Game Nos. 22-24San Francisco Dons (8-13, 2-1 WCC) at Pacific Tigers (2-16, 1-2 WCC)March 20-22 | 6 p.m., 2 p.m., 1 p.m.Klein Family Field | Stockton, Calif.LIVE STATS | TheW.tv SAN FRANCISCO—Now having won three straight series and seven of the last nine, the Dons aim to keep the momentum going when they take on Pacific for a three-game West Coast Conference set in Stockton this weekend.
PROBABLE MATCHUPS FINDING THEIR GROOVEThe Dons are won three straight series and have won eight of their 11 game since beginning the season 0-10. That stretch includes two wins over No. 8 Oregon, a win over No. 24 California, taking two out of three against WCC rival Gonzaga, and a pair against UC Riverside.
DUCK SEASONThe Dons have played their best baseball of the season over the last few days and it resulted in two wins over No. 8 Oregon at PK Park in Eugene, Ore.
Sheldon Lee went 5.1 shutout innings in the opener to pick up the 4-1 win. In the second game,
Brendan Hendriks and
Derek Atkinson both drove in two and
Sam Granoff kept the Ducks off balance as he went 6.1 innings and allowed two earned runs as part of the 8-2 victory.
CAGING THE GOLDEN BEARSSam Granoff was masterful against No. 24 California on Tuesday and he went 7+ innings, allowing one run on eight hits. He has gone 13.1 innings in his last two starts, both against ranked teams, and allowed three earned runs.
CECILIO ON FIREChristian Cecilio has been what many would expect from a senior starter. Over his last four starts, he has an ERA of 1.42 in 31.2 innings and struck out 31. This included a complete game shutout of Gonzaga on Saturday night. He scattered seven hits with nine strikeouts in the 2-0 victory. None of these outings have been shorter than seven innings.
MIROGLIO DOES IT ALLCatcher
Dominic Miroglio, a transfer from UCLA, has been everything the Dons could have hoped for early on. Between Mar. 6 and Mar. 11, he hit 12-for-20 (.600) with a double, triple, home run, and seven RBI. After the first month of play, he is hitting .360 with a team-high 15 RBI and has thrown out five would-be base stealers.
SHEW'S DOMINANCEAnthony Shew has quickly established himself as one of the better pitchers in the country and showed it against UC Riverside as he went eight shutout innings, scattered four hits, and struck out 10 in a 4-0 USF win. Over his last four starts, he has thrown 29.2 innings and carries a 2.42 ERA.
#DonsOTRSan Francisco has a grueling schedule that will have the team away from home for 36 of the team's 55 games, including a stretch of 12 straight and 19 of 23 to start the season. It will include trips to Texas Tech, New Mexico, Oregon, and Gonzaga.
TOUGH NON-CONFERENCE SLATEThe Dons may have one of the tougher non-conference schedules in the country. They play eight games against teams that are ranked in the top 35 in the country (Texas Tech, Oregon, Stanford), according to the NCBWA, and an additional five games against teams receiving votes. All the games against ranked teams will also be on the road.
HENDRIKS NAMED TOP 100 SENIORAfter a season where he was second on the team in slugging at .493,
Brendan Hendriks has been named to Baseball America's Top 100 Seniors list and came in at 91. The senior from Alberta, Canada hit a career-high six home runs with 39 RBI in 2014, including a game-winner in the 19th inning at No. 2 Cal State Fullerton and a two-home run game against California.
ATKINSON NAMED TO ALL-WCC PRESEASON TEAMDerek Atkinson was one of the team's more consistent hitters last season and his .330 average and 44 RBI earned him a spot on last year's All-West Coast Conference Team. That performance also has him on the All-WCC Preseason Team. He is one of only two seniors on the team.
NOW BATTING FOR THE DONS, MANNY RAMIREZ… JR.It is the first season for
Manny Ramirez, Jr. on the Hilltop after transferring from Central Arizona College. The son of the former MLB star Manny Ramirez, Manny Jr. had an impressive fall season and has gotten starts at DH and at first base. Entering the series, he is hitting .250 with a double and three RBI and had a critical two-run double against No. 8 Oregon.
GIARRATANO MOVING UP THE CHARTSHead coach
Nino Giarratano enters his 17th season at USF and has accumulated 465 wins over that time, which is the most in school history and is the third most in West Coast Conference history. He sits behind only John Cunningham (524, San Diego) and current San Diego and former USF coach Rich Hill (691).
CHRISTIAN ON THE MOUNDChristian Cecilio has been a regular presence in the Dons' rotation since his freshman season. He enters his senior year in striking distance of a number of USF records. Cecilio comes in this week with 47 career starts (T-2nd all-time), 245.1 innings (10th), and 186 strikeouts (seventh). With four more starts, he will become the school's all-time leader in the category, passing Matt Lujan (49, 2008-11).