Sitting in fourth place in the Big West Conference standings through two-thirds of the way through the 56-game season has to have Long Beach State baseball head coach Troy Buckley in good spirits.
In just Buckley’s first year at the helm, his goal was to be able to compete for a Big West Conference title, which is no easy task when you consider the plethora of new faces on the roster. Not to mention, the nationally-ranked programs in UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton standing in the Dirtbags’ way of capturing the conference crown.
However, Buckley’s team is turning what once seemed to be a rebuilding year into a respectable season with 22 new players.
According to Boyd’s World, a website dedicated to college baseball ratings, analysis and occasional opinion, the Dirtbags’ schedule was tabbed in the preseason to be the third most difficult in all of college baseball. The Dirtbags have registered an overall record of 19-18 to go with a 6-6 mark in conference play.
Sure, sitting one game above .500 isn’t that impressive at first glance, but when you take into account what the Dirtbags have accomplished given their youth, there appears to be a promising future.
LBSU opened the season against the then-No.8-ranked CSUF and won one of three games. However, the Dirtbags lost the other two contests by a combined two runs.
Three weeks later, LBSU faced the University of Oregon and took two of three games — a worthy achievement considering the Ducks were the No.15 team in the nation at the time.
Despite their offensive struggles, the Dirtbags’ current record can be seen as a welcoming sign when last year’s squad, which finished in last place in the conference at 23-32, left something to be desired.
That was a distant place from where it should have finished with such a talent-rich roster. After all, eight players from last year’s team were chosen in the 2010 Major League Baseball first-year player draft.
Standing out for the Dirtbags this season has been Friday night starter Andrew Gagnon, closer Eddie Magallon, center fielder Brennan Metzger and freshman designated hitter Ino Patron.
Gagnon has cemented himself as a potential top draft pick this upcoming June by facing some of the toughest pitchers on the west coast and compiling a solid stat sheet in the process.
The 6-foot-4 right-handed pitcher has battled his way to a 4-5 record through 10 starts — six of which came against ranked opponents. But the most glaring statistic is his 1.93 earned run average, which leads all starting pitchers in the Big West.
Over 65 1/3 innings pitched, Gagnon has allowed just 14 earned runs to go with 63 strikeouts.
MLB scouts have become regulars behind the plate during Gagnon’s outings, which is an indication that he has garnered the attention of many at the next level.
As for the bullpen, prior to the start of the season, Buckley was uncertain of who would close out games for the Dirtbags, but he may have found that answer for the next couple years in Eddie Magallon.
The sophomore has already compiled eight saves in 15 appearances — a year after failing to register any.
The Dirtbags pitching staff has combined for a 3.29 ERA, which ranks fourth in the Big West. Not bad for a staff that boasts seven freshmen and two junior college transfers, including Saturday starter Shawn Stuart.
As for the Dirtbags offense, Patron has spearheaded LBSU’s offensive production with a batting average that has steadily risen to .331 over the course of the season.
Last weekend, Patron added to his resume with his first three home runs of his collegiate career, one on Friday and two on Sunday in a three-game series against UC Santa Barbara.
The freshman also leads the team in six major offensive categories, including batting average, hits (42) home runs (3), and ranks second in RBIs (18) and runs scored (18). His name is certainly one to watch for as he progresses and matures physically.
Another bright spot for the Dirtbags has been the relentless defensive attack of Metzger, who has taken on any ball hit within a 100 feet of him in the outfield.
Whether it’s a diving catch after chasing down a shallow fly ball, or snagging a deep drive at the warning track, Metzger has given the fans at Blair Field a reason to stand on their feet.
Metzger has also set the tone at the top of the lineup as well, posting a .357 on base percentage, which ranks second team among starters.
For the Dirtbags to reach the postseason, they would have to step up their overall level of play. In the Big West, the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament is awarded to the regular-season conference champion. With CSUF, UCI and Cal Poly ahead of the Dirtbags in the conference standings, LBSU faces a daunting task.
Fortunately for the Dirtbags, though, they have yet to play all three teams in conference play and are just three games back of the first-place Titans in the Big West standings.
Given LBSU’s potential for success, Buckley’s goal to compete for a Big West title isn’t out of the realm of possibility just yet.
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