BASEBALL HOSTS WAC SERIES WITH LEAGUE-LEADING GRAND CANYON

Athletics News


Apr 06, 2017





Complete Series Notes (PDF)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Sacramento State (14-14, 2-4 WAC) hosts its first league series of the season against the conference's current leader facing Grand Canyon (12-16, 6-0 WAC) for three games this weekend. The teams are scheduled to play at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon on Sunday.
The Hornets will honor their alumni and induct five players and two teams into the program's Hall of Fame in a ceremony prior to Saturday's game at John Smith Field at 5:15.
Leading Off
Sacramento State leads the WAC in nearly every pitching category including ERA (3.99), opposing batting average (.243), strikeout to walk ratio (2.22), WHIP (1.24), walks allowed per nine innings (3.15) and hits allowed per nine innings (8.26). Hornet pitchers have also hit the fewest batters.
Through six Western Athletic Conference (WAC) games Sacramento State is hitting .326 and averaging 7.3 runs per game. The Hornets have nine homers in six WAC games and have five starters hitting over .330, with Andrew McWilliam hitting .480 and Vinny Esposito hitting .440 in league.
Sacramento State enters play on Friday with a 9-6 home record this season, averaging over five runs per game with a 3.48 team ERA and .235 opposing batting average through 15 games. The team is 6-3 in nine home night games in its first full season under the lights at John Smith Field.
Senior pitcher Justin Dillon leads the WAC in WHIP (0.72), opposing batting average (.156), and hits and walks allowed per nine innings and is second in ERA (1.98). The Hornet senior ranks sixth in NCAA Div. I in WHIP and 11th in hits allowed per nine innings though seven starts this year.
Grand Canyon began WAC play with a pair of home sweeps, winning all three games against both CSU Bakersfield and Northern Colorado. In six WAC games the Lopes have hit .351 and averaged more than eight runs per game with a 2.25 team ERA but the team ...

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