Cardinal begin quest for third national title
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2 N Friday, June 1, 2018
The Stanford Daily
RAIDERS ON THE HORIZON By JOSE SALDANA MANAGING EDITOR
The last time David Esquer was in a Stanford baseball uniform before 2018, he was celebrating the first national title in the program’s history — as a player. Thirty-one years later, Esquer dons the uniform again, but this time, as the first-year head coach of his alma mater. He will try to end this season as he did in his final start of his career — with a championship. The first-seeded Cardinal (4410) begin their postseason quest when they host fourth-seeded Wright State (39-15) in the first round of the NCAA Stanford Regional tonight at 7 p.m. at Sunken Diamond. The road to Omaha, the historic backdrop to the College World Series, is always daunting, and this year’s road seems particularly so, as Stanford has been dealt a tough regional. The Raiders, the champions of the Horizon League, are joined by Big 12 champion Baylor, the second seed, and third-seeded Cal State Fullerton in the regional. Wright State fields a team with a RPI of 69, which is the second-highest RPI of a fourth seed in the tournament. “[Wright State] offers a couple problems,” Esquer said. “They steal a lot of bases, and they’ve got a little bit of power. Not your typical fourth seed, and I think many people projected them to be the best fourth seed in the tournament.” Stealing a lot of bases is an understatement. The Raiders have stolen 110 bases, eighth-best in the country. That number is nearly double the amount of bases stolen by UCLA, which led the Pac-12 in steals. One remedy to stopping this base larceny is to have a great defensive catcher. Unfortunately, the best defensive catcher in the conference, Cardinal sophomore Maverick Handley, is out with an injury, and according to Esquer, he will be out until a possible super regional. Junior Christian Molfetta has replaced Handley in the backstop and has done a solid job filling in, but it’s tough to replace Handley’s arm strength, accuracy and instincts. So if you don’t have your elite defensive catcher, then what other elixirs can you draw up?
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The 2018 Cardinal squad has scored the most runs per game (6.69) of any Stanford team since 2008. Massively contributing to that effort has been sophomore first baseman Andrew Daschbach, who has contributed 16 home runs and 61 RBI, the most of any Cardinal since 2008. Having a pitcher as good as junior Tristan Beck certainly helps. The veteran right-hander sports a 2.99 ERA this season, which ranks 12th in the conference, and pitched a team-high 84.1 innings a year after missing his entire sophomore season due to injury. He missed out on a chance to pitch in front of home fans when Stanford hosted a regional last season, so his start on Friday is special for him. “It’s an honor to be in the position to pitch the first game of our regional,” Beck said. “The Sunken [Diamond] crowd is always great. It’s going to be a great experience playing in front of a huge crowd with a lot on the line.”
Other returners have been waiting for this moment, too. The Cardinal lost in the regional to Fullerton last season despite hosting it, and the defeat left a bad taste in the players’ mouths. Those players, including junior shortstop Nico Hoerner and sophomore first baseman Andrew Daschbach, have been the fulcrum of the Stanford offense in the three and four spots in the lineup. They have led an offense that is fourth in the Pac-12 in runs (361) and second in home runs (54). The Cardinal, although balanced in pitching and hitting, have at times struggled to find all elements of their game against elite opposition, and as a result, have dropped their
last two road series. Those performances came against top Pac-12 teams in Oregon State and Washington, but Wright State has the tools to aggravate the Cardinal, too. The Raiders have a bona fide ace in starting pitcher Ryan Weiss, who was an all-conference selection in the Horizon League. However, he might not start against the Cardinal, as his coaches might opt to let his arm recover an extra day after he pitched twice in last weekend’s Horizon League Tournament. If he can’t go, then Horizon League Freshman of the Year Caleb Sampen could be the Raiders’ starter. Sampen is unbeaten in six
starts this season. Wright State is also on an upswing, winning its last eight games, whereas the Cardinal have lost two consecutive road series. However, negative momentum means nothing to this team, and instead it will rely on the resilience it has shown all season. “We know that until the scoreboard says final that we are still in it,” Beck said. “No matter the score.” First pitch is at 7 p.m. at Sunken Diamond. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 and the radio call will be on KZSU 90.1 FM. Contact Jose Saldana at jsaldana@ stanford.edu.
WHOLE NEW BEAU In final season, Beau Branton leads Cardinal offense By ALEXA PHILIPPOU SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Beau Branton’s breakout season wasn’t supposed to happen. First-team All-Pac-12 second baseman Duke Kinamon was slotted in to play second this year — until he went down with a groin injury in warmups minutes before the first pitch of the season. Even then, Jesse Kuet got the first crack at taking Kinamon’s place. But not the last. Eleven games into the season, Stanford head coach David Esquer gave Branton a start, and he went 2-for-4 with a run scored. “I just told myself, ‘This is my last year [at Stanford], possibly my last year playing baseball. Just have fun with it. Try and ball out,’” Branton said about his mentality when Kinamon’s spot opened up. “And the rest is history.” Branton did not just exceed expectations for his senior season — he shattered
them. After riding the bench for the last two years, he laid claim to the leadoff spot in the lineup and set the table for one of the highest-scoring Stanford offenses in a decade. Since getting his first start, Branton has never recorded back-to-back hitless games and has had hitting streaks of 10, seven and six (so far). In addition to claiming a .909 OPS (third-best among year-long starters), he leads the Cardinal offense with a .379 batting average, good for fourth in the Pac12 and on pace for Stanford’s best mark since Jed Lowrie hit .399 in 2004. Branton’s stellar season has also included some standout moments: his first career home run during the Utah series; his threerun, 5-for-6 outing in Stanford’s comeback win against then-No. 3 Oregon State; and his 7-for-12 series against Washington State. “He’s been a lifesaver for us,” Esquer said. “Having him come in and perform like he has has been a huge shot in the arm for
us. He’s a valuable piece, and without him, we’re probably not whole.” “That guy never fails to impress,” first baseman Andrew Daschbach added. “Honestly, I’m just kind of sitting back in amazement. [He’s] been huge for us.” After getting 28 starts as a freshman, mostly at third base, Branton appeared in 29 games with 32 plate appearances over the next two years combined, with Kinamon, Tommy Edman, Mikey Diekroeger and Nico Hoerner dominating the playing time in the infield. Branton’s emergence wasn’t just a result of newfound opportunity: He says he’s adjusted the mechanics of his swing, too. “I think I finally found something that works for me and keeps me balanced and keeps me short to the ball,” Branton said. “It’s really been a big mechanical difference.” Though Branton intends to work as a industrial engineer for Disney after he grad-
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uates in a few weeks, his hitting and infield versatility will likely capture the attention of professional scouts as the draft approaches. But even if Branton’s professional prospects don’t pan out, he’ll be able to end his college years having played the best baseball of his career and having propelled Stanford to its first conference title since 2004. “It’s really meant a lot to me,” Branton said. “We haven’t had the greatest success [as a team] my first three years here, but now, I’m getting to compete for a national title, for a Pac-12 championship. That means a lot. “I’ve always known I can compete at this level. I think proving it to myself and proving to everyone else that I can do it, that’s been a big thing for me as well.” Contact Alexa Philippou at aphil723@ stanford.edu.
Friday, June 1, 2018 N 3
The Stanford Daily
SCOUTING STANFORD
HOW THEY
GOT HERE
2018 MEN’S
REGIONAL TEAMS By ALEXA PHILIPPOU SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Stanford baseball hosts an NCAA Regional after earning a top-16 national seed. The three teams invited to the regional are the Baylor Bears, Cal State Fullerton Titans and Wright State Raiders. The profiles of each team are shown below:
FEB. 16: On Opening Day, junior Tristan Beck made his first start since May 2016 and helped lead a sweep of Cal State Fullerton, which had ended the Cardinal’s postseason dreams the previous season.
No. 2 Baylor Bears Record: 36-19, 13-11 Big 12 Home/Road Splits: 19-7 home, 12-10 road Head coach: Steve Rodriguez (third year) Record against RPI top 50: 8-11 Record against RPI top 100: 18-16 RPI: 32 Big picture: After starting their season 14-16, the Bears went on a rampage in their final 25 games of the season, going 22-3 in that stretch, including four series wins against Big 12 teams. They enter the regional on a six-game win streak, coming off their first Big 12 title in program history following a 6-5, 11-inning win against TCU in the championship. Not only are the Bears hitting .289 as a team (with five players hitting above .300), but the pitching staff also owns a 3.19 ERA, good for 11th in the nation.
MARCH 3: With the Cardinal on the verge of losing their first game of the season, freshman Tim Tawa hit a three-run walk-off home run to defeat Michigan.
Players to watch: Designated hitter Richard Cunningham and first baseman Andy Thomas lead the Bears in hits (73 and 70, respectively) and batting average (.344 and .343). Cody Bradford (7-5) has a 2.38 ERA through 13 starts, best among regular starters.
MARCH 11: Freshman pitcher Brendan Beck retired the first 15 Texas batters to take a perfect game into the sixth inning.
No. 3 Cal State Fullerton Titans Record: 32-23, 18-6 Big West Home/Road Splits: 16-10 home, 16-13 road Head coach: Rick Vanderhook (seventh year) Record against RPI top 50: 3-11 Record against RPI top 100: 5-13 RPI: 52 Big picture: Cardinal fans likely groaned when they saw that storied postseason rival Cal State Fullerton — making its 27th straight postseason appearance and seeking its 23rd regional title overall — ended up in Stanford’s region. The Titans eliminated the nationally seeded Cardinal last year and advanced to the College World Series, their third in a decade. Stanford and Fullerton clashed to open the season in February, and the Cardinal outscored the Titans 16-9 in a three-game sweep. More recently, the Titans have won 13 of their last 16 games to claim the Big West regular season title.
MAY 13:
Players to watch: Second baseman Hank LoForte, the Titans’ primary leadoff hitter, paces Fullerton with a .341 batting average and 72 hits, and catcher Daniel Cope has a team-high 40 RBIs. Two of Fullerton’s three primary starters, Colton Eastman and Tommy Wilson, have ERAs below 3.00.
After being used as a reliever last season, sophomore Will Matthiessen hit five home runs in a week as he was named Perfect Game National Player of the Week. He knocked in the go-ahead runs in the finale against Oregon State to give Stanford a 1.5game lead in the Pac-12.
MAY 26: Down 5-3 in the ninth to Washington, the Cardinal needed one win to earn the Pac12 title outright, and Matthiessen delivered with a two-run home run to tie the game before Nico Hoerner knocked in the goahead run. Closer Jack Little shut the door on the Huskies to give Stanford its first conference title since 2004.
No. 4 Wright State Raiders Contact Jose Saldana at jsaldana @stanford.edu.
Record: 39-15, 22-6 Horizon Home/Road Splits: 19-3 home, 17-11 road Head coach: Jeff Mercer (second year) Record against RPI top 50: 0-1 Record against RPI top 100: 6-7 RPI: 69 Big picture: The Raiders visit Stanford riding an eight-game win streak, claiming the Horizon League regular season title and also winning the conference tournament for the third time in four years. They have scored double-digit runs in each of their last six contests, including three games in the Horizon League Tournament. They have made the postseason in three of the past four years and six times since 2006, but have never won a regional. Players to watch: First baseman Gabe Snyder’s .363 average, 15 home runs and 72 RBIs power the Raiders offense. Ryan Weiss (9-2, 3.40 ERA) leads the team in starts and innings pitched and should take the mound against Stanford on Friday. Contact Alexa Philippou at aphil723@stanford.edu.
4 N Friday, June 1, 2018
The Stanford Daily
ROUNDTABLE
HOW FAR WILL CARDINAL GO? Heading into regional, baseball writers discuss concerns with team
Stanford offense, so it could prove a major concern even if the Stanford staff is limiting the opposing lineup. Another thing that worries me is sophomore catcher Maverick Handley’s absence. He’s an excellent defensive catcher, as he still leads all players in throwing out baserunners, with 17 caught stealings despite not having played since May 8. The Cardinal’s first opponent, Wright State, is seventh in the nation in stolen bases per game at 2.04, and if runs are at a premium, then the aggression of the Raiders could prove the difference. Additionally, Handley is just a great presence for the pitchers, and he has the most familiarity with the pitching staff. Christian Molfetta has done an admirable job filling in, but Handley makes me more comfortable in tight games.
By JOSE SALDANA MANAGING EDITOR
Coming off their first conference title since 2004, the Stanford Cardinal (44-10, 22-8 Pac-12) will host their 17th NCAA regional this weekend. With their dominant pitching and high-scoring offense, the Cardinal have had, in Year 1 of head coach David Esquer’s tenure, one of the program’s best seasons in recent years, ultimately earning them the No. 2 national seed in the tournament. Yet the road only gets more difficult from here: The Stanford Regional is arguably one of the most competitive in the entire tournament, as it includes red-hot Big 12 champ Baylor, powerhouse and rival Cal State Fullerton and one of the best fourseeds in the tournament, Wright State. We asked Daily managing editor of sports Jose Saldana, Stanford insiders R.J. Abeytia (The Bootleg) and Jacob Rayburn (Cardinal Sports Report) to reflect on the Cardinal’s trajectory going into the postseason, what’s different from last year and the team’s prospects for advancing to Omaha. Earlier in the season, Stanford topped good non-conference teams like Fullerton, Rice, Michigan and Texas (on the road) in non-conference play. More recently, though, the Cardinal have struggled in conference play against other top Pac-12 teams: They lost two out of three at UCLA, Oregon State and Washington — but granted, those were all on the road. Given this, do you think Stanford doesn’t have the momentum now that it seemed to have earlier in the year against elite competition? Could it not be peaking at the right time? R.J. Abeytia: Momentum, Schomentum. Stanford played all those series while missing key personnel (Wulff vs. UCLA, Maverick Handley vs. OSU, UW) and the postseason means it’s basically a clean slate. As soon as Tristan Beck throws the first pitch on Friday, the past becomes prologue and nothing more. What matters more than momentum is that they won’t have Handley’s services for the regional. Jacob Rayburn: I might have been a little worried if not for the epic rally Saturday to clinch the Pac-12 championship. Until that ninth inning, it appeared the Cardinal were going to become one of those marathon runners of YouTube infamy that dominates until wobbly crashing in sight of the finish line. But this team’s success has been built by resilience in the face of injuries and everyone on the team feeling empowered to be the hero on any given day. Stanford flew home with Big Mo after that win and the Cardinal’s 30-3 record at Sunken Diamond this season is a great comfort.
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With several players sidelined due to injury, the Cardinal have had to fill spots with depth personnel over the course of the season. Sophomore left fielder Kyle Stowers, who was initially not projected to be in the starting lineup, filled one of those roles and has excelled in the fifth hole, batting .302 and knocking 10 home runs — second most on the team. Jose Saldana: I agree with R.J. and Jacob that lack of momentum going into the regional is nothing that we should be worried about. All of those bad losses took place on the road against the best teams in the Pac-12, and Stanford worked hard all year to be able to host a regional and, potentially, a super regional. With home cookin’, the team should perform better. Ace Tristan Beck has only yielded 11 earned runs in 48.0 innings in the comfy confines of Sunken and only allowed one combined run to Arizona State and Cal in 13 innings, which featured some of the best hitters in college baseball. The Cardinal probably drew the toughest regional, but these Stanford players are molded for this moment.
Last year’s Stanford team was a national seed but lost in the regional, getting knocked out by perennial postseason rival Cal State Fullerton, which happens to be in Stanford’s region again this year. In what ways do you think this year’s Stanford team and postseason potential are different from those of last year? R.J.: Last year’s team had a much more readily identified core of pitchers and hitters on which it relied. This year, we’ve been beating the drum of the “25-man approach” to winning games that has carried this team. Guys like Beau Branton, Kyle Stowers, Will Matthiessen, Christian Robinson and Jacob Palisch have emerged without much expectation this season, and many different players have impacted victories this year. In terms of postseason potential, this Stanford team is going in with two starters with elite talent, a deeper bullpen and what appears to be a stronger offense. Last year’s team scored 327 runs and hit 39 homers in 58 games. This squad has scored 361 runs and hit 54 ding dongs in 54 games so far. Finally, this is a team with a much younger core than last year’s team.
Jacob: Stanford is deeper and more talented this year than the squad that won 21 of 23 games to last year’s regular season and earned the No. 8 overall seed in the tournament. That team was a good example of how meaningless momentum can be when transitioning from the regular season to the postseason. The return of Brandon Wulff also is very important. It was a great sign for Stanford that he hit a two-run home run Saturday. And whenever you’re in a tournament, the bullpen is almost certainly going to be tested at some point. Last year, Stanford relied entirely on three relief pitchers, including an All-American closer. Stanford again has an AllAmerican caliber pitcher at the back end in Jack Little. He’s supported by Jacob Palisch, Will Matthiessen, Zach Grech, Austin Weiermiller and either Brendan Beck or Erik Miller, depending on who is tabbed to be a starter instead. No one wants to be in the loser’s bracket, but Stanford’s pitching is built to get out of it. Jose: Starting pitching matters so much this time of the year, and the Cardinal have better starters this year than last season. Bubic, who was the No. 1 last season, is even better this season, but is only the No. 2 this season with the return of Tristan Beck from an injury that sat him out last year. The bullpen is better this year because the pair of closer Jack Little and freshman Jacob Palisch have been sensational in the late innings. The fact that Little-Palisch has somehow been better than last year’s elite duo of Colton Hock-Tyler Thorne just reveals how amazing Little and Palisch have been this season. On the offensive side, the team is filled with depth despite injuries to key players in Duke Kinamon, Brandon Wulff, Maverick Handley and Will Matthiessen. Different players have stepped up to fill these roles, such as Beau Branton and Kyle Stowers, who have excelled
after getting starting reps. Now, the team has Wulff and Matthiessen back, the latter of which won Perfect Game National Player of the Week earlier this season after a five-home run week. Nico Hoerner improved on his productivity from last season and Andrew Daschbach has had the best power-hitting season for a Cardinal in a decade. Top to bottom, this team is better than last year’s iteration of Stanford baseball.
While Stanford has been very balanced this year, in each of its big conference matchups, one aspect of the team failed to show up (pitching against UCLA and OSU, hitting against UW). Which phase of the game concerns you most as the Cardinal face more elite competition in the postseason? R.J.: There are arguments to made for being concerned about each phase of Stanford’s game, but if forced to choose, I’d say, overall, the offense is more of a variable than the team’s pitching and defense. That being said, I will say that Stanford doesn’t want any of these games coming down to somebody other than maybe Stowers having to make a throw from the outfield. Jacob: Stanford’s bats have gone quiet at times this season. This weekend will be the first significant postseason experience for several of Stanford’s most important hitters. Keeping their minds right will be key. If I had to name a second concern, it’s which versions of Tristan Beck and Kris Bubic we will see. Both of them have gone through stretches in the past month when they weren’t pitching to their typical standards. The good news for Stanford is that below average for them is still good enough to win games against tough competition. Jose: The offense has definitely laid eggs at times this season, where the bats strike out a ton and many men are left on base. There will be tough pitching facing the
What does Stanford need to do to win the regional? What’s your prediction for how Stanford fares in the regional — and if you have them advancing, the rest of the tournament? R.J.: Play downhill, and that means winning the first game on the strength of a good Tristan Beck start. That would allow the team to go into the weekend without taxing its bullpen on the first night, without having to play an elimination game until Sunday at the earliest, and with a sense of normalcy that the task in front of them is well within its capabilities. Baseball is an insane sport, and anything can happen from here on in for Stanford. That being said, I will not be surprised to see this group in Omaha in two weeks. They’ve been one of the best teams the entire season, and they’ve bounced back from the kind of body blows you need to take to handle the ebbs and flows of the postseason. Jacob: Any time a team earns the right to host all the way to Omaha, it’s an upset when they don’t get there. Stanford should be in the College World Series later this month for the first time since 2008. The first step is that Tristan Beck comes out ready to deliver the first punch Friday. Pitching coach Thomas Eager and head coach David Esquer have each said Beck has to start games stronger. That was a problem Friday at Washington. If Beck dominates Wright State like he’s able to, I think that will steady the team and allow the Cardinal to roll through the weekend like they have more often than not on the way to winning 44 games. Jose: I echo Daschbach’s sentiments before the Oregon State series when he said that the Cardinal could beat any team in the country if they play a complete game. The potential of Tristan Beck and Kris Bubic is a duo that will shut out opponents for seven innings each, but that hasn’t been the case for them in the past month. Given the absurd difficulty of the opponents, if Beck and Bubic can prove that they can compete at a high level, then the Cardinal have a real shot at a third championship banner. Contact Jose Saldana at jsaldana@stanford.edu, R.J. Abeytia on Twitter at @rj_abeytia and Jacob Rayburn at @jnrayburn.
BY THE NUMBERS By ALEXA PHILIPPOU SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Stanford baseball has earned a national seed for the second year in a row after a historic 2018 season under first-year head coach David Esquer. The No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and the 22-8 conference record speak for themselves, but some of the other numbers that emerged from Stanford’s season tell the story of just how particularly special Stanford’s 2018 regular season was.
48: Games it took Stanford to hit the 40-win mark. It was the fastest the program had reached 40 wins since the 1990 team did so in 47 games. Sure, how quickly a team gets to 40 wins doesn’t necessarily reflect how it will ultimately perform in the postseason, but this team is still clearly one of the best the program has fielded in recent years — which was also exemplified by the Cardinal securing the Pac-12 championship, the program’s first conference title since 2004.
2.85: Team ERA, which includes three starters with sub-3.00 ERAs (Tristan Beck, Kris Bubic and Brendan Beck), freshman reliever Jacob Palisch (4-1, 1.87 ERA) and closer Jack Little (3-0, 0.66 ERA). Stanford’s team ERA is the second-lowest in the country behind Stetson, and the best the Cardinal have recorded since the Pac-8 expanded to the Pac-10 in 1978.
4: Number of Stanford players who were intended to be in the team’s opening day lineup but have since been replaced (Daniel Bakst), have lost significant playing time due to injury (Brandon Wulff), or are still hurt (Duke Kinamon, Maverick Handley). Despite these personnel shifts, the team has showcased im-
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Junior starting Tristan Beck, the Cardinal’s Friday ace, is part of a pitching staff which is second in the nation in ERA (2.85) only behind Stetson. Beck has his best games at home with 11 runs allowed in 48.0 innings in Sunken Diamond. pressive depth, with players such Beau Branton, Will Matthiessen, Christian Molfetta and Christian Robinson all stepping in for, and in some cases outperforming, the original projected starters.
4: Stanford comeback wins in the ninth inning or later. The Cardinal have had their share of ninth-inning luck in the regular season. They stayed undefeated and avoided a shutout loss in their second game against Michigan with a walk-off three-run homer by Tim Tawa. They scored five runs against Arizona to eke out a 8-7 win; they escaped being swept by both Oregon State and Washington with late three-run rallies in both series finales. The Cardinal have framed these comebacks as exemplary of their “never-give-up” attitude — and while that may be true, at a certain point,
their luck may run out, especially against tougher competition in the postseason.
6.69: Runs scored per game. Stanford has been better at scoring this season compared to the recent past — the Cardinal haven’t plated this many runs per game since 2008, the last time the team made it to the College World Series. Powering the offense have been Andrew Daschbach, whose home runs and RBIs are the most for any Cardinal since 2008; Beau Branton, who is hitting a team-leading .379; Kyle Stowers, who leads the Cardinal starters with an OPS of .948; and Nico Hoerner, who leads the team in hits. Contact Alexa Philippou at aphil723@stanford.edu.