College Sports 101

By Tim Griffin

OMAHA, Neb. -- Fresno State pitcher Holden Sprague's impish way of stretching the truth has made him one of his team’s most popular players.

But coach Mike Batesole is happier how Sprague stretched the Bulldogs’ season for another night with a gritty pitching effort Tuesday night.

Sprague yielded eight hits and five runs in a less-than-stellar 3 1/3-inning effort. But considering the way his team was hitting in its 19-10 pounding of Georgia, just gobbling up a few innings was huge for the beleaguered Fresno State pitching staff.

"The ball was given to me, but the key was our offense," said Sprague, who notched the win as the second of three Fresno pitchers. "I was fortunate that I was able to get them to put the ball in play and our guys made the plays when we needed them to."

Sprague is known as a free spirit among his teammates. He listed his father’s occupation as an astronaut in the Fresno State media guide before the season.

Fresno State gets support from unlikely places in Game 2 win....