SAN FRANCISCO — The University of San Francisco baseball team faces its third Pac-12 Conference opponent in as many weeks when it takes on Stanford for a four-game home-and-home series starting Thursday.
 
GAME #9-12 INFORMATION
Opponent: Stanford (3-1)
Site: Stanford, Calif. (Sunken Diamond) / San Francisco (Benedetti Diamond)
 
March 4, 2021 – 2:05 p.m. (at Stanford)
Probable Starters: RHP Josh Mollerus (0-2, 7.96 ERA) vs. RHP Brendan Beck (1-0, 4.26 ERA)
Live Video: bit.ly/3sONi90
Live Stats: stanford.io/308iSSY
 
March 5, 2021 – 2:05 p.m. (at Stanford)
Probable Starters: RHP Landen Bourassa (1-0, 3.27 ERA) vs. LHP Quinn Matthews (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Live Video: bit.ly/3sONi90
Live Stats: stanford.io/308iSSY
 
March 6, 2021 – 2 p.m. (at San Francisco)
Probable Starters: RHP Joey Dixon (0-0, 11.57 ERA) vs. RHP Eric Reyzelman (0-0, 4.50 ERA)
Live Video: bit.ly/3bgO2xG
Live Stats: bit.ly/3q9WFhW
 
March 7, 2021 – 1 p.m. (at San Francisco)
Probable Starters: TBA vs. RHP Grant Nechak (0-0, 1.93 ERA)
Live Video: bit.ly/3rsJ2f2
Live Stats: bit.ly/3uNmOqt
 
ABOUT THE DONS

• San Francisco (4-4) came from behind Tuesday to beat visiting Fresno State after trailing 6-0 in the fifth inning. The Dons scored seven total unanswered runs across the fifth and sixth innings, and the bullpen shut down the Bulldogs the rest of the way. USF has trailed in all eight of its games this season, including in all four of its wins.
   
• USF had lowered its free passes rate to only three per game over its previous three contests (nine total), but Tuesday the Dons issued a season-high nine walks – five coming in Fresno State's six-run fifth inning, with three of those scoring. The Dons are 2-2 this season in games which they've issued five or more walks.
   
• Tuesday marked USF's second multi-home run game of the season, and second in its last three games. Jacob Munoz and Darius Foster both hit their first long balls of the year Tuesday. Saturday versus California, it was Ryan Davis and Jack Winkler hitting their firsts of the year. USF won both of those games.

 
ABOUT STANFORD
The Cardinal (3-1) opened its 2021 season last weekend by taking three of four from West Coast Conference member and South Bay neighbor Santa Clara. Stanford hit seven home runs, all coming in the first three games, while also managing five doubles for a .414 slugging percentage. It opened the series with a 10-7 victory on Thursday before blanking Santa Clara, 8-0, on Friday. Returning home on Saturday, the Cardinal came from behind late to break a 6-6 tie and win 10-6. But Santa Clara avoided the sweep on Sunday, limiting Stanford to just one hit in a 13-0 shutout.
 
Brock Jones led six different players who all hit homers over the weekend, hitting two himself. Kody Huff went a team-best 6 for 14 (.429) in the series versus Santa Clara while slugging .786. Stanford was a perfect 7 for 7 in stolen base attempts last weekend. Three Stanford relievers made a total of five appearances without allowing a run. The Stanford pitching staff posted a 2-to-1 strikeouts-to-walks ratio in the Santa Clara series with 44 Ks and 22 bases on balls.
 
GLOVES ON LOCK
San Francisco did not commit an error Tuesday against Fresno State after committing three Sunday versus California. Shortstop Jack Winkler made two run-saving diving plays, diving to make an inning-ending catch with a runner on third in the first, and diving up the middle to pick a groundball and throw the runner out, ending the seventh inning with a runner on second. Three of USF's four wins have come when the defense hasn't allowed any unearned runs to score.
 
COMING UP
The Dons will travel to nationally ranked UC Santa Barbara next week for a four-game series starting March 12. It will be the Dons' second series in four weeks against a nationally ranked Southern California team, after opening the year taking two of three from then-No. 2 UCLA. Fans can find all live coverage links on USFDons.com.