Posted: Apr 04, 2018
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara baseball starts the second half of the regular season on the road at BYU in a West Coast Conference action from Thursday to Friday (UPDATE: Schedule changed due to potential weather on Saturday). Midway through the season, the Broncos have improved by two games over all of last season under first year head coach Rusty Filter who inherited an experienced squad.
The first half of the season was front loaded with home games having played 19 of its 26 games in the friendly confines of Stephen Schott Stadium. Eighteen of the remaining 26 games (or 27 games depending on the yet to be determined make up game against UC Davis which was postponed back on March 13) are on the road, starting this Thursday. The Broncos are 4-3 on the road this season.
This Week in Bronco Baseball
•Santa Clara (15-11, 4-5 WCC) hosted No. 2-Stanford (22-3) in a non-conference game on Tuesday night at Schott Stadium losing 16-8 allowing seven runs in the first inning.
•The Broncos travel to Provo, Utah to play BYU, Thursday thru Saturday. The Cougars are 14-13 overall with a 3-6 conference record. The Cougars are 7-4 at home this season.
•On the year, the Broncos are 11-8 at home and 4-3 on the road.
Last Week in Bronco Baseball - Action in the Eighth
•Much of the action took place in the eighth inning in last week's games.
•In the midweek game versus Nevada, with the game tied 3-3 the Wolf Pack scored two runs in the home half of the eighth to beat Santa Clara 5-3.
•Santa Clara lost the rubber game of the series, 7-6, to Portland on Saturday after overcoming a three run deficit in the eighth inning. Junior third baseman John Cresto hit the go ahead three-run homer to give the Broncos a 6-5 lead but they could not hold onto the lead in the ninth.
•In Friday's 7-6 win, the Broncos overcame three deficits to even the series. Sophomore infielder Jason Dicochea came up with the game-winning hit in the eighth and the Bronco bullpen combined to allow just one run in the final five innings.
•In the series opener on Thursday, the Broncos held a 9-2 lead but the Pilots scored nine runs in the eighth inning to win 11-9.
Series Information
Games #27-29
Provo, Utah | Larry H. Miller Field
All-Time Series: Santa Clara trails 9-16. The teams first played in 1968 and last played in 2017
Probable Starters
Thursday, April 5 • 5 p.m. PT
SCU RHP Steven Wilson (3-0, 2.78 ERA) vs. BYU RHP Jordan Wood (2-2, 3.11 ERA)
*Friday, April 6 • 1 p.m. PT (Doubleheader Game 1)
SCU TBA vs. BYU TBA
*Friday, April 6 • 5 p.m. PT (Doubleheader Game 2)
SCU TBA vs. BYU TBA
*Schedule change due to weather concerns projected for Saturday.
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ABOUT SANTA CLARA
Schedule
•Tuesday's game against Stanford was the 26th game of the season, marking the half way point of the schedule. At this time there is no make-up game scheduled for the UC Davis game which was postponed back on March 13.
•Halfway throught the season, the Broncos have already played more than two-thirds of its home games (19 home games played out of 27 scheduled).
•Eighteen of the remaing 26 games will be played on the road.
Solid Start
•Santa Clara got off to a 13-5 start, its best start since the 2012 season when it went 13-3.
•The Broncos won four consecutive series (2-1 series win over Wake Forest Feb.23-25; 3-0 sweep over Utah March 2-4; 3-1 series win over Sacramento State March 8-11; and 2-1 series win over San Diego March 16-18) before losing the last series against Saint Mary's (March 23-25).
•On the season, the Broncos are 11-8 at home and 4-3 on the road.
•The Broncos are 4-0 in extra inning games this season with three of them coming off in walk-off fashion (Feb. 24 vs Wake Forest in 14 innings; March 4 vs Utah in 12 innings; March 8 vs Sacramento State in 10 innings, March 10 at Sacramento State in 10 innings).
•Half way through the season, the Broncos have already improved by two games over last season's win total where they won 13 games all season.
Streaks
•Joe Becht has reached base safely in all 26 games this season (Got a hit in 19 games, drew a walk in 6 games he did not get a hit in and was hit by a pitch in the other game he did not get a hit).
•Grant Meylan has reached base safely in 16 consecutive games.
•Evan Haberle had his team-high 11 game hit streak come to an end against Stanford (April 3).
•Santa Clara had won six consecutive one-run games before losing to Saint Mary's, 6-5, on March 24. The Broncos are now 7-2 in one-run games.
•John Cresto hit a home run in four consecutive games, all solo shots, from Feb. 23 - 27. He hit one in each game of the Wake Forest series as well as in the midweek game against Nevada.
•Closer Eric Lex recorded a save in three consecutive games from Feb. 27 - March 4.
Captains
•Sixth-year senior right-handed pitcher Steven Wilson and senior first baseman Jake Brodt were named captains for the 2018 Santa Clara squad.
Preseason Accolades
•Senior first baseman Jake Brodt and junior third baseman John Cresto were named preseason All-West Coast Conference. Last season, Brodt was named first team All-WCC with Cresto being named honorable mention All-WCC.
Brodt's Two Grand Slams In One Inning
•Brodt hit two grand slams in the seventh inning on Feb. 17 against Boston College, becoming just the seventh Division I player to accomplish the feat since the NCAA began keeping records in 1957. He is the first to do so since 2000 when T.J. Soto of Louisiana Tech did it against Western
Kentucky.
•Brodt's first grand slam came with the Broncos trailing 9-7 in the seventh inning and put them up for good. His second grand slam came with the Broncos up 16-9. In the first inning, Brodt hit a sacrifice fly for the first RBI of the game and in the sixth, Brodt hit a solo home run to finish the game 3-for-5 with three home runs and 10 RBIs.
•The Huntington Beach, California native's two grand slams in an inning was featured on ESPN's SportsCenter and was named NCBWA National Hitter of the Week and Rawlings West Coast Conference Player of the Week.
In Season Accolades
•Jake Brodt has twice been named the WCC Player of the Week this season on Feb. 19 after his two grand slam in an inning game and a month later on March 19 after going 5-for-14 with three doubles, two home runs and drove in seven runs against San Diego while playing first and third base.
Hit By Pitch
•On Feb. 17, Boston College hit 10 Bronco players, tying an NCAA Division I record along with Baylor vs. TCU, March 6, 2012; Saint Joseph's vs. Fordham, April 5, 2009; Washington vs. Rice, May 22, 1998.
•Seven Broncos were hit in an inning (in the seventh) of the Feb. 17 game, breaking the NCAA Division I record (Previous record: 6—Hawaii vs. Hawaii Hilo, Feb. 8, 1998 (eighth inn.)
•Santa Clara is 10th in the nation (out of 297) in being hit by a pitch with 51. Florida A&M is first with 70.
Coaching Staff
•Head coach Rusty Filter is in his first season with Santa Clara. Filter picked up his first career head coaching win on Feb. 17 against Boston College, 20-9.
oEach member of his coaching staff is in their first season with Santa Clara and was selected in the MLB draft.
oFilter himself was selected in the 35th round of the 1990 MLB draft by the Toronto Blue Jays as a pitcher.
oFilter will make the mound visits and signal pitching changes.
•Assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Jon Karcich coached alongside Filter at Stanford from 2015 – 17.
oKarcich returns to his alma mater where he played for the Broncos from 2007 – 09 where he was a two-time All-West Coast Conference honoree.
oKarcich was selected in the seventh round of the 2009 MLB draft by the California Angels as an infielder.
oKarcich coaches the infielders and serves as the bench coach.
•Assistant coach BK Santy, a former catcher at Washington, coaches the catchers and outfielders as well as serving as the third base coach.
oSanty was selected in the 30th round of the 2012 MLB draft by the Minnesota Twins as a catcher.
•Assistant coach Greg Gonzalez, a former pitcher at Fresno State, serves as the first base coach.
oGonzalez was selected in the 15th round of the 2011 MLB draft by the San Diego Padres as a pitcher.