SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Continuing its homestretch of West Coast Conference play, Santa Clara baseball meets the last of its three WCC Bay Area rivals this weekend. The Broncos travel to Stockton for a three game set with Pacific at Klein Family Field. First pitch times are set for 7 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
The Broncos lost just their second midweek game of the season earlier this week in a 6-2 defeat at Cal Poly. The Tigers have lost seven consecutive games and played five in a row outside of the WCC.
Santa Clara (19-23, 6-12 WCC) at Pacific (17-25, 8-10 WCC)
Friday, May 6, 2016 | 7 p.m. PDT | Game #43 | Away Game #17
Saturday, May 7, 2016 | 6 p.m. PDT | Game #44 | Away Game #18
Sunday, May 8, 2016 | 1 p.m. PDT | Game #45 | Away Game #19
Stockton, Calif. | Klein Family Field
Live Stats: pacific.statbroadcast.com | Video: TheW.tv
Probable Starters
Friday: SCU RHP Steven Wilson (4-3, 2.74 ERA) vs. PAC RHP Will Lydon (2-8, 4.52 ERA)
Saturday: SCU RHP Mitchell White (2-6, 3.73 ERA) vs. PAC LHP Ricky Reynoso (2-4, 4.95 ERA)
Sunday: SCU LHP Jason Seever (5-2, 4.87 ERA) vs. RHP Jake Jenkins (2-2, 3.34 ERA)
Series History
All-Time Series: Santa Clara leads 84-44
First Meeting: 1895
Last Season: Friday, March 27 SCU 9 PAC 5 | Saturday, March 28 SCU 3 PAC 2 | Sunday, March 29 PAC 7 SCU 6
Last Week
Friday, April 29 — SCU 9 LMU 1: The Broncos jumped on the Lions with a four-run second inning and Steven Wilson tossed 7.0 shutout frames. Tyler Meditz homered twice and John Cresto added a pair of triples in Santa Clara's biggest Friday night win of the season.
Saturday, April 30 — LMU 11 SCU 8: Santa Clara fell behind by nine runs twice in the first three innings Saturday night, and battled back to score seven of the last eight runs in an 11-8 loss.
Sunday, May 1 — LMU 5 SCU 0: The Broncos scattered six hits over six different innings and were bested by 8.0 shutout frames from LMU starter J.D. Busfield.
Tuesday, May 3 — CP 6 SCU 2:The Broncos took the first lead of the game in the second and the Mustangs responded with three runs in the third to pull in front for good.
Broncos in the Field
Santa Clara had three players hit betters than .400 over the weekend against LMU: John Cresto (6-for-13, .462), Tyler Meditz (5-for-11, .455) and Braden Frankfort (5-for-12, .417). Meditz went 5-for-5 with a double, three home runs, two walks, five RBIs and six runs scored in his first seven trips to the plate against the Lions. Cresto tallied two triples on Friday night and a home run on Saturday while Frankfort doubled twice on Saturday.
Kyle Cortopassi is currently on a 14-game on-base streak after going 2-for-4 on Tuesday. Grant Meylan holds the season-long on-base streak at 15 games. Matt Smithwick tallied the first two-hit game of his career against the Mustangs.
Broncos on the Mound
Steven Wilson, who has pitched mostly on Saturdays this season, is coming off one of his best collegiate outings. Wilson matched a season-best effort with eight strikeouts in 7.0 shutout innings and gave up three hits and two walks on 109 pitches against LMU on Friday. After a two-out walk to Jamey Smart in the first, Wilson allowed only one of the next 21 Lions to reach base safely; he pitched three 1-2-3 innings during that span. He surrendered just one hit in the first six innings of his first Friday night start this season. Wilson has thrown seven quality starts this year, and has given up an earned run or fewer in six of those starts.
Mitchell White, who has been Santa Clara's Friday starter for most of the season, allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 5.0 innings for the Broncos last Sunday. He is tied for eighth in the NCAA with 92 strikeouts and tops the conference in that category by seven Ks — Brandon Bailey of Gonzaga has 82. White has 9+ strikeouts in seven starts this season.
Jason Seever threw 5.0 innings and allowed 10 earned runs on 14 hits with two walks and no strikeouts in Saturday's 11-8 loss. Following a three-run second and a leadoff homer in the third, Seever shut out LMU over his last nine outs. The Broncos are 4-2 in his last nine appearances.
Max Kuhns ranks second in single-season program history with 12 saves. Anthony Rea set the Bronco record with 13 saves in 2004.
Pacific
Gio Brusa leads the team with a .331 batting average and 35 RBIs — he has 11 doubles and 10 homers on the season. Danny Mayer ranks second on the club with 34 RBIs and tops the WCC with 13 home runs; he has 28 extra-base hits overall.
Lydon has pitched three complete games and allowed only one home run in 71.2 innings. Reynoso, in his freshman campaign, ranks first on the team with 12 starts. Jenkins has struck out a Tiger-high 56 batters on the season. Opponents are hitting .303 against Pacific pitching in 2016.
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