THIS WEEKEND
USF (9-22, 4-5 WCC) at Loyola Marymount (13-15, 5-4 WCC)
Page Stadium | Los Angeles, Calif.
Live stats: usfdons.com | Audio/Video: TheW.tv
Complete Game Notes [PDF]
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday, April 8 (DH) | 2 p.m. | Live Stats | Video
USF: RHP Anthony Shew (1-4, 4.26) LMU: RHP J.D. Busfield (2-2, 3.04)
Friday, April 8 (DH) | 6 p.m. | Live Stats | Video
USF: RHP Thomas Ponticelli (1-3, 5.61) LMU: RHP Cory Abbott (3-3, 3.89)
Sunday, April 10 | 1 p.m. | Live Stats | Video
USF: RHP James Kannenberg (3-2, 3.43) LMU: RHP Blake Redman (4-3, 2.84)
SAN FRANCISCO – The USF Dons (9-22, 4-5 WCC) head to Southern California for the second weekend in a row as they prepare to take on Loyola Marymount (14-15, 5-4 WCC) in a three-game West Coast Conference series at Page Stadium that comes on the heels of the Dons' 1-2 showing against Pepperdine in Malibu this past weekend. The series was originally scheduled for 6 p.m. games on Friday and Saturday, followed by a 1 p.m. tilt on Sunday, but impending rainy weather has prompted a schedule change for the series - the Dons and Lions will now tentatively play a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 2 p.m. with no games anticipated for Saturday, while the series finale will remain slated for 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon. Stay tuned to USFDons.com for updates throughout the weekend.
Friday's series opener will see USF right-hander
Anthony Shew (1-4, 4.26) take the mound against LMU righty J.D. Busfield (2-2, 3.04), who ranks second in the WCC in innings pitched (47.1) coming into the weekend.
Game two of Friday's doubleheader will feature USF right-hander
Thomas Ponticelli (1-3, 5.61) matching up with Lions' right-hander Cory Abbott (3-3, 3.89), while Sunday's finale is slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch as righty
James Kannenberg (3-2, 3.43) toes the rubber opposite LMU right-hander Blake Redman (4-3, 2.84), who, along with Busfield, sits among the top-10 in the conference in ERA.
Loyola Marymount – currently in fourth place in the WCC standings - will be bringing a healthy dose of momentum into the weekend after taking two of three at San Diego this past weekend. Meanwhile, USF sits in a three-way tie with San Diego and Pepperdine for fifth place coming into the weekend.
All of the weekend action can be followed via live stats on USFDons.com and a live video stream on TheW.tv.
THE STORY SO FARUSF will be looking to wash away the taste of a 15-3 loss at UC Davis this past Tuesday where the Aggies used a 4-run second inning and a 6-run seventh to help put the game away.
Allen Smoot registered a 2-for-4 day at the plate against for the Dons, while
Matt Sinatro (1-for-2) and
Ross Puskarich (0-for-3) each tallied an RBI on the day. UC Davis designated hitter Cameron Olson hit for the cycle, capping it off with a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh.
NOTABLES• INF
Allen Smoot leads the Dons at the plate over the past 10 games, hitting .361 (13-for-36) with three doubles, four RBI and four runs scored and has hits in 10 of his last 11 games coming into the weekend
• INF
Dan James (.348, 2 2B, 4 RBI, R) has also been hot during the past 10-game span
• INF
Ross Puskarich has provided the offensive punch in USF's nine West Coast Conference games so far, leading the team with a .346 (9-for-26) average with two doubles, a home run and four RBI over the first three WCC series
• Despite his 1-2 record, RHP
Anthony Shew has been steady in his three appearances against WCC competition so far, boasting a team-best 1.74 ERA with 15 strikeouts and just one walk in 20.2 innings
• The Dons lead the conference in defensive assists (324) and rank third in stolen bases (37) heading into the weekend
• On the individual side, relievers RHP
Mack Meyer and LHP
Frank Waliczek are tied for the conference lead in appearances (17), while SS
Nico Giarratano leads the WCC in defensive assists (100) and OF/IF
Matt Sinatro is second in stolen bases (15)
ABOUT LOYOLA MARYMOUNTThe Lions won the series opener in San Diego, 7-2, this past Friday, before dropping game two by a score of 5-1 and capturing the rubber match with an 8-5 victory on Sunday. LMU followed that up with a 2-1 win at home over UC Riverside on Tuesday evening.
Catcher Cassidy Brown has helped propel the Lions offensively, bringing a .333 average into the weekend with nine doubles, five home runs and a team-best 20 RBI. As a team, LMU is hitting .247, but ranks fourth in the WCC with 17 home runs as eight different players have launched long balls this year.
The Lions' pitching staff leads the conference with a 3.39 ERA, but LMU ranks eighth in the WCC (just above USF) with only 163 strikeouts as a team in 252.0 total innings. Opposing batters are hitting a .265 clip against the Lions' staff.
THE SERIESThe Dons are 32-31 against LMU during head coach
Nino Giarratano's tenure (since 1999). LMU swept last season's series in San Francisco, posting wins of 3-2, 4-0 and 12-7. The Lions have won five of the last six meetings, but USF took the last series played at Page Stadium two games to three back in 2014.
