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Stanford Super Regional
Long Beach State (41-20) at No. 6 Stanford (46-15)
Sunken Diamond, Palo Alto, Calif.
Series history: Stanford leads 5-1 since 1977
Season history: Stanford 2-0
Stanford Super Regional schedule
Friday, June 6
Game 1 - Stanford 5, Long Beach State 1
Saturday, June 7
Game 2 - Stanford 4, Long Beach State 2 (Stanford advances to CWS)
Stanford Cardinal
NCAA Tournament appearance: 24th
CWS appearances (last): 16 (2003)
2003 Home record: 29-10
Prominent MLB alumni: Rick Helling, Mike Mussina
Cardinal notes (entering Super Regional)
The Cardinal is going for its 5th straight CWS appearance, which has only been accomplished seven previous times.
Stanford has won seven straight games and 16 of its last 17.
Stanford has hosted a Super Regional in all five seasons of this tournament format and won the previous four with a combined record of 8-2.
This team is more offensive-minded than the typical Stanford team (.323 BA), but the third baseman, shortstop and second baseman have just one home run between them in 2003.
Mark Marquess has spent 35 years at Stanford as a player, assistant and head coach (27th year as head coach).
Stanford and Long Beach have squared off only 4 times in the Marquess era, and the Cardinal has won three of them, including both meetings in last season's NCAA Regional at Stanford.
C Ryan Garko (.418, 18 HR, 87 RBI) was Pac-10 Co-Player of the Year after not being drafted as a junior because of concerns about his defensive skills. He was taken in the third round of this year's draft.
RF Carlos Quentin is one of five finalists for the Golden Spikes Award, given to the player of the year in college baseball. On Tuesday, he became Stanford's 14th first-round draft choice in the last 17 years.
Sam Fuld is tied for second in the nation with 9 triples (first has 11).
John Hudgins is Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year and leads the conference with 122 strikeouts. His father, who is a minister, didn't get to see him play very often last season because he was the Sunday starter.
John Mayberry, Jr. is the son of the former major league All-Star first baseman.
Long Beach State 49ers
NCAA Tournament appearance: 14th
CWS appearances (last): 4 (1998)
Prominent MLB alumni: Jason Giambi, Steve Trachsel
49er notes (entering Super Regional)
Unofficial nickname: Dirtbags (given in 1989 when a new head coach and a roster of lowly-recruited players without its own practice field or stadium made it to Omaha).
Won Big West title over Cal State Fullerton.
Long Beach has arguably the best starting duo in the country: RHP Jered Weaver (brother of Jeff) and LHP Abe Alvarez were co-Big West Pitchers of the Year.
The 49ers win with pitching and defense. They lead the nation in fielding percentage (.981) and are fifth in ERA (3.01).
C Todd Jennings enters the Super Regional with a 26-game hitting streak. He was batting .155 on March 9 and is now up to .293.
RF Brad Davis was a freshman All-America catcher last year.
Brad Edwards is a college sports researcher for ESPN.
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