STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford finished its 2019 season with the fifth-highest win percentage (.763) in program history while earning its first Super Regional berth since 2014.
The Cardinal's (45-14-0, 22-7-0 Pac-12) season came to a close after a 2-0 loss in the Starkville Super Regional at Mississippi State. Stanford finished top-two in the Pac-12 title race for the third consecutive season, hosting an NCAA Regional for the 18th time in program history. Below is a comprehensive, by-the-numbers recap of the 2019 season.
A post shared by Stanford Baseball?? (@stanfordbsb) on Jun 9, 2019 at 9:29pm PDT
1,575 – The total distance (feet) of Andrew Daschbach's four home runs against Cal Poly on May 14. Daschbach is the only player in program history with four home runs, the only player in the NCAA to do so in 2019 and the first since 2013. He joins UCLA's Bill Scott (March 30, 1999) as the only Pac-12 players in history to homer four times in a game.
Not 1??...not 2??... not 3??...but 4??! Andrew Daschbach makes history as the first Cardinal to exit the yard 4?? times in a game! ????????
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) May 15, 2019
?? @StanfordBSB pic.twitter.com/VqbmUdIBrg
182 – Stanford's pitching staff, which ranked third in the Pac-12 with a 3.62 earned-run average, allowed 182 walks in 2019, the fewest in the Pac-12.
All @E_Rex23's career-high 1??2?? strikeouts in Sunday's 8-6 win over Fresno State, which forced the winner-take-all affair on Monday. ?? #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/2WWqMptx1Q
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) June 5, 2019
102 – Erik Miller led the team with 102 strikeouts, the most in a season since Mark Appel fanned 130 in 2013.
91.2 – Brendan Beck led the Cardinal with 91.2 innings as Stanford's Friday-night starter. Beck finished 5-4 with a 3.63 ERA.
If your favorite baseball team needs a catcher, I urge you to send the GM this story on Stanford's @MaverickHandley https://t.co/WbUCWHl8gA
— David Kiefer (@treeSIDkiefer) May 30, 2019
91 – Stanford is 91-22-0 (.805) in games when Maverick Handley started at catcher from 2017-19.
Awesome moment: David Esquer just came over to the on-deck circle to tell Kyle Stowers he had just been drafted.
— Shotgun Spratling (@ShotgunSprD1) June 4, 2019
Here's the team reacting during a pitching change: pic.twitter.com/EkRWb3gqDI
71 – While standing on deck in Stanford's must-win Regional matchup against Fresno State on June 2, Kyle Stowers was picked 71st overall in the second round of the MLB Draft by the Orioles. Erik Miller (120th in the fourth round to the Philadelphia Phillies), Jack Little (161st in the fifth round to the Los Angeles Dodgers), Maverick Handley (168th in the sixth round to the Orioles), Will Matthiessen (184th overall in the sixth round to the Pittsburgh Pirates), Andrew Daschbach (318th overall in the 11th round to the Orioles), Brandon Wulff (521st overall in the 17th round to the Dodgers), Duke Kinamon (728th overall in the 24th round to the Tampa Bay Rays) and former Cardinal Daniel Bakst (857th overall in the 28th round to the Boston Red Sox) were also picked.
63 – Stanford co-led the Pac-12 in stolen bases with 63 – Kyle Stowers led the team with 13 while Maverick Handley and Duke Kinamon finished with 12 apiece.
?? squad @MaverickHandley @willmatthiessen
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) June 1, 2019
Andrew Daschbach@nickkoar #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/vlYvFFm24x
48 – Stanford's 48 home runs were the most in Pac-12 play, led by Brandon Wulff (11) and Andrew Daschbach (9).
47 – Nick Bellafronto appeared in 47 games, including 44 starts, this season after making one total appearance in his first three seasons at Stanford. Bellafronto finished the season with six home runs, batting .258/.383/.492 with 32 runs, 13 doubles and 32 RBI.
Stanford's .7??6??3?? win percentage during the 2019 season was the 5th-best in program history! ?????? #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/GrNTzZ5XnA
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) June 14, 2019
45 – Stanford's 45 wins tie for the 13th-most in program history – Stanford has accrued 91 wins in two seasons under the Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball David Esquer.
For Kyle Stowers, the number on his @StanfordBSB jersey is more than just an identifier. It is a tribute to a friend that exemplified the power of courage through struggle. pic.twitter.com/VMzho9madg
— NCAA (@NCAA) April 28, 2019
37 – Kyle Stowers, who batted .303/.369/.523 with nine home runs, 39 RBI, 39 runs and a team-high 13 stolen bases, switched numbers prior to the season to honor close friend Jason Lyon, who succumbed to a battle with brain cancer when the two were high school teammates.
35 – Stanford has appeared in the postseason 35 times with a 151-80-0 (.654) all-time record.
32 – Zach Grech's 32 appearances led the team and rank fifth in program history, four behind the record held by Tony Cogan (1997). Grech finished the season with a 3.68 ERA in 44.0 innings pitched while surrendering just seven walks.
.@jack_little11 left it all on the line in his final appearance as Stanford's most productive closer in history. In 2?? seasons at the back of our bullpen...
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) June 15, 2019
50 appearances ??
1.94 ERA ??
.196 BA ?
113 K ??
19 BB ?????
0.91 WHIP ??
28 saves (program record) ??#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/8aKGPK2Fjb
28 – Jack Little leaves Stanford as the program's all-time leader in saves with 28. In 2018, Little tied Colton Hock for the single-season program record (16). In two seasons as closer, Little posted a 1.94 ERA in 88.0 innings pitched with 113 strikeouts, 19 walks, a 0.91 WHIP and a .196 batting average against.
"It's that bond that we have in the locker room and the group of guys that we have that make it so special." @brandon_wulff reflects on 4?? unforgettable seasons on The Farm. ???? #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/0HLp26phli
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) May 22, 2019
19 – Brandon Wulff led the team with 19 home runs, which tie for ninth on the all-time single-season record list. Wulff's 19 homers are the most in a season since Sean Ratliff hit 22 in 2008.
14 – Stanford's 14 losses tie for the third-fewest in program history.
"Part of the deal when you agree to play baseball here at Stanford." @ChrisBurke02
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) June 14, 2019
"They've got a plan ??? AND a plan ???." @DaveNealSports
"It's a special group, and it always is at Stanford." @realbenmcdonald #OnlyAtStanford pic.twitter.com/6B4lEiSs5X
13 – Thirteen Cardinal were named All-Academic, led by first teamers Zach Grech, Maverick Handley and Jack Little.
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11 – 2019 marked the 11th time Stanford played in a Super Regional and the first since 2014.
Always entertaining with @MaverickHandley behind the dish ?? Handley has thrown out 1??2?? stolen base attempts with 8?? pickoffs on the season. #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/OEwNFmCVj0
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) June 2, 2019
9 – Catcher Maverick Handley finished the season with nine pickoffs, the most in the country and seven more than any other Pac-12 catcher.
8 – Stanford hit four or more home runs in a game eight times – Stanford's 12 home runs in the Regional round were the most of any team in the NCAA.
3.72 – Maverick Handley's grade-point average in bioengineering – Handley earned CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 and Pac-12 All-Academic first team honors with the highest GPA of any student-athlete selected to the Pac-12 All-Academic teams.
We're SUPER, thanks for asking. ?? #GoStanford
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3 – Facing elimination from the Stanford Regional after losing to Fresno State in its second postseason game, the Cardinal reeled off three-straight wins, including two over the Bulldogs, to stave off elimination and qualify for the Starkville Super Regional at Mississippi State.
Always a treat having one of our all-time greats at Sunken Diamond! Congratulations, Mike Mussina, on becoming the first former Cardinal inducted into the @baseballhall! ???? #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/LmjmqqWTCP
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) May 19, 2019
1 – Mike Mussina `91 became the first former Cardinal inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on January 22. Stanford honored Mussina prior to its May 17 duel with Oregon State at Sunken Diamond.
The honors keep rolling in for RHP Alex Williams, who picked up his 3rd Freshman All-America honor, this one from @PerfectGameUSA!
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) June 13, 2019
??: https://t.co/LGy6KVhBAV#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/on0SHLMvVx
0.97 – Alex Williams earned Freshman All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, NCBWA and Perfect Game with a staff-low 0.97 WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched), finishing with a 2.56 ERA in 63.1 innings pitched while issuing just eight walks.
.@willmatthiessen picked up another All-America honor, this time from @ABCA1945 as a utility player! #GoStanford https://t.co/ZtaXq9qFXK
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) June 15, 2019
.310 – Will Matthiessen led the Cardinal in batting average (.310), hits (67), RBI (52) and on-base percentage (.389), also carrying a 3.83 ERA across 54.0 innings pitched in 16 total appearances –Matthiessen batted .448/.500/.793 (all team highs) while leading the team in hits (13), doubles (4), home runs (2) and RBI (9). Matthiessen earned All-America status from Perfect Game/Rawlings and ABCA. In his eight starts.
0.00 – Brandon Dieter's ERA – Dieter, who made 32 appearances in the infield, tossed 1.1 perfect innings in his only pitching appearance of the season on May 11.