By: Caden Frank
SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth baseball will be on the road once again to finish off a seven-game road trip to start of the 2024 season. The Pirates will be looking to stay unbeaten as they take on Schreiner in Texas this weekend in a four-game series following a three-game sweep of Occidental to open the season last weekend.
Check the Whitworth baseball schedule for live links to all the action.
The Pirates: Whitworth (3-0) was dominant last weekend as they swept a three-game series, beating Occidental 18-2, 12-5, and 6-1.
The Pirates were dominant in almost every phase against Occidental (0-3). The offense batted a combined .327 with a .427 on-base average and .591 slugging percentage. Five Pirates went deep in the first three games, Henry Zaske and Aidan Morrison each hit two to bring Whitworh's total to 7. Seven pitchers debuted their season, combining for a 2.42 ERA, allowing just 7 earned runs and 20 hits and a .217 average over 26 innings.
In the season opener on Friday night, Whitworth left no doubt scoring runs in seven of the eight frames (before the game was ended due to darkness). The offensive explosion was highlighted by four hits from Elijah Tanner and home runs from Zaske and Aaron Clogston. Three Pirates racked up three RBIs. On the mound, starter Hunter Dryden tossed five scoreless innings and struck out seven. The Pirates began Saturday more slowly. Occidental took their first (and only) lead of the weekend with three runs in the bottom of the third on back-to-back home runs from Alex Henderson and Jeffrey Cambra. But it was all Whitworth from there, Ty Komoda sparked a five-run fifth with a two RBI double and the Pirates added another six runs in the final four innings to win 12-5. In game two of the doubleheader, Quentin O'Connor clinched the sweep with a dominant six inning start, allowing just one run on two hits in his Pirate debut. Leading just 3-1, Whitworth blew the game open with Morrison's two-run home run.
Morrison led the team in hits (7), batting average (.538), slugging percentage (1.154%), RBIs (8), and total bases (15) in the opening series. Zaske was second in almost every category, tallying five hits, a 1.000% slugging percentage, seven RBIs, and 11 total bases.
On the mound, O'Connor and Dryden led the staff with seven strikeouts apiece, allowing opposing batting averages of .111 and .133. Tyler VanCise threw three shutout innings over the weekend, and struck out five.
The Opponent: Schreiner (2-5) has lost five of six, losing two last weekend against George Fox and splitting with Concordia.
The Mountaineers have shown flashes on offense, including a 14-6 win over Howard Payne to open the season. They average nearly five runs a game, a .271 batting average, .340 on base and .336 slugging percentage. Of Schreiners 62 hits, just nine have gone for extra bases and they've drawn 19 walks in 229 at bats. The Mountaineer pitching staff has managed just an 8.18 ERA, allowing a batting average of .333. Fito Mendez is the only Mountaineer who's earned a win (1-0). He leads the team with 13 innings, a 2.77 ERA, and six strikeouts. No other Schreiner pitcher has an ERA below 4.5, nine currently have an ERA in double figures.
Schreiner is coached by Ryan Brisbin who's in his eight season leading the program. The Pirates are 4-0 all-time against the Mountaineers, they pulled off a four-game sweep in Texas to open the 2015 season.
Monster weekend for Morrison: Morrison started 2024 off on the right note, racking up seven hits, eight RBIs a .538 average, and a 1.154 slugging percentage. Morrison leads the team in all those major categories, and ranks second in the Northwest Conference in home runs (3), only trailing Brennan Davis of Lewis & Clark (4).
Pirate Pitching Dominance: Dryden and VanCise are two of three pitchers in the NWC who have maintained a 0.00 ERA after their first action of the season. O'Connor isn't far behind with an 1.50 ERA after his first start (5th in the NWC). Whitworth's 2.06 ERA is third in the conference through one series, a big improvement from the 6.88 ERA in 2023.
Setting the pace: Whitworth leads the conference in runs (36), home runs (8), RBIs (34), and slugging percentage (.531). The offense was on fire against Occidental, they will have another opportunity against Schreiner who's been susceptible defensively.
The coach: CJ Perry is in his sixth season as the Pirates head baseball coach, he began his tenure in 2018 and was named the Northwest Conference Coach of the Year in 2019. Perry is a Spokane native, and graduated from Whitworth University in 2012. Perry enters 2024 with a 68-68 record, but led the Pirates to a conference title in 2019 with a 19-5 record.
