Gonzaga (2-2) at UC Davis (3-0-1)
Dobbins Baseball Complex | Davis, Calif.
Friday, Feb. 20, 2:00 p.m. - RHP Brandon Bailey vs. RHP Spencer Koopmans
Saturday, Feb. 21, 11:00 a.m. - RHP Andrew Sopko vs. LHP Orlando Razo
Saturday, Feb. 21, 1:00 p.m.* - LHP Calvin LeBrun vs. RHP Raul Jacobson
Sunday, Feb. 22, 1:00 p.m. - RHP Sean-Luke Brija vs. RHP Max Cordy
Notes: Gonzaga | UC Davis
STORY LINES
• The Gonzaga bats have out-hit opponents in three of the four games and by 12 overall. Twenty of those hits from the top three spots in the lineup.
• On the mound, two returning starters (Brandon Bailey and Andrew Sopko) saw strong debuts to 2015 while the Zags welcomed Sean-Luke Brija and Calvin LeBrun to the rotation as well.
• Gonzaga is making a return trip to UC Davis after the Aggies played a three-game series in Spokane last year. The Zags went 2-1 in that series last May and are 2-2 in the all-time series
ABOUT GONZAGA
• Gonzaga is coming off a 2-2 opening weekend at the 2015 CSUN Invitational with two wins over Utah Valley and a pair of losses to Cal State Northridge.
• The Bulldogs' offense has collected 37 hits in four games, but they've only scored 12 runs, half of those coming in a 6-4 win over Utah Valley Feb. 15.
• Gonzaga pitchers have a combined ERA of 2.65 so far. They allowed 17 total runs last weekend in Northridge, but only 10 of those runs were earned. The Zags have struck out 23 opposing batters as well.
ABOUT UC DAVIS
• The Aggies are 3-0-1 in 2015, beating Texas State in the first two matches before setting for a tie in the Bobcats in game three of their opening series. Most recently, UC Davis beat Santa Clara 4-1 in its home opener Tuesday afternoon.
• OF Kevin Barker, LHP/1B Spencer Henderson, and OF Austin March each lead the team with five hits while Henderson's .417 average in three games is the highest of all qualifying Aggies. Barker has scored five runs while OF Tanner Bily has brought in four runs, both the most on the team.
• Starting pitchers (both projected to earn a starting nod Saturday) Raul Jacobson and Orlando Razo lead UC Davis with a 1.29 ERA as they both went 7.0 innings in their starts at Texas State. Jacobson fanned five batters, while Max Cordy leads the team with nine strikeouts in two appearances, including five Ks Tuesday versus Santa Clara. In the bullpen, Nat Hamby and Zach Stone have each made three appearances with Hamby throwing 5.0 innings and Stone recording two saves.
• UC Davis was selected to finish last in the Big West coaches poll with only 19 points.
• Head Coach Matt Vaughn is in his fourth year managing UC Davis and has spent 22 years overall at the school. He's posted a 69-98 record (.413) at the school. He's gone 1-2 in three games against Gonzaga during his head coaching career.
TOP OF THE LINE
The Bulldogs saw great production from the top of their lineup last weekend as hitters in the first three spots of the batting order combined to hit .392 in four games. Over half of the Zags' hits (20), runs (7) extra-base hits (4) came from the first three spots in the lineup, and exactly half of the team's RBIs (5) did as well. Mitchell Gunsolus hit .588 as the leadoff hitter all four games, while Dustin Breshears went 6x14 (.429) in the three games he hit second. Sam Brown hit third for the Zags all weekend, tallying four hits in 16 at bats, but also driving in a team-leading three runs and scoring two himself.
GET YOUR TICKET TO THE GUN SHOW
Senior Mitchell Gunsolus was a force for the Bulldogs during the opening weekend. The infielder led the team with a .588 batting average, .611 on base percentage, 14 total bases, 10 hits, and three runs scored. He picked up three hits in three of the four games last weekend, already more than the entire 2014 season, and he was involved in every run during the Zags' 3-2 win over Utah Valley to begin the year on February 13. He scored in the first and fifth innings after doubling in both frames to reach base, and he unloaded a triple in the seventh inning to bring in the winning run.
AND THAT'S NO BULL
Six different bullpen pitchers saw time on the mound last weekend, five of whom did not allow a run. David Bigelow pitched 3.0 innings over two different appearances, getting saves in both games. He now has eight career saves, half of which have come in 2.0 inning appearances. Zach Abbruzza picked up his first win in nearly three years Feb. 15 vs. Utah Valley, and Eli Morgan, Hunter Wells, and Gage Burland all saw their first appearances on the mound for GU the same day at CSUN. Also making his collegiate pithing debut, Tyler Frost entered in relief Feb. 14 at CSUN, throwing 3.0 innings while allowing four earned runs and fanning two batters.
TWO OUTS, SO WHAT?
The Bulldog bats were proficient with two outs last weekend as GU hitters combined for a .396 batting average with two down in an inning, and eight of the squad's 10 RBIs have come with two outs as well. Dustin Breshears is 4x7 (.571) in this situation, and both Mitchel Gunsolus and Justin Jacobs have two two-out RBIs to lead the squad.
MOMENTUMOUS OCCASIONS
Baseball can be a sport built on momentum, and the Zags did a good job of controlling the momentum during the first four games. GU grabbed first-inning leads in three of the four games last weekend, scoring first in both games against Utah Valley and the second at Northridge. They also were able to steal back the momentum from the opposing team on many occasions. On four different occasions, the Zags followed scored the half-inning after their opponent scored. Twice in the season opener did GU score directly after Utah Valley did, and they followed the Wolverines' three-run seventh with two runs in the top of the eighth to win that game as well. Additionally, the Zags scored two in the top of the eighth on Valentine's Day at CSUN to draw the contest even at 2, albeit temporarily.
SEASON TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE
The home opener is rapidly approaching (Friday, March 13th at 6:00 p.m.), and it's time to start ordering season tickets! For just $50, you can guarantee yourself a seat at every home baseball game, or for $100 you may purchase a Family Pass, which allows up to two adults and four children to attend every game. To order tickets and for more information, please visit the GoZags.com/tickets, call 509.313.6000, or stop by the Gonzaga Ticket Office inside the McCarthey Athletic Center Monday through Friday between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF
Eight players made their first appearance in a Gonzaga uniform last weekend. IF Dustin Breshears, RHP/OF Tyler Frost, IF Justin Jacobs, OF Branson Trube, all played during Friday's season opener while the other four - LHP Calvin LeBrun, RHP Hunter Wells, RHP Gage Burland, and RHP Eli Morgan - all took the mound Sunday against CSUN. Breshears is the only one of the new faces with previous D1 experience as he played 44 games at St. John's in 2013. Justin Jacobs and Hunter Wells also had previous collegiate experience as the sophomores both spent last season playing at Lower Columbia College in Longview, Wash.
ON THE FIRST FOUR...
Gonzaga has now started at .500 or better for three of the last four years. The Zags went 1-3 in 2014, 2-2 in 2013, and 4-0 in 2012. Also, you know that Mitchell Gunsolus has started this year out hot, but did you know he has a habit of performing well the first weekend of the year? He didn't play in the first four games of 2012, but the infielder went 7x16 (.438) in 2013 with 2 doubles and a triple and .385 with an RBI and five walks in 2014. Throughout his career, he's hitting .478 (22x46) with four doubles, two triples, four RBIs, four runs, and eight walks in the first four team games of the season. Starting pitchers Andrew Sopko and Brandon Bailey have proven strong in their first starts in the last two years as well, as Sopko's posted a 0.75 ERA with 10 strikeouts and only eight hits allowed in 12 innings of work while Bailey has a 1.50 ERA and 12 Ks in 12 innings. Both of them entered the starting rotation last year.
LeBROTHERS LeBRUN
Brothers Cory and Calvin LeBrun of Phoenix, Ariz., took the field together for the first time in a Gonzaga uniform Sunday at CSUN when Cory started at first base and Calvin earned the nod on the mound. The two combined for an out in the fifth inning when the Matadors' William Colantono bunted out to Calvin.
WCC PRESEASON POLL
Gonzaga was voted fourth in a recent WCC Coaches Poll, receiving 56 points and coming in behind Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, and San Diego. The Zags are 11 points ahead of Pacific for fifth place. The entire list may be found below. The conference office also announced the All-WCC Preseason Team, and two Zags find themselves on that as well. Junior utility player Caleb Wood and sophomore right hander Brandon Bailey both received preseason conference honors.
2015 WCC Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll
Team (First Place Votes) Pts.
1. Loyola Marymount (6) 77
2. Pepperdine (3) 72
3. San Diego (1) 63
4. Gonzaga 56
5. Pacific 45
6. BYU 40
7. Santa Clara 38
8. San Francisco 31
9. Saint Mary's 18
10. Portland 10
HIT THE POLLS
The Zags have received recognition in various other preseason polls as well. Perfect Game picked GU to finish second in the WCC and named Mitchell Gunsolus and Brandon Bailey Preseason All-WCC. Baseball America doesn't rank teams in their preview, but the publication selected Gonzaga as an NCAA Regional squad and called RHP Andrew Sopko the second best prospect in the 2015 MLB draft. D1baseball.com has the Zags finishing fourth.
JASON BAY TO THE HALL
Former Zag Jason Bay will be inducted to the WCC Hall of Honor on March 7, becoming the first Zag ball player in the Hall. During his two years at GU (‘99-'00), Bay joined the program's top 10 lists in RBIs and home runs in a season and home runs and batting average in a career. Bay is also the most successful Zag to play professional baseball, earning the 2004 NL Rookie of the Year award and making the All-Star Game three times in his 11-year MLB career.
