PORTLAND PILOTS (3-0)
WEEK 2 GAME NOTES
 
vs. Utah Valley Wolverines (0-4)
Dates: Thur-Sat, Feb. 20-22, 2020
First Pitches: 1 PM/11 AM/1 PM
Location: Hillsboro, Ore.
Ballpark: Ron Tonkin Field
Video: N/A
Live Audio: PortlandPilots.com (no audio on Saturday)
Live Stats: Game 1 I Game 2 I Game 3 I Game 4
Tickets: PortlandPilots.com/tickets
Series: POR leads 10-9
Last: POR 10-3, UVU 6-4, UVU 9-8, POR 8-6 (March 10-13, 2016 at UVU)
 
PROBABLE STARTERS (W-L, ERA)
Thursday • Feb. 20 • 1 PM
POR: RHP Nate Packard (N/A)
UVU: RHP Jesse Schmit (0-0, 3.00)
 
Friday • Feb. 21 • 11 AM • Game 1
POR: RHP Eli Morse (1-0, 1.29)
UVU: RHP Bobby Voortmeyer (0-1, 13.50)
 
Friday • Feb. 21 • Appx. 2:30 PM • Game 2
POR: RHP Christian Peters (1-0, 0.00)
UVU: RHP Jaxson Otis (0-0, 0.00)
 
Saturday • Feb. 22 • 1 PM
POR: LHP Caleb Franzen (0-0, 0.00)
UVU: RHP Mason Gray (0-0, 4.50)
 
THIS WEEK IN PILOTS BASEBALL
• The Pilots play at Ron Tonkin Field for the first time this season when they host Utah Valley for a four-game series at the Hillsboro ballpark.
• The series begins with a game on Thursday at 1 p.m.
• The Pilots and Wolverines then play a double header on Friday at 11 a.m., and Saturday's series finale is set for 1 p.m.
• Links for live audio and live stats for all four games can be found at PortlandPilots.com.
 
THIS SEASON IN PILOTS BASEBALL
• Due to the on-going construction of Joe Etzel Field the Pilots will be playing "home" games throughout the greater Portland area and Southwest Washington.
• The Pilots will be playing two series at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex in Ridgefield, Wash. (Feb. 14-16 & Feb. 28-March 1), two series at Ron Tonkin Field in Hillsboro (Feb. 20-22 & March 26-28), and they'll play one series at Goss Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. (March 13-15).
• Additionally, the Pilots will be playing two games at Concordia University (March 25 & 30) and another at Ron Tonkin Field (April 21).
• All other home games will be played at Joe Etzel Field, with berm seating only for games in April.
• Ridgefield Notes: Admission will not be charged and concessions will be available on a limited basis.
• Hillsboro Notes: Admission will be charged ($5 for everyone and seating is all general admission), concessions will be available for purchase, and parking is free; this does not apply to the game vs. Oregon State on April 21, and for more ticket information on that game please visit PortlandPilots.com/tickets.
• Corvallis Notes: Admission will not be charged.
 
LAST WEEK IN PILOTS BASEBALL
• The Pilots out-scored Nevada 33-5 to sweep a three-game series with the Wolf Pack at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex in Ridgefield, Wash.
• On Friday, the Pilots began the season by taking both ends of a double header, winning 14-1 and 13-0.
• Travis Turney homered twice during the opener and finished with five RBI's, while starter Eli Morse scattered just four hits in 7.0 innings to claim the W.
• Christian Peters struck out a career-high 12 in 7.0 scoreless innings during game two, and he got plenty of offensive support as Tracye Tammaro homered for the second straight game.
• On Saturday, Sean Mulcare hit a go-ahead homer in the top of the sixth to help the Pilots complete the sweep.
 
NEXT WEEK IN PILOTS BASEBALL
• The Pilots return to Ridgefield, Wash., to host the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks for a four-game set.
• The series begins at the RORC with one game on Friday at 1 p.m.; a double header is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m., and Sunday's finale will start at 1 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS
• Senior right-hander Christian Peters is the inaugural Rawlings WCC Pitcher of the Week after a dominating performance against Nevada (Feb. 14).
• In 7.0 scoreless innings against the Wolf Pack, Peters scattered just four hits and collected a career-high 12 strikeouts to claim the win; he also issued just one walk as the Pilots rolled to a 13-0 win.
• During last Saturday's win over Nevada, senior closer Connor Knutson made his season debut and promptly notched career save number 19, which is just five shy of matching the program's all-time record.
• Last year Knutson compiled 10 saves, three wins, and a 2.85 ERA, and he was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List
• 2020 marks the fifth year for head coach Geoff Loomis, and this is the second time his squad has begun a season 3-0; the other came in 2016.
• 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).
• The Pilots won 25 games overall last season, which was the most wins since 2012.
• Portland features 19 returning letterwinners and 16 newcomers.
• Junior shortstop Chad Stevens was voted to the 2020 All-West Coast Conference Preseason Team.
• Stevens landed on the All-WCC Second Team and was placed on the initial Brooks Wallace Award Watch List last year; he hit .284 as a sophomore and collected 13 doubles, a triple, 12 stolen bases, and 36 runs scored, which are the ninth most in a single season in Portland program history.
• Sophomore Tracye Tammaro also earned all-conference recognition last year, landing on the league's all-freshman team after hitting .261 overall with five home runs, 26 RBI's, a triple, and 11 doubles in his first year with the Pilots.
• Tammaro's on-base percentage of .407 was a team-high, and his 409 putouts at first base rank 10th on the program's single-season chart.
• During one stretch last season Tammaro homered in four straight games.
• Portland features a deep pitching staff, led by Knutson and junior starter Eli Morse.
• Morse has a career ERA of 3.48, and he ranks eighth all-time for UP baseball in fewest walks per nine innings (2.19).
• The Pilots led the WCC in home runs last season with 52; junior catcher Hunter Montgomery belted a team-high nine homers.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
• The Utah Valley Wolverines began the season by dropping four straight to Abilene Christian in Abilene, Texas.
• The Wolverines hit .235 during the series, allowed ACU to hit .309, and posted a 6.49 ERA.
• Connor Hall and Dalton Hill both hit .500 against the Wildcats.
• Eric Madsen is in his 12th year as head coach at UVU, he took the Wolverines to an NCAA Regional in 2016, and he's just three wins shy of 300 for his career.
 
THE NEW ETZ: COMPLETION DATE 2020
• Joe Etzel Field, Portland baseball's home since 1988, has undergone some upgrades during the past few years, including the first two phases of a three-phase, long-term plan.
• Phase one in 2014 included the installation of AstroTurf, new fencing, bullpens, a scoreboard and a grass berm for seating down the right field line, while new lights were phase two in 2016.
• The final phase of the new Joe Etzel field is still on-going, and when finished the upgraded facility will feature the addition of new seating, concourse, press box, ticketing office, dugouts, and a refreshed plaza surrounding the stadium.