Mar. 5-7, 2010 • Jonesboro, Ark. • Tomlinson Stadium (1,200)
Series: First Meeting • Live Stats: AStateRedwolves.com
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Pilots (6-1) at Memphis (2-5)
March 8, 2010 • Memphis, Tenn. • FedEx Park (2,000)
Series: First Meeting • Live Audio/Stats: GoTigersGo.com
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Friday, March 5 - 4:00 p.m. (Pacific)
POR - Zach Varce (R, Jr., 1-0, 1.93)*
ASU - Andy Ferguson (R, So., 1-0, 4.35)
Saturday, March 6 - 2:00 p.m.
POR - Kyle Kraus (R, So., 1-0, 6.43)
ASU - Ross Humes (L, Sr., 1-0, 0.84)
Sunday, March 7 - 11:00 a.m.
POR - Scott Burris (L, Jr., 0-0, 7.00)
ASU - Jacob Lee (R, So., 1-1, 3.86)
Monday, March 8 - 10:00 a.m.
POR - TBA
MEM - TBA
*(R/L, Yr., W-L, ERA)
This Week in Pilots Baseball...
The Portland Pilots (6-1) face their first road trip of the season this week as they head to Arkansas State (6-1) and Memphis (2-5). The Pilots are set to play the ASU Redwolves in a three-game series that begins on Friday at 4:00 p.m. (Pacific) in Jonesboro, Ark. UP and ASU will then play at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday. On Monday, the Memphis Tigers are set to host the Pilots at 10:00 a.m. in Memphis, Tenn.
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 took two of three at home last weekend from the Seattle Redhawks at Joe Etzel Field. What was supposed to be a four-game series was shortened to three after Friday’s game was postponed due to rain. On Saturday, Portland starter Zach Varce and reliever Chris Dennis combined to strike out 19, setting a new program record for most strikeouts in a game. Tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the tenth, junior OF Craig Smith drove in the winning run to hand the Pilots a 2-1 win. Varce struck out 14, tied for the third most in a single game in program history, in 8.0 innings before giving way to Dennis, who struck out five in 2.0 innings. Varce retired the final 18 batters he faced in order, including ringing up the final six straight via strikeouts. Varce earned WCC Co-Pitcher of the Week honors following the effort.
The Pilots and Redhawks then split a double-header on Sunday, with Portland winning the first on a walk-off, three-run home run by senior 1B C.J. Cullen with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. With Portland trailing 5-4 and runners on the corners in the final frame, Cullen sent a 3-1 pitch high over the left field fence for his first career home run.
Cullen nearly came through with the Pilots trailing in the bottom of the ninth of the second game as well. But this time his line drive with two outs and the bases loaded was snared by a leaping Cullen Hendrickson, Seattle’s 2B, to preserve the 5-4 SU win.
On Tuesday, junior 3B Matt Mardesich left the yard twice and four Portland pitchers combined to hold the George Fox Bruins to just two hits during an 8-0 UP win at Joe Etzel Field. Mardesich broke a scoreless tie with a two-run shot in the bottom of the seventh and he broke the game wide open with a three-run, towering blast in the eighth. Portland senior starter Ed Wakefield retired the first 16 batters he faced. Eric Gantenbein registered GF’s first hit, a single that just made it past a diving Mardesich with one out in the top of the sixth inning. Wakefield responded by striking out the next two Bruin batters to end the frame. The southpaw finished with seven strikeouts, no walks and just one hit in 6.0 innings. Reliever Keeler Brynteson pitched two-thirds of a scoreless inning to register his second win on the young season.
About Arkansas State
The Redwolves only loss this season was a 3-2 set-back at No. 24 Ole Miss. ASU, which plays in the Sunbelt Conference, is coming off a four-game sweep of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Jonesboro last weekend.
Arkansas State is hitting .329 as a team and is led by freshman Ryan Emery, who is batting .450. Emery is one of three ASU players hitting better than .400. The Redwolves’ staff earned run average is 2.71, with Brad Allen boasting a team-best 0.00 ERA. Allen is one of four pitchers with a 1-0 record this year. Tommy Raffo is in his second season as head coach at Arkansas State. This is the first meeting ever between the Pilots and Redwolves, who went 23-30 last season, 12 letterwinners and five position starters returned.
About Memphis
The Tigers are scheduled to host Oakland University for a three-game set this weekend before welcoming the Pilots on Monday. Last weekend, Memphis went 1-2 at the Service Academies Spring Classic, defeating Bradley and losing to Toledo and Pittsburgh.
Sophomore INF Chad Zurcher is batting .440 to lead the Tigers, who are batting .323 as a team. The Memphis team ERA is 4.50. Sophomore RHP Heith Hatfield and freshman RHP Dan Langfield are both 1-1. Daron Schoenrock is in his sixth season as head coach and he returned 20 letterwinners and seven starters from a 21-32 team. This is first ever meeting with the Pilots.
Fast Start
It’s believed that Portland’s 6-1 start to the season matches the best record after seven games since at least 1950. The 6-1 mark to begin the year has happened a handful of times during the years, most recently in 2000. Portland’s baseball archives and records get a bit spotty prior to 1950. The Pilots best start to a season in the modern era came in 1975 when UP opened at 8-1 under former coach and Athletic Director Joe Etzel.
Already Raking in the Honors
Portland junior pitcher Zach Varce was named the West Coast Conference’s Co-Pitcher of the Week after striking out 14 during a game against Seattle at Joe Etzel Field last Saturday. The 14 strikeouts in 8.0 innings of work are tied for the third most in a single game in UP program history. He shares the weekly honor with Sammy Solis of San Diego. Varce didn’t get a decision during Portland’s 2-1 win in 10 innings. Portland reliever Chris Dennis, who spelled Varce to begin the ninth inning, struck out five as the two pitchers combined to set a new program record for most strikeouts (19) by UP pitchers during a single game. The previous record of 16 had been accomplished three times, most recently in 1990.
Against the Redhawks on Saturday, the right-handed Varce allowed just one run on four hits, while not issuing a walk. He retired the final 18 hitters he faced in order, including striking out the final six. Varce currently leads the league in strikeouts, punching out 23 in just 14.0 innings pitched.
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.
Sophomore Slump? Forget About It
Portland sophomore SS Kris Kauppila is proving that his freshman success was no fluke as he once again leads Portland offensively. So far this season, the Glendale, Calif., native leads the team in batting average (.500), hits (14), runs (7), doubles (3), total bases (17) and on-base percentage (.588). He is riding a six-game hitting streak and he has multiple hits in five of the seven 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.
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.
A Look Ahead
This weekend marks the beginning of a lengthy time away from the friendly confines of Joe Etzel Field. Portland follows its trip to Arkansas and Tennessee with a visit to Corvallis for the Oregon State Spring Tournament (Mar. 12-14). The Pilots aren’t scheduled to play at home again until March 26.
WCC Pre-Season Poll and All-WCC
Portland’s middle infield tandem of junior 2B Riley Henricks and sophomore SS Kris Kauppila was selected to the 2010 Preseason All-West Coast Conference Team and San Diego was picked as the favorite to win this year’s WCC regular season title in the preseason baseball poll, as voted on by the league’s head coaches. The Pilots were selected to finish eighth.
