Tuesday, May 18
Eugene, Ore.
6 p.m.
Gonzaga University
at
#13 Oregon
Photo by: Scobel Wiggins
#17 Gonzaga Faces #13 Oregon Tuesday in Eugene
5/17/2021 12:29:00 PM | Baseball
Single game rescheduled from May 3
SPOKANE, Wash. – The #17 Gonzaga baseball team travels to Eugene, Ore., to take on #13 Oregon Tuesday, May 18 at 6 p.m. at PK Park. It's the first and only matchup of the season between the two squads after three previously scheduled games were cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols within the Gonzaga program.
#17 GONZAGA (30-13) at #13 OREGON (33-11)
MAY 18 | 6 P.M. | EUGENE, ORE. | PK PARK
WATCH LIVE | LIVE STATS
Probables
May 18 | 6 p.m. PT
TBA vs. TBA
Series Review
Since the 2000 season, Oregon leads the series 15-2, and the Ducks have won the last three meetings. Gonzaga won back-to-back games in 2016, opening with a 9-7 victory on May 9 in Eugene and closing with a 5-4 win May 10.
Pac-12 Track Record
Gonzaga has faced Pac-12 opponents numerous times over the years---564 times to be exact. Against current members of the conference, the Zags carry a 218-345-1 record. Of the 12 current member institutions, GU has faced Washington State the most with an 88-126 overall record in the series. The next opponent the Zags have played the most out of the Pac-12 is Washington with 141 meetings between the two programs with the most recent meeting coming April 20th at Washington, a 3-0 shutout win in favor of Gonzaga.
So far this season, Gonzaga carries a 5-2 overall record against Pac-12 opponents with two losses to Oregon State and victories against OSU, Washington and Washington State. Tuesday's matchup at Oregon will be the final regular-season game against a Pac-12 opponent.
West Coast Conference Outlook
- Gonzaga returned from a two-week pause with a vengeance, sweeping the series against Portland on the road. The Bulldogs sit atop the West Coast Conference standings with a 17-4 mark, while San Diego sits alone in second with a 15-6 overall conference record. San Francisco (15-9) and Portland (13-11) round out the top four.
- Portland leads the WCC in strikeouts with 450, while Gonzaga ranks second with 433. SMC is the only other WCC squad with at least 400 strikeouts, ranking third with 425.
- The Bulldogs lead the conference in fielding percentage at .981 with 1170 putouts, which ranks seventh. The Zags also have the fewest number of errors in the league with 29 and rank tied for third in league play in double plays with 29. Pacific leads the WCC in doubles plays with 41.
- San Diego leads the WCC in batting average at .305, while Gonzaga claims the second spot with a .286 batting average. Pepperdine ranks third at .261.
- Gonzaga also ranks second in the WCC in RBI with 262 but lead the conference in hits with 434. San Diego leads the WCC in RBI with 273 and ranks second in hits with 413.
- Brett Harris leads the league in batting average at .362 and ranks second in hits with 59. Harris ranks tied for fifth in the conference with 35 RBI, while Andrew Orzel ranks eighth with 32 RBI. Tyler Rando ranks tied for 13th in RBI with 29.
- GU leads the WCC in runs with 301, while San Diego ranks second with 297.
- Gonzaga was picked to finish the WCC second behind Pepperdine.
Keep Climbing: Gonzaga Ranked in Multiple Top 25 Polls
Gonzaga earned its first national ranking of the season on April 26, earning a No. 21 ranking from D1Baseball.com. The Zags finished the week prior with an unblemished 4-0 record, starting with a Tuesday afternoon win at Washington (April 20) and ending with a series sweep over BYU at Patterson Baseball Complex and Coach Steve Hertz Field (April 22-24). Since then, Gonzaga was forced into a two-week pause due to COVID-19 protocols, but in its first series back from the pause the Zags swept Portland on the road by scores of 12-4, 6-3 and 5-3 (10 inn.). The Bulldogs didn't skip a beat, and the national polls took notice. On Monday, May 17, the Zags jumped to No. 17 in the D1Baseball Top 25, to No. 19 in Collegiate Baseball Top 25 and broke into the top 25 in Baseball America, coming in at No. 25. Gonzaga's No. 17 ranking is the highest ranking for GU since a No. 19 ranking in 2017, and it's the highest since GU earned a No. 9 ranking from Collegiate Baseball back in 1980.
Gonzaga earned its first-ever national ranking during the 1971 season, earning a No. 15 ranking by Collegiate Baseball. GU's highest-ever national ranking came in the 1980 season when the Bulldogs were ranked ninth by Collegiate Baseball. Since 2010, Gonzaga has been ranked 19 times, reaching as high as 19th in both Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball national rankings. This season, GU has five wins over ranked opponents (Dallas Baptist, TCU and Oregon State), and has had an RPI ranking as high as No. 27 this season.
Nationally Speaking...
- The Bulldogs broke into the D1Baseball Top 25 on April 26 for the first time this season, debuting at No. 21. GU is currently ranked in three separate polls: #17 (D1Baseball), #19 (Collegiate Baseball), #25 (Baseball America).
- Currently the Zags are 17th in the RPI rankings (for games through May 16) and rank the highest out of any WCC teams. San Diego ranks 84th, while BYU ranks 136th and San Francisco rans 137th..
- Brett Harris has been hit by pitches 20 times on the year to rank tied for fifth nationally.
- As a team, GU batters have been hit by pitches 89 times; that number ranks fourth in the country and leads the West Coast Conference.
- The Bulldogs also rank among the top 10 nationally in fielding percentage with a .982 fielding percentage. That number ranks sixth nationally.
- With seven shutouts on the year, Gonzaga ranks tied for fourth nationally.
Zags at a Glance
- Brett Harris leads the Zags in batting average (.36273) and OPS (1.062), while Ernie Yake ranks second with a .316 batting average.
- Tyler Rando leads the fielding effort with a team-high 297 putouts with 14 assists and a .997 fielding percentage. Andrew Orzel ranks second with 175 putouts, 39 assists and a .991 fielding percentage while Guthrie Morrison has 104 putouts.
- On the mound, Alek Jacob leads the team and ranks second in the West Coast Conference in strikeouts with 89 with a 3.16 ERA, good for seventh in the WCC. Gabriel Hughes ranks second on the team and tied for seventh in the conference with 67 Ks in 61.1 innings pitched.
- The Zags have had multiple Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week honors this season. Grayson Sterling was the most recent Zag to earn WCC Player of the Week, joining Brett Harris (April 19) and Stephen Lund (March 16) who have also earned the award this season. This was the first week in nearly a month that the Zags didn't take home WCC Pitcher of the Week honors.
GU earned three-straight WCC Pitcher of the Week awards from April 5-19, with Alek Jacob earning the honor on April 5 and 19th with Gabriel Hughes took it home on April 12. Hughes was also named Pitcher of the Week back on March 23, while William Kempner was named Pitcher of the Week on March 9.
Potential Hosts
On Friday, May 14, Gonzaga was named as one of 20 potential host sites for the Division I Baseball Championships. The Bulldogs are one of only four teams west of the state of Texas, including Arizona, Oregon and Stanford. The final 16 predetermined sites will be revealed at 5:30 p.m. PT on Sunday, May 30. If Gonzaga is selected to host, it would mark the first time in program history the Zags have hosted an NCAA Regional. The only other time Gonzaga has hosted an NCAA postseason series was in 1974. Gonzaga hosted Denver in an NCAA District series.
#17 GONZAGA (30-13) at #13 OREGON (33-11)
MAY 18 | 6 P.M. | EUGENE, ORE. | PK PARK
WATCH LIVE | LIVE STATS
Probables
May 18 | 6 p.m. PT
TBA vs. TBA
Series Review
Since the 2000 season, Oregon leads the series 15-2, and the Ducks have won the last three meetings. Gonzaga won back-to-back games in 2016, opening with a 9-7 victory on May 9 in Eugene and closing with a 5-4 win May 10.
Pac-12 Track Record
Gonzaga has faced Pac-12 opponents numerous times over the years---564 times to be exact. Against current members of the conference, the Zags carry a 218-345-1 record. Of the 12 current member institutions, GU has faced Washington State the most with an 88-126 overall record in the series. The next opponent the Zags have played the most out of the Pac-12 is Washington with 141 meetings between the two programs with the most recent meeting coming April 20th at Washington, a 3-0 shutout win in favor of Gonzaga.
So far this season, Gonzaga carries a 5-2 overall record against Pac-12 opponents with two losses to Oregon State and victories against OSU, Washington and Washington State. Tuesday's matchup at Oregon will be the final regular-season game against a Pac-12 opponent.
West Coast Conference Outlook
- Gonzaga returned from a two-week pause with a vengeance, sweeping the series against Portland on the road. The Bulldogs sit atop the West Coast Conference standings with a 17-4 mark, while San Diego sits alone in second with a 15-6 overall conference record. San Francisco (15-9) and Portland (13-11) round out the top four.
- Portland leads the WCC in strikeouts with 450, while Gonzaga ranks second with 433. SMC is the only other WCC squad with at least 400 strikeouts, ranking third with 425.
- The Bulldogs lead the conference in fielding percentage at .981 with 1170 putouts, which ranks seventh. The Zags also have the fewest number of errors in the league with 29 and rank tied for third in league play in double plays with 29. Pacific leads the WCC in doubles plays with 41.
- San Diego leads the WCC in batting average at .305, while Gonzaga claims the second spot with a .286 batting average. Pepperdine ranks third at .261.
- Gonzaga also ranks second in the WCC in RBI with 262 but lead the conference in hits with 434. San Diego leads the WCC in RBI with 273 and ranks second in hits with 413.
- Brett Harris leads the league in batting average at .362 and ranks second in hits with 59. Harris ranks tied for fifth in the conference with 35 RBI, while Andrew Orzel ranks eighth with 32 RBI. Tyler Rando ranks tied for 13th in RBI with 29.
- GU leads the WCC in runs with 301, while San Diego ranks second with 297.
- Gonzaga was picked to finish the WCC second behind Pepperdine.
Keep Climbing: Gonzaga Ranked in Multiple Top 25 Polls
Gonzaga earned its first national ranking of the season on April 26, earning a No. 21 ranking from D1Baseball.com. The Zags finished the week prior with an unblemished 4-0 record, starting with a Tuesday afternoon win at Washington (April 20) and ending with a series sweep over BYU at Patterson Baseball Complex and Coach Steve Hertz Field (April 22-24). Since then, Gonzaga was forced into a two-week pause due to COVID-19 protocols, but in its first series back from the pause the Zags swept Portland on the road by scores of 12-4, 6-3 and 5-3 (10 inn.). The Bulldogs didn't skip a beat, and the national polls took notice. On Monday, May 17, the Zags jumped to No. 17 in the D1Baseball Top 25, to No. 19 in Collegiate Baseball Top 25 and broke into the top 25 in Baseball America, coming in at No. 25. Gonzaga's No. 17 ranking is the highest ranking for GU since a No. 19 ranking in 2017, and it's the highest since GU earned a No. 9 ranking from Collegiate Baseball back in 1980.
Gonzaga earned its first-ever national ranking during the 1971 season, earning a No. 15 ranking by Collegiate Baseball. GU's highest-ever national ranking came in the 1980 season when the Bulldogs were ranked ninth by Collegiate Baseball. Since 2010, Gonzaga has been ranked 19 times, reaching as high as 19th in both Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball national rankings. This season, GU has five wins over ranked opponents (Dallas Baptist, TCU and Oregon State), and has had an RPI ranking as high as No. 27 this season.
Nationally Speaking...
- The Bulldogs broke into the D1Baseball Top 25 on April 26 for the first time this season, debuting at No. 21. GU is currently ranked in three separate polls: #17 (D1Baseball), #19 (Collegiate Baseball), #25 (Baseball America).
- Currently the Zags are 17th in the RPI rankings (for games through May 16) and rank the highest out of any WCC teams. San Diego ranks 84th, while BYU ranks 136th and San Francisco rans 137th..
- Brett Harris has been hit by pitches 20 times on the year to rank tied for fifth nationally.
- As a team, GU batters have been hit by pitches 89 times; that number ranks fourth in the country and leads the West Coast Conference.
- The Bulldogs also rank among the top 10 nationally in fielding percentage with a .982 fielding percentage. That number ranks sixth nationally.
- With seven shutouts on the year, Gonzaga ranks tied for fourth nationally.
Zags at a Glance
- Brett Harris leads the Zags in batting average (.36273) and OPS (1.062), while Ernie Yake ranks second with a .316 batting average.
- Tyler Rando leads the fielding effort with a team-high 297 putouts with 14 assists and a .997 fielding percentage. Andrew Orzel ranks second with 175 putouts, 39 assists and a .991 fielding percentage while Guthrie Morrison has 104 putouts.
- On the mound, Alek Jacob leads the team and ranks second in the West Coast Conference in strikeouts with 89 with a 3.16 ERA, good for seventh in the WCC. Gabriel Hughes ranks second on the team and tied for seventh in the conference with 67 Ks in 61.1 innings pitched.
- The Zags have had multiple Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week honors this season. Grayson Sterling was the most recent Zag to earn WCC Player of the Week, joining Brett Harris (April 19) and Stephen Lund (March 16) who have also earned the award this season. This was the first week in nearly a month that the Zags didn't take home WCC Pitcher of the Week honors.
GU earned three-straight WCC Pitcher of the Week awards from April 5-19, with Alek Jacob earning the honor on April 5 and 19th with Gabriel Hughes took it home on April 12. Hughes was also named Pitcher of the Week back on March 23, while William Kempner was named Pitcher of the Week on March 9.
Potential Hosts
On Friday, May 14, Gonzaga was named as one of 20 potential host sites for the Division I Baseball Championships. The Bulldogs are one of only four teams west of the state of Texas, including Arizona, Oregon and Stanford. The final 16 predetermined sites will be revealed at 5:30 p.m. PT on Sunday, May 30. If Gonzaga is selected to host, it would mark the first time in program history the Zags have hosted an NCAA Regional. The only other time Gonzaga has hosted an NCAA postseason series was in 1974. Gonzaga hosted Denver in an NCAA District series.
Players Mentioned
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