Posted: May 19, 2021
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara baseball closed out their West Coast Conference slate last weekend at Pepperdine but will face WCC schools Saint Mary's and San Francisco the next two weekends which will count towards the nonconference records.
The Broncos already faced the Gaels and the Dons earlier in the the season as part of the 27 game WCC slate.
This weekend's contest between the Broncos and Gaels will take place in both Moraga and Santa Clara. The two schools will open the four game series at Moraga on Friday at 3 p.m. and play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. in Schott Stadium. The second game of the doubleheader will start approximately 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first game. And the series finale on Sunday will also be at Schott Stadium for a noon start.
Except for family members of Santa Clara student-athletes, fans will not be permitted in Stephen Schott Stadium. The university will continue to evaluate policies for access to events. While the state of California announced guidance for outdoor seated venues on April 1, the university reserves the right to be more cautious than public health guidance
Saint Mary's (23-24, 11-16) vs Santa Clara (15-29, 8-19)
Game #45 • Louis Guisto Field
Friday, May 21 • 3 p.m.
Games #46-48 • Stephen Schott Stadium
Saturday, May 22 • 1 p.m. (DH)
Sunday, May 23 • Noon
All-Time Series: Santa Clara leads the series 162-127 dating back to 1883. The two schools met earlier this year (April 16-18) where the Gaels won all three games at Louis Guisto Field in a West Coast Conference series matchup.
SANTA CLARA NOTES
• Santa Clara is averaging 4.9 runs per game and has a .245 batting average. The team is giving up 5.5 runs a game with a 4.40 ERA allowing an opponent batting average of .247
• Nine different hurlers have started in the first 44 games led by Russell Grant with 13 and Freddie Erlandson with 12.
• Jason Dicochea (SS) is the lone Bronco who has started in all 44 games this season. Coleman Brigman (CF) has started in 43 games and Dawson Brigman (2B) has played in 42.
• A Brigman brother (Coleman or Dawson) has batted leadoff in 49 of the last 61 games going back to the start of the 2020 season. Mike Bowes, JonJon Berring (twice) and Austin Reyes (9x) are the only other non-Brigman that has batted leadoff. Bowes was the opening day leadoff batter in 2020; Berring batted leadoff against Saint Mary's on April 17 and San Diego on April 24; and Reyes hit in the top spot nine times, all coming after April 25. Coleman Brigman has hit atop the line up in 48 games with older brother Dawson Brigman doing it in one game on Feb. 26 against Stanford.
• Four of the 10 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 Bernhardt twins picked up the win and the save in the series clinching win over Portland on March 28. RHP Locke Bernhardt came in relief for the win (3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 6 K) and LHP Holden Bernhardt (2 IP, 1 H, 3 K) closed out the game. It was the first time the brothers earned a win and picked up a save in the same game.
• The Broncos travel just once out of state this regular season (played at Oregon State, March 23-24 & at Portland, March 26-28).
NATIONAL & CONFERENCE RANKINGS
• Jake MacNichols is tied for third in the West Coast Conference in home runs with 10.
• Cole Kitchen is tied for fifth in the conference with five wins.
• Russell Grant is first in the conference with 6.1 hits allowed per nine innings.
• Grant is seventh in the conference with 10.45 strikeouts per nine innings.
• Freddie Erlandson is sixth in the conference with a 3.14 ERA.
• Santa Clara is third in the conference with 41 home runs, trailing leader Pepperdine by eight
ABOUT SAINT MARY'S
Saint Mary's (23-24, 11-16), led by second year head coach Greg Moore, will close out the season this weekend against the Broncos. The Gaels concluded their WCC slate last weekend winning one out of three games against LMU to finish with a 11-16 conference record.
The Gaels have scored the fewest runs in the league (185) and average 3.9 runs per game with a .233 batting average.
Jacob Talamante leads the team in batting (.287) and stolen bases (12). Justin Banks has slugged 10 of the team's 19 home runs and has 26 RBIs to lead the team in both categories.
SMC has a 3.99 team ERA. Both Ky Bush (6-5, 2.86) and Sam Bower (4-4, 3.42) has made 13 starts each while Carlos Lomeli (4-6, 4.52) has 10 starts.
In the backend, Christopher Campos (12 app, 0.63 ERA) and Michael Hobbs (18 app, 0.78) has combined for 11 saves and have allowed just four runs (three earned) in 37.1 innings while striking out 43.
Defensively, the Gaels have committed 54 errors on the season and has a .970 fielding percentage.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION |
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| Live Stream / Video |
Saturday (DH1) (pregame interview with INF Efrain Manzo) Saturday (DH2) Sunday (pregame interview with RHP Alec Olmstead) |
| Live Stats |
Saturday (DH1) Saturday (DH2) |
| Santa Clara | |
| Saint Mary's | |
