PORTLAND PILOTS (0-0)
WEEK 1 GAME NOTES
 
vs. Seattle U Redhawks (0-0)
Dates: Sat-Sun, Feb. 20-21
Location: Portland, Ore.
Ballpark: Joe Etzel Field
Live Video: Game 1 I Game 2 I Game 3
Live Stats: Game 1 I Game 2 I Game 3
Series: POR leads 83-73-1
Last: POR 8, SU 4 (10) - April 2, 2019 @SU
 
PROBABLE STARTERS (2020 W-L, ERA)
Saturday • Feb. 21 • 12 PM • Game 1
POR: RHP Christian Peters (3-1, 0.63)
SU: RHP Alex Jemal (0-0, 2.81)
 
Saturday • Feb. 21 • 3:30 PM • Game 2
POR: RHP Brett Gillis (0-0, 0.00)
SU: RHP Morgan White (N/A)
 
Sunday • Feb. 22 • 1 PM
POR: LHP Caleb Franzen (2-1, 4.26)
SU: RHP Nestor German (N/A)
 
THIS WEEK IN PILOTS BASEBALL
• The Pilots open their 2021 season this weekend by hosting the Seattle U Redhawks for a three-game non-conference series at a renovated Joe Etzel Field.
• The two teams are scheduled to play a double header on Sunday beginning at 12 p.m., and they'll conclude the series with a 1 p.m. game on Monday.
• A video stream and live stats will be available for all three games, and links can be found at PortlandPilots.com.
 
NEXT WEEK IN PILOTS BASEBALL
• The Pilots travel south to Davis, Calif., next week for a quick three-game series against the UC Davis Aggies at Phil Swimley Field at Dobbins Stadium.
• The Pilots and Aggies are scheduled to play a double-header on Sunday, Feb. 28) beginning at 12 p.m., and they'll play a single game on Monday at 1 p.m.
 
LAST SEASON IN PILOTS BASEBALL
• The Pilots were off to a great start last year with a 12-4 record before the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• At the end of the abbreviated season, the Pilots were among the nation's leaders in hitting, pitching, and fielding.
• They were seventh in the country in home runs (23), they were 25th in slugging percentage (.471).
• On the hill their hits allowed per nine innings (6.7) was 23rd, and the staff ERA (2.62) ranked 27th.
• The team's combined fielding percentage of .981 was No 26.
• Individually, Jake Holcroft was one of the best hitters in the country en route to nabbing Collegiate Baseball Freshmen All-American recognition; he hit a torrid .484 at the plate, which ranked third in the country, and his 30 hits were the third most nationally.
• Holcroft was Portland's first freshman All-American since 2012.
• Christian Peters was nearly flawless on the mound, going 3-1 in four starts with a minuscule 0.63 ERA; he struck out 35 in 28.2 total innings, walked only three, and allowed just three earned runs to rank 24th nationally in ERA.
• Tracye Tammaro was among the nation's leaders in home runs, belting seven dingers in 16 games to rank eighth in the country; his 22 RBI's were good for 16th nationally.
 
THE NEW ETZ
• Since we last saw Joe Etzel Field, Portland baseball's home site since 1966 has undergone some upgrades as the University concluded a three-phase, long-term renovation project.
• The final and most recent phase of the project features the addition of new seating, concourse, press box, ticketing office, dugouts, and a refreshed plaza surrounding the stadium.
• 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.
• The addition of new lights to the facility were phase two in 2016.
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS
• Senior pitcher Christian Peters, junior shortstop Chad Stevens, sophomore first baseman Tracye Tammaro, and redshirt-freshman outfielder Jake Holcroft were all voted to the 2021 All-West Coast Conference Preseason Baseball Team.
• The Pilots tied Pepperdine for the most players on the all-league preseason team, and it's the second straight year to earn the honor for Stevens.
• The Pilots as a team were selected to finish seventh in the annual poll of the league's 10 head coaches.
• Senior closer Connor Knutson enters the year second all-time in program history with 22 career saves; the right-hander is just two stops shy of matching career leader Chris Dennis, who compiled 24 saves from 2010-11.
• Elsewhere on the program's career charts, junior pitcher Eli Morse ranks eighth all-time in K's per 9.0 innings (8.12), and he's 12th in fewest walks per nine (2.53).
• Tammaro is 11th in career slugging percentage (.511), and he's No. 13 with a .415 career on-base percentage.
• The Pilots lost only five players from last year's roster and return 28 letterwinners, including all nine position starters and almost the entire pitching staff.
• The team added 12 newcomers to the roster.
• 2021 marks the sixth year at the helm for head coach Geoff Loomis.
• With 87 career wins, Loomis already ranks third all-time for coaching wins at Portland.
• The 25 wins the Pilots recorded in 2019 are the most in a season since 2012.
• 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 Seattle U Redhawks went 7-9 last year in the shortened 2020 season.
• They hit .257 as a team and had a staff ERA of 5.08, while opponents hit .270.
• Julian Kodama was Seattle's top hitter with a .379 batting average, and Chase Wells drove in a team-best 10 RBI's.
• Jarrod Billing claimed a staff-high three wins on the hill, and Saturday's game one starter Alex Jemal registered a 2.81 ERA.
• Donny Harrel enters his 12th year as head coach at Seattle U.