FRIDAY, MARCH 21 | 3 P.M. | EDDY D. FIELD STADIUM | MALIBU, CALIF.
SATURDAY, MARCH 22 | 2 P.M. | EDDY D. FIELD STADIUM | MALIBU, CALIF.
SUNDAY, MARCH 23 | 1 P.M. | EDDY D. FIELD STADIUM | MALIBU, CALIF.
- Gonzaga will travel to Pepperdine to kick off WCC play this weekend in Malibu.
- The Bulldogs and Waves will play in their 112th, 113th, and 114th all-time meetings.
- Gonzaga has won two of the last three regular season series against Pepperdine.
- The Bulldogs' .984 fielding percentage leads the WCC and ranks seventh in the NCAA.
- Gonzaga's infield has turned 17 double plays tihs season (2nd in WCC, 40th in NCAA).
- In 2024, Pepperdine ended the regular season with a sweep over GU in Spokane.
- Pepperdine is coming off two home midweek games vs. Nebraska (L, 6-9 / L, 4-11).
- In 2024, the Waves went 15-38 (9-15 WCC) and finished sixth in the WCC standings.
- Under Machtolf, the Zags are 315-202 vs. WCC opponents (304-193 in WCC play).
- Gonzaga is on a four-game win streak after a perfect 4-0 weekend in Seattle.
- In their four wins last weekend, all four starting pitchers threw at least six innings and earned winning decisions. The latter three starters each threw seven complete innings.
- 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.
- 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.
- Gonzaga returns all six All-WCC honorees from 2024:
Tommy Eisenstat,
Justin Feld,
Miles Gosztola,
Erik Hoffberg,
Payton Knowles, and
Vincent Temesvary.
SCOUTING THE WAVES
- Pepperdine is coming off a pair of home midweek games against Nebraska (L, 6-9 and L, 4-11).
- C/UTL Esteban Sepulveda's has a team-leading .424 batting average with 14 hits in 13 games played.
- INF Julian Nunez has the highest average (.295) among qualified hitters, leading the team with 18 hits.
- Through 20 games, Pepperdine is batting .217 and are averaging 2.9 runs per game and 7.1 hits per game.
- The Waves pitching staff has combined for a 7.40 ERA, striking out 139 batters over 174.0 innings pitched.
- In 2024, Pepperdine finished with a 15-38 overall record, including a 9-15 record in WCC play (sixth place).
- Friday starter Tommy Scavone owns a 1.96 ERA across 23.0 IP in 2025, striking out 22 and walking eight.
- Scavone's 0.96 WHIP ranks second in the WCC and 69th overall in NCAA Division-I.
MACHTOLF ECLIPSES 600, THEN 601, 602, 603
- After an eight-game losing skid that kept Gonzaga Head Coach
Mark Machtolf at 599 career wins, the Bulldogs held on for a 4-3 win over Washington on March 14 despite a late ninth-inning rally by the Huskies.
- Machtolf becomes the second coach in Gonzaga and West Coast Conference history to eclipse 600 wins.
- His win total ranks second in GU history behind Steve Hertz, who holds the high mark with 637.
- GU caught a stride after Machtolf's 600th win, rattling off wins in their next three games to open a four-game streak heading into West Coast Conference play this weekend.
SHUUUUUPE
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Hudson Shupe continued his hot start to 2025 last weekend in Seattle, batting 9-for-17 (.529) eight runs scored and seven RBI, adding two walks, two stolen bases and a perfect defensive weekend with a team-high 17 assists.
- With that four-game stretch, Shupe now leads the team in average (.384), slugging percentage (.452), on base percentage (.432), runs (16), hits (28), RBI (12), and total bases (33).
GOOD THINGS COME IN PAIRS
- Gonzaga's defense has turned 17 double plays this season, ranking second in the WCC and 40th in NCAA D-I.
- The Bulldogs' 0.94 double plays per game also ranks second in the WCC and 24th in NCAA Division-I.
- In their three-game sweep over Washington and win over Seattle U, the Zags turned five double plays.
NEARLY FLAWLESS DEFENSE
- GU's .984 fielding percentage ranks seventh in the nation, while their 10 total errors are tied for second-fewest.
BULLDOGS BOUNCE BACK
- After a stretch of eight consecutive losses, Gonzaga bounced back with four straight wins last weekend.
- The Bulldogs completed their first ever three-game sweep of Washington at Husky Ballpark before getting revenge against Seattle U, who defeated the Zags earlier this season in Spokane.
- Gonzaga fended off three ninth-inning rallies from Washington to earn 4-3, 8-7, and 9-6 wins over the Huskies.
- On Monday, GU plated seven runs in the first two frames to run away with their fourth win (10-3) early.
STARTING PITCHING KEYS ZAGS 4-0 WEEKEND
- Gonzaga starting pitchers combined for 27.0 innings, 19 hits, 12 runs, and 22 strikeouts over the perfect 4-0 weekend, with each earning the winning decision in their respective starts.
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Finbar O'Brien made his second career start on Friday, pitching six innings while allowing just three runs on six hits and striking out five to earn his first career win.
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Miles Gosztola dominated in game two on Saturday, facing the minimum through three innings, not allowing a hit through five, and keeping UW scoreless until the last pitch of his outing. His eight strikeouts were one shy of a career high.
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Justin Feld was next on Sunday, pitching seven strong innings while striking out five in his longest start of 2025.
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Gabe Brabec completed the weekend with a seven-inning outing against Seattle U, striking out four while allowing just one run through the first five innings.
ON THESE DATES
- Gonzaga is 17-14 on March 21-23 under
Mark Machtolf: (3/21: 5-5, 3/22: 6-4, 3/23: 6-5)
- On March 21, 2007, freshman Jeremy Stumetz threw a complete game shutout in a 12-0 win over Washington.
- On March 22, 2009, GU completed the sweep of Pacific to win their eighth conscecutive game. Steven Ames pitched five innings and struck out six for his fifth win of the season.
- On March 23, 2024,
Hudson Shupe hit a walk-off two-run home run against LMU to clinch the series win for GU.
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.
BUCKLEY MAKES HISTORY AT BAYLOR
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Ethan Buckley, a native of Cape Town, South Africa, made history on Feb. 23 at Baylor by becoming the first ever South African native to play NCAA Division-I baseball.
- While others have played Major League Baseball, Buckley is now the first South African to play collegiately at the Division-I level.
- Buckley transferred to Gonzaga last fall from Linn-Benton Community College.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 kicked off last month with seven former Zags reporting to big league camps.
- Brett Harris, Gabe Hughes, Alek Jacob, Troy Johnston, Casey Legumina, Wyatt Mills, and Eli Morgan reported.
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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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