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SEASON PREVIEW SEASON PREVIEW FRESNO STATE BASEBALL BULLDOGS PRIMED FOR FINAL SEASON IN WAC 2011-12 SEASON PREVIEW There is no rebuilding year when you create a strong foun- dation of success like Fresno State baseball head coach Mike Batesole has. The Bulldogs have earned Western Ath- letic Conference trophies for six consecutive years, includ- ing four years of being both the regular season and tourna- ment champions. Batesole will be looking for his 600th career win during the 2012 season. He has a 584-394-1 overall record and is currently 169-102 in WAC play for his career. With only one year remaining in the WAC, the 'Dogs are looking to go out with a bang and earn their seventh top conference honor in seven years, the second longest streak in WAC history. Despite losing 10 student-athletes to the 2011 Major League Baseball draft, Batesole and the Bulldogs are primed for a big WAC finale with a core group of key re- turners and a recruiting class ranked 19th in the nation by Baseball America. KEY RETURNERS Among the top returners are seniors Kenny Wise, Tom Har- lan and Taylor Garrison. Wise, a first-team All-WAC selec- tion last year played in 53 games, earning 40 starts. He finished the season with seven home runs, 12 doubles and 26 RBI. Harlan and Garrison each spent considerable time on the mound in 2011. Harlan finished with a 5-3 record as a starter and a 3.84 ERA in 63 innings pitched, while Gar- rison picked up three saves in 18 appearances with a 1.32 ERA in relief. Other top returners include redshirt junior Trent Garrison and junior Austin Wynns. Trent Garrison, the twin brother of Taylor, started the first game of last season and recorded one putout before suffering a season ending injury. The Bulldogs are excited for his return to the field after he hit .339 at the plate with five home runs, 11 doubles and 46 RBI in 2010. Wynns, a first-team All-WAC catcher, played in all 56 games, earning 54 starts, and finished the season with a .326 batting average. Wynns also scored 41 runs on 57 hits, including nine doubles, and knocked in 21 runs. The Bulldogs will also be looking for Alaska League Top Prospect and Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Aaron Judge to continue his stellar play on the diamond in 2012. Named WAC Freshman of the Year, Judge was also first-team All-WAC. He played in 55 games, earning 49 starts in outfield. Judge finished his inaugural season with a .358 batting average, having scored 38 runs on 67 hits with 12 doubles, one triple and two home runs. LOCAL TALENT HIGHLIGHTS NEWCOMERS Fresno State welcomed 11 newcomers to the roster in 2012, including local standouts Jordan Brink, Jordan Lu- plow and Chris Mariscal. All three were named to the Tri-River Athletic Conference first-team during their high school careers. Brink was named first-team All-Valley during his senior year after hit- ting .434 with six home runs. Spending time on the mound, he also finished with a 2.85 ERA after striking out 78 batters in 51 innings pitched. Luplow spent most of his senior year rehabbing from a shoulder injury, but hit .385 with one home run in four games played. He also played for the California Blaze dur- ing the summer to prepare for college ball. Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 41st round of the 2011 MLB draft, Mariscal finished his final high school sea- son hitting .418 with four home runs and he received an All-Valley nod. BULLDOGS HAVE 36 HOME GAMES IN 2012 The 2012 schedule boasts 11 teams receiving votes in Col- legiate Baseball's preseason poll. It is highlighted by No. 3 Stanford, who won its regional in 2011, and No. 22 Califor- nia, who made it to the College World Series last year. Fresno State opens the season at home against Butler (Feb. 17-19) before hitting the road to face CSU Bakersfield (Feb. 22) and Pepperdine (Feb. 24-26). The Bulldogs face No. 3 Stanford (Mar. 2-4) in the middle of their first home stretch. The longest home stand for the 'Dogs includes five differ- ent opponents in 13 games over a span of 16 days and includes CSU Bakersfield (Mar. 16-18), Kent State (Mar. 20- 21), UC Riverside (Mar. 23-25), No. 22 California (Mar. 27) and New Mexico (Mar. 30-Apr. 1). The Bulldogs WAC opener happens in Hawai'i, Apr. 5-7. Fresno State's WAC home opener is May 4-6 in a series against Sacramento State. They will also host Louisiana Tech (May 18-20) as their last home series before the WAC Championships in Mesa, Ariz., May 23-27. THOMAS HARLAN 30 CROSS COUNTRY PATRICK HUTCHESON 2011 2012 31 AUSTIN WYNNS