2008 Fresno State Bulldogs baseball team

The 2008 Fresno State Bulldogs baseball team represented California State University, Fresno in the NCAA Division I baseball season of 2008. They played their home games at Beiden Field in Fresno, California. The team was coached by Mike Batesole who was in his fifth season at Fresno State. Under Batesole, Fresno State has won three Western Athletic Conference championships in a row, and he has a 172-134 record with the Bulldogs.

2008 Fresno State Bulldogs baseball
NCAA Champions WAC Champions WAC Tournament champions
Conference	Western Athletic Conference
Record	47-31 (21-11 WAC)
Head coach	Mike Batesole
Home stadium	Beiden Field
Seasons ← 2007 2009 →

In a Cinderella run through the postseason, the Fresno State Bulldogs defeated the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2008 College World Series finals to win its first NCAA Division I Championship in baseball. This led to their 3rd national championship in the NCAA organization, adding to their championships in Softball (1998) and Men's Track & Field (1964-Division II).

Schedule and results

Before the season occurred, Fresno State entered the season ranked in the Collegiate Baseball newspaper's Fabulous 40 for the third consecutive season, at #21.^[1] Fresno State was also ranked #21 by the preseason magazine Baseball America.^[2] Fresno State also was preseason pick of the WAC coaches as the favorite to win the 2008 season; additionally, seven players were selected to the Preseason All-WAC Team, including the preseason Player of the Year Steve Susdorf and Pitcher of the Year Clayton Allison^[3]

2008 Fresno State Bulldogs baseball game log
Regular season
February Date Opponent Location Result February 22, 2008 UC Davis Fresno, CA L 4-2 February 23, 2008 UC Davis Fresno, CA L 3-1 February 23, 2008 UC Davis Fresno, CA W 7-0 February 24, 2008 UC Davis Fresno, CA W 6-3 February 28, 2008 vs California San Diego, CA L 14-4 February 29, 2008 at San Diego San Diego, CA L 5-2
March Date Opponent Location Result March 1, 2008 vs Cal Poly San Diego, CA L 2-1 March 2, 2008 at San Diego State San Diego, CA W 9-2 March 4, 2008 at Santa Clara Santa Clara, CA L 6-5 10 March 8, 2008 Indiana Fresno, CA W 6-2 March 9, 2008 Indiana Fresno, CA W 9-4 March 10, 2008 New Mexico State Fresno, CA L 13-8 March 11, 2008 Portland Fresno, CA L 3-2 March 12, 2008 Indiana Fresno, CA L 11-1 March 13, 2008 Gonzaga Fresno, CA W 10-1 March 14, 2008 Utah Fresno, CA W 10-0 March 15, 2008 Portland Fresno, CA W 12-3 March 18, 2008 San Francisco San Francisco, CA L 13-8 March 20, 2008 at Hawaii Honolulu, HI L 4-0 March 21, 2008 at Hawaii Honolulu, HI L 2-0 March 22, 2008 at Hawaii Honolulu, HI W 5-0 March 22, 2008 at Hawaii Honolulu, HI W 4-2 10 March 25, 2008 Cal Poly Fresno, CA W 10-9 March 26, 2008 Cal Poly Fresno, CA W 13-11 March 28, 2008 Nevada Fresno, CA W 12-4 March 29, 2008 Nevada Fresno, CA W 11-1 7 March 29, 2008 Nevada Fresno, CA L 4-1 March 30, 2008 Nevada Fresno, CA W 13-3 7
April Date Opponent Location Result April 1, 2008 Long Beach State Fresno, CA W 7-6 April 2, 2008 at California Berkeley, CA L 5-4 April 9, 2008 at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CA L 8-5 April 11, 2008 Louisiana Tech Fresno, CA W 14-5 April 12, 2008 Louisiana Tech Fresno, CA W 9-8 April 12, 2008 Louisiana Tech Fresno, CA W 11-1 7 April 13, 2008 Louisiana Tech Fresno, CA W 8-0 April 15, 2008 at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CA L 10-7 April 18, 2008 at New Mexico State Las Cruces, NM W 13-10 April 19, 2008 at New Mexico State Las Cruces, NM W 9-5 April 19, 2008 at New Mexico State Las Cruces, NM W 13-1 7 April 20, 2008 at New Mexico State Las Cruces, NM W 24-6 Mercy 7 April 22, 2008 Santa Clara Fresno, CA L 10-8 April 23, 2008 San Francisco Fresno, CA W 5-4 April 25, 2008 at Nevada Reno, NV W 9-3 April 26, 2008 at Nevada Reno, NV L 4-1 April 26, 2008 at Nevada Reno, NV L 7-3 April 27, 2008 at Nevada Reno, NV L 12-11 April 30, 2008 at San Francisco San Francisco, CA L 7-6
May Date Opponent Location Result May 2, 2008 New Mexico State Fresno, CA W 11-8 May 3, 2008 New Mexico State Fresno, CA L 9-2 May 3, 2008 New Mexico State Fresno, CA L 12-7 May 4, 2008 New Mexico State Fresno, CA W 6-4 May 6, 2008 at Long Beach State Long Beach, CA L 2-1 May 9, 2008 San Jose State Fresno, CA W 11-3 May 10, 2008 San Jose State Fresno, CA W 9-8 May 10, 2008 San Jose State Fresno, CA W 5-3 May 11, 2008 San Jose State Fresno, CA L 2-1 May 16, 2008 at Sacramento State Sacramento, CA L 9-8 May 17, 2008 at Sacramento State Sacramento, CA L 4-0 May 17, 2008 at Sacramento State Sacramento, CA W 6-4 May 18, 2008 at Sacramento State Sacramento, CA W 13-6
Postseason
WAC Tournament Date Opponent Location Result May 22, 2008 vs Sacramento State Ruston, LA W 3-2 May 23, 2008 vs San Jose State Ruston, LA W 7-3 May 24, 2008 vs Hawaii Ruston, LA W 11-4 May 25, 2008 vs Nevada Ruston, LA W 6-4
NCAA Long Beach Regional May 30, 2008 at Long Beach State Long Beach, CA W 7-3 May 31, 2008 vs San Diego Long Beach, CA W 6-0 June 1, 2008 vs San Diego Long Beach, CA L 15-1 June 2, 2008 vs San Diego Long Beach, CA W 5-1
NCAA Tempe Super Regional June 7, 2008 at Arizona State Tempe, AZ L 12-4 June 8, 2008 at Arizona State Tempe, AZ W 8-6 June 9, 2008 at Arizona State Tempe, AZ W 12-9
College World Series June 15, 2008 vs Rice Omaha, NE W 17-5 June 17, 2008 vs North Carolina Omaha, NE W 5-3 June 21, 2008 vs North Carolina Omaha, NE L 4-3 June 22, 2008 vs North Carolina Omaha, NE W 6-1 June 23, 2008 vs Georgia Omaha, NE L 7-6 June 24, 2008 vs Georgia Omaha, NE W 19-10 June 25, 2008 vs Georgia Omaha, NE W 6-1

Roster

Coaches

Name	Title	First Season at Fresno State	Alma Mater
Mike Batesole[4]	Head coach	2003	Fullerton State University (1990)
Pat Waer[5]	Assistant coach	2006	Washington State University (1995)
Matt Curtis[6]	Assistant coach	2002	Fresno State University (1996)
Mike Mayne[7]	Assistant coach	2007	University of California—Riverside (1968)

Players

No.	Players	Position	Year	Ht/wt	Bats/throws	Hometown (last school)
3	Erik Wetzel	INF	JR	6-1/180	R/R	Chino, CA (Don Lugo HS)
4	Danny Grubb	C	JR	5-11/185	R/R	Orange, CA (Orange Lutheran HS)
5	Trent Soares	OF	FR	6-0/180	L/R	Fresno, CA (San Joaquin Memorial High School)
7	Nick Hom	INF	FR	6-0/180	R/R	Benicia, CA (De La Salle HS)
9	Alan Ahmady	INF	SO	5-11/195	R/R	Fresno, CA (Clovis West HS)
10	Jason Breckley	RHP	SR	6-1/220	R/R	Moorpark, CA (Moorpark HS)
11	Todd Sandell	INF	SR	6-2/190	R/R	Somis, CA (Camarillo HS)
14	Tanner Scheppers	RHP	JR	6-4/220	R/R	Laguna Niguel, CA (Dana Hills HS)
15	Steve Detwiler	OF	SO	6-1/220	R/R	Forest Knolls, CA (San Rafael HS)
16	Danny Muno	INF	FR	5-11/170	S/R	Thousand Oaks, CA (Loyola HS)
19	Jordan Ribera	INF	FR	6-0/220	L/R	Fresno, CA (Clovis West HS)
21	Justin Wilson	LHP	JR	6-3/210	L/L	Clovis, CA (Buchanan HS)
24	Ryan Overland	C	SR	6-2/200	L/R	Atascadero, CA (Atascadero HS)
25	Brandon Burke	RHP	SR	6-3/200	R/R	San Diego, CA (Rancho Bernardo HS)
27	Steve Susdorf	OF	SR	6-1/195	L/L	Newhall, CA (Hart HS)
29	Gavin Hedstrom	OF	JR	6-1/190	R/R	Irvine, CA (Woodbridge HS)
30	Blake Amador	OF	SR	6-0/190	L/L	Turlock, CA (Modesto JC/UNLV)
32	Tommy Mendonca	INF	SO	6-1/200	L/R	Turlock, CA (Turlock HS)
33	Justin Miller	RHP	JR	6-5/195	R/R	Bakersfield, CA (Bakersfield College)
34	Jake Johnson	C	FR	6-2/205	R/R	La Mirada, CA (La Mirada HS)
37	Sean Bonesteele	RHP	SO	6-5/220	R/R	Santa Ana, CA (Foothill HS)
38	Jake Floethe	RHP	FR	6-3/195	R/R	Lafayette, CA (Acalanes HS)
40	Clayton Allison	RHP	SR	6-5/230	R/R	Visalia, CA (College of the Sequoias)
42	Gene Escat	RHP	FR	6-5/190	R/R	Hanford, CA (Hanford HS)
43	Kris Tomlinson	LHP	JR	6-0/180	L/L	Visalia, CA (Golden West HS)
47	Holden Sprague	RHP	JR	6-2/210	R/R	Fresno, CA (Bullard HS)
50	Jake Hower	RHP	SR	6-4/190	R/R	Roseville, CA (American River CC)

Rankings

Awards and honors

Player	Award/Honor
Clayton Allison	WAC Pitcher of the Week (April 16 - April 27)[8]
Alan Ahmady	WAC Player of the Week and NCWBA National Player of the Week (March 24 - March 30), First-Team All-WAC, WAC All-Tournament Team.
Steve Susdorf	WAC Player of the Week (April 16 - April 27),First-Team All-WAC [8] WAC Player of the Year 2008,[9] ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American[10]
Justin Wilson	WAC Pitcher of the Week (May 7 - May 13)[11]
Mike Batesole	NCBWA National Coach of the Year Award[12]

2008 Major League Baseball draft

The following members of the 2008 Fresno State baseball team were drafted in the 2008 MLB draft.

Player	Position	Overall	MLB team
Justin Wilson	LHP	144	Pittsburgh Pirates
Erik Wetzel	2B	407	Colorado Rockies
Justin Miller	RHP	483	Texas Rangers
Steven Susdorf	OF	586	Philadelphia Phillies
Clayton Allison	RHP	817	Los Angeles Dodgers

References

1. "Fresno State Ranked 21st in Preseason Baseball Poll". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2008.
2. Baseball America Preseason College Top 25
3. "WAC Baseball Preseason Poll and All-WAC Team Announced". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2008.
4. Player Bio: Mike Batesole @ GoBulldogs.com
5. Pat Waer Bio @ GoBulldogs.com
6. Pat Waer Bio @ GoBulldogs.com
7. Mike Mayne Bio @ GoBulldogs.com
8. "Fresno State Sweeps Player of the Week Awards". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2008.
9. The College Baseball Blog | 2008 WAC All-Conference Teams Announced
10. ESPN - Susdorf, Bulldogs thriving in role as underdogs on road to Omaha - College Sports
11. "WAC Announces Baseball Players of the Week". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2008.
12. Batesole Named National Coach of the Year