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April 10, 2008

Game Notes and Stats in PDF Format

Game 32-34

UP TO BAT: The Gonzaga University baseball team will continue a nine-game home stand this week as they welcome West Coast Conference foe Santa Clara University to Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field in a crucial three-game series. The series will open Friday at 6:30 p.m. before games Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.

ON DECK: Gonzaga University will continue its home stretch with a two-game midweek series with the University of Washington on Monday and Tuesday of next week. Monday's game will be played at 6 p.m. before Wednesday's 3 p.m. afternoon contest. The following weekend, the Zags will resume West Coast Conference play as they host the University of Portland in a three-game tilt.

LAST OUTING: Tuesday night, a grand slam by Ryan Wiegand in the eighth inning sparked a seven run rally to give the Gonzaga University baseball team an 11-8 victory over visiting Washington State University. Down 8-4 heading into the bottom of the eighth, the Zags loaded the bases with no outs. Following a strikeout, Wiegand went yard to knot the score 8-8. Tyson Van Winkle then reached on a double before scoring the game-winning run on a triple by Michael Rhodes. Wiegand finished the day going 4-for-5 with two runs scored and four runs driven in.

LAST WCC OUTING: Last weekend, the Gonzaga University baseball team dropped a three-game West Coast Conference series to then-No. 17 University of San Diego in San Diego. Friday, in the series-opener, the Bulldogs avoided the shutout late, scoring two unearned runs in the top of the seventh but it was too little too late as GU fell 10-2. San Diego captured the series Saturday with a 7-4 victory. Evan Wells went a perfect 4-for-4 with a run batted in and one scored for the Zags on the afternoon. Gonzaga failed to avoid the sweep Sunday as it fell 9-3. Ryan Wiegand recorded his team-leading fifth home run of the season in the top of the first before scoring a run in the sixth during the contest.

TICKETS TO PATTERSON BASEBALL COMPLEX AND WASHINGTON TRUST FIELD: The gates to Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field will open one hour prior to the scheduled game time. Tickets are available before the game at the ticket booth located at the northeast corner of the ballpark. Admission is five dollars for adults and three dollars for seniors and kids 12 and under.

LIVE ON THE INTERNET: All Gonzaga University home games and select away games will be available via Gametracker on the internet at http://www.gozags.com. Check the Bulldogs' web site for all Gametracker links.

SCOUTING THE BRONCOS: Santa Clara University travels to Spokane with a 17-12 record, including going an even 3-3 in West Coast Conference play. The Broncos' Ryan Conan leads the squad at the plate with a .378 average, which is 141 points above his career average. Hot on his trail is Evan LeBlanc who is hitting at a .377 clip with a team-leading 46 hits, including 11 doubles. The SCU pitching staff is bolstered by Thain Simon, who is boasting a 6-1 record. Simon is expected to earn his first start of the season Saturday as he has thrown 25.0 innings of relief this season. Earlier in the week, Santa Clara dropped a 16-8 decision to No. 5 University of California after dropping a WCC series 2-1 to University of Portland last weekend. In the all-time series with Gonzaga University, SCU holds the slight 32-28 edge.

LAST SEASON VS. THE BRONCOS: Last season Gonzaga University took two of three games from Santa Clara University in a West Coast Conference series in Santa Clara, Calif. The Zags took the opening game 3-2, before falling Saturday 5-3. Sunday, the Bulldogs rebounded, earning the series victory with a 6-3 decision. During the three-game set, GU was led by Shawn Wayt, who hit at a .500 clip with three runs batted in and two runs scored. Reliever Jeremy Stumetz earned WCC Pitcher of the Week accolades for his performance during the series as he allowed no runs on one hit and a walk over 5.0 innings of relief en route to posting two saves.

LIVE ON THE RADIO: The Gonzaga University baseball team will have 15 remaining games aired live on the radio in the greater Spokane area this season. The Santa Clara University, University of Washington, University of Portland, Oregon State University, University of San Francisco series and two games against Washington State University, including Tuesday's contest, will be aired live on 1510 KGA. The broadcasts will begin 15 minutes prior to the scheduled first pitch. Calling games for the Bulldogs will be Tom Hudson with former head coach Steve Hertz providing color commentary.

BULLDOG BASEBALL ON TELEVISION: Four remaining Gonzaga University West Coast Conference baseball games will be aired on GUTV this season. Games this weekend against Santa Clara University and Apr. 18-19 versus the University of Portland will all be aired live on the campus station.

FIRST BASES LOADED JACK SINCE 2006: Ryan Wiegand's grand slam in the eighth inning Tuesday not only sparked a seven run inning for Gonzaga University, it was also the first grand slam for the Zags since the 2006 season. In addition, Tuesday's long ball was the first GU bases loaded home run at Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field. The last Bulldog to hit a grand slam was Darin Holcomb, who hit two grand slams against Chicago State University on March 22, 2006. During the game, Holcomb set a school record with 10 RBI in the contest.

WALKLESS IN SPOKANE: In Tuesday's win over visiting Washington State University, four Bulldog pitchers saw time on the mound as they combined to strikeout seven batters. More impressively, none of the four pitchers walked a batter. The game marked the second time this season GU had not allowed a base on balls, with the first contest coming during the second game of a doubleheader with Utah Valley University on March 25.

CASTELLITTO PROVING WORTH: Mark Castellitto continues to prove how he has earned his way into the Gonzaga University starting lineup. The sophomore is batting .323 in 21 games this season, going 20-for-62 with two triples, four doubles, four home runs, 11 runs scored and 12 runs batted in. The sophomore is advancing runners at a .424 clip, and is batting a perfect 2-for-2 as a pinch hitter.

JUNIOR CONTINUES STRONG CAREER: Ryan Wiegand continues his stellar career at Gonzaga University as the junior is currently leading the Zags with a .348 average. He leads the squad with 46 hits, 37 runs batted in, six home runs and a dozen doubles. For his career, Wiegand has hit .336 with 180 hits, 40 doubles, two triples, 13 home runs and 126 RBI. His career doubles and runs batted in place him just short of cracking the Zags' all-time lists.

HEID LOOKS TO EXTEND STREAK: Sophomore transfer Drew Heid enters the weekend looking to extend a team-leading six game hit streak. The streak is the longest of the season for Heid, who has been hitting at a .368 clip during the span. For the season, the native of Goldendale, Wash. is maintaining a .284 average. Earlier in the season, Evan Wells posted the Zags' season-high streak of 10 games.

 WIEGAND DRIVES TOWARDS CAREER LIST: Ryan Wiegand, first baseman for the Zags, continues to be a run producer for Gonzaga University as the junior has driven in 37 runs this season. For his career, the native of San Diego has posted 126 RBI, leaving him 17 short of cracking the career top-ten. For his career, Wiegand has posted 35 multiple-RBI games, including 14 during the 2007 campaign. This season, Wiegand has posted 11 multiple-RBI games, including driving in six runs on Mar. 9 at the University of the Pacific.

MARTIN JUST SHORT OF RECORD BREAKING: Freshman Cody Martin continues his strong rookie campaign, as the freshman earned a save while pitching a perfect inning against Washington State University on Tuesday night. The right-hander now stands at six saves this season, placing him tied for second on the single season list and one short of the 26-year old school record. Martin had been tied with five other Zags who have earned five saves in a season, including senior Brandon Harmon who accomplished the feat in 2005. Randy Bostic holds the school record after earning seven saves in 1982.

IMPROVEMENTS TO PATTERSON BASEBALL COMPLEX AND WASHINGTON TRUST FIELD: Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field boasts a new and improved look down the right field line this season. During the off-season, construction was completed on a new maintenance facility in the right field corner near the batting cages. The "maintenance mansion" houses the Gonzaga University athletic department's grounds keeping efforts. Last season, a temporary shed was utilized until construction could commence on the new building.

OUCH!: The Gonzaga University baseball team has been hit-by-a-pitch 61 times this season, including a season-high six times by Brigham Young University on Feb. 29. In comparison, Bulldog pitchers have plunked 31 batters to date. Senior Bryan Winston leads GU as he has been hit-by-a-pitch 10 times. Last season in 58 games, the Zags were hit 65 times. According to official NCAA stats through games of Apr. 6, Gonzaga ranks fifth in the nation in the category. The University of South Florida currently lead the nation with 76 plunks.

McKIMMY NAMED WCC CO-PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Marcus McKimmy, an outfielder for Gonzaga University, was named the West Coast Conference Co-Player of the Month for March. McKimmy led the Zags to a 13-7 mark in March as the senior went 33-for-79 to hit at a .418 clip. The senior led GU with 22 hits and 25 runs scored while posting six doubles, three home runs and 25 runs batted in. The native of Yakima, Wash. recorded nine multiple-hit games, including seven contests with three hits. Following a player of the week accolade on Mar. 24, he closed out the month with a eight game hit streak. McKimmy shared the monthly honor with Pepperdine University's Eric Thames, who compiled a .403 average with six home runs.

HARMON MOVES UP IN RECORD BOOK: Senior pitcher Brandon Harmon has moved into sole possession of second place in the Gonzaga University record book for career appearances. Harmon, who has started seven games this season and made three relief appearances, was tied for fourth with Craig Miller (1979-82) with 67 appearances to start the season. The senior currently stands at 77 appearances. Recently, he replaced Tyrone Cunningham (1986-89), who stood at 71, for second place. Harmon is on pace to break the all-time appearance record of 81 appearances, held by Matt Siwek (1996-00).

CONTINGENCY PLAN: Due to inclement weather in Spokane, the scheduled three-game West Coast Conference series between Gonzaga University and Pepperdine University that was scheduled for the last weekend of March had to be modified. The series was shortened to a two-game set in Spokane. The third game of the series will be played, if needed, later in the season should the game be necessary to determine seeding for the WCC Championship. Most likely, the game will be made up at a neutral site in Southern California at the end of the season when the Zags take their already scheduled trip Los Angeles to face Loyola Marymount University May 16-18.

McKIMMY EARNS NATIONAL HONORS: Marcus McKimmy continues to post an impressive senior campaign as he has earned West Coast Conference Player of the Week and Month accolades this season. In addition, the native of Yakima, was named the West Region Player of the Week by www.collegebaseballinsider.com and www.collegebaseballhub.com for the week of Mar. 17. McKimmy was awarded the honors after batting .423 during the week.

PAIR OF ZAGS EARN WEEKLY WCC HONORS: Grant Kveder and Marcus McKimmy of the Gonzaga University baseball team have each been awarded West Coast Conference Player of the Week Accolades this season. Kveder earned the honor on Mar. 17 as the junior led GU to the 2008 Pepsi/Johnny Quick Classic title after batting at a .500 clip with five runs batted in, five runs scored and two stolen bases. McKimmy earned the honor on Mar. 14 as the senior led the Zags to series victories over Utah Valley University and Sacramento State University. During the week, he hit .423, going 11-for-26, with four doubles, a home run and 13 runs batted in.

KVEDER NAMED TOURNAMENT MVP: Junior Grant Kveder of the Gonzaga University baseball team was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2008 Pepsi/Johnny Quick Tournament. Kveder was named the MVP after posting an impressive .500 batting average during the six-game event. The Alberta native went 10-for-20 with five runs batted in, five runs scored and two stolen bases. Nine of Kveder's 10 hits came as singles and the junior recorded only one extra-base hit - a double. Kveder's strongest performance at the tournament was a 5-for-5 outing against New Mexico State University on Mar. 14. In the 17-10 Bulldog win, Kveder also drove in three runs while scoring three.

BULLDOGS POST HIGHEST FINISH IN WCC PLAY IN 2007: By posting victories over then-No. 17 Pepperdine University on May 11 and 12, 2007, the Gonzaga University baseball team locked up its highest finish in WCC history, securing second place. Gonzaga had never finished higher than fifth when the conference played a non-divisional format. The Bulldogs finished fifth in 1996 and finished the 2006 campaign tied for fifth. The WCC played a non-divisional format Gonzaga's first three years in the conference (1996-98) and then went to the divisional format from 1999-05 before returning to non-divisional play last season.

ZAGS PICKED TO FINISH FIFTH: The Gonzaga University baseball team has been selected to finish fifth in the 2008 West Coast Conference preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches. Reigning WCC Champion, University of San Diego, received seven first place votes and a total of 49 points to edge out the Pepperdine University, 42 points, and Santa Clara University for first place. The Broncos also received one first place vote and 32 total points. Loyola Marymount University checked in at fourth with 29 points, just edging out the Zags, who received 28 points. The University of San Francisco was tabbed for a sixth place finish with 24 points, while University of Portland and the Saint Mary's College were picked to finish seventh and eighth with 12 and eight points, respectively.

ZAGS RAKE IN LEAGUE HONORS: Former Gonzaga University standout Clayton Mortensen headlined eight All-West Coast Conference accolades during the 2007 season. Mortensen was named the conference's Pitcher of the Year as well as an unanimous All-WCC selection. Joining Mortensen as unanimous all-conference selections were current Zags' Shawn Wayt and Ryan Wiegand. Former Bulldog Darin Holcomb was named All-WCC, while current sophomore Jeremy Stumetz was named to the All-Freshman team. Former Bulldogs Aaron McGuinness, Mike Terry and current GU hurler Brandon Harmon were awarded honorable mention accolades.

BULLDOGS EXCEL IN CLASSROOM: Two members, including one current member, of the Gonzaga University baseball team were awarded All-West Coast Conference academic accolades last season. Former Bulldog Aaron McGuinness and current second baseman Evan Wells each earned the distinction. McGuinness earned a 3.48 grade point average in exercise science while Wells posted a 3.95 GPA in journalism, which also placed him on the University's president's list.

PATTTERSON BASEBALL COMPLEX AND WASHINGTON TRUST FIELD: The 2008 season marks the second year of play at Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field. The new home of Bulldog baseball is a state-of-the-art facility that also incorporates an old-time baseball feel. The new stadium includes 1,300 theater-style seats and includes classic brick detailing. Major League amenities include a state-of-the-art infield, a professional candle lighting system and authentic home and visitor dugouts with underground passages to full-service clubhouses. The first game at the new facility was March 15, 2007 against Rider University. The facility also features eight light poles, two which are 90 feet tall while the other six stand at 80 feet. Dedication ceremonies were held April 20, 2007 prior to the game against Saint Mary's College.

HEAD COACH Mark Machtolf: Mark Machtolf is in his fifth season as the head coach of the Gonzaga University baseball and 17th season as a member of the Bulldogs' coaching staff. Since being named head coach, Machtolf has posted a 131-116 record for a .528 winning percentage, placing him third all-time in Gonzaga history. During his tenure with the Zags', he has led the Zags to four-top five finishes and produced the 2004 WCC Player of the Year, Kiel Thibault, and the 2007 WCC Pitcher of the Year, Clayton Mortensen. He has overseen 33 Zags who have signed professional contracts, including 22 that were drafted into the Major Leagues. Under his guidance, Gonzaga has also landed 69 all-conference selections in addition to 15 All-WCC Academic honors. During the summer of 2006, Machtolf served as an assistant coach for Team USA. Under his guidance, the team posted a 28-2-1 record, including going a perfect at 8-0 record the Federation Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU) World Championships in Havanna, Cuba. A 1987 graduate of Stanford University, Machtolf was a member of the Cardinal's 1987 College World Series championship team and was an All-CWS selection.