Nico_Hoerner_JPL_04262018_0039Nico_Hoerner_JPL_04262018_0039
John P. Lozano/Stanford Athletics
Baseball

Pac-12 Play Continues

STANFORD, Calif. – No. 2 Stanford continues Pac-12 Conference play when it opens a three-game series at Utah on Friday at 10:30 a.m. PT.

All three contests will air on Pac-12 Networks and start at 10:30 a.m. PT, with live statistics available at GoStanford.com. 

Weekend Opponent, Utah
• Stanford owns a 13-6-0 all-time record against the Utes, with the series dating to 1965. Last season, Stanford claimed a 2-1 series win after dropping the opener at Sunken Diamond.
• The Utes have won two two-of-three Pac-12 home series, including 2-1 series wins over Oregon State and Arizona. Most recently, Utah took a 2-1 series win over the Wildcats on April 27-29.
• DaShawn Keirsey Jr. leads the team in batting average (.392), doubles (18), slugging percentage (.636) and on-base percentage (.440).

What's Next
• Stanford returns to Sunken Diamond on May 8 to play host to Santa Clara before a three-game series against Oregon State in Corvallis, Oregon.
• The Cardinal then hosts BYU on May 15 before a three-game series against Washington State, the final regular season home action of the season. Game 1 against Washington State on Friday, May 18, will be Stanford's annual Fireworks Night – tickets are on sale at GoStanford.com.
• Starting during Stanford's series at Arizona (April 20-22), Stanford's final 18 Pac-12 conference matchups air on Pac-12 Networks – only one of Stanford's first 32 contests aired on Pac-12 Networks.

Where We Stand
• Stanford is tied with UCLA atop the Pac-12 standings with a 14-4 record, ahead of Oregon State (12-6) and Washington (11-7). UCLA owns the head-to-head tiebreaker after handing Stanford its only series loss on the season, 2-1, in Los Angeles on April 6-8.
• Stanford checks in at No. 2 in the D1 Baseball top-25 for the fifth straight week. The Cardinal also ranks first or second in the Baseball America (2), Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (1), NCBWA (1) and Perfect Game (1) polls.
• Three of Stanford's 2018 opponents ranked in the D1 Baseball poll – Oregon State (3), UCLA (7) and Texas (24).
• As of Wednesday, Stanford's ratings power index (RPI) ranks No. 1 in the nation ahead of Florida, Texas Tech, North Carolina and Arkansas.

As Good as Advertised
• Junior shortstop Nico Hoerner leads Stanford in several offensive categories, including batting average (.321), runs (35), hits (50), multi-hit games (14), triples (4), stolen bases (10), at-bats (156), and plate appearances (175).
• A preseason All-American, Hoerner plays in important leadership role both on and off the field. He rides a nine-game hit streak into the weekend series, and has scored a run in nine of Stanford's past 10 games.
• Widely considered one of the top infield prospects for the MLB Draft, Hoerner checks in at No. 16 in D1 Baseball's latest rankings.

Pac-12-Leading Pitching Staff
• Stanford's pitching staff leads the NCAA in WHIP (1.08), and ranks second in ERA (2.57) and hits allowed per nine innings (6.67). The Cardinal leads the Pac-12 in opposing batting average (.207), hits allowed (268), walks allowed (116) and saves (18).
• Kris Bubic (6-0), a member of the Golden Spikes midseason watch list, leads the starting rotation with a 2.44 ERA and 65 strikeouts, which ranks third in the league.
• Tristan Beck (6-2), Stanford's Friday night starter, owns a 2.78 ERA in 58.1 innings pitched. After missing all of 2017 through injury, Beck, along with Bubic, is considered one of the top pitching prospects for the upcoming MLB Draft.
• Freshman Brendan Beck, the younger brother of Tristan, leads the Pac-12 in ERA (1.58) as Stanford's midweek starter. Beck is holding opposing batters to a .189 average with just eight walks in 45.2 innings pitched.
• Sophomore Erik Miller, Stanford's Sunday starter, is 4-2 with a 3.46 ERA in 39.0 innings pitched. Over his past 13.0 innings, Miller has surrendered seven hits and two earned runs.

Little Leads the Pen
• Sophomore Jack Little has established himself as one of the best closers in college baseball – he has 13 saves in as many opportunities, owning a 0.91 ERA and .141 batting average against in 18 appearances. In 29.2 innings, Little has surrendered just 19 base runners (14 hits, five walks) while striking out 40.
• With a save in Tuesday's 5-2 win against San Francisco, Little moved into a tie for second on Stanford's single-season all-time list with Jeff Bruksch (2000) and Steve Chitren (1987). Last season, Colton Hock set the school record with 16 saves.

Handley has it Covered
• Sophomore Maverick Handley has caught 32 of Stanford's 40 contests, establishing himself as one of the top catchers in the conference.
• Handley leads the Pac-12 in stolen bases caught (15) and pickoffs (5), allowing just eight stolen bases and three past balls on the year.

Super Sophomores
• Andrew Daschbach and Kyle Stowers, two sophomores who played sparingly in 2017, have started every contest and combined for 20 home runs and 79 RBI.
• Daschbach, a native of nearby Atherton, California, ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in home runs (12) and third in RBI (45) while leading the team in total bases (84).
• Stowers, starting every game in right or left field, ranks second on the team with eight home runs and 34 RBI. Stowers has also made four relief pitching appearances, allowing no earned runs across 3.2 innings.

Golden Watch List
• Kris Bubic was named to the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list, one of 40 amateur baseball players up for the award.
• Juniors Nico Hoerner and Bubic were each named to the preseason watch list for the award, which annually recognizes the top amateur baseball player in the country.
• The winner will be announced June 28 in Los Angeles.

#2 Stanford struck out a season-high 15 in Tuesday night's 5-2 win over San Francisco. #GoStanford

A post shared by Stanford Baseball?? (@stanfordbsb) on May 2, 2018 at 12:06pm PDT

2018 Season Recap
• The Cardinal struck out a season-high 15 in a 5-2 win over San Francisco on May 1.
• After dropping the series opener, 4-3, Stanford captured the final two games against California for a 2-1 series win on April 26-28. The Cardinal erupted for 14 runs in Game 2, including 10 in the third inning, moving into a tie with UCLA at 14-4 atop the Pac-12 standings.
• Stanford extended its win streak to eight with a 5-2 win over Pacific on April 24.
• No. 2 Stanford made it seven in a row with a three-game sweep of Arizona last week in Tucson. The Cardinal came from behind in all three games, starting with Game 1 – The Cardinal erupted for five runs in the seventh inning after trailing, 2-0 for most of the contest. In Game 2, Stanford twice came from behind, ultimately overcoming a 6-3 deficit in the bottom of the ninth with five runs – the Wildcats plated a run in the bottom half but Brendan Beck shut the door with his first career save before Stanford's emphatic 7-2 win on Sunday.
• The Cardinal made it four in a row with a three-game sweep of Arizona State on April 13-15. The Cardinal won by scores of 3-1, 11-6 and 10-3 – Andrew Daschbach led the Cardinal with two home runs, and Nico Hoerner had six hits in the series.
• Stanford returned to Sunken Diamond after a four-game road trip with a 7-2 win over UC Davis on April 10. It was the Cardinal's 18th straight Tuesday win, a streak that dates to 2014.
• The Cardinal dropped its first series of the season, 2-1, at UCLA on April 6-8. Andrew Daschbach led Stanford with three home runs on the series, including two in Game 2.
• Stanford defeated Santa Clara, 16-8, on April 3 to improve to 22-3. Brendan Beck (4-0) earned the win in six solid innings, and Andrew Daschbach and Kyle Stowers each homered.
• After falling behind, 3-1, the Cardinal surged back with a two-run home run from Tim Tawa and a go-ahead RBI single from Nico Hoerner to defeat Gonzaga, 4-3, on April 2.
• Stanford improved to 5-1 in Pac-12 play with a 2-1 series win over Oregon. The Cardinal won the final two games after dropping the opener.
• The Cardinal kept its momentum going with a 3-0 win over San Diego on March 27 – Brendan Beck, Jacob Palisch, Will Matthiessen and Jack Little combined to allow three hits.
• Stanford outscored USC, 34-2, across a three-game sweep on March 23-25. Tristan Beck, Kris Bubic and Erik Miller were each fantastic in wins, and Stanford's pitching staff surrendered 15 hits all weekend.
• The Cardinal claimed an emphatic 3-1 series win at No. 23 Texas on March 8-11. Stanford dropped the opener, 8-6, before dominating the final three games by scores of 7-1, 9-3 and 11-1.
• Stanford continued its winning start to the season with a 3-1 series win over Michigan, highlighted by Tim Tawa's walk-off, three-run home run in Game 2, a 3-2 win. The Cardinal lost its first contest of the season, 5-0, bouncing back with a 7-4 win in Sunday's finale.
• Stanford improved to 8-0 on the season with a four-game sweep of Rice on Feb. 22-25.
• The Cardinal made it four in a row to start the year with a 3-2 win at UC Davis on Feb. 19.
• No. 13 Stanford opened the season with a three-game sweep over No. 17 Cal State Fullerton. Tristan Beck earned Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week honors in his first start in 630 days after missing his sophomore season through injury.

A New Era
• David Esquer was named Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball on June 16, 2017. Esquer is the 21st head coach in program history, succeeding Mark Marquess, who retired after 41 years at the helm.
• Esquer served as an assistant under Marquess from 1991-96 before spending the past 18 seasons as the head coach at Cal, where he was the 2011 National Coach of the Year and led the Golden Bears to five NCAA Regionals and the 2011 College World Series.
• Esquer accrued a 525-467-2 (.528) record at Cal, mentoring 81 Major League draft picks and 13 All-Americans.