No. 18 Cardinal Welcomes Blue Devils to Sunken Diamond

SERIES NOTABLES

This weekend's series will mark the first games in program history between the Cardinal and Blue Devils

LEADING OFF

• Stanford enters the week ranked No. 17 by Baseball America, No. 18 according to D1Baseball, No. 25 by Perfect Game and No. 18 in the USA Today Coaches Poll ... has scored 117 runs in 15 games this season – an average of 7.80 runs per game ... is +11 in home runs this season, launching 20 compared to nine allowed, and has homered in 13 consecutive games entering the series against Duke ... was picked to finish eighth in the ACC standings according to the league’s coaches ... has made 19 College World Series appearances, including having reached Omaha in three of the last four seasons ... 19 appearances are seventh-most in the nation ... returns 1,476 of 1,899 at bats (78%) and 469.2 of 481 innings (97.6%) from last year
• Charlie Bates hit .636 (7-for-11) with six runs scored, two doubles, two triples and one RBI in the four-game series vs. Washington ... has hit safely in eight of his 13 games played this year ... has managed three triples to rank second in the ACC and seventh in the nation while averaging .23 triples per game
• Temo Becerra has hit safely in 12 of the 15 games this season, but had a 14-game hitting streak dating back to 2024 snapped on February 21 ... has compiled four multi-RBI games this year ... batted .375 (12-for-32) with six runs scored, a double and 11 RBIs in February
• Trevor Haskins homered in five consecutive games from February 21-28 - the first player to hit a homer in five consecutive games since Brock Jones managed the feat in six straight from May 15-25, 2022 ... had an 11-game hitting streak to start the year snapped on March 2 vs. Xavier, but has hit safely in all but two of his games played this season ... five homers rank 10th in the conference ... leads the team in multi-hit games (7) and multi-RBI contests (5) ... was named ACC and NCBWA National Player of the Week on February 24 after batting .389 (7-for-18) with five runs scored, two doubles, three homers and 11 runs batted in while guiding Stanford to a 4-0 week that included a victory at Cal State Fullerton and three more vs. Washington ... hit .389 (7-for-18) with six runs scored, a double, four homers (one in each game) and 12 RBIs in a four-game series against Washington from February 21-24 ... finished the month of February hitting .366 (15-for-41) with a team-best 13 runs scored, three doubles, five homers and 17 RBIs to post an .805 slugging percentage
• Ethan Hott has homered in consecutive games after being held homerless in his first 52 games (157 at bats) ... has a hit in each of his last three games played
• Brandon Larson has hit safely in four of his last five games overall ... managed a three-hit game in his season debut on February 22 vs. Washington ... homered in back-to-back games vs. Xavier (March 2) and at No. 4 North Carolina (March 7) - the latter being a grand slam as part of a six-RBI day against the Tar Heels
• Tatum Marsh fell a single short of the cycle on February 16 at Cal State Fullerton, including connecting for a go-ahead three-run home run in the sixth inning for his first collegiate round-tripper ... has hit safely in five straight games and has reached in 11 straight entering the weekend series with Duke ... batted .370 (10-for-27) with a team-high 13 runs scored, two doubles, two triples, a homer and seven RBIs while managing a .528 on-base perecentage (aided by five walks and four hit-by-pitches) in February ... has been hit by six pitches this year to rank sixth in the ACC
• Jimmy Nati had an 11-game hitting streak to start the year snapped on March 2 vs. Xavier, also ending a 15-game hitting streak dating back to 2024 ... has hit safely in all but two games this season ... batted .351 (13-for-37) with eight runs scored, three doubles and seven RBIs in the month of February
• Brady Reynolds had a six-game hit streak snapped at No. 4 North Carolina on March 8, but has hit safely in all but four games this season and owns a team-best seven multi-hit games ... homered in back-to-back games to close the series at Cal State Fullerton on February 16 and 17 and owns a share of the team lead in homers (5) ... five homers rank 10th in the conference ... has compiled four multi-RBI games this year and has contributed 16 RBIs in total to rank second on the team ... drove in 13 runs while batting .364 (12-for-33) with eight runs scored, two doubles and three homers in February
• Rintaro Sasaki had a seven-game hit streak snapped at No. 4 North Carolina on March 8 ... has hit safely in 11 of his first 15 collegiate games and has reached in all but one contest after opening his career with a string of 14 straight games reaching safely ... drove in four runs in his collegiate debut at Cal State Fullerton on February 15 and owns four multi-RBI games ... has compiled multiple hits in six of the first 15 games ... batted a team-best .378 (14-for-37) with six runs scored, two doubles and 11 RBIs while posting a .477 on-base percentage in the month of February ... named Preseason National Freshman of the Year according to Baseball America and is the favorite to win ACC Freshman of the Year according to Baseball America and D1Baseball
• Charlie Saum has compiled four doubles in 55 at bats through 15 games after totaling two in 32 games played and 99 at bats a year ago ... broke a scoreless game with a fifth-inning solo home run at No. 4 North Carolina in Stanford's series-clinching 7-0 shutout victory over the Tar Heels on March 9 ... owns seven extra-base hits (four doubles, three homers) this year to rank third on the team ... has hit safely in nine of 15 games this season
• Matt Scott was a preseason All-American according to Baseball America (second team) and Perfect Game (third team)
• Joey Volchko was a preseason All-American according to Baseball America (second team) and Perfect Game (third team) ... was teammates with Duke's AJ Gracia and Kyle Johnson last summer while playing with the U.S. Collegiate National Team

THIS WEEK

• Stanford will continue the ACC slate this weekend, welcoming Duke to Sunken Diamond for an ACC home-opening three-game series
• The two teams will begin the series on Friday at 6:05 p.m. before meeting for a 2:05 p.m. first pitch on Saturday
• The series finale between the two is set for Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
• All three games will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra and broadcast live on KZSU 90.1 FM

UP NEXT

• After the three games with Duke, Stanford will remain home to host rival California for three games in ACC play next weekend
• Friday's opener is slated for 6:05 p.m., followed by 2:05 p.m. and 1:05 p.m. first pitches to conclude the three-game set on Saturday and Sunday, respectively

STACKING WINS EARLY

• Stanford began the season 9-0 for the first time since opening the 2018 campaign at 10-0 - the first season under Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball David Esquer
• The Cardinal is now 12-3 to begin the year for the first time since opening 2021 at 14-3
• The nine-game win streak to start the season was the longest win streak for Stanford since winning 17 straight from May 3 – June 3, 2022

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS

• Our first trading card giveaway day is set for Saturday, March 15 vs. Duke, so get to Sunken to receive the first 10 trading cards in the set, while supplies last
• Fans are invited to stick around after the game on Sunday, March 16 vs. Duke to get autographs from the entire team on the concourse
• Our second trading card giveaway day is set for Friday, March 21 vs. California, so get to Sunken to receive 10 more cards in the set, while supplies last

A LOOK BACK

• Stanford won its inaugural ACC series, traveling to No. 4 North Carolina and winning two-of-three over the Tar Heels
• The Cardinal defeated North Carolina 13-9 in the opener before shutting out North Carolina 7-0 in Sunday's finale
• WIth the Sunday shutout, Stanford became the first team to shut out North Carolina at Boshamer Stadium since Dallas Baptist on February 23, 2020 … was the first ACC squad to blank UNC at home since NC State on May 18, 2019 ... the shutout victory was the second of the season (2-0 vs. Washington, 2/21/25) and the first road shutout for the Cardinal since blanking Santa Clara 19-0 on May 17, 2022
• The Cardinal won a series over a top-five opponent for the first time since taking two-of-three at No. 3 Oregon State from April 1-3, 2022
• Tied at 6-6 in the fifth inning, Stanford got a solo home run from Jimmy Nati and a grand slam from Brandon Larson to plate six in the frame and blow the game open en route to the Friday victory ... Larson finished the contest 2-for-5 with a run scored, the homer and a career-high six RBIs ... Stanford once again got big outs from its bullpen as Ty Uber, who was credited with the victory to move to 1-0 on the season, worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings before Trevor Moore carried the torch for the next three scoreless ... Moore struck out four batters over his time on the hill, sending the Cardinal to the ninth with a 13-6 lead
• Receiving a stellar pitching performance from graduate right-hander Jake Knapp on Saturday, No. 4 North Carolina evened a three-game conference series with an 11-1 victory ... Knapp went the distance in the seven-inning, run-rule victory, allowing just four hits and one run with one walk while striking out seven to move to 2-0 on the season ... the lone blemish on his line came on a solo home run from Ethan Hott leading off the top of the third inning ... Hott’s blast, the first of his career, tied the game at one run apiece and came as part of a 2-for-3 day at the plate
• Sophomore Joey Volchko was masterful on Sunday, combining with relievers Aidan Keenan and Toran O’Harran to post the 7-0 shutout victory and secure the road series win ... Volchko worked the first 5 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out six to earn the victory and move to 2-0 on the season ... Keenan inherited runners at the corners and one out in the sixth, getting a strikeout and fielding a comebacker to end the threat and keep the Tar Heels off the board ... he returned to the mound to work the seventh and eighth innings, eventually striking out five while allowing one hit and one walk over his 2 2/3 innings ... with the Cardinal leading 7-0 headed to the bottom of the ninth, O’Harran entered and struck out the side to seal the victory ... senior Charlie Saum led the way offensively on Sunday, finishing 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs ... Saum’s solo homer leading off the fifth, his third round-tripper of the season, broke up Aidan Haugh’s perfect-game bid for North Carolina and proved to be the game-winning swing ... after plating a run on a safety squeeze in the fifth, Hott connected for his second homer in as many games in the ninth to add insurance

ALL HE NEEDS IS SOME HOME COOKING

• A native of Palo Alto, Calif., Charlie Bates has played some of his best baseball in and around the Stanford campus
• That trend continued in Bates' first collegiate home games as a Cardinal, as he hit .636 (7-for-11) with six runs scored, two doubles, two triples and one RBI in the four-game series vs. Washington
• The weekend was highlighted by a 3-for-3 effort that included two triples, a double and one run scored in the home opener on February 21 ... he would then bat 2-for-3 with three runs scored and a double in game two against the Huskies
• In four games played on the road at Cal State Fullerton to start the year, Bates hit .118 (2-for-17) with one run scored and a triple
• So far this season, Bates is hitting .471 (8-for-17) with seven runs scored, two doubles and two triples in eight home games compared to .111 (3-for-27) with two runs scored, a double and one triple in seven games played away from Sunken Diamond

COMEBACK CARDINAL

• The Cardinal has managed six come-from-behind victories over the first 15 games to open the season at 12-3
• Stanford erased a pair of five-run deficits in the final two games of a four-game set at Cal State Fullerton on February 16 and 17
• The Cardinal trailed 8-4 after two innings and 11-6 after three on February 16, but scored four in the fifth, three in the sixth and one in the seventh to earn a 14-11 victory
• The Cardinal trailed 5-0 after two innings, 6-3 after six and 7-3 after eight on February 17, but scored four in the ninth and two in the 10th to win 9-7
• The comebacks continued in week two of the season, as Stanford erased two more late-inning deficits against Washington
• Stanford trailed 9-7 in the sixth inning on February 22 before scoring four in the bottom of the sixth to eventually earn an 11-9 victory
• The Cardinal trailed 3-0 headed to the sixth on February 23, but scored seven runs in the sixth en route to a 9-5 victory over the Huskies
• Stanford allowed the first two runs in a game vs. Xavier on February 28, trailing 2-0 in the third, before responding with 10 unanswered runs to earn the 10-2 victory
• Most recently, Stanford allowed three runs in the first inning at No. 4 North Carolina on March 7 before outscoring the Tar Heels 7-3 over the final five frames to win 13-9
• The comeback in the finale at Cal State Fullerton on February 17 marked the first comeback in the ninth inning or later since defeating Washington State 5-3 in nine innings on April 5, 2024 despite trailing 3-1 headed into the final frame
• The Cardinal managed 10 come-from-behind victories a year ago, including two in the seventh inning or later

A SIGH OF RELIEF

• Stanford's relief corps has impressed through 15 games, with 10 relievers combining for a 6-0 record with a 4.40 ERA and six saves over 71 2/3 innings of work
• Aidan Keenan has allowed just four baserunners over eight appearances and 10 1/3 innings while striking out 13 batters, limiting opponents to a .063 average against, and converting four saves (second in the ACC and ninth nationally) to go along with one victory ... eight appearances are fifth-most in the ACC
• Keenan has inherited eight runners this year, allowing just one to score
• Ty Uber has recorded a victory and converted a pair of saves over seven appearances, surrendering two runs on six hits with nine strikeouts over 11 innings to manage a 1.64 ERA
• Uber has allowed just three of his 10 inherited runners to score this season
• Ben Reimers has allowed just three runs on six hits and three walks over his first seven appearances and 11 innings this season to sport a 2.45 ERA while collecting a victory
• Reimers has inherited 11 runners this year, allowing just four to score
• Toran O'Harran has made five appearances, allowing two runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts over seven innings to sport a 2.57 ERA
• Trevor Moore has struck out 16 in 12 2/3 innings (five appearances), while Sam Garewal has struck out 11 batters in 6 2/3 innings of work
• Keenan, Uber, Reimers, Moore, Ryan Speshyock and Nick Dugan have each earned a victory out of the bullpen

THE BATS ARE HOT EARLY

• The Cardinal offense has been strong through the first three series of the season, batting .309 with 117 runs scored, 158 hits, 29 doubles, five triples, 20 home runs and 111 RBIs while slugging .502 and posting a .395 on-base percentage ... the 158 hits rank 11th in the ACC and 74th in the nation, while the five triples are fifth in the ACC and 48th nationally
• Stanford is averaging 7.80 runs per game, 10.53 hits per game, 1.93 doubles per game and 1.33 home runs per game
• The Cardinal has homered in 13 straight games (20 home runs) entering the series against Duke - the longest streak of games with a homer since belting 52 homers in an 18-game span from May 1 - June 3, 2022
• Three everyday players are hitting .350 or better this year, including Brady Reynolds (.364), Brandon Larson (.355) and Tatum Marsh (.350), while Temo Becerra (.339) and Trevor Haskins (.322) are not far off the pace
• Haskins has been one of the most dangerous hitters in the nation to start the year, compiling 18 runs scored, three doubles, five homers and 18 RBIs, while Reynolds has scored 14 runs to go along with three doubles, five homers and 16 RBIs
• Grabbing hold of the DH position, Larson has compiled two doubles, two homers, four runs scored and 10 RBIs in eight games played - including a six-RBI performance that featured a grand slam at No. 4 North Carolina on March 7
• Haskins and Reynolds lead the team in multi-hit games with seven, while Haskins also paces the squad in multi-RBI games with five
• Haskins and Jimmy Nati have each hit safely in all but two of their games played this season, while Becerra has hit safely in all but three
• Rintaro Sasaki reached in each of his first 14 collegiate games, and has reached in all but one while posting six multi-hit games and four multi-RBI contests
• Sasaki has hit safely in all but four games to start his career
• Reynolds has hit safely in 11 of the first 15 games of the season, compiling seven multi-hit games and four multi-RBI contests
• The Cardinal offense guided Stanford to a 9-0 start in the month of February, batting .340 with 81 runs scored, 19 doubles, five triples and 10 homers to post a .529 slugging percentage and a .434 on-base percentage
• Stanford hit .355 with 42 runs scored, 55 hits, 10 doubles, two triples and four home runs in four games to open the season at Cal State Fullerton
• The Cardinal hit .315 with 29 runs scored, seven doubles, two triples and five home runs to post a .524 slugging percentage in a four-game sweep of Washington in week two
• Stanford split a four-game series with Xavier in week three, batting .305 with 25 runs scored, seven doubles, a triple and six home runs
• The Cardinal managed 10 extra-base hits (five doubles, five home runs) and scored 21 runs over three games in a road series victory at No. 4 North Carolina to start ACC play

READY TO PLAY RIGHT AWAY

• David Esquer wrote three freshmen into his Opening Day lineup, as Charlie Bates, Tatum Marsh and Rintaro Sasaki earned starts in their collegiate debuts
• The three freshmen are the most for the Cardinal in an Opening Day lineup since Adam Crampton, Kody Huff and Brock Jones started game one in 2020
• All three players have been key contributors through 15 games this season, with Marsh batting .350 with 16 runs scored, four doubles, two triples, a home run and eight RBIs ... Marsh fell a single short of the cycle on February 16 at Cal State Fullerton, including connecting for a go-ahead three-run home run in the sixth inning for his first collegiate round-tripper, and has made a handful of spectacular defensive plays in the outfield
• Sasaki has driven in 14 runs while hitting .317 with seven runs scored and three doubles - including a three-RBI double to help spark a come-from-behind victory over Cal State Fullerton on February 16
• Bates hit .636 (7-for-11) with six runs scored, two doubles, two triples and one RBI in the four-game series vs. Washington from February 21-24 and has totaled a team-best three triples to go along with three doubles and nine runs scored through his 13 games played

WHAT A WEEK FOR HASKINS

• Senior Trevor Haskins was named ACC Player of the Week and NCBWA National Player of the Week on February 24 following a stellar four-game stretch that saw Stanford go 4-0 with a win at Cal State Fullerton and three vs. Washington to start the home slate
• The player of the week selections were the first of Haskins’ career and the first for a Stanford baseball player while competing in the ACC
• Haskins batted .389 (7-for-18) with five runs scored, two doubles, three homers and 11 runs batted in
• The San Jose, Calif. native hit safely in all four games for the Cardinal and homered in all three games against Washington over the weekend, including a go-ahead grand slam in Stanford’s 9-5 come-from-behind victory over the Huskies on February 23
• The Cardinal third baseman also led off the bottom of the first with a homer in a 2-0 shutout victory on February 21 before connecting for a go-ahead three-run home run on February 22
• Haskins reached at a .368 clip during the week while slugging 1.000 and had four RBIs in the Saturday and Sunday games against Washington

FIREMEN AT THE BACK OF THE BULLPEN

• Stanford relievers Trevor Moore and Toran O’Harran are among the 76 players named to the initial 2025 Watch List for the 20th Annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, presented to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I Baseball
• Moore made a team-high 28 appearances, including one start, in 2024, compiling a 3-1 record with one save over 57 innings ... his 28 appearances were second-most in the Pac-12 and ranked 69th in the nation ... the native of Golden, Colo. struck out 57 hitters to average 9.00 strikeouts per game a year ago before earning the Russ Ford Outstanding Relief Pitcher Award as the top reliever in the Cape Cod League over the summer
• O’Harran made 24 appearances, including one start, last year, compiling a 2-4 record with seven saves over 39 1/3 innings ... his 24 appearances were second-most on the team and his seven saves ranked fifth in the Pac-12 and 56th nationally ... the native of Rocklin, Calif. struck out 50 hitters to average 11.44 strikeouts per game and limited opponents to a .226 average against in 2024
• The Southeastern Conference led the way with the most representatives with nine players ... the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12 Conference and Mid-American Conference followed with six players each, while the American Athletic Conference and Sun Belt Conference each had five

OPENING WEEKEND NOTES

• Stanford opened the season against Cal State Fullerton for the fourth straight season and 12th time since 2000 (13th time overall) ... with a four-game sweep this year, Stanford is now 8-4 in the 12 season-opening series (24-13 overall record) since 2000
• Including a 13-1 victory this year, Stanford is 50-16-1 overall on Opening Day since 1959 and has won six of its last 10 games to open a season
• The Cardinal has played 28 opening weekend series of three-or-more games since 1959 and is 19-9 in those series ... Stanford has compiled a 58-28 record over the 86 games in those sets

CALIFORNIA KINGS

• Stanford is the winningest Division I program in California since the 2011 season, compiling 500 victories
• UCLA has won 497 games since 2011, followed by UC Santa Barbara (493), UC Irvine (481) and Cal State Fullerton (438)

CARDINAL TABBED EIGHTH IN PRESEASON POLL

• Preparing for its first season in the ACC, Stanford was picked to finish eighth in the conference standings according to the league’s coaches
• The Cardinal, which has made a trip to the College World Series in three of the last four seasons, is looking for a bounce-back year after missing the NCAA Tournament in 2024
• Virginia, one of four ACC squads to reach the College World Series a year ago, was selected as the 2025 ACC preseason favorites after garnering 13 of the 16 possible first-place votes ... Florida State and North Carolina, both of which made the College World Series in 2024, were slotted in second and third places, respectively ... the Seminoles logged 230 total points and two first-place votes, while the Tar Heels earned 217 total points
• Clemson recorded the final first-place vote and totaled 214 points as they were projected as the fourth-place finisher ... reigning ACC Champion Duke was slotted as the fifth-place team, earning 182 total points
• Wake Forest was tabbed as the sixth-place finisher with 171 total points, while NC State was picked narrowly behind the Demon Deacons with 168 total points ... like Florida State, North Carolina and Virginia, NC State also made a trip to the 2024 Men’s College World Series
• Stanford (143 points), Louisville (128) and Georgia Tech (113) rounded out the top 10 of the ACC’s preseason poll
• Seven of the 16 ACC teams entered the 2025 season ranked in the D1Baseball and Baseball America Top 25 polls, including Virginia checking in at No. 2 according to D1Baseball and No. 5 by Baseball America ... Clemson, Duke, Florida State, NC State, North Carolina and Wake Forest also entered the year ranked by the publications

GROWING TOP TALENT ON THE FARM

• The Cardinal boasted a handful of players in the D1Baseball preseason player rankings entering the 2025 season
• Stanford was one of three programs, and the only ACC squad, that featured three starting pitchers in the top 150, with Matt Scott (No. 22), Joey Volchko (No. 36) and Christian Lim (No. 43) all earning selections
• Trevor Moore is one of the nation's top relievers, tabbed No. 18 on the D1Baseball preseason player rankings list
• Jimmy Nati checked in at No. 26 among third basemen, while Rintaro Sasaki was the No. 15 first baseman entering his first year on The Farm
• Sasaki was the Preseason National Freshman of the Year according to Baseball America, ranked No. 1 in the freshman class according to Baseball America and No. 3 according to Perfect Game, and was the favorite to win ACC Freshman of the Year according to D1Baseball
• Freshman Charlie Bates was also lauded in the preseason, ranking No. 7 in the class according to Perfect Game and No. 16 by Baseball America
• The Cardinal featured three players on Perfect Game's Preseason Top 101 Sophomores list, with Volchko (No. 5), Aidan Keenan (No. 70) and Lim (No. 78) selected
• Scott was the lone Cardinal to earn a spot on the Perfect Game Preseason Top 100 Juniors list, landing at No. 23

RETURNERS GALORE

• Having used new faces across the diamond in 2024, Stanford now features a 2025 squad rich with experience
• Stanford returns all but one start and 469.2 of 481 innings (97.6%) from last year, with the lone lost start being Nate Fleischli’s 1.0 IP vs. UNLV on February 19, 2024
• The Cardinal returns 1,476 of 1,899 at bats (78%) from last year, including 85 of its 110 doubles, five of its seven triples, and 32 of its 55 home runs

REPPING THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE

• Matt Scott and Joey Volchko were selected to play with the 2024 United States Collegiate National Team following the conclusion of the season
• Scott pitched for the U.S. in the International Friendship Series vs. Chinese Taipei while Volchko played for Team USA in a Summer League tour
• Joey Volchko was teammates with Duke's AJ Gracia and Kyle Johnson last summer
• Scott's squad swept all five games against Chinese Taipei and Volchko and the U.S. went 3-1 in four games on the summer circuit
• The International squad also defeated the Summer Tour group 4-3 in a Fourth of July game
• Scott got the start in the finale against Chinese Taipei, working four scoreless innings and allowing just one hit and a walk with two strikeouts
• Volchko got the start against the Coastal Plain League's best, allowing one run on one hit with seven strikeouts over four innings in a 2-1 victory for the Collegiate National Team

RINTARO HAS ARRIVED

• Rintaro Sasaki, the top-ranked high school baseball player in Japan, is in his first season on The Farm
• Sasaki has been tabbed the preseason National Freshman of the Year according to Baseball America and is the preseason Freshman of the Year pick in the ACC according to D1Baseball and Baseball America
• He entered the year ranked No. 1 among freshmen according to Baseball America and No. 3 according to Perfect Game
• Rintaro made his stateside debut last summer for the Trenton Thunder in the Draft League before finishing with an outstanding nine-game stint in the Appy League over which he slashed .391/.913/1.508 with three home runs and eight RBIs
• The power-hitting first baseman graduated from Hanamaki-Higashi High School in March of 2024, enrolled at Stanford for the spring quarter last year, and began practicing with the program upon his arrival in March
• While he practiced with the team during the 2024 campaign, Sasaki did not play in a game for the Cardinal
• "We are excited to welcome Rintaro into our Stanford family," David Esquer said following Sasaki's signing. "He may be the most high-profile international prospect to play college baseball in the United States in a long time. His power bat plays right into our style of play, and we look forward to him contributing immediately to help us achieve our goals of competing for and winning national titles."
• Sasaki hit a Japanese high school record 140 home runs, and was projected to be selected first overall in the Nippon Professional Baseball Draft, but forewent the Draft to attend Stanford
• According to scouts, in addition to boasting elite raw power, Sasaki has also shown an advanced approach at the plate - walking twice as many times as he struck out
• Training under his father, Hiroshi Sasaki, Sasaki posted an impressive slash line of .413/.514/.808 during his high school career
• Shohei Ohtani starred for Hanamaki-Higashi (while being coached by the elder Sasaki) before signing with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, while Yusei Kikuchi also prepped under Sasaki at Hanamaki-Higashi before playing for the Saitama Seibu Lions
• Helping to blaze a trail for Japanese high school players looking to play in the United States, Sasaki chose to attend Stanford for the quality of education and to take steps toward achieving his dream of playing in Major League Baseball

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

• Often considered one of the most beautiful college baseball facilities in the country, Klein Field at Sunken Diamond is the home to Stanford baseball
• The “Sunken Diamond” name comes from the excavation to provide fill for the earthen berm within which Stanford Stadium was built in 1921, leaving a large, sunken field
• The fixed seating capacity of Klein Field at Sunken Diamond is 2,113 ... with the addition of disabled seating and general admission lawn seating, the total capacity of the facility is 4,000
• The original dimensions were 360 feet to left field, 350 to right field, and 500 feet to center field ... in 1978, a new seven-foot high fence was installed, bringing the dimensions to the current 335 to both left and right fields, and 400 to center field ... the outfield fence was increased to 10 feet in 1995
• Sunken Diamond features ample foul ground from first to third base, with home plate sitting approximately 70 feet from the backstop

ACC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

• Beginning this spring with the 2025 ACC Baseball Championship in Durham, N.C., all 16 teams in the ACC will compete in a single-elimination championship
• The championship will remain six days as it has in previous years, running from Tuesday, May 20, through Sunday, May 25, 2025, from Durham Bulls Athletic Park
• Since 2006, the ACC Baseball Championship has been played in a pool play or round-robin style format ... the tournament last expanded its field size in 2017, moving from 10 to 12 teams
• Under the new format, the top four seeds in the championship will be based off the performance in the regular season and will receive a double-bye into the quarterfinal round, which is scheduled to be held on Thursday and Friday ... seeds five through eight will earn a bye into Wednesday’s second round ... seeds 9-16 will begin play with four first-round games on Tuesday
• The single-elimination championship format will feature four games per day on Tuesday (first round) and Wednesday (second round) ... two quarterfinal games will take place on both Thursday and Friday, while Saturday will host the two semifinal contests ... Sunday will host the championship game
• The ACC Baseball Championship returns to Durham for the 14th time overall and the ninth time since 2009

GOODBYE PAC-12, HELLO ACC

• The 2024 season was Stanford's final in the Pac-12 conference, as the Cardinal joined Bay Area rival California as new members of the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2025
• Stanford was one of the oldest members of the Pac-12 Conference, joining the then Pacific Coast Conference, founded in 1915, for the 1918 season
• The Cardinal won 21 Pac-12 titles, with the first coming in 1924 and the last in 2023
• The ACC sent eight teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2024, including an NCAA-record tying four teams to the Men’s College World Series
• Five ACC baseball programs competed in the Super Regional round with four teams earning the right to host a year ago
• The ACC has placed at least one team in each of the last 18 College World Series and at least six teams in each of the last 20 NCAA Tournaments

HOME OF CHAMPIONS

• Stanford is the all-time leader with 136 NCAA team championships (71 men, 65 women), and 167 national championships overall
• The Cardinal owns the most recognizable streak in college athletics, having won at least one NCAA team title during each of the last 48 seasons, dating back to the 1976-77 campaign
• The Cardinal has also produced 562 NCAA individual champions and 645 overall
• Stanford has won the Learfield Directors’ Cup in 26 of the possible 30 seasons, including a 25-year streak from 1995-2019

#OLYMPIANSMADEHERE

• Stanford concluded the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with a school-record 39 medals, shattering its previous best while cementing its reputation on the world’s biggest stage as the nation’s top collegiate program
• The 39 medals were 12 more than the previous record of 27 at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games
• Stanford’s haul of 39 medals (12 gold, 14 silver, 13 bronze) was the most by any school at one Olympics
• Cardinal student-athletes medaled in 13 of Stanford's 36 varsity sports: artistic swimming, women’s basketball, women’s fencing, men’s gymnastics, sailing, men’s rowing, women’s soccer, women’s swimming and diving, men’s track and field, men’s volleyball, women’s volleyball, men’s water polo, women’s water polo
• The Cardinal boasted 19 first-time medalists - a total that ranks second in school history behind the 21 at the 2008 Beijing Games
• If Stanford was a country in the 2024 Games, it would have finished tied with Canada for 11th place
• Boasting a school-record 59 Olympians with Cardinal ties, Stanford won at least 20 medals for the sixth time in school history (2020, 2016, 2008, 1996, 1924)
• The Cardinal’s 59 Olympians (20 male, 39 female) represented 14 countries across 20 varsity sports
• In addition to the 59 qualifiers, Stanford’s Olympic representation also included five alternates, one national team head coach and three national team assistant coaches
• For the third straight Olympics, Stanford totaled more Team USA selections (37) than any other school, reinforcing its status as the preeminent training ground for U.S. national team competition
• Stanford has won 128 medals combined over the last five Summer Games
• All told, Stanford’s affiliates have captured 335 overall medals (162 gold, 93 silver, 80 bronze) from 196 medalists, and the Cardinal has produced at least one medalist in every Olympics in which the U.S. has competed since 1912