Setting the Scene: The Lutes welcome back Oregon rival Linfield University to PLU Field to finish off the season series.
Series History: The Lutes and Wildcats have met 164 times since the 1981 campaign with Linfield holding a slim 85-79 edge in the all-time series.
The Wildcats have won the last 12 meetings with PLU's triumph over Linfield coming during the 2022 season. The two teams met earlier this season on March 14 to open conference play with visiting Linfield prevailing 15-6 and 6-2.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (19-11, 9-9 NWC) heads into today's doubleheader riding a four-game win streak after earning a sweep at home last weekend against Pacific University.
The Lutes opened the weekend with a bang on Friday, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning in an 8-2 victory. Bri Sarae had a big game at the plate in the opener, finishing three-for-four while Paige Wilson struck out 13 to notch the complete game win.
Game two saw Zoe Smithson blast a walkoff double, scoring Brookelyn Gutierrez and Sarae for the 5-4 victory. PLU racked up an early lead and fended off a late comeback on Saturday, securing another 5-4 win before finishing the series with a 3-0 shutout of the Boxers. That game was another gem by Paige Wilson who had eight strikeouts and allowed only three hits in the win.
Paige Wilson had a banner week inside the circle. In three games, Wilson tossed 22 innings and rocked a 0.64 earned run average with 22 strikeouts and just one walk. Wilson limited opposing hitters to hitting just .132 at the plate, allowing just 10 hits over the three complete games she tossed.
Zoe Smithson powers the Lute offensive attack with a .456 batting average with 23 extra base hits and 43 RBIs through the opening 30 games of the season. Kamalani Doctor is hitting at a .421 clip with a team-best seven home runs while Bri Sarae sports at .395 average.
Inside the circle, Paige Wilson boasts a 3.22 earned run average, leading the team in wins (eight), complete games (seven), innings pitched (80 1/3) and strikeouts (81). Rachael Rhinehart has 61 1/3 innings under her belt, throwing six complete games with 48 strikeouts.
35 and Counting: There have now been 35 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.
Wilson tossed her second no-no of the season last weekend against Willamette University, becoming the first Lute since Candace Howard in 2003 to throw two no-nos in the same season.
Catching Greatness: The Lutes have three no-hitters this season and one common denominator has been the person behind home plate. First-year Bri Sarae from Pearl City, Hawaii has caught all three no-hitters. In addition to Wilson’s no-no on Saturday, the catcher also caught the two no-hitters thrown on March 8 from Wilson and Rachel Treves.
About the Wildcats: Linfield (27-3, 17-1 NWC) padded its lead atop the Northwest Conference standings over the weekend, winning three of four against second place Lewis & Clark College.
The Cats opened the series with Tyler McNeley tossing a one-hitter in an 11-0 victory. A three-run third inning propelled Linfield to a 6-2 win in game two. On Saturday, the Wildcats cranked out four home runs in a 10-6 victory in game one but saw its 11-game win streak snapped in the series final with Lewis & Clark scoring two runs in the seventh to escape with a 4-2 victory.
Linfield is hitting .416 as a team with six Cats with at least 70 at bats hitting above .400 on the season. Meara Sain leads the way, hitting at a .494 clip with 21 RBIs and 28 runs scored. Claire Seats has a .486 average with a team-best 15 home runs, 50 RBIs, and 43 runs scored. Jacey Levy's is hitting .466 with Brynn Nelson a .451 hitter.
Tyler McNeley is Linfield's ace inside the circle with a 2.49 earned run average and a 17-1 record in 107 innings pitched. McNeley has more strikeouts (108) than hits (90) and walks (15) combined. Tyler Warden has tossed 57 2/3 innings with an 8-2 record and 22 punch outs.
Home Cooking: The Lutes have proven to be a tough team to play at home, owning a 40-14 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:
May 4 vs. Puget Sound (DH) at 11 a.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