April 17, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
STANFORD CARDINAL (15-13, 7-5) at No. 4 ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS (25-8, 10-2)
Friday, April 17 6:30 p.m. Winkles Field-Packard Stadium (Tempe, AZ)
RHP Jeffrey Inman (1-4, 4.79) vs. RHP Mike Leake (8-1, 1.53)
Saturday, April 18 6:30 p.m. Winkles Field-Packard Stadium (Tempe, AZ)
RHP Jordan Pries (3-0, 4.11) vs. LHP Josh Spence (7-0, 1.01)
Sunday, April 19 1:00 p.m. Winkles Field-Packard Stadium (Tempe, AZ)
LHP Brett Mooneyham (3-1, 3.94) vs. undecided
All times Pacific; every game is broadcast on KZSU (90.1 FM) and gostanford.com
Stanford Visits Arizona State Looking to Gain Ground in Pac-10 Race
Winners of three straight games, nine of its past 11 contests and 11 of its past 14 outings, the Stanford Cardinal (15-13, 7-5 Pac-10) will look to gain ground in the Pac-10 race when it visits the conference-leading and fourth-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils (25-8, 10-2) for a three-game weekend series. The clubs will square off on Friday and Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. PT, before meeting in a 1:00 p.m. Sunday series finale at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.
Stanford has won its last three Pac-10 series, including taking two of three games from visiting UCLA last weekend. After winning the rubber game last Saturday against the Bruins, the Cardinal won its two midweek contests by a combined score of 30-7 against California (14-4) and at Santa Clara (16-3).
Stanford enters the weekend tied with USC for third in the Pac-10 at 7-5 in conference play. Both clubs trail front-running Arizona State (10-2) by 3.0 games, and second-place Oregon State (7-2) by 1.5 contests.
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.
Erik Adams will handle play-by-play for this weekend's series at Arizona State, with Matt Hodson providing color.
Friday night's game will also be televised by FSN Arizona on a tape-delayed basis, with Barry Tompkins (play-by-play) and John Jackson (color) calling the action.
Marquess One Win Shy of Matching Dedeaux for Most in Pac-10 History
Stanford's Mark Marquess - who is the ninth-winningest head coach in NCAA Division I baseball history with a 1,341-682-7 (.662) career record - is one victory shy of matching Rod Dedeaux for eighth all-time and the most wins in Pac-10 history. Dedeaux compiled a 1,342-597-16 record over 44 seasons at USC (1942-47 and 1949-86).
Marquess, who has spent his entire 33-year head coaching career at the helm of his alma mater, moved moved into sole possession of ninth place on the all-time list with his 1,332nd career win - a 13-3 victory over Washington March 27. With that Stanford win, he snapped a tie for ninth with Larry Cochell, who logged a 1,331-813-3 (.621) ledger over 39 years with seven schools.
Stanford-Arizona State Series
Two of the most storied programs in college baseball renew their annual rivalry this weekend in Tempe, as Stanford visits Arizona State. These two clubs have met 172 times since 1961, with the Sun Devils holding a slight, 87-85 edge. Stanford won two out of three games in the 2008 series at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond, winning the final two contests after dropping the opener.
Cardinal Clips
Stanford at the Plate
Stanford on the Mound
Stanford with the Gloves
Series Scoop
After taking two of three games vs. UCLA this past last weekend, Stanford is now an impressive 17-5 in its last 22 weekend sets - a stretch which dates back to the final month of the 2006 season.
Stanford is 11-3 in Pac-10 sets over the stretch, including a 3-1 mark in 2009. After dropping two of three at California in the opening conference series of the season, the Cardinal has rebounded to win each of its past three Pac-10 sets (vs. Washington, at Oregon and vs. UCLA).
Halfway Home
Stanford's 16-3 victory Wednesday night at Santa Clara came in the Cardinal's 28th game, marking the halfway point of the 56-game, 2009 regular season.
A Look at the Pac-10
By winning its last three Pac-10 series, Stanford has thrust itself into contention to finish in the conference's top two for the 24th time in 29 seasons. At 7-5 in conference play, the Cardinal finds itself tied with USC for third in the Pac-10, 3.0 games behind front-running Arizona State (10-2) and 1.5 contests in back of second-place Oregon State (7-2).
Fifth-place Washington State (5-4) trails the Cardinal and Trojans by just 0.5-game (3.5 games out of first), while UCLA (6-6) is 1.0-contest in back of third (4.0) and Washington (4-5) is 1.5-games behind (4.5) in a tightly-packed top-seven.
Five is Fine
Stanford is 13-5 this season when scoring at least five runs in a game, and 2-8 when plating four or fewer.
Two-out Magic
Stanford has scored 76 of its 169 runs (45.0%) this season with two outs in an inning.
Extra, Extra!
Stanford is a perfect 3-0 in extra inning games this season, including a 4-3, 10-inning victory last Thursday night against UCLA. The Cardinal beat Vanderbilt 6-5 in 10 frames on Opening Night (Feb. 20), and posted a 6-5, 12-inning win March 22 at California.
Anatomy of a Turnaround
Following an 11-4 loss at California on March 23, Stanford's record stood at 4-10 overall and 1-2 in the Pac-10. Over the last 14 games, the Cardinal has gone 11-3 overall and 6-3 in conference action. Not surprisingly, Stanford's offensive numbers, pitching stats and fielding marks are dramatically better in the last 14 games as compared to the first 14. Here is the breakdown:
FIRST 14 GAMES (4-10)
Team Batting
Batting Average: .225
Runs Per Game: 4.4
On-Base Pct.: .319
Slugging Pct.: .333
Team Pitching
ERA: 5.90
Opp. Avg.: .270
Strikeouts/Walks: 93/71
Saves: 1
Team Fielding
Fielding Pct.: .974
Errors: 14
LAST 14 GAMES (11-3)
Team Batting
Batting Average: .309
Runs Per Game: 7.7
On-Base Pct.: .395
Slugging Pct.: .496
Team Pitching
ERA: 3.00
Opp. Avg.: .222
Strikeouts/Walks: 118/38
Saves: 4
Team Fielding
Fielding Pct.: .981
Errors: 10
Start Me Up
Stanford's weekend rotation of junior RHP Jeffrey Inman, freshman RHP Jordan Pries and freshman LHP Brett Mooneyham has keyed three-straight Pac-10 series wins for the Cardinal. Against Washington, at Oregon and against UCLA, the trio has combined to go 5-1 with a 3.09 ERA (19er, 55.1ip) and a .218 opponents' average (43-for-197). They have also posted 52 strikeouts while issuing just 18 walks.
The three hurlers have worked at least 6.0 innings in seven of the nine starts, while completing 7.0 frames in four of the contests.
Bullish `Pen
Anchored by closer Drew Storen, Stanford's bullpen has helped shorten games this year. The Cardinal is a perfect 12-0 when leading after 8.0 innings, while also going 10-0 when leading after 7.0 frames. Taken back another inning, Stanford is 10-2 when leading after 6.0 innings.
Best When it Matters Most
Stanford's pitching - which has been tough to hit no matter the opponent - leads the Pac-10 with a .222 opponents' batting average (86-for-414) in conference-only games. The Cardinal is also 3rd in the league with a 4.13 ERA (50er, 109.0ip) in Pac-10 contests.
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 34 strikeouts in just 20.2 innings of work - an average of 14.81 punchouts per 9.0 innings. Perhaps more impressively, Storen has walked just one batter thus far - and that was the very first hitter he faced in 2009. Stanford's closer has faced 78 batters since that walk, yielding just 16 hits in 75 at-bats (.213) with one hit batsman and two sacrifice bunts.
Entering play this week, Storen is tied for ninth in the Pac-10 for wins and is tied for fourth in saves with a perfect 3-0 mark, four saves and a 1.31 ERA (3er, 20.2ip) in a staff-high 13 relief appearances. He has saved a conference-best three games in Pac-10 play.
Storen has tossed 12.1 consecutive scoreless innings over his last six outings, while going 2-0 with three saves. He has 20 strikeouts during the stretch, while limiting the opposition to a miniscule .125 batting average (5-for-40).
Storen has a career 5.3:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, fanning 84 against 16 free passes in 77.0 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.
"Rubber" Arm
Freshman LHP Brett Mooneyham has made his last four starts in the rubber game of a Pac-10 series - and has won the last three. Beginning with a dominating performance March 29 against Washington, Mooneyham is 3-0 with a 2.29 ERA (5er, 19.2ip) and a .149 average against (10-for-67). He has worked at least 6.0 innings in all three efforts, with 27 strikeouts and 10 walks.
Mooneyham's starts have resulted in a 11-0 win over Washington (March 29), a 6-3 triumph at Oregon (April 5) and a 7-2 victory this past Sunday over UCLA, and has given the Cardinal Pac-10 series victories over the Huskies, Ducks and Bruins.
Mooneyham leads the Pac-10 with a .152 opponents' batting average (12-for-79) during conference play, while he ranks third with 32 strikeouts and tied for third with three wins. His overall .190 average against (20-for-105) is the fifth-best in the Pac-10, while he has allowed the fewest hits among all qualifying conference pitchers.
Milly is Mashing
Senior 1B Brent Milleville has come alive over his last 13 games, going 18-for-47 (.383) with 14 runs scored, one double, six home runs and 14 RBI. Milleville has hit safely in 11 of those contests, while posting an .787 slugging percentage and a .442 on-base percentage.
Milleville is currently riding a five-game hitting streak, during which he has gone 9-for-21 (.429) with a double, three homers and seven RBI.
Stanford's slugger capped a 5-for-11, three-homer weekend against UCLA by hammering a pair of longballs in the Cardinal's 7-2, rubber game victory April 11. Milleville got Stanford on the board with a two-run homer in the second, and posted his second career multi-homer game with a solo clout in the eighth.
Milleville now leads the Pac-10 with five home runs during conference play, while he is third with a .794 slugging percentage. His six homers overall rank him tied for ninth in the Pac-10.
Pries' Stellar Start
Freshman RHP Jordan Pries has gone 3-0 with a 4.11 ERA (13er, 30.1ip) over his first seven collegiate outings (five starts). The Alameda, Calif. native is the first Stanford freshman to start 3-0 with at least one of the wins coming as part of the regular weekend rotation since Greg Reynolds in 2004. Mark Romanczuk won his first 12 decisions as a freshman in 2003, with the first three victories coming out of the bullpen before winning nine starts en route to a 12-2 debut campaign. Austin Yount was a perfect 4-0 in 16 relief appearances during his freshman 2006 season.
Setting the Table
Sophomore second baseman Colin Walsh has been Stanford's leadoff hitter for each of the past 19 games, and has posted a .526 on-base percentage as the Cardinal has gone 13-6 in those contests. He is hitting .362 (25-for-69) during the stretch, with 17 runs scored, six doubles, 11 RBI, 24 walks, one hit-by-pitch and three stolen bases.
The switch-hitting Walsh has reached base safely in 11 straight games (Stanford is 9-2), going 17-for-39 (.436) with 11 runs scored, four doubles, eight RBI, 14 walks and a .574 on-base percentage. During the Cardinal's current 11-3, 14-game run, Walsh is batting .412 (21-for-51) with a .551 on-base mark.
Walsh ranks eighth in the Pac-10 with a .467 on-base percentage and is tied for second with 26 walks. He has drawn a league-best 14 walks during conference games, while his .508 on-base mark ranks sixth.
In addition, Stanford's second baseman has been errorless in his last 22 games (91 total chances).
Walsh has hit safely in 25 of his last 31 starts dating back to 2008, going 42-for-118 (.356) with 28 runs scored, nine doubles, 19 RBI and 31 walks.
Power From the Northwest
Sophomore right fielder Kellen Kiilsgaard is tied for seventh in the Pac-10 with a team-high seven home runs and ranks eighth for both RBI (28) and slugging percentage (.612). He has belted four of his home runs during conference play to tie for second in the league, while his 13 RBI against Pac-10 pitching places him in a tie for third.
Kiilsgaard has been red-hot as of late, going 9-for-24 (.375) with three doubles, a triple, a home runa nd nine RBI over his last six games. After he belted a tie-breaking, sixth-inning solo homer in the April 11 rubber game vs. UCLA, Kiilsgaard drove in a career-high six runs on Monday vs. California. The slugging outfielder finished a homer shy of the cycle in the 14-4 win over the Golden Bears, while his six RBI marked the most by a Stanford player since Michael Taylor also drove in six on May 26, 2007 at USC.
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.
Thieves, Beware
Sophomore Zach Jones, who has started 16 games at catcher (in addition to 12 at third base), has thrown out an outstanding 42.9 percent of attempted base stealers (12 of 28). He is tied for the Pac-10 lead by nailing 12 would-be base thieves, while he has also picked off a runner.
Stanford has posted an 11-5 record in his starts behind the plate, while Cardinal pitchers have logged a 3.97 ERA (64er, 145.0ip) in those contests.
Toby on a Tear
Junior OF Toby Gerhart is batting .388 (19-for-49) with 12 runs scored, three doubles, two triples, three home runs and 10 RBI over his last 13 contests. He has hit safely in nine of those games, while logging eight multi-hit contests (including a pair of three-hit efforts).
Gerhart has hit safely in seven of his last nine Pac-10 games, while hitting at a .424 clip (14-for-33). His offensive success in Pac-10 play ranks Gerhart among leaders for conference-only games in: triples (t2nd - 2), doubles (t-4th - 4), stolen bases (t-4th - 4), hits (t-6th - 17), total bases (t-7th - 28) and sacrifice flies (t-8th - 1).
Iron Man Continues to Swing a Hot Bat
Sophomore shortstop Jake Schlander, who has started at SS for each of Stanford's 93 games during his collegiate career, is 15-for-44 (.341) with 15 runs scored, three doubles, one triple, one home run and eight RBI over the last 13 games. The Cardinal shortstop is tied for eighth in the conference with 11 runs scored during Pac-10 play, while he leads Stanford with 20 runs overall.
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 .309 batting average (181-for-586) in 171 games (132 starts). He is also a lifetime .322 hitter (75-for-233) in 66 career Pac-10 contests.
August has enjoyed a power surge recently, hitting all four of his home runs with 14 RBI within the last 13 games. Three of those have come in Pac-10 contests, as he finds himself in a tie for the seventh-most home runs in conference play (but just two off the leader). August has gone 7-for-23 (.304) during his current five-game hitting streak, while hitting safely in 16 of his last 18 games overall.
Gaylord Getting it Done
Junior infielder Adam Gaylord has hit safely in 14 of the 19 games he has had an at-bat, and leads Stanford with a .328 batting average (19-for-58). He has added three doubles and 11 RBI, while leading the club with five sacrifice bunts and two sac flies. Gaylord already has 18 more hits than he did in 2008 (one, in only 15 at-bats), while he is 7-for-14 (.500) with runners in scoring position.
Gaylord has started 18 games - 16 at third base and two at second.
Fearnow Providing Relief
Senior right-hander Max Fearnow has been very impressive since moving to the Stanford bullpen, forging a 1.20 ERA (2er, 15.0ip) over seven relief outings. He has allowed just 10 hits in 54 at-bats (.185), with four walks and 16 strikeouts.
Fearnow earned the win Monday vs. California, working 3.0-innings of one-hit, shutout relief with a career-high five strikeouts. He stranded the potential go-ahead run after entering a tie game in the seventh, and blanked the Golden Bears as Stanford's offense erupted late for a 14-4 victory.
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 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 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 2,574-1,615-34 (.614) 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 446 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.
Seven Former Stanford Players on 2009 MLB Opening Day Rosters
Continuing 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.