May 16, 2018
San Jose, Calif. --- The San José State University baseball team will play Air Force in a crucial three-game series starting Thursday, May 17 inside Municipal Stadium. The series will be highlighted with Senior Day in the Spartans final home game of the season Saturday, May 19 at 12:00 p.m.
There are four teams battling for two spots in the MW Tournament this weekend. The Spartans are tied for third in the MW standings with UNLV at 13-14. Air Force is half a game behind the Spartans, and Fresno State is two games back. The top four teams qualify for the Mountain West Tournament.
San José State (23-28, 13-14 MW) vs Air Force (24-27, 12-14 MW)
Rally Towel Night Giveaway • Thursday • May 17 • 7:00 p.m. • Municipal Stadium
Buy One, Get One Free! • Friday • May 18 • 6:00 p.m. • Municipal Stadium
Fan Appreciation Day/Senior Day • Saturday • May 19 • 12:00 p.m. • Municipal Stadium
You can purchase tickets for the Buy One, Get One Free deal HERE!
Three Day Look Ahead
Air Force (12-14) at SJSU (13-14) | Thurs. 7:00 p.m., Fri. 6:00 p.m., Sat. 12:00p.m. |
UNLV (13-14) at Fresno State (11-16) | Thurs. 6:05 p.m., Fri. 6:05 p.m., Sat. 2:05 p.m. |
SDSU (17-10) at Nevada (18-8) | Thurs. 6:00 p.m., Fri. 6:00 p.m., Sat. 12:00 p.m. |
Series History: Air Force
The Falcons are ahead in the all-time series 19-13.
Previously this season, the Spartans lost the series 2-1 at Air Force.
LAST 6 MEETINGS
3/31/18 at Air Force L, 19-3
3/30/18 at Air Force W, 3-1
3/29/18 at Air Force L, 5-4
4/23/17 AIR FORCE L, 9-5
4/22/17 AIR FORCE L, 9-7
4/21/17 AIR FORCE L, 12-6
Pitching Staff
This season, the 11 Spartan newcomers that have pitched on the roster have accounted for 237 of the 360 strikeouts this season. They have also recorded 13 of the teams wins.
Assistant coach, Tyler LaTorre, remained with the team during the mid-season coaching change and was promoted to pitching coach.
In Andrew Mitchel's last eight starts, the Spartans have outscored opponents 54-32. He received his first loss of the season last weekend in a 2-1 pitcher's duel at San Diego State where he gave up one earned run to the 10th ranked hitting team in the nation. Mitchel is second in the Mountain West in strikeouts with 83, third in opposing batting average at .212.
Mitchel has been one of the most effective pitchers in the MW. In conference games, he holds a 3.98 ERA with a 5-1 record in 51.0 innings. He has allowed 19 earned runs, 18 walks, and struck out 53 batters.
In conference action, Mitchel has the second most wins in the MW with five - He is tied for first in opposing batting average with .204 - Second in batters struck out with 53 - sixth in innings pitched at 51.0 - Fourth in ERA at 3.35 - Seventh in hits allowed with 37.
Tevin Cadola holds a 4.35 ERA through 39.1 innings. This season, the junior has allowed 19 earned runs along with 30 strikeouts to 14 walks.
In conference play, he has been even more effective. He holds a 3.71 ERA in 34.0 innings. He has allowed 14 earned runs and has 26 strikeouts to 13 walks. He ranks fourth in earned runs (14), sixth in ERA (3.71), sixth in hits allowed (36), 10th in opposing batting average (.281).
Defense
SJSU is fourth in the nation in double plays per game with an average of 1.10 per game. The Spartans are tied for fifth in the nation in double plays turning 55 in 50 games. Last year, the Spartans turned 54 double plays all season.
The Spartans are also second in the Mountain West in fielding percentage.
FLASH
In the last 42 games, Kellen Strahm has been one of the most effective hitters on the team batting .345 with an OB% of .415 during that span. His 18-game hit streak ended on 5/6/18. He leads the team in walks with 27, triples with three, doubles with 12 and stolen bases with nine. Strahm is one of the fastest players in the Mountain West. He was the 2017 MW leader in steals with 18. He had three multi-steal games including a season-high three steals versus New Mexico 3/11/17.
Shane "Timbo" Timmons
The three-time letter winner from Mission Viejo, California has started in 153 of the last 156 games for the Spartans. No San José State baseball player has more homers the last four seasons than Timmons with 25. He is currently tied for first all-time in home runs with John Fagan who set the record nearly 20 years ago. The 2017 second team All-Mountain West first baseman finished in the top-10 in several MW conference categories: ninth in slugging percentage (.648), tied for seventh in triples (2), fifth in home runs (7), tied for sixth in hit by pitches (6), first in sacrifice flies (5) and tied for eighth in stolen bases (5).
He is the first Spartan to lead the team in batting average two consecutive seasons since Kevin Frandsen in 2003 and 2004 seasons. Frandsen would become a 12th round pick in the 2004 MLB Draft, and play nine seasons of major league baseball. He would later be inducted into the San José State Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.
Bautista is BAck
After Bautista redshirted the 2017 season and played only 10 games of 2016, the senior returns to the Spartan lineup without missing a step. Bautista, who had not recorded a hit since March 1, 2016, has a team leading batting average of .357 through 46 games with 66 hits and 32 RBI's.
This season, the senior has 11 three hit games (four of them being consecutive). Bautista has two, double home run games this year.
Seniors
The Spartans are led by the four seniors in the starting lineup. This season, Brett Bautista, Shane Timmons, David Campbell, Kyle Morrison, and Chris Williams have combined to bat 277-for-855 (.323), with 39 doubles, six triples, 12 home runs, 159 RBI.
Since 4/7/18 the five seniors have batted .349 racking up 81 RBI. They are part of a team that has recorded two 21 hit games this season. The last time the Spartans had two 20 hit games in a single season was in 2010.