May 8, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
STANFORD CARDINAL (23-20) vs. NEW MEXICO LOBOS (32-16)
Friday, May 8 5:30 p.m. Klein Field at Sunken Diamond (Stanford, CA)
RHP Jordan Pries (3-2, 4.12) vs. LHP John Hesketh (5-3, 3.31)
Saturday, May 9 1:00 p.m. Klein Field at Sunken Diamond (Stanford, CA)
LHP Brett Mooneyham (4-2, 5.00) vs. LHP Rudy Jaramillo (3-0, 3.86)
Sunday, May 10 1:00 p.m. Klein Field at Sunken Diamond (Stanford, CA)
RHP Jeffrey Inman (2-6, 5.94) vs. RHP Ryan Escarcega (1-1, 4.41)
All times Pacific; every game is broadcast on KZSU (90.1 FM) and gostanford.com
Stanford Hosts New Mexico in Crucial Non-Conference Home SeriesFighting for a return trip to the NCAA Tournament, the Stanford Cardinal (23-20) will host the New Mexico Lobos (32-16) in a crucial non-conference, weekend series at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond. The Cardinal enters the weekend 87th in the latest NCAA RPI rankings (released May 5), while the Lobos are 76th.
Despite a 12-9 loss Wednesday, Stanford has still won five of its last seven games and is 8-4 in its last 12 contests. The Cardinal enters its conference bye week tied for sixth in the Pac-10, but only 1.5 games out of fifth. New Mexico has dropped five of its last six games after sprinting out to a 32-11 record. The Lobos are in second place in the Mountain West Conference, just 1.0 game behind No. 15 TCU.
Broadcast InformationAll 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.
Erik Adams will handle broadcast duties for this weekend's series against New Mexico.
Marquess Eighth on All-Time NCAA Division I Wins List; One Shy of 1,350Stanford head coach Mark Marquess has compiled the eighth-most wins in NCAA Division I baseball history, having posted a 1,349-689-7 (.661) career record. With the Cardinal's 11-7 victory over California April 22, Marquess broke an eighth-place tie with Rod Dedeaux, who - according to the official NCAA record book - compiled a 1,342-597-16 record over 44 seasons at USC (1942-47 and 1949-86).
Marquess, who has spent his entire 33-yearhead coaching career at the helm of his alma mater, has the most victories by any coach of any sport in Stanford history.
Haven't Seen You in 37 Years! Stanford and New Mexico have met just once previously on the baseball diamond, with the Cardinal posting a 7-6 victory at Sunken Diamond on March 30, 1972.
Strength Against StrengthAs of the last NCAA D-I statistical rankings (released on May 5), this series will pit one of nation's stingiest pitching staffs against the country's best offense. Stanford pitchers were ranked 12th by allowing an average of just 8.46 hits per 9.0 innings (now 8.83), while New Mexico owned the country's top batting average (.368) and had compiled the most hits (659).
Cardinal Clips
First 14, Last 29: Stanford opened the year just 4-10 (.400) over its 1st 14 games...the Cardinal has gone 19-10 (.656) in its last 29 contests, beginning March 25.Non-Conference Success: Stanford is 10-1 in its last 11 non-conference games...the Cardinal's 10-game, non-conference winning streak March 25-May 5 was its longest since 2000.Easy as 3-4-5: During the Cardinal's 29-game run, Stanford's 3-4-5 group of junior LF Toby Gerhart, sophomore RF Kellen Kiilsgaard and senior 1B Brent Milleville are a combined 107-for-320 (.334) with 20 2Bs, 3 3Bs, 20 HRs and 82 RBI.Setting the Table: Sophomore 2B Colin Walsh has reached base safely via hit, walk or hit-by-pitch in 26 straight games...he is hitting .385 (37-for-96) with a .516 on-base pct. during the stretch.Save Me: Sophomore RHP Drew Storen is tied for 3rd in the Pac 10 for saves and tied for 6th for wins, going 6-1 with 7 saves and a 3.41 ERA (12er, 31.2ip) in a staff-high 22 appearances.Milly is Mashing: Senior 1B Brent Milleville has 14 RBI in Stanford's last 7 games (team is 5-2).Stanford at the Plate
Stanford is batting .278 (411-for-1,480) in its 1st 43 games, while scoring 264 runs (6.1 rpg).The Cardinal is hitting at a .303 clip (305-for-1,008) over its last 29 games, boosting the overall team average .53 points (from .225).Stanford is averaging an even 7.0 runs per game during that 29-game stretch (203 total), with a .456 slugging pct. and a .382 on-base mark.Stanford owns a .266 batting avg. (189-for-711) during Pac-10 play, with a .414 slugging pct. and .356 on-base mark...the Cardinal has scored 110 runs in its 21 conference games (5.2 rpg).2B Colin Walsh paces the club with a .329 batting avg. (49-for-149)...he is also tops with a .468 on-base pct. (5th Pac-10) and 38 walks (2nd Pac-10)...Walsh ranks 15th nationally with an avg. of 0.90 walks per game.1B Brent Milleville leads the team with 11 HRs (t-7th Pac-10), 39 RBI (8th Pac-10) and a .587 slugging pct. (9th Pac-10).OF Joey August is tops with 54 hits and 17 multi-hit games...OF Toby Gerhart paces Stanford with 36 runs scored and two triples.C/3B Zach Jones is tied for 5th in the Pac-10 with 14 stolen bases (in 18 attempts).Stanford on the Mound
Stanford has posted a 5.03 ERA (213er, 381.0ip) over the 1st 43 contests, with a .264 opponents' batting average (374-for-1,418).Cardinal pitchers rank 12th in the country by yielding just 8.83 hits per 9.0 innings (374h, 381.0ip).RHP Drew Storen (6-1, 7 saves) leads the staff in both wins and saves, while ranking tied for 6th and tied for 3rd, respectively, in the Pac-10 in those categories...the sophomore also paces Stanford with 22 appearances.RHP Jordan Pries has been the Pac-10's 4th-toughest pitcher to hit, with a staff-best .199 opponents' batting avg. (38-for-191)...he is 12th nationally with an average of 6.26 hits per 9.0 innings (staff-high 54.2ip).LHP Brett Mooneyham is 6th among all NCAA D-I hurlers by yielding just 6.0 hits per 9.0 innings (30h, 45.0ip), while ranking 58th with 9.8 strikeouts per 9.0 frames (team-high 49).RHP Michael Marshall leads the team with a 3.33 ERA over 17 relief appearances.Stanford with the Gloves
Stanford leads the Pac-10 and ranks 10th in the country with a .976 fielding pct., having committed 40 errors in 1,655 total chances.C/3B Zach Jones leads the Pac-10 lead by throwing out 19 attempted base-stealers (in 44 attempts - 43.1 pct.)...he has also picked off 3 runners.SS Jake Schlander is 3rd in the Pac-10 with 128 assists, while 1B Brent Milleville is among the conference leaders in putouts (2nd - 358), chances (2nd - 377), fielding double plays (t-7th - 28) and fielding pct. (10th - .992).2B Colin Walsh has been errorless in 36 of his last 37 games, with a .994 fielding pct. (1e, 165tc)...he is among 10 qualifying players with a perfect 1.000 fielding mark in Pac-10 play (68tc).Jones and CF Joey August also have 1.000 fielding ledgers in conference games, as the Cardinal has logged a .981 mark (15e, 782tc) in Pac-10 contests.Series ScoopStanford has split its first 10 series of the season, winning five and losing five. The Cardinal won two of three last weekend at Washington State, and is 4-3 in Pac-10 sets on the campaign.
This weekend's three games against New Mexico will mark Stanford's third non-conference series of the year. The Cardinal opened the 2009 campaign by taking two of three from visiting Vanderbilt, but dropped sets at Cal State Fullerton and against then No.-2 Texas.
Over the longer haul, Stanford is an impressive 18-7 (won-lost) in its last 25 weekend series.
Home Sweet HomeStanford has won 11 of its past 15 games at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond, and is 15-9 overall at home this season. The Cardinal, which is 344-120 (.741) on The Farm since 1996, will play eight of its final 12 games at home.
A Look at the Pac-10Although Stanford will not be playing a Pac-10 opponent this weekend, it will certainly have one eye on the conference scoreboard. The Cardinal enters the weekend at 10-11 in Pac-10 play, tied with USC for sixth in the conference. Stanford is 6.0 games behind front-running Arizona State, but is only 3.0 contests behind UCLA (13-8) for second, 2.5 games in back of Oregon State and Washington State (both 11-7) for third and 2.5 games shy of Washington (10-8) for fifth.
Five is FineStanford is 19-8 (.703) this season when scoring at least five runs in a game, but just 4-12 (.250) when plating four or fewer.
Extra, Extra! Stanford is a perfect 3-0 in extra inning games this season. The Cardinal beat Vanderbilt 6-5 in 10 frames on Opening Night (Feb. 20), posted a 6-5, 12-inning win March 22 at California and rallied for a 4-3, 10-inning triumph April 9 vs. UCLA.
Non-Conference Success - Stanford is 10-1 in Its Last 11 Outside of the Pac-10Beginning with a March 25 victory at UC Davis, Stanford is 10-1 (.909) in its last 11 non-conference games. Wednesday night's 13-9 loss at Santa Clara snapped the Cardinal's 10-game, non-conference winning streak - the club's longest since March 19-May 15, 2000.
Stanford has won its last seven home games against non-conference foes, while going 3-1 on the road. The Cardinal's success has featured a 2-0 mark against the Western Athletic Conference, 2-0 versus the Big West Conference, 4-1 against the West Coast Conference and a pair of wins against Pac-10 foe California in a non-conference setting.
In those 11 games, Stanford has a team batting average of .346 (141-for-408), while scoring 109 runs (9.9 runs per game). Cardinal pitchers, meanwhile, have posted a 4.22 ERA (46er, 98.0ip) and a .279 average against (105-for-376).
Comeback Kids Four of Stanford's last five victories have been of the comeback variety, featuring Cardinal rallies from deficits of one, four, four and six runs, respectively. The biggest comeback to date was this past Tuesday night, when Stanford erased a six-run, third-inning deficit of 7-1 en route to a 9-8 victory over visiting San Jose State. The Cardinal also had a similar rally last Saturday in Pullman, roaring back from a 7-3, fifth-inning hole and an 8-7, eighth-inning deficit to post a 12-9 win at Washington State.
Stanford's recent string of comebacks began in the April 27 midweek game against visiting San Francisco, when the Cardinal turned a 4-3, seventh-inning deficit into a 12-4 victory. On April 29,Stanford trailed visiting Sacramento State 4-0 entering the bottom of the eighth; however, the Cardinal exploded for six runs in the frame and won 6-4.
Stanford now has 10 comeback victories this season, including winning four games in which it trailed by at least four runs at some point.
Eighth Inning EnjoymentStanford has outscored teams 69-35 from the eighth inning on this season, including a 52-25 edge in the eighth alone. In its last three home games - all comeback wins - the Cardinal has outscored its opponents 15-3 in the eighth.
First 14, Last 29Following an 11-4 loss at California on March 23, Stanford's record stood at 4-10 (.400). Beginning with a 5-2 win March 25 at UC Davis, the Cardinal has gone 19-10 (.655). Not surprisingly, Stanford's offensive numbers, pitching stats and fielding marks are dramatically better in the last 29 games as compared to the first 14. Here is the breakdown:
FIRST 14 GAMES (4-10, .400)
Team Batting
Runs Per Game: 4.4 (61 total)
On-Base Pct.: .319
Slugging Pct.: .333
Team Pitching
Opp. Avg.: .270
Strikeouts/Walks: 93/71
Saves: 1
Team Fielding
Errors: 14
LAST 29 GAMES (19-10, .655)
Team Batting
Runs Per Game: 7.0 (203 total)
On-Base Pct.: .382
Slugging Pct.: .456
Team Pitching
Opp. Avg.: .261
Strikeouts/Walks: 202/95
Saves: 7
Team Fielding
Errors: 26
Setting the TableSophomore second baseman and Stanford leadoff hitter Colin Walsh has reached base safely via hit, walk or hit-by-pitch in 26 straight games, extending the streak by going a combined 5-for-9 during the two midweek games. The switch-hitting Walsh is hitting .385 (37-for-96) with a .516 on-base percentage during the stretch, adding 24 runs scored, seven doubles, 16 RBI, 26 walks and one hit-by-pitch.
Going back even further, Walsh has reached base safely in 33 of the 34 games since he was permanently inserted into the leadoff spot on March 7. Stanford is 21-13 (.618) during the stretch, while Walsh has hit at a .357 clip (45-for-126) with a .503 on-base mark.
Walsh ranks 15th in the country with an average of 0.90 walks per game, while he is tied for 31st with 38 walks overall (2nd in the Pac-10). He is fifth in the Pac-10 with an overall .468 on-base mark.
Heavy in the MiddleStanford has averaged 7.0 runs per game (203 total) while going 19-10 (.655) over its last 29 contests. A big reason behind the offensive resurgence has been the middle of its order, which has primarily consisted of LF Toby Gerhart batting third, RF Kellen Kiilsgaard hitting cleanup and 1B Brent Milleville batting fifth.
Beginning March 25, the trio of Gerhart, Kiilsgaard and Milleville is a combined 107-for-320 (.334) with 20 doubles, three triples, 20 home runs and 82 RBI. Gerhart is batting .333 (36-for-108) with seven doubles, two triples, five homers and 20 RBI. Kiilsgaard has 34 hits in 109 at-bats (.312) with nine doubles, one triple, four homers and 26 RBI. Milleville is hitting at a .359 clip (37-for-103) with four doubles, 11 homers and 36 RBI.
Milly is MashingSenior 1B Brent Milleville has been on an even more torrid stretch in the last week, with 14 RBI in Stanford's last seven games - including his second grand slam of the season (fourth career) Wednesday at Santa Clara. Over his last 20 games, the slugging first baseman is batting .364 (28-for-77) with eight home runs, 29 RBI, a .727 slugging percentage and a .414 on-base mark.
Milleville has tied his career high (set last year) with a team-high 11 homers to tie for seventh in the Pac-10, while he ranks eighth in the conference with 39 RBI and ninth with a .587 slugging percentage. He paces the league with seven homers in conference-only play, while ranking fourth with a .656 slugging mark.
Bullish `PenAnchored by closer Drew Storen (6-1, seven saves, 3.41 ERA), Stanford's bullpen has helped shorten games this year. The Cardinal is a perfect 19-0 when leading after 8.0 innings, while also going 15-1 when leading after 7.0 frames. Taken back another inning, Stanford is 14-3 when leading after 6.0 innings.
Swing and a MissSophomore RHP Drew Storen has continued to demonstrate the electric stuff that made him a freshman All-American in 2008, as he has compiled 46 strikeouts in just 31.2 innings of work - an average of 13.07 punchouts per 9.0 innings. Even more impressive, Storen has issued just six walks, for a 7.7:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Stanford's closer has also yielded just a .225 average against (27-for-120).
Storen is tied for third in the Pac-10 (and is tied for 46th in the nation) with seven saves, while tying for sixth in the conference for wins with a 6-1 record. The right-hander has forged a 3.41 ERA (12er, 31.2ip) in a staff-high 22 appearances (t-7th Pac-10). Storen has 15 career saves, matching Tony Cogan (1996-99) and Tom Reimers (1994-96) for the fifth-most in Stanford history.
Storen has a career 4.6:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, fanning 96 against 21 free passes in 88.0 innings pitched. On April 10, the draft-eligible sophomore was named the lone relief pitcher on ESPN.com's Mid-season Draft Prospect All-Star team.
Clowe in the FlowSophomore designated hitter Ben Clowe has found his swing as of late. After not homering in his first 36 games this season, Clowe went deep in consecutive games Sunday at Washington State and Tuesday vs. San Jose State. The right-handed batter nearly had a third consecutive longball Wednesday at Santa Clara, but his fourth-inning drive was snared by leaping Broncos center fielder Matt Long at the wall.
Clowe has a trio of multi-hit contests while matching his career-best five-game hitting streak, going 8-for-19 (.421). He is also hitting at a .370 clip (17-for-46) over his last 16 games, with two doubles, the two homers and eight RBI.
Hot August Nights in the SpringSenior center fielder Joey August is enjoying one of the best stretches of his superb four-year career, going 29-for-82 (.354) with 12 RBI while hitting safely in 17 of his last 19 games.
August has also hit safely in 28 of his last 31 contests, batting .323 (43-for-133) with four doubles, all of his career-high four home runs and 21 RBI.
Throughout his four years on The Farm, August has been a picture of consistency at the plate. Stanford's active leader in batting average and hits, he owns a career .315 batting average (203-for-645) in 185 games (146 starts). He is also a lifetime .328 hitter (87-for-265) in 74 career Pac-10 contests.
Gaylord Getting it DoneJunior third baseman Adam Gaylord has hit safely in 14 of his last 18 games, going 20-for-67 (.299) with six doubles, one home run and 12 RBI over the stretch. He tied his career high for hits (third time) Tuesday night vs. San Jose State, going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
Fabulous FreshmenAlthough Stanford's scheduled Friday and Saturday starters - RHP Jordan Pries and LHP Brett Mooneyham - are both freshmen, the duo has proven to be among the nation's toughest pitchers to hit. Mooneyham ranks seventh among all NCAA Division I pitchers by yielding just 6.0 hits per 9.0 innings (30h, 45.0ip), while Pries is 12th in the same category at 6.25 (38h, 54.2ip). Pries' staff-best .199 opponents' batting average (38-for-191) ranks fourth in the Pac-10, while Mooneyham is sixth with a .203 mark (30-for-148).
Stanford's five freshmen pitchers - RHP Brian Busick, Mooneyham, Pries, LHP Chris Reed and LHP Scott Snodgress - have combined for a 9-7 record, one save and a 4.74 ERA (75er, 142.1ip) in 50 appearances (23 starts).
I'll Do The Running Around HereSophomore Zach Jones, who has started the last 24 games at catcher (and 31 overall behind the dish, in addition to 12 at third base), has thrown out an excellent 43.2 percent of attempted base stealers (19 of 44). Jones leads the Pac-10 by nailing 19 would-be base thieves, while he has also picked off three runners.
On the flip side, Jones has made a habit of making life rough on opposing catchers. After leading Stanford with 11 stolen bases as a freshman in 2008, he paces the Cardinal with 14 thefts in 2009 (3rd in the Pac-10). He has been caught just four times this season, while he has been successful on 11 of his last 12 theft attempts.
Stanford has posted a 19-12 (.613) record in Jones' starts behind the plate.
Power From the NorthwestA year after getting just three at-bats, sophomore right fielder Kellen Kiilsgaard has continued his excellent 2009 campaign. He enters the weekend series among the Pac-10 leaders for home runs (10th - 9), RBI (t-9th - 38) and slugging percentage (10th - .579). The left-handed slugger is also just outside the top-10 with team-high totals of 12 doubles and 88 total bases, while he is hitting at a solid .309 clip (47-for-152)., with logging a .414 on-base percentage.
Kiilsgaard has at least one hit in 28 of his 41 games, while picking up at least one RBI in 21 contests.
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.
Iron Man Reaches Century MarkSophomore shortstop Jake Schlander has started each of Stanford's 110 games during his collegiate career, reaching the century mark with the Cardinal's 11-7 victory over California April 22. Schlander, who has been errorless in 22 of his last 24 games and has an overall .970 fielding percentage, ranks third in the Pac-10 with 128 assists.
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.
Fearnow Providing ReliefSenior right-hander Max Fearnow has been very impressive since moving to the Stanford bullpen, forging a 2.76 ERA (9er, 29.1ip) over 13 relief outings. He has allowed just 25 hits in 112 at-bats (.223), with 10 walks and 23 strikeouts.
Fearnow improved to 3-1 out of the Cardinal `pen by earning the win in Stanford's April 24 victory over San Francisco, a game in which he tossed 3.0-hitless, scoreless innings.
Inman Named to Golden Spikes Award Watch List; Third-Team All-AmericaJunior 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 ListStanford 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 DiamondJunior OF 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 LineageStanford 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 BestCurrently in its 116th season of college baseball, Stanford has posted the fifth-most wins of any NCAA Division I program with a 2,582-1,622-34 (.613) all-time record. That ledger includes 128 NCAA Tournament wins over 28 appearances, tied for the sixth-most all-time.
Leading the PacSince the Pac-10 disbanded the two-division system and realigned prior to the 1999 season, Stanford leads all conference teams with 454 wins, four league titles and six trips to the College World Series.
Cardinal ConsistencyStanford 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.
Seven Former Stanford Players on 2009 MLB Opening Day RostersContinuing the proud tradition of Stanford baseball at the highest level, seven former Cardinal players are on Opening Day 25-man Major League Baseball rosters - infielder Eric Bruntlett (Philadelphia Phillies), outfielder Chris Carter (Boston Red Sox), first baseman Ryan Garko (Cleveland Indians), outfielder Jody Gerut (San Diego Padres), pitcher Jeremy Guthrie (Baltimore Orioles), infielder Jed Lowrie (Boston Red Sox) and outfielder Carlos Quentin (Chicago White Sox).
Carter and Lowrie experienced the pomp and circumstance of Opening Day for the first time, while Guthrie earned a pitcher's top regular season honor - the Opening Day start for Baltimore.