SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Santa Clara baseball renews its most played rivalry matchup when it welcomes the Stanford Cardinal to Schott Stadium Tuesday night for a 6 p.m. first pitch. Tuesday's contest marks the 362nd meeting between the storied programs, who first met on the baseball diamond in 1892. Santa Clara is 5-1 in midweek games this season, and has won five straight midweek contests.
Last week, the Broncos defeated crosstown rival San Jose State at Schott Stadium on Tuesday before being swept by Pepperdine at Eddy D. Field Stadium in Malibu over the weekend. Facing the Spartans on Tuesday, Grant Meylan and Kyle Cortopassi drove in runs for the Broncos after San Jose State opened the scoring in the second inning for a 2-1 Bronco victory. Evan Brisentine pitched a career-high 7.0 innings and allowed an unearned run on five hits to earn his second win of the season. Reece Karalus struck out one batter in the ninth inning to earn his ninth save of the season and the 21st save of his career.
On Friday, Pepperdine won 3-2 on the strength of a walkoff single from Aaron Barnett in the ninth inning. In Saturday's contest, the Broncos scored twice in the top of the second inning before the Waves answered with five runs in the second through fourth innings to win 6-3. Pepperdine scored three runs in two innings Sunday, including the first inning, for a 6-2 win.
Stanford has won three of its last four contests, including taking two of three games at Cal over the weekend. The Cardinal split a two-game home and home set with the Pacific Tigers Monday and Tuesday of last week.
STARTING PITCHERS
Tuesday, April 14
LHP Evan Brisentine (2-2, 3.51 ERA) - RHP Chris Viall (1-3, 6.17 ERA)
GAME INFO
Game 35: Tuesday, April 14, 2015 — 6 p.m. PST
Venue: Stephen Schott Stadium — Santa Clara, Calif.
Video: portal.stretchinternet.com/santaclara (David Gentile/Collin Baker)
Live Stats: www.santaclara.statbroadcast.com
Series Record: 192-162-7 STANFORD
First Meeting: 1892
2014 Regular Season: Stanford won both meetings
4/22/14: STAN 10 - SCU 9 (Schott Stadium)
5/6/14: STAN 8 - SCU 2 (Sunken Diamond)
BRONCOS
Evan Brisentine makes his 12th appearance and fourth start of the season for the Broncos Tuesday night. In his last start Tuesday night against San Jose State, the Bronco lefty threw 7.0 innings and allowed an unearned run on five hits with no walks and no strikeouts to earn his second win of the season and of his career. The senior earned his first career victory by throwing 6.1 shutout innings against with three strikeouts March 22 against No. 30 San Diego. Brisentine has allowed one earned run or less in four of his last five outings, three of which have spanned at least 5.1 innings.
Reece Karalus picked up five saves in an 11-game span March 22 against San Diego, March 24 at Grand Canyon, March 29 against Pacific, March 30 against Nevada and April 7 against San Jose State. He ranks 3rd in program history with 21 career saves. Anthony Rea (2001-05) and Mike McDonald (1994-97) share the program record with 25 career saves. Last season, Karalus posted the second-most saves in Bronco single season history with 11. He was named to the NCBWA midseason Stopper of the Year Watch List.
Stevie Berman posted multiple hits in all three games of the Pepperdine series last weekend; he was the only batter for either the Broncos or Waves to accomplish the feat. Grant Meylan and T.J. Braff each produced four hits over the four-game stretch April 7-12 and Meylan drew three walks to extend his WCC-leading total to 31 on the season.
Meylan's 31 walks have eclipsed Santa Clara's leader from last year, the then-freshman Berman who posted 30 for the season. He has already recorded the most walks in a single season since 2009; Curtis Wagner drew 32 walks for the Broncos that year. Matt Long drew 36 walks for the Broncos in 2008. Ed Giovanola's single-season record of 55 walks has stood since 1989.
Jose Vizcaino, Jr. (.351/.425/.640) leads the Broncos in most major offensive categories, including home runs (6), RBIs (25) and stolen bases (7). He has amassed 18 extra-base hits this season (10 doubles, two triples, six home runs); T.J. Braff ranks second on the time with nine extra-base hits. Vizcaino, Jr. doubled in his first at-bat of the Pepperdine series to reach a career-best 17-game hitting streak, which was snapped Saturday.
CARDINAL
Mikey Diekroeger leads the Cardinal with a .313 batting average on the season, and Matt Winaker ranks second on the team at .302. Winaker tops Stanford with 19 walks and 20 RBIs on the season. Tommy Edman leads the team in hits (40), doubles (10) and runs scored (30).
Right-handed pitcher Chris Viall makes his 10th appearance and fifth start of the season Tuesday night. The Cardinal have used 13 different starting pitchers this year, with only Viall (four starts) and Brett Hanewich (seven starts) making more than four starts out of the group. Logan James leads the Cardinal with four saves on the season.
