BATTER UP!: Seattle University begins the second season of its baseball rebirth this weekend with a four-game series at Cal State Northridge. Right now the Redhawks have 56 games scheduled for the 2011 season, 32 home games and 24 games on the road. Seattle U will bring Notre Dame, Portland, San Jose State, Nevada, Sacramento State, New Mexico State, and Oregon, among others, to Bannerwood Park in Bellevue this season. The Redhawks will travel to Oregon State, Portland, Nevada, Dallas Baptist, Utah Valley, BYU, and Saint Mary's over the next four months. Seattle U will also renew the crosstown rivalry with the University of Washington with four games against the Huskies, each team hosting two games apiece.
WHAT COMES BACK IN 2011: Seattle University returns 18 letterwinners from the 2010 squad, including eight position players who saw significant time in the lineup last season. Bryndon Ecklund led the team with a .352 batting average, while Josh Kalalau led the way with eight doubles, eight home runs, and 39 runs batted in. Cullen Hendrickson batted .290 with five doubles, five home runs, and 24 runs batted in, while Nate Roberts earned 46 hits, including seven doubles, and drove in 22 runs during the year. On the mound, Max Whieldon emerged as one of the team's top pitchers, posting a 3.81 earned run average in 2010. Starters Brandon Kizer and Arlo Evasick also return for the 2011 season, as does closer Bryan Dalton, who led the way with four saves for the Redhawks last season.
THE REBIRTH: On Sept. 14, 2007, at the annual O'Brien Open fundraising event, it was announced that Seattle University would be adding five varsity sports, including baseball. One of the first intercollegiate sports offered by then-Seattle College, baseball was dropped after the 1986 season. On July 1, 2008, former UW assistant coach Donny Harrel began his tenure as SeattleU head baseball coach. During the 2008-09 academic year, Harrel and his staff worked with six players who entered Seattle U, used their redshirt seasons, and kept in shape while Harrel began recruiting those that would make up the rest of the inaugural roster. At 12:04 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010, at Bailey-Brayton Field in Pullman, Wash., senior Doug Buser saw the first pitch thrown in a intercollegiate baseball game involving Seattle University in 24 years.
SCOUTING CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE: The Matadors begin the 2011 season after posting a 29-27 overall record, including a 9-15 record in Big West Conference play. Cal State Northridge is under new leadership, as Matt Curtis takes over as head coach after serving as assistant coach at Fresno State for 10 seasons. The Matadors return 18 letterwinners from a year ago, led by senior outfielder Ridge Carpenter, and add 14 fresh faces to the program. Along with Carpenter, Northridge returns a core group of seniors poised to lead the team throughout the season, including infielder TS Reed, right-handed pitcher Paul Tremlin, infielder Justin De Marco, and right-handed pitchers Shawn Wilyman and Ryan Juarez. Despite losing four key players that received All-Big West Conference honors last season, including First Team second baseman Ryan Pineda to the major league draft, the Matadors return over half of their roster in 2011. Northridge also adds seven transfers this season, including top newcomers in junior infielder Adam Barry and junior pitcher Carlos Gonzalez, Jr.
SERIES HISTORY: Seattle University and Cal State Northridge met for the first time ever in a four-game series at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue March 19-21. In the first game of the series, Seattle U came back from a 4-1 deficit to force extra innings, but the Matadors scored in the 13th inning for a 5-4 victory. Cal State Northridge swept a doubleheader March 20, winning the first game 10-5 thanks in part to a grand slam by Justin DeMarco. In the second game of the twinbill, Seattle U took a 3-1 lead, but the Matadors came back, taking the lead for good on a two-run home run from Dominic D'Anna in the eighth inning. Cal State Northridge closed out the weekend series with an 18-8 victory March 21. The Matadors scored all 18 runs in the first four innings, including a nine-run third inning. Ryan Pineda went 3-for-6 with three runs scored, two home runs, and six runs batted in. Josh Kalalau led Seattle U by going 3-for-5, while Nate Roberts drove in four runs for the Redhawks.
BROADCASTING LIVE: Dan Giuliani will broadcast all home games and selected road contests on GoSeattleU.com, with a pregame show commencing about 15-20 minutes before the scheduled first pitch. Seattle U director of baseball operations Drew Samuelson will join Giuliani on most broadcasts. Giuliani will begin his broadcasts with the weekend series against Notre Dame Feb. 25-27.
NEW FACES: The Seattle University baseball program welcomes 10 new players to the roster for the 2011 season. Seafth Howe, a junior college transfer from Bellevue College, looks to make an immediate impact on the program, as he is scheduled to be Sunday's starting pitcher. Matt Comer led Treasure Valley Community College with a .399 batting average, nine home runs, and 55 runs batted in, and is expected to give the Redhawks similar production right away. Jace Sloan is coming off an injury and hopes to regain the form from his first year at Everett Community College, when he led the NWAACC in doubles and RBIs. Cory Mack is the only true freshman on the 2011 Redhawk roster, but he is expected to be a solid left-handed reliever for Seattle U.
THE LEADER OF THE REDHAWKS: Donny Harrel begins his second season as the head coach of the Seattle University baseball program. At the University of Washington as an assistant coach for four seasons, Harrel was not only responsible for assisting in on-field coaching, but he also was responsible for the Huskies' schedule and assisted with travel issues, budgeting, and helping student-athletes through the admissions process. He also oversaw the team's academic performance and was named Academic Coach of the Quarter in Winter 2007 when the team broke a 14-year record for highest cumulative grade point average. His head coaching experience comes from seven seasons at Lane Community College in Eugene, Ore., where he compiled a 220-90 record and led the team to the NWAACC championship in 1999. Named NWAACC Southern Division Coach of the Year four times, he also led fundraising efforts to build a field, improve other facilities, buy equipment, and increase scholarship opportunities.
WEATHER FORECAST: As of Wednesday, Feb. 16, the weekend weather looks a little dicey for getting all four games in. Friday's forecast is for showers (40% chance of rain) with highs in the upper 50s. There is a 70% chance of rain forecast for Saturday, with highs once again in the upper 50s. Sunday looks to be the best day of the weekend weather-wise, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures remaining in the high 50s.