Gonzaga Notes | Arkansas Notes

ABOUT GONZAGA:

• The Bulldogs had an up-and-down weekend in Fort Worth. They began the three-game series at No. 7 TCU on a high, coming back with two runs in the seventh inning to beat the Horned Frogs 4-3 as starter Brandon Bailey pitched 7.0 innings, striking out nine to earn the win. TCU won the series with big wins on Saturday and Sunday, however, including putting up 16 runs during the Sunday's rubber match.
• Head coach Mark Machtolf enters his 13th season at the helm of the program. He's put together a 353-304-2 record (including this season's results) as manager and is the second in program history in terms of wins and win percentage (.537). He's also second-longest tenured coach in program history behind Steve Hertz (24 years, 1978, 1982-2003). Before becoming head coach, Machtolf was an assistant for 13 years as well; this is his 26th season with Gonzaga baseball.
• Gonzaga went 24-28 last season with a 13-14 West Coast Conference record. The Bulldogs finished sixth in the league standings, missing out on the WCC tournament for the first time in its three-year history. They return seven starting position players and one full-time starting pitcher from 2015.

A BREAK FROM THE TEX-MEX:

• The Bulldogs have taken over The Lone Star State as Gonzaga are in the midst of three straight weekends and 10 of 12 games in The Lone Star State. They started in San Antonio for the Alamo Irish Classic, played three at #7 TCU in Fort Worth, and will return to San Antonio for a series at UTSA after this two-game set in Arkansas. Their Texas three-step caps off the Zags' 16-game road swing to open the season, which is actually shorter than the road trips to begin the 2015 (17 games) and 2014 seasons (24 games).
• In all, Gonzaga will play 39 of their 49 games away from Spokane this season with 35 of those being true road games. With five trips out of the Pacific time zone, the Zags will travel a whopping 26,472 miles (stadium to stadium) in 2016. Their shortest trip with be a 78 mile bus ride to Pullman, Wash., to take on Washington State March 22. In WCC action, their shortest jaunt is to Provo, Utah, 762 miles away. They'll visit the "neighboring" BYU Cougars April 28, 29, and 30.

PLAYING THE BEST:

• These games at Arkansas will be the Zags' fourth and fifth consecutive games against a ranked foe after playing three at No. 7 TCU over the weekend. Only one other team on the Zags' future schedule is currently in a Top 25 poll: UCSB, who is ranked No. 22 by Collegiate Baseball. Both TCU and the Razorbacks punched a ticket to the College World Series last season.
• Last season, Gonzaga played 12 games against ranked foes and fared pretty well, coming away with seven wins. They took two off a ranked Tulane squad in New Orleans, swept Arkansas in Fayetteville, won two of three against San Diego in Spokane, and beat then-No. 2 UCLA once in early May.

ZAGS VERSUS HOGS:

• Arkansas and Gonzaga have become familiar foes recently, playing five games since 2012. The first series between the two schools came in 2012 in Arkansas, which the Razorbacks swept two games to none. Gonzaga got a bit of revenge at the Coca-Cola Classic in Surprise, Ariz., in 2013. After a year off, Gonzaga returned to Fayetteville last season, sweeping the Hogs with wins of 6-2 and 15-5.
• Fayetteville has become Gonzaga baseball's top destination for spring break as all three trips to Arkansas have come during the week off of classes.

BAILEY PITCHER OF THE WEEK:

• Junior RHP Brandon Bailey was named WCC Pitcher of the Week Monday after his stellar start at No. 7/9 TCU Friday night. The Broomfield, Colo., native struck out nine batters - just one off a career high - while tossing 7.0 innings of three-run ball in the win. He didn't allow issue walks and retired his final six batters faced.
• It is his fifth career Pitcher of the Week honor after earning one as a freshman in 2014 and in his sophomore year last season. He was named to the Preseason All-WCC team back in February.

TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM:

• The GU hitters have been unselfish so far this season, sacrificing themselves 17 times to either advance a runner or score a run. They've offered up six successful sacrifice bunts and 11 sacrifice flies. Those six bunts are good for just sixth in the WCC, but with 11 sac flies, the Zags are third in the nation, three behind category leader Ball State.
• 3B Jeff Bohling has three sacrifice flies to lead the team, tie for the conference lead, and tie for fifth in the nation. 2B Justin Jacobs isn't far behind with two. SS Dustin Breshears and DH Patrick Chung each have two sacrifice bunts.
• GU batters have also literally taken one for the team, getting plunked by 13 pitches. C Joey Harris and RF Sam Brown lead the squad, getting hit by three pitches each.

MULTIPLE HEROES:

• Three different relievers picked up a save this season: Hunter Wells, Sam Hellinger, and Daniel Bies. Wells picked up a four-inning save Feb. 20 during the 21-9 win at Grand Canyon, while Hellinger did the same Feb. 27 against Incarnate Word. Bies, meanwhile, posted the final out at TCU March 4, getting Dane Steinhagen to strike out with the tying run on third. That was the only batter Bies faced as Hellinger pitched a scoreless 1.2 innings between Bailey and Bies.

TWO OUT, SO WHAT?:

• Gonzaga's hitters have been proficient when down to their last out of a frame. As a team, they're hitting .321 (44x137) with 35 RBIs, 12 doubles, and a home run. Overall, the Zags have 70 RBIs this year, meaning half of those have come with two down. Even more astoundingly, the Zags have an on-base percentage of .403 with two outs, having drawn 23 walks and getting plunked six times.
• Brown leads the team with a .615 two-out average (8x13), adding two doubles, a home run, and five RBIs. Additionally, he's drawn two walks and been hit by three pitches for an on-base percentage of .722. LF Tyler Frost leads the team with seven two-out RBIs, and 1B Taylor Jones has had the most two-out opportunities on the squad with 21. He's hitting .300 (6x20) with two doubles, 5 RBIs, and a walk.

PITCHING LINE:

• RHP Gage Burland is slated to get his first start of the season Tuesday. The sophomore flamethrower has made two relief appearances this season and is the only GU reliever yet to allow a run. Last year, Burland made one start: March 8 at Tulane, where he fanned a career high five batters while allowing one run in 2.2 innings. In all, Burland posted a 3.38 ERA in 13.1 innings pitched, striking out 17 batters and allowing just a .167 batting average against. Before enrolling at Gonzaga, Burland was selected in the 26th round of the 2015 draft by the Baltimore Orioles.
• The Zags have yet to announce Wednesday's starter. So far, five different Bulldogs have started a game on the mound with Bailey, Justin Vernia, and Eli Morgan leading the way with three starts each. Calvin LeBrun and Hunter Wells have each started one game. Eight different pitchers started a game last year for Gonzaga.

LAST GAME'S STARTING LINEUP: