PORTLAND PILOTS (24-26, 6-18 WCC)
WEEK 14 GAME NOTES
 
at Pacific Tigers (22-25, 9-15 WCC)
Dates: Fri & Sun, May 17 & 19, 2019
First Pitches: 1 PM/4:30 PM/1 PM
Location: Stockton, Calif.
Ballpark: Klein Family Field
Video: Game 1  Game 2  Game 3
Stats: Game 1  Game 2  Game 3
Series: PAC leads 24-17
2018: PAC 1-0, PAC 14-7, POR 7-4 (April 27-29 at Portland)
 
PROBABLE STARTERS (W-L, ERA)
Friday • May 17 • 1 PM (Game 1)
POR: RHP Kevin Baker (0-6, 7.89)
PAC: LHP Ricky Reynoso (1-5, 5.46)
 
Friday • May 17 • 4:30 PM (Game 2)
POR: RHP Connor Knutson (3-3, 2.06)
PAC: RHP Hayden Pearce (2-1, 3.40)
 
Sunday • May 19 • 1 PM
POR: RHP Chris Clements (7-1, 1.69)
PAC: RHP Ryan Shreve (4-5, 3.08)
 
THIS WEEK IN PILOTS BASEBALL
• The Pilots conclude the 2019 season with a three-game West Coast Conference series against the Pacific Tigers this weekend in Stockton, Calif.
• Weather has forced the Pilots and Tigers to adjust the schedule as they'll open the series with a double header on Friday, with the first game set for 1 p.m.
• They'll take Saturday off, and first pitch for Sunday's season finale is at 1 p.m.
• Links for live streams and live stats for all three games can be found at PortlandPilots.com.
 
LAST WEEK IN PILOTS BASEBALL
• Cody Hawken belted a three-run homer and the Pilots held No. 11 Oregon State to just four hits Tuesday night in Corvallis, but the Beavers prevailed 4-3.
• Down 3-1 in the seventh with the bases loaded, OSU got a three-run double from George Mendazona, and that would prove to be the difference.
• Last Sunday at Joe Etzel Field, the Pilots won the series finale against the Pepperdine Waves 2-1 as Matt Kelly provided a walk-off, RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning.
• Chris Clements went 9.0 innings, striking out nine, while only allowing one run on three hits; Connor Knutson tossed a scoreless top of the 10th for the W.
• Previously the Waves overcame the Pilots 4-3 on Friday night before holding off Portland for a 12-7 win on Saturday.
• During the opener, Chad Stevens had three hits and the Pilots tied the score with two runs in the fifth, but a bases loaded walk in the top of the seventh forced in what would prove to be the game-winning run for Pepperdine.
• On Saturday the Pilots tried to rally from a sizable early deficit with home runs from Hawken and Dutton Elske, but the Waves held on.
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS
• Redshirt-senior Chris Clements is a semifinalist for the Pitcher of the Year, it was announced by the College Baseball Foundation.
• Clements, a transfer who's in his first and only year with the Pilots, is 7-1 with a 1.69 ERA, he has 76 K's in 85.1 innings, and he's holding the opposition to a .180 batting average; he ranks eighth nationally in WHIP (0.89), he's 10th in ERA, and 18th in hits allowed per 9.0 innings (5.7).
• He's also first in the WCC in WHIP and ERA, and he's second in hits per 9.0.
• Clements has been named the Rawlings WCC Pitcher of the Week three times this season, including on April 1 after collecting a pair of W's against No. 8 OSU and LMU.
• In 10.0 total innings against the Beavers and Lions, Clements surrendered just two earned runs, gave up only three hits, K'd eight, and walked one.
• He previously nabbed back-to-back league pitcher of the week awards after tossing consecutive complete games (March 2 & 10).
• Clements' complete-game shutout against Northern Colorado on March 10 was the first shutout by a Pilot pitcher since 2015; he K'd 13 during the win.
• Portland closer Connor Knutson and sophomore shortstop Chad Stevens were also named to watch lists for awards that honor the top player in the nation at their respective positions.
• Knutson was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year midseason watch list; Knutson has 10 saves this season with a 2.06 ERA, and his 18 career saves are tied for second most in program history.
• Knutson ranks 24th nationally and second in the WCC in saves.
• Stevens, who was placed on the initial Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, leads the team with a .288 batting average, 60 hits, 12 doubles, and 44 runs; he's also belted four home runs, collected 26 RBI's, has a triple, and he's stolen 12 bases.
• Cody Hawken was tabbed the WCC Player of the Week on March 22 after batting .417 with a home run, two doubles, and eight RBI's during a series at USD.
• During a 20-0 win over the Toreros on March 20, Hawken hit a grand slam, collected a pair of doubles, and drove in seven runs, which ties the third most RBI's in a game in program history.
• The 20-0 win is believed to be a program record for the largest margin of victory during a shutout over a DI opponent.
• The 20 runs are also the second largest margin of victory overall against a DI opponent in program history; in 1958 the Pilots won 28-4 at Portland State.
• The Pilots have scored 20 runs in a game twice this season, winning 20-0 at San Diego (April 20) and 20-2 at San Francisco (March 16); it's the first time in program history (at least since 1935) to score 20 runs twice in the same year.
• Portland opened the year 15-5, which equaled the program's second best record ever after 20 games; Portland's 1958 squad holds the record with an 17-3 mark, and the Pilots also went 15-5 in 1969.
• Portland's seven-game winning streak earlier this season was the longest stretch without a loss for the Pilots since 2010.
• Cody Hawken is the second Pilot with seven RBI's in a game this season after Matt Kelly made history on March 16 when he drove in seven runs at USF; it was the most RBI's by a Pilot since Kory Casto also collected seven RBI's during a game in 2003.
• Earlier this year, freshman Tracye Tammaro homered in four straight games (March 13-17).
• Portland's home sweep vs. Northern Colorado (Mar. 8-10) was the first four-game series sweep for the Pilots since taking four from Eastern Oregon in 1982, and it's the first against a DI opponent since winning four against Seattle in 1980.
• Cody Hawken was plunked at San Diego (April 18) for the 44th time in his career, which matches Cory Lunde (1999-2002) for the program's all-time record; Hawken ranks ninth nationally in hit-by-pitches (16).
• The Pilots lead the WCC in home runs (48).
• Fourth-year head coach Geoff Loomis is a Portland baseball alum and UP Athletics Hall of Fame member who still holds the UP program career record for batting average (.376).
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
• The Pacific Tigers have lost nine of their last 10 games.
• They're batting .261 as a team, holding opponents to a .267 average, and have a staff ERA of 4.63.
• James Free leads the Tigers offensively with a .324 batting average, eight home runs, and 37 RBI's.
• Ryan Garko is in his second season as head coach at Pacific.