Setting the Scene: The Lutes open Northwest Conference play this weekend, hosting second-ranked and preseason favorite Linfield University for a four-game series at PLU Field.
Series History: The Lutes and Wildcats have met 162 times since the 1981 campaign with Linfield holding a slim 83-79 edge in the all-time series. The Wildcats have won the last 10 meetings with PLU's triumph over Linfield coming during the 2022 season, which coincidently is also the last time the two programs have battled in Tacoma. That series back in 2022 saw the Lutes and Wildcats split the series with host PLU winning the opener 6-5 and the series final 5-2 with Linfield taking the two middle games by 11-5 and 9-3 scores.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (10-2) heads into league play and the home opener riding a six-game win streak. The Lutes were unstoppable last weekend in Florida, steamrolling their six Division III opponents by a combined 59-6 margin that included two no-hitters and two more one-hitters.
Paige Wilson twirled a one-hitter in the Florida opener as the Lutes mashed six runs in the fourth inning for a 9-1 victory over Roger Williams University (R.I.). PLU finished the day with a 7-2 victory over North Central College (Ill.). The following day saw Rachel Treves and Wilson both throw no-hitters with Treves netting the no-no in an 8-0 win over Widener University (Pa.) while Wilson notched the no-hitter in an 8-0 triumph over Gordon College (Mass.)
Rachael Rhinehart and Maiya Anderson combined for a one-hitter against Saint Joseph's College, an 18-2 thrashing, before closing Sunday with a 9-1 win over Washington College (Md.). PLU ended the tournament, outhitting the six opponents by a combined 61-10 margin.
Zoe Smithson was electric in the Florida sun, finishing with a .619 batting average with eight extra base hits and 19 RBIs.
On the season, Zoe Smithson leads the team at the plate with a .512 batting average with 12 extra vase hits and 31 RBIs. Brooke Tilson sports a .432 batting average with 12 RBIs while Jaycee Sompliciano is hitting at a .409 clip. Kamalani Doctor brings the power, with a team-leading six home runs.
All-Star Attaways: Zoe Smithson and Rachel Treves were named NWC Players of the Week on Monday for their outstanding play in Florida. Smithson was the Hitter of the Week, boasting a .619 batting average with a 1.381 slugging percentage after finishing with an extra base hit and an RBI in all six games.
Treves was the NWC Pitcher of the Week after allowing no earned runs in two complete game starts. That included the no-hitter against Widener. She finished the week with eight strikeouts.
34 and Counting: There have now been 34 no-hitters in program history, dating back to Sharon Schmitt's no-no in an 11-0 victory over Shoreline College back on March 24, 1983.
Rachel Treves and Paige Wilson made history on March 8, becoming the first pitchers to toss no-hitters on the exact same day. The 2025 Lute roster now has three pitchers that have tossed no-hitters with Treves and Wilson joining Rachael Rhinehart who had a no-hitter on April 20, 2024 in a 5-0 victory over Pacific University.
About the Wildcats: 2nd-ranked Linfield (9-1, 4-0 NWC) heads into the weekend series in first place in the conference standings, riding a seven game win streak after sweeping Whitworth University last weekend.
The Wildcats were simply dominant, outscoring the Pirates a combined 40-2 over the four game series. That included three shutouts to start the series, including a 5-0 one-hitter in the series opener. Linfield also secured 15-0, 10-0, and 10-2 victories in the series— those final three games all five inning mercy rule games.
Linfield's lone blemish of 2025 was a 2-1 setback to Case Western Reserve University (Ohio), a team that currently ranks third in NCAA Division III.
Brynn Nelson has been on fire at the plate in the opening 10 games of the season, sporting a .559 batting average with 17 RBIs and a pair of home runs. Meara Sain is hitting at a .514 clip while Claire Seats is hitting .500 with a team-high 18 RBIs and eight extra base hits.
Tyler McNeley has seen the most work inside the circle, owning a 5-1 record with a 2.33 earned run average. That includes 42 strikeouts over 33 innings of work while issuing just five walks.
Home Cooking: The Lutes have proven to be a tough team to play at home, owning a 34-10 record at PLU Field since the 2022 campaign. That includes winning 11 of the squad's 14 home games last spring.
A Hero On and Off the Diamond
Three home runs. One saved life. Pacific Lutheran University's Carson Burke redefined what it means to be a hero on and off the diamond in under 72 hours. The junior delivered game-changing hits to win the weekend series against Northwest Conference rival Lewis & Clark College before transitioning to a life-saving donor, flying to Texas for a critical stem cell donation to a blood cancer patient in need.
NWC Preseason Coaches' Poll
Trailblazing NIL the D3 Way: PLU Athletics continues to lead the way nationally in Name, Image, and Likeness, unveiling the Luteville Marketplace last fall through the department's partnership with Opendorse. But don't stay on the sidelines, get involved and connect with PLU student-athletes on the Luteville Marketplace: LINK
The Luteville Marketplace is the first dedicated NIL marketplace in Division III on the Opendorse platform that directly connects student-athletes with fans, supporters, and business partners in an easy to use website.
This spring PLU became just the second Division III school in the nation and the first school in any division in the State of Washington to partner with Athlete's Thread. Athlete's Thread allows every Lute student-athlete to sell customizable gear and jerseys with their name and number and receive monetary compensation for a portion of each sale. Check out the link above to order your gear today!
Stay connected to your favorite teams by downloading the official mobile app of the Pacific Lutheran University athletic department powered by SIDEARM Sports, available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
Featuring real-time news alerts, schedules, exclusive multimedia content, gameday details and more, the new PLU Athletics app is free and compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
Next Home Games:
April 12 vs. Lewis & Clark (DH) at 12 p.m.
PLU Non-Discrimination Policy: Pacific Lutheran University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability or age in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Title IX Coordinator Jennifer Childress-White; 253-535-7361; TitleIX@plu.edu
Credits:
Lindsey Clark