San Jose, Calif. - The 2009 Western Athletic Conference regular-season champion San Jose State University baseball program is set to contest its annual fall intrasquad event, the Spartan World Series, beginning this Friday, November 13.

The Blue and Gold teams were drafted on Monday, November 9. Corey Valine, a second-team All-WAC selection at third base as a junior, will captain the Spartan Gold. Karson Klauer, the only other fourth-year senior on the current roster of 38 players, is the Spartan Blue captain, and is joined by younger brother Kolton, a junior walk-on candidate who spent the past two seasons at Hartnell College in Salinas, Calif.

The series will be a best-of-seven event again in 2009. All games will be played out, regardless of whether one team clinches the series early or not. Every game is scheduled to be played at San Jose Municipal Stadium, but always subject to a change to Blethen Field on South Campus. Dates and times are also subject to change without notice. Admission is free of charge at either venue.

Game 1 of the 2009 Spartan World Series is slated for a 1:36 p.m. first pitch on Friday, November 13, and should feature a starting pitching match-up between sophomore right-hander Esteban Guzman for the Blue, the designated home team, and left-hander John Austin for the Gold. Guzman also started the opening game of the 2008 series for the Blue, going 5.2 innings and earning the win. Austin, a junior transfer from College of San Mateo, has allowed just one run thus far during Fall Ball, courtesy of a Danny Stienstra home run last Sunday, November 8.

Game 2 will follow on Saturday, November 14, beginning at 11:00 a.m., and is expected to be a duel of right-handed junior newcomers between David Luna (Ohlone College) of the Blue and Blake McFarland (Santa Barbara City College) of the Gold. Both are San Jose natives, out of Piedmont Hills and Leigh High School, respectively.

This Sunday, November 15, Game 3 is scheduled for a 12:00 p.m. start. Right-handed returner Eric LeBaron should take the ball for the Blue, and be opposed by highly-touted freshman newcomer Zack Jones. The right-handed San Jose product was an all-state performer and the Mercury News Player of the Year as a senior at Santa Teresa High School.

The teams will then take a brief break from competition leading up to Game 4 next Friday, November 20, at 1:45 p.m. The fifth and sixth games are currently slated to be played as part of a doubleheader starting at noon on Sunday, November 22, with both ends going seven innings.

San Jose State will end the fall season, which began on Wednesday, October 14, at the conclusion of its allotted 45 days, on Tuesday, November 24, two days ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. The seventh and final game of the Spartan World Series that day is scheduled for a 2:15 p.m. start at Muni, with the Spartan Blue acting as the home team.

The Spartan Blue won the 2008 Spartan World Series, five games to two.

2009 Spartan World Series
Game 1: Gold at Blue, Friday, November 13, 1:30 p.m.
Game 2: Gold at Blue, Saturday, November 14, 11:00 a.m.
Game 3: Blue at Gold, Sunday, November 15, 12:00 p.m.
Game 4: Blue at Gold, Friday, November 20, 1:45 p.m.
Game 5: Blue at Gold, Sunday, November 22, 12:00 p.m. (7 innings)
Game 6: Gold at Blue, Sunday, November 22, 2:00 p.m. (7 innings)
Game 7: Gold at Blue, Tuesday, November 24, 2:15 p.m.
(All seven games are originally slated to be played at San Jose Municipal Stadium, but subject to change to Blethen Field, as are dates and times, without notice.)

The Blue and Gold teams break down as follows:

Spartan Blue
#1 Craig Broussard
#4 Richie Johnson
#5 Michael Reiling
#8 Kerry Jenkins
#11 Karson Klauer
#12 Kolton Klauer
#13 David Wayne Russo
#14 Craig Hertler
#16 Patrick Hennessey
#17 Tim Quiery
#20 Bryson Rahier
#21 Tyler Christian
#23 Graham Rodriguez
#25 Barney Evans
#26 Eric LeBaron
#27 David Luna
#30 Sean Martin
#35 Esteban Guzman
#44 Drew Bradshaw
#55 Tommy Gale

Spartan Gold
#1 Jason Martin
#2 Nick Borg
#4 Michael Kwan
#7 Corey Valine
#8 Andrew Rodriguez
#10 Zack Jones
#11 John Austin
#13 Breyon Canez
#14 Dylan Morrow
#15 Alex Sofranac
#17 Andy Hennessey
#19 Chris Carrillo
#20 Luke Mazzanti
#24 Blake McFarland
#25 Danny Stienstra
#32 Anthony Bona
#37 Nick Schulz
#44 Ryan Vander Tuig