The Dirtbags could use a weekend series win, and bad. It seems like this team is looking it’s identity, and chances are they’ll find it at home against a UNLV team on short rest. Here’s the 411 on the latest ‘Bags happenin’…
Shocked By Wichita
Behind 6.2 innings of work from Adam Wilk, Long Beach State took the Friday opener over Wichita State on the road 6-4. The junior lefthander gave up just one run while striking out seven, helping stake the Dirtbags to a lead they would not give up. That ran the team’s winning streak to three games, but the victories did not continue against the Schockers, as Wichita State recovered to take the next two games of the series.
Towering Tinoco
Ever since junior Steve Tinoco’s big day in the finale against South Carolina, the first baseman has continued to wield a hot bat. That was very much in appearance in Kansas, as Tinoco led the team by hitting .500 for the series, hitting his team-leading fourth home run while driving in four runs. Overall, he was 6-for-12 with a double and the home run.
Scouting UNLV
UNLV is somewhat of a mystery still, as the Rebels come into their three-game series with Long Beach State sporting a 13-8 record, but have done so with four game series against Butler and Maine. Last weekend, UNLV won a three-game series with Mountain West opponent Air Force taking two games to one. Drew Buerlein leads the offense, hitting .442, one of four rebels that are hitting over .400 to start the year.
Long Beach State vs. the Rebels
The all-time series between Long Beach State and UNLV is dead even. Over 56 meetings, both teams have won 28 games, dating back to the years when the teams were both in the same league. In the Dirtbag era, the record is not nearly as close, as Long Beach State has won 17 games to 9 since 1989.
TJ All Over
Through 18 games, junior TJ Mittelstaedt has played four positions and hit in eight spots in the lineup, but the switching hasn’t affected his game in any way. Hitting .291 on the year, TJ has been an on-base machine, reaching at a .458 rate and leading the team in RBI, walks and triples.
Daily Devin
Long Beach State’s sophomore shortstop Devin Lohman has played in and started all 18 of the team’s games so far this season. During that time, Lohman has amassed the longest hitting streak on the team, a nine-game hitting streak that ended just this Sunday. However, Lohman also is tied for the second-longest streak of the season, a seven-game streak that began the day after opening day. In all, Lohman has collected at least one hit in all but two of the Dirtbags’ games this season.
Five Strikeouts
So just what happened? Long Beach State picked up five strikeouts in the ninth inning of Saturday night’s game, but lost the lead in the inning. With two runners on, closer Charlie Ruiz came into the game, and continued to get Cougars out swinging, but two batters reached, one on a wild pitch and another on a passed ball as Washington State would take the lead. Ruiz would finish with four strikeouts, and left-hander David Born would finish the inning with a fifth, but the damage was done from three wild pitches and a passed ball in the inning. Five strikeouts in an inning matched the NCAA record.
Steve’s Big Day
Steve Tinoco broke out in a big way in Long Beach State’s final game at South Carolina. Tinoco tied a long-time school record, co-held by All-American Rob Townley and first team All-Big West selection Jaeme Leal by hitting three home runs in a single game. Tinoco’s three bombs were part of a five-for-five effort in South Carolina. Tinoco started the day with a leadoff home run in the second inning, and matched the feat in his second at-bat to start the third. In the fifth inning, he singled for hit number three, and in the seventh Tinoco would single again, coming around to score. Finally, in the ninth, Tinoco would add a capping home run, his third of the day to end a spectacular day at the plate. In all, Tinoco recorded five hits, four runs scored, three home runs, three RBI and a stolen base in leading the Dirtbags to the win.
Reports By LBSU