Zags open WCC at Avista Friday
The Gonzaga University Bulldogs will begin West Coast Conference baseball play Friday when they play host to Saint Mary’s at Avista Stadium.
The 2 p.m. game will kick off a three-game, conference-opening series with the Gaels, who are 5-11 going into today’s game with Sacramento State.
The Bulldogs will enter conference play on something of a roll, having finished third last week at the six-game Pepsi/Johnny Quick Classic in Fresno.
Bulldogs coach Mark Machtolf entered the Zags’ in the spring-break tournament hoping to develop pitching depth, and junior college transfer Josh Bryant stepped forward. The right-hander from Eastmont High via Big Bend Community College won two games, defeating Penn State twice, and lowered his earned run average to 2.12. Staff mainstay Josh Monroe also picked up a win and in the process lowered his ERA to 2.40 while Gonzaga’s team ERA dropped to 3.63.
The 4-2 week in California raised GU’s record to 12-7. Senior outfielder Jeff Culpepper is pacing the Zags with a .386 average, one of six hitting better than .300. Junior first baseman Bobby Carlson isn’t one of those, but he does lead the team with four home runs and 26 runs batted in.
Saint Mary’s had struggled until taking two of three from the University of Nevada in Reno last weekend, paced by the pitching of senior Jordan Simo and Kevin Trochez, who threw 7 1/3 innings of two-run ball Friday.
Around the area
Washington State outfielder Kaeo Rubin got off to a slow start this season, hitting less than .300 going into last week. But the senior was 6 for 6 in Friday’s game, tying a school record set 98 years ago. He recorded hits in a school-record nine consecutive trips to the plate, had hits in 10 consecutive at-bats and raised his average to a team-leading .349. The Cougs raised their record to 12-9 by winning two of three from Northern Colorado. WSU will host Utah Valley State in a four-game series starting Friday. … Things don’t get any easier for Whitworth this weekend. The Pirates will host Northwest Conference preseason favorite Linfield in a doubleheader Saturday and a single game Sunday. The Wildcats are 11-4 overall after winning a tournament in California last weekend. They are also 2-1 in NWC play, with all the games against George Fox. The Bruins swept Whitworth (4-6 overall, 2-4 in the NWC) last weekend in Newberg, Ore., yielding just five runs to the Pirates in three games. Whitworth’s Dan Lundeberg posted the Pirates’ best pitching effort of the weekend in Friday’s opener, shutting out the Bruins for six innings before losing 4-1. … Spokane Falls Community College swept the Prairie Baseball Academy of Alberta on Sunday to raise its record to 4-1. Sasquatch pitchers Cody Harmon and Jordan Moore picked up the wins. Spokane’s record is the second-best non-conference mark in the NWAACC East Division behind Walla Walla’s 7-1. Spokane will host Centralia (1-6) for doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday.