SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Santa Clara baseball renews its most-played matchup from the 2014 season when it welcomes West Coast Conference foe Gonzaga to Schott Stadium for a three-game weekend set. First pitch times are scheduled for 6 p.m. PDT Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. The Broncos and Bulldogs met five times in the 2014 season, and Santa Clara won the first two of those matchups.
The Broncos dropped a midweek contest to Cal Poly 10-6 Tuesday night at Schott Stadium. Last weekend, Santa Clara was swept in Fort Worth by the No. 6 TCU Horned Frogs. The Broncos have played five straight nonconference games entering Friday's matchup with the Bulldogs.
Gonzaga has played six straight conference games, and is in a stretch of nine consecutive WCC tilts through the end of this weekend. The Bulldogs won two of three games against San Diego and swept Saint Mary's at home in the first two weekends of April before losing two of three games at Portland last weekend.
In addition to the three-game regular season series in Spokane, the two teams met for the 2014 Irish Baseball Classic in February and West Coast Conference Baseball Championship in May.
SERIES INFO
Game 40: Friday, April 24, 2015 — 6 p.m. PDT
Game 41: Saturday, April 25, 2015 — 6 p.m. PDT
Game 42: Sunday, April 26, 2015 — 1 p.m. PDT
Venue: Stephen Schott Stadium — Santa Clara, Calif.
Video (Friday): TheW.tv (George Devine)
Video (Saturday/Sunday): portal.stretchinternet.com/santaclara
Live Stats: www.santaclara.statbroadcast.com
Series Record: 43-40 GONZAGA
First Meeting: 1973
2/22/14: SCU 3 - GU 2 (Irish Baseball Classic — Nelson Wolff Stadium)
4/11/14: SCU 6 - GU 5: 10 innings (Patterson Baseball Complex)
4/12/14: GU 2 - SCU 1: 10 innings (Patterson Baseball Complex)
4/13/14: GU 2 - SCU 1 (Patterson Baseball Complex)
5/23/14: GU 8 - SCU 6 (WCC Championship Elimination Game — Banner Island Ballpark)
STARTING PITCHERS (SCU - GU)
Friday, April 24
RHP Reece Karalus (1-4, 2.78 ERA) - RHP Andrew Sopko (6-3, 2.26 ERA)
Saturday, April 25
RHP Eric Lex (2-4, 5.90 ERA) - RHP Hunter Wells (1-3, 3.03 ERA)
Sunday, April 26
LHP Evan Brisentine (2-3, 4.46 ERA) - RHP Brandon Bailey (6-1, 2.53 ERA)
BRONCOS
Reece Karalus makes his 21st appearance and second start of the season Friday night. The junior threw 5.0 innings and allowed an earned run on six hits with no walks and a strikeout Saturday at No. 6 TCU as part of a 1-0 loss in the series opener. Prior to Saturday, he last started for the Broncos Feb. 18, 2014 against Cal Poly, and threw 2.2 innings while allowing three earned runs on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts in an 8-0 loss to the Mustangs at Schott Stadium. He went 0-9 with a 7.04 ERA in 19 appearances and 12 starts as a freshman in 2013.
Karalus is one of 39 pitchers named to the 11th Annual NCBWA Midseason Stopper of the Year Watch list, announced Tuesday. Karalus was also named to the list during his sophomore campaign with the Broncos. He ranks 3rd in program history with 21 career saves and has earned nine of those saves in 2015. Anthony Rea (2001-05) and Mike McDonald (1994-97) share the program record with 25 career saves. Karalus recorded the second-most saves in Bronco single-season history with 11 as a sophomore last year, earning First-Team All-WCC honors.
Eric Lex makes his eighth appearance and sixth start of the season Sunday. He allowed six runs (five earned) on nine hits with two walks and a strikeout in 4.0 innings last Sunday at TCU. He did not allow an earned run over an 11.2 inning span March 1 - April 4. The Broncos have combined to score only 19 runs in the eight games Lex has appeared in this season (2.38 rpg).
Evan Brisentine makes his 14th appearance and sixth start of the season for the Broncos Saturday. He threw 3.1 innings and allowed five runs (three earned) on five hits with four walks and a strikeout Sunday at TCU. On Tuesday, April 7 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 of relief with three strikeouts March 22 against No. 30 San Diego.
Joe Becht led all Broncos with six hits in the team's four games last week (April 14-19), while T.J. Braff topped the team with five hits and Evan Haberle led the team with four walks. Becht has started five straight games for Santa Clara at second base, and reached base safely in each of those five games. He hit a walkoff, RBI single in the 10th inning April 14 vs. Stanford.
Stevie Berman posted multiple hits in all three games of the Pepperdine series; he was the only batter for either the Broncos or Waves to accomplish the feat during the team's last WCC series. Berman and Braden Frankfort each recorded three hits in the 10-6 loss to Cal Poly Tuesday. Berman has multiple hits in four of his last eight games, and drove in a season-high three runs Tuesday.
Grant Meylan's 33 walks have eclipsed Santa Clara's leader from last year, the then-freshman Berman who posted 30 for the season. The Bronco freshman drew a pair of walks Tuesday against Cal Poly. Meylan has already recorded the most walks in a single season since 2009, when Curtis Wagner drew 32. 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. (.300/.412/.471) leads the Broncos in most major offensive categories, including home runs (6), RBIs (25) and stolen bases (8). He has amassed 18 extra-base hits this season (10 doubles, two triples, six home runs); Jake Brodt ranks second on the team with 11 extra-base hits. Vizcaino, Jr. doubled in his first at-bat of the Pepperdine series to reach a career-best 17-game hitting streak.
BULLDOGS
Starting pitchers Andrew Sopko and preseason All-WCC selection Brandon Bailey have each tallied six wins for the Bulldogs this season. David Bigelow was named to the NCBWA Midseason Stopper of the Year Watch List alongside Karalus and LMU's J.D. Busfield; he has tallied eight saves alongside a 2.08 ERA.
Mitchell Gunsolus and Sam Brown are the two everyday players hitting better than .300 this season at .320 and .313, respectively. Justin Jacobs has driven in a team-high 29 runs and Gunsolus leads the team with 32 runs scored entering the weekend.
