THE FINAL STRETCH: The Seattle University baseball team will conclude its first season of Division I baseball in 30 years with six games in six days, beginning Tuesday with the first of two contests against Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore. The Redhawks will then return home for a four-game series against Saint Mary's College. Seattle University and Oregon State are meeting for the first time in 37 years, while it appears that Seattle U will be facing Saint Mary's on the baseball diamond for the first time ever. The Redhawks are looking to end the season on a positive note and gain some momentum heading into next year, when the team loses only Doug Buser to graduation. Seattle U can also play spoiler to the postseason hopes of Oregon State, as the Beavers are hoping for a berth in the regionals.
THE CREIGHTON SERIES: Seattle University went into the most famous stadium in college baseball and earned a 6-4 victory over Creighton University last Friday. Doug Buser smashed the second pitch of the game into right-center field for a triple and scored on a single by Bryndon Ecklund. Ecklund drove in two more runs in the second inning on a single, and Josh Kalalau drew a bases-loaded walk to increase the Redhawks' lead to 4-0. After Creighton hit a two-run home run to cut the lead in half, Buser singled and scored on Ecklund's double, and Ecklund scored on a single by Steve Kirbach. Arlo Evasick pitched into the eighth inning, but gave up Trever Adams' second home run of the game, this one to straightaway center field, followed by back-to-back singles by T.J. Roemmich and Carson Vitale. Bryan Dalton came on in relief, but he walked pinch hitter Zane Hinkel to load the bases. After Ian Dike hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Roemmich, Dalton struck out Clay Cuno and Alex Staehely to end the Bluejay threat. In the ninth inning, Dalton hit Jimmy Swift with a pitch, bringing Adams up representing the tying run. However, Adams' line drive found the glove of left fielder Sean Narby, and Roemmich's fly ball settled into Buser's glove to end the game in the Redhawks' favor. The Redhawk bats went quiet Saturday, earning only five hits as Creighton picked up a 3-1 win at the CU Sports Complex. In Sunday's rubber game, Kalalau hit a two-run home run in the first inning, and Max Whieldon and Dalton combined to hold the Bluejays to one run through eight innings, but a two-run double in the ninth gave Creighton a 3-2 win.
SCOUTING OREGON STATE: The Beavers come into this week's two-game series with a 26-19 record, including an 18-10 record at home. Oregon State took two of three games from Washington over the weekend to bring its Pac-10 record to 9-12. As a team, the Beavers have compiled a .261 batting average, a 4.10 earned run average, and a .973 fielding percentage with 49 errors in 45 games. Stefen Romero leads the team with a .331 batting average, a .633 slugging percentage, a .436 on-base percentage, 56 hits, 37 runs scored, 13 home runs, and 39 runs batted in. Adalberto Santos is batting .310 with 53 hits, 37 runs scored, 13 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 24 runs batted in, 31 walks, and 13 stolen bases. On the pitching mound, Matt Boyd leads the team with a 6-1 record, a 1.70 earned run average, and 26 strikeouts in 37 innings pitched. Tanner Robles leads the team in strikeouts with 72, while Kevin Rhoderick has a 2-1 record with a 3.46 ERA, three saves, and 30 strikeouts in 26 innings of work.
WEATHER FORECAST: According to The Weather Channel, the skies are set to clear by game time Tuesday with temperatures in the low 60s. Showers are anticipated for Wednesday, with temperatures in the 50s.
SERIES HISTORY: Seattle University and Oregon State have met nine times previously, with Oregon State holding a 5-3-1 series edge. The first meeting between the regional rivals took place in 1952, with Seattle U, led by the O'Brien brothers, defeating Oregon State, 8-6, in Corvallis. Seattle U won the meeting in 1953 by the same 8-6 score, but Oregon State tied the series at 2-2 with 10-0 and 14-6 wins during the 1962 campaign. Oregon State also swept two games from Seattle U in 1963, 7-2 and 5-3, and won the meeting in 1971, 4-3. Seattle U won the 1972 meeting, 8-6, and the 1973 meeting, the last one in the series until this year, ended in a 2-2 tie.
SCOUTING SAINT MARY'S: The Gaels come into the weekend with a 16-28-1 record, including an 11-13-1 record in road games. Saint Mary's has lost eight of its last nine contests, including two of three against Gonzaga in its final home series of the season. As a team, the Gaels have compiled a .277 batting average, a 5.24 earned run average, and a .968 fielding percentage with 57 errors in 45 games played. Troy Channing leads the team at the plate with a .314 batting average, 49 hits, 32 runs, 12 home runs, 45 runs batted in, and 40 walks. Patrick Wisdom is batting .302 with 11 doubles, 12 home runs, and 38 runs batted in. On the mound, Mark Anderson leads with a 5-4 record and a 3.97 ERA with two complete games.
LONG-RANGE WEATHER FORECAST: As of Monday, May 17, the forecast for Friday in Bellevue is for showers with the temperature being around 50 degrees. Depending on when and where Saturday's game will be, the forecast is for showers to end with the temperature again around 50 degrees. Sunday is set to be mostly cloudy with temperatures in the 50s.
COMMON FEELINGS: It hasn't been easy for Seattle University to reestablish its baseball program and go through the difficulities that come in the first season of any program, but the Redhawks can look to a couple of programs as a guide for how the future might go. After dropping baseball in 1981, the University of Oregon brought baseball back in time for the 2009 season and promptly went 14-42, batting .227 as a team with a 5.07 team ERA. Just one year later, the Ducks are nationally ranked with a 34-18 record, a .296 team batting average, and a 3.08 team ERA. Cal State Bakersfield established baseball as a new sport in 2009, finishing with a 13-37 record, a .266 team batting average, and a 7.63 team ERA. After defeating Pacific this past Sunday, the Roadrunners are 23-25 with a .312 team batting average and a 4.68 team ERA.