SPOKANE, Wash. - Whitworth College is supposed to open Northwest Conference play in baseball this week against Pacific University. This for a team that has practiced outside on its own field once this season, and as several inches of snow continue to pile up at the writing of this press release. However, the coaching staff is keeping all options open - most notably the potential of playing the games at Gonzaga Prep in Spokane on that school's artificial turf.
Last Week: Whitworth went 2-3 in Peoria, Arizona. Playing with fewer available pitchers than the previous week, the Pirates were set back even further when starter Chad Flett (Jr., RHP, Spokane, Wash.) left after tossing only one out of the second game. Whitworth opened with a 10-1 win over NCAA Division III Washington & Lee and a 9-5 loss to perennial NCAA playoff contender Trinity (Texas), after entering the ninth inning tied 5-5. On the second day the Bucs beat Hastings College of the NAIA 8-3 to earn the #1 seed into the weekend playoff. That meant a rematch with Trinity on Saturday and Whitworth fell to the Tigers 3-1 in a closely contested game. The finale was a 7-6 loss to Hastings after the Pirates came back from a 5-0 deficit. Whitworth had a more productive week at the plate. Jon Whiteside (Jr., IF, Yakima, Wash.) batted .500 (9 for 18) with a pair of doubles. He scored seven times and drive in two. Van Lierman (Sr., OF, Bothell, Wash.) was 6 for 14, but led the team with 10 runs scored. Dan Ramsey (So., C, Spokane, Wash.) was the team leader with eight runs batted in. Alex Scarpelli (Jr., IF, Spokane, Wash.) hit his second home run of the season. Brandon Zimmerman (Sr., RHP, Spokane, Wash.) went six innings in the win over W&L to pick up the victory. He allowed only four hits and one run. Jon Hauck (So., LHP, Spokane, Wash.) pitched three scoreless innings in relief for a save. Ryan Snell (Jr., RHP, Issaquah, Wash.) earned his first victory of the year, allowing three runs in five innings against Hastings. Collin Gibbs (Fr., LHP, Lewiston, Idaho) pitched four shutout innings for his first save as a Pirate. Jason Weatherman (Jr., RHP, Chino, Calif.) pitched very well in the second loss to Trinity, allowing only one run in 6.2 innings. This week: Whitworth is scheduled to play Pacific (Ore.) in a three game Northwest Conference series, with a double header on Saturday and a single game on Sunday. The Boxers are 2-1 after taking two of three games at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps last weekend. Pacific finished in a three-way tie for fourth place with Whitworth last season (13-11) and with an overall record of 21-18. The Boxers return three position player starters and two of three starting pitchers. Last year the Pirates won two of three games played between the teams in Forest Grove, Ore. |
