Setting the Scene: After two weeks on the road in two different states, the Pacific Lutheran University baseball team gets a well earned homestand. The Lutes host in-state rival and Northwest Conference leading Whitworth University for a four-game weekend series.
Series History: The Lutes and Pirates have met 153 times on the diamond since the 1980 season with the series tilted 83-70 in favor of Whitworth. The Pirates have won seven straight in the series with PLU's last win coming in 2023 when the Lutes took two of three at PLU Field.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (9-16, 7-8 NWC) currently sits tied for fourth place in the NWC standings with three weeks left in the regular season. The Lutes will look to maintain that spot over that span to clinch a spot in the four-team NWC Tournament for the first time since the 2022 campaign.
The Lutes return to Tacoma looking to snap out of an eight-game rut after road trips to Oregon and California. PLU held leads during six of the eight games during the slide, including all three games against Linfield University over Easter weekend and in three of the four games last weekend in California against Chapman University.
PLU's last home series was a resounding success, with the Lutes sweeping Willamette University, earning 5-2 and 9-5 wins on March 28 and another 9-5 victory the following day.
Kyle Tat leads the Lutes with a .329 batting average with 19 RBIs and 17 runs scored. Brody Phinney boasts a .312 average while Ethan Keintz is the third Lute hitting above .300, boasting a .306 average with seven doubles. Rutger Youch has a team-leading 10 doubles while Carson Burke provides the power with 20 RBIs and five home runs.
Matthew Sherwood has seen the most work on the mound, tossing 47 2/3 innings with 53 strikeouts and a 3-3 record. Alex Lopez has seen a similar load, tossing 41 1/3 innings with 29 strikeouts while Osei Kimora has 34 2/3 innings, making seven of his 10 appearances as a reliever.
About the Pirates:Â Whitworth (20-13, 15-3 NWC) heads to Tacoma in sole possession of first place in the NWC standings and riding a four-game win streak. The Pirates' recent run of success comes after dropping two of three on the road against Willamette University on April 3 & 4. Whitworth rebounded with an 11-2 thrashing of Lewis & Clark College before sweeping second place Linfield University by scores of 8-3, 12-2, and 7-4, to pad its lead atop the standings.
University of Puget Sound is the only other NWC squad to hand the Pirates a loss, doing so in game two of their series back on Feb. 28. Whitworth has been unstoppable at home with a 9-0 record but has just an 11-13 mark in away games.
Kyle Memorial leads the Pirates at the plate with a .360 batting average with 45 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, and 25 RBIs. Nate Gray Jr. is hitting at a .348 clip with 21 RBIs while Carson Coffield is a .345 hitter with five home runs and a team-best 36 RBIs. Caleb Gray brings the power with 17 extra base hits, including six round trippers while Spencer Shipman has been unstoppable despite playing in just 21 of the team's 33 games, crushing 10 home runs with 36 RBIs.
Dylan Huntsman has seen the most action on the mound, making 10 starts and tossing 51 1/3 innings with 34 strikeouts and a 3-2 record. Dillon Hartman has logged 42 2/3 innings on the hull with a team-best 35 punch outs and a 6-1 record. Out of the bullpen, Seth Mahler has five of the team's nine saves this spring.
NWC Preseason Poll
The Lutes look to exceed expectations and return to the NWC Tournament after being picked seventh in the annual NWC preseason coaches' poll. The Lutes tallied 23 points, owning a two-point edge on eighth ranked Willamette University. Reigning Champion Whitworth University was picked to repeat as champion with 63 points and seven of the nine first place votes. Second ranked Pacific University and third ranked University of Puget Sound both earned a first place vote.
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.
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 Series:
May 2-3 vs. Puget Sound (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