THIS WEEK
Games #50-53
USF (19-30, 13-11 WCC) at Nevada (27-20, 16-8 MW)
Tuesday, May 10 | 4 p.m.
Peccole Park | Reno, Nev. 
Live stats: NevadaWolfpack.com 
Audio/Video: The Mountain West Network

PROBABLE STARTERS
Tuesday, May 10 | 4 p.m.
USF: LHP Chase Gardner (0-3, 5.22)     UNR: LHP Anthony Martine (0-0, 5.57)
 
USF (19-30, 13-11 WCC) vs. BYU (31-13, 13-8 WCC)
Thursday, May 12 - Saturday, May 14
Benedetti Diamond | San Francisco, Calif. 
Live stats: USFDons.com 
Audio/Video: TheW.tv

PROBABLE STARTERS
Thursday, May 12 | 3 p.m.
USF: RHP Anthony Shew (4-6, 4.16)     BYU: RHP Mike Rucker (10-0, 2.58)
Friday, May 13 | 3 p.m.
USF: RHP Thomas Ponticelli (3-5, 5.62)     BYU: LHP Riley Gates (2-1, 4.50)
Saturday, May 14 | 1 p.m.
USF: RHP James Kannenberg (6-4, 3.48)     BYU: LHP Hayden Rogers (4-3, 3.51)

Complete Game Notes [PDF]

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SAN FRANCISCO – The Dons are looking to ride the momentum of a series win at Portland this past weekend into their final week of conference play. However, before the Dons host BYU in their final three WCC contests of the year, USF will travel to Reno to face Nevada in a nonconference matchup on Tuesday afternoon.
 
USF sits in a tie with Loyola Marymount for 5th place in the WCC standings coming into the week. Every team except USF and LMU still has two more weekends of conference games remaining, so the playoff picture will likely not fully be cleared up until the final weekend of the regular season wraps up, however the Dons are still in the hunt for the fourth and final spot in the West Coast Conference Championships but will likely need to take at least two of three from BYU while having LMU and Pepperdine drop their respective series.  
 
Freshman lefty Chase Gardner (0-3, 5.22) will get his first start since Mar. 25 when he takes the mound against Nevada on Tuesday. He'll be looking to build on back-to-back scoreless outings in relief in his two most recent appearances.
 
Senior right-hander Anthony Shew (4-6, 4.16) will be looking to add to his run of seven quality starts over his last eight outings as he toes the rubber in the series opener against BYU on Thursday at 3 p.m. from Benedetti Diamond. BYU won't make it easy on Shew as the Cougars will trot out right-hander Mike Rucker, who leads the NCAA in wins (10-0) and his ERA of 2.58 ranks 4^th in the West Coast Conference.  
 
Shew hopes to rebound from last year's start against the Cougars where he allowed a career-high 12 runs in a loss in Provo.
 
Saturday will be Senior Day at Benedetti Diamond prior to the series finale with the Cougars. USF's six seniors will be honored before the game: Anthony Shew, Blake Valley, Ryan Matranga, Brock Larson, Beau Bozett and Frank Waliczek. The Dons will also be recognizing the 2006 WCC co-champion squad that won the first conference title and made the first NCAA Regional appearance in program history during a pre-game ceremony. 

Tuesday's action can be followed via live stats on NevadaWolfpack.com and a live video stream on the Mountain West Network. The series with BYU can be followed with live stats on USFDons.com and video on TheW.tv.
 
NOTABLES
Sophomore infielder Ross Puskarich has been hot at the dish lately, hitting .395 with four doubles, seven RBI and nine runs scored over his last 10 games... redshirt junior outfielder Harrison Bruce has also been helping propel the offense, hitting at a .333 clip over his last 10 contests with six RBI and three runs scored over that span… 18th-year head coach Nino Giarratano is approaching his 500th career victory at USF… Giarratano, the Dons' all-time wins leader, currently sits at 499 after the Dons took two of three at Portland this past weekend… The Dons notched their fourth series win in eight WCC series at Portland this past weekend… Puskarich extended his hitting streak to 10 games, the longest current hitting streak on the team and third-longest of the season (Blake Valley - 13, Matt Sinatro - 11)… Redshirt junior infielder Allen Smoot extended his on-base streak to 17 games, the longest current streak on the team and the second-longest overall (Nico Giarratano - 18)… Puskarich hit a team-best .533 (8-for-15) with a double and five RBI, while scoring four runs over four games during the week, including Tuesday's nonconference loss at Stanford… With a season-high 3.1 innings out of the bullpen in Saturday's loss, junior right-hander Mack Meyer not only notched a season-best three strikeouts, but extended his streak where he has not allowed an earned run in his last six outings against WCC opponents, a span of 8.2 innings... Meyer also has stranded nine of the last 10 runners he's inherited after getting the Dons out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning of that game.
 
ABOUT NEVADA  
The Wolfpack come into the weekend with a 27-20 overall record after sweeping San Jose State at home this past weekend. UNR is riding a 12-game winning streak coming into Tuesday's matchup.
 
Outfielder Cole Krzmarzick paces the Wolfpack at the plate, hitting .391 with 10 doubles, a home run and 25 RBI. As a team, Nevada is hitting .297, while their pitching staff holds a 4.69 ERA with opposing batters hitting .282 against them.
 
THE SERIES – USF vs. NEVADA
The Dons are 28-64 against Nevada since 1976 (the last year records are available), including an 11-38 record on the road against the Wolfpack. The Dons have won five of the last six meetings between the two teams, but UNR took the most recent meeting by a score of 16-4 in San Francisco last year.     
 
 
ABOUT BYU
The Cougars come into the week at 31-13 overall and 13-8 in WCC play. BYU is in second place in the WCC standings, a game behind Saint Mary's for the top spot. BYU dropped two of three at Pepperdine this past weekend and will play at Utah Valley on Tuesday before traveling to San Francisco.
 
Shortstop Tanner Chauncey leads the WCC in hitting at .388 and has added a home run and 25 RBI. The Cougars ranks 6^th in the NCAA in team batting average, hitting .324 as a club. BYU's pitchers carry a 3.81 team ERA into the week, good for third in the WCC with opposing batters hitting .255 against them.
 
THE SERIES – USF vs. BYU
The Dons are 8-9 overall against BYU, including a 6-3 record at home against the Cougars. The Dons were swept last year in Provo, but took two of three at home in 2014.