Freshmen stand out for Gonzaga, Washington State | College baseball roundup
Gonzaga’s fast-rising true freshman pitcher shined again. Three true freshmen showed promise for Washington State. Whitworth’s lineup continued to produce at a high level.
But overall, it was a tough weekend for the area’s college baseball teams. Each of them came away with one win.
Gonzaga
The Zags went 1-2 against Creighton, dropping the series finale 7-6 on Sunday at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.
Gonzaga (4-9) trailed 5-1 after two innings, but tied it at 6-6 with a five-run fifth, highlighted by catcher Luca DiPaolo’s three-run homer. The Bluejays (5-7) pulled ahead with a two-out RBI single in the fifth, then held the Bulldogs to three hits the rest of the way.
GU starter Karsten Sweum (1-1, 5.89 ERA), the reigning WCC Pitcher of the Week, took a step back, giving up five runs on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 2⅔ innings. The Zags got a solid effort out of the bullpen from senior Garrett Gores, a Gonzaga Prep grad, who allowed one run on three hits over 3⅓ innings.
The Zags made a surprise move this weekend and elected to not give All-WCC first-teamer Finbar O’Brien (0-1, 7.20 ERA) a start after a couple of tough outings. Instead, the junior closed Sunday’s game, surrendering one hit and walking two while striking out three in two scoreless innings.
GU’s top performer this weekend, freshman pitcher Landon Hood (2-0), has enjoyed a brilliant start to his collegiate career. The right-hander from Arizona worked five scoreless innings in relief during the Bulldogs’ 5-4 win Saturday, yielding two hits, walking three and fanning eight. Hood, already a two-time WCC Freshman of the Week, has yet to allow a run in 16⅓ innings this season. He boasts a sparkling WHIP of 0.61, and has struck out 25 against just five hits and five walks.
Junior Erik Hoffberg (1-2, 6.27 ERA), the Zags’ other All-WCC first-team pitcher, had his second straight underwhelming outing as GU continues to search for consistency on the mound. He surrendered three runs on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 2⅔ innings during Saturday’s win.
But Hood kept GU in front and reliever Joe Thornton escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the bottom of the ninth, allowing one run before closing the door with a strikeout and a double play.
The Zags squandered Zach Bowman’s complete game in Saturday’s opener, a 2-1 loss. Bowman (0-3, 3.45 ERA), a junior from Chewelah, held the Bluejays to four hits with no walks, striking out six. The Bulldogs outhit Creighton but failed to capitalize on their chances, stranding seven baserunners.
Hood, Bowman and Sweum have unexpectedly been GU’s top arms so far as Hoffberg and O’Brien settle in. The team has an ERA of 4.99, with 95 hits and 61 walks against 123 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .238 against the Zags.
GU’s lineup also has work to do. Its top batter, senior outfielder Noah Meffert, is hitting .281. Reigning WCC Player of the Year Mikey Bell has a .280 average after a 2-for-12 weekend. Second baseman Hudson Shupe, an All-WCC pick who hit .299 last year, is batting .133.
Veteran first baseman Tommy Eisenstat had a bit of a breakout weekend, going 5-for-12. Meffert went 4-for-12 and outfielder Ryder Young was 4-for-11 with three RBIs and a solo homer in Game 1. Grad transfer shortstop Ricky Sanchez went 2-for-4 in each of the last two games.
The Zags next visit Minnesota for a two-game set, starting Tuesday at 4:05 p.m. They’ll play three games at Indiana State this weekend.
Washington State
The Cougars wrapped up their weekend in San Marcos, Texas, with one win in four tries, falling 4-3 to Texas State in Sunday’s series finale at Bobcat Ballpark.
Pitching was WSU’s problem in Game 1, a 13-11 loss Thursday. The Cougars slugged past TSU 9-7 in the opener of Friday’s doubleheader, then WSU’s staff got knocked around a bit in a 10-4 loss.
Saturday’s finale was delayed to Sunday morning due to weather, and the Cougs (6-9) and Bobcats (12-3) closed the series with a well-matched game. Both teams recorded eight hits, struck out 10 times and stranded nine baserunners. The difference was a second-inning homer from TSU’s Dawson Park.
The relief staff was the bright spot for WSU in the finale. Sophomore lefty Gavin Derr gave the Cougs a respectable spot start – three innings, two runs, three hits, three walks and two strikeouts – and four regulars out of the WSU bullpen pitched well, combining to allow two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts.
Pitching was an adventure in the other three games. Game 1 starter Luke Meyers (1-2, 6.23 ERA), a senior righty, allowed five runs on four hits in two innings. The Cougs used seven pitchers. The Bobcats totaled 13 hits and 10 walks, overcoming a valiant comeback effort from WSU’s batters.
Game 2 starter Nick Lewis (0-1, 5.95 ERA) wasn’t perfect, but still worked five innings, giving up six runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts. Three relievers surrendered four hits and one run with six strikeouts. The Cougars plated four runs in the fourth inning and three in the seventh to rally from an early 5-1 deficit.
Senior righty Griffin Smith (1-2, 6.00 ERA) conceded five runs on six hits with five strikeouts in six innings in the nightcap Friday. Reliever Austin Sheldon allowed five runs in the seventh inning. He came into the game with just 1⅓ innings under his belt this season, but finished it out.
It’s been an inconsistent start on the mound for the Cougars, whose team ERA is over 6.00 for the season. The WSU staff has allowed 139 hits and 81 walks against 101 strikeouts.
At the plate, WSU’s average of .243 could be better, but the Cougs have shown some power with 10 homers and 27 doubles. They’re averaging about eight hits and just over five runs per game.
Three true freshmen – outfielder Trevor Smith, catcher Alexandre Giguere and second baseman Dane Chavez – had standout weekends for WSU.
Smith, from the San Diego area, continued his steady start, going 6-for-15 with four RBIs, a homer, a triple and a double. He’s hitting .328, second on the team.
Giguere, out of the Canadian Baseball Academy, introduced himself as a potential name to watch in the Cougs’ lineup. He went 4-for-11 with three homers, five RBIs and five runs, powering WSU to its win Friday with two deep shots. He came into the series with one hit in three games this season.
Chavez, out of Kennewick High, went 5-for-14 with two doubles, scoring in every game and driving in three.
Senior shortstop Gavin Roy is hitting a team-best .346 on the year after a 7-for-13 weekend. JUCO transfer catcher Cam Macleod had two homers in Friday’s loss.
Senior outfielder Max Hartman (.291), arguably the top returner in WSU’s lineup, had a home run and two doubles in the first two games against Texas State, but finished the series 3-for-18. Senior infielder Ryan Skjonsby started the series 3-for-6 with a homer and a double, but had one hit in the last two games.
WSU opens Mountain West Conference play next weekend with a three-game series at San Diego State, beginning Friday at 6 p.m.
Whitworth
The Pirates’ offense continues to show its productive potential. But Whitworth’s pitching staff couldn’t hold down Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, which won three of four in a nonleague series in Azusa, California.
Whitworth took the finale Sunday 19-6 by mercy rule. The Pirates (7-11) tallied 12 hits and eight walks, and got two home runs and eight RBIs from outfielder Emerson Fleck, a Mead High grad and WSU transfer.
The Pirates tried out freshman Luke Nikunen as a spot starter, but he allowed three runs in the first inning. Freshman Owen Schneider settled things down, pitching 2⅔ scoreless innings.
Whitworth’s staff ran into trouble in the first two games – 15-10 and 12-9 losses. The Stags (9-4) plated 10 runs in the first two innings of the opener, finishing the game with 23 total baserunners. Whitworth starter Dillon Hartman (1-1, 6.59 ERA), a GU transfer, looked sharp last week, but lasted just one inning Friday.
In Game 2, CMS struck for eight runs in the first four innings and outpaced Whitworth’s explosive offense, recording eight runs (five earned) on six hits against Pirates starter Nathaniel Kurano (2-2, 6.86 ERA).
Junior righty Dylan Huntsman (1-1, 4.70 ERA), who appears to be trending toward ace status for Whitworth, kept the Stags in check in Game 3, allowing three runs on five hits with three strikeouts over five innings. The Pirates took a lead in the 10th inning, but Luke Stutesman couldn’t seal the win, giving up three runs as CMS rallied for a 6-5 walk-off victory.
Whitworth’s lineup has mostly done its part this season, averaging over seven runs and nearly 10 hits per game. But the staff is a work in progress. The Pirates have a team ERA of 7.17 and give up about 10 hits per game.
Infielder Kyle Memarian, the reigning Northwest Conference Player of the Year, extended his hitting streak to 12 games, going 7-for-17 with six runs, six RBIs and two homers this weekend. He’s hitting .344 on the year.
Outfielder Nate Gray Jr. (.367) is on a nine-game hitting streak after his seven-hit, six-run weekend. Utility man Caleb Gray (.328), a senior from West Valley High, also tallied seven hits against CMSwith five runs and two doubles. First baseman Carson Coffield, a senior out of Mt. Spokane High, went 7-for-16 with five RBIs and five runs. He has a hit in every game except one this season, and leads the team with a .400 batting average.
The Pirates will open their home schedule next weekend with a three-game NWC series against Lewis & Clark. The teams play a doubleheader Saturday at Paul Merkel Field, starting at 11 a.m.