WELCOME HOME: After spending Spring Break dodging raindrops in both Corvallis and Portland, the Seattle University baseball team is back home, beginning the spring quarter in the classroom and welcoming Sacramento State to Bannerwood Park for a four-game weekend series. Live stats and live audio for all games will be available on GoSeattleU.com. Seattle U looks to snap a three-game losing streak, while Sacramento State has gotten off to a tough start and hopes to turn things around before beginning conference play.
SPRING BREAK IN OREGON: Although Seattle University won only one game last week, it was a memorable win that gave the program more credibility in only its second year of play. Last Tuesday against #23 Oregon State, Seattle U started its comeback from a 4-0 deficit in the fourth inning as Trent Oleszczuk led off with a double down the left field line, advanced to third on a flyout, and scored on a ground out by Doug Kincaid. Meanwhile, Redhawk starter Brandon Kizer settled down, retiring nine of the last ten batters he faced to keep his team in the game. Josh Kalalau surprised everyone with a drag bunt to lead off the seventh inning with a single, and Matt Comer followed with a single through the left side. Pinch hitter Marcelino Morales successfully executed a sacrifice bunt and reached base on a throwing error by Beaver catcher Andrew Susac, loading the bases with nobody out. Nick Latta sent a grounder into the hole at shortstop, and Tyler Smith's throw to third base was off line, allowing a run to score and the bases to remain loaded. Steve Kirbach's single to center field scored pinch runner Ryan Somers, and Bryndon Ecklund followed with a single to left field that brought in Morales and Latta to give the Redhawks the lead. Conor Spink allowed one hit in the seventh inning, followed by a walk and a single in the eighth inning to put runners on first and second base with one out. Blaine Jones came on in relief and first faced Ryan Barnes, who sent a line drive towards the right-center field gap, but Kalalau made a diving catch to potentially save two runs. Jones ended the eighth with a groundout, and then set the Beavers down in order in the ninth inning, including back-to-back strikeouts, to pick up his fourth save of the season. Oregon State recovered to win the second game of the series last Wednesday, 4-2. Seattle U traveled north to Portland, but the Pilots swept the Redhawks, 5-0 and 11-3.
THIS WEEKEND'S PROBABLE MATCHUPS
Friday, April 1 - 6:00 p.m. start:Seattle U: #55 RHP Max Whieldon - 0-3, 3.48 ERA, 33.2 IP, 27 H, 13 ER, 7 BB, 13 SOSacramento State: #43 RHP Karl Maas - 2-2, 2.81 ERA, 32.0 IP, 23 H, 10 ER, 4 BB, 15 SOSaturday, April 2 - 1:00 p.m. start (Game One):Seattle U: #30 RHP Seafth Howe - 3-1, 2.05 ERA, 30.2 IP, 21 H, 7 ER, 7 BB, 8 SOSacramento State: #13 RHP Dallas Chadwick - 1-2, 3.86 ERA, 25.2 IP, 21 H, 11 ER, 9 BB, 15 SOSaturday, April 2 - TBA start (Game Two):Seattle U: #23 RHP Brandon Kizer - 4-1, 3.76 ERA, 26.1 IP, 23 H, 11 ER, 4 BB, 13 SOSacramento State: TBASunday, April 3 - 12:00 p.m. start:Seattle U: #32 RHP Arlo Evasick - 0-2, 13.50 ERA, 6.2 IP, 12 H, 10 ER, 4 BB, 3 SOSacramento State: #55 RHP Brandon Sandoval - 0-0, 4.30 ERA, 14.2 IP, 18 H, 7 ER, 7 BB, 13 SOSCOUTING SACRAMENTO STATE: The Hornets come into this weekend's series with a 6-19 overall record after losing to Pacific Tuesday, 8-2. Three of Sacramento State's victories have come against UC Davis, but the team has lost 12 of its last 14 games. As a team, the Hornets have compiled a .217 batting average, a .973 fielding percentage, and a 5.07 earned run average. Andrew Ayers leads the team with a .284 batting average, 25 hits, including nine doubles, 13 runs scored, and 13 walks. Blake Miller leads the Hornets with two home runs, while Kirby Young is the team leader in runs batted in with 12 RBI. On the mound, Karl Maas has a 2-2 record with a 2.81 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 32 innings of work. Brandon Sandoval leads the Hornets with two saves and has 13 strikeouts in just 14 2/3 innings on the hill.
SERIES HISTORY: These will be the first meetings all-time between Seattle University and Sacramento State.
BROADCASTING LIVE: Dan Giuliani will broadcast all home games and selected road contests on GoSeattleU.com, with a pregame show commencing about 25-30 minutes before the scheduled first pitch. Seattle U director of baseball operations Drew Samuelson or former Redhawk Doug Buser will join Giuliani on most broadcasts. Giuliani will also put together a weekly podcast that accompanies the weekly preview on GoSeattleU.com.
WEATHER FORECAST: As of Wednesday, March 30, the weekend looks to bring some decent weather to the Pacific Northwest. Friday evening is scheduled to bring mostly cloudy skies with temperatures dropping from the low 50s to the high 40s. Showers are expected Saturday, with the chance of precipitation set at 40%, and temperatures in the high 40s. There will be times of both sun and clouds Sunday, with temperatures moving into the low 50s.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES: The improvement of the Seattle University baseball team has been immediate as the 2011 season enters its second month. The Redhawks never had a winning record at any time last season, but this year they have been at or above .500 since the Notre Dame series in February. Seattle U only won a two-game set over BYU last season and split a four-game series against Saint Mary's at the end of the year, losing all other three- and four-game series it played. This year, the Redhawks split a four-game series with Cal State Northridge and won two of three games over both Notre Dame and Portland. The improvement can been seen mostly in the pitching and defense, two areas the coaching staff emphasized since the end of the 2010 campaign. Last season the Redhawks finished with a .956 fielding percentage and a 6.80 earned run average. So far this season, Seattle U has earned a .976 fielding percentage and a 3.61 earned run average.
SENIORITY: Although Seattle U head coach Donny Harrel is only in his second season as the Redhawks' skipper, he will be facing a head coach in his first year with a program for the third time this season. Cal State Northridge head coach Matt Curtis started his head coaching career with the four-game series against Seattle U Feb. 18-20. Harrel faced first-year Notre Dame head coach Mik Aoki Feb. 25-26, winning two of three games from the Fighting Irish. This weekend, Sacramento State is led by its first-year coach Reggie Christiansen.
MAKING HISTORY: In the first month-and-a-half of the 2011 season, Seattle University has already created historical moments. The 4-2 victory over Washington March 8 was the baseball program's first win over the Huskies in 1979, snapping a 19-game losing streak to its crosstown rivals. It was also the first victory by any Seattle U team over Washington since the athletics department started the Division I reclassification process in 2008. The 5-4 victory over Oregon State March 22 was the first win over a nationally-ranked Division I team by any Seattle U squad since the start of the reclassification experience. Baseball's victory added to Seattle U's uncanny dominance over Oregon State, which has included two victories in men's basketball, a win in men's soccer, and close losses in both volleyball and softball against the Beavers.
SCHEDULE ADJUSTMENT: Thanks to a couple of cancellations for both teams, Seattle University and Washington State have added a game against each other for next Wednesday, April 6, beginning at 3 p.m. at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue. The Redhawks faced the Cougars in Pullman, Wash., last season to kick off the 2010 campaign, with Washington State winning both games of the weekend series.