March 7, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Game 11: March 8 - at Missouri - Taylor Stadium - Columbia, MO - 4 p.m.
Game 12: March 9 - at Missouri - Taylor Stadium - Columbia, MO - 2 p.m.
All Times Pacific Time Zone and Subject to Change
Gametracker Available for the Weekend Series
Gonzaga University Bulldogs (4-5, 0-0 West Coast)
Probable Rotation
LHP - 11 Billy Moon, 5-9, 185, So., Spokane, WA
(1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.2 IP, 2 K)
LHP - 7 Marco Gonzales, 6-1, 185, Fr., Fort Collins, CO
(0-2, 6.75 ERA, 12 IP, 9 K)
Head Coach:Mark Machtolf (Stanford University, 1987)
Gonzaga Record:204-184 (8 years - 22 at GU) Career Record: Same
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University of Missouri Tigers (3-7, 0-0 Big 12)
All-time series versus Gonzaga: Gonzaga leads 4-1
Probable Rotation
LHP - 19 Zack Hordoin, 5-10, 201, Sr., Spring, TX
(0-2, 10.12 ERA, 5.1 IP, 6 K)
RHP - 40 Brad Buehler, 6-1, 207, Sr., Festus, MO
(0-1, 13.50 ERA, 2.2 IP, 2 K)
Head Coach:Tim Jamieson (University of New Orleans, 1981)
Missouri Record:547-389-2 (17 years) Career Record: Same
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FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS LIVE: Fans can follow all Gonzaga University home games and selected away games via Gametracker on the Internet at http://www.gozags.com.
THE BULLDOGS ARE ON TWITTER: Fans can follow the Gonzaga University Bulldogs on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GonzagaBulldogs. For baseball home games, you can receive in-scoring updates after at the end of each inning.
ON DECK: Gonzaga University heads back to northern California to play a three-game series against the University of Minnesota on the campus of Sacramento State University starting Friday at 2:05 p.m. It will be the second time within a week the Bulldogs have played in northern California.
BULLDOGS NOT GOING TO THE METRODOME: Due to a roof collapse at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome last December, the University of Minnesota's Metrodome Tournament, which was scheduled to take place this weekend, was canceled. The Bulldogs were scheduled to compete in the tournament with the Gophers, Butler University and the University of Illinois. But the damage of the Metrodome did not eliminate three games of the Bulldogs season as they arranged to face the Gophers at John Smith Field at Sacramento State University on the weekend of the tournament.
BACK AND FORTH TO CALIFORNIA: Gonzaga University is making two trips to northern California in one week. After playing the University of the Pacific last weekend in Stockton, the Bulldogs head to Columbia, Mo., to play a two-game mid-week series against the University of the Missouri and will head to Sacramento to play the University of Minnesota in a three-game weekend series.
HALFWAY THERE FROM COMING HOME: Gonzaga University has nine road games left before its debut at the Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field, which isn't until March 25 against UC Irvine. The Bulldogs play the first 18 games on the road, the longest of the season. It is also one of two road stretches to feature more than 10 games. The other is 13 from April 29-May 22.
LAST WEEKEND: Gonzaga University is coming off its first three-game sweep of the season last weekend at the University of the Pacific. The Bulldogs offense registered 26 hits in the series while the pitchers struck out 30 and had a .194 opposing batters average. The Bulldogs trailed once in the series which was half an inning on Saturday.
SCOUTING MISSOURI: The University of Missouri enters the week after taking one of three games in its home-opening series against the University of Illinois-Chicago last weekend. The Flames won the series opener 11-7, the Tigers took game two 11-4 and the Flames won the rubber match 5-1. Brannon Champagne and Jonah Schmidt both lead the Tigers offense with a .375 and .333 batting average, respectively. Schmidt leads the Tigers in doubles with three and is tied for the most RBI with six. The Tigers ace has been Rob Zastryzny, who got his first win last Saturday and registers a 3.38 earned-run average with 10 strikeouts and seven walks in three starts.
BULLDOGS GETTING HITS: Gonzaga University has improved its batting average during its a four-game winning streak. The Bulldogs are now batting .290 since their win over Texas A&M University Feb. 27. The Bulldogs batted .188 during their season-opening five-game losing skid.
BOLINGER EARNING STARTS: Junior outfielder Royce Bolinger has been Gonzaga University's offensive leader in the last six games, going 8-for-21 for a .381 average. His five RBI leads Gonzaga University. He went 1-for-2 as a pinch hitter in the first two games of the season.
MOON SHINES IN CALIFORNIA: Two-way player Billy Moon had a busy weekend at the University of the Pacific. The sophomore left-hander earned his first win of the season Friday going 1 1/3 innings of relief and in the next two games he registered five hits with a pair of doubles and RBI.
OLSON HAS OUTSTANDING OUTING: Junior left-hander Tyler Olson pitched the first complete game of his career at the University of the Pacific this past Sunday. In his second start of the season, Olson struck out a career-high 10 batters and allowed only one hit. He also didn't allow the Tigers to reach third base.
CARPENTER GETS BETTER AND BETTER: After matching his career-high 10 strikeouts at Texas A&M University Feb. 25, junior left-hander Ryan Carpenter struck out 11 batters this past Friday at the University of the Pacific to set a new personal record. He leads Gonzaga University in strikeouts (26) and innings pitched (18 2/3).
MARTIN GETS TWO SAVES IN A DAY: Senior right-hander Cody Martin earned two saves in less than 24 hours last weekend at the University of the Pacific. He got his first save Friday night and later added his second Saturday afternoon. Altogether he pitched 3 1/3 hitless innings and struck out five.
MARTIN STICKING AROUND: Senior right-hander Cody Martin elected to play his final season at Gonzaga University even though the Minnesota Twins selected him in the 20th round of the Major League Baseball Amatuer Draft last summer. Martin finished the 2010 season with team-highs of 89 strikeouts and 88.0 innings. Martin moved back to his original role as the Bulldogs closer this season. He has earned 17 saves in his career at Gonzaga. In 2008 he made nine saves to set the program's single-season record and in the following year he made six to place him in a three-way tie for third. With Martin on board for another year, he continues chasing career records. As of last weekend he moved up to tie Craig Miller (1979-82) for sixth in appearances (67) and is seventh in strikeouts (223).
CARPENTER NAMED WCC RAWLINGS PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Gonzaga University junior Ryan Carpenter earned West Coast Conference Rawlings Pitcher of the Week Feb. 28, for his outstanding performance at then-eighth-ranked Texas A&M University Feb. 25. It was the first weekly honor for the Bulldogs this season. The Peoria, Ariz., native took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and finished the day with his first career one-hitter in a career-high 7 1/3 innings. He also matched his then-career-high in strikeouts with 10. He received a no decision in the Bulldogs loss to the Aggies 1-0 in 11 innings.
WHO ELSE IS BACK: Gonzaga University returns 16 players this season. Senior Cameron Edman (.248, 6 2B, 1 HR) returns to the role as catcher after making 31 starts from behind the plate last season. Junior Chris Sturdivant (.276, 6 2B, 26 RBI) continues his role as one of the Zags outfielders after posting the team's third-highest on-base percentage with a .393. Also returning from the bench are sophomore outfielder/pitcher Billy Moon and senior outfielder Tyler Chism.
ZAGS PICKED TO FINISH SIXTH BY WCC COACHES: Gonzaga University was picked to finish sixth in the West Coast Conference for the 2011 season according to a preseason vote by the league's head coaches Feb. 10. The Bulldogs, who received 20 points in the vote, finished the 2010 season 20-36 overall and 8-13 in the WCC, tied for fifth in the league standings. Defending champion University of San Diego was favored to successfully defend its conference title, having garnered a total of 49 points and all seven possible first place votes. For the second straight season there will not be a WCC Championship Series. The regular-season champion will receive the WCC's automatic berth to the NCAA Baseball Championships.
CARPENTER SELECTED TO ALL-WCC PRESEASON TEAM: Junior left handed pitcher Ryan Carpenter was Gonzaga University's lone selection to the Preseason All-West Coast Conference team. Carpenter started all 12 appearances last season, second-most out of the rotation. He led the Zag starters in earned-run average (5.67), opposing batting average (.273) and allowed the fewest earned runs (38) and home runs (2). He finished second behind senior right-hander Cody Martin in strikeouts with 53.
SCHEDULE DOESN'T LOOK EASY: It can be argued Gonzaga University has the toughest schedule in the country. When the schedule was announced in November, head coach Mark Machtolf called this year's slate probably the toughest he's been part of for the last 20 years with the program. The schedule features seven schools that participated in the NCAA Baseball Championship last year.
FOUR TO JOIN THE ZAGS NEXT YEAR: Gonzaga University head coach Mark Machtolf has announced on Dec. 20, 2010 the signing of four Washington natives to national letters-of-intent. The Bulldogs will welcome for the 2012 season right-handed pitcher Kevin Moriarty out of Shoreline High in Shoreline, middle infielder Mitchell Gunsolus from Inglemoor High in Kenmore, left-handed pitcher/outfielder Derek Callahan of Edmonds-Woodway High in Edmonds and right-handed pitcher/third baseman Zach Abbruzza, hailing from Redmond High in Redmond.
RECAPPING LAST SEASON: Gonzaga University finished 20-36 overall and 8-13 in the West Coast Conference to place them in a tie for fifth in the standings last season. The Zags got offensive impacts from Drew Heid, Mark Castellitto and junior Andy Hunter. Heid led the Bulldogs in nearly all offensive categories, batting average (.390), doubles (18), triples (4), slugging percentage (.602), on-base percentage (.467) and stolen bases (8-for-14). Castellitto led the Bulldogs in RBIs with 50.
MACHTOLF REACHES MILESTONE: Gonzaga University's 6-1 win over Loyola Marymount University on May 23, 2010 was career win No. 200 for head coach Mark Machtolf. Now entering his eighth year at the helm of the Zags, he has recorded all 200 wins with Gonzaga and currently sits third on the school's all-time wins list behind Steve Hertz (637) and Larry Koentopp (289). Machtolf's .528 career winning percentage is the second highest in school history.
ESLICK, HALCOMB RECEIVED WCC ACCOLADES: For the first time in Gonzaga University baseball history, the Bulldogs had multiple players selected to the West Coast Conference All-Freshmen Team. Sophomores Clayton Eslick and Steven Halcomb were selected to the All-WCC Freshmen Team last season. Eslick has started 53 games, produced a .269 batting average, recorded 17 doubles, one triple, one home run and drove in 37 runs. His pinch-hit grand slam in the 11-1 win at the University of Washington April 6 was his first career homer. Halcomb started 30 games and was inserted to the second spot in the batting order 24 times, produced a .248 average with six doubles, one homer and 12 RBI.
