April 30 - May 1 • Bellevue, Wash. • Bannerwood Park
Series: SU leads 62-60 • Live Audio/Stats: GoSeattleU.com
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No. 26 Pilots (27-9) vs BYU (18-20)
May 1 • Bellevue, Wash. • Bannerwood Park
Series: Tied 7-7 • Live Stats: GoSeattleU.com
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Friday, April 30 - 6:00 p.m.
POR - Zach Varce (R, Jr., 5-1, 2.86)*
SU - Arlo Evasick (R, Jr., 1-7, 5.49)
Saturday, May 1 - 11:00 a.m.
POR - Kyle Kraus (R, So., 8-0, 3.93)
BYU - Chris Capper (L, Fr., 2-0, 5.25)
Sunday, May 1 - 2:00 p.m.
POR - Owen Jones (R, So., 3-1, 2.78)
SU - Max Whieldon (R, Jr., 2-6, 3.17)
*(R/L, Yr., W-L, ERA)
This Week in Pilots Baseball...
The No. 26 Portland Pilots (27-9, 11-1 WCC), who have won seven straight games, end finals week with three non-conference games this weekend in Bellevue, Wash. On Friday, the Pilots will face the Seattle Redhawks (5-28) at 6:00 p.m. at Bannerwood Park, SU’s designated home field. Then on Saturday, Portland will first play the Brigham Young Cougars (18-20) at 11:00 a.m. before squaring off with the Redhawks once again at 2:00 p.m. that afternoon.
A Brief Look Back
The Pilots went 4-0 last week by ending an eight-game losing streak to Washington and picking up a three-game WCC series sweep against Pepperdine in Malibu, Calif., where Portland was previously 1-31. During Friday’s series opener against the Waves, the Pilots scored two in the eighth and two more in the ninth for an 8-6 comeback win. Sophomore C/DH Beau Fraser had a homer and four RBI’s during the victory. On Saturday, sophomore starter Kyle Kraus picked up his eighth straight win by leading the Pilots to an 8-4 victory. Senior 1B C.J. Cullen registered his third four-hit game of the season, while also knocking in two runs and scoring once. Sunday belonged to sophomore starter Owen Jones, who struck out a career-high nine in 6.0 innings as UP finished off the sweep with a 5-2 win. Sophomore SS Kris Kauppila had three hits.
The Pilots began the week with a 3-2 win at Washington on Tuesday night. Freshman starter Chris Johnson tossed a solid 6.0 innings and Cullen had three hits and a solo home run.
Co-Pilots
Junior reliever Chris Dennis saved all four of Portland’s wins last week, earning himself conference and regional pitcher of the week honors, as named by College Baseball Insider. Dennis, who is now the all-time saves leader at Portland with 12, allowed just one earned run in 4.1 innings. He struck out five and surrendered four hits, while posting a 2.08 earned run average.
C.J. Cullen was named the WCC’s Player of the Week after going 10-for-16 (.625) at the plate with a home run, a triple, six RBI’s and four runs scored on the week. During the 3-2 win at Washington, the native of Seattle went 3-for-4 and fell a double shy of hitting for the cycle. On Saturday, he went 4-for-4 for his third four-hit game of the season.
A Look Ahead
The Pilots have a big week ahead as games against No. 17 Oregon and first-place and No. 24 San Diego loom. On Tuesday, May 4, Portland will battle the Ducks for the first time this season with a 7:00 p.m. game at PK Park in Eugene. The game is scheduled to be broadcast live on ComcastSportsNet (Channel 37).
UP then welcomes the Toreros to Joe Etzel Field for a three-game WCC series that could go a long way in determining the league champion, who receives the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Postseason. USD is currently 9-0 in the WCC and sits on top of the league standings. The Pilots and Toreros are set to play Friday, May 7 at 3:00 p.m. and at 1:00 p.m. on both Saturday (May 8) and Sunday (May 9).
Making History
Portland is enjoying one of its finest seasons in program history. At 27-9, the Pilots have won the most games since Portland won 31 during the 1991 season. Portland is also an unprecedented 11-1 in the WCC. The 11 league wins are the most WCC wins since tallying 16 in 2002, when the Pilots played a 30-game league schedule.
Portland’s 10-2 start to the season matched the best recorded start to a season in program history. The 1958 Pilots also went 10-2 en route to an impressive 16-2 beginning to the season.
Portland’s three-game sweep at Santa Clara (April 1-3) was the first WCC road sweep ever recorded by the Pilots and it was the first sweep of a conference foe since taking three from Pepperdine at home in 2002. The Pilots are also fresh off a three-game sweep over Pepperdine in Malibu, Calif., where UP was previously 1-31.
Portland’s eight-game winning streak earlier this season was the longest for a UP squad since the Pilots also reeled off eight in a row in 1991. The Pilots are currently riding a seven-game winning streak.
Taking Notice
Portland jumped into the rankings this week for what’s believed to be the first time since 1980. The Pilots checked in at No. 26 in the Collegiate Baseball Poll, while receiving votes in both the USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ and the NCBWA Polls. UP was last in the rankings when it was No. 30 in Collegiate Baseball’s last poll of the 1980 season.
Dennis the Menace
Junior transfer Chris Dennis, a right-handed reliever, is proving to be quite menacing for opposing hitters during his first season as a Pilot. Dennis, a native of Bothell, Wash., who transferred to UP from Edmonds CC last summer, has stepped into the closer role for the Pilots and has already registered a league-best and now program-best 12 saves, which rank second in the nation. He’s also 4-0, has miniscule ERA of 1.12 and is holding opposing hitters to a .202 batting average. He has registered a decision, all positive, during 16 of his 20 appearances, including four straight games with a save. He also has 41 K’s in 28.2 innings, for an average of 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings.
With a save against Pepperdine last Sunday, Dennis topped John Nichols’ previous program record of 11 career saves. The 12 saves are also a new single-season record at UP.
Leaving on a High Note
Portland senior C.J. Cullen is making the most of his final season on The Bluff, hitting a robust .395 at the plate, which leads the team and ranks second in the WCC. Cullen, who began his career as a shortstop and mostly saw action as a pinch runner during his junior campaign, became Portland’s starting first baseman this year and he’s taken his game to a new level. A career .195 hitter entering the season, Cullen has exploded at the plate with 28 RBI’s, 27 runs, five doubles, a triple and two home runs, one of which was a walk-off, three-run blast to give UP a 7-5 win over Seattle on Feb. 28. He’s also been clutch as 16 of his RBI’s have come with two outs.
Cullen, who has three four-hit games this spring, is the reigning WCC Player of the Week after going 10-for-16 (.625) at the plate with a home run, a triple, six RBI’s and four runs scored last week.
The Catcher Can Hit Too
Portland sophomore C/DH Beau Fraser, who had a string of eight consecutive at-bats with a hit earlier this season, has been the team’s most consistent hitter this season and he currently leads the Pilots in a plethora of categories. Fraser, who was named the WCC’s Player of the Week (April 19) a week ago, is fifth in the league with a .376 batting average and he leads the team with 12 multi-RBI games, six home runs, 39 RBI’s, a .580 slugging percentage and a .434 on-base percentage.
The native of Aptos, Calif., has also thrown out three would-be base stealers, while allowing just two stolen bases.
The Catcher Can Hit Too, Take Two
Senior C Rocky Gale, most known for his work behind the plate, has been on an absolute tear at the plate lately and has raised his season average to .322. Gale, who was a career .239 hitter entering the season and batted just .194 last year, went 8-for-10 with three RBI’s and five runs scored during the three-game sweep of LMU (April 16-18). Against the Lions on Sunday, April 18, he had his first career five-game hit, which included three doubles. Gale is batting .469 during WCC games.
Meanwhile it’s been business as usual behind the plate for Gale, who has thrown out 10 of 13 attempted base stealers this season, for a ridiculous percentage of .769. The native of Keizer, Ore., has led the WCC all three of his seasons on The Bluff in throwing out would-be base stealers.
K Kraus
During a win at home against Southern Utah on March 26, sophomore right-hander Kyle Kraus became the second UP pitcher this season to record 14 strikeouts during a game. The 14 strikeouts are tied for the second most by a single pitcher during a game in program history. Two pitchers have previously registered 16 K’s, most recently in 1970.
It was also the second straight complete-game win for Kraus, who is a league-best 8-0 on the season. His eight wins are tied for the second most in the nation and are tied for third most in a single season by a Portland pitcher. The all-time high is 10 victories, set by Ted Devore in 1989.
Kraus, a native of West Linn, Ore., has walked only 12 in 71.0 innings and he’s lowered his ERA to 3.93, which ranks ninth in the WCC.
K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K
Portland junior pitchers Zach Varce and Chris Dennis recently combined in what will go down as one of the best pitching performances in program history. During a 2-1, 10-inning win over Seattle at Joe Etzel Field on Feb. 27, the starter and the reliever combined to strikeout a program record of 19 Redhawks.
Varce, who was named the WCC’s Co-Pitcher of the Week following the performance, struck out 14 during 8.0 innings of work. The 14 strikeouts are tied for the third most in a single game in UP program history. The right-handed Varce, who didn’t factor into the decision, retired the final 18 hitters he faced in order, including striking out the final six. Dennis, also a righty, spelled Varce to begin the ninth inning and promptly struck out five of the seven hitters he faced.
The previous program record of 16 K’s had been accomplished three times, most recently in 1990.
Zac-K Varce
Varce hasn’t slowed down since that 14-strikeout performance as he is currently second in the WCC and 17th in the nation in strikeouts with 79. He’s averaging 10.3 K’s per game, while also posting a 5-1 record and a 2.86 ERA, good for third in the conference. The junior is tied for fifth in the league in wins.
Kings of the Hill
Portland is once again getting solid production from its pitching staff as the Pilots currently rank first in the WCC and sixth in the country with a staff ERA of 3.29, while also leading the league in opponents batting average (.256). Sophomore Kyle Kraus leads the conference with a 8-0 record, junior Chris Dennis easily leads the league and ranks second nationally with 12 saves and junior Zach Varce is second in the WCC with 79 strikeouts and is third in ERA (2.86). Dennis has been nearly unhittable and would league the lead in both ERA (1.12) and opponents batting average (.202) if he had enough innings to qualify. The transfer from Edmonds CC is also 4-0 this spring. New to the party is sophomore Owen Jones, who has slid into the Sunday starter’s spot. Jones, who missed last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, is 3-1 this year with a sparkling ERA of 2.78.
Kraus, who has tossed two complete-game wins, notched 14 strikeouts against Southern Utah on March 28. Varce did the same against Seattle on Feb. 28, while combining with Dennis to fan a program-high 19 Redhawks total.
Three Baggers and then Some
Portland junior 2B Riley Henricks, who has bumped his batting average up to .310, has been a steady presence in the line-up during his three seasons on The Bluff and this year is no different as he closes in on a program record for triples. Already with six three-baggers in 2010, Henricks now has 12 during his career, and is just three shy of setting a new program career mark, which has stood since 1961 (Larry Farrell).
His six triples this season lead the league, are the eighth most in the country and are the second most in a single season in program history.
As a team, the Pilots lead the league and are tied for 29th nationally with 16 triples.
Pilots Own the Base Paths
Portland’s opponents this season have attempted to steal a base just 21 times and UP’s starter behind the plate is a major reason why. Senior catcher Rocky Gale has led the WCC all three of his seasons on The Bluff in throwing out would-be base stealers. As a junior last year, Gale gunned down 25 would-be base stealers and he threw out a staggering 41% of attempted base stealers overall. This season, Gale has thrown out 10 of 13 attempted base stealers.
Meanwhile, the Pilots have stolen 28 bases, while allowing just eight. Junior OF Craig Smith leads the team and is third in the WCC with 10 steals.
Flashing the Leather
Junior OF Craig Smith and sophomore C/DH Beau Fraser are proving to be two of the best defensive players in program history. Both have yet to commit an error as a Pilot for a perfect fielding percentage of 1.000, which is tops all-time at UP. Smith has had 187 career chances, while Fraser has had 184.
