Complete Release (pdf) I vs. WSU:
Live Audio Live Stats I vs. OSU:
Live Audio Live Stats
PORTLAND PILOTS (16-28, 8-10 WCC)
vs. WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS (20-23, 7-14 Pac-12)
Date: Monday, May 6, 2013
First Pitch: 3:00 p.m.
Location: Portland, Ore.
Field: Joe Etzel Field (1,000)
Live Audio/Stats: PortlandPilots.com
Series: WSU leads 71-26-1
2012: WSU 10, @POR 0 (4/10); WSU 4, POR 2 (5/8 @Pasco)
PORTLAND PILOTS (16-28, 8-10 WCC)
vs. #6 OREGON STATE BEAVERS (37-8, 17-4 Pac-12)
Date: Wednesday, May 8, 2013
First Pitch: 5:35 p.m.
Location: Salem, Ore.
Field: Volcanoes Stadium (4,252)
Live Audio: PortlandPilots.com
Live Stats: OSUBeavers.com
Series: OSU leads 143-56-1
2013: @OSU 7, POR 5 (4/2); OSU 5, @POR 1 (4/17)
PROBABLE STARTERS (W-L, ERA)
Monday • May 6 • 3 PM
POR: RHP Billy Sahlinger (2-2, 3.14)
WSU: RHP Tanner Chleborad (3-7, 6.02)
Wednesday • May 8 • 5:35 PM
POR: TBA
OSU: TBA
THIS WEEK IN PILOTS BASEBALL
• The Pilots return to action this week with a pair of games against two foes from the Pac-12 Conference.
• On Monday, UP will host the Washington State Cougars at Joe Etzel Field at 3 p.m.
• The Pilots then head to Salem, Ore., on Wednesday for a tilt with No. 6 Oregon State at Volcanoes Stadium at 5:35 p.m.
LAST WEEK IN PILOTS BASEBALL
• The Pilots haven’t played since sweeping a three-game West Coast Conference series from LMU at Joe Etzel Field during the weekend of April 26-28.
• In the opener, freshman starter Billy Sahlinger picked up the win, Jeff Melby had three hits and Ben Grubb hit a two-run homer as the Pilots won 8-3.
• On Saturday, Portland scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, which included a two-run, go-ahead double by Jeff Melby as the Pilots rallied for a 3-2 win.
• Sophomore starter Kurt Yinger went the distance on the hill to register his second complete-game win of the season.
• And in the finale, starter Matt McCallister threw 7.2 solid innings, reliever Kody Watts registered his second save of the weekend and Caleb Whalen’s solo home run in the sixth inning proved to be the difference as the Pilots finished off the sweep with a 2-1 victory.
• Senior third baseman Jeff Melby was named the WCC’s Player of the Week following the sweep.
ABOUT THE PILOTS
• Senior third baseman Jeff Melby became the second UP player to earn conference weekly accolades when he was named the WCC Rawlings Player of the Week on April 29; Melby hit .562 (9-for-16) during the week, had two three-hit games, four RBI’s, three runs scored and three doubles.
• A native of Bellevue, Wash., Melby is now second in the WCC with a .357 batting average and he’s reached base safely in 23 straight games; he also has at least one hit in 22 of his last 23 games.
• Sophomore right-hander Kurt Yinger nabbed WCC Pitcher of the Week honors on March 18 after tossing his first career complete game shutout.
• Yinger had a string of 27.0 consecutive scoreless innings earlier this season.
• Sophomore lefty Travis Radke, who K’d 14 during a win over UC Riverside on March 15, ranks second nationally in strikeouts per 9.0 innings (13.8) and is still second in the WCC in overall strikeouts (68) despite missing his last few starts due to an injury.
• Radke’s 14 strikeouts against UCR are tied for the 14th most in a single game nationally this season.
• Freshman right-hander Billy Sahlinger ranks third the WCC in fewest hits allowed (34) and is fourth in opponents batting average (.222).
• Sophomore OF/INF Caleb Whalen is tied for sixth nationally with five triples and he’s tied for the lead in the WCC.
• Nine of Portland’s first 13 games of 2013 were against ranked opponents.
• Portland went 27-25 last year to register the second winning season in the past three years, a feat that has not been accomplished since 1992.
• The Pilots have compiled 85 wins during the past three years (2010-12), which is the most W’s during a three-year span since 1990-92; Portland’s 110 wins during the past four years (2009-12) are also the most since that same time (1989-92).
• UP was 12-12 in the WCC last year, good for a sixth-place finish, marking the third straight year with a conference record of .500 or better, which is a first in the history of the program.
• Head coach Chris Sperry, a former standout catcher/infielder for the Pilots, notched career win No. 300 last year when Portland defeated LMU 6-3 in LA on April 21.
• Sperry, who has 322 career wins in 15+ years at the helm of the Pilots, trails only long-time Portland coach Joe Etzel, who compiled 378 career wins in 21 seasons (1966-86).
• Sperry coached his 800th career game as head coach at UP at UC Irvine on March 2.
KKKKKKKKKKKKKK
• Sophomore left-hander Travis Radke had a career outing on March 15 when he struck out 14 in just 7.0 innings during a win over UC Riverside.
• Radke became the 11th pitcher in the 90-year history of the UP baseball program to record at least 14 K’s in a game.
• The native of Thousand Oaks, Calif., currently ranks second in the nation in K’s per nine innings (13.8) and he leads the WCC in overall strike outs (68).
• Last season, he was named the WCC’s 2012 Freshman of the Year, while also garnering Freshman All-American honors.
• He ended last season 11th nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (5.97), 26th in WHIP (1.0) and 30th in ERA (2.09).
WCC RAWLINGS PITCHER OF THE WEEK
• Sophomore right-hander Kurt Yinger was named the WCC Rawlings Pitcher of the Week (March 18) after hurling his first career complete game shutout as the Pilots blanked UC Riverside 2-0 on March 16 at Joe Etzel Field.
• Yinger registered a career-high 12 strikeouts and didn’t walk a single batter, while scattering six hits.
THE STREAK
• Sophomore righty Kurt Yinger ran his consecutive scoreless inning streak to 27.0 innings before the San Francisco Dons scored in the eighth inning of a 5-1 Portland win on March 23.
• He began the streak against No. 21 UC Irvine on March 2 and he had back-to-back 9.0 scoreless inning outings against Seattle (March 9) and UC Riverside (March 16).
• Against the Redhawks, Yinger allowed just three hits and fanned eight in the no-decision, while he registered his first career complete game shutout against the Highlanders.
• During his complete game, he struck out a career-high 12, didn’t issue a walk and allowed just six hits.
THE “OTHER” STREAK
• Senior third baseman Jeff Melby had his career-best and team season-high 15 game hitting streak come to an end on April 16 against Oregon at Joe Etzel Field.
• Melby has registered at least one hit during 22 of his last 23 games, and he has reached base safely in 23 straight games.
• He leads the Pilots in batting average (.357), which ranks second in the WCC, hits (56), doubles (11) and RBI’s (19).
THREE BAGGERS
• Caleb Whalen has five triples this season, more than doubling his career total.
• His five triples are tied for first in the WCC, he’s tied for fifth nationally and he’s just two triples shy of matching UP’s all-time single-season record, which is currently held by Riley Henricks (2010), Nate Hare (2000) and Larry Farrell (1960).
• His eight career triples are the ninth most all-time at UP and are just six shy of matching Farrell’s (1958-61) career mark of 14.
