THIS WEEKEND’S PROBABLE MATCHUPS
Friday, February 21:
Seattle U: #5 LHP Connor Moore (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO)
CSU Northridge: #40 LHP Jerry Keel (0-1, 2.57 ERA, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 SO)
Saturday, February 22 (Game One):
Seattle U: #37 LHP Andrew Olson (0-1, 5.06 ERA, 5.1 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 2 SO)
CSU Northridge: #27 RHP Brycen Rutherford (0-0, 1.35 ERA, 6.2 IP, 4 H, 5 BB, 6 SO)
Saturday, February 22 (Game Two):
Seattle U: #22 RHP Austin Hansen (0-0, 5.79 ERA, 4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 SO)
CSU Northridge: #25 LHP John Salas (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 SO)
Sunday, February 23:
Seattle U: #27 LHP Mac Acker (1-0, 7.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 5 SO)
CSU Northridge: #34 RHP Jordan Johnson (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.1 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 5 SO)
GOING BACK TO CALI: Seattle University makes its second trip to California in as many weeks, this time visiting the southern part of the state to take on Cal State Northridge in a four-game series. The Redhawks won three of four games last weekend and look for a similar result against another Big West school.
SCOUTING CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE: The Matadors come into the weekend series with a 2-2 overall record, taking two of three games at Bethune-Cookman last weekend before losing at #12 UCLA Tuesday, 7-1. All three games against Bethune-Cookman were low scoring, as the Matadors lost the opener, 2-1, won the middle game in 11 innings, 2-1, and then took the rubber game of the series, 2-0. As a team, Cal State Northridge has compiled a .144 batting average, a .987 fielding percentage, and a 2.00 earned run average. Daniel Timmerman is batting .300 (3-for-10) with two runs scored to lead the Matador offense. Last season, Cal State Northridge finished with a 31-26 record, including a 15-12 record within the Big West that put the Matadors in a tie for fourth place.
SERIES HISTORY: Seattle U and Cal State Northridge have met eight times previously, with the Matadors winning six of the previous eight contests. Cal State Northridge swept a four-game series from Seattle U March 19-21, 2010, at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue. The next season, the two teams started the year with a four-game series at Matador Field. Cal State Northridge won the opening game, 2-0, but the Redhawks answered back with a 9-0 win in game one of the Saturday doubleheader. After Cal State Northridge took the Saturday nightcap, 10-3, Seattle U split the series with a 4-3 win Sunday, with Michael Tevlin driving in Trent Oleszczuk with the game-winning run in the top of the seventh inning.
WEATHER FORECAST: The weather should not be a factor this weekend. The forecast calls for partly cloudy to sunny skies with temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s.