Posted: May 26, 2021
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara baseball closes out the 2021 season with a three game series starting Friday against crosstown rival San Francisco. SCU and USF faced earlier in the the season as part of the 27 game WCC slate with the Dons taking two out of three in April at Schott Stadium.
This weekend's series will count towards the nonconference records and will take place in both San Francisco and Santa Clara. The two schools will open the three game series at San Francisco on Friday at 3 p.m. The middle game of the series on Saturday will move to Schott Stadium at 1 p.m. before finishing the series back up in San Francisco on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Except for family members of Santa Clara student-athletes, fans will not be permitted in 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.
San Francisco (23-27, 16-11) vs Santa Clara (17-31, 8-19)
Games #49 & 51 • Benedetti Diamond
Friday, May 28 • 3 p.m.
Sunday, May 30 • 1 p.m.
Game #50 • Stephen Schott Stadium
Saturday, May 29 • 1 p.m.
All-Time Series: Santa Clara leads the series 165-88-1 dating back to 1931. The two schools met earlier this year (April 9-11) where the Dons won two out of three games in a West Coast Conference series matchup.
SANTA CLARA NOTES
• Santa Clara is averaging 4.8 runs per game and has a .246 batting average. The team is giving up 5.4 runs a game with a 4.33 ERA allowing an opponent batting average of .246
• Last Saturday's doubleheader sweep over Saint Mary's were the first wins by the Broncos this season in which they had not homered.
• Ten different hurlers have started in the first 48 games led by Russell Grant with 13 and Freddie Erlandson with 12.
• Grant has come out of the bullpen in two of his last three appearances after starting the season with 12-straight starts. Erlandson's last three appearances have been in relief after starting in his first 12 appearances.
• Jason Dicochea (SS) is the lone Bronco who has appeared in all 48 games (47 starts) this season. Coleman Brigman (CF) has appeared in 47 games (46 starts) and Dawson Brigman (2B) has appeared in 46 (45 starts).
• 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).
• RHP Alex Reelfs picked up a save in both games of the doubleheader against Saint Mary's (May 22) last Saturday.
• 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 traveled just once out of state this regular season (played at Oregon State, March 23-24 & at Portland, March 26-28).
NATIONAL & CONFERENCE RANKINGS
• Russell Grant is first in the conference with 6.04 hits allowed per nine innings.
• Grant is seventh in the conference with 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
• Dawson Brigman is third in the conference in sacrifice bunts with six.
• Travis Howard is seventh in the conference in saves with four.
• Santa Clara is third in the conference with 42 home runs.
ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO
San Francisco (23-27, 16-11), led by Nino Giarratano in his 23rd season, will finish third in the West Coast Conference standings with an 16-11 record.
Recap of the WCC Series between the Broncos and Dons from earlier this year (April 9-11):
• Friday, April 9: Landen Bourassa threw seven strong innings and the offense was opportunistic in San Francisco's 4-1 series opening win. Bourassa (3-2) and reliever Alex Pham combined to yield one run (unearned) on three hits while the Dons scored on a walk, a wild pitch, a sacrifice fly and an error.
• Saturday, April 10: Jordan Vujovich and Nick Yovetich hit home runs for San Francisco who withstood a late Santa Clara rally to hold on for a 7-6 victory. In the bottom of the ninth, the Broncos had the potential tying run at second but could not push the run across as reliever Jesse Barron retired Mike Bowes and Jake MacNichols to close out the game.
• Sunday, April 11: Trailing 7-6 in the bottom of the ninth and down to the last out, Mike Bowes smashed a three-run walkoff home run to send Santa Clara to a come from behind 9-7 victory. Bowes, who had homered to right field in the previous inning against Alex Pham, took an 0-1 slider from Dons closer Jesse Barron to send it over the left field fence this time to complete a four-run ninth inning.
San Francisco played a challenging nonconference schedule, opening the season at No. 2 UCLA where they won two out of three games. They also played Cal, Stanford, Fresno State and No. 24 UC Santa Barbara before starting WCC action.
San Francisco is averaging 5.8 runs per game, hitting .252 and average two stolen base attempts per game converting at an 83-percent clip.
Five Dons have 10 or more stolen bases led by Darius Foster's 22.
Luke Keaschall leads the team with a .330 batting average while Jack Winkler is hitting .300
Jordan Vujovich has eight home runs to top the team while Jacob Munoz leads in RBIs with 42.
Fourteen players have hit a home run including 11 with multiple homers.
On the mound, the Dons have given up 5.5 runs a game with a 4.84 ERA and the opponents hitting .251
Bourassa (6-4, 3.07) tops the team with 14 starts and six wins while Jesse Barron (4-2, 2.82) has appeared in a team-high 21 games, picking up four saves. Alex Pham (3-5, 4.39) also have four saves to his credit.
Defensively, USF has committed 55 errors on the season and has a .969 fielding percentage.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION |
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| Live Stream / Video |
Saturday (pregame interview with INF John Hanley starting at 12:45 p.m.) |
| Live Stats | |
| Santa Clara | |
| San Francisco | |
