Top Two Teams In WCC To Battle; Zags Take On Pepperdine

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Top Two Teams In WCC To Battle; Zags Take On Pepperdine


SPOKANE, Wash. - No. 24 Gonzaga University baseball looks to remain on its hot streak by going for its 10th consecutive victory Friday against Pepperdine University at Eddy D. Field Stadium. The Bulldogs have won seven straight West Coast Conference contests and sit atop the league standings at 11-4. The Waves, at 8-4, sit second in the overall standings. The Zags took two of three games against Pepperdine last season in Spokane. Marco Gonzales will get the series started for GU and he will face Scott Frazier in game one.


Game Notes

SPOKANE, WA

GAME 36 | Apr. 19 | vs Pepperdine | Eddy D. Field Stadium | 3:00 p.m.
GAME 37 | Apr. 20 | vs Pepperdine | Eddy D. Field Stadium | 1:00 p.m.
GAME 38 | Apr. 21 | vs Pepperdine | Eddy D. Field Stadium | 1:00 p.m.

All times Pacific Time Zone and subject to change

Live stats available on GoZags.com and on the GoZags App

Visit GoZags.com for live audio/video availability...

Gonzaga Bulldogs (24-10-1, 11-4 West Coast)

PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION

Thur. | #7 LHP Marco Gonzales (4-2, 2.71 ERA)

Fri | #13 LHP Tyler Olson (6-2, 2.76 ERA)

Sat. | TBD

Head Coach - Mark Machtolf (Stanford 1987, 10th Year - 23rd at Gonzaga)

Gonzaga Record - 290-230 Career Record - Same



Pepperdine Waves (20-15, 8-4 West Coast)

PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION

Fri. | #44 RHP Scott Frazier (3-4, 4.65 ERA)

Sat. | #37 RHP Corey Miller (4-3, 2.70 ERA)

Sun. | #27 LHP Aaron Brown (4-1, 4.43 ERA)

Head Coach –Steve Rodriguez (Pepperdine 2001)


GONZAGA... SO HOT RIGHT NOW: Gonzaga University baseball continues to impress by winning its ninth straight game Tuesday night over Washington State University. During the current win streak, the Zags have swept the University of Portland and Saint Mary’s College. The pitching staff has been terrific during the stretch with a 2.17 team ERA led by Arturo Reyes’ 0.48 ERA in 18.2 innings. Alex Bonczyk (.367), Caleb Wood (.364) and Marco Gonzales (.324) have led GU at the plate.

SPRING CLEANING: Gonzaga baseball has busted out the brooms a few times this spring with two consecutive sweeps of West Coast Conference opponents. The Zags swept the University of Portland in Portland, Ore., and Saint Mary’s College in Spokane last weekend. GU has also swept the season-series with Washington State University with a 4-3 victory Tuesday...

TAKING IT TO THE COUGS: Gonzaga University baseball has proven to be the Kings of the 509 by sweeping the Washington State University baseball series this year. The Bulldogs took all three games against the Cougars with two of games played down in Pullman. GU won the contests 10-8, 7-2 and 4-3. The Zags will look to go 5-0 against teams in the state of Washington with a two-game series against University of Washington starting next Tuesday.

ONE-TWO PUNCH: Pitchers Marco Gonzales and Tyler Olson have become a tremendous one-two punch for Gonzaga University baseball this season. Gonzales (4-2, 2.71 ERA) and Olson (6-2, 2.76 ERA) are the Zags Friday-Saturday starters with eerily similar numbers. Gonzales has allowed 57 hits in 63 innings while Olson has allowed 57 hits in 62 innings. Gonzales has allowed 25 runs (19 earned) while Olson has allowed 26 runs (19 earned). Gonzales has 60 strikeouts and one save; Olson has 58 strikeouts and one save. What does this all mean? Bad news for opposing batters.

REYES MAKING THE BEST OF IT: Gonzaga baseball has found a dynamic weapon in pitching transfer Arturo Reyes (4-1). The right handed pitcher has made 12 appearances in 2013 with a 1.17 ERA in 38.1 innings. Reyes made his first start in a Zag uniform in the series finale against Loyola Marymount University and made the most of it. Reyes pitched a complete game allowing just one run. He struck out three Lions.

BEST IN THE WEST: Gonzaga University baseball is atop the West Coast Conference standings and is in the Top 5 in a number of statistical categories including:

-Second in team ERA (3.00) and third in team batting average (.276).

-Lowest individual ERA (Reyes, 1.17), third (Gonzales, .349) and fifth (LeBrun, .342) in batting average, second in walks per-game (Gunsolus, .69), fifth in on base percentage (Gunsolus, .415), second in wins (Olson, 6), second (Gonzales, 8.57) and third (Olson, 8.42) in strikeouts per game.

IT’S GONNA BE A LONG WEEK: Starting Friday when the Zags face Pepperdine University, Gonzaga University baseball will begin a eight games in nine days skid. After the three-game series with the Waves, GU will host University of Washington followed by BYU starting next Tuesday in Spokane.

Gonzaga Article Link

Gonzaga vs. Pepperdine Series Notes Link

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Pepperdine Link: Waves Host Big WCC Series vs. Gonzaga

Pepperdine Live Video broadcast and GameTracker Link

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After 4 complete innings, Gonzaga leads Pepperdine 2-1.

Marco Gonzales pitching for the Zags...

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Gonzaga continues to lead 2-1 after 5 complete innings.

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In the top of the 6th, the Zags score 4 runs and leave 3 runners on base.

Gonzaga opened their half of the inning with a single and a walk. A sacrifice bunt advanced the runners to second and third. An intentional walk loaded the bases. A walk then scored 1 run. A single scored run #2. A walk then scored run #3. The Zags then popped out to third. Another single scored run #4. A ground out to second ended the inning for the Zags.

Pepperdine is now up trailing 6-1 in the bottom of the 6th...

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Pepperdine scored 1 run in their half and left 2 runners on base
of the 6th. Gonzaga leads Pepperdine 6-2 after 6 complete innings.

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After 7 complete innings, Zags lead the Waves 6-2.

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After 8 complete innings, Gonzaga leads Pepperdine 6-3.

Kenny Smith came in in relief of Marco Gonzales. Smith managed to get out of a bases loaded situation of his own making with only run scored by the Waves.

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Gonzaga defeats Pepperdine 6-3 to take the first game of the series.

The Zags scored 6 runs on just 6 hits.

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Winning Ways Continue, #24 Baseball Ousts Pepperdine 6-3


MALIBU, Calif. – The 24th-ranked Gonzaga University baseball team extended its season-best winning streak to 10 games Friday with a 6-3 road victory over Pepperdine University at Eddy D. Field Stadium. The Bulldogs scored four runs in the sixth inning and Marco Gonzales threw seven strong innings to clinch the first contest of the three-game series.

Gonzaga boosts its record to 25-10-1 and widens its lead atop the West Coast Conference standings to 12-4. Pepperdine, who sits second in WCC standings, falls to 20-16 overall, 8-5 in league.

Entering the sixth frame, the Bulldogs held a 2-1 edge but earned some breathing room in the form of four runs. Cory LeBrun (single) and Gonzales (walk) reached base safely to open the inning against Wave starter Scott Frazier. Gonzaga loaded the bases with one out after a Clayton Eslick intentional walk.

Frazier then became his own enemy by walking Abbruzza to bring home the first run in the inning. Cabe Reiten followed with an RBI single to center to push a run home. Another walk to Payden Cawley Lamb from Frazier brought in the third run and ended his day on the mound.

Caleb Wood brought home the last run with a single through the left side of the infield.

Gonzales (5-2) earned the victory by battling through seven innings. The Waves got eight hits off the Fort Collins, Colo., native but Gonzales was tabbed for just two runs, one earned.

Kenny Smith made his 11th appearance of the season and picked up his second save. Smith allowed three hits and one run in two innings.

Pepperdine out-hit the Bulldogs 11-6 but it hardly mattered as GU manufactured its runs by taking advantage of the Waves two errors.

LeBrun and Wood, two each, combined for four of Gonzaga’s six hits.

The Zags 10 game win streak matches its longest since last season when GU started 10-0.

The Bulldogs and Waves continue the series Saturday at Eddy. D. Field Stadium with a 1 p.m. first pitch.

Gonzaga Article Link

Gonzaga vs. Pepperdine Box Score

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Big win.

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After 2 complete innings of the Saturday afternoon game, Gonzaga and Pepperdine are tied 0-0.

Tyler Olson pitching this afternoon for the Zags.

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After 4 complete innings, Gonzaga leads Pepperdine 1-0.

The Zags scored with getting a hit...Gonzaga first batter walked...the next batter grounded out to second with the runner advancing to second...the next batter also grounded out to second with the runner advancing to third...the next batter walked...then a wild pitch allowed the runner to score.

Gonzaga's Tyler Olson has given up 1 hit so far through 4 innings.

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After 5 complete innings, the Zags lead the Waves 2-0.

Gonzaga scored 1 run but had the making of a bigger inning. The Zags had runners on first and second with 1 out. Gonzaga's Caleb Wood hit a low line drive just over the the glove of the Wave shortstop to center field...the lead runner on second for the Zags had to hold up to see if the ball would be caught and was then thrown out before he could make it to third base. A single by LeBrun did score a run but the Zags just missed out on a bigger inning.

Tyler Olson looking good for the Zags...

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After 6 innings, the Zags still lead the Waves 2-0.

Gonzaga with 2 runs, 6 hits and 0 errors...Pepperdine with 0 runs, 1 hit and 0 errors.

Tyler Olson still in for the Zags...