STOCKTON, Calif. – Concluding an eight-game homestand, the Pacific baseball team is set to host San Diego for the last West Coast Conference home series of the season, starting Friday at 6 p.m. and wrapping up with Senior Day on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Klein Family Field.
The Tigers (20-26, 12-9 WCC) will recognize and celebrate six of their senior and graduate players while facing off against the Toreros (17-28, 9-12 WCC) as both teams vie for spots in the West Coast Conference Tournament scheduled for May 20-23 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
In the conference standings, Pacific is tied for third place with Pepperdine, just one game behind second-place San Francisco. The Toreros, who were last year’s West Coast Conference regular season champions, are currently eighth and two games behind a three-way tie for fifth place shared by Portland, Saint Mary’s, and Seattle.
Recently, Pacific has displayed impressive form in WCC play, winning ten out of their last 12 conference games, including a streak of seven consecutive WCC victories at home dating back to March 29.
The Tigers’ pitching staff has been impressive, spearheaded by redshirt juniors Zach Todd and Garret Plata. Both delivered quality starts during the program’s first-ever sweep against LMU last weekend. Todd pitched six scoreless innings, earning the title of WCC Co-Pitcher of the Week. With a personal best of 11 strikeouts in his last outing, Todd leads Pacific with 71 strikeouts, ranking among the top 100 pitchers in the nation.
Plata is further solidifying his status as one of the top southpaws nationally, boasting a league-low 1.78 earned run average over 60.2 innings along with 63 strikeouts. His 1.78 ERA ranks seventh overall in the nation. Plata has completed nine games this season with five or more innings pitched, including five consecutive quality starts in conference play.
Redshirt junior Carson Revay has emerged as the mainstay for the Tigers’ bullpen, recording a 3.18 earned run average over 39.2 innings with eight saves. Revay has been recognized as one of the nation’s top 61 relief pitchers, earning a spot on the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association’s Midseason Stopper of the Year Watch List. He is the first Tiger to achieve this recognition since Josh Schmidt in 2005. Revay’s eight saves place him tied for second all-time for a single season at Pacific, following Schmidt’s record of 11 saves.
Junior Braeden Schnabel, graduate student Brendan O’Sullivan, and redshirt sophomore Robert Orr have formed a potent trio, igniting the Pacific offense with batting averages above .300. O’Sullivan has been vital in setting the tempo, currently boasting a team-leading .360 batting average in conference play and a six-game hitting streak. Orr and Schnabel have contributed significant power, with Orr leading the team in home runs at six. Both rank in the nation’s top 150 for doubles, with 15 and 14 respectively.
San Diego comes into this series after dropping two of three games at Portland, which is the team Pacific will face at the end of the regular season. The Toreros have secured a series win at home against Santa Clara, but recently lost to UC Irvine 9-4 in a midweek match-up.
WCC Player of the Week CJ Moran had an outstanding weekend at Portland, hitting .615 (8-for-13) with two doubles, four RBI, four runs, and a stolen base. Moran achieved multi-hit performances in all three games against the Pilots and currently holds a .324 batting average, second on the team behind Andrew Gauna’s .366.
Diego Gutierrez has been the main starting pitcher for San Diego this year, holding a record of 5-3 with a 5.65 earned run average across 12 starts.
Pacific and San Diego are set to meet for the 40th, 41st, and 42nd times in their all-time history. The Tigers are aiming for their first series victory over the Toreros at home since 2014, with the last home win against USD on March 25, 2018.
All three games will be streamed live on ESPN+ with a 6 p.m. first pitch on Friday, 3 p.m. on Saturday, and 1 p.m. on Sunday. Dennis Ackerman will be providing commentary for these games.
Before Sunday’s game, the Tigers will pay tribute to Rylan Evans, Nathen Nino, Brendan O’Sullivan, Jake Tandy, Grant MacArthur, and Blaine French. Fans are encouraged to arrive early, as parking may be impacted by graduation ceremonies occurring on campus.
Tigers Tickets
Tickets for upcoming events can be obtained through the PacificTigers.com tickets tab or by calling the Box Office at 209-946-2474. Group discounts and exclusive fan experiences are available for groups of 10 or more.
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