Stanford at the Plate

Stanford on the Mound

Stanford with the Gloves

Series Scoop
Stanford is an impressive 17-6 (won-lost) in its last 23 weekend series - a stretch which dates back to the final month of the 2006 season.

Stanford is 11-4 in Pac-10 sets over the stretch, including a 3-2 mark in 2009. After dropping two of three at California in the opening conference series of the season, the Cardinal has rebounded to win three of its last four Pac-10 sets (vs. Washington, at Oregon and vs. UCLA, before losing at Arizona State).

A Look at the Pac-10
Stanford enters its sixth weekend of Pac-10 play in sixth place in the conference - but only 2.5 games out of second. At 7-8, the Cardinal is well within range of Oregon State and Washington State, both of which are tied for second at 8-4. USC and UCLA are tied for third with 9-6 conference marks, two contests ahead of Stanford. Arizona State continues to lead the Pac at 13-2.

Home Sweet Home
Stanford has won eight of its last 10 home games, and is 11-7 overall at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond. The Cardinal is batting .345 (123-for-357) over its last 10 home contests, while averaging 8.9 runs per game (89 total). Stanford pitchers, meanwhile, have forged a 3.66 ERA (37er, 91.0ip) and .234 average against (78-for-334) over the same span.

Stanford has won at least 17 games at home in each of the last 13 seasons, while compiling an amazing .743 winning percentage (341-118) at Sunken Diamond since 1996.

Five is Fine
Stanford is 15-6 (.714) this season when scoring at least five runs in a game.

Two-out Magic
Stanford has scored 90 of its 202 runs (44.6%) this season with two outs in an inning.

Extra, Extra!
Stanford is a perfect 3-0 in extra inning games this season. The Cardinal beat Vanderbilt 6-5 in 10 frames on Opening Night (Feb. 20), posted a 6-5, 12-inning win March 22 at California and rallied for a 4-3, 10-inning triumph April 9 vs. UCLA.

Anatomy of a Turnaround
Following an 11-4 loss at California on March 23, Stanford's record stood at 4-10. Beginning with a 5-2 win March 25 at UC Davis, the Cardinal has gone 13-6. Not surprisingly, Stanford's offensive numbers, pitching stats and fielding marks are dramatically better in the last 19 games as compared to the first 14. Here is the breakdown:

FIRST 14 GAMES (4-10, .400)
Team Batting

Team Pitching

Team Fielding

LAST 19 GAMES (13-6, .684)
Team Batting

Team Pitching

Team Fielding

Setting the Table
Sophomore second baseman and Stanford leadoff hitter Colin Walsh has reached base safely via hit, walk or hit-by-pitch in 16 straight games, helping the Cardinal to an 11-5 mark. He is hitting .429 (24-for-56) with a .518 slugging percentage and .566 on-base mark during the stretch, adding 17 runs scored, five doubles, 10 RBI, 18 walks and one hit-by-pitch.

The switch-hitting Walsh is also riding a career-high 11-game hitting streak (Stanford is 7-4), going 16-for-39 (.410) with 13 runs scored, four doubles and seven RBI. He is also added 11 walks and has been hit by a pitch en route to a .538 on-base percentage. His streak has featured four multi-hit contests, including one three-hit effort.

Going back even further, Walsh has reached base safely in 23 of the 24 games since he was permanently inserted into the leadoff spot on March 7. Stanford is 15-9 during the stretch, while Walsh has hit at a .372 clip (32-for-86) with a .530 on-base mark. In addition, Stanford's second baseman has been errorless in his last 27 games (113 total chances).

Walsh leads the Pac-10 with 30 walks on the season (t-45th nationally), while he is third in the conference with an overall .479 on-base percentage. His average of 0.94 walks per game (32 games) is tied for 14th in the country.

Walsh has hit safely in 30 of his last 36 starts dating back to 2008, going 49-for-135 (.363) with 34 runs scored, 10 doubles, 21 RBI and 35 walks.

Heavy in the Middle
Stanford has averaged 7.7 runs per game while going 13-6 over its last 19 contests. A big reason behind the offensive resurgence has been the middle of its order, which has primarily consisted of LF Toby Gerhart batting third, RF Kellen Kiilsgaard hitting cleanup and 1B Brent Milleville batting fifth.

Beginning March 25, the trio of Gerhart, Kiilsgaard and Milleville is a combined 73-for-209 (.349) with 17 doubles, three triples, 14 home runs and 55 RBI. Gerhart is batting .343 (24-for-70) with six doubles, two triples, three homers and 13 RBI. Kiilsgaard has 24 hits in 73 at-bats (.329) with seven doubles, one triple, four homers and 23 RBI. Milleville is hitting at a .379 clip (25-for-66) with four doubles, seven homers and 19 RBI.

Hot August Nights in April
Senior center fielder Joey August is enjoying one of the best stretches of his superb four-year career, going 16-for-38 (.421) with eight RBI during his current nine-game hitting streak. The stretch includes five mutli-hit contests, highlighted by a 4-for-4 effort this past Monday vs. Santa Clara.

August has also hit safely in 21 of his last 22 games, batting .333 (31-for-93) with four doubles, all of his career-high four home runs and 17 RBI.

Throughout his four years on The Farm, August has been a picture of consistency at the plate. Stanford's active leader in batting average and hits, he owns a career .316 batting average (190-for-601) in 175 games (136 starts). He is also a lifetime .329 hitter (79-for-240) in 68 career Pac-10 contests.

Power From the Northwest
Sophomore right fielder Kellen Kiilsgaard has continued his excellent season with three consecutive multi-RBI games, going 7-for-11 with a double, two home runs and seven RBI. He is now tied for fourth in the Pac-10 with 35 RBI overall, while he also ranks among the conference leaders in: slugging percentage (6th - .655), home runs (7th - 9) and total bases (t-10th - 76).

Kiilsgaard has driven in 16 runs in his last 11 contests, batting .405 (17-for-42) with five doubles, one triple and three home runs. The slugging left-handed batter has at least one hit in 21 of his 31 games, while picking up at least one RBI in 18 contests.

Kiilsgaard, a two-sport star at Auburn (Wash.) High School, was a redshirt freshman on Stanford's 2007 football squad, but gave up the gridiron to concentrate solely on baseball.

Milly is Mashing
Senior 1B Brent Milleville has collected 12 RBI in his last 10 contests, while hitting at a .400 clip (16-for-40) with four doubles and four home runs. He tied his career high for hits (6th time) Monday vs. Santa Clara, going 4-for-4 with a career-best three doubles.

Milleville is tied for the Pac-10 lead with five home runs during conference play, while he is seventh with a .644 slugging percentage. His seven homers overall are tied for 10th in the Pac-10.

Pries' Stellar Start
Freshman RHP Jordan Pries, who will make his first career series-opening start this weekend vs. Arizona, has gone 3-0 with a 3.43 ERA (16er, 42.0ip) over his first eight collegiate outings (six starts).

The Alameda, Calif. native is the first Stanford freshman to start 3-0 with at least one of the wins coming as part of the regular weekend rotation since Greg Reynolds in 2004. Mark Romanczuk won his first 12 decisions as a freshman in 2003, with the first three victories coming out of the bullpen before winning nine starts en route to a 12-2 debut campaign. Austin Yount was a perfect 4-0 in 16 relief appearances during his freshman 2006 season.

Fabulous Freshmen
Although Stanford's scheduled Friday and Saturday starters this weekend - RHP Jordan Pries and LHP Brett Mooneyham - are both freshmen, the duo has proven to be among the nation's toughest pitchers to hit. Mooneyham ranks 11th among all NCAA Division I pitchers by yielding just 5.86 hits per 9.0 innings (23h, 35.1ip), while Pries is 14th in the same category at 6.0 (28h, 42.0ip). Pries' staff-best .189 opponents' batting average (28-for-148) ranks fourth in the Pac-10, while Mooneyham is seventh with a .198 mark (23-for-116).

Stanford's five freshmen pitchers - RHP Brian Busick, Mooneyham, Pries, LHP Chris Reed and LHP Scott Snodgress - have combined for a 8-7 record, one save and a 4.17 ERA (50er, 108.2ip) in 38 appearances (17 starts).

Bullish `Pen
Anchored by closer Drew Storen, Stanford's bullpen has helped shorten games this year. The Cardinal is a perfect 14-0 when leading after 8.0 innings, while also going 12-1 when leading after 7.0 frames. Taken back another inning, Stanford is 12-3 when leading after 6.0 innings.

Swing and a Miss
Sophomore RHP Drew Storen has continued to demonstrate the electric stuff that made him a freshman All-American in 2008, as he has compiled 38 strikeouts in just 23.1 innings of work - an average of 14.66 punchouts per 9.0 innings. Perhaps more impressively, Storen has issued just four walks, for a 9.5:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Stanford's closer has also yielded just a .239 average against (21-for-88).

Entering the weekend, Storen is tied for third in the Pac-10 with five saves and is 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA (10er, 23.1ip) in a staff-high 16 relief appearances.

Storen has a career 4.6:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, fanning 88 against 19 free passes in 79.2 innings pitched. On April 10, the draft-eligible sophomore was named the lone relief pitcher on ESPN.com's Mid-season Draft Prospect All-Star team.

Iron Man Reaches Century Mark
Sophomore shortstop Jake Schlander has started each of Stanford's 100 games during his collegiate career, reaching the century mark with the Cardinal's 11-7 victory Wednesday over California. Schlander, who enters the weekend riding an 11-game errorless streak, ranks fourth in the Pac-10 with 96 assists.

Offensively, Schlander is batting .273 (18-for-66) with four doubles, one triple, one home run and 10 RBI during Stanford's current 13-6, 19-game run.

In 2008, Schlander became the first Stanford freshman to start every game at shortstop since games played became an officially kept statistic in 1960. The Scottsdale, Ariz. native was the first Cardinal rookie to start each contest at any position since current San Diego Padres outfielder Jody Gerut did so in 1996.

I'll Do The Running Around Here
Sophomore Zach Jones, who has started the last 14 games at catcher (and 21 overall behind the dish, in addition to 12 at third base), has thrown out an excellent 38.9 percent of attempted base stealers (14 of 36). Jones leads the Pac-10 by nailing 14 would-be base thieves, while he has also picked off two runners.

On the flip side, Jones has made a habit of making life rough on opposing catchers. After leading Stanford with 11 stolen bases as a freshman in 2008, he paces the Cardinal with 10 thefts in 2009 (t-8th in the Pac-10). He has been caught just three times this season, while he has been successful on his last seven steal attempts.

Stanford has posted a 13-8 record in Jones' starts behind the plate, while Cardinal pitchers have logged a 4.62 ERA (96er, 187.0ip) in those contests.

Gaylord Getting it Done
Junior infielder Adam Gaylord has hit safely in 19 of the 24 games he has had an at-bat, while going 24-for-78 (.308). He has added three doubles, one home run and 13 RBI, while leading the club with five sacrifice bunts and two sac flies (tied). Gaylord already has 23 more hits than he did in 2008 (one, in only 15 at-bats), while he is 9-for-23 (.391) with runners in scoring position.

Gaylord is batting .345 (10-for-29) during his current eight-game hitting streak, which matches the career high he set in 2007.

Gaylord has started 23 games - 21 at third base and two at second.

Fearnow Providing Relief
Senior right-hander Max Fearnow has been very impressive since moving to the Stanford bullpen, forging a 2.21 ERA (5er, 20.0ip) over nine relief outings. He has allowed just 17 hits in 76 at-bats (.224), with six walks and 17 strikeouts. Fearnow has also won two of his three decisions coming out of the Cardinal `pen.

Stay There
Senior left-hander Blake Hancock has stranded all nine inherited runners over his last seven outings, while allowing just one earned run over 5.0 innings (1.80 ERA). The southpaw has yielded just four hits in 18 at-bats (.222) during the span.

Inman Named to Golden Spikes Award Watch List; Third-Team All-America
Junior right-handed pitcher Jeffrey Inman has been named by USA Baseball as one of 50 players on the preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List, while he is also a preseason third-team All-America selection by Baseball America.

Sponsored by Major League Baseball, the Golden Spikes Award is in its 32nd season honoring the top player in college baseball. The list will be paired down to 30 on May 26 and again to five finalists on June 2, while the winner will be announced in a July 15 awards show as part of MLB All-Star festivities in St. Louis.

Inman played a key role in Stanford's run to the 2008 College World Series, going 7-2 with a 4.27 ERA (34er, 71.2ip) in 16 games (13 starts) as a sophomore. He then followed his sophomore collegiate campaign by striking out 34 batters in just 31.1 innings for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, and was tabbed by Baseball America as the ninth-best prospect in the 2008 Cape Cod League.

Storen Named to NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List
Stanford sophomore right-hander Drew Storen is one of 40 players selected to the initial watch list for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award. The award is in its fifth season, and honors the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball.

Storen emerged as one of college baseball's premier closers during a stellar freshman campaign in 2008, going 5-3 with eight saves and a 3.51 ERA (22er, 56.1ip) in a club-high 31 relief outings. He was a first-team freshman All-America selection by Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger, while he earned second-team honors from Rivals.com and third-team accolades from Ping!Baseball. The first-team All-Pac-10 performer was fourth in the league for saves (second among freshmen), while he tied for the seventh-highest single-season save total in Stanford history.

Following Stanford's 2008 season, Storen served as the closer for the Cotuit Kettleers in the prestigious Cape Cod League. He posted five saves, a 2.76 ERA (5er, 16.1ip) and .200 average against (12-for-60) in 13 relief appearances, with 15 strikeouts against five walks.

From the Gridiron to the Diamond
Junior OF Toby Gerhart is the latest in a proud Stanford tradition of two-sport athletes. During the 2008 football season, the running back established Stanford's single-season rushing record with 1,136 yards. The bruising runner averaged 5.4 yards per carry (210 attempts), while scoring 15 rushing touchdowns - good for second in school history.

Professional Lineage
Stanford has eight players on its 35-man roster that has had a parent or grandparent play professional sports:

Joey August (father, Bill, was a quarterback with the NFL's San Francisco 49ers in 1975, but did not play in a game); Toby Gerhart (father, Todd, played in the USFL with the Denver Gold in 1985-86 and went to NFL training camp with the Minnesota Vikings in 1986 and Houston Oilers in 1987); Jonathan Kaskow (father, Chris, played men's doubles tennis at Wimbledon in 1977); Kellen Kiilsgaard (grandfather, Carl, played for the NFL's Chicago Cardinals in 1950); Michael Marshall (father, Mike, was a two-time World Series champion and played 11 MLB seasons from 1981-91 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and Boston Red Sox); Kellen McColl (father, Milt was a two-time Super Bowl champion during an eight-year NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Raiders from 1981-88; grandfather, Bill, played for the NFL's Chicago Bears from 1952-59; uncle, Duncan, was drafted by the NFL's Washington Redskins in 1977); Brett Mooneyham (father, Bill, pitched for the Oakland Athletics in 1986) and Jordan Pries (grandfather, Bud Daley, was a two-time World Series winner during a 10-year MLB career with the Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Athletics and New York Yankees from 1955-64).

Stanford Among the All-Time Best
Currently in its 116th season of college baseball, Stanford has posted the fifth-most wins of any NCAA Division I program with a 2,576-1,618-34 (.613) all-time record. That ledger includes 128 NCAA Tournament wins over 28 appearances, tied for the sixth-most all-time.

Leading the Pac
Since the Pac-10 disbanded the two-division system and realigned prior to the 1999 season, Stanford leads all conference teams with 448 wins, four league titles and six trips to the College World Series.

Cardinal Consistency
Stanford has finished at least .500 in 15 straight seasons, and in 31 of 32 campaigns under head coach Mark Marquess. The Cardinal has also advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 25 of the last 28 years (since 1982), while advancing to the College World Series 14 times over that span. By virtue of that success, players on 28 of the last 30 four-year graduating classes at Stanford have played in Omaha.

Seven Former Stanford Players on 2009 MLB Opening Day Rosters
Continuing the proud tradition of Stanford baseball at the highest level, seven former Cardinal players are on Opening Day 25-man Major League Baseball rosters - infielder Eric Bruntlett (Philadelphia Phillies), outfielder Chris Carter (Boston Red Sox), first baseman Ryan Garko (Cleveland Indians), outfielder Jody Gerut (San Diego Padres), pitcher Jeremy Guthrie (Baltimore Orioles), infielder Jed Lowrie (Boston Red Sox) and outfielder Carlos Quentin (Chicago White Sox).

Carter and Lowrie experienced the pomp and circumstance of Opening Day for the first time, while Guthrie earned a pitcher's top regular season honor - the Opening Day start for Baltimore.