March 4, 2009
Weekly Release in PDF Format 
Probable Bulldog Lineup
Position Player (Yr., B/T) 2009 Stats
Catcher Tyson Van Winkle (Jr., R/R) .528, 19 H, 8 R, 8 2B, 1 HR, 14 RBI
First Base Ryan Wiegand (Sr., L/R) .324, 11 H, 9 R, 5 2B, 11 RBI
Second Base Evan Wells (Sr., L/R) .333, 11 H, 10 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 6 RBI, 2 SB
Shortstop Ernesto Ortiz (Fr., L/R) .367, 11 H, 11 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 6 RBI
Third Base Jason Chatwood (Sr., R/R) .212, 7 H, 10 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 1 SB
Left Field Mark Castellitto (Jr., R/R) .333, 10 H, 7 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 2 SB
Centerfield Drew Heid (Jr., L/R) .343, 12 H, 6 R, 1 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 SB
Right Field Royce Bolinger (Fr., R/R) .194, 7 H, 5 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 10 RBI
Designated Hitter Anthony Synegal (Sr., R/R) .367, 11 H, 6 R, 1 2B, 4 RBI, 1 SB
THIS WEEKEND: Gonzaga University heads to Palm Springs, Calif. for the Palms Springs Classic this weekend to meet up with two teams out of the Big-12 Conference, one team out of the Big West Conference and West Coast Conference foe University of San Francisco. The Bulldogs will face #11 Oklahoma State University Thursday, the University of California - Riverside Friday, Texas Tech University Saturday and USF 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. There is a Palm Springs Classic webpage (http://www.osubeavers.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/09-palm-springs.html) with team information and recaps of each game. Only Gonzaga's games against Oklahoma State and Texas Tech will be available on gametracker.
LAST GAME: Gonzaga University dropped a 8-4 decision to Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. Tuesday night. Junior catcher Tyson Van Winkle paced the Bulldogs going 3-for-4 with two doubles. Junior left fielder Mark Castellitto added two hits including a two-run home run. WSU scored six runs off of the GU bullpen to take the first of four meetings with the Zags this season.
LAST WEEK: Gonzaga University posted a perfect 3-0 record over the weekend, beating the University of Notre Dame 7-3 Friday, Creighton University 11-3 Saturday and the University 12-3 Sunday. The Zags finished the weekend with a .353 team batting average, 30 runs scored and a 2.67 team-ERA.
ON DECK: Next week Gonzaga University will finally a chance to play in front of it's home crowd at the Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field beginning a season-long 11-game homestand next Tuesday against the University of Washington. The Bulldogs and Huskies will play a two-game series with Tuesday's game slated for a 6:30 p.m. start and Wednesday's game scheduled for 2 p.m.
ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE: The Oklahoma State University Cowboys enter the game against Gonzaga University with a 6-1 overall record and ranked as high as No. 11 in this week's NCBWA National Poll. OSU leads the all-time series with the Zags 7-1 after sweeping a four-game series with GU in Stillwater, Okla. last season. Outfielder Niel Medchill leads the team with a .440 batting average and 13 RBI. Frank Anderson is in his sixth season as head for the Cowboys and owns a 205-109 career record at the school.
ABOUT UC RIVERSIDE: The University of California - Riverside enters the Palm Springs Classic with a 7-2 overall record after beating Texas Tech University Tuesday 9-8. UCR leads the all-time series with Gonzaga University 2-1 as the Highlanders took two-of-three at Riverside, Calif. in 2007. Junior infielder Ryan Goetz leads the club with nine RBI and sophomore outfielder Tony Nix paces the team with a .454 batting average. Doug Smith is in his fifth season as head coach and owns a 123-108 career record at the school.
ABOUT TEXAS TECH: The Texas Tech University Red Raiders come into the weekend with a 5-5 record after dropping a 9-8 decision to UC Riverside Tuesday night. This will be the first every meeting between the Red Raiders and Gonzaga University. Infielder Joey Kenworthy comes into the Palm Springs Classic with a team-best .375 batting average and infielder Chris Richburg leads the team with three home runs and 12 RBI. Head coach Dan Spencer is in first season at Texas Tech.
ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO: The University of San Francisco comes into the week with 3-6 overall record and will play at the University of California - Berkley Wednesday afternoon before heading to Palm Springs, Calif. Gonzaga University's matchup with USF will be a non-conference slate as USF leads the all-time series 30-26. Both teams will meet Mar. 27-29 for a West Coast Conference three-game series in San Francisco, Calif. As of Wednesday morning, outfielder Zach Kim led the Dons with 15 hits and a .385 batting average. Nino Giarratano is in his 11th season as USF head coach.
OFF TO A SOLID START: Gonzaga University's 6-2 start ties the 2006 team for the best start to a season by a Mark Machtolf head coached squad. As a result of the early success, Gonzaga as received votes latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, ESPN/USA Today and Rivals.com national polls.
ZAGS' SCHEDULE RANKED AMONG NATIONS TOUGHEST: According to the College Baseball Strength of Schedule Rankings by BoydsWorld.com, Gonzaga University owns the 23rd toughest schedule in the country. Seven Bulldog opponents appeared in at least one of the four major college baseball preseason national polls including West Coast Conference foes University of San Diego and Pepperdine University.
ANOTHER IMPRESSIVE WEEKEND FOR VAN WINKLE: Gonzaga University junior catcher Tyson Van Winkle continued to swing a hot bat this past weekend, posting a .500 batting average for the second consecutive weekend. The Vancouver, Wash. native finished play at the Phoenix Classic with seven hits, two doubles, five RBI, four-hit performance against Creighton University and his team-leading third three-hit game against the University of Dayton. Van Winkle enters the Palm Springs Classic leading the Zags in hitting (.528), doubles (8) and RBI (14).
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 continued his climb up the all-time doubles chart recording two more doubles this past weekend to move into a third-place tie with Darin Holcomb with 51 career doubles and needs just nine more to pass Jerrod Wong's top mark of 59. Wiegand's seven RBI over the weekend moved him into fourth on the Gonzaga all-time list with 163 career ribbies, 23 away from Jeff Hainline's record of 186. Wiegand also moved into the school's top-10 career hit list this season, his 11 hits so far this season moved him into sole possession of ninth place with 225 career base-hits, trailing Eric Rodland's all-time mark of 269 by 44.
FRIDAY NIGHT FIELDS: Senior right-handed starting pitcher Matt Fields followed up his season-opening seven scoreless-inning eight-strikeout performance against the University of Nevada Feb. 20 with a five-strikeout 6.1 inning performance against the University of Notre Dame this past Friday. Fields will start on Thursday against #11 ranked Oklahoma State University in the Zags Palm Springs Classic opener. The 2008 All-West Coast Conference honorable mention selection has received no decisions in his first two starts this season but after posting a team-best eight wins and a 3-1 record as the Friday starter last season, Fields has shown he can be the leader of the pitching staff.
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. The Dos Palos, Calif. native held the Tiger offense in check throughout the day, retiring five of the seven lead-off batters of an inning he faced and not allowing a hit until the fourth inning. It is the second career WCC Player of the Week award for Martin.
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.
ZAGS PLACED FOURTH IN WCC PRESEASON POLL; EARN ONE FIRST 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.
