Saturday Night Wise

You know how sometimes you just get to thinking about Fresno State, and a plethora of ideas hit you all at once? Well, for me, that's right now.

Read this story from the Visalia Times-Delta. Bryce Harris may very well earn the starting left tackle job this year (although it was interesting Devan Cunningham got work there on Friday). That's not my issue with this story though. The issue is at the very end of the write-up, where the 'Dogs are predicted to go 5-7 in 2009. Maybe...but I'd just like to know what research this writer did to be able to say expect most preseason publications to predict the 'Dogs to finish 1-3 in non-conference and 4-4 in the WAC?

Derek Benny is going to be good. At this point in his career, the freshman pitcher is ahead of recent 'Dogs Tanner Scheppers, Doug Fister and Matt Garza in his development. All he did today was throw a complete-game, two-hit shutout in a 10-0 win over Lipscomb while facing the minimum 27 batters -- the first time that's happened at Fresno State since 1967.

Tommy Mendonca is surely going to break the school's all-time home run record. The most fascinating question now is whether he can top Lance Shebulut's single-season mark of 32 homers? With 10 jacks in 22 games, Mendonca is sure on pace to give it a run.

Today's doubleheader sweep by the Diamond 'Dogs has them two games over .500 at 12-10. But yesterday, sitting at 10-10, the annual Mike Batesole regular-season frustration set in. Why do Batesole's teams always get off to less-than-impressive starts?

And a predition of my own -- Ebahn Feathers will not start at QB. Feathers' lack of throwing ability in spring camp is quickly knocking him out of contention, especially when Derek Carr and Matt Faulkner are looking so good. Not that Faulkner will win it either, but Carr's just too talented to ignore right now and will likely battle Ryan Colburn for the nod. Count on this though, Feathers will have packages that allow him to contribute every game.