waltgreenberg
Legend
Posts: 33,268
Joined: Feb 2006
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I Root For: Rice Owls
Location: Chicago
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Rice Baseball vs. Gonzaga
The Gonzaga Bulldogs (6-4, 1-3 vs. Top 50) come to Reckling riding a 4-game win streak (albeit against the likes of #242 Milwaukee, #237 Sacramento State x 2, in addition to salvaging the final game vs. #27 UC Irvine), and it appears they have modified their weekend rotation to maximize their ability to win the series. They're pitching their #3 starter against Canterino on Friday, while pitching their c-aces in the Saturday doubleheader. Conversely, our announced starters after Canterino are: Jefferies in Game 1 on Saturday, Kravetz in Game 2, and Garcia Sunday. Why we're pitching Garcia on just 3 days rest after he pitched his longest career outing, by far, just yesterday is a headscratcher. I guess the thinking must be that Amador is more valuable out of the pen. Should make for a VERY interesting weekend.
Offense needs to be on their game and, fortunately, all four Gonzaga starters are right-handers.
Here's the game notes from both Gonzaga and Rice...
http://www.gozags.com/sports/m-basebl/sp...18aaa.html
http://www.riceowls.com/sports/m-basebl/...18aaa.html
Though it's still a very small sample size of just 10 games, the Bulldog hitters appear to be very aggressive free-swingers, who look to swing on first pitch fast balls. They don't walk much, nor do they strikeout much. As a team, they're hitting .274/.363/.359, with 4 HRs, 13 doubles/triples, just 2 stolen bases (on 5 attempts), and are averaging 4.9 runs per game. However, they have 3 guys hitting over .320, led by Jake Vieth (.382/.511/.676, 2 HRs, 4 doubles, 8 RBI).
Here's the individual and team stats to date...
http://www.gozags.com/sports/m-basebl/st...mcume.html
The Zags are an exceptional defensive team, boasting a .983 fielding percentage, having committed just 6 errors over their first 10 games.
D1Baseball projects Gonzaga to finish tied for 4th in the West Coast Conference...
https://d1baseball.com/season-preview/20...views-wcc/
Quote: Similar to the Gaels, the Gonzaga Bulldogs will bring a veteran lineup to the ballpark but has pitching rotation questions heading into the season after losing their top two starters for the second year in a row and the departure of an elite closer in the sidewinding Wyatt Mills. The Bulldogs have a little less offensive success returning and are unlikely to repeat their 3.05 strikeout-to-walk ratio (ninth nationally) without the combined 196 strikeouts from Eli Morgan and Mills. Daniel Bies, a 6-foot-8 righthander with a 92-94 mph fastball, is being moved up to Friday nights from the Sunday/Tuesday role. To become the staff ace, Bies (5-3, 5.20) has to become more efficient. He only pitched 45 innings last year, despite making nine starts and three relief appearances. Like projected Saturday starter Casey Legumina (1-4, 5.46) and closer Calvin LeBrun (1-1, 3.56), Bies will have to shake a brutal final appearance in 2017. The trio combined to give up 19 runs in eight innings over two potential WCC Tournament clinchers against BYU. The one pitcher who shined against the Cougars on that rough day was Mac Lardner (3-1, 3.99), who will move into the Sunday role. The lefty allowed one run in six innings in relief of Bies. Lardner has a diving changeup that is a plus pitch, but Legumina may have the best stuff on the staff. His two off-speed offerings at 80-83 mph come in slow motion compared to his 92-96 fastball that might play up even more if he was used out of the bullpen.
The Gonzaga lineup doesn’t produce a fear factor until you look up and see the hit total seems to be constantly changing. Lumberjack first baseman Jake Vieth, standing 5-foot-11 and 240 pounds, is the only physically imposing force in the projected starting lineup. The Bulldogs are looking for Vieth to break out and produce some brawny outputs on some baseballs. Troy Johnston has shown some pop from the left side as well, but the Bulldogs typically just wear on pitchers with guys like Jace VanDeBrake, Brandon Trube and Daniel Fredrickson, who are tough outs that aren’t afraid to use the whole field. Transfers Austin Pinorini (Bellevue College) and Carson Breshears (Oregon) are favorites for the catcher and second base spots. Pinorini is a plus defender that will likely hit in the middle of the lineup and has good wheels for a catcher. Breshears, whose brother Dustin played at Gonzaga, is a superb defender and has great bat control even though his numbers at Oregon were not very good.
Perfect Game project the Zags to finish 5th in the WCC...
https://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/Vie...icle=14871
Quote:Gonzaga: The Zags have earned a berth to the WCC Tourney in four of the last five seasons (only four teams qualify). They will reload with a young team in 2018 as nine key players from last year’s club have been lost to graduation and/or the draft. Seniors Gunnar Schubert and Jake Veith played every day a year ago and they should lock down shortstop and first base respectively. Branson Trube, Troy Johnston and Daniel Fredickson all hit over .300 in part-time roles in 2017 and they are three options in the outfield. There are big shoes to fill on the pitching staff as departed arms Eli Morgan, Justin Vernia and Wyatt Mills accounted for 17 wins and 12 saves. Six-foot-8 righthander Daniel Bies is the team’s best prospect and he is an option for the weekend rotation. Sophomore righthander Casey Legumina is another talented rotation candidate and his 57 2/3 innings pitched from a year ago leads all returners. Among the newcomers, lefthanded hitting catcher Austin Pinorini is a junior college transfer (Bellevue College, Wash.) who could be drafted in June. Freshman Alek Jacob and junior Taylor Davis are two rookie righthanders who should contribute in year one.
(This post was last modified: 03-08-2018 11:32 PM by waltgreenberg.)
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