SEATTLE --- After splitting its series at home with Pacific last weekend, Seattle U baseball heads to the Gem State, where it is set to face Boise State in a four-game set.
SCHEDULE ///
Friday, Mar. 6 | 5:35 pm PT | Stats / Video
Friday, Mar. 7 (DH) | 1:05 pm PT | Game 1 Stats / Game 2 Stats / Video
Friday, Mar. 8 | 12:05 pm PT | Stats / Video
PITCHING MATCHUP ///
Friday: Jarrod Billig (LHP) vs Travis Weston (LHP)
Saturday (G1): Ethan Christianson (LHP) vs Mitch Lines (RHP)
Saturday (G2): Alex Jemal (RHP) vs TBA
Sunday: Alex McBee (LHP) vs Dawson Day (LHP)
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 is first series of record between Seattle U and Boise State, since the rebirth of both programs ... per the Broncos' records, the last time the clubs met during the 1980 season in Boise.
ABOUT BOISE STATE /// After being gone for nearly 40 seasons, baseball returned to Boise State in 2020. The Broncos entered the week at 4-3, taking four games from Northern Colorado, as they began an 11-game home stand ... Michael Hicks and Geon Hyoung Kim lead the team with seven hits apiece. Hicks is also batting .250 in 28 at-bats with three doubles, while Kim is tied or sole possession of the team lead in home runs (2)and RBI (5) with a .226 average ... On the hill, the Broncos pitching staff enters the series with a combined ERA of 4.19, while totaling 76 strikeouts and 35 walks in 62.1 innings. Travis Weston is the team leader in strikeouts (16) and innings pitched (11.0) while holding a 2.45 ERA and 1-1 record.
BY THE NUMBERS /// 4th: The Redhawks enter the series listed fourth on the WAC charts in batting average (.246) and doubles (20) ... .316: juniors Justin Mazzone and Julian Kodama share the team in batting average as both are hitting .316 ... 10: Kodama is riding a team-best 10-game hit streak, while senior Chase Wells has reached base in 10-straight games.
BOISE BOYS /// Pitcher Ethan Christianson and outfielder Nolan Jekich both hail from Idaho's capital city.
#BILLYGOAT /// Junior Jarrod Billig is the reigning WAC Pitcher of the Week, after working six-hitless innings with six strikeouts against in last Friday's outing against Pacific ... the lefty has a 6.28 ERA this season in 14.1 innings with 13 strikeouts ... opponents are hitting .196 entering this weekend.
SATURDAY STARTERS /// Sophomore Ethan Christianson is set for game two of series with the Broncos ... the lefty is 1-2 on the year with a 4.30 ERA and leads the team in strikeouts (18) and innings pitched (14.2), while ranking fourth in strikeouts and fifth among WAC leaders in strikeouts per nine (11.05) ... sophomore Alex Jemal makes his first start since March 8 of last season ... the right-hander has made six relief appearances in 2020, posting a 1.86 ERA in 9.2 innings with 10 strikeouts.
FEEL THE STING /// Junior Alex McBee is scheduled to close the series on Sunday ... the left-hander has made two starts this season and is 1-0 on the year with five strikeouts and has a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings ... McBee transfered from Tacoma CC where he spent the last two seasons, making seven starts in 13 appearances in 2019 with a 4-1 record and a 2.61 ERA in 41.1 innings with 33 strikeouts.
JUST IN THE ZONE /// Entering the weekend, junior catcher Justin Mazzone has started nine of 11 games behind the plate for Redhawks, two at designated hitter ... tallied a season-high three hits at UC Riverside (2/19) and versus Southern Illinois (2/23) ... tied for team lead in batting average (.316).
#CB12 /// Junior Connor O'Brien opens the weekend hitting .256 and tied for second-most hits on the team (10) ... O'Brien has started all nine games he's appeared in this season ... notched a career-best four hits at UC Riverside (2/19).
WELCOME BACK LIVES /// After missing the first seven games of the season, senior Austin Lively returned to the lineup last weekend against Pacific ... the infielder hit .375 (3-8) with two runs and an RBI ... Lively is among the 2020 Bragan Slugger Watch List ... finished last season hitting .298.
MILESTONE WATCH /// Austin Lively began the year listed third in career runs scored (115), trailing Griffin Andreychuk (2014-17) by 22 runs ... Lively is also 27 hits shy of becoming the fifth player to reach the 200-hit plateau ... Justin Mazzone is one home run shy of 10 for his career and enters the weekend sitting on 95 career hits ... Connor O'Brien needs 11 more RBI to reach 50 for his career.
#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).