University of San Francisco Athletics

Game Nos. 18-20
San Francisco Dons (5-12) at Gonzaga Bulldogs (9-8)
March 13-15 | 6 p.m., 6 p.m., 12 p.m.
Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field | Spokane, Wash.
LIVE STATS | TheW.tv
 
SPOKANE, Wash.—The Dons are on a high after sweeping No. 8 Oregon, have won four of their last five games, and begin West Coast Conference play on Friday at Gonzaga.
 
PROBABLE MATCHUPS

Friday at Gonzaga	RHP Anthony Shew (1-2, 3.03)	RHP Brandon Bailey (3-1, 2.17)
Saturday at Gonzaga	LHP Christian Cecilio (0-1, 3.29)	RHP Andrew Sopko (2-1, 1.96)
Sunday at Gonzaga	LHP Jeider Rincon (1-2, 5.23)	LHP Calvin LeBrun (2-2, 4.26)

 
DUCK SEASON
The Dons played their best baseball of the season over the last few days and it resulted in two wins over No. 8 Oregon at PK Park in Eugene, Ore. Sheldon Lee went 5.1 shutout innings in the opener to pick up the 4-1 win. In the second game, Brendan Hendriks and Derek Atkinson both drove in two and Sam Granoff kept the Ducks off balance as he went 6.1 innings and allowed two earned runs as part of the 8-2 victory.
 
MIROGLIO DOES IT ALL
Catcher Dominic Miroglio, a transfer from UCLA, has been everything the Dons could have hoped for early on. Over his last five games, he is hitting 12-for-20 (.600) with a double, triple, home run, and seven RBI. After the first month of play, he is hitting .426 with a team-high 15 RBI and has thrown out five would-be base stealers.
 
SHEW'S DOMINANCE
Anthony Shew has quickly established himself as one of the better pitchers in the country and showed it again on Friday as he went eight shutout innings, scattered four hits, and struck out 10 in a 4-0 USF win. He has thrown eight innings in each of his last three starts and has an ERA of 1.12 in those appearances.
 
CECILIO NOT TO BE FORGOTTEN
Christian Cecilio has been what many would expect from a senior starter. Over his last three starts, he has an ERA of 1.98 in 22.2 innings and struck out 22. None of these outings have been shorter than seven innings.
 
SINATRO CONNECTION
Matt Sinatro is in his second season with the Dons and played against his brother, Jimmy, when Gonzaga visited San Francisco last season. Jimmy Sinatro is a junior catcher for Gonzaga and is batting .214 with five RBI in his eight games.
 
#DonsOTR
San Francisco has a grueling schedule that will have the team away from home for 36 of the team's 55 games, including a stretch of 12 straight and 19 of 23 to start the season. It will include trips to Texas Tech, New Mexico, Oregon, and Gonzaga.
 
TOUGH NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
The Dons may have one of the tougher non-conference schedules in the country. They play eight games against teams that are ranked in the top 35 in the country (Texas Tech, Oregon, Stanford), according to the NCBWA, and an additional five games against teams receiving votes. All the games against ranked teams will also be on the road.
 
HENDRIKS NAMED TOP 100 SENIOR
After a season where he was second on the team in slugging at .493, Brendan Hendriks has been named to Baseball America's Top 100 Seniors list and came in at 91. The senior from Alberta, Canada hit a career-high six home runs with 39 RBI in 2014, including a game-winner in the 19th inning at No. 2 Cal State Fullerton and a two-home run game against California.
 
ATKINSON NAMED TO ALL-WCC PRESEASON TEAM
Derek Atkinson was one of the team's more consistent hitters last season and his .330 average and 44 RBI earned him a spot on last year's All-West Coast Conference Team. That performance also has him on the All-WCC Preseason Team. He is one of only two seniors on the team.
 
NOW BATTING FOR THE DONS, MANNY RAMIREZ… JR.
It is the first season for Manny Ramirez, Jr. on the Hilltop after transferring from Central Arizona College. The son of the former MLB star Manny Ramirez, Manny Jr. had an impressive fall season and has gotten starts at DH and at first base. Entering the series, he is hitting .250 with a double and three RBI and had a critical two-run double against No. 8 Oregon.
 
GIARRATANO MOVING UP THE CHARTS
Head coach Nino Giarratano enters his 17th season at USF and has accumulated 462 wins over that time, which is the most in school history and is the third most in West Coast Conference history. He sits behind only John Cunningham (524, San Diego) and current San Diego and former USF coach Rich Hill (691).
 
CHRISTIAN ON THE MOUND
Christian Cecilio has been a regular presence in the Dons' rotation since his freshman season. He enters his senior year in striking distance of a number of USF records. Cecilio comes in this week with 46 career starts (3rd all-time), 245.1 innings (10th), and 186 strikeouts (eighth). With four more starts, he will become the school's all-time leader in the category, passing Matt Lujan (49, 2008-11).