COUGARS CONTINUE HOMESTAND AGAINST UTAH VALLEY
Washington State (6-4) continues its homestand with a four-game series against Utah Valley University (3-8) beginning Thursday at 3 p.m. Friday's first pitch is set for 3 p.m. while Saturday is set for 2 p.m. and Sunday at Noon.

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. Every Cougar home game will be webstreamed through Pac-12.org.

ON DECK
Next week, the Cougars will return to southern California for a Wednesday nonconference meeting against Long Beach State before opening Pac-12 Conference play at USC.

LAST TIME OUT
Last weekend, WSU swept a three-game series from visiting Stephen F. Austin, 4-2, 10-5 and 7-3, closing with a combined no-hitter. It was the Cougars' first series sweep since 2015.

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE
Washington State owns a 6-4 record after sweeping a three-game weekend home series from Stephen F. Austin. Junior third baseman Shane Matheny paces the club with a .360 batting average and shares the RBI lead with seven with sophomore shortstop Andres Alvarez who also sits second on the team with a .323 batting average. Junior reliever Scotty Sunitsch entered the week leading the Pac-12 with four saves. Last season, WSU went 19-35 including a 11-19 mark in Pac-12 Conference play. The Cougars return 15 letterwinners led by All-Pac-12 honorable mention pitcher Ryan Walker and welcome in 19 newcomers, 10 from high school and nine from junior college. Head coach Marty Lees is in his second season at WSU.

ABOUT UTAH VALLEY
Utah Valley enters the week with a 3-8 overall record after spitting a four-game home series with Indiana State University in Orem, Utah over the weekend. First baseman Trevor Peterson paces UVU with a .409 batting average while Zac Willis leads the team with three home runs and nine RBI. Last season, the Wolverines took three of four from the Cougars in Pullman and finished the year 37-23, winning the WAC Conference Tournament and advanced to an NCAA Regional. Head coach Eric Madsen is in his ninth season at UVU.

COUGAR QUICK HITS
TEAM
•  WSU is receiving votes in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top-25 Poll
•  Four pitchers combined to no-hit Stephen F. Austin Sunday, WSU's first no-hitter since 1985
•  All six of WSU's wins in 2017 have been come-from-behind wins
•  WSU's 2016 recruiting class is ranked No. 28 in the country by D1Baseball.com
•  Lees and pitching coach Dan Spencer were assistants on Oregon State's National Championship teams (2006-07)
•  Assistant coach Jim Horner played for the Cougars (1993-96), earned All-Pac-10 honors as an OF in 1996

INDIVIDUAL
• Freshman INF Dillon Plew has reached base in nine of the 10 games this season
• LHP Scotty Sunitsch entered the week leading the Pac-12 lead with four saves
•  Freshmen UTL Danny Sinatro (40th RD- Indians) and LHP A.J. Block (39th RD - Cubs ) were 2016 MLB Draft picks

FOUR PITCHERS COMBINE TO NO-HIT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
Four Cougar pitchers combined to no-hit Stephen F. Austin in the series-finale and second game of a doubleheader Sunday at Bailey-Brayton Field. It was the first WSU no-hitter since Kurt Waananen no-hit Rockford College in 1985, the first nine-inning no-hitter since Eric Wilkins (vs. Oregon State – 1976) and first combined no-hitter since 1974 (David Wright and Roger Stein – Idaho). Cougar starter Cody Anderson earned the win after striking out six and allowing just three unearned runs in six innings. The junior left-hander earned his first career win. Junior right-hander Joe Rosenstein followed with 1.1 innings of work and freshman lefty Isaac Mullins got the final two outs of the eighth inning before the junior left-hander Scotty Sunitsch worked a scoreless ninth to post the 24th no-hitter in school history and fifth combined no-hitter.

COUGARS POST FIRST SERIES SWEEP SINCE 2015
Washington State's three-game series sweep of Stephen F. Austin last weekend was the first series sweep since 2015, taking all four games against Sacred Heart. In the series, WSU outscored SFA 21-10, hitting .301 and held Lumberjack hitters to a .169 batting average. It was also the first series sweep under head coach Marty Lees and is the first time the Cougars have swept a home-opening series since taking all four from Eastern Michigan in 2013.

COMEBACK WINS
Through the first three weekends, the 2017 Cougars have settled in as the comeback kids, coming from behind in all six wins this season. It started with the first win of the season at Sacramento State, trailing 3-1 in the eighth inning before scoring three runs in the inning capped by Cory Meyer's go-ahead two-run homer. There have also been a couple big comebacks, erasing a 4-0 deficit in the sixth inning to beat Loyola Marymount Feb. 26 and overcoming a 5-0 third-inning hole against Stephen F. Austin last Sunday. It could all be traced back to the season-opening series last year when the Cougars rallied with two runs in the ninth to force extra innings at Texas State and went on to post a 9-8 win in 10 innings, giving head coach Marty Lees his first career victory.

PAC-12 LEADERS
WSU entered the week among the top of the Pac-12 Conference in a couple categories. Offensively, the Cougars are second in the league with 12 stolen bases, one back of California while the WSU pitching staff has picked off a league-best five baserunners. The defense is tied for the second-most double plays turned (9) and has thrown out the most potential bases stealers (9). Justin Harrer entered the week tied for fourth in the Pac-12 with five doubles and Dillon Plew tied for the fourth-most walks with nine. On the mound, Scotty Sunitsch entered the week with a Pac-12 best four saves, Colby Nealy was tied for the most wins (3) and Cody Anderson was ninth in strikeouts with 18.

BY THE NUMBERS
.455 - OF J.J. Hancock hit .455 in last weekend's 3-game sweep, 1st career HR, 3 stolen bases
.417 - 3B Shane Matheny hit .417 in last weekend's 3-game sweep, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 5 RBI
32 - 32 years since the last WSU no-hitter, Kurt Waananen - Rockford College (Ill.) (3/14/85)
16 - Through the first 10 games, 16 players have made their Cougar debuts
9 - Freshman INF Dillon Plew has reached base in nine of the first 10 games
8 - 8 freshmen have played for the Cougars in 2017
6 - All six wins this season have been come-from-behind wins
5 - 5 players entered the week hitting over .300
5 - Andres Alvarez and Cory Meyer entered the week sharing team lead with five 2-out RBI
4 - Junior LHP Scotty Sunitsch entered the week tied for the Pac-12 lead with 4 saves

PLEW KEEPS HITTING
Freshman infielder Dillon Plew has opened his career reaching base in nine of the 10 games and enters the Utah Valley series tied for team-highs with 11 hits and four multiple-hit games. The left-handed hitting Kennewick, Wash. native paces the club with nine walks and is second with a .444 on-base percentage after reaching base eight times in the last two games.

HARRER SETTLES IN
Sophomore Justin Harrer has adjusted well to the outfield after starting 34 games at shortstop last season. The Sisters, Ore. native and former 18th-round draft pick by the San Diego Padres entered the week leading the team with five doubles to go along with one home run and six RBI. Harrer has also produced a couple nice defensive plays, crashing into the left field walk to make a catch at Sacramento State before throwing out a runner at third in the Loyola Marymount series.

NEALY NOTCHES THREE STRAIGHT WINS
Junior reliever Colby Nealy enters the week with a 3-1 record in six appearances, tying for the Pac-12 lead in wins. Nealy suffered the loss in the season opener at Sacramento State but bounced back in a big way, recording the win in each of WSU's three wins beginning Feb. 24 at Loyola Marymount with 1.1 innings of work. He then earned the win Feb. 26 at LMU after throwing just two pitches as his pitch-out helped WSU throw out a baserunner attempting to steal second to end the eighth inning and the Cougars went to score three runs in the ninth for a 7-4 win. Nealy then earned the win last Friday after working 1.2 innings of relief against Stephen F. Austin.

NEWCOMERS IMPRESS
Through the first 10 games, Washington State has seen 16 players make their Cougar debuts including 11 in a starting role. Junior college shortstop Andres Alvarez is second on the team with a .323 batting average and tied for the team lead with seven RBI. JUCO catcher Cory Meyer is hitting at .310 clip and hit the go-ahead two-run homer in the win at Sacramento State. JUCO first baseman James Rudkin owns three doubles and entered the week having reached base in the last seven games. On the mound, JUCO lefty Cody Anderson struck out seven in his first career start and owns a team-best 18 strikeouts, ninth-most in the Pac-12. The lefthander posted six no-hit innings and picked up his first career win last Sunday against Stephen F. Austin. JUCO righthander Joe Rosenstein has  made six appearances and allowed just three hits in 7.2 scoreless innings of relief.

WALKER NAMED TO STOPPER OF THE YEAR PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Junior Ryan Walker has been named to the preseason watch list for the National Collegiate Baseball Associate Stopper of the Year. The award is given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I Baseball. Walker earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention last season after posting the sixth lowest ERA (2.66) and batting average against (.212) in the conference during Pac-12 play. Of Washington State's 11 conference wins in 2016, the right-hander from Arlington, Wash. had his hand in eight of them, recording four wins and four saves. Overall, Walker led the Cougars with a 6-3 record and five saves in 18 appearances along with a 2.40 ERA, a .210 batting average against and 50 strikeouts in 63.2 innings, all in relief. Walker's six relief wins tied for the second-most relief wins in WSU single-season history. The Pac-12 Conference had the most representation with nine players finding their names on this year's watch list.

RECRUITING CLASS RANKED AMONG NATION'S BEST
The 2016 WSU recruiting class was ranked No. 28 in the country according to D1Baseball.com, who began to release its Top-30 signing classes. It is the first Cougar recruiting class to be nationally ranked by D1Baseball.com and features eight junior college transfers and four freshmen. Two freshmen hail from the state of Washington and were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft but chose to play for WSU. According to D1baseball.com "…this is a high quality and high upside class that has head coach Marty Lees very excited and comparing his class to some of the powerhouse recruiting classes he had as an assistant at Oregon State and Oklahoma State…"

WHO'S NEW? NOTES ON KEY NEWCOMERS
Andres Alvarez (So., Shortstop, Trinidad JC)    All-Region 1st-Team, .395, 23 2B, 15 SB
Cody Anderson (Jr., LHP, Bellevue CC)    Northwest Athletic Conference-best 114 Ks in 85.2 IP
A.J. Block (Fr., LHP, Newport HS)    39th-RD draft pick (Cubs), All-State 1st Team
Blake Clanton (Jr., OF, Western Oklahoma State College)    NJCAA DII Region II MVP - .373, 19 HR
Cory Meyer (So., C, Spokane Falls CC)    JUCO All-America 3rd Team, .333
Dillon Plew (Fr., INF, Kennewick HS)    League Player of the Year, .473, 7 2B, 23 RBI
Ryan Ramsower (Jr., INF, Pima CC)    All-Region 2nd-Team, .360, 15 2B, 39 RBI, 9 SB
Joe Rosenstein (Jr., RHP, Lamar CC)    All-Region 1st-Team, 7-1, 60 Ks in 59.2 IP
James Rudkin (Jr., 1B, McLennan JC)    2016 - .308, 10 2B, 7 HR, 41 RBI
Danny Sinatro (Fr., UTL, Skyline HS)    40th-RD draft pick (Indians), All-State 1st-Team
David Wallum (So., RHP, Linn-Benton CC)    7-3, 3.24 ERA, 60 Ks in 58.1 IP
Cal Waterman (Fr., C, Summit HS)    Oregon HS Player of the Year, .574, 17 2B, 8 HR, 43 RBI

2017 SIGNING CLASS
Brody Barnum (OF/RHP, R/R, 6-3, 215)    Vancouver, Wash. (Skyview HS)
Mason De La Cruz (INF, R/R, 6-0, 170)    Auburn, Wash. (Thomas Jefferson HS)
Anthony Felix (INF, R/R, 5-10, 185)    Tucson, Ariz. (Canyon del Oro HS/Pima CC)
Avery Jones (RHP, R/R, 6-6, 205)    Gig Harbor, Wash. (Gig Harbor HS)
Collin Montez (OF, L/L, 6-2, 200)    Marysville, Wash. (Marysville Getchell HS)
Conner Nantkes (LHP, L/L, 6-2, 180)    Aurora, Colo. (Cherokee Trail HS)
Michael Newstrom (LHP, R/L, 5-9, 205)    Puyallup, Wash. (Puyallup HS)
Dylan Orlando (LHP, L/L, 6-1, 185)    Las Vegas, Nev. (Palo Verde HS)
Hayden Rosenkrantz (RHP, R/R, 6-3, 175)    Salt Lake City, Utah (Cottonwood HS)
Isaiah Smith (OF, R/R, 6-2, 200)    Battle Ground, Wash. (Battle Ground HS)
Jack Smith (INF, R/R, 6-3, 180)    Mercer Island, Wash. (Mercer Island HS)

COUGARS NOTCH BIG SERIES WINS UNDER MARTY LEES in FIRST SEASON
Washington State went 19-35 overall including an 11-19 Pac-12 Conference mark under the direction of first-year head coach Marty Lees in 2016. The Cougars picked up series wins over No. 10 Oregon State and at No. 14 Washington and finished the year second in the league in stolen bases.

COUGAR BASEBALL ON WASHINGTON STATE IMG RADIO
This season, 38 games will be broadcast on the Washington State IMG College Network and every radio broadcast will be available through the WSU Gameday App via TuneIn, also online at wsucougars.com and on KQQQ (1150 AM) in Pullman. There will also be 10 select games broadcast on KXLY (920 AM) in Spokane and 18 games will be available on KONA (610 AM) in Tri-Cities. Included in the 38 broadcasts are all 30 Pac-12 Conference contests and all three meetings against Gonzaga University. Matt Chazanow enters his second 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 all home games and select road contests 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. The first broadcast is scheduled for March 17 when the Cougars open Pac-12 Conference play with a three-game series at USC.

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.