Setting the Scene: The Pacific Lutheran University baseball squad is back at home today, closing out the series against Northwest Conference rival George Fox University with a midweek makeup game at PLU Field.
Series History: The Lutes and Bruins have battled 105 times on the diamond since the series began in 1996 with George Fox holding a 56-49 advantage in the all-time series. The Bruins won the first two games of the series back on March 15, securing a 7-3 win in the opener before taking game two by a 5-2 scoreline.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (5-8, 3-5 NWC) returns home after winning two of three on the road against Pacific University over the weekend.
Logan Egge powered the Lutes to a pair of extra innings victories on Saturday, handling the final few innings of both ends of a doubleheader as PLU edged the Boxers by identical 7-6 scores in a pair of games that both lasted 11 innings. The Lutes weren't as fortunate on Sunday, yielding three runs in the bottom of the seventh in a 6-4 setback as the host Boxers avoided the sweep.
Carson Burke hit .375 at the plate with two home runs and five RBIs during the three game set while Braeden Lundberg had a .500 on-base percentage with a home run and three runs scored.
Logan Egge was a difference maker on the hill, earning two wins in relief with two strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings of work. Pacific batters hit a paltry .091 against Egge who allowed just one run over the two appearances and on Monday was tabbed the NWC Pitcher of the Week.
Kyle Tat leads the Lutes at the plate with a .386 batting average and a .591 slugging percentage with 11 RBIs and four extra base hits. Ethan Chintz is sporting a .315 average with seven doubles and four stolen bases while Carson Burke is hitting at a .304 clip with a team-best four home runs and 13 RBIs. Matthew Sherwood has been a workhorse on the mound with a 2-2 record in five starts. Sherwood has pitched a team-high 28 2/3 innings and has racked up 28 strikeouts. Chris Moreno owns a 2.70 earned run average across five appearances while Osei Kimora leads the team in appearances with seven starting two games with 15 punch outs.
About the Bruins: George Fox (7-13, 5-6 NWC) swept the Lutes on March 15 but have come up empty handed since, playing against some of the best competition in NCAA Division III.
The Bruins fell short 6-2 against No. 1 Denison University (Ohio) on March 18 before getting swept over the weekend at home against defending NWC Champion Whitworth University. The visiting Pirates sunk the Bruins 9-2 and 4-2 (10 innings) on Saturday before collecting a 7-3 win on Sunday to secure the sweep.
Joey Matasco leads the Bruins at the plate with a .289 batting average, scoring a team-high 14 runs along with seven stolen bases. Garrett Strube has a .284 average while BJ Tokushoma has a team-high 16 RBIs and seven extra base hits. Brennan Bates can bring the lumber, leading the team with four home runs through the opening 20 games of 2026.
Lucas Plenary leads the Bruin pitching staff with 31 innings on the mound with a team-high 37 strikeouts. Bryan Ho and Michael Singleton both have 23 strikeouts while Aidan Ray has 22 with a 3-2 record in six starts.
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:
Mar. 28 & 29 vs. Willamette 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