No. 12 Oregon State (7-3) • Utah (6-5)
Mar. 12-14, 2010 • Corvallis, Ore. • Goss Stadium (3,248)
Live Stats (for OSU games only): OSUBeavers.com
Series w/ OSU: OSU leads 132-56-1
Series w/ Utah: POR leads 5-3
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Friday, March 12 - vs. UTAH 2:00 p.m.
POR - Zach Varce (R, Jr., 1-1, 1.86)*
UTAH - Jordan Whatcott (R, Sr., 1-2, 5.87)
Saturday, March 13 - vs. OSU - 6:00 p.m.
POR - Kyle Kraus (R, So., 2-0, 5.57)
OSU - TBA
Sunday, March 14 - vs. UTAH - 11:00 a.m.
POR - Ed Wakefield (L, Sr., 1-0, 1.35)
UTAH - Rick Anton (L, Jr., 2-1, 4.67)
vs. OSU - 3:00 p.m.
POR - Scott Burris (L, Jr., 0-0, 6.00)
OSU - TBA
*(R/L, Yr., W-L, ERA)
This Week in Pilots Baseball...
The Portland Pilots (9-2), who have matched the program’s best start to a season since at least 1955, heads to Corvallis, Ore., this week for the Oregon State Spring Tournament at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field. The Pilots open play at the tourney against the Utah Utes (6-5) at 2:00 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, UP is set to play the tournament host and 12th-ranked Oregon State Beavers (7-3) at 6:00 p.m. Then on Sunday, Portland concludes play in Corvallis with an 11:00 a.m. game against the Utes and a 3:00 p.m. tilt against the Beavers.
Catch All of the Action at Home Live
A free audio broadcast for all baseball home games this season is available at PortlandPilots.com. Simply click on the “Multimedia” tab at the top of UP’s main athletics website, or visit the baseball schedule on portlandpilots.com to access audio for every Pilot home game in 2010. In addition, UP provides live, in-game statistics for all home games, which can also be accessed on portlandpilots.com.
A Brief Look Back
The Pilots went 3-1 last weekend during their first road trip of the 2010 campaign. After opening the trip with a 7-0 loss at Arkansas State on Friday, the Pilots bounced back with two wins over the Red Wolves before defeating Memphis on Monday. During Saturday’s 8-3 win over Arkansas State in Jonesboro, Ark., sophomore C Beau Fraser, senior 1B C.J. Cullen, and junior 3B Kevin Armijo combined for 11 of Portland’s season-high 18 hits, leading the Pilots to their first road victory of the season. Armijo also left the yard and knocked in three runs. Sophomore RHP Kyle Kraus allowed just three runs in 7.0 innings to pick up his second win of the season.
Down to their final out on Sunday, the Pilots scored two unearned runs to rally past the Red Wolves for a 5-4 win, claiming the series. Junior RHP Chris Dennis picked up his second win of the season with 2.2 innings of solid relief, while Cullen continued his torrid start from the plate, tacking on two hits and two RBI’s. Trailing 4-2 entering the ninth inning, the Pilots batted around to pull out the victory. Sophomore SS Kris Kauppila knocked in the first run in the ninth to make it a one-run game. Then with two outs, Fraser reached on an error to give the Pilots extra life as senior OF Austin Pearce crossed the plate to tie the game. During the next at-bat, Kauppila rushed home on a wild pitch to give the Pilots their first lead of the afternoon.
No dramatics were needed on Monday as Portland went to Memphis, Tenn., and cruised to a 7-2 win over the Tigers. Fraser hit his first home run of the season in support of battery mate Ed Wakefield, who registered the win. Junior LHP Keeler Brynteson pitched a perfect two innings of relief to pick up his first save of the season. Seven of the nine UP starters had hits, while Memphis was limited to just six hits. Wakefield, a senior lefty, scattered all six of those hits and two runs, one earned, during 5.2 solid innings.
About Utah
Last week in Pullman, Wash., the Utes lost three of four to the Washington State Cougars. Utah salvaged a 4-1 win in the series finale on Sunday. The Utes have a team batting average of .259, while sophomore C C.J. Cron is batting .394 with two homers and nine RBI’s. Junior LHP Rick Anton has posted a staff-best two wins, while Utah’s team earned run average is 4.12. Freshman RHP Zach Adams has two saves and has yet to allow a run. Head coach Bill Kinneberg is in his seventh season at the helm of the Utes. Utah went 28-31 last season and finished sixth in the Mountain West with an 8-16 league mark.
Pilots/Utes Series
Portland leads the all-time series with Utah 5-3. The Utes have won three straight against the Pilots, including the most recent meeting in 2007 in Fresno, Calif.
About Oregon State
The Beavers are ranked in all four major national polls, coming in at No. 12 in the Collegiate Baseball rankings. OSU defeated UC Riverside and Utah Valley in Surprise, Ariz., and dropped a 6-4 decision to Arizona State. Oregon State is batting just .241 as a team and is led by sophomore INF Carter Bell, who leads the regulars with a .324 batting average. OSU’s staff ERA is 2.54, with junior LHP Tanner Robles (2-1, 2.16 ERA) and freshman LHP Matt Boyd (2-0, 1.93) leading the way. Former UP standout Pat Casey is in his 16th as head coach at OSU. The Beavers have won two national titles and went 37-19 last year, advancing to an NCAA Regional.
Pilots/Beavers Series
The Pilots and Beavers have a long history, during back to their days as league foes in the old Nor-Pac Conference and the Pac-10’s Northern Division, which the Pilots left in 1996. OSU claimed last year’s lone meeting 5-1 in Portland. The Beavers lead the all-time series 132-56-1.
A Look Ahead
Portland is the middle of a stretch of 11 straight games away from the friendly confines of Joe Etzel Field. Following this weekend’s trek to Corvallis, the Pilots head to Orem, Utah, for a three-game set against the Utah Valley Wolverines. UP and UVU open the three-game, three-day set on Thursday, March 18 at 5:00 p.m. (Pacific). Portland finally returns home to host the Southern Utah Thunderbirds for three games, beginning on Friday, March 26 at Joe Etzel Field.
Making History
Portland’s 9-2 record matches the best start to a season after 11 games since at least 1955. The 2010 Pilots are the fourth team since at least 1955 to begin a season with nine wins in 11 games, joining the squads in 1985, 1975 and 1958. Both the ‘85 and ‘75 teams would lose their 12th game, while the team in 1958 opened the season at 16-2 for the program’s best start ever.
Portland’s baseball archives and records get a bit spotty prior to 1955. UP began its baseball program in 1923.
Feeling the Flow
Portland sophomore C/DH Beau Fraser was feeling it at the plate last weekend as the Pilots went 3-1 on their first road trip of the season. Fraser went 8-for-13 (.615) with four RBI’s, four runs scored and his first long fly of the season.
What’s more impressive is the Aptos, Calif., had a string of eight hits in eight straight at-bats. The streak actually started at Joe Etzel Field when he had a base hit in his second at-bat against George Fox on March 2 before getting replaced by a pinch runner. Fraser then went 5-for-5 at Arkansas State on March 6, while also scoring twice and knocking in two runs. He then registered hits during his first two at-bats against the Red Wolves on March 7, giving him eight hits, all singles, in eight straight at-bats.
On the season, Fraser is sixth in the WCC with a .448 batting average.
Eight is Great
Portland senior C.J. Cullen is making the most of his final season on The Bluff, hitting a torrid .452 (14-for-31) at the plate, which leads the team and ranks fifth in the WCC. Cullen, who mostly saw action only as a pinch runner during his junior campaign, has appeared in all 11 games this season, while making seven starts, mostly at first base. He has seven runs scored, six RBI’s, three doubles and a homer, while his .645 slugging percentage is tops on the team.
During Portland’s recent 3-1 road trip, Cullen went 10-for-16 (.625) with three RBI’s, three runs and three doubles.
Kings of the Hill... And at the Plate
The Pilots are off to its best start in 25 years because they’re getting it down on the mound and in the batters box. UP’s staff ERA of 3.00 leads the WCC, while junior RHP Chris Dennis, junior LHP Keeler Brynteson and sophomore RHP Kyle all have a league-high two wins. Dennis also leads the conference in saves (3) and earned run average (0.79). Senior LHP Ed Wakefield (1.35) ranks fourth in the league in ERA and junior RHP Zach Varce (1.86) is sixth.
Portland’s team batting average of .310 is third in the WCC. Senior 1B C.J. Cullen (.452), sophomore C/DH Beau Fraser (.448) and sophomore SS Kris Kauppila (.378) all rank in the top 10 individually, coming in at fifth, sixth and 10th, respectively.
19 Strikeouts, No Joke
Portland junior pitchers Zach Varce and Chris Dennis recently combined in what will go down as one of the best pitching performances in program history. During a 2-1, 10-inning win over Seattle at Joe Etzel Field on Feb. 27, the starter and the reliever combined to strikeout a program record of 19 Redhawks.
Varce, who was named the WCC’s Co-Pitcher of the Week following the performance, struck out 14 during 8.0 innings of work. The 14 strikeouts are tied for the third most in a single game in UP program history. The right-handed Varce, who didn’t factor into the decision, allowed just one run on four hits and did not issue a walk. He retired the final 18 hitters he faced in order, including striking out the final six. Dennis, also a righty, spelled Varce to begin the ninth inning and promptly struck out five of the seven hitters he faced.
The previous program record of 16 K’s had been accomplished three times, most recently in 1990.
Dennis the Menace
Junior transfer Chris Dennis, a right-handed reliever, is already proving to be quite menacing for opposing hitters during his first season as a Pilot. Dennis, a native of Bothell, Wash., who transferred to UP from Edmonds CC last summer, has stepped into the closer role for the Pilots and has already registered a league-best three saves. At 2-0, he’s also tied for the league high in wins, while his miniscule 0.79 ERA also leads the WCC. He has registered a decision, all positive, during all five of his appearances and he has 16 K’s in 11.1 innings of work. Opposing hitters are batting just .158 against him.
Sophomore Slump? Forget About It
Portland sophomore SS Kris Kauppila is proving that his freshman success was no fluke as he once again is getting it done offensively. So far this season, the Glendale, Calif., native leads the team in hits (14), is tied for first in doubles (3), is second in runs scored (8) and is tied for second in total bases (20). He had a six-game hitting streak earlier this season and he leads the team with six multi-hit games. Kauppila’s best performance to date was a 4-for-4 showing with three runs, two RBI’s, a double and two stolen bases during Portland’s 11-7 win over George Fox on Feb. 20. His .344 career batting average currently ranks fifth all-time at UP.
Last season, Kauppila led the Pilots in a plethora of offensive categories to earn All-WCC Honorable Mention and a spot on the conference’s all-freshman team. He also landed on the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Team, as released by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, becoming the second Pilot (Riley Henricks) in as many years to earn that distinction.
Three Baggers
Portland junior 2B Riley Henricks has been a steady presence in the line-up during his three seasons on The Bluff and this year is no different as he closes in on a program record for triples. Already with three three-baggers in 2010, Henricks now has nine during his career, and is just six shy of setting a new program career mark, which has stood since 1961 (Larry Farrell).
His three triples this season are tied for a league-best and his five during his freshman campaign are tied for the third most in a single season in UP history.
Pilots Own the Base Paths
Portland’s opponents this season have attempted to steal a base just four times and UP’s starter behind the plate is a major reason why. Senior catcher Rocky Gale has led the WCC all three of his seasons on The Bluff in throwing out would-be base stealers. As a junior last year, Gale gunned down 25 would-be base stealers and he threw out a staggering 41% of attempted base stealers overall.
Meanwhile, the Pilots have stolen 16 bases, while allowing just two.
Stopper, Starter, Varce can do it All
Varce, who was primarily a reliever during his first two seasons on The Bluff, is one of 40 players who have been named to the initial watch list for the sixth annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball. As a sophomore last season, the right-handed Varce led the West Coast Conference with a 2.69 ERA and was tied for the league high with nine saves. Varce also tied a program record for saves in a single season, while going 3-5 overall and holding opposing hitters to a .249 average. He struck out 62 in 60.1 innings worked.
