FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21 | 1 P.M. PST | BAYLOR BALLPARK | WACO, TEXAS
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22 | 12 P.M. PST | BAYLOR BALLPARK | WACO, TEXAS
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23| 10 A.M. PST | BAYLOR BALLPARK | WACO, TEXAS
- Gonzaga will face Baylor for the first time in program history this weekend.
- This weekend will mark the first of three consecutive series against Big 12 teams.
- Under Machtolf, the Bulldogs are 41-59-1 vs. Big 12 teams.
- GU is coming off a 1-2 weekend at UC Davis, winning the season opener 6-1.
- Baylor swept Youngstown State (10-3, 16-4 (7), 12-4) in three games over the opening weekend before picking up a 5-0 midweek win over UTSA on Tuesday.
- The Zags' 2.88 team ERA after opening weekend leads the WCC (49th in NCAA).
- In the West Coast Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, Gonzaga was picked to finish third behind San Diego and Portland. Just five points are what separated Portland (2nd), Gonzaga (t-3rd), Santa Clara (t-3rd), and Saint Mary's (4th).
- Gonzaga is coming off a 21-32 (14-10 in WCC play) season and a third-place finish at the West Coast Conference Tournament in Las Vegas in 2024.
- Baylor finished the 2024 season with a 22-31 record with a 10-20 record in Big 12 conference play, finishing 11th in the regular season standings.
- This season, the Bulldogs return five of their starting eight position players, two of their three regular rotation starters, and three of their high-leverage bullpen arms. Six of Gonzaga's top seven hitters from 2024 also return this season.
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Mark Machtolf enters the weekend with 598 career wins, which is second-most in GU history. Steve Hertz owns the all-time record with 637 career wins.
SCOUTING THE BEARS
- Baylor is coming off a 4-0 week, first earning a three-game sweep over Youngstown State (10-3, 16-4 (7), 12-4).
- In their first 2025 midweek game, Baylor shut out UTSA 5-0 to improve to 4-0.
- Through four games, the Bears are batting .396, averaging 10.75 runs/game and 13.75 hits/game.
- Baylor's pitching staff combined for a 2.38 ERA over the first week, striking out 46 over 34.0 IP.
- In 2024, Baylor finished with a 22-31 overall record, including a 10-20 record in Big 12 play.
- BU batted .273 as a team in 2024, finishing ninth in the Big 12. Their 409 strikeouts were fourth-lowest.
- Baylor's 6.51 ERA in 2024 was the highest in the Big 12. Opponents batted .284 off of Bears pitching last year.
- As a staff, Baylor struck out 450 (12th in the Big 12) while walking just 264 (third in the Big 12).
- Former Zag
Enzo Apodaca (OF) led Baylor with a .333 batting average in 2024. He also led the Bears in hits (70), runs scored (46), RBI (42), and hit by pitches (12).
- OF Wesley Jordan batted .331 in 2024 with a team-leading nine home runs, adding 32 runs batted in.
- Friday starter Ethan Calder returns in 2025 after a team-low 3.23 ERA among qualified pitching. He finished 2024 with a 5-3 record over 55 and two-thirds innings, striking out 41 and walking 12.
- Jordan, an All-Big12 Second Team nod and Calder, an Honorable Mention in 2024, return this season for BU.
ON THESE DATES
- Gonzaga is a combined 10-20 on Feb. 21-23 under Machtolf.
- GU is 5-6 on Feb. 21, winning their most recent game on that date in 2022 (Gonzaga 9, California 8).
- Gonzaga is 4-6 on Feb. 22, falling in their most recent game in 2021 against Kansas State (Kansas State 6, Gonzaga 1).
- GU is 1-8 on Feb. 23 under Machtolf, with their lone win coming in 2013 at Pacific (Gonzaga 9, Pacific 8).
BULLPEN SHINES DESPITE SERIES LOSS AT UC DAVIS
- Despite dropping their season-opening season, Gonzaga's bullpen made a strong showing over UC Davis.
- Bulldog relievers combined for 11 and two-thirds innings, scattering six hits and just two runs while striking out ten and walking six.
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Ryan Hernandez appeared twice in the UC Davi series, combining for two and two-thirds innings without allowing a baserunner. The Cal Baptist graduate transfer needed just 27 total pitches, striking out two.
- In his lone relief appearance,
Finbar O'Brien threw two and two-thirds of shutout baseball, allowing just one baserunner on a walk while striking out two in game two.
- In the season opener,
Michael Cunneely threw four innings to close out a 6-1 win, picking up his first career save after allowing just one run on four hits and striking out four.
SHUPE FIRST TO HOMER AGAIN
- For the second straight season, INF
Hudson Shupe hit the first Gonzaga home run of the year.
- On Feb. 16, Shupe hit a one-out solo home run at UC Davis to break the ice for the Zags.
- In 2024, Shupe hit the first pitch of the season out to right field at UCLA on Feb. 16.
GRAHAM QUIETS AGGIE BATS IN SEASON-OPENING WIN
- In just his fourth-career start, RHP
Payton Graham threw five scoreless innings on Feb. 14 at UC Davis to earn his first win of the 2025 season.
- Graham allowed just two hits while striking out seven and walking two, paving the way for a four-inning save from
Michael Cunneely.
- In his final inning of work, Graham struck out the side on 15 pitches to qualify for the win in the fifth.
ZAGS PICKED THIRD IN WCC PRESEASON POLL
- Gonzaga was picked to finish third in the West Coast Conference Preseason Poll on Feb. 6.
- The Zags accumulated 44 points, resulting in a tie for third with Santa Clara.
- San Diego topped the Preseason Poll with 64 points and eight first-place votes.
- Just five points separated the poll's second-place and fifth-place teams.
PAIR OF ZAGS PICKED PRESEASON ALL-WCC
- Last season, Eisenstat led the Bulldogs in seven offensive categories, including average (.301), runs (34), hits (58), and RBI (30).
- Eisenstat also earned West Coast Conference Honorable Mention with one WCC Player of the Week honor.
- Feld is Gonzaga's leading returner in seven pitching categories.
- Amongst WCC ranks, Feld's 4.16 was tenth last season while allowing the fourth-fewest total earned runs (29). - Feld struck out 62 batters over 62.2 IP, averaging just under nine strikeouts per nine and was the second of five Bulldogs to earn All-WCC Honorable Mention in 2024.
FEBRUARY BASEBALL IN SPOKANE
- This season, Gonzaga will set a record for the earliest date played at Patterson Baseball Complex and Coach Steve Hertz Field.
- On Feb. 27, the Bulldogs will play their home opener against BYU, continuing the series Feb. 28 and March 1.
- The Zags last played at Patterson in February back in 2008 against BYU, opening their home schedule on Feb. 28 that year.
MACHTOLF CLOSING IN ON 600
- Head coach
Mark Machtolf enters 2025 with 597 career wins on his resume over 21 seasons leading the Bulldogs.
- This season, he aims to become just the second coach in Gonzaga baseball history to eclipse 600.
- His 597 wins are second-most and 40 shy of Steve Hertz, who won 637 over 24 seasons (1978, 1981-2003).
- Machtolf's .543 career win percentage is third-highest among all Gonzaga baseball head coaches.
- In 2024, Machtolf reached 300 wins in WCC play, becoming the second coach in WCC history to do so.Â
IMPACT TRANSFERS
- Gonzaga's 2025 roster includes five transfers from four-year colleges: two pitchers and three position players.
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Cooper Ciesielski (OF) spent two seasons at UT Permian Basin, batting .349 with nine home runs and 46 RBI.
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Luca DiPaolo (C) arrives from Southern Cal., batting .107 in limited action over two seasons for the Trojans.
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Ty Yukumoto (INF) spent three seasons at Pacific University (OR), batting .329 with 156 hits and 75 RBI.
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Jared Glenn (RHP) spent two seasons at Arizona St. in '21-'22, appearing at the 2021 Austin Regional for ASU.
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Ryan Hernandez (LHP) is a gradute transfer from Cal Baptist, holding a career 2.50 ERA over 44 appearances.
ABOUT THE 2025 SCHEDULE
- Gonzaga's non-conference slate features teams from five different conferences, including five teams from the Big 12 and Big Ten. For the second straight season, the Bulldogs will not play any neutral site games during their non-conference schedule.
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Mark Machtolf is 408-315-1 all-time against the 2025 slate, including a 315-202 record against WCC opponents.
- Gonzaga's 2025 schedule spans six different states: Washington, Oregon, California, Utah, Arizona, Texas.
- Among the 2025 opponents, GU will face Baylor and Utah Tech for the first time under
Mark Machtolf.
GONZAGA TO JOIN THE PAC-12
- Gonzaga is headed to the Pac-12 Conference in all sports beginning July 1, 2026.
- The Zags will join Oregon State, Washington State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State.
- Of the eight current members, five schools compete in baseball: Gonzaga, Oregon State, Washington State, Fresno State, and San Diego State.
- The final RPI rankings for those five teams from the 2024 season...
    18. Oregon Stat           172. Gonzaga
    176. Fresno State        194. Washington State
    235. San Diego State
ZAGS IN THE PROS
- MLB Spring Training kicks off this week with six former Zags reporting to big league camps.
- Brett Harris, Gabriel Hughes, Alek Jacob, Casey Legumina, Wyatt Mills, and Eli Morgan will report to spring training.
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Liam Paddack is the most recent Zag to be drafted, selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 18th round (2024).
- Four former Bulldogs played in the big leagues in 2024: Gonzales, Eli Morgan, Alek Jacob, and Brett Harris.
- Two former Zags made MLB Playoff rosters in '24: Morgan (Cleveland Guardians) and Jacob (San Diego Padres).
- On Nov. 20, Eli Morgan was traded from the Guardians to the Chicago Cubs for prospect Alfonsin Rosario.
- After one season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Marco Gonzales elected free agency and will enter 2025 unsigned.
