Baseball With One More Test Before WCC Championships
5/20/2013 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
SPOKANE, Wash. - Only one game remains for the Gonzaga University baseball team before the club opens the West Coast Conference Championships in Stockton, Calif., Thursday. First however, the Bulldogs (32-18-1) are set to face the University of California, Berkeley (22-31), Monday at Evans Diamond. The Zags and Golden Bears will battle at 6 p.m. to conclude both teams regular season schedule.
SCOUTING CAL: The Golden Bears of University of California, Berkeley, have had tough go in 2013. Cal sits ninth in the Pac-12 standings with a league record of 10-20 and an overall mark of 22-31. The Golden Bears opened the year by sweeping University of Michigan and also had an eight-game winning streak but the club hit hard times in conference play. An eight-game Pac-12 losing streak doomed the team and entering Monday the squad is on a five-game losing stretch. Andrew Knapp has had a productive season at the plate with a team-best .356 batting average, eight homeruns and 41 RBI. As a team the Bears hit .268. The pitching staff has a team ERA of 4.71 with Scott Logan (2.82) having the lowest mark. The team is coached by David Esquer.
MACHTOLF NEARING 300TH VICTORY: Gonzaga University baseball head coach Mark Machtolf is nearing the 300th career victory mark. Machtolf is just two games away from the milestone and carries a 298-235 record. Machtolf could reach the feat as soon as Thursday which also happens to be the opening game of the 2013 West Coast Conference Championships.
GETTING TO KNOW THE PAC-12: When the Bulldogs and Golden Bears meet on Monday, the game will mark the teams 10th game against a Pac-12 conference member. Gonzaga has already faced Oregon State University, Arizona State University, Washington State University, University of Oregon and University of Washington. The Zags hold a 3-5-1 record in those contests.
THE FIELD IS SET: Only the top four teams in the West Coast Conference standings were invited to the WCC Championships which kick off Thursday at Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton, Calif. Gonzaga University baseball enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed and will face No. 4 University of San Francisco in the opener. The other opening contest matches No.2 University of San Diego and No. 3 BYU. The Zags are guaranteed to play at least two games with the winner of the tournament receiving an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.
WCC REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPIONS: The journey to stand atop the West Coast Conference was fulfilled May 4 as Gonzaga University baseball clinched the WCC-regular season title with a 6-1 smashing of Santa Clara University at Stephen Schott Stadium. The landmark moment marks the second WCC regular-season title for the program with the first coming in 2009. The Zags finished WCC play with an 18-6 league record.
HOW THE WEST WAS WON: While other West Coast Conference schools continue league play this weekend, the Gonzaga University already wrapped up its championship regular season. The Bulldogs went 18-6 in WCC action and lost only one series. The Zags swept the University of Portland, Saint Mary's College and most recently Santa Clara University.
In WCC games, Cory LeBrun and Marco Gonzales were an offensive machine. LeBrun hit .337 with 16 RBI while Gonzales hit .325 with 9 RBI. Caleb Wood had a team-best 18 RBI and Alex Bonczyk stole 6 bases in league play.
Leading GU on the mound was Tyler Olson and Gonzales. Olson has been lights-out with a 7-1 record and 2.35 ERA in 57 innings. Gonzales went 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 56 innings.
As a team GU hit .264 in WCC games and had a 3.10 ERA.
WCC CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT: 2013 will mark the first time the West Coast Conference will use a four-team, neutral-site championship tournament to be held at Banner Island Ballpark May 23-25. Banner Island Ballpark is located in Stockton, Calif., and is home to the Stockton Ports. The top four teams from the league standings will participate in the three-day, double elimination bracket with no "if necessary" Championship game. The winner of the championship will earn an automatic qualifier into the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship. The championship game will also be televised on ESPNU May 25 at 7 p.m.
