COUGARS OPEN 2018 FACING NEBRASKA AND UC RIVERSIDE IN ARIZONA

Washington State opens its 2018 season with four games against Nebraska and UC Riverside at the Husker Classic in Tempe Diablo Stadium, the spring training home of the Los Angeles Angels in Tempe, Ariz. The Cougars will face each team twice beginning Friday against UC Riverside (11 a.m.), followed by a Saturday contest against Nebraska (11 a.m.) before closing the weekend with two games, Nebraska (11 a.m.) and UC Riverside (3 p.m.), all times pacific.
 

ON DECK

Washington State will continue its season-opening eight-game road trip with a Tuesday contest at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. (PT)

 

FOLLOW ALONG

Cougar baseball fans can follow all the season's action on the Washington State baseball official twitter page @CougBaseball, instagram page @Coug_Baseball and wsucougars.com. Links to live stats and radio streams will be available at the baseball schedule page on wsucougars.com. Every Cougar home game will be webstreamed through Pac-12.org. The games against Nebraska will be audiostreamed on wsucougars.com.

 

ABOUT UC RIVERSIDE

Last season, UC Riverside went 22-32 overall including an 8-16 mark in the Big West Conference. Head coach and former Anaheim Angel closer Troy Percival is in his fourth season leading the Highlanders. Washington State leads the all-time series 7-6 against UCR after taking three of four in a series played in Pullman in 2015.

 

ABOUT NEBRASKA

Last season, Nebraska went 35-22-1 and claimed the Big Ten Conference regular season title with a 16-7-1 mark to earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Cornhuskers enter the season ranked No. 39 in Collegiate Baseball's Preseason Top-40. Washington State is 2-2 all-time against Nebraska, last meeting at a tournament in Arlington, Texas in 2000, a 12-4 Cornhusker win.

 

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State returns eight starters from its lineup and two pitchers from its final weekend rotation. Last season, the Cougars upped their win total from a season ago and posted four straight Pac-12 Conference series wins in a 24-29 campaign including a 10-20 mark in league play. In year two under head coach Marty Lees, the Cougars recorded its highest batting average, scored the most runs and hit the most home runs since 2013 while posting the fourth-most doubles (105) in the Pac-12, the most since 2012. Washington State won four straight conference series for the first time since 1995, claiming series against No. 30 Washington, at Utah, Oregon and No. 28 UCLA. The Cougars played well at Bailey-Brayton Field in 2017, posting a 20-10 mark for the best home record since the 2010 team went 20-5.

 

COUGAR OFFENSE

Washington State returns five players who recorded 10+ doubles last season including three of its top four home run hitters from a season ago. Junior shortstop Andres Alvarez, who earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention last season, returns after hitting .308 while starting all 53 games. Junior Justin Harrer, also an All-Pac-12 honorable mention pick last year, led the team with five home runs and 17 doubles and tied for second with 32 RBI. Senior JJ Hancock and Alvarez shared the team lead with five stolen bases while sophomore infielder Dillon Plew returns after his steller freshman campaign saw him record 10 doubles and tied for the team lead with 28 walks.

 

COUGAR DEFENSE

Defensively, the Cougars return seven position starters but must replace the elite defender in Shane Matheny who was drafted by the San Francisco Giants. Last season, WSU tied for second in the Pac-12 with 51 double plays turned including a conference-best 33 during Pac-12 play. 

 

COUGAR PITCHING

On the mound, the Cougars combined to pick off 11 baserunners, the second-most in the Pac-12 senior lefthander Cody Anderson held opposing hitters to a .239 batting average, 10th-lowest in the Pac-12. Scotty Sunitsch finished the year with eight saves, third-most in the conference and also tied for sixth in the league with 28 appearances. 

 

COUGAR OFFENSE MADE BIG STRIDES IN 2017

The WSU offense made big strides in year two under head coach Marty Lees and hitting coach Jim Horner. WSU posted its highest batting average (.272) since 2013, averaged the most runs/g (4.9) and hits/g (9.1) per game since 2013, hit the most doubles (105) since 2012 and hit the most home runs (21) since 2013. Six Cougars recorded 10+ doubles for the first time since 2010 after just two players had double-digit doubles 2016.

 

RECORD BOOK WATCH (PAGE 9)

Senior lefthander Scotty Sunitsch put his name in a couple WSU career Top-10 lists last season  while senior righty Ryan Walker also worked is way on to the record book. Sunitsch tied for third in the Pac-12 with eight saves last season, tied for 10th-most in WSU single-season history, and enters 2018 with nine career saves, tied for ninth in WSU history. Sunitsch also made 28 appearances in 2017, tied for eighth-most in WSU history, and pushed his career total to 71, also tying for eighth-most in school history. Ryan Walker recorded three wins in relief last season to push his career relief wins total to nine, tied for fifth in WSU history. Walker enters 2018 with 64 career appearances, needing six appearances to move into the WSU career Top-10.
 

JONES, MATHENY, NEALY and TWO SIGNEES TAKEN IN MLB DRAFT

Redshirt-junior pitcher Damon Jones, junior third baseman Shane Matheny and junior pitcher Colby Nealy were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. Jones was taken in the 18th round by the Philadelphia Phillies, Matheny was selected in the 23rd round by the San Francisco Giants and Nealy was taken in the 35th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Cougar signees Isaiah Smith (OF, 21st, Kansas City) and Jack Smith (INF, 39th, Seattle) were also drafted. All but Jack Smith signed professional contracts who elected to attend WSU.

 

BY THE NUMBERS

105 - WSU's 105 doubles were the most since 2012 (108)

32 - 32 years since the last WSU no-hitter, Kurt Waananen - Rockford College (Ill.) (3/14/85)

24 - WSU had 24 games with 10+ hits in 2017 after recording just 15 double-digit hit games in 2016

21 - WSU's 21 home runs were the most since 2013 (24)

17 - James Rudkin led the team with 17 two-out RBI, JJ Hancock was second with 13

12 - WSU had 12 comeback wins in 2017, including in each of the first seven wins of the season

6 - Five players recorded 10+ doubles last season, the most since six did so in 2010

4.9 - WSU averaged 4.9 run/G last season, the most since 2013 (5.2)

1.95 - WSU posted a 1.95 ERA in the series win at Utah, 27.2 IP, 16 H, 20 K, .167 avg against

.272 - WSU's .272 batting average was the highest since 2013 (.293)

 

MATHENY NAMED ALL-PAC-12, TWO NAMED HONORABLE MENTION

Three Cougars received All-Pac-12 Conference recognition last season led by third baseman Shane Matheny who was named to the All-Pac-12 Conference Team, Matheny was selected to the All-Pac-12 team while shortstop Andres Alvarez and leftfielder Justin Harrer each received honorable mention. It was the first career all-conference honor for all three players. Matheny, who signed with the San Francisco Giants after getting drafted in the 23rd round, led the Cougars with a .309 batting average, three triples and 34 RBI and tied for seventh in the Pac-12 with 16 doubles. Alvarez started all 53 games at shortstop, finished second on the team with a .308 batting average, led the team with 60 hits, tied for the team-lead with 17-multiple-hit games including a team-best six 3-hit games. He also recorded 13 doubles and stole a team-best six bases. Harrer started 45 games and led the Cougars with five home runs and 17 doubles, tied for the fourth-most in the Pac-12. The Sisters, Ore. native tied for the team-lead with 17 multiple-hit games and tied for 11th in the Pac-12 with a .509 slugging percentage while also recording a team-high six assists as a left fielder. 

 

SIX EARN PAC-12 ALL-ACADEMIC HONORS

Six Washington State baseball student-athletes received Pac-12 Conference All-Academic accolades. To be eligible for selection to the academic team, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.0 overall grade-point average and be a starter or significant contributor. Pitcher Davis Baillie, pitcher Kevin Calderhead, pitcher Trenton Dupre, third baseman Shane Matheny, pitcher Caleb McAlister and pitcher Ryan Walker all received honorable mention. The six selections were the most since eight did so in 2012.

 

ABOUT ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH / PITCHING COACH DAN SPENCER 

In his first official move as head baseball coach, Marty Lees named Dan Spencer as the Cougars' associate head coach. Spencer oversees WSU's pitching staff and reunited with Lees as the two spent four seasons together at Oregon State, winning back-to-back College World Series titles in 2006 and 2007. Spencer coached three seasons with the New Mexico Lobos after serving the previous four years as the head coach of Texas Tech, compiling a 115-112 record. Before joining Texas Tech for the 2008 season, Spencer spent 11 seasons at Oregon State as the Beavers hitting coach (1997-2003) and pitching coach (2004-2007). He began his head coaching career at Green River Community College (1992-96) in Auburn, Wash. In 1992 and 1994 he was named the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges Coach of the Year. A native of Vancouver, Wash., Spencer received his bachelor's degree in history from Portland State University in 1990. He and his wife, Susie, have three children: Wade, Logan, and Elizabeth.

 

ABOUT ASSISTANT COACH JIM HORNER

Jim Horner, a first-team All-Pacific-10 player for the Cougars in 1996, jumped at the opportunity to return to the Palouse last season after managing the Seattle Mariners Double-A affiliate Jackson Generals (Tenn.) for the 2014 season and the first half of the 2015 campaign. Horner owns seven-plus years of managerial experience, serving as the skipper of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Seattle – Low-A) from 2006-07 and the High Desert Mavericks (Seattle - High-A) from 2008-10 and 2013. In 2009, he was named California League Manager of the Year and Seattle Mariners Staff Member of the Year after guiding the Mavericks to South Division first and second half titles. From 2011-12, Horner coached two seasons at Texas Tech as the hitting coach under then head coach Dan Spencer. Horner joined the coaching ranks immediately after completing a nine-year professional playing career, all with the Mariners' organization. He was a catcher in the Seattle farm system from 1996-2004. In 2000, Horner reached the Triple-A level with the Tacoma Rainiers. Horner played at Washington State for coaches Bobo Brayton (1993-94) and Steve Farrington (1995-96). The Twin Falls, Idaho native earned first-team All-Pac-10 Conference honors as a senior after leading the Cougars with a .332 batting average. Horner was also named the Pacific-10 Conference Medal Winner for Washington State as WSU's top male student-athlete and received all-academic honors while earning a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. Jim and his wife, Katie, have four children: daughters, Madison and Reagan, and sons, Jackson and Tyler.

 

COUGAR BASEBALL ON WASHINGTON STATE IMG RADIO

This season, 36 games will be broadcast on the Washington State IMG Network and every radio broadcast will be available through the WSU Gameday App via TuneIn and on KQQQ (1150 AM) in Pullman. There will also be select games broadcast on KXLY (920 AM) in Spokane and games will be available on KONA (610 AM) in Tri-Cities. Included in the 36 broadcasts are all 30 Pac-12 Conference contests and all three meetings against Gonzaga University. Matt Chazanow enters his third season calling Cougar Baseball and will be joined in the booth by former Cougar All-American and Major Leaguer Mike Kinkade who will serve as an analyst for select home games in 2017. Kinkade played at Washington State from 1992-95, earned All-America honors as a junior and finished his WSU career the all-time leader in hits, runs scored and doubles and went on to play six seasons in the big leagues with the Mets, Orioles and Dodgers. He was inducted into the WSU Hall of Fame in 2017.