Setting the Scene: The Pacific Lutheran University baseball squad continues its homestand after earning a big 13-3 midweek win over George Fox University, hosting Northwest Conference rival Willamette University in a four game series. The opening three games will be NWC games with the final game being contested as a non-league game.
Series History: The Lutes and Bearcats have met 143 times since the 1980 campaign with Willamette owning a 76-67 edge in the series. The teams met three times last season in Salem, Oregon. PLU won the opener 11-0 but wasn't as fortunate the rest of the series, falling 3-1 and 11-0.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (6-8, 4-5 NWC) resumes its homestand having won three of its last four games. The Lutes' recent run of success began last weekend, outlasting host Pacific University for a pair of 7-6 extra innings wins. Logan Egge played a key role in those two games, throwing 4 1/3 innings of relief between the two games and logging a pair of wins. Egge allowed just one hit while on the mound and was tabbed the NWC Pitcher of the Week on Monday.
A Brody Phinney RBI dobbel scored Asa Reese in the top of the 11th inning in what proved to be the winning run of game one. Game two saw a Carson Burke single and a Boxer error pave the way for Rutger Youch to score the winning run, in another 11 inning affair.
PLU was on its way to a series sweep before surrendering three runs in the bottom of the seventh as the Boxers stole game three 6-4. The Lutes responded on Wednesday, steamrolling George Fox University 13-3 to finish off a series that was postponed due to weather. PLU plated three runs in the first inning and added five more in the sixth. Kaleb McNeely led the way with three hits and three RBIs, driving in Braeden Lundberg in the eighth inning to enact the mercy rule.
Kyle Tat is PLU's leading hitter with a .362 batting average. He's one of three regular hitters with at least 30 at bats that are hitting above .300. Tat also has 11 RBIs and four extra base hits on the year. Ethan Keintz is hitting at a .310 clip with seven doubles while Carson Burke is hitting .300 on the dot with 13 RBIs with a team-high four home runs and 15 runs scored. Asa Reese has 13 RBIs and a team-best eight doubles.
Chris Moreno has a team-best 2.75 earned run average across six appearances while Matthew Sherwood has been the workhorse, leading the team in innings pitched (30 1/3) and strikeouts (30).
About the Bearcats: Willamette (4-12, 2-4 NWC) heads to Tacoma looking to bust out of a five-game funk. The Bearcats defeated host California Lutheran University 6-1 back on March 14 but its been tough sledding since, dropping game two 13-6 to the Kingsmen before absorbing defeats to University of Redlands (14-9) and three against Chapman University (6-1, 11-3, and 9-3).
Willamette's last NWC series was back on March 7-8 against Linfield University, dropping two of three to the Wildcats. Willamette stole the opener 5-4 thanks to a late inning rally before falling short 11-6 in 10 innings in game two of the day. Linfield would win the Sunday rubber match 11-6.
Carter Stoltz leads the Bearcats at the plate with a .362 batting average with 16 RBIs and seven extra base hits. Adam Bird is hitting at a .321 clip with 10 RBIs while Luca Penteriani spirts a .308 average. Olen Nofziger sits a hair under .300 with a .298 average in 57 at-bats.
The Bearcats have four pitchers that have thrown at least 18 innings with Steven Verespey leading the way with team-bests for earned run average (4.75), innings pitched (30.1) and strikeouts (17). Dylan Turner boasts 13 punch outs while Elliot Hsu has two saves in four relief appearances.
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:
April 18-19 vs. Whitworth 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