Baseball Weekly Notebook
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THIS WEEK IN PACIFIC BASEBALL
PACIFIC AT LINFIELD (DOUBLEHEADER)
Games No. 7 & 8/Away Games No. 6 & 7
Sat., Mar. 2, 11 a.m., Roy Helser Field, McMinnville, Ore.
Live Stats:
bit.ly/13axxLe
PACIFIC AT LINFIELD
Game No. 9/Away Game No. 8
Sun., Mar. 3, Noon, Roy Helser Field, McMinnville, Ore.
Live Stats:
bit.ly/13axxLe
BOXERS ENTER NWC SEASON STILL LOOKING FOR FIRST WIN
It has been a rough start for the Pacific baseball team, which will enter it's first Northwest Conference series of the season looking for their first win of 2013. After dropping three games at the NWC-Cascade Challenge and having a fourth rained out, the Boxers will open the league schedule with a three-game set at Linfield.
BOXER BYTES
• Pacific bounced back to take a 4-3 lead going into the ninth inning of their game against Corban on Saturday, but the Warriors scored one in the top of the ninth and scored the winning run by way of an error in the 10th to beat the Boxers 5-4.
Anson Arakaki went 3 for 5 with a run and a RBI to lead the Boxers.
• In Saturday's nightcap, Linfield limited the Boxers to just three hits as the Wildcats cruised to the 4-0 victory.
Walker Olis had two of the Boxers' three hits while the Boxers receieved solid pitching performances from
Kyle Treadway and
Matt Delegato.
• A late Pacific rally on Sunday was negated by George Fox's five-run seventh inning as the homestanding Bruins went on to an 8-4 win. Pacific had a season-high 12 hits, including three each by
Anson Arakaki and
Walker Olis, but left 10 runners on base.
•
Walker Olis finished with a .583 batting average in the three games, going 7 for 12 with a run and three RBIs. He hit the Boxers' first home run of the season in the eighth inning of Saturday's opener with Corban. Olis enters the week leading the NWC with a .563 average and is among the league's top-three in on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
•
Anson Arakaki finished the week batting .462 in three games, going 6 for 13 with a double, a run and three RBIs. He enters the week with a .333 average and ranks among the top in the NWC in doubles.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
LINFIELD
The Wildcats enter their opening NWC series on a roll, having amassed a 7-1 record. Linfield swept all four of their games in the NWC-Cascade Challenge, hosting all four contests in McMinnville. They opened the string with a close 3-1 win over Pacific Lutheran on Friday, winning the game with a three-run fifth inning. They opened Saturday by handing Corban just their second loss of the season, 5-2, before scoring the 4-0 shutout of Pacific where Linfield pitching limited the Boxers to just three hits. Linfield closed the tournament with an 11-0 shutout of Oregon Tech on Sunday. The Wildcats pounded out 15 hits, which included five runs in the seventh inning, while allowing just four to the Hustlin' Owls. Kramer Lindell leads the Linfield offense with a .481 batting average, including 13 hits, five runs and eight RBIs. Nick Fisher is batting .423, Clayton Truex is hitting .407 and Jake Wylie is hitting .406. Zach Brandon leads the starting pitching staff with a 0.69 earned run average in two starts, allowing one earned run and six hits and seven strikeouts in 13 innings. As a team, Linfield leads the NWC with a .338 batting average, 1.01 earned run average and .165 opponent's batting average. Scott Brosius, the former Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees standout, is in his sixth year as Linfield head coach.
AGAINST BRADLEY: Linfield leads 38-10
LAST MEETING: Linfield won 4-0 in McMinnville on Saturday.
PACIFIC NEWS & NOTES
WALKER, HOME PLATE RANGER: Walker Olis (Fr., Burlington, Wash.) used his second week of games in a Pacific uniform to show that he belongs thanks to his offensive prowess. The freshman finished the week with a .583 average in the three games, going 7 for 12 with a home run and three RBIs. He hit the Boxers' first home run of the season in eighth inning of Saturday's opener vs. Corban, going 2 for 5 in the game. He had two of the three Boxers' hits in the Saturday loss at Linfield and then had three hits with two RBIs on Sunday against George Fox. Olis, who started two games at right field and one at designated hitter, enters the week leading the Boxers offensively and as one of the top offensive players in the NWC. His .563 average through five games played leads the NWC. He also ranks second in the league with a .611 on-base percentage and third with a .750 slugging percentage. Olis, a graduate of Burlington Edison High School, was a 2012 Washington AA First Team All-State selection and the Northwest Conference (high school league) Player of the Year.
ARAKAKI AT THE BAT: After spending three seasons in a reserve role for the Boxers,
Anson Arakaki (Sr., Hilo, Hawaii) has put himself into the Pacific startling lineup with his bat. The senior infielder finished with a .462 average in the three games at the NWC-Cascade Challenge, going 6 for 13 with a double, a run and three RBIs. He opened the weekend with a 3 for 5 effort against Corban on Saturday with a run and a RBI. He then went 3 for 5 with two RBIs and a double in the loss to George Fox on Sunday. Arakaki has started all six games for the Boxers this season at either second base or designated hitter. He ranks third for the Boxers with a .333 batting average and is tied for ninth in the NWC with his three doubles.
STABILITY IN THE CATCHER'S SPOT: As the Boxers look to fill their hole at catcher, junior transfer
Dan Jaffe (Jr., Las Vegas, Nev.) is looking to make the job his. Jaffe improved greatly at the plate in his three games at the NWC-Cascade Challenge, batting .400 in three games. He went 1 for 3 with a run in the loss to Corban on Saturday and then went 1 for 2 in the nightcap against Linfield. Jaffe started both games on Saturday behind the dish and has started four of five games played. He enters the week with a .182 batting average. Jaffe transferred to Pacific from Southern Nevada JC. He spent the 2011 season as a part-time starter for Division I Villanova.
ADDING TO HIS VALUE ON THE MOUND: Despite two losses in his two starts,
Kyle Treadway (So., Phoenix, Ore.) is showing that he has will perform well in a new role as a regular starter. Treadway took the loss in the Boxers' 4-0 loss at Linfield on Saturday, allowing four runs on nine hits with a strikeout in two innings. He limited the Wildcats to single runs in the first, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Treadway enters the week with a 3.65 earned run average. In 12 innings, he has allowed six run, five earned, on 14 hits with one walk and three strikouts. He had held opponents to a team-low .286 batting average.
SETTLING IN: Matt Delegato (Sr., Hillsboro, Ore.) is settling in and is looking good for either a starting role or a primary long reliever position. Delegato made his one appearance of the season in Saturday's loss to Linfield. He allowed three hits and one walk while striking out three in two innings of relief work. For the season, Delegato has a 0.00 earned run average in six innings in two appearances with one start. He has yet to allow a earned run this season with seven hits and four strikeouts.
THE MARCH TO 300 WINS: Head Coach
Greg Bradley enters the weekend in the quest to become only the second coach in Pacific history to amass 300 wins. Bradley enters the week with a 298-345-2 record. Bradley took over as Pacific head coach in 1996 after serving four seasons as an assistant coach under the legendary Chuck Bafaro and one season under Jerry Hand.
SEASON PREVIEW: The complete 2013 Pacific baseball season preview can be found at
bit.ly/WItPD6.
CONCORDIA GAME POSTPONED: Pacific's opening game at the NWC-Cascade Challenge, on Friday at Concordia (Ore.), was postponed due to rain. A potential make-up date has yet to be announced.
PACIFIC PICKED FIFTH IN PRESEASON POLL: Just as they were before their 2012, Pacific is picked to finish fifth according to a poll of the league's coaches conducted in January. Pacific received 40 of a possible 80 votes, landing one point behind George Fox and 11 points behind Linfield. Whitworth, to co-NWC champion that also won the NCAA Division III West Region, was chosen to repeat with a total of 68 points, including six first place votes, Pacific Lutheran was picked second with 59 points, including three first place votes. Puget Sound and Willamette tied for sixth with 25 points while Lewis & Clark and Whitman were picked to tie for eighth with 12 points apiece.
