SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose State baseball will host their first three-game series at Municipal Stadium of the season this weekend when they welcome the UC Riverside Highlanders Friday through Sunday.
Games 5-7
UC Riverside (1-4) at San José State (3-1)
Friday, Feb. 22 | 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 23 | 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 24 | 12:00 p.m.
Municipal Stadium
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday: Ben Polack (LHP) vs. Riley Ohl (RHP)
Saturday: Andrew Mitchel (LHP) vs. Shamus Lyons (LHP)
Sunday: Tevin Cadola (RHP) vs. Jeremiah Priddy (RHP)
QUICK LOOK AT THE HIGHLANDERS
UC Riverside will be playing their first away game of the season after five-straight home games to open the year. The Highlanders are currently 1-4 under head coach Troy Percival. Nick Kafer leads the team offensive with six RBI on five hits, including a double and home run.
Ohl has a 5.40 ERA and earned the team's lone win in his one outing against Nebraska. Priddy pitched a team-high 6.1 innings surrendering seven hits to go with seven strikeouts.
SPARTAN LEADERS
Hitting
Batting Average – Kellen Strahm (.529) – leads MW
Walks – Johnny Mendoza (5)
Runs Scored – Connor Konishi, Kellen Strahm, Blake Berry (6) – leads MW
Stolen Bases – Strahm, James Shimashita (1)
Hits - Strahm (9)
RBI – Shimashita (10) – leads MW
Doubles – Konishi, Berry (2)
Triples – Johnny Mendoza, Nico Malbrough (1)
Pitching
ERA – Andrew Mitchel, Josh Zanger, Jonathan Clark (0.00)
Opposing BA – Clark (.071)
Wins – Tevin Cadola, Anders Davidson, Zach Wallace (1)
Saves – Finn Del Bonta-Smith, Zanger (1)
Strikeouts – Clark, Mitchel (6)
STARTING 2019 OFF WITH A BANG
The Spartans started the season 3-0 for the first time since winning six-straight to start the 2011 season. After a pair of rain delays, SJSU ended up playing the Broncos in all three games at Santa Clara. They started with sweeping Sunday's doubleheader 8-5 and 4-3 before going on an offensive tear in the third game, winning 20-10 on Monday. The Spartans outscored the Broncos 32-18 for the series.
HISTORIC NUMBERS
SJSU's 20 runs were the most scored since a 20-8 win over Brown on March 28, 2012.
SHIMMY'S DEBUT ONE TO REMEMBER
Freshman outfielder James Shimashita had a series to remember in his first collegiate action. The San Diego product finished with nine RBI for the series and finished 5-of-13 at the plate with a double and run scored. His nine RBI currently lead the Mountain West.
BATS ON FIRE
Shimashita was hardly the lone Spartan to carry a big stick against the Broncos. Connor Konishi finished the series 7-of-12 at the plate for a conference-best .583 BA. He scored six runs, had three RBI and two doubles.
Kellen Strahm and Blake Berry each batted 6-for-13. Strahm scored three runs and tallied three RBI with a double and stolen base. Berry scored six runs with two doubles and three RBI.
Konishi, Berry and Strahm are currently the top three leaders in runs scored in the MW.
Johnny Mendoza was 5-for-10 at the plate with a triple and four RBI, all coming in game three. He also drew a team-high five walks.
Junior college transfer Troy Viola started two games at third base and finished with three hits and three RBI.
MITCHEL RETURNS TO FORM
The 2018 Mountain West Co-Pitcher of the Year Andrew Mitchel had a solid outing in his 2019 debut. The lefty pitched 4.0 innings of scoreless ball, surrendering just two hits and three walks while striking out six.
NEWCOMER DEBUTS
A total of seven position players and two pitchers made the SJSU debuts in the opening series. Blake Berry (DH), James Shimashita (LF), Troy Viola (3B) and Nick Knecht (1B) started all three games while Nico Malbrough, Alex Davis drew one start each. Nik Trapani also made his collegiate debut off the bench.
Freshman pitcher Ben Polack made his first collegiate start in game three and was lifted after 1.0 inning for junior college transfer Mitchell Miller (3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO, 6.00 ERA).
SECOND YEAR FOR SANFILIPPO
Head coach Brad Sanfilippo had an outstanding first season at the helm of SJSU baseball as interim coach in 2018, leading the Spartans to a 27-30 overall record and a third-place finish in the Mountain West standings with a 16-14 record, their most conference wins since 2008. Sanfilippo was promoted to head coach following the season on June 12, 2018.