PATRIOTIC SERIES: The Seattle University baseball team continues its ten-game homestand with a three-game series against Dallas Baptist University, a Division I independent that reached the NCAA Tournament in 2008 and has posted a winning record in 31 consecutive seasons. Last week SeattleU received some strong pitching performances, but the hitting did not come through, especially in the last two games when the Redhawks notched only three total hits. The pitching will need to be solid again this weekend, as Dallas Baptist is one of the top hitting teams in all of Division I.
THE NEVADA SERIES: For the second time in three weeks, the University of Nevada swept a three-game series from Seattle University, this time at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue. Last Friday night, Brandon Kizer pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing five hits, one walk, and two runs while striking out three batters. He set down the first 13 Nevada batters in order before Nick Melino singled to left-center field with one out in the fifth inning, with Brian Barnett following with a double to right-center field that scored Melino to break up the shutout. SeattleU built a 5-2 lead with Cullen Hendrickson hitting a two-run home run in the first inning. The Wolf Pack scored ten runs in the final three innings, including seven runs in the top of the ninth, to pull off the comeback. Bryndon Ecklund continued his hot hitting, going 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Doug Buser went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and one driven in. Saturday, Nevada scored three runs in the first and nine runs in the second on the way to a 22-0 victory over the Redhawks. Seattle University was held to one hit, a single by Buser in the eighth inning. Of the six pitchers used by the Redhawks, Phil Parrish was the most effective, allowing just three hits in 3 2/3 innings of work while striking out two Nevada batters. Buser scored the first run of Sunday's game, but that would be SeattleU's only run, as Nevada took advantage of two walks, two batters hit by pitches, an error, and a wild pitch in the sixth inning to earn a 4-1 victory to complete the weekend sweep.
SCOUTING DALLAS BAPTIST: The Patriots come into the weekend series with a 21-15 record, including a 4-7 record in road and neutral-site games. As a team, Dallas Baptist is posting a .348 batting average, a 5.94 earned run average, and a .961 fielding percentage with 54 errors in 36 games. Austin Elkins leads the Patriots with a .411 batting average and a .491 on-base percentage. Ryan Enos is batting .390 with 62 hits, including 12 doubles, two triples, and 12 home runs, and 35 runs batted in. Jason Krizan leads the squad with 42 runs batted in and 27 walks, one of eight Dallas Baptist players with at least 13 walks so far this season. Jared Stafford leads the pitching staff with a 3.21 earned run average and three saves, while Brandon Williamson has five wins in ten starts, including two complete games.
WEATHER FORECAST: According to The Weather Channel, Thursday will bring mostly sunny skies with highs in the upper 50s and winds NNW at about 8 mph. Friday will be cloudy with a chance of showers and temperatures in the low 50s or high 40s, while Saturday will bring about a few showers with temperatures in the low 50s.