Completed Event: Baseball versus Cornell on April 27, 2025 , Win , 7, to, 4
Final
Baseball
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Baseball Has Tough Task at #12 Cal Poly
3/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
California in Review Thus Far
Dartmouth had suffered through six straight losses on the West Coast before breaking through for its first victory of 2009 with a thrilling 7-4 triumph over San Jos? State yesterday afternoon. Ray Allen forced the winning run to cross the plate by drawing a bases-loaded, two-out walk in the ninth as part of a six-run rally.
Freshman Joe Sclafani bookended the Big Green's biggest inning of the year with singles ? starting the uprising with a knock before capping the rally with a two-run safety. Junior Nick Santomauro tied the game with a two-run double, helping set up Allen's watchful-eye heroics.
The six losses extended the season-opening skid to eight games, the longest since the 1982 Big Green dropped 10 straight to start that year. There were a couple close calls, including an 8-7 loss to Pacific to start the trip, and a 3-0 defeat at Santa Clara.
The Overall Record
The Big Green have played Cal Poly five times previously, winning twice. The good news is that the teams have won alternating games, and it is Dartmouth's turn ? the Mustangs won the initial contest in 2001 by one run, then two years later the schools split two games with the Green winning the first. Most recently, Dartmouth beat Cal Poly in 2006, 6-4, then lost the next day by a 7-4 count.
Scouting the Mustangs
? Cal Poly is ranked in each of the four prominent polls, with Collegiate Baseball listing the Mustangs the highest at 12th.
? With the opening weekend of conference play looming this weekend, Cal Poly will likely be in the same boat as Dartmouth with several pitchers getting work in without overtaxing anyone.
? Last night, the Mustangs also played San Jos? State, defeating the Spartans by a 17-9 final. Shortstop and ninth-place hitter Kyle Smith went 4-for-5 with his third homer and seven RBIs plus was just a double shy of the cycle.
? Cal Poly has been winning with quite a bit of offense, averaging just under 10 runs a game. As a team the Mustangs are hitting .329 with 21 homers and 36 stolen bases to boot. They will bunt quite a bit as well, having laid down 28 sacrifice bunts already this year.
? The pitching staff has a respectable 5.39 ERA. Relievers Eric Massingham (2-0, 1.69 ERA) and Mark DeVincenzi (3-2, 3.92 ERA) are likely to see some action in the game.
? Second baseman Matt Jensen is the Mustangs' top offensive weapon, leading the squad with a .403 average, six homers, 28 RBIs, six doubles, 25 runs, 18 walks and a whopping .542 on-base percentage.
? This is a solid defensive ball club, committing 24 errors for a .969 fielding percentage. Cal Poly has also turned 15 doubles plays.
Probable Starting Pitchers
? Anyone not slated to start this weekend will be available to pitch for the Big Green, so that rules out LHP Robert Young and RHP Ben Murray, not to mention RHP Kyle Hendricks who tossed seven solid innings last night. As to who gets the ball first, I'll guess RHP Cole Sulser (0-1, 19.06). (Nope, I was wrong ? LHP Colin Britton (0-1, 4.26.)
? This is another complete guess on my part, so I'm going to go with LHP Kyle Anderson (0-0, 0.00) who has thrown just three innings in a start against San Jos? State two weeks ago.(But I was right on this one!)
What's Up Next
Dartmouth returns to the East Coast for the start of Ivy play this weekend. On Saturday the Big Green play a doubleheader at noon in Philadelphia at Penn, then head to New York to take on Columbia in a twinbill the following day at noon as well.
Players Mentioned
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OF
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