SEATTLE --- After going 2-2 in California last week, Seattle U returns home to Bannerwood Park as its slated to host a four-game set with Pacific.
FOLLOW ALONG /// All home games at Bannerwood Park and WAC matchups will be seemed for free online on the WAC Digital Network. Be sure to also follow @SeattleUBase on Twitter and Instagram for updates and more.
SERIES HISTORY /// This will be the sixth series with the Tigers of three or more games since 2010. In the time, the Redhawks trail 10-8, but have won five of the last eight meetings, including 3-of-4 in Pacific's visit to Bannerwood in 2018.
ABOUT PACIFIC /// The Tigers come to the Emerald City carrying a 5-3 record, including a 9-3 loss to UC Davis on Tuesday. Pacific's visit kicks off a nine-game road trip which includes stops at Sacramento State, Grand Canyon and Fresno State.
Heading into the weekend, the Tigers lead the WCC in runs (60), double plays (9) and doubles (16), while also listed third in batting averaging (.275) and runs scored per game (7.5). Nationally, Pacific is sixth in double plays and 40th in hits (76). Charles Middleton is third among WAC hitters with 13 hits and tied second with teammate Alex LeForestier in RBI (9). LeForestier is 17th nationally in walks (9), second in the WCC in runs (10) and second among team leaders in hits (11).
Sunday starter Hayden Pearce (1-0) leads the Tiger staff in innings pitched (12.2), strikeouts (13) and WHIP (0.66). Collectively, the staff has 4.86 ERA with 67 strikeouts, 34 walks and 52 runs in 74.0 innings.
ON THE HILL /// Left-handed trio Jarrod Billig, Ethan Christianson and Alex McBee are each slated to start this weekend, while righty Josh Thompson also is factored into the mix. Thompson and McBee each notched victories in last week's trip to California. Christianson continues to hold the staff lead in innings pitched (10.0) and strikeouts (12).
IN THE ZONE /// Junior catcher Justin Mazzone enters the weekend hitting a team-best .417 hitting and tied atop the team leaders in hits (10). The Huntington Beach, Calif., native twice hit 3-for-4 last week in wins at UC Riverside and against Southern Illinois.
OH-BRIEN /// Connor O'Brien opens the weekend hitting .370 and is tied with Mazzone for the team lead in hits (10), while holding sole possession of a team-best in slugging (.630). The junior infielder is coming off a fruitful road trip that saw him go for 8-for-14 (.571) at the plate, scoring four times with three RBI.
MILESTONE WATCH /// Austin Lively is listed third in career runs scored (115), trailing Griffin Andreychuk (2014-17) by 22 runs. Lively is also 30 hits shy of becoming the fifth player to reach the 200-hit plateau.
#PROREDHAWKS /// During the 2019 season, Seattle U had five former Redhawks finish the year on a MLB or MiLB roster. After a great season at Erie (AA), Tarik Skubal will join the Detroit in Spring Training later this month and is beginning the 2020 season as the club's fourth-overall prospect. On Aug. 21, Eric Yardley took the mound for the San Diego, becoming the first Seattle U alum since Johnny O'Brien (July 1959) to appear in the Majors in 60 years. Yardley begins this season as a member of Milwaukee. Following a solid career in Cap Hill, Jake Prizina was selected by Baltimore in the 31st round of 2019 MLB Amateur Draft, making him the 11th Redhawk to be chosen since the program's return. Other alums among the MiLB system last season included pitchers Janson Junk (NYY-A+) and Zack Wolf (MIA-A).