Gonzaga (2-4) vs. Brigham Young (4-4)
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27 | 3 P.M. | PATTERSON BASEBALL COMPLEX & COACH STEVE HERTZ FIELD | SPOKANE
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28 | 3 P.M. | PATTERSON BASEBALL COMPLEX & COACH STEVE HERTZ FIELD | SPOKANE
SATURDAY, MARCH 1 | 1 P.M. | PATTERSON BASEBALL COMPLEX & COACH STEVE HERTZ FIELD | SPOKANE
- Gonzaga opens their 2025 home schedule this weekend against BYU.
- The Bulldogs and Cougars will meet for the 68th, 69th, and 70th time.
- GU is 36-31 against BYU, including 29-25 under Machtolf and 15-7 in Spokane.
- This weekend is the second of three straight series against Big 12 teams for GU.
- Under Machtolf, the Bulldogs are 42-61-1 vs. Big 12 teams.
- GU is coming off a 1-2 weekend at Baylor, winning the finale 8-7 in extra innings.
- BYU is coming off a series win at CSUN, winning 19-3 and 7-3 in games 1 and 2.
- Gonzaga's nine double plays this season ranks eighth across Division-I teams.
- 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 (5th).
- 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.
- BYU finished the 2024 season with a 21-31 record, including a 7-23 record in Big 12 conference play, finishing 13th 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 599 career wins, which is second-most in GU history. Steve Hertz owns the all-time record with 637 career wins.
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
- BYU is coming off a 2-1 weekend at CSUN, winning the opening two games 19-3 and 7-3 in Northridge, Calif.
- 1B/OF Cooper Vest was named Big-12 Co-Player of the Week, batting .438 with three home runs last weekend.
- Through eight games, the Cougars are batting .257 and are averaging 6.5 runs/game and 9.25 hits/game.
- BYU's pitching staff has combined for a 6.62 ERA over the first two weeks, striking out 51 over 68.0 IP.
- In 2024, BYU finished with a 21-31 overall record, including a 7-23 record in Big 12 play.
- BYU batted .251 as a team in 2024, ranking 13th in the Big 12. Their 577 strikeouts were the highest.
- The Cougars' 5.97 ERA in 2024 was the third-highest in the Big 12, with opponents batting .274.Â
- As a staff, Baylor struck out 438 (13th in the Big 12) while walking just 252 (seventh in the Big 12).
- OF Bryker Hurdsman leads the Cougars in 2025 with a .393 average, 11 hits, and nine runs scored.
- OF/INF Luke Anderson is batting .344 to open the season with three home runs and a team-leading 11 RBI.
- Thursday starter Payton Gubler was 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA in seven starts last season, striking out 32.
- RHP Stone Cushing (Honorable Mention ) was one of four All-Big 12 honorees in 2024 and returns for 2025.
ON THESE DATES
- Gonzaga is a combined 11-15 on Feb. 27 - Mar. 1 under
Mark Machtolf.
- GU is 6-5 on Feb. 27, winning their most recent game on that date in 2022 (GON 3, CSUF 2 (10 inn)).
- Gonzaga is 2-6 on Feb. 28, dropping their most recent game in 2021 against Dallas Baptist (DBU 8, GON 7).
- GU is 3-4 on Mar. 1 under Machtolf, falling twice in a doubleheader to BYU in 2024 (L, 2-11 and L, 4-6).
DOUBLE VISION
- GU's infield has turned nine double plays to open 2025. That mark ranks first in the WCC and ninth in Division-I.
- In the series finale at Baylor, GU turned two crucial double plays late in the game, totalling four in the series.
- Gonzaga is averaging 1.50 double plays per game, ranking third nationally with that mark.
SHUPE OFF TO A HOT START IN 2025
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Hudson Shupe is batting .522 over the first two weeks of the season, including a 7-for-10 weekend at Baylor.
- Shupe's .522 batting average leads all WCC hitters and ranks 30th in Division-I baseball, and his 12 hits so far ranks fourth in the WCC and 57th nationally.
ZAGS COMPLETE COMEBACK IN FINALE AT BAYLOR
- Gonzaga scored twice in the ninth and once in the tenth to defeat Baylor 8-7 on Sunday in Waco, Texas.
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Hudson Shupe was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, scoring the winning run in the top of the tenth.
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Erik Hoffberg earned his first career win, throwing four innings in relief. (W, 4.0 IP, H, 2 R, 3 K, 4 BB).
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Michael Cunneely sealed the win with his second save of the season, striking out one over a scoreless inning.
BRABEC DEALS IN DIVISION-I DEBUT
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Gabe Brabec made his first Division-I start in game one at Baylor, throwing five strong innings.
- Although a no decision, Brabec allowed one run on three hits and struck out seven while walking just three.
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, also 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 Gonzaga.
- 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 State        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.
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