2-seed Gonzaga (37-18) vs. 3-seed Columbia (31-17)
SUNDAY, JUNE 5 | 10 A.M. PT | BLACKSBURG, VA | ENGLISH FIELD AT ATLANTIC UNION BANK PARK
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LEADING OFF
- Second-seeded Gonzaga faces third-seeded Columbia in the fifth game of the Blacksburg Regional in the 2022 NCAA Tournament in Blacksburg, Va., Sunday at 10 a.m. Pacific Time.
- The Zags' 37 wins match the fifth-most in program history and are the most under Head Coach Mark Machtolf. The 37 victories are also the most in 32 years when GU won 37 games in 1990.
- The Bulldogs appear in the NCAA Tournament for the 12th time in program history, and for the fourth time in the last six tournaments (2022, 2021, 2018, 2016).
- The Zags clinched their second straight regular season conference title and the sixth in program history. GU has won either the WCC's regular season or tournament title in five of the last six seasons.
- Mark Machtolf was named the WCC Coach of the Year, while Connor Coballes and Cade McGee were named the league's Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year.
- Gonzaga won all nine of its West Coast Conference series this season. It marks the first time the Bulldogs have ever won every WCC series in a season since joining the league in 1996. The Zags lost only one weekend series this season, dropping a pair of games to Long Beach State on the road in March.
- GU matched its record for most West Coast Conference wins in a season at 20. The Bulldogs were 20-7 in WCC play in 2017 and last season.
- The Bulldogs are 10th in the country with six shutouts and seventh with 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings. They lead the WCC in both of those stat categories. GU is 15th in the nation in Earned Run Average (3.95) and 19th in Fielding Percentage (.979).
- Gabriel Hughes is sixth in the nation with 138 strikeouts, while Trystan Vrieling is 32nd with 104. They are first and fourth in the WCC in that stat category. Hughes is 15th in strikeouts per nine innings (12.82)
- The Bulldogs' No. 10 ranking is the highest under Mark Machtolf's 19 seasons at the helm.
- GU boasts three wins over Top-5 teams this season, going 4-1 versus Top-10 competition, including a 13-6 victory at No. 2 Oregon State on April 18, the highest-ranked foe the Zags have ever beat.
 
BULLDOGS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
- Including this season, Gonzaga has advanced to the NCAA Division I Baseball Championships 12 times in program history. The Zags are 12-23 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
- The Bulldogs made their first postseason NCAA appearance back in 1971 when they advanced to the NCAA Districts; Gonzaga has appeared in three NCAA Districts in 1971, 1973 and 1974.
- In 1976, Gonzaga advanced to its first-ever NCAA Regional. That year, the Bulldogs traveled to Tempe, Ariz., and was eliminated after two losses--one to ASU and another to Minnesota.
- The Zags also made appearances in an NCAA Regional in 1978, 1980, 1981, 2009, 2016, 2018 and 2021.
- Last season, second-seeded GU opened a Regional in Eugene with a 4-0 shutout win over third-seeded LSU. Top-seeded Oregon then beat the Bulldogs, 7-3. LSU eliminated Gonzaga 9-4 on Day 3.
- The Zags' two-seed this season matches the highest in program history. Before last season, GU was the No. 3 seed in three-consecutive appearances.
 
SERIES AT A GLANCE
- This is the second matchup between Gonzaga and Columbia, with the Lions winning the first meeting Friday in Game 1 of the regional, 8-2.
- The Zags are 7-3-1 all-time against members from the Ivy League
- This is the first time Gonzaga is playing in the state of Virginia.
 
LAST TIME OUT
- Down 9-4 and facing elimination from the Blacksburg Regional, No. 3 seed Gonzaga mounted a dramatic comeback against No. 4 Wright State, with RHP Owen Wild entering the game and holding the Raiders scoreless for the final six as the Zags chipped away at the deficit before a four-run seventh took the lead for good. Wild's gutsy 7-strikeout performance over the final six frames calmed down a Raiders lineup that exploded for six runs in the bottom of the third to take a commanding lead
- Savier Pinales' 3-for-5 outing produced 3 RBI and two runs to lead GU on offense, with Enzo Apodaca, Tyler Rando and Ezra Samperi each connecting on a pair of hits each.
 
ON DECK
- With a win Sunday in Game 5, the Zags advance to the sixth game of the Blacksburg Regional later in the day at 4 p.m. PT, and face the Game 4 winning team in the regional championship series.