Now to home folks and visitors alike, please take no offense to what we write here, bit truthfully for the baseball combatants from Seattle and Long Beach U’s there is no offense. Or really not very much. The Redhawks have put up a miserable total of four runs in their last five games and the 49ers 19 in their last six with just one in the mid weeker with USC.

The Redhawks are making their third trip to California, doing Bucks alma mater Santa Clara the first weekend of the season and then Cal Poly last weekend. At Slo SU was swept by the Mustangs. Andrew Olson allowed just two runs, but Seattle U was held to five hits, and another ninth inning comeback fell short as Cal Poly won Friday’s game, 2-1. The Redhawks managed just four hits on Saturday, and a run in the bottom of the seventh inning was enough for the Mustangs in a 1-0 win. Sunday, Seattle U was able to tie the game at 1-1 with a run in the sixth inning, but Cal Poly responded with one run in the bottom of the sixth and two runs in the bottom of the seventh to complete the series sweep, 4-1. As a unit the Redhawks are hitting .240,– led by Sean Narby (.375),Ryan Summers (.353), and Landon Cray, (.345) who have all started each game for Seattle U. Pitching is where the Redhawks have been undone, however, with a 5.33 ERA and surrendering a .309 opposing batting average. Meanwhile the Beach has been a bit better at the bat, out-hitting their opposition .262 to .250, and has four regulars hitting over .300. Michael Hill has had a strong start, sitting third in the Big West in slugging at .640, and is leading the team as well with a .400 batting average.

Fellow juniors Jeff Yamaguchi and Jeff McNeil are both also hitting over .340, while freshman Eric Hutting is fourth on the team with a .333 batting average. In the heart of the lineup, Richard Prigatano, Ino Patron, and Juan Avila have combined for 16 RBI, 26 hits, and eight extra-base doubles. It is fair to say the homeboys like the small ball, the team is reaching base at a .365 rate, and have also stolen eight bases in nine games. The Dirtbags enter the weekend with a 5-4 overall record and LB hitters like Michael Hill (.400, 9-for-25 with three triples); Jeff McNeil (13 total hits) and Richard Prigatano (10 hits, four doubles, and the team lead with eight runs batted in) have shown promise.

On Tuesday the Beach was wasteful in their loss to a young USC squad that doesn’t figure to factor in the Pac-12 race. The SC fans said, “The Dirtbags should be kicking themselves after Tuesday night’s performance. Though they didn’t hit the ball well, they had opportunities thanks to the five walks and three hit batsmen.” Need stats, LBSU had multiple chances with runners in scoring position and its top hitters at the plate, but finished 0 for 12 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 men on base. Buck’s take “there are depth concerns on the pitching staff, partly due to the loss of weekend starter Ryan Strufing and closer Kyle Friedrichs…we need a couple pitchers to take hold of jobs, especially Nick Sabo and Ryan Millison.” On defense, well some brighter moments especially a throw out at home by the toy cannon in Center Colby Brenner. In the first inning, Dirtbags starter Nick Sabo worked up in the zone and the top of USC’s lineup jumped all over him. Greg Zebrack and Adam Landecker hit hard ground balls through the left side. After showing bunt for two pitches, Dante Flores showed bunt, but pulled back and used the slash play. He flopped a ball into shallow centerfield for a base hit. Zebrack immediately got the waving arm from third base coach Gabe Alvarez and motored home. As he did Brenner came up firing with a perfect one-hop strike to Hutting, who in the right place to block the plate.

MORE NAMES AND NUMBERS—The Redhawk call to arms this weekend looks like this: Friday, #37 LHP Andrew Olson (0-2, 3.00 ERA, 12.0 IP, 9 SO) vs Long Beach State: #22 RHP Shane Carle (1-1, 1.50 ERA, 12.0 IP, 9 SO); Saturday, #40 RHP Ted Hammond (0-0, 3.48 ERA, 10.1 IP, 7 SO) vs Long Beach State: #14 LHP Landon Hunt (1-0, 7.20 ERA, 10.0 IP, 5 SO; and Sunday #38 LHP Kyle Doyle (0-0, 5.40 ERA, 6.2 IP, 8 SO) vs. Long Beach State: #46 RHP Jon Maciel (1-1, 3.75 ERA, 12.0 IP, 10 SO). The best arm in a red jersey may be Seattle U pitcher Skyler Genger who mowed down 15 of 16 BYU batters before a one-out double. Finally around the big west baseball wise: UC Davis at Oklahoma State; San Jose State at UC Santa Barbara; Cal Poly at Washington; Cal State Northridge at Washington State; Saint Mary’s at UC Riverside; Portland at UC Irvine; Oregon at Cal State Fullerton (home coming of sorts for George Horton; Pacific vs. Arizona State; and in Las Vegas, Bradley vs. Hawaii. Oh yes and the Saturday night TV game is a chance to win the Big West basketball deal out right playing on Senior Night in Irvine.—DR. DAN