SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose State baseball squad will look to regroup after getting swept by Fresno State to drop from the top of the Mountain West standings as they begin a four-game road swing beginning Tuesday against crosstown opponent No. 2 Stanford. The game will be played at 6:00 p.m. PT at the Sunken Diamond.
Game No. 41
San Jose State (18-22, 12-9) at No. 2 Stanford (27-6, 13-2)
Tuesday, April 23 | 6:00 p.m. PT
Klein Field at Sunken Diamond | Stanford, Calif.
LOOKING TO BREAK THE SKID
» The Spartans have not played their best ball in nonconference games this season, checking into Tuesday's game with a 6-13 mark in such games. A win over the Cardinal would be a huge momentum boost heading into the weekend series at Nicholls State.
» A win would also put an end to SJSU's six-game losing skid.
AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
This will be SJSU's first game against a nationally-ranked opponent this season. The Spartans are looking for the first win over a ranked team since April 26, 2015 when they defeated No. 24 Nevada in Reno.
» A win over the No. 2 Cardinal would be the team's first over a top-five opponent since the Spartans took two of three at No. 2 UCLA on February 26 and 27, 2010.
SCOUTING STANFORD
» The Stanford Cardinal have been among the nation's elite all season long and are currently ranked No. 2 in the nation (NCBWA, Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America polls).They check into Tuesday's contest at 27-6 overall and are 13-2 in Pac 12 play.
» The Cardinal have played very well at the Sunken Diamond with a 14-5 record when defending the home turf.
» Led by second-year head coach David Esquer, Stanford have excelled both on the mound and at the plate. The Cardinal pitching staff has the fifth-lowest combined ERA in the NCAA (2.81). They average 6.6 runs per game, good for third-best in the Pac 12.
QUITE THE START
» Through the first 15 games, the Spartans had an 11-4 start in conference play, by far the program's best start since joining the conference in 2014.
Through 15 Mountain West games:
2014 5-10
2015 3-12
2016 3-12
2017 7-7-1
2018 4-11
2019 11-4
STRAHM STAYS STRONG
» Kellen Strahm has established himself as one of the most feared hitters in the Mountain West this season. The junior leads the conference in batting average (.406) and is in the top three in hits (52), runs scored (36) and stolen bases (14-of-16).
» Strahm is one of just two players in the MW hitting above .400 (minimum 2.0 AB per game).
» Strahm also ranks highly in several NCAA categories as well.
Batting Average 20th
Hits 47th
On base % 25th
A PERFORMANCE FOR THE AGES
» Senior left-handed pitcher Andrew Mitchel put on one of the finest performances ever seen on the mound in SJSU history on March 8 in the Spartans 4-1 win over Air Force. The Atwater, California, product tossed a complete game with a remarkable 18 strikeouts, the most thrown at any level in the NCAA this season.
» The strikeout total ranks second-most in a nine-inning game in school history and the most since 1964. It is also the second-most in Mountain West history behind Stephen Strasburg's 23 vs. Utah on April 11, 2008.
MW PITCHERS OF THE WEEK
» The Spartans have been honored by the league office in back-to-back weeks as Andrew Mitchel and Fineas Del Bonta-Smith were the Mountain West Pitchers of the Week. Mitchel earned the honor first for his 18-strikeout performance while Bonta-Smith picked up the award after a combined effort in the UNLV series in which he secured a win to improve to 2-1 and tallied two saves to bring his season total to five.
FANTASTIC FINN
» Fineas Del Bonta-Smith has been outstanding in closing out games this far for the Spartans. After recording five total saves in 2018, Finn has already tallied eight saves so far in 2019.
» Bonta-Smith's eight saves are the third-most in school history and are 8th-most in the NCAA this season.
» Bonta-Smith has 13 saves in his Spartan career, second-most in school history. Zack Jones currently holds the record of 15.
MR. PUNCH OUT
» Andrew Mitchel leads the Mountain West and ranks 14th in the NCAA with 85 strikeouts. His 13.19 strikeouts per nine innings rank 15th nationally.
WHEN IT COUNTS
» SJSU has turned up the heat in conference games this season. They are the only team in the conference that has a sweep this season over a league opponent, doing so not only once, but twice (vs. UNLV and New Mexico).
» In conference play, the Spartans are hitting .281, good for second-best in the league.
GIVE 'EM THE HOT STINKY CHEDDAR
» SJSU pitchers have been on their A-game throughout the conference slate. They collective have held opponent bats to a .249 average, the second-Lowest in the league while compiling seven saves courtesy of Finn Del Bonta-Smtih.
» Andrew Mitchel has tallied 61 of his 85 strikeouts against conference batters, both marks lead the Mountain West.
CLARK'S BIG DAY
» Freshman right-hander Jonathan Clark had one of the most impressive outings by a Spartan freshman in recent memory in the series finale vs. New Mexico. Clark pitched a complete game and picked up his second win as SJSU took down the Lobos 5-1.
» Clark surrendered just three hits on the day and put two on base by way of a walk. He retired 21-straight batters between the third and ninth inning before the Lobos tacked on a base hit with one out in the ninth.
» Clark became the first freshman in the conference to record a complete game this season, and is only the second pitcher overall to do so, joining teammate Andrew Mitchel.
» Additionally, Clark became the first Spartan freshman to throw a complete game since Logan Handzlik in 2014.
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.
RECORD BOOK WATCH
» The following milestones are currently on the radar for Spartan pitchers.
- Andrew Mitchel is 25 strikeouts away from cracking the top-10 school record list for single season strikeouts.
1. 166 John Oldham 1953
2. 161 Anthony Telford 1987
3. 145 John Oldham 1954
4. 142 Anthony Telford 1986
5. 140 Mike Rusk 1971
6. 128 Dan Archibald 1988
7. 114 Javier Pamus 1998
8. 113 Dave Tellers 1989
9. 111 Mark Langston 1980
10. 110 Matt Durkin 2003
-- 85 Andrew Mitchel 2019
- Finn Del Bonta-Smith needs two more saves to achieve a pair of milestones: the single-season and career saves records. With two saves, Finn will tie Zach Jones for both records.
Single Season:
1. 10 Zach Jones 2011
2. 9 Anthony Vega 2009
3. 8 Finn Del Bonta-Smith 2019
Career (Since 1977):
1. 15 Zach Jones 2010-11
2. 13 Finn Del Bonta-Smith 2018-19
3. 12 Anthony Vega 2008-09
- Tevin Cadola needs five more wins in 2019 to become the first Spartan since Matt Durkin in 2011 to pick up at least 10 wins in a single season.
LAYING IT DOWN
» When it comes to moving runners over, there are few better that do it better than the Spartans. SJSU ranks third in the conference and 44th nationally with 26 sacrifice bunts this season. Senior Aaron Pleschner has been the biggest contributor to that number and ranks 10th in the nation with 10 sac bunts on the year.
A PROGRAM REJUVENATED
» Enough cannot be said about the job Brad Sanfilippo has done his two seasons at the helm. The Spartans have compiled 28 conference wins under his watch, and still have nine league games to go in 2019. To put that number in perspective, SJSU had just 33 conference wins combined in the first four seasons as a member of the the Mountain West.
2014: 10 wins
2015: 6 wins
2016: 7 wins
2017: 10 wins
2018: 16 wins
2019: 12 wins
» The Spartans' 16 wins last season were the most conference wins since SJSU won 17 in 2008 as a member of the WAC. The school record for conference wins is 25 set in 1979 as a member of the NCBA.