Stanford Baseball, Trevor Haskins Cannot be Stopped

For the first time since 2018, Stanford baseball is 9-0 to start the regular season. That year, they went 10-0 before suffering their first defeat. On Friday afternoon, with ace Matt Scott on the mound, Stanford had to sweat it out for a little bit before a huge seven-run bottom of the eighth at the Sunken Diamond put this one away.

Scott turned in his second consecutive quality start, going 6 IP, giving up 5 hits, 2 ER, walking 4, and striking out 5. Scott had walked three batters in his two previous starts combined, and walks have been a bit of an issue in previous seasons, but the righty was able to limit the damage and work around some trouble on Friday.

Two of those walks came in the first inning, but Xavier was unable to capitalize on the free passes. They were the first team to score, however, when a trio of singles loaded the bases in the top of the third. First baseman Connor Misch singled through the left side to plate a pair, giving Xavier a quick 2-0 lead.

Stanford would answer back in the bottom of the frame. Freshman left fielder Tatum Marsh drew a leadoff walk, and then the National Player of the Week, Trevor Haskins, clubbed a two-run shot, giving him a home run in each of his last five games. What makes that streak even more impressive is the layoff in between games four and five. Typically guys will cool down after a couple of days.

Not Haskins.

He'd finish the game 2-for-4 with that home run, three RBI, a double, and a walk. With the home run, he is the first player to hit a homer in five consecutive games since Brock Jones managed the feat in six straight from May 15-25, 2022. Jones hit 17 home runs for in High-A of the Tampa Bay Rays' system last season. He was selected by the club in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft.

Marsh would also provide a big shot in that seven-run eighth, knocking home a pair on a two-run triple to open the floodgates. After a Haskins double made it 6-2, Stanford star Rintaro Sasaki singled to right to score Haskins and push the lead to 7-2. A sacrifice fly from Jimmy Nati plated the fifth run of the inning, while a Brady Reynolds single and a wild pitch chased home the final two runs.

Before the Cardinal outburst, Xavier was threatening in the top of the inning, with a runner at second and nobody out. Stanford closer Aidan Keenan came on, inheriting the runner, and got a fly out and a strikeout to record two quick outs. Pinch-hitter Nolan Tucker singled, pushing the runner to third, but Keenan recorded another strikeout, ending the threat.

Stanford has scored 81 runs in their first nine games, good for an average of nine runs per game. While they didn't trail for long, they did fall behind 2-0 early. This counts as the Cardinal's fifth come-from-behind win of the year.

Freshman Charlie Bates (1-for-5 with a strikeout) has hit safely in all nine Stanford games to begin the season.