Baseball | 1/31/2013 11:09:00 AM

BASEBALL - WESTERN OREGON AT CAL STATE STANISLAUS
Friday, Feb. 1, 2013 – 2:00 p.m. – Turlock, Calif.
Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013 – 11:00 a.m. (DH) – Turlock, Calif.

LIVE STATS: www.sidearmstats.com/csustan/baseball
LIVE AUDIO (CS STANISLAUS): kefc.net

MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon baseball team begins its quest for another berth in the NCAA West Regional as the Wolves open the 2013 season on Friday, Feb. 1, when the travel to Turlock, Calif., to open a three-game series against Cal State Stanislaus at 2:00 p.m. Following the opener on Friday, the series will conclude with a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 2, at 11:00 a.m.

“The team is excited to get out there and play against some great competition,” interim head coach Kellen Walker said. “The team came back to campus from Winter break ready to get to work and the last few weeks of practice have been great. It will be a tough series; but, I know the team is ready to get out there and compete.”

The Wolves return three starters from last year's squad that finished the season with a 40-11 mark and won last year's GNAC race by a record 13 games. 2012 Consensus All-American Blake Miller leads the Wolves after winning the league batting title last year with a .410 average while leading the league in runs scored (61) and hits (80).

Also back for WOU is outfielder Matt Nylen, who hit .318 and had four home runs and 41 RBI last season while earning first-team all-league honors.

Western Oregon graduated all four of its starting pitchers from a year ago; however, the Wolves do return their top reliever in AJ Burke, who posted a 3-0 record, had four saves and recorded a 2.25 ERA.

The Wolves enter the series ranked No. 40 in the preseason National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll and No. 3 in the NCBWA West Regional poll.

Cal State Stanislaus, picked to finish 2013 in eighth-place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, finished last season with a mark of 27-23. The Warriors are led by infielder Ross Gonsalves, the leading returning hitter for CS Stanislaus after gitting .294 with 34 runs scored last season. On the mound, Byron Lemon returns for the Warriors after posting a 4-5 mark with a 3.16 ERA in 2012.

Last season, the Wolves took two-of-three from the Warriors in Turlock, capturing the first two games of the series before falling in the finale.

Following the series with the Warriors, the Wolves will return to action on Friday, Feb. 8, when they travel to Rohnert Park, Calif., to open a four-game series against Sonoma State at 1:00 p.m.