May 21, 2009
Series Release in PDF Format 
WCC Championship Series
Loyola Marymount
(30-27, 13-8 WCC)
vs.
Gonzaga
(33-16, 14-7 WCC)
Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field
Gametracker Available
Radio - 1510 AM
Free Video Streaming Available
Probable Bulldog Lineup
Position Player (Yr., B/T) 2009 Stats
Catcher Tyson Van Winkle (Jr., R/R) .361, 75 H, 23 2B, 5 HR, 51 RBI
First Base Ryan Wiegand (Sr., L/R) .320, 36 R, 21 2B, 3 HR, 53 RBI, 1 SB
Second Base Evan Wells (Sr., L/R) .310, 53 R, 8 2B, 2 3B, 23 RBI, 12 SB
Shortstop Ernesto Ortiz (Fr., L/R) .253, 14 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 1 SB
Third Base Jason Chatwood (Sr., R/R) .237, 4 2B, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 5 SB
Left Field Mark Castellitto (Jr., R/R) .254, 7 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 36 RBI, 3 SB
Centerfield Drew Heid (Jr., L/R) .349, 6 2B, 8 3B, 2 HR, 36 RBI, 8 SB
Right Field Grant Kveder (Sr., L/R) .233, 20 H, 13 R, 2 2B, 9 RBI, 5 SB
Designated Hitter Anthony Synegal (Sr., R/R) .323, 8 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 31 RBI, 3 SB
THIS WEEK: Gonzaga University is set to host Loyola Marymount University in this weekend's West Coast Conference Championship Series that will award an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament to the series winner. Game one of the series is 6:30 p.m. Friday with game two set for 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday's if-necessary game three scheduled for Noon.
MACHTOLF AND FIELDS AWARDED TOP WCC HONORS: The West Coast Conference announced Wednesday that Gonzaga University head coach Mark Machtolf has been named the WCC Coach of the Year and Matt Fields has been named the WCC Pitcher of the Year. Along with Fields, Anthony Synegal, Ryan Wiegand and Tyson Van Winkle were each placed on the All-WCC team while Steven Ames received All-WCC honorable mention.
FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS LIVE: This weekend's West Coast Conference Championship Series will be available via Gametracker on the internet at http://www.gozags.com. The series will also be video streamed free of charge and on the radio at 1510 AM with Tom Hudson and former Gonzaga head coach Steve Hertz calling the action.
ON DECK: The host sites for this year's NCAA Regionals will be announced 6 p.m. Sunday on ESPN2 and ncaa.com. The NCAA Selection show will be 9:30 am Monday on ESPN and ESPN2.
EARLIER THIS WEEK: Gonzaga University closed its regular season schedule with an 8-7 win over Washington State University in Spokane Tuesday night. Drew Heid recorded three hits, Jason Chatwood launched a three-run homer to highlight a four-run Zag first inning and Cody Martin fired 1.2 innings of scoreless ball to preserve the win and give the Bulldogs the season series with WSU 2-1.
BULLDOGS BACK TO RECEIVING VOTES: After earning its first national ranking since the 2006 earlier this season, appearing in the Apr. 13 Baseball America poll at No. 22, Gonzaga University continues to receive votes in this week's ESPN/USA Today and NCBWA national poll, marking the tenth straight week they have appeared in at least one "receiving votes" section of a national poll. GU has won its two series against ranked opponents this season, taking two of three at No. 26 Pepperdine Apr. 3-5 and also against No. 21 University of San Diego in Spokane Apr. 9-11. Earlier this season the Zags beat then No. 10 ranked University of Missouri and own a 6-4 record against ranked teams.
ABOUT THE LOYOLA MARYMOUNT LIONS: Loyola Marymount University comes into the WCC Championship series with a 30-27 overall record and a 13-8 mark in the WCC after dropping two of three to Gonzaga University last weekend. LMU leads the all-time series with the Zags 31-24 but GU has won seven of the last nine meetings and taken five of the last six in Spokane. All-WCC outfielder Angelo Songco leads the Lions in hitting (.367), home runs (15) and in RBI (63). Jason Gill is in his first season as head coach for LMU.
MACHTOLF NAMED WCC COACH OF THE YEAR: Gonzaga University head coach Mark Machtolf, in his sixth season as head coach and 19th season overall at GU, receives his first career Coach of the Year honor after leading the Bulldogs to their inaugural WCC regular season title. This year's squad posted wins against No. 10 University of Missouri twice, No. 26 Pepperdine University twice and against No. 21 University of San Diego twice while posting series wins in all but one WCC series. The Bulldogs also reached the 30-win plateau for the third consecutive season, marking the first time that has happened at Gonzaga in over 25 years. Machtolf also had the Zags earn their first national ranking since 2006, earning a No. 22 ranking by Baseball America in mid-April. He enters this weekend's WCC Championship Series with second highest winning percentage (.557) and third highest win total in school history (177).
FIELDS NAMED WCC PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Matt Fields became the second Bulldog ever to earn WCC Pitcher of the Year after Clayton Mortensen took home the award in 2007. Fields compiled a 7-1 overall record in the regular season and a 5-0 mark in WCC play. He also finished the regular season second in both overall ERA (2.85) and in conference games only ERA (2.81). The Zags Friday night starter also led the team with 66 strikeouts and recorded two WCC/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week awards during the season. Fields was also placed on the All-WCC team to notch his second career All-WCC honor after earning All-WCC honorable mention last season.
FIVE ZAGS EARN ALL-WCC ACCOLADES: Five Gonzaga University players earned All-West Coast Conference honors this season. Matt Fields, Anthony Synegal, Ryan Wiegand and Tyson Van Winkle were each placed on the All-WCC team while Steven Ames received All-WCC honorable mention. Fields earns his second career All-WCC honors while Wiegand picks up his second career All-WCC honor after earning first team honors his sophomore season. Synegal and Van Winkle both enjoyed breakout years to each record their first career All-WCC honor. Ames earned All-WCC honorable mention honors after matching Fields with a 7-1 record and leading the team with two complete games in his first season with the Zags.
FRIDAY NIGHT FIELDS: Senior right-handed starting pitcher Matt Fields owns a 7-1 record including a 5-0 mark in West Coast Conference. Fields has picked up two WCC Pitcher of the Week awards this season after posting wins over #26 Pepperdine Apr. 3 and after his first career complete-game shutout against Saint Mary's College May 1. He has matched his career-high of eight strikeouts three times this season, (Nevada - 2/20, Pepperdine - 4/3 and 5/1). He enters the week with the WCC's second lowest ERA (2.82) and leading the Zags in ERA and strikeouts (66) and is second in innings (79.0). The 2008 All-WCC honorable mention selection posted a team-best eight wins and finished with 3-1 record as the Friday starter last season.
ANOTHER WCC WEEKLY ACCOLADE FOR MARTIN: Gonzaga University's Cody Martin has been named the West Coast Conference/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week the conference announced Monday. It is the Dos Palos, Calif. native's second WCC weekly honor of the season and third of his career. Gonzaga has now received a league-best 10 WCC Player/Pitcher of the Week awards this season. The right-handed reliever recorded a save in the Bulldogs' 4-3 series opening win against Loyola Marymount University this past Friday and later picked up the win in the Zags 5-4 victory on Saturday that clinched Gonzaga's inaugural WCC Regular Season Title.
ZAGS POST THIRD STRAIGHT 30-WIN SEASON: Gonzaga University's 6-4 win over Saint Mary's College May 3 was its 30th win of the season, marking the Bulldogs third consecutive 30-win season. It is the first time that Gonzaga has accomplished the feat since the 1980-82 teams each recorded at least 30 wins.
WIEGAND SITS ATOP THE RECORD BOOKS: Gonzaga University senior first baseman Ryan Wiegand became Gonzaga's all-time hits leader May 1 against Saint Mary's College, picking up three hits to pass Eric Rodland's top mark of 269. Earlier this season, Wiegand became the school's all-time leader in RBI and doubles. The San Diego native passed Jeff Hainline's career top RBI mark of 186 and Jerrod Wong's top doubles mark of 60 with his double and two RBI at the University of Portland Apr. 18. This season he has driven in a team-high 53 RBI, the second straight season he has recorded 50+ RBI, and is second on the team with 21 doubles. He also enters the week second all-time in at-bats (817), fourth in games played (208) and sixth in walks (110). He has produced an 11-game hitting-steak this season, tied for the second longest for the Bulldogs this season.
VAN WINKLE LEADING THE WAY: Gonzaga University junior catcher Tyson Van Winkle has continued to swing a hot bat for the Zags, currently leading the team in hitting (.361), hits (75), doubles (23) and slugging (.543). He is also second on the team with RBI (51) and is third with five home runs. He has started every game behind the plate and comes into the week leading the WCC in doubles and sixth in hitting. Van Winkle has claimed two WCC Player of the Week awards as well as an WCC April Player of the Month award this season.
DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO: Senior lead-off hitter Evan Wells and junior centerfielder Drew Heid have continued to be the sparks atop the Gonzaga University lineup. Wells has scored multiple runs in a game 15 times this season including matching his career-high with four runs scored against University of Utah Mar. 24. He enters the weekend second in the West Coast Conference in hit-by-pitches (17), third in walks (30), fourth in runs scored (53) and seventh in stolen bases (12-for-14). The 2008 All-WCC Honorable Mention selection also leads the club in on-base percentage (.448). Heid meanwhile is second on the team in hits (74) and in hitting (.349) and leads the WCC with eight triples, the second most in Gonzaga single season history, trailing Larry Patterson's 1977 record of 12 triples. The 2008 All-WCC selection from a year ago has also scored 39 runs, driven in 36 and stolen eight bases while hitting out of the two-hole this season.
PROSZEK PRODUCING IN BOTH ROLES: Gonzaga University senior pitcher A.J. Proszek had an impressive season both out of the bullpen and in a starting role for the Zags this season. Proszek started the season working out of the bullpen, allowing just four runs in eight appearances before stepping into a starting role at the University of Portland Apr. 18. He has gone seven innings in his two starts this season earning a no-decision at Portland before earning the series-clinching win over Saint Mary's College May 3. Proszek owns the team's second-best ERA (3.09) along with a 2-1 record and three saves.
SYNEGAL STEPPING UP: Senior outfielder/designated hitter Anthony Synegal has made the most of his final season with the Zags. The Hollister, Calif. native has been the quiet assassin in the Bulldogs potent offense, producing a team second-best six home runs along with 31 RBI and a .503 slugging percentage. All six of his homers have come in West Coast Conference play, good for second in the WCC. Earlier this season he produced an eight-game hitting streak and the only multi-home run game for the Zags this season (Apr. 17 at Portland).
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 their first collegiate seasons. Ortiz produced a team-best 12-game hitting streak to start the season and enters the weekend third on the team in doubles (14). His two-out two-run double brought home the go-ahead runs in the Apr. 11 4-2 win over #21 University of San Diego. Carpenter has earned his sixth win of the season this past Tuesday against Washington State University after last posting a win Apr. 17 with four scoreless innings of relief against the University of Portland. He has recorded eight or more strikeouts three times this season including a career-high 10 strikeout performance against Utah Valley University Mar. 14. The Peoria, Ariz. native enters the weekend second on the team in strikeouts (58), third in wins (6) and in innings (61.2).
VAN WINKLE NAMED WCC APRIL PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Gonzaga University junior catcher Tyson Van Winkle was named the West Coast Conference/Rawlings April Player of the Month. He finished the month 33-for-67 (.493) at the plate to lead all hitters in the WCC, he also recorded seven doubles, two home runs, drove in 20 runs while slugging .687 and posting a .551 on-base percentage. He recorded hits in 13 of Gonzaga's 16 games including 12 multi-hit games. One stretch saw the Vancouver, Wash. native record hits in eight straight at-bats while producing a five-hit game and a four-hit game in consecutive games. He also took home one WCC Player of the Week award in the month.
WELLS AWARDED ESPN ACADEMIC HONOR: Gonzaga University senior second baseman Evan Wells has been named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII First Team. Wells is now eligible to earn Academic All-America honors. The Bulldogs lead-off hitter the past three seasons owns a 3.90 GPA and is among the leaders in the West Coast Conference in walks, on-base percentage and runs scored. Wells is a soon to be three-time WCC All-Academic selection and is set to graduate this May with a degree in journalism.
MARTIN NAMED TO NCBWA MIDSEASON STOPPER WATCH LIST: Gonzaga University sophomore pitcher Cody Martin has been named to the 2009 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Mid-season Stopper of the Year Watch List. Forty-five players have been named to the 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. 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.
