May 1, 2008
Game Notes and Statistics in PDF Format 
Games 46-48
San Francisco at Gonzaga
Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field (3,500)
Spokane, Wash.
Friday, May 2, 6:30 p.m.
Satuday, May 3, 1 p.m.
Sunday, May 4, 1 p.m.
Series Record:
USF leads 28-25
Live Stats: www.gozags.com
Radio: 1510 KGA
UP TO BAT: Gonzaga University resumes West Coast Conference play this weekend as it hosts the University of San Francisco in a three-game series at Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field. The key series for the Zags will open Friday night at 6:30 p.m. before games Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. Sunday will mark Senior Day, as Gonzaga recognizes nine Bulldogs for their contributions to the baseball program. Brandon Blank, Ben Greenslitt, Brandon Harmon, Marcus McKimmy, Alex Parrott, Cory Powell, Michael Rhodes, Shawn Wayt and Bryan Winston will all be honored prior to the first pitch.
LAST OUTING: Earlier this week, the Bulldogs hosted two-time defending national champions and nationally ranked Oregon State University in Spokane. The Zags earned the two-game midweek series sweep of the No. 23 Beavers with 11-6 and 4-2 victories. Tuesday, Gonzaga rallied for six runs in the bottom of the eighth to capture the 11-6 win in front of a season-high 1,310 fans. Jason Chatwood led GU on the evening, going 4-for-6 with three runs batted in and a run scored. Wednesday, a double by Drew Heid, along with a single, resulting in a three-base error, by Grant Kveder scored two runs in the seventh, to secure a 4-2 Bulldog victory and the sweep.
LAST WCC OUTING: Last weekend, the Gonzaga University baseball team took two-of-three games from Saint Mary's College in West Coast Conference action in Moraga. The Zags opened the series Friday with an 11-3 victory thanks to an impressive outing by starting pitcher Matt Fields. In the contest, Fields allowed one run on three hits over 7.0 innings, while striking out eight. Saturday, the Gaels evened the series with a 3-2 victory before the Bulldogs earned the series victory 18-5 Sunday.
LIVE ON THE RADIO: The Gonzaga University baseball team will have five remaining games aired live on the radio in the greater Spokane area this season. This weekend's games with the University of San Francisco, a re-scheduled contest with Lewis-Clark State College and one game against Washington State University 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.
HEID EARNS CONFERENCE, NATIONAL ACCOLADES: Outfielder Drew Heid has been named the West Coast Conference Player of the Week as well as named to the National All-Star Lineup by the Collegiate Baseball Foundation. Heid earned the accolades after leading the Zags last week with a .667 average. The sophomore went 10-for-15 in four games, with five doubles and a home run while driving in five runs and scoring six. Last weekend, in a three-game WCC series with Saint Mary's College, Heid posted two four-hit performances as he went a perfect 4-for-4 in the series opener, and 4-for-6 Sunday in the series finale.
SCOUTING THE DONS: The University of San Francisco enters the weekend with a 26-20 overcall mark, including going 8-7 against West Coast Conference foes. The Dons are also 11-18 when playing as the away team. USF is led by Ryan Lipkin, who in 41 games, is hitt at a .378 clip with 27 runs scored. Hot on his heels is Connor Bernatz, who is hitting .377 with 58 hits and 25 runs batted in. On the mound, USF is paced by Mat Lujan, who has posted a 3.30 earned run average in 60.0 innings pitched. All-time against Gonzaga, the Dons hold a slight 28-25 edge.
LAST SEASON VS. USF: Last season against San Francisco, the Zags dropped two of three at USF. The Dons took the first game 4-2, before Gonzaga grabbed the second game 1-0 behind a solid pitching performance by former Zag Clayton Mortensen. USF grabbed the series victory Sunday thanks to a 10-2 win.
SENIORS SET TO SHINE: Sunday, Gonzaga University will honor nine seniors and their contributions to the Zag baseball program. Prior to the first pitch, Brandon Blank, Ben Greenslitt, Brandon Harmon, Marcus McKimmy, Alex Parrott, Cory Powell, Michael Rhodes, Shawn Wayt and Bryan Winston will all be honored.
Brandon Blank: Blank finishes his GU career as a three-year letter winner. The native of Kennewick, Wash. has appeared in 90 games, including 31 starts during the 2007 season. This season, Blank has served double duty for the Bulldogs, seeing playing time in 29 games, including five appearances on the mound. As a sophomore, last season, Blank posted five multiple hit games, including a four-hit performance against Saint Mary's College.
Ben Greenslitt: Greenslitt is in his second season as a Bulldog, after transferring to GU from Lower Columbia Community College. The native of Bonners Ferry, Idaho has appeared in 29 career games, including seven starts last season. In 2007, during West Coast Conference action, Greenslitt posted a .750 batting average including a bunt single to load the bases and spark a three-run ninth inning to defeat Pepperdine University - securing a spot for the Bulldogs in the 2007 WCC Championship series.
Brandon Harmon: Harmon finishes his career as a four-year letter winner and the GU all-time appearance record holder. The native of Spokane is a two-time Alll-WCC honorable mention honoree, after earning the accolade during the 2006 and 2007 campaigns. Harmon recently set a Bulldog record for career appearances as he has seen time on the mound in 83 games to-date. He also ranks in the innings pitched top-ten, where he currently stands in ninth place with 268.2 IP. The right hander is also tied for fifth in the single season saves list with five during the 2005 season.
Marcus McKimmy: McKimmy transferred to Gonzaga this season and has made an immediate impact. The outfielder has started all 45 games this season, posting a .322 batting average, with 56 hits, 13 doubles, five home runs and 44 runs batted in. The native of Yakima, Wash. currently leads the Bulldogs with 45 runs scored. Prior to GU, McKimmy was a second team All-Western Athletic Conference selection at San Jose State University.
Alex Parrot: Parrott leaves the Zags as a three-year letter winner. The native of Redmond, Wash. has seen time in 44 games, including 10 starts. In 2006, Parrott made 28 appearances, including nine starts. Last season, Parrott saw time in 15 games, including one appearance in the conference championship, scoring three runs and driving in two.
Cory Powell: Powell is a two-year letter winner for the Zags after transferring to Gonzaga from Treasure Valley Community College. The native of Boise, Idaho as appeared in 27 games, including five games as the starting pitcher. In 2006, Powell held opponents to eight earned runs in his 17 appearances, while posting three saves. Powell redshirted last season before returning this season to appear in 10 games to date, including all five career starts.
Michael Rhodes: Rhodes is in his second season with the Bulldogs, after spending two seasons at Glendale Community College. In 2007, Rhodes appeared in 38 games earning 27 starts. The Glendale, Ariz. native led the team in stolen bases with 10 a year ago, including stealing a program record three bases against Brigham Young University. As a senior, Rhodes has made 33 appearances, including 12 starts and currently leads the Zags with eight stolen bases.
Shawn Wayt: Wayt is a three-year letter winner for the Zags, appearing in 127 games for Gonzaga. As a junior, the Beaverton, Ore. native earned unanimous All-West Coast Conference accolades after hitting .356 against league foes. Last season, Wayt hit a career-high .341 with 12 multiple-hit games and five multiple-RBI contests. In addition to his contributions at the plate, Wayt has made eight appearances on the mound, earning two saves.
Bryan Winston: Winston will finish his career as a two-year letter winner after transferring to Gonzaga from the Community Colleges of Spokane. Last season, the Richland, Wash. native appeared in 55 games with 47 starts, hitting at a .324 clip with 17 multiple-hit outings. This season, Winston has made the move from right field to third base, where he as started all but one game for the Zags.
ZAGS POST STRONG SEASON AT PLATE: As a team, Gonzaga University is hitting .314 at the plate. Since 1974, the Bulldogs have only finished seven seasons hitting over .300 including only three in which GU hit over .310. In 1987, the Zags posted a .311 average, while hitting .310 during the 1981 campaign. The Gonzaga record for team batting average in a season was set in 1974, when GU posted a .329 average.
GONE STREAKING: Second baseman Evan Wells heads into the weekend looking to extend a team-leading 18-game hit streak. Wells' streak started Apr. 4 at the University of San Diego. During the streak, the junior has hit at an impressive .414 clip, going 29-for-70 with 20 runs batted in and 20 runs scored. Wells is also working on an even longer streak, as he has reached base safely in all but two games this season, including the past 23 contests. The hit streak is eight games short of the school record of 26 games, set during the 2000 season by Barry Matthews (1999-01).
ROOKIE BREAKS SINGLE SEASON SAVE RECORD: Freshman Cody Martin has become the Gonzaga University single season saves leader thanks to his eighth save of the season on Wednesday. Martin broke the 26-year old record of seven games that was held by Randy Bostic (1982).
HARMON BECOMES ALL-TIME LEADER: Brandon Harmon has become the Gonzaga University all-time career appearance record holder thanks to an inning for relief last Sunday at Saint Mary's. Harmon has seen time on the mound in 83 games of his Bulldog career. Harmon, who has started eight games this season and made eight relief appearances, was tied for fourth with Craig Miller (1979-82) with 67 appearances to start the season. Matt Siwek (1996-00) held the school record with 81 appearances prior to Harmon surpassing the mark.
WIEGAND DRIVES INTO CAREER LIST: Ryan Wiegand, first baseman for the Zags, continues to be a run producer for Gonzaga University as the junior has driven in 54 runs this season. For his career, the native of San Diego has posted 143 RBIs, placing him tied for tenth on the career top-ten. For his career, Wiegand has posted 41 multiple-RBI games, including 17 this season. Wiegand drove in a season-high six runs on Mar. 9 at the University of the Pacific.
MARTIN CONTINUES TO IMPRESS: Freshman pitcher Cody Martin continues to improve his impressive rookie resume, as the freshman boasts a team-leading 2.03 earned run average. His ERA also ranks second in the West Coast Conference in all games played. On April 20, in his first career start, the native of Dos Palos, Calif. threw his first career complete game, allowing one run on eight hits while striking out four. For the season, Martin boasts a 2.03 ERA in 21 appearances with a 3-0 record and eight saves. He has allowed 12 runs, 10 earned, on 42 hits and nine walks, while striking out 41 over 44.1 innings pitched.
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.
WIEGAND DOUBLES HIS WAY INTO ALL-TIME RANKS: Thanks to 17 doubles this season, Ryan Wiegand has propelled himself into the career doubles ranks. For his career, the junior has recorded 45 doubles, placing him ninth on the all-time list. Already this year, Wiegand has surpassed both Mac Gebbers (1978-82) and Don Lyons (1973-76) to enter the list. Gebbers and Lyons were listed at ninth and tenth with 43 and 42 doubles, respectively. The Gonzaga record holder for career doubles is Jerrod Wong (1993-96), who posted 59 all-time doubles.
HARMON PITCHES HIS WAY INTO ALL-TIME LIST: Senior Brandon Harmon has tossed 268.2 career innings, including 57.0 frames this season. His all-time innings pitched currently places him eighth in the career record books. Recently he surpassed Eric Dworkis (2002-04), Gregg Harris (1983-86) and Tom Gorman (1977-80) on the list. Both Dworkis and Harris were tied for 10th with 250.0 IP, while Gorman pitch 267.1 innings in his career. The school record for innings pitched is held by Mike Mahoski (1977-80) who logged 373.1 career innings pitched.
WIEGAND HEADLINES WCC BATTERS: Junior Ryan Wiegand leads the West Coast Conference in three offensive categories. The first baseman is tied for first in all games with 65 hits, tied for first in doubles with 16 and leads the league in runs batted in with 53. Teammate Evan Wells also leads the league in an offensive category, as the junior has drawn 32 walks this season.
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 to Los Angeles to face Loyola Marymount University May 16-18.
ZAGS EARN WEEKLY WCC HONORS: Grant Kveder, Marcus McKimmy, Cody Martin, Ryan Wiegand and Drew Heid of the Gonzaga University baseball team have each been awarded West Coast Conference Player of the Week or Pitcher 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. Last week, Martin was awarded Co-Pitcher of the Weeks honors after posting two saves, including tying the school record for saves in a single season. Wiegand was named last week's Co-Player of the Week after posting a .429 average, while Heid was named this week's Player of the Week.
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 HONOR OF JACKIE ROBINSON: Gonzaga University junior Anthony Synegal commemorated the 61st anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball by wearing Robinson's number 42 last week. Across the nation on April 15, all Major League Baseball teams paid tribute to Robinson by recognizing "Jackie Robinson Day" as a way of honoring his pioneering achievements and civil rights contributions. Synegal, a transfer who normally wears number 30, is in his first season with GU.
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.
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 141-120 record for a .540 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.
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