Box Score

SAN DIEGO, Calif.-The Gonzaga University baseball team clinched at least a share of the West Coast Conference regular season title Friday night, shutting out San Diego 8-0 with a total team performance at Fowler Park in San Diego.

The Zags got all the runs they'd need in the second inning, scoring twice on three hits and two walks. Tyler Frost led the frame off with one of those walks and immediately came around to score on a double from Justin Jacobs. The second baseman then touched home two batters later after Joey Harris singled up the middle.

Those two runs were all Gonzaga needed because GU starter Eli Morgan turned in yet another outstanding performance on the mound. Morgan went the distance Friday night, retiring the first 13 batters he faced and not allowing a hit until the fifth inning. San Diego put two runners on base during that inning - one on an error, another on a hit - but neither came around to score as Morgan got two batters to fly out and struck out another to end the frame.

Morgan faced the minimum in the sixth as well, erasing a single by getting a double play ball from Bryson Brigman. In each of the three final innings, San Diego put two runners on base, but Morgan left those runners stranded each time to preserve the shutout. It's the sophomore's second consecutive complete game shutout and third of the year. He's now tied for third in program history for shutouts in a season.

Despite Morgan's strong outing, the Gonzaga offense added on plenty of insurance runs with three in both the third and the sixth innings. In the third, Harris ripped a double down the left field line for the first GU score of the inning, and both he and Dustin Breshears came around to score on a single through the right side by Jace VanDeBrake. The Zags' three sixth-inning runs also came on an RBI double and two-RBI single, with Frost doubling to score Jeff Bohling and Jacobs singling to plate Frost and Taylor Jones.

Title Race:

As noted before, Gonzaga (33-15, 18-8 WCC) clinched at least a share of first place in the WCC standings with the win. With another win on Saturday, the Bulldogs can win the league outright for the third time in program history; they previously took the regular season title in 2009 and 2013. Both BYU and Saint Mary's kept pace with the Zags as the Cougars beat Santa Clara at home and the Gaels took two from Portland on the road. They both trail Gonzaga by a game at 17-9. If either club ends the year tied with Gonzaga, they'll take a higher seed at the WCC Championships via a tiebreaker, but all teams tied at atop the WCC standings will be considered regular season co-champions.

Bulldog Bites:

• Morgan continued his dominance of the West Coast Conference with yet another complete game shutout, striking out five batters and not walking anyone. All three shutouts have come during WCC play, and he's posted a 1.14 ERA against conference foes, the second-best ERA in the league. His other two shutouts came April 9 versus Portland (four hits allowed, 11 strikeouts) and May 14 at Loyola Marymount (six hits, 11 Ks). The win was his 10^th overall, and Morgan remained unbeaten with an 8-0 mark against WCC squads.
• With its 18^th win in conference play, Gonzaga tied its highest WCC win total in program history. The only other year the Bulldogs won 18 West Coast Conference matchups was 2013 when they went 18-6, which is also the club's best WCC winning percentage (.750).
• The Zags have now won eight games in a row, giving the squad a new longest win streak on the year. They surpassed their seven-gamer that stretched from April 1 to April 10. It's also their longest since an 11-game win streak in 2013, the last time the Zags won a WCC regular season title.
• A few Zags equaled career highs Friday night as Harris collected three base knocks, equaling his personal best set twice this year. He also added two RBIs and scored a run himself. Nick Brooks, meanwhile, drew two walks, matching his career high set April 24 against Santa Clara. While not tying any career marks, Jacobs also had a solid day, driving in three runs on two hits and scoring one. Frost led the team with three runs scored.

Mac Talk: Thoughts from Gonzaga head coach Mark Machtolf:

• "Great win tonight. The guys are very excited about winning a championship and even more excited at the opportunity tomorrow to not have to share it."
• "[Morgan] was outstanding, the epitome of a pitcher. He was mixing speeds well, and he just kept them off balance all night. Eli will be huge in the tournament [WCC Championships]. We feel great matching him up with anybody's number two guy."

Next Up:

Gonzaga and San Diego will wrap up the conference season with a final game on Saturday, May 21, again at Fowler Park. Junior righty Hunter Wells will take the mound for the Bulldogs while the Toreros have yet to announce their starter. First pitch for that contest is slated for 6:30 p.m.