QUICK TRIP: After the Seattle University baseball players complete their Winter Quarter finals, they will head to Provo, Utah, for a Saturday doubleheader against the BYU Cougars. With the cancellation of the UConn game, Seattle U is now in the midst of a nine-game road swing, the longest of the season for the Redhawks.
WHERE TO CATCH THE ACTION: Live stats for both games will be available on both GoSeattleU.com and BYUCougars.com. BYU TV, found on Comcast Digital Cable channel 232 and DirectTV channel 374 as well as online at byutv.org, will broadcast both games.
THE PAST WEEK: Seattle University started the week with a two-game series against Saint Joseph's at Bannerwood Stadium. On Tuesday, March 6, the two teams went back-and-forth in the middle innings, with the Hawks scoring twice in the top of the sixth to take a 3-2 lead and the Redhawks responding with one in the bottom of the sixth to create a 3-3 tie. In the 10th inning, Brian Olson singled to left field, driving in Eric Koenig with the winning run in Seattle U's 4-3 victory. The next day, Seafth Howe scattered three hits in eight innings of work, and a second-inning run for the Redhawks held up in a 1-0 victory for Seattle U. The Redhawks traveled to Davis, Calif., for a three-game series against the UC Davis Aggies. In Friday's series opener, the Redhawks scored three times in the third inning, but UC Davis starter Dayne Quist settled down, retiring the final 19 Redhawk batters in order. Meanwhile, UC Davis scored three runs in the fourth and one more in the sixth to notch a 5-3 victory. Seattle U rebounded in Saturday's game, scoring four runs in the eighth inning and then holding on for a 4-3 victory. UC Davis received another complete game Sunday, as Aggie starter Tom Briner pitched a five-hit shutout to defeat the Redhawks, 3-0. Seattle U was scheduled to face Connecticut Monday, but the game was cancelled due to rain. Bryndon Ecklund led the team in hitting over the week, batting .474 (9-of-19) with two runs scored, a double, and two runs batted in. On the mound, Garrett Anderson was the star, earning two wins and a save during the week. He allowed three hits, two walks, and two runs in seven innings of work, earning four strikeouts along the way.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Game One: RHP Brandon Kizer (1-1, 3.48 ERA) vs. RHP Chris Capper (0-3, 4.58 ERA)Game Two: RHP Seafth Howe (2-1, 2.35 ERA) vs. LHP Mark Anderson (3-0, 1.96 ERA)
SCOUTING BYU: The Cougars come into Saturday's doubleheader with a 6-7 overall record after splitting two games in Omaha, Neb. BYU defeated Nebraska Omaha, 19-9, but lost to Creighton, 2-0. The Cougars have averaged 8.3 runs per game in their six victories, but only 0.9 runs per game in the seven losses, including three shutouts. As a team, BYU has compiled a batting average of .243, a fielding percentage of .964, and an earned run average of 3.89. Tanner Chauncey is the only regular hitting above .300, leading the team with a .394 batting average. Brock Whitney leads the team with 15 hits and 12 runs batted in, while Christian Mua has hit the only home run for the Cougars so far this season. On the mound, Chris Capper has lost all three starts he has made, but a lack of run support can be used as partial blame, as the Cougars have scored only three runs total in his starts. On the other hand, BYU is averaging 5.3 runs per game in Mark Anderson's starts, as he is 3-0 so far this season. Out of the bullpen, Mason Marshall has earned two saves in five appearances without giving up a run, allowing just three hits and a walk in 9 1/3 innings while striking out 10 opposing batters.
SERIES HISTORY: BYU leads the all-time series, 4-2. BYU defeated Seattle U March 30, 1979, 9-4, in Riverside, Calif. After the rebirth of the Seattle U baseball program in 2008, BYU came to Bannerwood Stadium for a two-game series April 29-30, 2010. In the first game, the score was 2-2 from the seventh inning through the 16th inning, when a single by Mike Malland drove in Nate Roberts with the winning run for the Redhawks. The next day, BYU held a 7-4 lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning, but Seattle U came back, as a two-run single by Phil Parrish tied the game and an RBI single from Doug Buser drove in Steve Kirbach with the winning run. Last season, BYU hosted a three-game series at Miller Park May 5-7. In the first game, Seattle U held a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the eighth, but the Cougars scored once to tie the game, and Stephen Wells hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th to give BYU a 4-3 victory. The Cougars used the momentum from that game the rest of the weekend, sweeping the series with a 13-3 victory and a 10-3 win.
WEATHER FORECAST: The forecast for Saturday calls for a 60% percent chance of showers in Provo, Utah, with the high temperature just reaching 60 degrees and winds SSE at 18 mph.
DID YOU KNOW?: BYU will make the trip to the state of Washington for a three-game series against the Redhawks. The series will start Thursday, April 12, at Bannerwood Stadium in Bellevue beginning at 6 p.m. The game Friday, April 13, will be played at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma beginning at 6 p.m. before the two teams conclude the weekend series back at Bannerwood Stadium Saturday, April 14, at 12 noon.