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PORTLAND PILOTS (13-12, 1-2 WCC)
vs. #24 BYU COUGARS (20-3, 4-2 WCC)
Dates: Thursday-Saturday, Mar. 31-April 2, 2016
Location: Portland, Ore.
Ballpark: Joe Etzel Field (1,300)
Live Video: Game 1  Game 2  Game 3
Live Stats: Game 1  Game 2  Game 3
Series: BYU leads 18-11
Last: BYU 3-2, POR 6-3, BYU 9-3 (April 2-4, 2015 @BYU)
 
PROBABLE STARTERS (W-L, ERA)
Thursday • March 31 • 6 PM
POR: RHP Jordan Wilcox (4-0, 2.15)
BYU: RHP Michael Rucker (5-0, 2.29)
 
Friday • April 1 • 6 PM
POR: RHP Davis Tominaga (2-4, 4.25)
BYU: RHP Maverik Buffo (4-1, 4.02)
 
Saturday • April 2 • 11 AM
POR: LHP Jordan Horak (1-1, 3.70)
BYU: RHP Connor Williams (1-0, 3.68)
 
THIS WEEK IN PILOTS BASEBALL
• The Pilots host the Brigham Young Cougars at Joe Etzel Field for a three-game West Coast Conference series.
• First pitch is set for 6 p.m. on both Thursday and Friday, while Saturday's finale is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
 
LAST WEEK IN PILOTS BASEBALL
• The Pilots ended CSUN's 13-game winning streak last week before splitting the four-game series with the Matadors, who were receiving votes in the national polls.
• During Thursday's opener at Joe Etzel Field, the Pilots scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to claim the comeback win; Michael Forgione won it for the Pilots with a two-out, two-run, walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth.
• The nightcap of Thursday's day-night double header then went 15 innings before CSUN prevailed 2-1; the Pilots held the Matadors to just one hit during the first 12 innings, and both of their runs were unearned.
• Friday night took the two teams to Ron Tonkin Field in Hillsboro where the Matadors escaped with another 2-1 win; the Pilots nearly tied it in the bottom of the ninth when Forgione tried to score from first base on a two-double by Caleb Whalen, but the umpire said the relay throw beat the junior to the plate, ending the game.
• The Pilots then had little trouble with the Matadors on Saturday back at Joe Etzel Field, winning 7-3 to secure the split; Cooper Hummel went 4-for-4 with three RBI's and three runs scored, while matching a program record with three doubles.
• On Tuesday in Bellevue, Seattle rallied from three down to win 4-3 in 10 innings.
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS
• Thursday's game is UP's 600th game ever at Joe Etzel Field, which opened in 1989.
• Cooper Hummel had a day last Saturday when the junior catcher went 4-for-4 with three doubles, three RBI's and three runs scored during a 7-3 win over CSUN at Joe Etzel Field; the three doubles match the program's single-game record, and he becomes the first Pilot since Rocky Gale in 2010 to accomplish the feat.
• Last Tuesday's crowd of 1,092 for Portland's game with No. 3 Oregon State was the largest in Joe Etzel Field history; the attendance surpassed the previous best of 1,002, which was also against Oregon State back in 2007.
• Cooper Hummel has reached base safely during 24 of UP's 25 games.
• Hummel, a career .168 hitter entering the season, got off to a stellar start to his junior campaign, hitting .500 during the month of February; he's currently batting a team-best .394, which is second in the WCC.
• Caleb Whalen currently ranks second in the nation with 13 doubles.
• The senior outfielder is also tied for the most career triples in program history with 14 after claiming a three-bagger at UC Davis on Feb. 20; Whalen is tied with Larry Farrell (1958-61) and needs just one more triple to become the program leader.
• Whalen was named the WCC Position Player of the Week (Mar. 7) after hitting .462 to help lead the Pilots to a series win over UC Riverside; he also had three doubles, a home run, four runs scored and five RBI's.
• Senior closer Billy Sahlinger is 14th in the nation with six saves and Whalen is 16th in sacrifice flies (4).
• As a team, the Pilots are 13th in the country with 48 stolen bases; Portland swiped just 21 bases all of last season.
• The Pilots have already surpassed last year's win total of 12.
• On March 5 the Pilots stole 10 bases against UC Riverside, which is a single-game high in the WCC this season.
• Freshman Cody Hawken joined the list of Portland baseball players to hit two home runs in a game when he left the yard during his first two at-bats at Joe Etzel Field vs. Oakland on Feb. 26; Hawken became the first Pilot to accomplish the feat since Cody Lenahan last May, and no Portland player has ever hit three home runs in a game.
• UP Athletics Hall of Famer Geoff Loomis is in his first season as head coach of the Pilots.
• Loomis spent the past 13 seasons at the helm of the Pacific Lutheran Lutes, where he compiled an impressive 327-197-2 (.624) record; he led the Lutes to 11 winning seasons during his tenure, including NCAA Regional appearances in 2007 and 2015 and Northwest Conference Championships in 2007, 2009 and 2015.
• Loomis (1990-92) still holds the program career record for batting average (.376) and he earned Pacific-10 North Division Player of the Year honors in 1992.
• Lights were installed at Joe Etzel Field during the off-season as the second phase of a planned three-phase project to upgrade Portland's home ballpark.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
• BYU, which is ranked in two of the major polls, leads the country in runs per game (9.5) and is second in runs (219) and batting average (.324).
• Sophomore Colton Shaver leads BYU's potent line-up with a .453 average, six homers and 28 RBI's; the pitching staff boats an ERA of 3.52 and an opponents' batting average of .241.
• Head coach Mike Littlewood is in his fourth year at the helm of the Cougars.