San Jose, Calif. - Heading into the weekend, San Jose State University and the University of Nevada had not met once yet this season. Having put the finishing touches on a four-game series sweep with a come-from-behind, 8-7 victory on Senior Day at Municipal Stadium on Sunday, May 18, the Spartans earn a fifth straight meeting with the Wolf Pack in less than a week on day one of the 2008 WAC Tournament Thursday, May 22, at Louisiana Tech University’s J.C. Love Field in Ruston, La., beginning at 7:00 p.m. CT/5:00 p.m. PT.

San Jose State twice rallied from three-run deficits, of 3-0 and 7-4, with back-to-back four-run outbursts in the fifth and sixth innings. Ironically, the Spartans had also produced consecutive four-run frames in the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader between the teams, scoring four times each in the sixth and seventh in that one en route to an 11-2 decision.

With the victory in the 2008 regular-season finale for both teams, San Jose State improves to 31-23 overall and finishes the WAC slate at 17-14, its first above-.500 conference mark since going 21-9 during its last NCAA post-season campaign in 2002. Nevada drops to 31-24 overall and concludes league play at 18-14. Hawai’i, also at 18-14 in the WAC, held the tiebreaker over the Wolf Pack by virtue of taking three out of four meetings in Honolulu, Hawaii, earlier this season. Nevada thus falls back into the No. 3 spot in the seedings and becomes the Thursday night opponent of fourth-seeded San Jose State. The Wolf Pack had begun the weekend with visions of their first regular-season WAC crown. That title stays instead with Fresno State for a third year in a row. The Bulldogs will pursue a third successive tournament success in Ruston.

The Spartans had already clinched the series with a 7-4 victory in Friday night’s opener, followed by a 2-0 shutout in game one and the 11-2 win during Saturday’s doubleheader. They enter the WAC Tournament on a five-game win streak, having won seven out of their last nine against Nevada, with a split of two face-offs at the 2007 WAC Tournament in Reno, Nev.

Approaching game time, seniors Brandon Hennessey, Sonny Garza, Matt Stone and Eric Boyd were recognized in an on-field ceremony with their families. Hennessey earned the start on the mound, his first of 2008 and 15th of his four-year Spartan career, from 21st-year San Jose State head coach Sam Piraro. Boyd picked up his second starting assignment as a Spartan and first as the leadoff batter, finishing 0-for-2 with a putout before being hit for in the fifth. Garza started at third base and in the clean-up spot in the batting order, going 1-for-4 with a run.

Nevada scored once in the first on an RBI single up the middle by sophomore first baseman Shaun Kort, the third straight groundball single by the Pack in the frame, and twice more in the second on a Tyson Jaquez double and an RBI groundout by Jason Sadoian. Jaquez’s double came right on the heels of a leadoff double by Kevin Rodland, and chased Hennessey.

Spencer Snodgrass took over on the hill for the Spartans with nobody out and a runner at second early in inning number two. After a sacrifice bunt and an RBI groundout to make it 3-0, the sophomore right-hander gave up a single to Matt Bowman, but avoided further damage by getting Jason Rodriguez to lift a fly ball to Boyd. Snodgrass proceeded to turn in arguably his best effort of the 2008 season, tossing 4.0 shutout innings with just two singles and two walks against him. He retired the side in order on just eight pitches on three ground balls in the third.

The first Spartan fight-back in the fifth began with back-to-back singles to lead off by Garza and freshman corner infield protégé Danny Stienstra. Centerfielder Jason Martin, himself a local true freshman, drew a two-out walk to load the bases, before Derek Achelpohl hit junior Anthony Aguilera with a 2-2 pitch to bring in the first Spartan run of the afternoon.

A third local freshman, Craig Hertler, came on to hit for Boyd, and promptly dumped a two-run single into right field for a 4-3 score, before Klauer’s single to center sent Aguilera home for 4-4.

Nevada got all four of those runs back immediately in the top of the sixth on junior right-handers Ryan Shopshire and Jack Adams. Back-to-back doubles for the second time in the game, this time with two outs already, by Jaquez and Brian Lloyd, brought Adams into a 5-4 game. Rodriguez then tripled to right to score two more runs.

Once again, the lead shifted in the next half-inning, with four more going up on the board for the host Spartans, all via a two-out rally, all unearned due to a throwing error by new Nevada pitcher Chris Garcia, on in relief of Achelpohl. Junior rightfielder Alex Sofranac doubled, moved to third on the miscue as Corey Valine reached, and scored on the first of four consecutive RBI singles by San Jose State hitters. They came from Martin, Aguilera, Hertler and Klauer, before Mario Rivera finally took over and stopped the bleeding for the Pack.

Junior right-hander Anthony Vega did the rest for San Jose State. He retired the first seven batters he faced before a leadoff single in the ninth by Rodriguez. He allowed just that single in 3.1 innings, with one strikeout, in earning the win. Vega (3-2) has now thrown 9.2 innings without giving up a run over his last five appearances, with a win and two saves in that span.

Hertler went 2-for-3 with a collegiate-high three RBI, while Klauer was 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI. He now has a season-long six-game hit streak to match his career long. The two RBI also matched his collegiate high. Valine was 1-for-4 with a run, as his leadoff single in the third extended his personal-best hit streak to a current team-best 10 games. Aguilera was 1-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch, two runs and two RBI, while Martin added a pair of runs scored.

Rodriguez and Jaquez had three hits each for Nevada, with Rodriguez driving in two and Jaquez scoring two. Bowman was 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored. Sadoian scored twice and stole his ninth base. Garcia (2-4) took the loss.

San Jose State travels to Ruston, La., by way of Dallas, Texas, on Tuesday, May 20, to take on Nevada on Thursday night, May 22. Every game that San Jose State plays at the 2008 WAC Tournament can be heard live on KSJS (90.5 FM) and at ksjs.org, with sports director Rob Soul describing all the action from Ruston. Live stats can be accessed through SJSUSpartans.com.

San Jose State 8, Nevada 7

Nevada (31-24, 18-14 WAC) 120 004 000 - 7 12 2
San Jose State (31-23, 17-14 WAC) 000 044 00X - 8 11 0

Achelpohl, Garcia (6), Rivera (6) and Jaquez. Brandon Hennessey, Spencer Snodgrass (2), Ryan Shopshire (6), Jack Adams (6), Anthony Vega (6) and Anthony Aguilera. WP - Anthony Vega (3-2). LP - Garcia (2-4). Save - None. 2B - Rodland, Jaquez 2 Lloyd (NEV); Alex Sofranac (SJSU). 3B - Rodriguez (NEV). 3 hits - Rodriguez, Jaquez (NEV). 2 hits - Bowman (NEV); Craig Hertler, Karson Klauer (SJSU). 3 RBI - Craig Hertler (SJSU). 2 RBI - Sadoian, Rodriguez (NEV); Karson Klauer, Anthony Aguilera (SJSU). Attendance - 427.