UP FOR THE CHALLENGE: The last time the Seattle University baseball team traveled into Oregon, a nationally-ranked Oregon State team was waiting in Corvallis, but the Redhawks were able to split the two-game series. This time around, Eugene is the destination, and the University of Oregon has just ascended to the number-one ranking in the Collegiate Baseball weekly poll after winning 11 of its last 12 games. Seattle U does own a victory over the Ducks at PK Park two years ago and, after taking one at Ohio State last weekend, the Redhawks are confident that they can compete with the major-conference club over the three-game series.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday, May 18: RHP Seafth Howe (4-4, 3.10 ERA) vs. RHP Alex Keudell (9-3, 1.94 ERA)
Saturday, May 19: RHP Brandon Kizer (4-4, 3.84 ERA) vs. RHP Jake Reed (6-3, 2.99 ERA)
Sunday, May 20: TBA vs. RHP Jeff Gold (7-3, 3.45 ERA)
WHAT IS AT STAKE: With seven games remaining on the schedule, a 5-2 record down the stretch will give the Seattle U baseball team its first winning season since 1978 (19-13). The Redhawks have already clinched back-to-back 20-win campaigns for the first time since the team won at least 20 games seven years in a row from 1967 through 1973. The school record for wins in a single season is 29 set in 1954, plus the program has also enjoyed a 27-win season in 1957 and 25-win campaigns in 1963 and 1968. If all seven remaining games are played this season, the 2012 squad will set the school record for most games played in a single season, breaking the current record of 52 games played last year.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Because of rainouts and the addition of games during the season, Seattle U has played eight doubleheaders during the 2012 season. The Redhawks swept twinbills against Nebraska Omaha Feb. 29 and against Nevada May 5, but was swept by BYU April 12 and by Central Michigan May 9. Seattle U is 4-4 in the first game of a doubleheader and 4-4 in the second game of a twinbill.
NEXT SEASON: Seattle University joins the Western Athletic Conference and will compete for a league title against the following teams in 2013: CSU Bakersfield, Dallas Baptist, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State, Sacramento State, San Jose State, Texas-Arlington, Texas-San Antonio, and Texas State. The 2013 WAC Tournament will be held in Grand Prairie, Texas, May 22-26.
SCOUTING OREGON: The Ducks enter the weekend series with a 38-14 overall record after sweeping a three-game series over the USC Trojans last weekend. Oregon has won 11 of its last 12 games and is now ranked #1 nationally by Collegiate Baseball and #6 in the country by Baseball America. As a team, the Ducks have combined for a .266 batting average, a .978 fielding percentage, and a 3.02 earned run average. Brett Thomas leads the team with a .319 batting average, 13 doubles, and four triples, while Kyle Garlick and Aaron Jones are tied for the team lead with six home runs apiece, with Jones earning a team-high 35 RBI. Aaron Payne leads the way with 31 runs scored, 22 walks, 19 times being hit by a pitch, and 15 stolen bases. On the mound, Alex Keudell is 9-3 with a 1.94 ERA, including three complete games. Jimmie Sherfy has made 27 appearances out of the bullpen, posting a 4-2 record with a 2.29 earned run average and 16 saves, striking out 78 batters in 51 innings of work.
SEATTLE U VS. OREGON: Coming into the weekend series, Seattle University and Oregon have met 15 times, with Oregon holding a 13-1-1 series lead. Both schools dropped their baseball programs in the 1980s, only to bring them back recently (Oregon in 2009, Seattle U in 2010). Oregon won the first three games of a four-game series over the Redhawks in 2010 before Seattle U finally broke through with a 6-4 victory March 14, 2010. A two-run home run by Riley Tompkins in the first inning helped set the stage, along with three errors committed by Oregon. On May 10-11, 2011, Oregon visited the Seattle area for two games, first defeating the Redhawks at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, 10-5. In the second game of the midweek series at Bannerwood Park, Oregon scored five runs in the second inning, but Seattle U responded with three runs in the bottom of the second and a two-run double by Cullen Hendrickson in the third inning to tie the game at 5-5. A home run by Paul Eshleman in the fourth inning put the Ducks back ahead, and the visitors added an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning. In the bottom of the ninth, with rain falling, Seattle U scored two runs to pull even, and the game was called due to deteriorating weather conditions.
WEATHER FORECAST: As of Wednesday, May 16, the forecast for the weekend in Eugene, Ore., calls for partly cloudy skies throughout the three-game series. Temperatures are expected to fall into the 40s for Friday night's game, but then it will be warmer for the day games on Saturday and Sunday, with temperatures in the high 60s to low 70s.
QUICK NOTE: Out of the 15 series Oregon has played this year, the Ducks have lost three. Two of those series losses have come against Washington schools, as the UW Huskies won two of three March 16-18 and Washington State won two of three at PK Park April 20-22. The third series loss came against future WAC school Texas State March 27-28.