2008 Fresno State Bulldogs baseball team

NCAATeamSeason
Mode = baseball
Year = 2008
Team = Fresno State Bulldogs


ImageSize = 150
Conference = Western Athletic Conference
ShortConference = WAC
CoachRank =
APRank =
Record = 47-31
ConfRecord = 21-11
HeadCoach = Mike Batesole
HitCoach =
PitchCoach =
StadiumArena = Beiden Field
Champion = NCAA Champions
WAC Champions
WAC Tournament Champions
BowlTourney =
BowlTourneyResult =

The 2008 Fresno State Bulldogs baseball team represented California State University, Fresno in the NCAA Division I baseball season of 2008. They played their home games at Beiden Field in Fresno, California. The team was coached by Mike Batesole who was in his fifth season at Fresno State. Under Batesole, Fresno State has won three Western Athletic Conference Championships in a row, and he has a 172-134 record with the Bulldogs.

In a surprise Cinderella run through the postseason, the Fresno State Bulldogs defeated the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2008 College World Series finals to win its first NCAA Championship in baseball (or, for that matter, in any men's sport).

Pre-Season

Fresno State entered the season ranked in the Collegiate Baseball newspaper's Fabulous 40 for the third consecutive season, at #21 [ [http://www.wacsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10100&ATCLID=1355916 Fresno State Ranked 21st in Preseason Baseball Poll] ] . Fresno State was also ranked #21 by the preseason magazine Baseball America [ [http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/top25/060105top25.html Baseball America Preseason College Top 25] ] .

Fresno state was preseason pick of the WAC coaches as the favorite to win the 2008 season; additionally, seven players were selected to the Preseason All-Wac Team, including the preseason Player of the Year Steve Susdorf and Pitcher of the Year Clayton Allison [ [http://www.wacsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10100&ATCLID=1369658 WAC Baseball Preseason Poll and All-WAC Team Announced] ]

Regular Season

WAC Tournament

NCAA Tournament: Regionals

NCAA Tournament: Super Regionals

Played Arizona St. at Arizona St.; Lost game one, and then bounced back and won two straight to advance to the College World Series.

NCAA Tournament: College World Series

In their first game, they defeated Rice 17-5. In their next game, they continued their miracle run defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels 5-3. After the Tar Heels defeated LSU in the second round of the loser's bracket, they returned once again to play Fresno St., who they would have to beat twice as Fresno St. had no losses, to earn a spot in the Championship Series. In the first game, N. Carolina won 4-3. The following evening, in the second of two games, Fresno St. outplayed N. Carolina to a 6-1 victory, moving on to the championship series.

In game one of the three game Championship Series against Georgia, Fresno St. lost late in the 8th inning after holding a decent lead for most of the game. Game 2 started out bad for Fresno St., but the Bulldogs fought back in the third inning and held off Georgia on the way to an impressive 19-10 beat down. In the final game of the series, with the NCAA Championship on the line, Fresno was lead by Steve Detwiler and Justin Wilson to a victory and Championship in a 6-1 rout of Georgia. [ [http://www.maderatribune.com/sports/sportsview.asp?c=245959 Associated Press, "Justin Wilson, Steve Detweiler lead Fresno State to 6-1 win over Georgia to claim the national title," June 26, 2008, "Madera Times"] , accessed June 26, 2008; Detweiler drove in all six runs in the Bulldogs' third-game victory in the College World Series]

Roster

Coaches