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NewsvineWhile the month of April began with a loss for the No. 4 Stanford baseball team, the Cardinal has responded with four straight wins and an offensive assault by three team leaders that is nothing short of remarkable.
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Stanford (20-15, 7-2 Pacific 10 Conference) followed up a sweep of Washington State with a 17-8 victory over Santa Clara on Tuesday night, now heading into a two-game, home-and-home non-conference series with Sacramento State beginning tonight at Sunken Diamond.
The Hornets (22-10), now independent of any conference affiliation, are riding a season-high four-game winning streak after a home sweep of Cal State-Hayward and a road win at Nevada earlier this week. But Sacramento State has struggled against higher-quality opponents this season, and the trio of senior Ryan Garko and juniors Sam Fuld and Carlos Quentin may be the best the Hornets will see all year.
Quentin’s 20-game hitting streak is equally impressive for its production as its duration. The junior outfielder has a .494 average with four homers, 14 doubles and 26 RBI during the stretch. Quentin blasted two home runs — including a grand slam — and was just a single short of the cycle Tuesday night at Santa Clara, putting up a career night to continue his current streak.
“I was just seeing the ball really well, and I finally got some in the air,” said Quentin after his six-RBI, six-run performance. “I was really happy to see a couple go over the fence, but as long as I’m hitting well and helping the team out that’s all that really matters.”
The junior now leads the team in hits (52), doubles (16), walks (23), extra-base hits (21) and on-base percentage (.535).
Classmate Fuld is enjoying his own hot stretch, though Tuesday night’s 0-for-4 marked the end of his 15-game hitting streak. After struggling to start the season, the preseason All-American center fielder has raised his average to a Cardinal fourth-best .333, with his 49 hits second only to Quentin’s mark.
Midway through the juniors’ hitting streaks, catcher Garko decided to join in on the fun. With his current season-high nine-game tear, Garko has grabbed the team lead in total bases with 87 and has jumped to second in batting, at .377.
During the nine games, the first of which came after a combined 0-for-9 in the first two games of the Arizona State series, the senior has hit a cosmic .568 with five home runs, five doubles and 19 RBI. Garko has 42 RBI in the team’s last 25 games and has been leading the Stanford attack all season.
“If we’re going to be good and compete for the Pac-10 title, our older guys are going to need to play well,” said head coach Mark Marquess.
Offering the understatement of the season, Marquess added, “These guys have been doing that lately.”
Even with the scorching Cardinal bats, wins have not come easily for Stanford in recent weeks with tough games against Washington, USF and Washington State. The Hornets present a decent challenge and will attempt to tame Quentin and company this weekend.
The first, tonight at 6 p.m. at Sunken Diamond, will see the Hornets’ Steve Cuckovich take on Stanford junior John Hudgins.
Hudgins enters tonight’s contest fresh off his second complete game of the season, with a late solo homer all that spoiled the shutout bid against Washington State.
The junior has displayed dominant control all season, striking out 67 while walking just 15 in his 10 starts. Hudgins has also lasted at least six innings each time he has taken the mound, making it through seven on six occasions.
Marquess has not named his starter for tomorrow’s 2 p.m. game at Raley Field, where the Hornets are 15-4 this season and have won eight in a row. The Sacramento State starter will be Marshall Plouffe, who has a 5-2 record with an impressive 2.92 ERA this season.