ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Mar. 22) – The Central Washington University baseball team welcomes Saint Martin's University to the CWU Baseball Field for a four-game Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
GAME INFORMATION
Saturday DH at noon |
Live Stats |
Live Video
Sunday DH at noon |
Live Stats |
Live Video
QUOTABLE
"We need to reset and get back to what we were doing when we were successful," CWU Head Coach
Desi Storey said. "We need to play how we are capable of in all four games. Our goal every week is to go out and play to our capabilities every game in the hope we take four. For us right now, we need to find our rhythm again."
SCOUTING SAINT MARTIN'S
The Saints enter the week with a 3-17 record with a GNAC mark of 2-10. The Saints fell in an emotional doubleheader last Saturday to Montana State Billings, 11-4 and 15-9.
The Saints pitching struggled all day to contain the bats of Montana State Billings (13-9, 8-4), allowing a total of 26 runs on 31 hits throughout the day.
Clark Streby (2-2) leads the Saints' pitching staff with a 3.92 earned run average. Mickey Walker is 0-3, but has posted an ERA of 3.90, best amongst SMU starters. The Saints have posted an ERA of 6.64 thus far in 2018, while opposing hitters have an average of .311 against the Saints' arms.
At the plate, the Saints have posted an average of .239 with five homeruns and 69 runs batted in. They have scored 92 total runs and secured 155 this.
Leading the Saints offense is Austin Feist with an average of .304. He has swatted three homeruns and 11 runs batted in. He is slugging .551 with an on-base percentage of .365. Steven Sordahl continued off where he ended last season, hitting .295 through 20 games. Freshman Ryan Oshiro is just one point ahead of Sordahl, at .296, for second on the team in average.
REMEMBERING KEN GARLAND
Saint Martin's University Head Baseball Coach Ken Garland passed away last Friday, March 16, at Swedish Hospital in Seattle. Garland was named the Saints' head coach a decade prior, in 2008. A believer of hard work in both the classroom and on the field, Garland's first three teams were named GNAC Academic Team Champions.
Over 10 years with the Saints, Garland produced three Freshman of the Year honorees and over 30 All-GNAC selections. In 2011, Ken led the Saints to a second-place finish in the GNAC, with a conference record of 21-11. During the 2014 season, the Saints qualified for the GNAC Championships and Ken was named Coach of the Year.
"He cared about everyone, loved baseball, and was a great guy," Storey said. "It's incredibly sad when we lose someone as caring and genuine as Ken."
Ken will be remembered for his dedication to his students and his big heart. He took great pride in being a member of the Saint Martin's community – as a coach, as a staff member and as a caring colleague to all.
Ken is survived by his wife, Cathy, their sons, Chris and Matthew, and their three grandchildren, Chase, Justin and Adelei.
CWU LAST TIME OUT
The Wildcats dropped three of four to the GNAC leading Western Oregon Wolves last weekend.
James Smith III collected two hits, one run scored, a homerun, and three runs batted in during the Wildcats' 7-2 win in game four.
Smith holds the second-best average in the GNAC at .386, behind only Jalen Garcia from Montana State Billings. Smith leads the GNAC in hits per game (1.55), doubles (12), and is currently tied for fourth in RBIs (20) and slugging percentage (.648).
Last season the Wildcats and Saints split the series evenly, 4-4, with each team picking up a pair of wins on the road.
