March 26, 2009
Weekly Release in PDF Format 
Games 22-24
Gonzaga (15-6)
vs.
San Francisco (10-14)
San Francisco, Calif
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Gametracker Available
Probable Bulldog Lineup
Position Player (Yr., B/T) 2009 Stats
Catcher Tyson Van Winkle (Jr., R/R) .348, 31 H, 17 R, 12 2B, 2 HR, 23 RBI
First Base Ryan Wiegand (Sr., L/R) .253, 16 R, 7 2B, 19 RBI
Second Base Evan Wells (Sr., L/R) .364, 29 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 9 RBI, 7 SB
Shortstop Ernesto Ortiz (Fr., L/R) .297, 16 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 9 RBI
Third Base Jason Chatwood (Sr., R/R) .231, 18 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 2 SB
Left Field Mark Castellitto (Jr., R/R) .303, 3 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 2 SB
Centerfield Drew Heid (Jr., L/R) .341, 3 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 19 RBI, 4 SB
Right Field Chris Sturdivant (RS-Fr., R/R) .291, 9-for-23, 5 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 1 SB
Designated Hitter Anthony Synegal (Sr., R/R) .333, 25 H, 3 2B, 1 3B, 19 RBI, 3 SB
THIS WEEKEND: Gonzaga University opens West Coast Conference play with a three-game series at the University of San Francisco this weekend. The Bulldogs will match up with the Dons 3 p.m. Friday and at 1p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS LIVE: All Gonzaga University home games and selected away games will be video streamed and available via Gametracker on the internet at http://www.gozags.com. Check the Gonzaga web site to sign up for live video streaming and view other Gametracker links.
EARLIER THIS WEEK: Gonzaga University wrapped up its nine-game homestand with the University of Utah this week, dropping a 16-9 decision to the Utes Tuesday night before bouncing back with a 3-2 win on Wednesday. The Zags went 8-1 on the homestand, sweeping a four-game series against Utah Valley University and a three-game set with the University of the Pacific before splitting the two games with Utah.
LAST WEEKEND: Gonzaga University swept its second consecutive series, taking all three games from the University of the Pacific in Spokane last weekend. Junior left fielder Mark Castellitto led the Zags offensively driving in two runs in each game and senior reliever A.J. Proszek picked up saves on Friday and Sunday. Saturday's game saw the Bulldogs rally from an 8-3 deficit in the final two innings to pick up the victory. Castellitto's walk-off base-hit scored senior pinch-runner Grant Kveder to cap a five-run ninth inning comeback.
ON DECK: Following its West Coast Conference opening series at the University of San Francisco this weekend, Gonzaga University will travel to Seattle for a two-game midweek series with the University of Washington next Tuesday and Wednesday. Next weekend the Bulldogs continue on the road with a series at WCC foe Pepperdine University.
ABOUT THE SAN FRANCISCO DONS: The University of San Francisco enters the weekend series with Gonzaga University with a 10-14 overall record. USF leads the all-time series 30-27 but the Bulldogs won a non-conference meeting with the Dons earlier this season 10-7 at the Palm Springs Classic Mar. 8. Outfielder Kim Zach paces the USF offensive attack with a .382 batting average, nine doubles and 14 stolen bases. Nino Giarratano is in this 11th year as head coach for the Dons and owns a 290-303 overall record at the school.
CASTELLITTO'S BIG WEEKEND EARNS WCC ACCOLADE: Gonzaga University junior left fielder Mark Castellitto has been named the West Coast Conference Co-Player of the Week announced by the conference Monday. Castellitto earns his first career WCC weekly accolade after finishing this past weekend with a .538 (7-for-13) batting average, one double, six RBI, two runs scored, a .615 slugging percentage and .571 on-base percentage. GU swept its three-game series with Big West Conference member University of the Pacific as Castellitto finished with at least two hits and drove in two runs each game of the series. On Saturday, his one-out line drive single to left center scored the game-winning run to cap off the Zags five-run ninth-inning comeback win.
VAN WINKLE CONTINUING TO LEAD TO THE WAY: Gonzaga University junior catcher Tyson Van Winkle has continued to swing a hot bat through the first month of the season. The Vancouver, Wash. native comes into the series against the University of San Francisco leading the Bulldogs in a number of categories. Van Winkle leads the team in hits (31), doubles (12), RBI (23), slugging (.551), two-out RBI (15) and is second with a .348 batting average.
FRIDAY NIGHT FIELDS: Senior right-handed starting pitcher Matt Fields has won his last two starts to own a 2-1 record heading into this weekend's series at the University of San Francisco. He recorded a season-high eight strikeouts against the University of Nevada Feb. 20 and pitched a season-high 7.1 innings against Utah Valley Mar. 13. Fields has pitched in every Friday game so far this season and enters the week tied for the team-lead in innings pitched (31.0), second on the team in strikeouts (29) and third in ERA (2.90). The 2008 All-West Coast Conference honorable mention selection posted a team-best eight wins and finished with 3-1 record as the Friday starter last season.
SHUTTING THE DOOR: Gonzaga University senior relief pitcher A.J. Proszek recorded the first two saves of his career last weekend against the University of Pacific. Proszek fired 3.2 innings of one-hit relief to preserve the win for the Zags last Friday then he came back on Sunday to record the final four outs and give Gonzaga the three-game sweep of the Tigers. Proszek has not allowed a run in his 12.0 innings this season and is holding opposing hitters to a .167 average.
DOING WHAT HE'S SUPPOSED TO DO: Senior second baseman and lead-off hitter Evan Wells has continued to be that spark atop the Gonzaga University lineup. Wells has scored multiple runs in a game nine times this season including tying his career-high with four runs scored in Tuesday's loss to the University of Utah. He enters the weekend second in the West Coast Conference in walks (19) and fifth in on-base percentage (.519) and runs (29). The 2008 All-WCC Honorable Mention selection also leads the Zags in hitting (.364) and in stolen bases (7).
ANNOUNCING THEIR PRESENCE WITH AUTHORITY: Gonzaga University freshmen shortstop Ernesto Ortiz and starting pitcher Ryan Carpenter have both made immediate impacts for the Bulldogs in the first month of their collegiate careers. Ortiz had his team-best 12-game hitting streak snapped last weekend but enters this weekend third on the team in doubles (5), is tied for fourth in fourth in runs scored (16) and owns a .297 batting average. Carpenter has been one of the most impressive freshman pitchers in the country through is first five collegiate starts. He has recorded eight or more strikeouts in three of his starts this season including a career-high 10 strikeout performance against Utah Valley Mar. 14. The Peoria, Ariz. native enters the week with a team-high 34 strikeouts, second on the team in wins (3) and ERA (2.70) and tied for second in innings (30.0).
WIEGAND MAKING HIS MARK: In his final season for Gonzaga University, senior first baseman Ryan Wiegand finds himself within reach of a couple of school offensive records. The San Diego native picked up his seventh double of the season in Saturday's win over the University of the Pacific, giving him 53 career doubles and putting him in third place on the all-time doubles list, just six behind Jerrod Wong's top mark of 59. Wiegand also has driven in 19 runs this season and 171 in his career, just 15 away from Jeff Hainline's Gonzaga career-record of 186. Wiegand has also moved into the school's top-10 career hit list earlier this season, his 21 hits so far this season place him fourth with 235 career base-hits and trails Eric Rodland's top mark of 269 by 34.
PAIR OF ZAGS EARNED WCC WEEKLY ACCOLADES: Gonzaga University junior catcher Tyson Van Winkle and sophomore pitcher Cody Martin were named West Coast Conference Player and Co-Pitcher of the Week respectively, following the Zags season-opening weekend in which they posted a 3-1 record including two wins over #10 University of Missouri. Van Winkle earned his first career WCC weekly accolade after going 9-for-18 (.500) with four doubles, one home run, nine RBI, five runs scored and a .889 slugging percentage in the Zags' four games. Martin limited #10 Missouri to one earned run on three hits and struck out six over seven innings to earn the win. It is the second career WCC Player of the Week award for Martin.
ZAGS PLACED FOURTH IN WCC PRESEASON POLL; EARN 1ST PLACE VOTE: Gonzaga University was picked to finish fourth in the West Coast Conference for the 2009 season according to a preseason vote of the league's head coaches. San Diego and Pepperdine were picked as favorites to win this year's WCC regular season title in the 2009 preseason baseball poll. San Diego and Pepperdine both received 45 points, with the Toreros receiving four first place votes to three for the Waves. Gonzaga received the last remaining first place vote.
MARTIN NAMED TO NCBWA PRESEASON STOPPER WATCH LIST: Gonzaga University sophomore pitcher Cody Martin has been named to the 2009 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Preseason Stopper of the Year Watch List. Forty players have been named to the initial watch list for the fifth annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball. The initial list will be updated with a mid-season release the week of April 16, including the national saves leaders. At the conclusion of the regular season, the Division I national saves leader and four other relief pitching standouts will be selected as finalists and released Wednesday, May 27, prior to start of NCAA regional tournament competition. The NCBWA's All-America Committee will then select the winner, with this year's recipient to be announced in early June.
