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March 22, 2005

WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE: The Gonzaga University baseball team will host Loyola Marymount University in a three-game West Coast Conference series this weekend at Avista Stadium.  On both Thursday and Friday the games will begin at 2 p.m.  Saturday's game is slated for a 1 p.m. start.

LAST TIME OUT: Gonzaga University went 1-2 in its first home series of the season against Saint Mary's College.  On Friday the Gaels defeated the Bulldogs 6-3.  Freshman Darin Holcomb was the offensive leader for the Zags as he went 3-for-5 with one run scored.  On Saturday GU was defeated by a score of 8-4.  Holcomb again led GU's offense going 3-for-4 with one RBI.  Sunday the Bulldogs avoided the three-game sweep with a 9-3 win.  First baseman Bobby Carlson led GU's offense going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.  Jay Bryner picked up the win for the Bulldogs allowing one run on six hits in five innings of work.

HOLCOMB'S HOT BAT: Freshman Darin Holcomb has been hot at the plate for the Bulldogs and has moved himself into second on the team in hitting with his .364 batting average.  Over the weekend Holcomb went 7-for-13 with one RBI to lead the Zags offensively in two of the three games.  Holcomb has been serving as the lead-off hitter for the Zags since the injury to Jackson Brennan.

SCOUTING THE LIONS: Loyola Marymount University enters the week with a 8-12 overall record and a 3-0 West Coast Conference record after completing a three-game sweep over the University of San Diego last weekend.  The Lions are 22-15 all-time against Gonzaga University.  Center fielder Joe Frazee leads the offensive charge for the Lions with his .417 batting average and team-leading 30 hits.  Brad Meyers leads the pitching rotation for Loyola Marymount with a 3-2 record and an ERA of 2.28.

CULPEPPER'S RECORD CHASE: Gonzaga University center fielder Jeff Culpepper continues his pursuit of the all-time doubles record at Gonzaga.  Culpepper has seven doubles on the season which gives him 47 for his career placing him in fifth all-time.  The all-time doubles record is currently held by Jerrod Wong (1993-96) with 59.  Culpepper is three away from a tie for second all-time with Eric Rodland (2000-03) and Jim Carnell (1980-83). 

AYALA's BIG WEEKEND: Gonzaga University junior outfielder Will Ayala had a big weekend for the Bulldogs against Saint Mary's College as he went 6-for-11 (.545) with three RBI, five runs scored, one home run and one double.  Ayala is now hitting .292 with 19 hits , two doubles and two home runs.

STARTING WORKHORSES: Gonzaga is getting the most out of its 1-2 starting combination as Patrick Donovan and Josh Monroe have started 12 of the Bulldogs 22 games on the season.  The duo has combined for 67 of the teams 133 strikeouts (50 percent) while working 78 of the teams 193 innings (40 percent) on the season.  The starters are also getting deep into games which helps the Zags bullpen.  Monroe has averaged 6.2 innings per start this season and Donovan is averaging 6.7 innings per start.  Both pitchers have also been effective in the win column with three wins each.

McEWEN / HARMON SEE ACTION: Sophomore Bobby McEwen and freshman Brandon Harmon saw action against Saint Mary's College as the pair of pitchers worked four innings allowing two runs on four hits between the two of them on Sunday against the Gaels.

HOME SWEET HOME:  After spending its first 19 games of the season on the road, Gonzaga University finally got to play a game at Avista Stadium.  This season GU is 1-2 at Avista Stadium and will look to improve upon that this weekend against Loyola Marymount University.

NOTES ON GONZAGA POSITION STARTERS

Bobby Carlson, Junior, 1B: Gonzaga University first baseman Bobby Carlson recorded two doubles last weekend to move him into the team-lead in doubles with eight.  He is hitting .261 with a team-leading 28 RBI and has 23 hits.

Scott Campbell, Junior, 2B: Gonzaga University junior second baseman Scott Campbell recorded three RBI over the weekend and is third on the team in hits with 27.  He is batting .300 with five doubles and 16 RBI.

Aaron McGuinness, Sophomore, SS: Aaron McGuinness is third on the team in hitting with his .329 batting average and has recorded three doubles, nine RBI and 23 hits. 

Darin Holcomb, Freshman, 3B: Gonzaga University freshman third baseman Darin Holcomb continues to move his way up the Bulldog batting charts and is now second on the team in hitting with a .364 batting average and has six doubles and 17 RBI.

Kiel Thibault, Junior, C: Gonzaga University junior catcher Kiel Thibault is hitting .310 with 26 hits, five doubles, two home runs, 15 RBI and is tied for the lead on the team with two triples.

Will Ayala, Freshman, RF: Will Ayala had a great weekend for Gonzaga University going 6-for-11 with three RBI, five runs scored, one home run and one double against Saint Mary's College.  Ayala is now batting .292 in the seven slot for the Bulldogs.

Shawn Wayt, Freshman, LF: Shawn Wayt has been seeing more time in the outfield for Gonzaga University and is now hitting .250 with 15 hits, three doubles and four RBI.

Jeff Culpepper, Senior, CF: Gonzaga University's Jeff Culpepper continues to lead the Bulldogs in hitting with his .366 batting average, is second on the team in hits with 30, second in doubles with seven and has 22 RBI.

Mike Terry, Freshman, DH: Mike Terry is hitting .222 with 10 hits, two doubles, two home runs and nine RBI while hitting in the eighth slot for Gonzaga University.

ZAGS TABBED FIFTH IN WCC POLL: Gonzaga University was picked to finish fifth overall in the West Coast Conference in the preseason poll of WCC coaches.  Gonzaga received 22 total points to finish one point ahead of the University of San Francisco in the overall poll.  In divisional play Gonzaga was tabbed to finish third in the WCC Coast Division behind the University of San Diego and Loyola Marymount University.  Gonzaga will be playing against San Diego, Loyola Marymount and Saint Mary's College in the Coast Division.  Pepperdine University, University of Portland ,San Francisco and Santa Clara University comprise the WCC West Division.  The WCC  Champion will be determined in a WCC Playoff between the two divisional champions at the site of the team which wins the regular-season series between the two schools.

SKIPPER Mark Machtolf: Considered one of the Top 10 rising stars in the Division I coaching ranks by Baseball America in its 2000 publication, Mark Machtolf now enters his second season at the helm of the Gonzaga baseball program. Machtolf, an 11-year assistant at Gonzaga, was officially handed the coaching reigns on August 7, 2003, from 24-year head coach Steve Hertz who moved into an administrative position at the school.  During his 11 years as an assistant, Machtolf coached the Bulldogs hitters and outfielders as well as serving as the Bulldogs recruiting coordinator.  Under his guidance Gonzaga became one of the top power hitting teams in the nation, setting a West Coast Conference and school record with 92 home runs in 2002, the seventh best home run per game average in the nation.  Machtolf also coached Bulldogs slugger Nate Gold who led the NCAA with 33 home runs in 2002 en route to All-American honors.  A 1987 graduate of Stanford University, Machtolf was a member of the Cardinal's 1987 College World Series championship team and was an All-CWS selection.  A 4-year baseball letterman and 2-year football letterman he graduated from Stanford in 1987.

2005 GAMETRACKER AVAILABLE: Gonzaga will once again have GameTracker statistics available for this weekends games.  Fans can go to www.gozags.com and click on the baseball schedule to see which other games are available throughout the season.  Gonzaga will once again carry all 20 home games on GameTracker.

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