Willamette and Puget Sound to Play Three Games for NWC Lead

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- For the third consecutive weekend, Willamette University will take on a Northwest Conference opponent with first place in the standings on the line, as the Bearcats face University of Puget Sound in a three-game series on Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15. All three games will be played at Logger Field in Tacoma, Wash.

The Bearcats and the Loggers will play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 11 a.m. (PDT). They will finish the series with one game on Sunday at 12 p.m.

Willamette won two of three games against George Fox University in a battle for first place two weeks ago. Last weekend, Pacific Lutheran University was victorious in the first two games against the Bearcats, before Willamette won the third game.

This week, Puget Sound is in first place in the NWC at 7-2. Willamette and Pacific Lutheran are tied for second at 6-3. Whitworth University is 4-2 and George Fox is 5-4.

Tiras Koon (Sr., 1B, Honolulu, HI/Iolani School) leads the Bearcats with a .358 batting average (19 of 53), 16 RBIs and 11 walks. He has hit a team-high three home runs and has pounded out four doubles. He ranks second on the team with 12 runs scored. On defense, he has recorded 145 putouts at first base, while helping complete 12 double plays.

Rolenn Himuro (Sr., CF, Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) has supplied WU with a .327 batting average (17 of 52). He has scored 11 runs, produced 11 RBIs and hit four doubles. Hunter Gallant (Sr., 3B, Rescue, CA/Ponderosa HS) follows with a .311 average and a team-high 14 runs scored. Gallant has driven in 15 runs, while hitting five doubles.

Also hitting above .300 are right fielder Gordie Clary (Jr., Vacaville, CA/Vacaville HS) and second baseman Austin Hagarty (Jr., Roseville, CA/Woodcreek HS). Clary owns a .308 batting average and ranks first on the team with six doubles. Hagarty is batting .306 for the season.

Peter Hoffman (Sr., RHP, Hayden, ID/Lake City HS) tops the WU pitching staff with a 1.33 earned run average. He has a 2-0 record with 27.0 innings pitched. He has struck out 23 batters, while allowing seven walks and holding opponents to a .210 batting average.

Jackson Watt (Jr., RHP, Rocklin, CA/Whitney HS) has a 2.04 ERA and leads the Northwest Conference with 36 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings. He owns a 2-1 record and has walked just four batters. Connor Loar (Fr., RHP, Danville, CA/San Ramon Valley HS) is 3-1 with a 3.54 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 28 innings.

Tyler Olson (Sr., RHP, Yuba City, CA/Yuba City HS) pitched the first six innings in Sunday's 5-3 win over Pacific Lutheran to improve to 2-0. He gave up two runs and six hits. For the season, he is 2-0 with a 4.20 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 15 innings on the mound.

The Bearcats are averaging 6.5 runs per game at the plate. On defense, Willamette is second in the NWC with a 3.02 team ERA.

Puget Sound, 9-7 overall, has five players batting above .380 who have averaged at least two at bats per game. Connor Savage (Sr., OF) leads the way and ranks first in the NWC with a .455 average (35 of 77). He is the top scorer for UPS with 26 runs and is tied for fourth on the team with 13 RBIs. He owns a .512 on-base percentage.

Layne Croney (So., IF/OF) is hitting .417 with 13 runs and 12 RBIs. Croney and Savage have each hit one of the Loggers' two homers this season. Bobby Homer (Sr., C) follows with a .410 batting average. He leads Puget Sound with five doubles and is third with 17 RBIs.

Chris Zerio (Jr., IF) has a .385 batting average with 16 runs and a team-high 19 RBIs. He is 5 for 5 on stolen bases. Nickolas Alarcio (Jr., OF) holds a .382 average. He has scored 18 runs and is tied with Savage for fourth on the roster with 13 RBIs. Nathan Backes (Jr., IF) tops the offensive chart with 18 RBIs.

The starting pitchers for UPS the past two weekends has been Collin Maier (So., RHP) in the first game, Steve Wagar (Sr., RHP) in the second game, and Merle Rowan-Kennedy (Fr., RHP) in the third game. Each pitcher went at least five innings during both weekends, as the Loggers went 2-1 against Linfield College and 3-0 against Pacific University.

Maier has a 1.78 ERA and leads the team with 35 1/3 innings pitched. He has struck out 32 batters and limited opponents to a .216 batting average, while allowing 11 walks. He is 3-1 on the season.

Wagar is 2-0 with a 4.13 ERA in 28 1/3 innings. He has registered 24 strikeouts and has walked 15 batters. Rowan-Kennedy is 3-1 and has a 4.56 ERA. He has thrown 23 2/3 innings, while recording 12 strikeouts and 10 walks.

Sophomore pitchers David Torigoe (RHP), with a 1.54 ERA, and Kian Kurokawa (RHP), with a 2.70 ERA, have contributed one save apiece.

The Loggers are batting .353 and scoring 8.75 runs per game, which are both at the top of the NWC teams statistics. Puget Sound has a 3.88 team ERA, which ranks fifth in the NWC.