H. Res. 1327 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

July 15, 2008. 

Whereas California State University, Fresno, better known as 

Fresno State, was founded in 1911 and has offered advanced degrees since 1949; 

Whereas Fresno State has one of the top Agriculture 

Sciences and Technology programs in the California 

State University system, with a worldwide reputation in 

water technology, more than 200 awards for student-produced wines, and research having global impact in the 

areas of food production, land preservation, and irrigation; 

Whereas Fresno State’s Craig School of Business has been 

recognized in the Princeton Review’s top business schools 

and is nationally acclaimed for its Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship; 

Whereas Fresno State also offers well-regarded programs in 

schools or colleges devoted to arts and humanities, health 

and human services, education and human development, 

social sciences, physical sciences, and mathematics and 

engineering; 

Whereas Fresno State is home to approximately 19,000 undergraduate students, 2,200 graduate students, and nearly 1,000 post-baccalaureate students; 
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Whereas in the recent Western Association of Schools and 

Colleges accreditation process, Fresno State was commended as a ‘‘national model for institutions interested 

in becoming generators of social mobility, economic development, and student success’’; 

Whereas Fresno State prepares its students to prosper in 

their chosen careers by being responsible citizens in their 

communities, as well as in the State, Nation, and world; 

Whereas all Fresno State athletic programs pride themselves 

on recruiting male and female athletes from local high 

schools and junior colleges; 

Whereas every member of this year’s championship baseball 

team is from California, with many players hailing from 

such San Joaquin Valley towns as Fresno, Clovis, Bakersfield, Visalia, Hanford, and Turlock; 

Whereas the Fresno State Bulldogs baseball team beat the 

University of Georgia Bulldogs two games to one to win 

the 2008 College World Series; 

Whereas the Fresno State Bulldogs opened the College World 

Series with a victory over sixth-seeded Rice University 

and had two wins over number-two national seed University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; 

Whereas the Bulldogs hit 14 home runs, the second most in 

College World Series history, and set the record for the 

most extra-base hits, runs batted in, and total bases in 

a championship game; 

Whereas the Bulldogs became the first team in College World 

Series history to score at least 17 runs more than once 

in the same College World Series; 
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Whereas the Bulldogs became the first number-four regional 

seed to reach the College World Series since the tournament expanded in 1999; 

Whereas all 10 of the Bulldogs’ postseason wins have come 

against teams ranked in the top 15, including its final 7 

wins over national seeds; 

Whereas the Bulldogs played on the road for over 40 days; 

Whereas, throughout the College World Series, the Bulldogs 

won 6 elimination games, including a 19–10 victory over 

the University of Georgia Bulldogs in the championship 

series; 

Whereas, for the third consecutive season, the Bulldogs 

earned a preseason ranking in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s Fabulous 40 and an 18th-place ranking from 

Baseball America Magazine; 

Whereas the Bulldogs won 47 games and lost 31 games during the 2008 season; 

Whereas 7 members of the Bulldog team were named to the 

Preseason All-Western Athletic Conference Team; 

Whereas on May 17, 2008, the Bulldogs won their third 

straight Western Athletic Conference championship; 

Whereas on May 25, 2008, the Bulldogs won their third 

straight Western Athletic Conference tournament after 

beating the University of Nevada; 

Whereas the Bulldogs had not played in a College World Series since 1991; 

Whereas the Bulldogs won the Long Beach Regional and 

Tempe Super Regional tournaments, and beat 3rd-ranked 

Arizona State University, 6th-ranked San Diego University, and 11th-ranked Long Beach State University; 
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Whereas head coach Mike Batesole was named the 2008 National Coach of the Year, the second time in 10 years he 

has won the award; 

Whereas Steve Susdorf was named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Tanner Scheppers was named 

the Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year, 

Danny Muno was named the Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, and head coach Mike 

Batesole was named the Western Athletic Conference CoCoach of the Year; 

Whereas Steve Susdorf, Tanner Scheppers, Erik Wetzel, Alan 

Ahmady, and Brandon Burke earned First-Team AllWestern Athletic Conference honors; 

Whereas seniors Clayton Allison, Blake Amador, Jason 

Breckley, Brandon Burke, Jacob Hower, Ryan Overland, 

and Steve Susdorf and junior Kris Tomlinson have graduated or will graduate within 9 semesters, having managed their time well enough to keep up with studies and 

play championship baseball over 78 games and hundreds 

of practice sessions; 

Whereas Steve Susdorf was a Western Athletic Conference 

All-Academic awardee for the fourth year and also won 

ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District and second 

team Academic All-America honors; 

Whereas senior Clayton Allison, juniors Kris Tomlinson and 

Erik Wetzel, and freshmen Trent Soares and Jake 

Floethe were also Western Athletic Conference All-Academic performers; 

Whereas Tommy Mendonca was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player and was named to the 

2008 National Collegiate Team; 
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Whereas Erik Wetzel, Steve Susdorf, Steve Detwiler, and 

Justin Wilson were named to the 2008 College World Series All-Tournament Team; 

Whereas, in addition to the players who earned all-conference 

honors, the Bulldogs saw outstanding play from Danny 

Muno, Jordan Ribera, Gavin Hedstrom, and Ryan Overland; 

Whereas Bulldog coaches Mike Batesole, Matt Curtis, Mike 

Mayne, and Pat Waer and the entire Bulldog roster and 

staff have earned a special place in Fresno State sports 

history; 

Whereas many members of the Bulldog team will never play 

professional baseball and truly give meaning to the term 

‘‘student-athlete’’; and 

Whereas Fresno State’s competition for the national championship has been exciting to watch for all those who 

have an attachment to the University, the San Joaquin 

Valley, and the game we call our national pastime: Now, 

therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1) congratulates the 2008 National Collegiate Athletic 

Association (NCAA) Baseball Champions, the Fresno State 

Bulldogs, on an outstanding and historic season; and 
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(2) recognizes that the Bulldogs, in winning their first 

College World Series, concluded an unprecedented season and 

championship that captivated baseball fans across America. 

Attest: 

Clerk.