2024 Baseball

I do not have a D1 Baseball subscription but looks like they've done a fall write up on the 2024 Pilots:


And left a couple breadcrumbs on the trail:

WCC preseason coaches poll is out. Pilots picked T2, garnering 1 first place vote. 4 preseason all-conference picks.

The Pilots clobbered the Ducks in yesterday’s matchup by a 15-5 score!

https://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/2024/03/oregon-baseball-clobbered-by-portland.html


A good day for Pilots fans

"How ‘hating to lose’ gave baseball coach Geoff Loomis his 500th win"

https://www.upbeacon.com/article/2024/04/how-hating-to-lose-gave-baseball-coach-geoff-loomis-his-500th-win

The "Bluff Boys" have been fun to watch this season despite last night's loss to the Ducks...

If anybody is looking for a reason to head to Vegas, can I offer the WCC Baseball tournament in late May? The Pilots just locked in their spot for the third consecutive season after a sweep of USF yesterday and today.

If my recollection is correct, the WCC tournament includes a play-in round for seeds 3 through 6 with the top 2 seeds receiving a bye. So, we have a guarantee of being in the top 6. At the moment, we are tied with Saint Mary's for 2nd in the conference with two series left: away to Pepperdine and at home against Saint Mary's. First place San Diego only has one series left against USF. Will be a big two weeks.

https://www.kptv.com/2024/05/06/portland-pilots-top-pitcher-talks-healing-injury-college-studies/

Here on PilotNation we are often so focused on basketball and soccer that we overlook UP's winning baseball team.

After last night's drubbing of Pepperdine in Malibu, 23-3, UP is 29-17 (14-5), and Nick Brink is 8-4.

Brink struck out five batters in the win, becoming just the fifth Pilot ever to throw at least 100 strikeouts in a single season.

The Pilots didn’t match yesterday’s 23-3 drubbing.
Only 10-3 today.

BIG, BIG series with St. Mary's starting this evening at 6pm at Joe Etzel Field.

San Diego has already wrapped up their season by securing first place in the WCC with 20 wins and a first-round bye in Las Vegas, but SMC and UP are tied for second with 16 wins.

So, whichever team takes at least two out of three this weekend will finish in second place and will earn a first-round bye in the WCC Tournament that begins Wednesday May 22 with the #3 vs. #6 and #4 vs. #5.

The two teams play tonight, May 16 at 6pm, Friday, May 17 at 3pm and Saturday, May 18 at 1pm. Saturday will also be Senior Day for the Pilots.

Go Pilots!

up7587 wrote:Game 1, Pilots 5, SMC 4.  Pilots led 5-2 after 7 innings, hung on to win.

This was almost a "must win" for UP with its top pitcher, Nick Brink, on the mound.

Brink did not disappoint, going 8 innings while giving up 3 earned runs and striking out a career high 13 SMC batters. He now has 117 strikeouts on the year, which is the second most by any Pilot ever in a single season and the most since 1980.

Heck of a performance today by Carter Gaston (11-1) as he strikes out six and pitches a complete game shutout in the Pilots 6-0 second place clinching win over St. Mary's.

Gaston's 11 wins this season is a new Pilots record for wins in a season.

Senior Day tomorrow; come early for the 1pm first pitch.

Brooms out!!

Pilots sweep the Gaels 7-5 today to end the regular season at 35-17 and 19-5 in WCC play, just one game behind regular season champ, San Diego.

Next up: The Pilots play the "second lowest advancing seed" at 7:05 next Thursday evening, May 23, in Las Vegas.