April 6, 2009

Complete Release in PDF Format

Games 29-30
Washington (10-18)
vs.
Gonzaga (20-8)
Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field
Monday and Tuesday
Gametracker Available

Probable Bulldog Lineup
Position Player (Yr., B/T) 2009 Stats
Catcher Tyson Van Winkle (Jr., R/R) .333, 19 R, 13 2B, 2 HR, 27 RBI
First Base Ryan Wiegand (Sr., L/R) .281, 24 R, 11 2B, 24 RBI
Second Base Evan Wells (Sr., L/R) .294, 31 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 10 RBI, 7 SB
Shortstop Ernesto Ortiz (Fr., L/R) .293, 19 R, 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 10 RBI
Third Base Jason Chatwood (Sr., R/R) .220, 20 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 3 SB
Left Field Mark Castellitto (Jr., R/R) .282, 5 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 3 SB
Centerfield Drew Heid (Jr., L/R) .322, 4 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 5 SB
Right Field Anthony Synegal (Sr., R/R) .318, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 3 SB
Designated Hitter Grant Kveder (Sr., L/R) .227, 5-for-22, 8 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB

THIS WEEK: Gonzaga University begins a six-game homestand with a two-game set against the Univeristy of Washington Monday at 6:30 p.m. and Tuesday at Noon. The Bulldogs will then host the University of San Diego for a three-game West Coast Conference series set for Thursday, Friday and Saturday to accommodate the Easter holiday this Sunday.

FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS LIVE: All Gonzaga University home games and selected away games will be available via Gametracker on the internet at http://www.gozags.com. Selected home and away games will also be videostreamed, check the Gonzaga web site to sign up for live video streaming and view other Gametracker links.

ON DECK: After Gonzaga University's two-game set with the University of Washington Monday they will host #21 University of San Diego in a West Coast Conference showdown beginning Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. Next week the Zags will host Washington State University on Tuesday before heading to the University of Portland for a three-game weekend series Apr. 17-19.

LAST WEEK: Gonzaga University posted a 3-1 record last week, picking up wins at University of Washington last Tuesday and two more at #26 Pepperdine over the weekend. The Bulldogs overcame a 4-2 ninth-inning deficit to the Huskies with five runs in the final frame to post a 7-4 win. In its weekend series with the Waves, the Bulldogs used two dominant starting pitching performances from senior Matt Fields and freshman Ryan Carpenter to take games one and two 3-1, 4-1 from Pepperdine. The Waves avoided a sweep after scoring the go-ahead run in the eighth inning of Sunday's game and held on to win 5-4.

FIELDS NAMED WCC PITCHER OF THE WEEK FOLLOWING GEM: Gonzaga University senior starting pitcher Matt Fields earned his first career WCC weekly accolade Monday. He becomes the fourth Bulldog to earn the award this season. The Lake Stevens, Wash. earned his fourth win of the season after holding #26 Pepperdine University to one run on four hits and striking out five in 8.0 innings to earn the win in Gonzaga's 3-1 victory over the Waves in Malibu, Calif. Friday. Fields (4-2) allowed just the four singles and retired 11 Wave hitters in row at point en route to winning his fourth consecutive start.

RECEIVING SOME ATTENTION: After taking its third consecutive series this past weekend, Gonzaga University appears in the "Receiving Votes" category of the latest ESPN/USA Today National Poll for the third straight week. It is the fourth time that the Bulldogs have appeared in a national poll this season. The Zags received votes after starting the season 6-1 with two wins over then #10 ranked University of Missouri and later received votes after posting series sweeps of Utah Valley University and the University of the Pacific a couple weeks ago. They appeared in the same poll last week after taking two of three from the University of San Francisco appeared in the same poll this week after tkaing two fo three from #26 Pepperdine University this past weekend. The last time the Zags received a national ranking was in 2006 when they were ranked No. 26 by Collegiate Baseball.

ABOUT THE WASHINGTON HUSKIES: The University of Washington enters the week with a 10-18 overall record and a 1-5 record in the Pacific-10 Conference. UW leads the all-time series 63-53 but the Zags have won four of the last five meetings including both games in Spokane last season and a 7-4 decision in Seattle this past Tuesday. Outfielder Kyle Conley leads the Huskies in average (.321), home runs (10) and RBI (28). Head coach Ken Knutson is in his 17th year and owns a 569-387-2 career record at Washington.

LAST MEETING WITH WASHINGTON: Last Tuesday night in Seattle, Wash., Gonzaga University rallied from a 4-2 deficit with five runs in the ninth inning to pick up a 7-4 win over the University of Washington. It was the second time this season that the Zags have scored five runs in the ninth inning to complete a comeback and the third time they have used their ninth inning at-bat to earn a win. They erased an 8-4 deficit against the University of the Pacific Mar. 10 with five runs in the bottom of the ninth and beat the University of San Francisco 6-4 last Sunday after scoring two runs in the top half of the ninth inning.

VAN WINKLE CONTINUING TO LEAD TO THE WAY: Gonzaga University junior catcher Tyson Van Winkle has continued to swing a hot bat for the Zags as they near the midpoint of the season. The Vancouver, Wash. native has started every game behind the plate and recorded six hits to boost his average 22 points against #26 Pepperdine University last weekend. He comes into the week leading the Bulldogs in hitting (.333), hits (33), doubles (13), RBI (27), slugging (.496) and is tied for second in home runs (2).

FRIDAY NIGHT FIELDS: Senior right-handed starting pitcher Matt Fields has won his last four starts to own a 4-1 record heading into this weekend's series against the University of San Diego. He struck out five and allowed just one run in a career-high eight innings against #26 Pepperdine University this past weekend. Against the University of Nevada Feb. 20 he struck out a season-high eight. Fields has pitched in every Friday game so far this season and enters the week leading the Zags in innings pitched (46.0) and second on the team in strikeouts (39) and in ERA (2.54). 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 relief pitchers senior A.J. Proszek and sophomore Cody Martin have solidified the back end of the bullpen since Martin's move back to the pen following the Utah Valley University series. Martin made three starts earlier this season but the emergence of junior starter Steven Ames (5-0) has allowed head coach Mark Machtolf to make the move. Proszek and Martin have combined to record two wins, five saves and allow just four earned runs in their last 18.0 innings since Martin moved back to the bullpen. Martin, who broke the school record for saves last season with nine, owns a 2.65 ERA and collected two wins and two saves since the move and Proszek owns a 0.60 ERA and has recorded three saves in seven appearances this season.

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 matching his career-high with four runs scored in the Mar. 24 loss to the University of Utah. He enters the week leading the club in walks (24), runs scored (31), stolen bases (7-for7) and in on-base percentage (.455). The 2008 All-WCC Honorable Mention selection is also fourth in hitting (.294).

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 seven weeks of their collegiate careers. Ortiz produced a team-best 12-game hitting streak earlier this season and enters this week third on the team in doubles (6) and owns the fifth best batting average (.293). Carpenter has been one of the most impressive freshman pitchers in the country through is first seven collegiate starts. He has recorded eight or more strikeouts three times this season including a career-high 10 strikeout performance against Utah Valley University Mar. 14. Carpenter held #26 Pepperdine University to one run and struck out six in 6.2 innings to earn the win this past Saturday. The Peoria, Ariz. native enters the week with a team-high 43 strikeouts, tied for second on the team in wins (4) and third in innings (38.2).

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 boosted his average 26 points with six hits over the weekend including two doubles and his first home run of the season. He has recorded 11 doubles and driven in 24 runs this season, giving him 57 career doubles and 176 career RBI. Wiegand also moved into the school's top-10 career hit list earlier this season, his 32 hits in 2009 place him fourth with 246 career base-hits and trails Eric Rodland's top mark of 269 by 23. He also enters the week sixth all-time in at-bats (731) and seventh in walks (98).

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.

CASTELLITTO'S BIG WEEKEND EARNED HIM WCC ACCOLADE: Gonzaga University junior left fielder Mark Castellitto was named the West Coast Conference Co-Player of the Week Mar. 15-22. Castellitto earned 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. 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 Mar. 21.

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.