The Dixie State Red Storm open a four-game non-conference series against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Thursday, April 2. Dixie State looks to improve on it 18-10 record after having won three of four against Hawaii-Hilo last weekend. This will mark the first time the schools face each other in baseball.
SERIES VS. DOMINGUEZ HILLS - First ever meeting
GAME TIMES
Thursday, April 2, 7 p.m. (at DSC)
Friday, April 3, 2 p.m. DH (at DSC)
Saturday, April 4, 12 p.m. (at DSC)
RED STORM ON THE AIR - Live online audio can be accessed through DixieAthletics.com under the "Listen Live" tab.
John Potter will have the call on Thursday and Friday. SportsRadio 1210 will have the call for the game on Saturday at Noon.
SCOUTING THE TOROS - The Toros are coming off an impressive three game to one series victory over No. 11 Cal State Los Angeles, including a doubleheader sweep last Saturday. CSUDH is 19-14 on the year and sits 5th in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with a 14-10 conference mark. Senior first baseman Jon Alia leads the Toros in batting average (.460), home runs (11) and RBI (43). IF Carlos Leyva also tops the .400 barrier with a .444 average. Kody Kurowski paces the club in wins with five and holds the best ERA for a starter at 2.77. Brett Montgomery has struck out 43 batters in 45 innings. CSUDH is coached by Murphy Su'a in his third season as manager and eighth overall at Dominguez Hills. Murphy's son, Justin, was a Freshman All-American pitcher at BYU in 2001.
WHAT SHOULD YOU KNOW
- Dixie State has won ten of its last twelve games and has a 15-3 record at home this season
- Dixie State has scored over 10 runs in eleven of the last fourteen games
- OF
Brett Adams (Sandy, UT/Alta) and RHP
Tyson Bailey (Mesa. AZ/Westwood HS) swept the Pac West player awards this week
KILLER THREE-FOUR-FIVE - The middle of Dixie State's lineup – CF
Brett Adams (Sandy, UT/Alta), SS
Jimmy Dever (Tuscon. AZ/Catalina Foothills HS) and 1B
Alex Rosenhan (Highland. UT/Alta HS) – has tore the cover off the ball over the last twelve games. Combined, the trio is 55-for-116 (.474) with nine home runs and 40 RBI.
DEVER STREAKING - Dixie State's SS
Jimmy Dever (Tuscon. AZ/Catalina Foothills HS) is currently on the season's longest hitting streak at 15 games. During the streak, Dever has five mutli-hit games including two three-hit games against Academy of Art SF on March 17 and Hawaii-Hilo on March 28.
OLDFIELD'S RECORD DAY - During the March 28 doubleheader contests with Hilo, C/DH
Drew Oldfield (Aurora, CO/Rangeview) had a career day. In the first game, Oldfield went 4-for-4 with three homers, a double, nine RBI and a walk. He finished the day with 12 RBI after a bases-clearing double in the first inning of the nightcap. Oldfield's batting average increased 57 points (.262 to .319) in the course of 14 innings. He finished the Hilo series with two more hits and is currently batting .338.
BAILEY ROLLS ALONG - RHP
Tyson Bailey (Mesa. AZ/Westwood HS) has won four consecutive starts and leads the Storm with a 2.43 ERA
HONEST ABE -
Abe Candaleria (Camarillo. CA/Camarillo HS) has made the most of his last six starts in left field. He went 10 for 16 with eight runs scored, nine RBI, one double, one homer, seven walks and a stolen base. The efforts garnered Candaleria a spot in the Pac West Top 10 Honor Roll.
SKIPPER MISSING? - Head Coach Mike Littlewood was absent from the doubleheader games last Saturday, but for good reason. Littlewood refereed the NCAA Basketball Tournament West Regional Final in Glendale, AZ. UConn advanced to the Final Four with an 82-75 win over Missouri. Assistant coach Trent Pratt assumed the managerial duties in Littlewood's absence and won both games. Pratt is 6-0 as acting head coach over the past two seasons.
WHAT'S AHEAD - Upon completion of this weekend's four-game set against Dominguez Hills, the Storm embark on their last regular roadie to the Hawaiian Islands. Dixie State's 10-game Hawaiian excursion begins Thursday 4-9 with a pair of games against Hawaii Pacific.