20 wins for 'Dogs hoops team?

Don't laugh. If Fresno State's 87-77 shellacking of Nevada wasn't enough to show these young pups can beat anyone in the WAC on a given night, then Thursday's 83-64 win over first-place New Mexico State certainly proved just that.

Now, if they could just add consistency to the mix. It's a marvel how a Bulldogs team that scored just 49 points in Boise a couple weeks ago and only 43 against Utah State can turn around and dump 83 on a New Mexico State squad that stayed in a trapping full-court press the whole night. But that's what the 'Dogs did behind Paul George's career-high 30 points in his first game back from injury.

Suddenly Fresno State has improved to 13-12, 6-5 WAC, with seven games remaining. So is 20 wins out of the question? Heck no. If the Bulldogs simply take care of business at home that gives them 17 wins. Winning out would give them 20 in the regular season. That's not counting WAC tournament play.

But what's realistic for this team? What will it take to win 20 games? How high can this group finish in the WAC standings? Are they even a threat to (gasp) win the WAC tourney and go to the Big Dance ... ?

2011, 2012 WAC basketball tournament headed to Vegas

What do y'all think about this? News is the 2011-2012 WAC basketball tournaments will be held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

Moving the tourney to Vegas, long rumored to be an option, is good for all the fans of the non-hosting team, but as a Fresno State fan who's seen just ONE WAC tournament in the Save Mart Center, I feel cheated.

The Save Mart Center is too nice and too large a facility to have less hostings under its proverbial belt than Las Cruces, N.M. and Reno, Nev. Maybe that's just it though? Is the Save Mart Center too large an arena to host when Fresno State isn't in the upper echelon of the WAC standings (which has been the case 2 of the past 3 seasons)?

These are a few of my favorite things...

If Fresno State started every game down five runs, the team might be undefeated.

Incredible. Granted the WAC overall is a sub-par baseball conference. But Fresno State's Diamond 'Dogs did it again. A fourth straight WAC tournament title (the tourney just started back up in 2006, and Fresno State's won it every time since). The 'Dogs were headed for possibly their worst record in about 30 years, and now have not only clinched a winning record, but also a chance to truly defend their national championship.

And who's the hero this time? If Lord almighty himself told us beforehand Fresno State would sweep two from New Mexico State today and one guy would be the hero in both games, it would take us about 20 guesses to choose who. Jordan Ribera. The sophomore first baseman from Clovis West who didn't play first base all year. He DH'd early in the season, only to sit the past couple months barely batting over .100 and with strikeouts galore.

Then Ribs hits a two-run homer in the eighth inning of Game 1 to put Fresno State up 9-7 after the team battled back from a 7-2 deficit. Later in Game 2, locked in a 3-3 tie, Ribs crushes another two-run shot to give the 'Dogs a 5-3 win. His third and fourth homers of the year. And he's named WAC tournament MVP after collecting more hits in the tourney than he had all season long to that point. And then real gut-buster is Ribera was only playing because preseason All-American Alan Ahmady was suspended earlier in the week and left at home.

This team is relentless. Full of heart. Full of fight. Fun. Inspirational. Anyone get a chance to see Holden Sprague react after a double play sealed the Game 1 win for the Bulldogs? Spraguer walked off the mound yelling and pumping his arms so hard he could have dislocated both shoulders. Then he delivered a breath-stealing chest bump to Ribera and continued fist pumping. That one visual is Fresno State baseball in a nutshell.

Top 10 ways to look at the bright side with Fresno State baseball

10. The annual Mike Batesole-era regular season Diamond 'Dogs disappointment is over, and the postseason has always been kinder.

9. With WAC hitter of the week Isaac Vivas and senior Gavin Hedstrom finally doing a little something at the plate Baseball America might think twice about saying certain guys shouldn't even be on the field for a program of Fresno State's caliber.

8. Dusty Robinson's one of the best power hitting freshman in Fresno State lore.

7. There's a chance Danny Muno will either walk or get a hit in every single postseason at-bat. Don't laugh.

6. With the Bulldogs not playing anymore home games this year, it'll give the university a chance to come up with a better national championship display at Beiden Field than the tiny sign under all the ads on the scoreboard and the not-so-eye-catching flag that should be 10 times bigger.

5. Hey Boise State, how's your baseball season going?

4. The Diamond 'Dogs have a chance to win their fourth straight WAC tournament championship.

3. With star first baseman Alan Ahmady suspended, superfan Sugar Bear can debut his newest hit chant: "When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie...that's Jaaake Johnsooonnn!"

2. Tommy Mendonca just might be the best all-around player in Fresno State history. And as long as he's on the field there's a chance.

1. Fresno State is still the reigning national champions, and controls its own destiny from here on out.

Yet another reason Boise fans are funny

And I don't mean "funny" as a compliment.

Click here to see a thread on the Boise State message board where they're making fun of Fresno State's possible new (old) mascot. If fans get their way in this past week's vote, Fresno State will oust the brown chipmunk-looking mascot that was used for one year and return to the original grey mascot that is so beloved by the Red Wave (albeit a buffer version).

This thread by Bozo fans is funny for several reasons:

1)The mascot look they're making fun of is the original, the one everyone wants, the one Fresno State's had for a bajillion years practically.

2)If you've ever seen Boise State's mascot no more needs to be said. The phrase, "Why the long face?" has never been more applicable.

3)Remember the last time the WAC basketball tournament was held in Fresno, and Boise State's mascot decided it would be funny to go all WWE on us and do the "suck it" crotch chop made famous by Degeneration X? Remember how that ended? ...With that grey TimeOut they're making fun of running across the Save Mart Center court and spearing the Bronco to the floor. The Bronco then went to TGI Fridays after the game with the Boise State cheerleaders and got laughed at.

Not dazed, but definitely confused...

The good news is if you're a Red Waver, you'll have something to do Thursday evening. The bad news is...you might have too much to do for your own good.

After racking my brain for the past four days, mining for a solution in the depths of my cranium, I came up with -- a big, fat nothing.

I mean, it's March Madness, and the 'Dogs men's b-ball team gets under way against Nevada at 5 p.m. Thursday. It's a game I fully expect the 'Dogs to win (hey, Kevin Bell is a first-team All-WAC point guard) and it's hard to beat a team three times in one year. Heck, I'm ready to turn on the tube and watch this game right now!

But wait, what about the softball game at Bulldog Diamond pitting our 20-somethingth ranked Lady 'Dogs against top 10 Oklahoma? Man, if there's one softball game this year I want to see in person, it's this one. And it's at the same, exact time -- 5 p.m. Shoot, which of these two should I pick!?

Huh? What's that? Baseball is being played that same night too? You have got to be kidding me! It's the PJQC (Pepsi Johnny Quik Classic for those of you not in the know) and the 'Dogs host a familiar PJQC foe in Gonzaga (didn't one of their players get hit by a car in front of Taco Bell several years back?)...

So how do I narrow this down? Basketball is the most high-profile sport and most important in the grand scheme of things...but it's just on TV. Softball is playing in a high-profile matchup of two of the nation's strongest teams. But baseball is more my game (plus Mike Batesole isn't talking about suing the university). Hmm, that said, I've been to three baseball games in the past three days...

You see what I mean? The more I think about this, the more confusing it becomes...