Week five of play in the Western Athletic Conference sees the battle between rivals New Mexico State and Fresno State with first place on the line.  The two teams faced each other for the conference championship in last year’s conference tournament as Fresno State staved off two elimination games to win the tournament title for the fourth consecutive season.  Sacramento State visits Louisiana Tech while San Jose State head to Reno to face Nevada.

STANDINGS
1. New Mexico State (34-12-1, 13-2-1)
2. Fresno State (26-20, 7-5)
3. Nevada (24-17-1, 5-6-1)
T4. San Jose State (17-26, 5-7)
T4. Sacramento State (16-25-1, 5-7)
T6. Hawai’i (23-22, 6-10)
T6. Louisiana Tech (21-22, 6-10)

SERIES OF THE WEEK
New Mexico State (35-12-1, 13-2-1) vs. Fresno State (26-20, 7-5)
Presley Askew Field, Las Cruces, N.M.

New Mexico State comes into the weekend with hopes of locking up the regular season title and the number one overall seed in the conference tournament as they completed a second straight four-game conference sweep last weekend against Louisiana Tech.  Fresno State comes in with a record of 11-6 on the road this season and boast the nation’s leading home run hitter in Jordan Ribera who has hit  22 home runs this season while the Aggies are the nation’s leading home run hitting club.

Prediction:
These two teams have become the premiere rivalry in the WAC over the past two seasons as no team has played Fresno State closer than New Mexico State.  The Aggies jumped back into the polls at No. 25 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Top 30.  Last season’s series in Fresno State yielded some of the most dramatic baseball played anywhere in the country as all six games, regular and postseason, were decided in the eighth inning or later and five of the six games were decided by two runs or less.  These two teams can light up the scoreboard and it should be another outstanding duel between these two clubs.  New Mexico State has a chance to win the regular season title at home and we think they’ll take three of four from the Bulldogs.

Game One: Fri., May 7, 6:00 p.m. MT
Game Two/Three: Sat., May 8, 3:00 p.m. MT
Game Four: Sun., May 2, 1:00 p.m. MT

Media
Game 1 & 4: Television, AggieVision
Game 2 & 3: Radio, KSNM AM 570 Las Cruces,

San Jose State (17-26, 5-7) vs. Nevada (24-17-1, 5-6-1)
Peccole Park, Reno, NV

The Spartans split their series with Sacramento State while Nevada was busy splitting their series with Fresno State.  Both teams sit in the thick of the conference race and are still hoping for a shot at the No. 2 seed in the WAC Tournament which comes along with a first round bye.

Prediction: Nevada is playing pretty well almost moved into second place last weekend instead settling for a split with Fresno State.  Nevada has only lost four games at home this season, two of those last weekend.  We think the Wolf Pack will take care of the Spartans winning three of four to keep their hopes alive for a No. 2 seed in the conference tournament.

Game One: Fri., May 7, 6:00 p.m. PT
Game Two/Three: Sat., May 8, 1:00 p.m. PT
Game Four: Sun., May 9, 1:00 p.m. HT

Louisiana Tech (21-22, 6-10) vs. Sacramento State (16-25-1, 5-7)
J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park, Ruston, LA

Louisiana Tech and Sacramento State have something in common.  They were both swept by New Mexico State.  The Bulldogs have fallen to the bottom of the league standings with just two weekends of play remaining.  Only six of the seven teams advance to the WAC Tournament and with the Bulldogs being back at home they’ll be looking to get back into the middle of the pack.  Sacramento State rebounded from their sweep at the hands of New Mexico State by splitting with San Jose State last weekend.

Prediction: We think the Bulldogs will bounce back and take three of four from the visiting Hornets to put themselves back into the middle of the WAC standings.

Game One: Fri., May 7, 6:00 p.m. CT
Game Two/Three: Sat., May 8, 1:00 p.m. CT
Game Four: Sun., May 9, 1:00 p.m. CT

In Game 2, Holland went 3-for-4 with another grand slam and five RBIs. He now has a grand slam in three straight games. Ryan Nolte and Donte Willliams went 2-for-3 with an RBI each, and Heath Peterson went 2-for-2 with a solo home run. Bronson Gagner (7-1) threw a complete game. In seven innings, he allowed two runs on five hits and no walks with three strikeouts.

CVCC improved to 38-5 overall and 22-2 in the Alabama Community College Conference. Wallace State-Dothan fell to 27-18 and 14-8. The Pirates next play 5 p.m. Tuesday at Darton College.

COLUMBUS STATE 19, AUGUSTA STATE 4

Columbus State pounded out 24 hits on its way to a 19-4 win in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader with Augusta State at Ragsdale Field. After two rain delays, the second game was called after three and a half innings.

Thomas Campbell earned his seventh win this season with the Game 1 win. He went six innings and allowed four earned runs on six hits. Brodie Leibrandt threw the last three innings to earn the save.

The Cougars trailed 2-1 in the bottom of the second but put four runs on the board, three via a Jason Rogers’ three-run double.

CSU scored two in the third and four in the fourth. Ryan Lewis’ three-run homer was part of a five-run sixth.

Eric Weis went 4-for-4 with a double, a triple and five runs scored. Alex Montes, Rogers, Mitch Rider, Scoop Pharr and Eric Skinner each had three hits. Rogers had six RBIs.

Augusta State had an 8-2 lead in Game 2 before it was cancelled. The Cougars have one more Peach Belt Conference series remaining, with a road series at Lander next weekend.

Georgia Tech vs. Va. Tech suspended in fourth

ATLANTA — The Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech baseball Saturday was suspended in the fourth inning as heavy rain moved into the Atlanta area.

After a 45-minute delay, the game was suspended with Virginia Tech leading 6-0.

The game will resume at noon today at Russ Chandler Stadium. Game 3 of the series will follow. Virginia Tech won the opener Friday night 3-1 in 11 innings.

In Saturday’s game, the Hokies scored four runs in the top of the second inning. Ronnie Shaban hit a two-run homer. Virginia Tech added another on a Tim Smalling’s RBI groundout. The final run came on a wild pitch by Georgia Tech starter Brandon Cumpton.

Virginia Tech added two more in fourth.

Georgia, South Carolina postponed

ATHENS, Ga. — The South Carolina at Georgia game scheduled for Saturday was postponed due to inclement weather.

The two teams will play a doubleheader with Game 1 starting at noon. SEC rules state that doubleheaders on Sundays must be seven-inning games.

South Carolina won the series opener Friday 11-4.

Auburn, Kentucky suspended

AUBURN, Ala. — Saturday’s Auburn-Kentucky baseball game was suspended because of inclement weather in the first inning and will resume this morning at 11:30.

The game will be nine innings, followed by a seven-inning game.

The teams played only 11 minutes Saturday before the game was halted. In that time Tigers starter Cole Nelson walked the bases loaded and recorded only one out.