USF VS. GRAND CANYON
TUESDAY, MAR. 8 | 7 P.M.
STEPHEN SCHOTT STADIUM, SANTA CLARA UNIV. 
LIVE STATS

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SAN FRANCISCO – The USF Dons (2-11) welcome the Grand Canyon Antelopes (7-4) to town for a nonconference matchup on Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. While still technically a home game for the Dons, Tuesday's contest has been relocated to Santa Clara's Stephen Schott Stadium while USF's Benedetti Diamond undergoes its renovation.
 
THE STORY SO FAR
Despite suffering three losses over the weekend, the Dons registered both their lowest and highest single game hit totals of the season in back-to-back games, mustering only four hits in a 2-1 loss in game one of a doubleheader this past Friday at Cal Poly, followed by a 16-hit outburst in a game-two 10-5 loss to the Mustangs.
 
USF then went on to club 14 hits in Sunday's 7-6 loss, tying for the second-highest single game total this year. With Sunday's 7-6 defeat, the Dons are now 2-5 in games decided by two runs or less.
 
OF/DH Blake Valley kept his hot start going by hitting .438 (7-for-16) with three RBI over USF's four games this past week. He's now hit safely in his past seven games, which is the longest hitting streak on the team so far this season. 
 
On the pitching side, LHP Frank Waliczek has only allowed one hit and one run over his past five relief outings (5.1 IP), slowly making himself one of the Dons' most valuable stoppers out of the bullpen this year.
 
ABOUT GRAND CANYON
The Antelopes - members of the WAC - come into the week sporting a 7-4 record after taking two out of three from Nebraska Omaha at home this past weekend. Right fielder Garrison Schwartz has paced the Lopes' offense this season, hitting .405 with two home runs and seven RBI. Meanwhile, shortstop Paul Pannacione is hitting .342 with two home runs and eight RBI.
 
On the mound, Tuesday night's starter, RHP Tyler Wyatt, carries an 0-1 record and a 9.39 ERA into the contest.
 
Outfielder Preston Pavlica was just named WAC Player of the Week this week after hitting .625 over the weekend and driving in a total of seven runs.
 
GCU was tabbed as the WAC frontrunner coming into the year following a 32-22 (19-7 WAC) campaign in 2015.
 
Grand Canyon is currently in the transition phase to competing fully at the Division I level after previously competing at the NAIA and NCAA Division II levels. Most of GCU's 22 sports are not eligible for postseason play until the 2017-18 season.      
   
KEEP AN EYE ON THIS
Both USF and Grand Canyon have been prone to allowing runs so far this season with USF coming into the week with a 6.44 team ERA, while GCU maintains a 6.09 ERA. At the plate, USF is hitting .277 compared to GCU's .295 clip.
  
SERIES
This will be the first meeting between the two teams during head coach Nino Giarratano's 18-year tenure.
 
WHAT HAVE THEY DONE LATELY?
The Dons are coming off a 1-3 week where they posted a 2-1 win at UC Davis this past Tuesday behind strong pitching performances from Thomas Ponticelli (4.0 IP, 5 H, R, 2 K), Benji Post (3.0 IP, H, BB, K), who picked up his first win of the year, and Mack Meyer (2.0 IP, H), who earned his first save of the season. 
 
USF then suffered a three-game sweep at Cal Poly this past weekend. The Dons and Mustangs played a doubleheader this past Friday with Cal Poly taking the first game by a 2-1 score in walk-off fashion as James Kannenberg (0-1) took the loss in allowing the final two runs to cross in the bottom of the ninth.
 
The nightcap of the doubleheader had Cal Poly earn a 10-5 win. The Dons put up a season-high 16 hits in the contest but were unable to overcome a six-run seventh inning by the Mustangs. USF left 11 runners on base in the game, while Chase Gardner (0-1) took the loss for USF by allowing four runs on five hits in 2.2 innings with three walks and one strikeout. 
 
In the series final on Sunday afternoon, the Dons again battled back with two runs in the ninth inning, but ultimately fell short in a 7-6 loss. Allen Smoot came off the bench to go 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI in his USF debut, while Blake Valley turned in another standout day at the plate by going 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI. Thomas Ponticelli (0-2) suffered the defeat in relief, allowing three runs on three hits with two walks in his one inning of work.
 
WHERE TO CATCH THE ACTION
Fans can follow along with the live stats of Tuesday's action via www.USFDons.com.