Pacific University Athletics

Baseball Weekly Notebook

3/26/2012 3:55:00 PM

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THIS WEEK IN PACIFIC BASEBALL
PACIFIC AT WILLAMETTE
Games No. 20 & 21/Away Games No. 9 & 10
Sat., Mar. 31, Noon, Spec Keene Stadium, Salem, Ore.
Live Stats: livestats.willamette.edu/live/bsb/stats/
Live Audio: livestats.willamette.edu/live/bsb/audio/

PACIFIC AT WILLAMETTE
Game No. 22/Away Game No. 11
Sun., Apr. 1, 1 p.m., Spec Keene Stadium, Salem, Ore.
Live Stats: livestats.willamette.edu/live/bsb/stats/

WELL RESTED PACIFIC SQUAD RETURNS IN TIE FOR FIRST
Pacific baseball moved into a tie for first place in the Northwest Conference with Whitworth without throwing a pitch.  The Boxers enter the week well rested thanks to four game cancellations as they prepare for a three-game NWC series with Willamette.  After playing all nine of their games in March at Chuck Bafaro Stadium, this weekend will be a significant road test as the Boxers look to keep pace in the standings.

BOXER BYTES
• Once they take the field against Willamette on Saturday, Pacific will have gone two weeks without a game.  Games against Concordia (Ore.) on Mar. 20 and Mar. 27 were postponed and Monday's scheduled doubleheader against Central Washington was canceled.

• Chad Fahey was named last week's NWC Pitcher Student-Athlete of the Week for his solid complete game performance against Lewis & Clark on Mar. 18, earning the award for the second straight week.  Fahey allowed just six hits while striking out 11 to lead the Boxers to the 2-0, series-ending victory.

• Rob Dittrick became Pacific's third straight selection to the D3Baseball.com Team of the Week for his near complete game performance in the Mar. 17 series opener with Lewis & Clark.  Dittrick allowed just one hit and struck out seven in seven innings of work as the Boxers posted a 16-1 rout.

• Pacific enters the week with one of the best pitching staffs at the NCAA Division III level.  The Boxers are ranked second in the NWC with a 3.47 earned run average and third with a .255 opponent's batting average.  Rob Dittrick ranks fourth in the league with a 2.13 ERA while Chad Fahey is fifth with a 2.43 ERA.

• With the postponement of the Mar. 13 game at Corban and Tuesday's game at Concordia (Ore.), Pacific will play just two games in March away from Chuck Bafaro Stadium.  After starting the season with 10 straight road games, the Boxers have played nine straight at home.

• This weekend's games at Willamette will be a key test for the Boxers as they aim to stay in first place in the NWC.  The Boxers are 1-7 in games away from Forest Grove, with the one win coming in a 2-1, 10-inning game over Oregon Tech at Concordia's Hilken Community Stadium on Feb. 24.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
WILLAMETTE
The Bearcats enter the week with a 7-15 overall record and are sixth in the NWC at 5-7.  Willamette took two of three games from Lewis & Clark over the weekend, with the Bearcats winning both Saturday games by big margins.  Willamette took the Saturday opener by a 10-3 margin, pounding out 15 hits, which included four hits for Mitchell Rowan and home runs for Sky Kelley and Hunter Gallant.  In the nightcap, Willamette scored 16 runs over the first six innings, which proved enough to hold off a 10-run sixth inning by the Pioneers en route to a 25-16 win.  Tiras Koon finished with four hits while Rowan and Tanner Gates each had five runs batted in.  The teams combined to throw 10 pitchers in the contest.  Lewis & Clark rebounded to tkae a 3-2 win in Sunday's series finale.  Willamette scored single runs in the second and third before the Pioneers scored two runs in the eighth to win it.  Dylan Summers had three hits to lead the Bearcats.  Rowan leads the Willamette offense with a .353 batting average with 24 hits, six doubles, five home runs and 19 RBI in 21 games.  T.J. Whidby leads the pitching staff with a 4.55 earned run average and a 1-2 record, allowing 17 runs in 31.2 innings.  As a team, Willamette is batting .274 and has amassed a 7.23 earned run average.  Aaron Swick is in his fourth year as Willamette head coach.

AGAINST BRADLEY: Willamette leads 26-18-1
LAST MEETING: Teams played to a 6-6, 11-inning tie at Salem on Apr. 19, 2011

PACIFIC NEWS & NOTES
RAINOUTS, CANCELLATIONS ADDING UP: Pacific saw each one of their four scheduled non-conference games over the last two weeks cancelled or postponed for a number of reasons.  Pacific saw two games with Concordia (Ore.) called off.  The Mar. 20 game at Chuck Bafaro Stadium was postponed due to rain, while Tuesday's scheduled contest at Concordia's Hilken Community Stadium was postponed to allow Concordia to complete a NAIA Region 1 weekend series at Simpson (Calif.) that was delayed due to rain.  Both games will be rescheduled for a later date.  Monday's scheduled doubleheader with Division II Central Washington was canceled due to the Wildcats being above the maximum allowed scheduled games.

TWICE THE NWC PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Chad Fahey (Sr., Keizer, Ore.) was selected for the second straight week as Northwest Conference Baseball Pitcher Student-Athlete of the Week on Mar. 20 for his second straight complete-game gem.  The lefty was a winner in the Boxers' 2-0 shutout of Lewis & Clark on Mar. 18 as he allowed just six hits while striking out 11 to improve to 3-1 on the season.  For the second straight week, Fahey allowed just one runner past second base and did not allow an extra base hit.  Fahey enters the week with a 2.43 earned run average, having allowed 11 runs on 31 hits with 23 strikeouts in 40.2 innings and is holding opposing batters to a .220 average.  The award also marked the third striaght week that Pacific had won the NWC weekly pitching award.  He is tied for second in the NWC with his two complete games and tied for fourth with his three wins.  He also ranks seventh in the NWC in innings pitched and fifth in earned run average and enters this week with an 18-inning scoreless streak.

If his pitching work was not enough, Fahey also excelled at the plate in his two games in the field on Saturday.  The starting left fielder in the twinbill, Fahey hit .714, going 5 for 7 with three runs and three runs batted in, amassing  a .714 slugging percentage and a .750 on base percentage.  Fahey leads the Boxers with a .471 batting average and has 16 hits in 34 total at bats.

ANOTHER TEAM OF THE WEEK HONOREE: Rob Dittrick (Jr., Mililani, Hawaii) may have been outpicked for NWC Pitcher of the Week, but his near complete performance against Lewis & Clark earned him Pacific's third straight selection to the D3Baseball.com Team of the Week.  In the Mar. 17, opener, Dittrick allowed just one hit and struck out seven in seven innings as the Boxers won 16-1.  He faced just two batters over the minimum, with those two batters reaching on errors in the top of the first inning.  At one point, Dittrick retired 12 straight L&C batters.  Dittrick continues to be one of the west's most dominant hurlers.  He enters the week with a 2.13 earned run average, ranking fourth in the NWC, and owns a .207 opponent's batting average.  In 38 innings, Dittrick has allowed 12 runs, nine earned, on 28 hits with 28 strikeouts in 38 innings.  He is tied for first in the NWC in wins, tied for second in complete games, fourth in earned run average and eighth in strikeouts.

MAC DEALS AGAIN: Mike McGuire (Sr., Olympia, Wash.) made the most of just his second start of his Pacific career when he took the ball in the Mar. 17 nightcap against Lewis & Clark.  McGuire threw six innings in rainy conditions to earn the win for the Boxers, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out three batters before yielding to Tyler Kotchik (Fr., Beaverton, Ore.) and Quin Moore (So., Bellingham, Wash.).  McGuire is proving to be the solid type of middle reliever and spot starter that the Boxers have needed.  In four appearances, McGuire has put together a 3.07 earned run average.  In 14.2 innings, he has allowed six runs, five earned, on 15 hits and has struck out 12.

TASAKA SOCKING HITS ALL OVER THE YARD: While having flown under the radar offensively over the first half of the season, Nick Tasaka (Jr., Hawaii Kai, Hawaii) had a weekend to brag about against Lewis & Clark.  Tasaka hit .545 for the series, trailing only Chad Fahey for top hitting honors, going 6 for 11 with four hits, two doubles and two runs batted in.  He amassed a .727 slugging percentage and a .583 on-base percentage.  Tasaka went 2 for 3 in the 16-1 Mar. 17 opener over the Pioneers with a double, two runs and two RBI.  He followed that up with a 3 for 5 performance in the nightcap with two runs and a stolen base.  Tasaka enters the week as one of the Boxers' most relied upon batters, owning a .339 average in 17 games.  He has gone 21 for 62 with 13 hits, three doubles, a home run and 11 runs batted in.

THE SCHWARTZ IS WITH YOU: After a pair of relatively quiet weeks at the plate, Kevin Schwartz came alive again to help lead the way for Pacific in their series sweep over Lewis & Clark.  Schwartz batted .538 in the three-game set with seven hits, six runs and two runs batted in.  His opening game was his best game of the weekend, going 3 for 4 with two RBI and two runs in the 16-1 rout of the Pioneers on Mar. 17.  Schwartz added a 2 for 5 performance in the nightcap.  Schwartz enters the week with a .321 average, third best for the Boxers, with 25 hits, 16 runs and nine runs batted in.  He is tied for ninth with 78 at bats and is tied for 10th with 25 hits.

RASMUSSEN EARNS D3BASEBALL.COM HONORS: Pacific has been well represented in the first two weeks of the D3Baseball.com Team of the Week.  Nate Rasmussen (Sr., Sandy, Utah) was selected to the Week 2 squad on Mat. 13 for his effort in helping lead the Boxers to their series win over George Fox.  Rasmussen batted .500 in the three-game set, going 6 for 12 with two doubles, three runs, a home run and two runs batted in.  He went 3 for 4 in the Sat., Mar. 10 opener with the Bruins and then added a 2 for 5 performance with a home run in the nightcap.  Rasmussen performed well in clutch situations, amassing a .917 slugging percentage.  “Nate had a great series against George Fox,” said Pacific Head Coach Greg Bradley.  “He hit for average and power and he had clutch hits during all of our games.  He played at a high level, especially after missing the previous week with an injury.”

Rasmussen enters the with with a solid .294 batting average with 15 hits, five doubles and five runs batted in.  His boggest contributions, however, have been defensively where has contributed to six of the Boxers' 15 double plays as the Boxers' regular starting second baseman.

SERIES-LY PERFORMING IN THE NWC: The Mar. 17-18 sweep of Lewis & Clark marked the third straight series victory for Pacific baseball in the 2012 season.  To date, the Boxers have now won seven of their last eight NWC series dating back to the 2011 campaign.  Pacific last dropped a series was on Apr. 22 &23, 2011, when they were swept at Puget Sound.

Of those three 2012 series victories, two have come against the league's traditional powehouses.  Pacific's Mar. 10-11 series win over George Fox was the second straight, while the Mar. 3-4 series win over Linfield was the first for the program since 2001.

SITUATIONALLY STRONG: While pitching has carried the day, the Boxers have developed into a very good situational hitting squad.  The Boxers enter the week with a .260 average in two out situations and have 37 of their 87 runs batted in with two outs.  Pacific is batting .273 with runners in scoring position and owns a .499 success advancing runners average.  In the Boxers' nine Northwest Conference games, Pacific hitting .613 with runners on third and less than two outs and .301 in two-out situations.

KEEPING TIGHT IN THE FIELD: Pacific's trend of keeping their fielding crisp has carried over from 2011 to 2012.  The Boxers enter the week carrying a league-leading .969 fielding percentage, having committed 21 errors in 19 games.  A total of 16 players are carrying a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, six of whom are tied for first in the NWC having met the minimum of playing in 60 percent of the team's games.

DITTRICK, VAN HOON EARN CONFERENCE & REGIONAL HONORS: Rob Dittrick and Jared Van Hoon were honored for their roles in the monumental series victory over Linfield on Mar. 3-4.  Dittrick was named Northwest Conference Baseball Pitcher Student-Athlete of the Week for his five-hit complete game in the Mar. 3 opener against the Wildcats for a 7-1 victory.  His only run allowed was a solo home run in the top of ninth inning.  Van Hoon was named to the first ever D3Baseball.com Team of the Week for his impressive hitting against Linfield.  In the three-game series. Van Hoon batted .462 with six hits, three doubles, two runs and two runs batted in.  He had the two-out, bases-loading winning single in the bottom of the ninth in the Mar. 4 single game to complete Pacific's 6-5 come-from-behind victory over the Wildcats.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON: The three-game series against George Fox on Mar. 10 & 11 featured a rarity in college athletics as both teams featured a father-son combination.  Donnie Bradley (Fr., Beaverton, Ore.) is in his first season at Pacific playing for his father, Head Coach Greg Bradley.  Donnie Bradley made two starts for the Boxers in the Bruins' series in left field.  He was an Honorable Mention Oregon 6A All-State selection last year for Beaverton's Westview High School.  In the other dugout, George Fox Head Coach Marty Hunter was in his third season coaching his son, Taylor.  An All-Northwest Conference performer in 2009 before transferring to Oregon State for a year, Taylor is the Bruins' regular starter at shortstop.

HOMECOMING: The season-opening road trip to Hawaii was homecoming for eight players on the Pacific roster who hail from the Islands.  Hawaii has been a traditional recruiting ground for Pacific, both on the athletic fields and as part of the general student population.  Nearly a third of the undergraduate student body at Pacific is from Hawaii.  The list of Pacific baseball players includes NWC Pitcher of the Year Rob Dittrick (Jr., Mililani, Hawaii), Anson Arakaki (Jr., Hilo, Hawaii), Michael Arakaki (Jr., Mililani, Hawaii), Grant Gabriel (So., Honolulu, Hawaii), Mike Nagamine (Sr., Aiea, Hawaii), Brett Nakasone (Jr., Wahiawa, Hawaii), Nick Tasaka (Jr., Hawaii Kai, Hawaii) and Rylan Tomita (Jr., Honolulu, Hawaii).

SEASON PREVIEW: The complete 2012 Pacific baseball season preview can be found at http://www.goboxers.com/sports/2012/2/14/BB_0214120514.aspx?tab=baseball&path=baseball.

PACIFIC PICKED FOURTH IN PRESEASON POLL: After their breakout season in 2011, Northwest Conference coaches have picked the Boxers to finish four in 2012 according to the preseason poll released in January.  Pacific picked up 42 of a possible 80 points in the poll.  The Boxers finished tied for third last year with Pacific Lutheran, who is picked to finish third once again.  Linfield, which advanced to the NCAA Division III World Series, is picked to repeat as NWC champion in 2012, collecting 72 points and eight of nine first place votes.  Perennial NWC power George Fox is picked second with 52 points.