times between 1961-82 (Stanford's single-game results are available beginning in 1959), with the Cardinal owning an 11-3 edge. Stanford won the last game played between the clubs, 12-0 on March 31, 1981, and the last contest in Eugene, 15-9 on March 28, 1974.

Cardinal Clips

Turning it Around: Stanford has won a season-high three straight games and five of its last six contests since March 25.Surging Offense: Stanford has averaged 8.7 runs per game during this current six-game stretch (52 total), with a .344 batting avg. (74-for-215), .581 slugging pct. and .426 on-base mark.Stingy Pitching: Cardinal pitchers have also been dealing during the six-game run, forging a 3.17 ERA (19er, 54.0ip) and a .212 avg. against (42-for-198)...Stanford hurlers have logged 51 strikeouts against 15 walks in the last six contests.Milly is Mashing: Senior 1B Brent Milleville has gone 8-for-16 (.500) with six runs, two home runs and six RBI during his current five-game hitting streak (including three multi-hit contests).Swing and a Miss: Sophomore RHP Drew Storen has compiled 24 strikeouts in 12.1 innings, with just one walk...Stanford's closer has fanned 10 of his last 13 batters faced over two outings.Slugging Kellen: Sophomore OF Kellen Kiilsgaard ranks sixth in the Pac-10 with a .652 slugging percentage, and is tied for seventh with six home runs.Walsh Setting the Table: Sophomore IF Colin Walsh has posted a robust .526 on-base percentage as Stanford's leadoff hitter over the last 11 games...he is batting .341 (14-for-41) with 10 runs scored, two doubles, six RBI and two stolen bases over the stretch.Two-out Magic: Stanford has scored 57 of its 113 runs (50.4%) with two outs in an inning.

Stanford at the Plate

Stanford is batting .262 (180-for-687) in its first 20 games, while scoring 113 runs (5.7 rpg)...the Cardinal has boosted its team average .37 points over the last six games, from .225 to its current .262.The Cardinal is averaging 8.7 runs per game over the last six contests, crossing the plate a total of 52 times...Stanford is hitting at a .344 clip (74-for-215) over the stretch, with a .581 slugging pct. and .426 on-base mark.Stanford is batting .380 (27-for-71) with runners in scoring position while going 5-1 over the last six games.The Cardinal has reached double-digits in hits for five straight games, while scoring at least 10 runs in three of those contests.Stanford leads the Pac-10 with a .302 average during Pac-10 play (67-for-222), while the Cardinal has scored 47 runs in its six conference games (7.8 rpg).OF Kellen Kiilsgaard leads the team with six home runs (t-7th in the Pac-10), 19 RBI and a .652 slugging percentage (6th in the Pac-10)...he is third on the club with a .303 batting average (20-for-66) and second with a .418 on-base mark.OF Joey August leads Stanford with 14 runs scored, 23 hits, seven doubles and eight multi-hit contests...he is tied for second on the club with three home runs and 14 RBI.IF Adam Gaylord paces the Cardinal with a .353 batting average, with 12 hits in 34 at-bats.After leading Stanford with 11 stolen bases last year, 3B/C Zach Jones again paces the club with three thefts in 2009...he is tied for second on the team with three home runs and 14 RBI.

Stanford on the Mound

Stanford has posted a 5.08 ERA (101er, 179.0ip) over the first 20 contests, with a .253 opponents' batting average (165-for-653)...Cardinal pitchers have allowed 14 fewer hits than innings pitched.The Cardinal has lowered its team ERA .82 points over the past six games, from 5.90 to its current 5.08.Stanford has fashioned a 3.17 ERA (19er, 54.0ip) and a paltry .212 avg. against (42-for-198) over the last six contests...Cardinal hurlers have logged 51 strikeouts against 15 walks over the stretch.Seven Stanford pitchers have accounted for the club's nine wins...RHPs Jordan Pries and Drew Storen pace the club with two wins apiece.Pries has been the Pac-10's third-toughest pitcher to hit, with a staff-best .173 opponents' batting average (14-for-81).Storen leads the club with 24 strikeouts - in only 12.1 innings of work...he also leads the club with nine apperances, has one of Stanford's two saves and has forged a 2.19 ERA (3er, 12.1ip).RHP Jeffrey Inman leads Stanford with 28.0 innings pitched and five starts.After his 7.0-shutout inning, 10-strikeout performance against Washington, LHP Brett Mooneyham paces Cardinal starters (min. 3 starts and 15.0 innings) with a 4.19 ERA (9er, 19.1ip).

Stanford with the Gloves

Stanford leads the Pac-10 with a .974 fielding percentage, having committed 20 errors in 775 total chances.C/3B Zach Jones ranks third in the Pac-10 by throwing out seven attempted base-stealers (in 17 attempts - 41.2 percent)...C Ben Clowe, meanwhile, is tied for fourth by nailing six would-be thieves (in 21 attempts - 28.6 percent).1B Jonathan Kaskow is one of 10 qualifying Pac-10 players with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, handling 132 total chances without an error.2B Colin Walsh has been errorless in his last 14 games, fielding 65 chances without a miscue.

Series Scoop
After taking two of three games from Washington last weekend, Stanford is now an impressive 15-5 in its last 20 weekend sets - a stretch which dates back to the final month of the 2006 season.

Stanford is 9-3 in Pac-10 sets over the stretch, including a 6-2 mark in 2008. The Cardinal has split its first two Pac-10 series in 2009, dropping two of three at Cal before rebounding this past weekend against the Huskies.

The Importance of Friday
Both of Stanford's two series victories this year have come after winning the Friday game - Feb. 20 vs. Vanderbilt and March 27 against Washington.

Five is Fine
Stanford is 9-4 this season when scoring at least five runs in a game, and 0-7 when plating four or fewer.

Punishing Pac-10 Pitching
Stanford has produced some of its best offensive production when it matters most - in Pac-10 play. The Cardinal has hit a Pac-10-best .302 (67-for-222) in its first six conference games, while scoring 47 runs (7.8 per game). Stanford hitters have hammered 24 extra-base hits against conference pitchers (12 doubles, two triples and 10 home runs) for a .509 slugging percentage, while drawing 34 walks en route to a .405 on-base mark.

Swing and a Miss
Sophomore RHP Drew Storen has continued to demonstrate the electric stuff that made him a freshman All-American in 2008, as he has compiled 24 strikeouts in just 12.1 innings of work - an average of 17.51 punchouts per 9.0 innings. Storen has allowed just one walk thus far in 2009, while forging a 2-0 record with one save and a 2.19 ERA (3er, 12.1ip) in a staff-high nine relief appearances.

Storen set his career high with five strikeouts Feb. 21 vs. Vanderbilt (Game 2), and has matched that total three times since - including each of his last two outings. In fact, he has fanned 10 of the last 13 batters he has faced, including five of six to earn the win Wednesday vs. Santa Clara.

Storen has a career 4.6:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, fanning 74 against 16 free passes in 68.2 innings pitched.

Milly is Mashing
Senior 1B Brent Milleville has come alive in the last week, going 8-for-16 (.500) with six runs scored, two home runs and six RBI during his current five-game hitting streak. Milleville has raised his average by 104 points during the span, from .171 to its current .275.

Milleville has logged a trio of multi-hit contests during the stretch, while his monstrous, two-run homer Wednesday vs. Santa Clara cleared the trees beyond the left field wall at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond.

Setting the Table
Sophomore second baseman Colin Walsh has been Stanford's leadoff hitter for each of the past 11 games, and has posted a .526 on-base percentage in those contests. He has gone 14-for-41 (.341) during the stretch, with 10 runs scored, two doubles, six RBI, 15 walks, one hit-by-pitch and two stolen bases. He has reached base safely at least once in 10 of those contests. In addition, Walsh has played flawless defense at second base, handling all 53 chances without an error.

In last Sunday's rubber game against Washington, Walsh ignited an 11-run day for the Cardinal offense by setting a career high for hits and tying his career standard for RBI. The switch-hitter went 4-for-5 with two runs scored, a double and three driven in.

Walsh has hit safely in 18 of his last 24 starts dating back to 2008, going 31-for-90 (.344) with 21 runs scored, six doubles, 14 RBI and 22 walks.

Iron Man is Heating Up
Sophomore shortstop Jake Schlander, who has started at SS for each of Stanford's 87 games during his collegiate career, is 10-for-18 (.556) with seven runs scored, one double, one triple, one home run and four RBI over the last five games. The Cardinal shortstop has tied his career high for hits twice during the span - going 3-for-4 March 27 vs. Washington and 3-for-3 Wednesday night vs. Santa Clara. Schlander started Stanford's winning, eighth-inning rally against the Broncos by beating out a one-out, infield single.

In 2008, Schlander became the first Stanford freshman to start every game at shortstop since games played became an officially kept statistic in 1960. The Scottsdale, Ariz. native was the first Cardinal rookie to start each contest at any position since current San Diego Padres outfielder Jody Gerut did so in 1996.

Mr. Consistency
Throughout his four years on The Farm, senior outfielder Joey August has been a picture of consistency at the plate. Stanford's active leader in batting average and hits, he owns a career .312 batting average (172-for-552) in 163 games (124 starts). He is also a lifetime .330 hitter (69-for-209) in 54 career Pac-10 contests.

August has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, going 13-for-44 (.295). He has played longball recently, as all three of his home runs have come in the last five contests - including his first career grand slam in Stanford's 13-3 victory over Washington March 27.

Gaylord Getting it Done
Junior infielder Adam Gaylord has hit safely in eight of the 10 games he has had an at-bat, going 12-for-34 for a team-best .353 average, two doubles and six RBI. He has started 10 contests (eight at third base and two at second), and already has 11 more hits than he did in 2008 (one, in only 15 at-bats).

During his current five-game hitting streak, Gaylord is 7-for-18 (.389) with three runs scored, a double and three RBI.

Toby on a Tear
Despite going 0-for-4 Wednesday vs. Santa Clara, junior OF Toby Gerhart is 9-for-22 (.409) with two doubles, a triple, two home runs and seven RBI in the last five games (including four multi-hit contests). After hammering his first home run of the season March 28 vs. Washington, he deposited the first pitch he saw Monday at Pacific over the right-center field wall for a two-run home run that gave the Cardinal a 2-0, first-inning lead.

Power From the Northwest
Sophomore right fielder Kellen Kiilsgaard has been swinging a hot bat of late, hitting at a .310 clip (18-for-58) with five doubles, five home runs, 18 RBI, a .655 slugging percentage and a .420 on-base mark over his last 15 games (since Feb. 28). In the nine games since Stanford returned from its finals break March 21, Kiilsgaard is 12-for-36 (.333) with four doubles, three home runs, 13 RBI and nine walks.

After getting only three at-bats as a true freshman in 2008, Kiilsgaard ranks sixth in the Pac-10 with an overall .652 slugging percentage and is tied for seventh with six home runs. He is also batting .303 overall (20-for-66), has a club-best 19 RBI and owns a .418 on-base mark.

Wednesday night vs. Santa Clara, Kiilsgaard's tie-breaking, RBI-single with two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the eighth inning plated Jake Schlander with the winning run in a 6-5 Stanford victory.

Kiilsgaard, a two-sport star at Auburn (Wash.) High School, was a redshirt freshman on Stanford's 2007 football squad, but gave up the gridiron to concentrate solely on baseball.

Fearnow Bullish Out of the `Pen
Senior right-hander Max Fearnow has been very impressive since moving to the Stanford bullpen, with a 1.69 ERA (2er, 10.2ip) over five relief outings. He has allowed just eight hits in 39 at-bats (.205), with one walk and nine strikeouts.

Fearnow earned the win March 25 at UC Davis with 3.0-innings of two-hit, shutout relief. After allowing a pair of singles in his first inning, he retired the final seven batters he faced as Stanford scored five runs.

From Walk-on to Winning Pitcher
Sophomore reliever Carey Schwartz, who attended Palo Alto High School and wished to someday play at Stanford, was a huge success story in 2008 by making the club as a walk-on. The story has become even better in 2009, as he ranks third among Cardinal relievers with a 4.32 ERA (4er, 8.1ip) over seven appearances. The side-arming reliever has been huge in clutch situations, stranding eight of his nine inherited runners (88.9%). Schwartz earned his first career victory March 22 against, fittingly enough, California.

Moon Rising
Junior IF/DH Min (Brian) Moon has helped key Stanford to a 5-1 record in the last six games by jumping on the first extended playing time of his career. Beginning when he pinch-hit in the DH spot during the first lineup turn March 25 at UC Davis, he has essentially started the last four contests and is 6-for-21 (.286) with seven runs scored, a double, a home run and five RBI.

Moon hammered his first collegiate home run against the Aggies, a fifth-inning solo shot that snapped a scoreless tie.

Back for More
Stanford's 35-man roster includes 17 returning letterwinners from its 2008 College World Series club, a total that includes six starting position players, three starting pitchers and its closer.

The Cardinal has retained the services of the following starting position players: OF Joey August (Sr.), OF Toby Gerhart (Jr.), 3B Zach Jones (So.), 1B Brent Milleville (Sr.), SS Jake Schlander (So.) and OF Jeff Whitlow (Sr.). Please note that Gerhart and Whitlow spent a majority of last season in a platoon role.

RHP Max Fearnow (Sr.), RHP Jeffrey Inman (Jr.) and RHP Danny Sandbrink (So.) all saw significant time in the 2008 rotation, while closer Drew Storen (RHP - So). is back after a freshman All-America campaign.

A New Guard
On the flip side, 208 of Stanford's 687 at-bats have been taken by players who had fewer than 20 at-bats in 2008: Mike Garza (5 in 2009, high school in 2008); Adam Gaylord (34 in `09, 15 in `08); Christian Griffiths (14 in `09, HS in `08); J.J. Jelmini (3 in `09, 3 in `08); Jonathan Kaskow (44 in `09, 5 in `08); Kellen Kiilsgaard (66 in `09, 3 in `08); Kellen McColl (3 in `09, 0 in `08); Min (Brian) Moon (25 in `09, 0 in `08) and Wande Olabisi (14 in `09, 4 in `08).

Likewise, 80.0 of the Cardinal's 179.0 innings pitched have been handled by players who threw less than 20.0 frames in 2008: Brian Busick (3.0 in 2009, high school in 2008); Brett Mooneyham (19.1 in `09, HS in `08); Jordan Pries (22.2 in `09, HS in `08); Chris Reed (1.1 in `09, HS in `08); Carey Schwartz (8.1 in `09, 3.1 in `08); Scott Snodgress (13.0 in `09, HS in `08); Kyle Thompson (2.2 in `09, 0.0 in `08) and Brandt Walker (9.2 in `09, 6.0 in `08).

Inman Named to Golden Spikes Award Watch List; Third-Team All-America
Junior right-handed pitcher Jeffrey Inman has been named by USA Baseball as one of 50 players on the preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List, while he is also a preseason third-team All-America selection by Baseball America.Sponsored by Major League Baseball, the Golden Spikes Award is in its 32nd season honoring the top player in college baseball. The list will be paired down to 30 on May 26 and again to five finalists on June 2, while the winner will be announced in a July 15 awards show as part of MLB All-Star festivities in St. Louis.

Inman played a key role in Stanford's run to the 2008 College World Series, going 7-2 with a 4.27 ERA (34er, 71.2ip) in 16 games (13 starts) as a sophomore. He then followed his sophomore collegiate campaign by striking out 34 batters in just 31.1 innings for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, and was tabbed by Baseball America as the ninth-best prospect in the 2008 Cape Cod League.

Storen Named to NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List
Stanford sophomore right-hander Drew Storen is one of 40 players selected to the initial watch list for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award. The award is in its fifth season, and honors the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball.

Storen emerged as one of college baseball's premier closers during a stellar freshman campaign in 2008, going 5-3 with eight saves and a 3.51 ERA (22er, 56.1ip) in a club-high 31 relief outings. He was a first-team freshman All-America selection by Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger, while he earned second-team honors from Rivals.com and third-team accolades from Ping!Baseball. The first-team All-Pac-10 performer was fourth in the league for saves (second among freshmen), while he tied for the seventh-highest single-season save total in Stanford history.

Following Stanford's 2008 season, Storen served as the closer for the Cotuit Kettleers in the prestigious Cape Cod League. He posted five saves, a 2.76 ERA (5er, 16.1ip) and .200 average against (12-for-60) in 13 relief appearances, with 15 strikeouts against five walks.

From the Gridiron to the Diamond
Junior outfielder Toby Gerhart is the latest in a proud Stanford tradition of two-sport athletes. During the 2008 football season, the running back established Stanford's single-season rushing record with 1,136 yards. The bruising runner averaged 5.4 yards per carry (210 attempts), while scoring 15 rushing touchdowns - good for second in school history.

Professional Lineage
Stanford has eight players on its 35-man roster that has had a parent or grandparent play professional sports:

Joey August (father, Bill, was a quarterback with the NFL's San Francisco 49ers in 1975, but did not play in a game); Toby Gerhart (father, Todd, played in the USFL with the Denver Gold in 1985-86 and went to NFL training camp with the Minnesota Vikings in 1986 and Houston Oilers in 1987); Jonathan Kaskow (father, Chris, played men's doubles tennis at Wimbledon in 1977); Kellen Kiilsgaard (grandfather, Carl, played for the NFL's Chicago Cardinals in 1950); Michael Marshall (father, Mike, was a two-time World Series champion and played 11 MLB seasons from 1981-91 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and Boston Red Sox); Kellen McColl (father, Milt was a two-time Super Bowl champion during an eight-year NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Raiders from 1981-88; grandfather, Bill, played for the NFL's Chicago Bears from 1952-59; uncle, Duncan, was drafted by the NFL's Washington Redskins in 1977); Brett Mooneyham (father, Bill, pitched for the Oakland Athletics in 1986) and Jordan Pries (grandfather, Bud Daley, was a two-time World Series winner during a 10-year MLB career with the Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Athletics and New York Yankees from 1955-64).

Stanford Among the All-Time Best
Currently in its 116th season of college baseball, Stanford has posted the fifth-most wins of any NCAA Division I program with a 2,566-1,613-34 (.613) all-time record. That ledger includes 128 NCAA Tournament wins over 28 appearances, tied for the sixth-most all-time.

Leading the Pac
Since the Pac-10 disbanded the two-division system and realigned prior to the 1999 season, Stanford leads all conference teams with 440 wins, four league titles and six trips to the College World Series.

Cardinal Consistency
Stanford has finished at least .500 in 15 straight seasons, and in 31 of 32 campaigns under head coach Mark Marquess. The Cardinal has also advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 25 of the last 28 years (since 1982), while advancing to the College World Series 14 times over that span. By virtue of that success, players on 28 of the last 30 four-year graduating classes at Stanford have played in Omaha.