March 1, 2005
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -
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Santa Clara (9-6) vs. San Jose State (4-5-1)
Game #16 • Fri., March 4 • Municipal Stadium - San Jose, Calif. • 6 p.m.
Game #17 • Sat., March 5 • Buck Shaw Stadium - Santa Clara, Calif. • 1 p.m.
Game #18 • Sun., March 6 • Municipal Stadium - San Jose, Calif. • 1 p.m.
Probable Pitching Matchups
3/4 - Santa Clara - RHP Kellan McConnell - Sr. (1-2, 6.33 ERA)
San Jose St. - LHP Branden Dewing - Jr. (0-0, 4.00 ERA)
3/5 - Santa Clara - RHP Patrick Overholt - So. (0-1, 4.32 ERA)
San Jose St. - RHP Brandon Hennessey - Fr. (2-1, 4.32 ERA)
3/6 - Santa Clara - RHP Mike Stutes - Fr. (3-1, 3.60 ERA)
San Jose St. - RHP Corey Cabral - Jr. (0-0. 3.12 ERA)
This Weekend
The Santa Clara baseball team will play a three-game set with crosstown rival San Jose State over the next weekend. On Friday and Sunday, the Broncos will travel to Municipal Stadium for a pair of San Jose State home games. The teams will head to Buck Shaw Stadium on Saturday for a 1 p.m.
The Spartans enter the week with a 4-5-1 record after going 1-1-1 against BYU last weekend.
Last season, the Broncos claimed wins in both games against the Spartans that were played at Buck Shaw Stadium. SCU dropped a Saturday decision in the one game of the series played at Municipal Stadium.
Stutes Posts Third Win in Dominating Performance
Freshman right-hander Mike Stutes earned his third win in the month of February on Sunday as the Broncos defeated Cal Poly, 3-0. The Lake Oswego, Ore. native threw a career-high 8.1 innings, allowing only eight hits as he and Anthony Rea combined for the first SCU shutout of the season. He posted a career-high seven strikeouts and issued only one walk in the outing.
In the month of February, Stutes proved to be the most successful of the Broncos hurlers, posting a 3-0 record in four appearances. In 20.1 innings of action, he recorded 19 strikeouts and allowed only seven runs. His 2.66 ERA over the past month was the best among the Bronco starters.
Consistent in Center
Center fielder Robert Perry has been the anchor of the Bronco outfield this season, starting all 15 games in the same position. This past weekend, Perry raised his batting average by 20 points as he is now hitting .309 on the season. A native of Sunnyvale, Calif., Perry leads the Broncos with 13 runs scored and six doubles. After being hit by a pitch three times and issued seven walks, he also ranks third on the team with a .409 on-base percentage.
The Real-ini Deal
Second baseman Dustin Realini has proven to be one of the Bronco's biggest offensive weapons in the early part of the 2005 season. The only infielder to start every game this season, Realini paces the team, hitting .386. Batting either third or fourth in the lineup, Realini has become the Bronco's best run producer, driving in a team-high 15 runs. His four home runs also pace the team and the conference after hitting two against Cal Poly on Saturday.
McConnell and Watts Sweep WCC Honors
Kellan McConnell was named the West Coast Conference's Pitcher of the Week, while Kris Watts earned the conference's player of the week award on February 21 as SCU swept the weekly honors for this first time this season.
A senior right-handed pitcher, McConnell earned his first win of the season on February 20 as Santa Clara posted a 5-2 victory over then 12th-ranked Washington. The San Juan Capistrano, Calif. native threw a season-high 7.2 innings and allowed only one run on eight hits. He also tallied a season-high 10 strikeouts without issuing a single walk.
Watts was also an instrumental part of two Bronco wins over the week as he led the team with a .556 batting average. The junior catcher paced SCU with 10 total bases, four RBI and a slugging percentage of 1.111. He also hit his first home run as a Bronco when his three-run round tripper provided the needed edge in a 7-4 victory over Sacramento State.
On February 7, fellow Bronco Michael Thompson earned the conference's player of the week award as SCU won three weekly honors in the first three weeks into the season.
Rea Earns Preseason Honors
After setting a Santa Clara record with 13 saves last season, senior right-handed pitcher Anthony Rea picked up numerous honors heading into the 2005 season. The National College Baseball Writers Association named Rea to its preseason All-America Second Team, while Collegiate Baseball named him to its third team. These awards follow 2004 second team All-America honors from the NCBWA. The Palo Alto native was also named to the Brooks Wallace Award Preseason Watch List. The award, which was given to Cal State Fullerton's Kurt Suzuki in its inaugural season a year ago, is awarded to the nation's top collegiate player by the College Baseball Foundation. In February, Rea was also named to the Roger Clemens Award Watch List and the Stopper of the Year Watch List, given to the country's top pitcher and reliever, respectively.
Up Next
After the weekend series with the Spartans, the Broncos will return to Buck Shaw Stadium to host six straight games, including the West Coast Conference opener against Pepperdine. Next weekend, Santa Clara will welcome the Brown Bears of the Ivy League to Buck Shaw Stadium for a three-game series which will begin on Friday night at 6 p.m. The series will mark the first time the teams have met in the history of both programs.
On March 19, the Broncos will open WCC play at home against Pepperdine with a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at noon. The series will continue with a Sunday contest at 1 p.m.
