Washington State baseball faces off in a conference matchup against the Fresno State Bulldogs for a three-game series this weekend.
Washington State is coming off another series win, which has earned them an 11-7 record, that currently ranks fourth in the Mountain West Conference. WSU has capitalized on complimentary baseball, with pitching posting quality outings, and the offense producing runs at a steady rate.
Fresno State, however, is a different story. A 1-13-1 record currently finds the Bulldogs at the bottom of the Mountain West. They are coming off a series loss against San Diego State, where they were outscored 18-10 in a three-game set.
Historically, Fresno State has dominated WSU in the all-time series, winning nine out of the 10 games the two teams have played. The inaugural game was March 16, 2006 where WSU lost 6-1. The only time the Cougs have won a matchup against the Bulldogs was April 28, 2024 in a 4-3 win.
In the three-game series these two foes played last season, Fresno State outscored WSU 25-4. This series might provide a different outcome, with WSU coming off a series win against New Mexico and Fresno State being on a three-game losing streak.
Here’s a breakdown of what to expect for this Mountain West Conference showdown
Washington State
Cougar baseball is coming off a big series win over the New Mexico Lobos this past weekend. This win keeps the Cougs in contention for first place in the tight race for the Mountain West. The winner of the conference gets an automatic bid into the NCAA Baseball Tournament, an accomplishment the Cougs have not done since 2010.
WSU Third Baseman Ollie Obenour following through his swing against Oregon State University, April 7, 2026.
Offensively for the Cougs, first baseman Ryan Skjonsby continues to be on a tear at the plate. In this past series against New Mexico, the California native went 4-for-9 with five RBIs, three walks and two home runs.
One other player that had a phenomenal performance against New Mexico was infielder Ollie Obenour. The sophomore infielder has been quietly putting together a very solid season, tallying 27 hits, 14 RBIs and a slugging-percentage of .388. This past weekend, Obenour exploded on the scene, going 6-for-11 with three doubles and four RBIs.
Head coach Nathan Choate had high remarks for the situational hitting of his team and how they were able to put the ball in play in critical moments.
“Yeah, when you do it you win more games and when you don’t do it you lose more games,” Choate said on the Cougar Baseball Podcast. “Sometimes a ball has eyes and finds an open spot. I think we’re doing a better job putting the ball in play with two strikes.”
This approach has already paid off for the Cougs, with them winning four consecutive series and climbing the ranks of the MWC.
Fresno State
The Bulldogs find themselves in last place of the Mountain West after coming in second a year ago. Offensively, Fresno State is last in the conference in runs and second to last in hits.
The one bright spot for the Bulldogs is former Coug, Griffen Sotomayor. So far this season, Sotomayor has recorded an average .328 with 42 hits and six home runs this season. The catcher and first baseman has missed the past two games for unknown reasons.
Outside of Sotomayor, the Bulldog offense has been weak, with only one other hitter with an average over .300. This is an area of Fresno State’s game that WSU will need to take advantage of, if they want to keep on winning.
As for pitching, the starters have been below average for the Bulldogs. Two players to highlight are freshman left-handed pitcher Parker Heintz and freshman right-handed pitcher Brandon Thomas. Both of these arms have posted ERAs right around three for Fresno State this season. These young bullpen arms are two obstacles the Cougs will have to prepare for this weekend.
Overall, the Cougs need to perform well in this series to keep pace with Nevada, Air Force and San Diego State. An opponent like Fresno provides a good opportunity for WSU to capitalize and make up ground in the conference.
The series between these two conference foes starts at 6:05 p.m. on Friday, May 1 at Bailey-Brayton Field in Pullman. Game two starts at 6:05 p.m. on Saturday, May 2. Finally the series wraps up at 12:05 p.m. on Sunday, May 3.
