Baseball Set for Three Games at Wichita State This Weekend

Friday, March 15

Wichita, Kans.

4 p.m. PST

Gonzaga University

Wichita State

Photo by: Scott Kane

Baseball Set for Three Games at Wichita State This Weekend

3/14/2024 11:14:00 AM | Baseball

Gonzaga Notes

This will be Gonzaga's final non-conference series before opening WCC play next weekend at home

- Gonzaga will complete their four-game road trip this week with a three-game series at Wichita State. The game times are 4pm, 12pm, and 11am PST.

- Gonzaga and Wichita State will face off for the first time in program history.

- Gonzaga is coming off of a 5-4 loss at SIUE on Wednesday. The Bulldogs and Cougars traded the lead back and forth before an eighth inning home run for SIUE gave them the eventual one-run victory.

- Prior to Wednesday's game at SIUE, the Zags are coming off of a series win at home against Minnesota last weekend. Gonzaga secured 7-3 and 5-3 wins in games one and three while dropping the middle game 8-5.

- In the Minnesota series, Tommy Eisenstat combined to go 5-for-11 with four RBIs, four runs scored, zero strikeouts and stole home.

- Gonzaga will begin their 2024 West Coast Conference slate next weekend at home against Loyola Marymount.

- Pitcher Michael Cunneely is eighth in the country in walks allowed per nine innings, rocking a 0.60 with just one walk over 15.0 IP. He is also eighth nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (14.00) and 14th in WHIP (0.73).

- In his most recent start against Minnesota, Cunneely posted seven-plus innings, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out seven and walking none.

BULLDOGS/SHOCKERS SERIES HISTORY

- Gonzaga and Wichita State will meet for the first time this weekend at Eck Stadium. However, this won't be the first meeting between head coaches Mark Machtolf and Brian Green.

- Green is in his first year at Wichita State after four seasons at Washington State, a familiar in-season foe for Gonzaga.

- During Green's stint with the Cougs, Gonzaga owned a 5-3 record against Washington State.

- Last season, Washington State took the season series 2-1.

- The Zags have never played a road game in the state of Kansas, but they hold a 2-2 all-time record against schools instate (Kansas and Kansas State).

SCOUTING THE SHOCKERS

- Wichita State is coming off of a brief midweek series split at home against Nebraska

- After dropping the first game on Tuesday 8-6, Wichita State won 9-3 on Wednesday.

- Last weekend, Wichita State won a series against Long Beach State, taking the first and third games by scores of 4-1 and 8-2. The Shockers are 7-3 in their last ten games.

- As a team, Wichita State is hitting .288 with an on-base percentage of .400 and slugging percentage of .450. They have compiled 18 home runs so far this season and are currently 12th in the nation in hit-by-pitches with 39.

- Camden Johnson leads the Wichita State offense, slashing .394/.468/.439 batting leadoff. He also leads the team in hits, runs, and walks. Ryan Callahan is second with a .345 average.

- Friday starter Caden Favors is 3-0 this season with a 1.59 ERA for Wichita State. Opponents are hitting .204 against Favors, who has 35 strikeouts to his name so far.

- Wichita State's weekend rotation is a combined 6-2 with a 4.06 ERA and 72 strikeouts.

ON DECK

- After their four-game road trip to the midwest this week, Gonzaga returns home for their West Coast Conference opening series Mar. 22-24 against Loyola Marymount.

- Gonzaga will then travel to Saint Mary's Mar. 28-30 before stopping in Corvallis to play Oregon State Apr. 1-2.

CUNNEELY IN THE WCC AND NATIONAL RANKS

- Pitching transfer Michael Cunneely is currently among the top ten ranks in the West Coast Conference in seven different categories. Notably, he is tied for first in walks allowed (one), second in hits allowed (ten), and third in opposing batting average (.189).

- Among the national ranks, Cunneely is eighth in both walks allowed per nine innings (0.6) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (14.00), and is 14th in WHIP (0.73).

- In his recent two appearances (both starts), Cunneely has combined for 12.0 innings, scattering six runs on eight hits, striking out 12 and walking zero.

ZAGS EARN SERIES WIN OVER MINNESOTA

- Gonzaga picked up their first series win of the 2024 season against Minnesota.

- The Zags and Gophers split the first two games before GU prevailed in the rubber match.

- Tommy Eisenstat led Gonzaga over the weekend, hitting .625 with five hits, four RBIs, and three runs scored in the two wins of the series.

- Michael Cunneely posted a quality start in Thursday's opener after posting seven-plus strong innings, surredering just three runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and no walks.

- Liam Paddack earned the win in Saturday's rubber match after working 4 2/3 innings in relief, giving up just one run on four hits, striking out six and walking none.

HOME SWEET HOME

- Gonzaga will open its 2024 home schedule with a .645 win percentage over 17 seasons at Patterson Baseball Complex and Coach Steve Hertz Field.

- Since its opening in 2007, the Zags are 202-111 with a WCC record of 134-63 (.680).

- Gonzaga has finished with a home win percentage of .500 or better in 16 out of 17 seasons since Patterson opened in 2007 and 13 straight seasons since 2010.

- In home opening games at Patterson, Gonzaga is 12-5 despite losing four straight home openers since 2020.

ZAGS UPSET NO. 6 VANDERBILT IN SERIES FINALE

- Jordan Hamberg lifted a seventh-inning grand slam to propel Gonzaga to a 9-8 victory in game three on Feb. 25. The Bulldogs put up eight runs in the inning after taking advantage of two Commodore errors.

- Daniel Sotelo shut the door on the Zags' comeback win with three innings, giving up just one run on three hits, striking out two and walking none.

- Gonzaga's bullpen combined for eight innings, surrenduring just three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and four walks in the series finale.

- Gonzaga's win marks their highest-ranked win since 2022 when they defeated No. 2 Oregon State in Corvallis.

MACHTOLF EYES 600TH WIN IN 2024

- Gonzaga Head Coach Mark Machtolf enters his 21st season at the helm for the Bulldogs, currently holding 578 career wins since taking the reigns in the fall of 2003.

- Machtolf is just 23 wins from eclipsing 600. He currently holds the second-most wins in program history behind Steve Hertz, who has 637 (24 seasons, 1978, 1981-2003). Machtolf's .551 win percentage is third-highest in Gonzaga history behind Larry Koentopp's (1970-77) .677 and Jim Lawler's (1979-80) .667.

- Throughout his 20-year tenure, Machtolf has won 30 games in 13 of those seasons. One of those other seven was the 2020 season that was cut short by Covid.