COUGARS CONTINUE ROAD SWING AT GRAND CANYON TUESDAY

Washington State (1-3) continues its season-opening eight-game road trip with a Tuesday contest at Grand Canyon University (1-2) in Phoenix. First pitch is set for 5 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. Tuesday's game will be videostreamed on wsucougars.com.

ON DECK

Washington State will head across the country to face the University of Alabama in a three-game weekend series. All three games will be televised online through the SEC Network.

LAST TIME OUT

The Cougars went 1-3 last weekend at the Husker Classic, falling 8-1 to UC Riverside Friday, 8-3 to Nebraska Saturday and 5-3 to Nebraska Sunday before coming back to beat UC Riverside 7-6 in Sunday's tournament finale. WSU collected 18 hits and erased a 6-1 deficit with two runs in the seventh and four more in the eighth has Cal Waterman delivered the go-ahead two-run single in the eighth and Ryan Walker sealed things up in the ninth. Cougar newcomer Wyatt Segle went 5-for-5 in the win, the first Cougar with a 5-hit game since Adam Nebulowich against UCLA in 2013.

ABOUT GRAND CANYON

Grand Canyon opened its season dropping two of three to visiting No. 7 TCU, taking Sunday's finale in 12 innings. Last season, GCU went 29-25 and won the WAC regular season title with a 20-4 mark. This will be GCU's first season eligible for the NCAA tournament. Washington State is 1-3-1 all-time against Grand Canyon and will meet for the first time since GCU took two of three in a 1996 series played in Phoenix.
 

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.

NOTES FROM OPENING WEEKEND

Washington State went 1-3 the opening weekend of 2018 and received a couple impressive performances along the way. Junior first basemen/designated hitter Wyatt Segle recorded a hit in all four games capped by a 5-for-5 performance in the comeback win over UC Riverside. Segle was the first Cougar to notch a five-hit game since Adam Nebulowich did so against UCLA in 2013. Segle finished the weekend 8-for-13 for a team-best .615 batting average, third-best in the Pac-12 Conference. Junior shortstop Andres Alvarez recorded multiple-hits in each of the final three games including a three-game against Nebraska Saturday. Sophomore centerfielder Danny Sinatro recorded his first career three-game in the win over UC Riverside Sunday, recording two doubles along the way and also stole three bases throughout the weekend. On the mound, redshirt-sophomore lefthander Isaac Mullins struck out a career-high seven in five innings against UC Riverside on opening day and senior lefthander Scotty Sunitsch matched a career-high with six strikes outs in six innings against Nebraska Sunday. Senior reliever Ryan Walker was dominant in his only appearance, striking out four in 2.2 scoreless innings of Sunday's win over UC Riverside.

COMEBACK KIDS GIVE WSU FIRST WIN IN 2018

WSU used a comeback to notch its first win of 2018 after recording 12 comeback victories in 2017. The Cougars trailed UC Riverside 6-1 in Sunday's Husker Classic finale before tallying two runs in the seventh and four more in the eighth behind a pair of two-out two-run singles from JJ Hancock and Cal Waterman with Waterman's proving to be the game-winner.

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 enters the game against Grand Canyon with 72 career appearances, eighth-most in WSU history and with nine career saves, tied for ninth in WSU history. Ryan Walker, who recorded three wins in relief last season to push his career relief wins total to nine, added another relief win Sunday, No. 10 of his career, tied for fourth in WSU history. Walker enters the week with 65 career appearances, needing five appearances to move into the WSU career Top-10.