Wilk and Ruiz make all conference teams, but that's it

Adam Wilk (2nd team) and Charlie Ruiz (honorable mention) were the only Dirtbags to be honored by the Big West Wednesday.

While both deserved recognition it seems that LBSU's poor finish - losing nine of 10 - and falling into a fifth place tie in the conference standings certainly didn't help the cause of any of their offensive players.

Wilk and Ruiz get picked

Entire run-down of Big West selections

Check back for more info on recruits and draft day commentary in the next two weeks.

Dirtbags a victim of their own success

End of the season column about LBSU's players getting drafted and succeeding at the next level. How that is starting to hurt the team in Long Beach and the struggles to recruit with more and more competitive local teams and a lack of funding to improve the team's facilities.

A spirited debate follows!

What's next for the Dirtbags?

Dirtbags swept by CSUF

LBSU was swept but Fullerton and finished their season 25-29.

Been busy with the radio for the games and finals but some closing thoughts, a column and much more soon.

Cal Poly takes two out of three

LBSU managed a dramatic 13-12 come from behind win Saturday against the Mustangs but dropped games Friday night and Sunday afternoon to send them back under the .500 mark with just three games to play.

Season quickly eroding for Dirtbags

Things looked bleak for the 2009 season after a sweep by UCSB over the weekend. A 15-2 drubbing at UCLA Tuesday night only made it worse.

With just three outfielders and leading hitter Steve Tinoco noticeably absent from the line-up the Dirtbags struggled to score and have managed just 15 runs in their last four games (all losses) after winning four in a row and seven of eight to climb a season high four games over . 500 (24-20) back on May 5th. 

The Dirtbags used four starters in the first five innings as UCLA jumped out to a 12-2 lead. 

Josh Corrales (1-2) took the loss giving up five runs in 2 1/3, but Anthony Carrillo (1 IP, 4 runs - 2 earned), Aaron Lambrix (1.1 IP, 3 runs) and Charlie Ruiz later on (1 IP, 3 runs) weren't much better.

Most disturbing is the back-to-back efforts from Ruiz who has been the Dirtbags closer all year and despite some wildness from his nasty spilt-finger pitch has been very effective at the back end of games.

In Sunday's heartbreaking loss Ruiz was charged with the defeat after giving up two walks, a triple and three runs while recording no outs and throwing just two strikes in 13 pitches.

LBSU (24-24) will try and salvage a bit of their season this weekend at home against Cal Poly (33-16, 11-7). Both teams are still battling for second place in the Big West. 

UCLA tonight, injury updates

Just ran into Jonathan Jones on campus...his chin is sore but thankfully he is o.k. after getting plunked in the face while squaring to bunt Sunday.

He hit the ground hard and reiterated our fears in the booth that he thought he may have broken his jaw but fortunately it wasn't that serious.

He will not be making the trip to L.A.

Brennan Metzger is also recovering (after 3 hours in the E.R.) and has a deep bone bruise after getting hit square in the elbow the inning before. I said it on-air at the time but the sound of the ball hitting his elbow was an awful one.

If you had been in the stands and looked away for the pitch you may have assumed he popped up a foul ball somewhere. That was what the "pop" sounded like and I don't think the elbow is built for that.

Jordan Casas, who re-aggravated his ankle injury when his foot caught in the grass on Saturday as he caught a fly ball and tried to throw home, is doing better but remains out.

Even Brandon Young, the sophomore utilityman who would have been a viable outfield option, was sidelined after getting hit with a line drive during BP the day before.

All three of the normal starters (no word on Young) will miss at least tonight's game which presents an interesting outfield situation.

With all three out and Tre Dennis in the DH spot Sunday, first baseman Steve Tinoco went to left where he played last year. 

So that leaves the Dirtbags with three pure outfielders for tonight's game at Jackie Robinson in Dennis, Matt Avery and TJ Mittelstaedt. Tinoco would be the next man to roam the UCLA outfield.

Staff game tonight, LBSU sits just one game over .500 (24-23), the Dirtbags have never finished under the break-even line in the 20-year history of that moniker.

As you may remember they lost to the Bruins in L.A. 7-5 two weeks ago. Haven't received a decent answer as to why both games would be played on their field but that is the case.

18th-ranked Cal Poly will be at Blair this weekend for three.

Dirtbags swept by UCSB in Fullerton

It's a long season that really is a year-round endeavor beginning with summer workouts, going through fall practices and on into the season but for the Dirtbags it may have all come down to about 24 hours in Fullerton and the end result was not very good. 

In a must-win series for both teams involved it was Santa Barbara that rose to the challenge sweeping LBSU in Fullerton to strengthen their NCAA case while seriously damaging the Dirtbags chances for a third straight postseason birth.

At 24-23 overall and 10-8 in conference it will most likely take a 7-0 finish for The Beach to be seriously considered by the selection committee and after the UCLA game tomorrow night the Dirtbags get their final six games against top-20 ranked teams in Cal Poly (18th) and Cal State Fullerton (6th). 

Sweeps over those teams would definitely raise eyebrows but all of the sudden Long Beach State is missing three outfielders - more on that tomorrow - and struggling to swing the bats while giving up plenty of runs to the other side. 

Series recaps ... 

11-9 UCSB Sunday

3-0, 14-4 UCSB (doubleheader) Saturday

Dirtbags and Gauchos PPD due to fires

LBSU/UCSB to play in Fullerton, doubleheader Sat beginning at 2 and series finale Sunday at 1

More info here

Waves no match for The Beach

In another critical game the Dirtbags rose to the occasion tonight at Blair in beating Pepperdine 10-5. 

Seven starters had at least one hit and LBSU scored in six of their eight at-bats en route to their fourth straight win. The Dirtbags have won 13 of their last 16 at home.

They were down 4-3 in the fourth but responded with a run to tie it and then two more in the fifth, sixth and seventh to take over the game.

TJ Mittelstaedt continued to rope the ball going 2-for-3 with 3 RBI's.

Four other LBSU players had two hits and at least one RBI - Jordan Casas (2-for-4, 2 RBI's), Taylor Krick (2-for-3, 2 RBI's) Tre Dennis (2-for-2, RBI) and Steve Tinoco (2-for-4, RBI).

The Dirtbags (24-20) stole five more bases to give them 107 on the season. The school record is 123.

David Brown (2-0) worked a career high 3 2/3 innings for the win. He was one of five Beach pitchers to take the mound on the evening. 

LBSU will be in Santa Barbara this weekend for a big series with the UCSB Gauchos. 

At 10-5 in the Big West the Dirtbags are in a three-way tie for second place with Cal Poly (10-5) and CSUF (12-6), with three weeks to play. 

To spice things up Cal Poly comes to Blair next weekend before the season finale series with Fullerton. So second place will be decided right there between the lines.

I'll be on the air live from Goleta all weekend (Fri - 2pm, Sat - 1pm and Sun - 1 pm) calling the games and you can listen in here.

Dirtbags sweep Davis

It was an emotional weekend at Blair Field as baseball took a backseat to the stories on and off the field. 

Davis, the conference doormat played hard and gave LBSU (23-20, 10-5) two tough games after a blowout Friday night but the Dirtbags got the sweep they needed and with 11 games to go can still play their way into the NCAA Tournament.

Sunday, TJ Mittelstaedt's two-run seventh inning triple carried the Dirtbags to a 3-2 win. Josh Corrales got the win in an emotional return to Blair Field for the freshman pitcher.

Saturday night, Jake Thompson was stellar again and LBSU won 5-2. It was an interesting night and the game, more than the result, served a much bigger cause.

The Dirtbags rolled over the Aggies in the series opener behind ace Adam Wilk, some big offense and a lot of help from the Davis bullpen in a 16-3 blowout win.

LBSU takes on Pepperdine at 6:30 on Tuesday night. The Dirtbags beat the Waves three weeks ago in Malibu by a 5-4 score.

HIGHLIGHT VIDEO FROM SUNDAY'S 3-2 WIN