Posted: Mar 31, 2021
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara baseball will kickoff a season long six-game homestand starting with this weekend's series against BYU on Thursday. The first pitch for Thursday and Friday is at 3 p.m. with the series finale on Saturday at 1 p.m. from Stephen Schott Stadium.
Due to current State of California guidelines, spectators will not be permitted inside Stephen Schott Stadium. In addition, only essential personnel is allowed on campus. The general public is allowed only to 'pass through' campus, such as on a walk, but no lingering, gathering, lounging, etc. is permitted.
The Broncos (9-14, 2-4) are coming off a stretch of playing eight games in 10 days where they went 3-5 including a midweek series split against No. 21 Oregon State in Corvallis, Oregon and a West Coast Conference road series win at Portland.
Following this weekend's series against BYU, the Broncos will host San Francisco (April 9-11) before alternating WCC series on the road and at home the rest of the conference games.
SANTA CLARA NOTES
• Last week's trip to Oregon was the one and only time the Broncos are travelling out of state this regular season.
• Santa Clara completed a stretch of playing eight games in 10 days which ended with last weekend's Portland series where they finished 3-5. They lost all three games at home in the WCC opening series against Gonzaga (March 19-21) before splitting a midweek series at Oregon State (March 23-24) and finished with a conference road series win against Portland (March 26-28).
• Santa Clara is averaging 5.2 runs per game with a .250 batting average. The team is giving up 5.6 runs a game with a 4.69 ERA allowing an opponent batting average of .238
• Eight different hurlers have started in the first 23 games led by Russell Grant and Freddie Erlandson with six each.
• Four players have started in all 23 games: Coleman Brigman (CF), Dawson Brigman (2B), Jason Dicochea (SS) and Jake MacNichols (nine games each at catcher and at DH, five at first base).
• A Brigman brother (Coleman or Dawson) has batted leadoff in 39-straight games since the start of the 2020 season. Mike Bowes is the only other non-Brigman that has batted leadoff when he was the opening day leadoff batter in 2020. Coleman Brigman batted leadoff the rest of the 2020 season and has continued it this season with the exception of the Feb. 26 game against Stanford when older brother Dawson Brigman batted leadoff. • Four of the eight home runs hit by Jake MacNichols this season have come in the first inning including three-run homers in back-to-back opening innings against UC San Diego (March 13 & 14). The non-first inning home runs came against Sacramento State (March 4) in the seventh, against Gonzaga (March 20) in the eighth against Oregon State (March 23) in the fourth and against Portland (March 26) in the ninth.
• National and Conference Rankings
-Jake MacNichols leads the conference in home runs with eight, a mark that's good for 15th nationally.
-Cole Kitchen leads the conference with five wins and is tied for third nationally.
-Austin Reyes is tied for fifth nationally (and tied for first in conference) in sacrifice flies with four.
-Cole Kitchen is first in the conference with 4.82 hits allowed per nine innings.
-Travis Howard is tied for second in the conference with fourth saves and tied for 23rd nationally.
-With two shutouts on the season, the Bronco pitching staff is tied for third in the conference.
BYU (8-13, 4-2) vs Santa Clara (9-14, 2-4)
Games #24-26 • Stephen Schott Stadium
Thursday, April 1 • 3 p.m.
Friday, April 2 • 3 p.m.
Saturday, April 3 • 1 p.m.
All-Time Series: BYU leads the series 21-10 dating back to 1968. The two schools last met on May 16-18, 2019 in Santa Clara where the Cougars took two out of three games.
ABOUT BYU
BYU is 8-13 overall but is 4-2 in WCC action. The Cougars swept LMU in the WCC opener on the road and won one of three against San Francisco last weekend at home with two of the games going to extra innings.
Head coach Mike Littlewood is in his 15th year at the helm compiling a 409-297 record.
BYU is averaging 4.6 runs per game and giving up 5.6 per game.
This season, the Cougars are hitting .218 with Peyton Cole and Mitch McIntyre leading the way with a .333 and .321 average in 12 and 21 games, respectively.
McIntyre has a team-high 26 hits on the season. Cole Gambill heads the team with three home runs and 15 RBIs but is hitting just .159.
Easton Walker (1-1, 1.15 ERA) and Jack Sterner (0-1, 4.58) have each started a team-high five times on the bump and are among seven pitchers who have gotten the starting nod. BYU has a 4.81 team ERA with opponents hitting .241 while striking out 193 over 181 2/3 innings.
Defensively, the Cougars have committed 31 errors on the season and has a .960 fielding percentage.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION |
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| Live Stream / Video |
Thursday (pregame interview with RHP Locke Bernhardt starting at 2:45 p.m.) Friday (pregame interview with LHP Holden Bernhardt starting at 2:45 p.m.) Saturday (pregame interview with RHP Brandon Buckley starting at 12:45 p.m.) |
| Live Stats | |
| Santa Clara | |
| BYU | |
