Bearcats and Pioneers Move Baseball Series to Friday and Saturday

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- The Northwest Conference baseball series between Willamette University and Lewis & Clark College has been changed due to the weather to a single game on Friday, April 7 and a doubleheader on Saturday, April 8, with all three games at John Lewis Field. The game on Friday will begin at 3 p.m. (PDT) and the doubleheader on Saturday will start at 12 p.m. Willamette and L&C were previously scheduled to play two games on Saturday and one game on Sunday.

Willamette is 18-7 on the season, including 13-5 in the NWC. The Bearcats are in second place, one game behind leader Pacific University, 15-5, but even with the Boxers in the loss column. Lewis & Clark is 20-10 overall, 9-8 in the NWC. The Pioneers are in third place in the NWC standings.

Jonny Suchor (Sr., LF, Boulder, CO/Boulder HS) leads the Bearcats with a .384 batting average, while Jeff Hoffman (Jr., 3B, Salida, CA/Joseph A. Grigori HS) tops the offensive chart with seven homers. Starting pitcher Layton Wagner (Sr., RHP/INF, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) ranks first on the team with 53 strikeouts. Reliever Pruitt Spritzer (Sr., RHP, Missouri City, TX/Strake Jesuit College Prep) is 6-0 on the season, and closer Brady Joyner (Jr., RHP, Las Vegas, NV/Shadow Ridge HS) leads the NCAA with eight saves.