The weekend series: The University of San Francisco baseball team returns to California for a four game weekend, beginning at Sacramento State Hornets on Friday, Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. Next USF will host a doubleheader on Saturday with the first game against San Jose State (10:30 a.m.) and the second against Sac State (2 p.m). USF will finish the weekend with one game on Sunday against San Jose State, which will start at 2 p.m.

GAME INFORMATION
Feb. 23, 2018
USF at Sac State
John Smith Field
Sacramento, Calif.

Feb. 24, 2018
USF vs San Jose State – 10:30 a.m.
Benedetti Diamond
San Francisco

USF vs. Sac State – 2 p.m.
Benedetti Diamond
San Francisco

Feb. 25, 2018
USF vs. San Jose State – 2 p.m.
Benedetti Diamond
San Francisco

Gameday Links
Friday, Feb. 23 – 6 p.m.
AUDIO 
LIVE STATS

Saturday, Feb. 24 (game #1) – 10:30 a.m.
VIDEO
LIVE STATS

Saturday, Feb. 24 (game #2) vs Sac State – 2 p.m.
VIDEO
LIVE STATS

Sunday, Feb. 25 – 2 p.m.
VIDEO
LIVE STATS

Facing the Hornets: This will be the 63rd and 64th time the two teams have faced each other, with the Dons holding a slight edge in the series, 32-30. Last year, USF and Sac State split the two-game series 1-1, with the Dons' offense exploding in the second game to beat the Hornets 14-6. The Hornets currently have a record of 2-2, after splitting the four-game series against the University of Washington. They lost the final game of the series, 8-5.

Facing the Spartans: This series is rich in history, with the teams facing off 161 times with another two games of the matchup coming this weekend. The Spartans have the advantage with a 97-67-1 record all-time. Last year the Dons took three of the four games, including a 15-0 victory in the first game.

Ponticelli back on the mound: After earning the win in the season opener against UTSA, Thomas Ponticelli heads to the mound looking for his second win of the season against the Hornets on Friday. The junior threw five innings against the Roadrunners, striking out seven and walking just two in the Dons' 11-2 win over UTSA.

Ornido called in for Saturday's first game: Sophomore Riley Ornido will head to the mound for the first game of the doubleheader when the Dons take on San Jose State. Ornido threw a perfect inning over the weekend against UTSA, striking out three. In 2017, he threw 14 2/3 innings, striking out 17 in that span.

Newcomers make instant contributions: Junior Jonathan Allen, along with freshmen Jack Winkler, Nick Yovetich and Alex Pham all made significant impacts in their first series with the Dons. Allen's bat came alive in the opening game, getting two hits (double and a triple) while driving in three RBIs to top USF in RBIs along with Brady Bate with three. Winkler started in all three games of the series, notching his first collegiate hit and RBI in the same at-bat. He also boasts a perfect fielding percentage. Pham came on in relief on Saturday going 3 2/3 innings, striking out four and allowing just two hits. Yovetich might have had the best introduction to college baseball, capping off the USF scoring in the season opener with a monstrous solo home run.