DO YOU KNOW THE WAY ... : After a victory over Washington, a series win over UT Arlington, and a near-victory against nationally-ranked Oregon State, Seattle University hits the road for a three-game series at San Jose State this weekend. With 12 conference games remaining, the Redhawks need victories in order to move up in the standings and qualify for the Western Athletic Conference Tournament in May.
LAST WEEK: Seattle University posted a 3-2 record over the previous week, starting with a 10-4 victory at Washington last Tuesday, April 16. Landon Cray went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and five runs batted in, starting with a three-run home run in the second inning. He would score in the fourth inning to extend the Redhawks’ lead before Washington scored twice in the bottom of the fifth. With Seattle U ahead 6-4 in the ninth, he hit a two-run single to break the game open. UT Arlington arrived into town for a three-game series, but the first game was postponed due to rain Friday. A Saturday doubleheader began with a Seattle U 10-3 victory. Nate Roberts went 2-for-4 with three RBI, the first two on a single in the third and the other one coming on a solo home run in the fifth. UTA scored three runs in the sixth to close the gap, but a six-run seventh inning, punctuated by a three-run home run from Nick Latta, allowed the Redhawks to cruise to the victory. UT Arlington won the nightcap Saturday, 3-1, before Andrew Olson pitched a four-hit shutout Sunday to give the Redhawks the series win with a 5-0 victory. Monday, Seattle U battled Oregon State for 14 innings before the Beavers pulled out a 4-3 victory at Bannerwood Park.
SCOUTING SAN JOSE STATE: The Spartans enter the weekend with a 13-27 overall record after a 17-2 loss at Stanford Tuesday night. San Jose State took two of three games over Texas State last weekend to move into seventh place in the WAC standings with a 7-8 league record. As a team, the Spartans have combined for a .289 batting average, a .977 fielding percentage, and a 6.27 earned run average. The Spartans are fifth in the WAC in hitting and second in fielding, but last in pitching. Tim Quiery leads the Spartans with a .341 batting average, while Matt Carroll is hitting .326 with 46 hits, including 12 doubles and two home runs, along with 21 runs scored and 30 RBI. On the mound, Kyle Hassna has been the go-to man out of the bullpen, making 17 appearances and posting a 2-4 record with a 1.99 ERA and two saves, striking out 34 batters in 40 2/3 innings.
SERIES HISTORY: This is the third straight year in which Seattle U and San Jose State have faced each other in a weekend series. The two teams started their first game against each other March 18, 2011, at Bannerwood Park, but the game was suspended due to rain. It did not resume until Sunday, March 20, at Bellevue College, with San Jose State scoring in the top of the ninth for a 6-5 victory. The Spartans also won the first regularly scheduled game that day, 9-5, before the Redhawks salvaged the final game of the weekend, 6-2. Last season, Seattle U made the trip to San Jose for a scheduled four-game series, starting with a doubleheader Friday, March 23. The Redhawks won the first game, 9-4, but the Spartans took the nightcap, 2-1. On Saturday, March 24, a two-run double by Grant Newton in the top of the eighth and a two-inning save from Garrett Anderson gave the Redhawks a 6-4 win. The Sunday finale was cancelled due to rain, giving Seattle U its first road series win since the baseball program came back in 2010.
WEATHER FORECAST: Perfect baseball weather is forecast for the weekend. Temperatures in the 70s and 80s during the day games, dropping into the 50s at night. Winds will come out of the west at 10-15 mph.
PITCHING HISTORY: Andrew Olson made Seattle U history Sunday, April 21, with his complete game shutout of the UT Arlington Mavericks. He became the first Redhawk pitcher to throw a complete game shutout since the program was reinstated in time for the 2010 season. Thanks to that performance as well as his two-inning effort at Washington April 16, he was named WAC Pitcher of the Week by the conference office and WAC Player of the Week by College Sports Madness.
EVERYONE DIGS THE LONG BALL: It looks like Seattle University hitters have adapted to the new composite bats, as the Redhawks are hitting the ball further this season. After collecting only 11 home runs as a team during the entire 2012 season, with no player hitting more than three long balls, Seattle U has already combined for 25 home runs in 2013. That equals the home run total of the 2010 squad and is currently 37th in the country in that category. The 2011 team holds the modern record with 36 home runs, but there are still at least 15 games remaining in the 2013 season. Nate Roberts, Sean Narby, and Nick Latta are tied for the team lead with four home runs apiece, followed by Grant Newton and Landon Cray with three home runs each.