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Stanford Baseball takes care of business, dispatches St. Mary’s 9-1

Stanford baseball returns from Texas to beat one of those East Bay schools

By Paco Torres
Stanford Athletics/ISI Photos

Hello, Andrew Summerville! After stellar rotation debuts by Tristan Beck, Chris Castellanos, and Kris Bubic, many might have forgotten the sophomore who at the end of 2015 seemed poised to become a cornerstone of the Stanford rotation.

And then Mark Marquess took him out of the preseason rotation depth chart. And while he got a chance in the final game against Cal State Fullerton, he struggled, allowing 4 runs through 6 innings.

Summerville didn't see any more action after that. Freshman Kris Bubic got the call to start against Texas. Until now.

When St. Mary's took the trip across the Bay to the Sunken Diamond on Tuesday, Andrew Summerville was sent to the mound. And he delivered.

Summerville spun quite a gem, striking out a career-high 9(!!) batters over 7 innings, allowing just a solo home run and a walk.

It was indeed a career night for the sophomore. And he made a strong case for his continued inclusion in the rotation.

In the batter's box, Stanford mercilessly punished the pitchers of St. Mary's. Stanford trailed until the 3rd inning, when centerfielder Jack Klein walked then stole second. An RBI single by leadoff man Tommy Edman scored Klein, allowing Stanford to tie the game.

Most of the damage Stanford dealt was in the 6th inning. Catcher Bryce Carter drove in a run with a double down the line. Edman then drove in Jack Klein with a single, followed by Mikey Diekroeger scoring both Edman and Carter with a double. The last of the damage was done by a Quinn Brodey sacrifice fly that gave the Cardinal a 6-1 lead.

At this point you almost begin to feel for the Gaels. But Stanford did not let up. The Cardinal would drop another 3 runs on St. Mary's. Outfielder Quinn Brodey made his presence felt once again, blasting a solo shot into the Sunken Diamond's night sky. Second baseman Nico Hoerner immediately followed that with a single, and then was cashed in by a Matt Winaker double. The final run of the game would be scored when Gael reliever Vince Braman uncorked a wild pitch to score Winaker from third.

Tommy Edman and Matt Winaker shined in this game. Each contributed 2 hits to the Stanford attack. Edman also had 2 RBI and 1 run scored, while Winaker had 1 RBI and scored once himself. Mikey Diekroeger chipped in with a double, driving in 2 runs and scoring 1 himself. These three infielders are the engine of the Stanford offense. If they are consistently producing at the plate, you can expect big offensive showings like Tuesday's 9-run effort against the Gaels.

With the win, Stanford improved to 6-3 on the young season. And this was the kind of game that Nerd Nation has to like. The Cardinal were firing on all cylinders: strong starting pitching, productive trips to the plate, and a reliable bullpen.

They're going to need that beginning on Friday, when they host #2 Vanderbilt to the Sunken Diamond. Stanford has done reasonably well against two other ranked teams; how will they fare against one of the best teams in the country?

While you ponder that question, check out Stanford Baseball's highlight feel for this game: