THIS WEEKEND
Games #47-49
USF (17-29, 11-10 WCC) at Portland (15-27, 2-16 WCC)
Friday, May 6 - Sunday, May 8
Joe Etzel Field | Portland, Ore.
Live stats: PortlandPilots.com | Audio/Video: TheW.tv
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday, May 6 | 6 p.m.
USF: RHP
Anthony Shew (3-6, 4.35) POR: LHP Jordan Horak (1-5, 5.00)
Saturday, May 7 | 6 p.m.
USF: RHP
Thomas Ponticelli (3-4, 5.46) POR: RHP Davis Tominaga (3-8, 4.57)
Sunday, May 8 | 1 p.m.
USF: RHP
James Kannenberg (5-4, 3.84) POR: RHP Jordan Wilcox (4-2, 4.12)
Complete Game Notes [PDF]
SAN FRANCISCO – The Dons come into the weekend trying to maintain a hold in the race for the fourth and final spot in the West Coast Conference championships. USF (17-29, 11-10 WCC) won back-to-back home series over Gonzaga and San Diego before dropping two of three at Saint Mary's this past weekend. The Dons also lost a heartbreaking 7-6 nonconference contest at Stanford on Tuesday. USF enters the series at Portland 6-4 in their last 10 games.
Despite a tough nonconference stretch, the Dons have picked it up during WCC play. At 11-10, USF sits at 6th place in the standings heading into the weekend, sandwiched between Pepperdine (10-8) and San Diego (10-11). BYU and Saint Mary's are tied for the top spot, while one game separates Gonzaga (13-8) and Loyola Marymount (12-9) in 3rd and 4th, respectively. USF is one of four teams who has just one more weekend of conference play remaining after this weekend, while the rest of the conference still has two more WCC series to play, which will further help sort things out. After playing Portland, the Dons' last chance to make up some ground in the WCC race will come with next week's home series against first-place BYU before USF finishes the regular season with a nonconference series at Fresno State.
Senior right-hander
Anthony Shew (3-6, 4.35) will be looking to add to his run of six quality starts over his last seven outings as he toes the rubber in the series opener on Friday evening at 6 p.m. from Joe Etzel Field. Portland (15-27, 2-16 WCC) will counter with lefty Jordan Horak (1-5, 5.00). Shew picked up a win in his only other appearance against Portland last season at Benedetti Diamond, allowing five runs on nine hits over seven innings while striking out nine – his second-highest total last year – and walking one.
This weekend's action can be followed via live stats on PortlandPilots.com and a live video stream on TheW.tv.
NOTABLES
Junior SS
Nico Giarratano had his team-best on-base streak snapped at 18 games in Sunday's loss at Saint Mary's… during that streak, Giarratano tallied hits in 13 of the 18 games and hit .231 with a .342 on base pct... junior INF
Dan James has been hot of late, hitting .375 (12 for 32) over his last 10 games, tallying a home run, three doubles, seven RBI and three runs scored... he's slugging .563 with a .463 on base pct. over that span... not to be outdone is redshirt junior INF
Allen Smoot, who has hit safely in 22 of his last 27 games and reached base in his last 14 games... Smoot is also hitting at a .375 clip over his last 10 contests, driving in five runs, scoring eight, collecting three doubles and drawing 12 walks.
A huge part of OF/IF
Matt Sinatro's success this year has been the damage he inflicts once he reaches base... Sinatro leads the WCC and ranks 20th in the NCAA in stolen bases this year with 23 thefts in 29 attempts... he became the first Don since Bradley Zimmer in 2014 to steal at least three bags in one game when he swiped a trio at Cal on March 29... he did it again against San Diego on Apr. 22.
ABOUT PORTLAND
The Pilots come into the weekend with a 15-27 overall record and a 2-16 mark in WCC play after suffering a three-game sweep at home to San Diego this past weekend. Portland is in the midst of slide where they have lost 14 of their last 16.
The Pilots lead the conference in stolen bases (63) but rank at the bottom of the WCC in team batting average (.235). UP's pitching staff carries a 4.35 ERA while opposing batters are hitting .268 against them.
Catcher/DH Cooper Hummel leads Portland offensively, hitting .349 with three home runs and 24 RBI on the year. Caleb Whalen leads the Pilots with four home runs and is second on the team with 22 RBI. Michael Forgione ranks second in the WCC (behind
Matt Sinatro) in stolen bases this year with 20.
THE SERIES
The Dons are 54-25 against Portland since 1976 (the last year records are available), including a 22-15 record on the road against the Pilots. The Dons have won the last four meetings between the two teams after sweeping last year's series in San Francisco. The Dons lost two of three to the Pilots in their last series in Portland in 2014.
