Re: 2023 Baseball

by up7587 Thu May 18, 2023 9:15 am

DoubleDipper wrote:Coming home from the coast on a warm late afternoon, I was invited to come through Corvallis to watch a college baseball game and it was well worth the experience of the short detour.

The Pilots scored 14 runs on 20 hits and along with some good relief pitching UP to prevailed over #10 OSU, 14-8. I was later told it was the first time UP had won at OSU since 2006.

But what impressed me was the turnout of Beaver fans who literally packed the stadium (3,500?), leaving just a scattering of empty seats which my host said were "probably held by season ticket holders who were on vacation."

Today the Pilots travel to San Francisco to take on the Dons in a very important season-ending three game series beginning tomorrow.

https://www.oregonlive.com/sports/2023/05/portland-pilots-pound-oregon-state-pitching-in-emphatic-midweek-baseball-win.html

by DoubleDipper Thu May 18, 2023 6:57 pm

Pilot14 wrote:As I can tell, if the Pilots can win the series (take at least 2 out of the 3 games) at USF, they will be locked into finishing top 2 in the conference. Top 2 seeds get a 'first round' bye in the conference tournament.

One more win for the good guys, as Nick Brink fanned eight Dons in 7 innings, and the Pilots prevailed, 9-2.

UP is now 16-9 and in a virtual tie for 2nd place with USD at 17-10 with its regular season concluded.

UP owns the tie breaker against USD after taking 2 out 3 from them on the road last month.

by DoubleDipper Fri May 19, 2023 5:55 pm

It was not easy, but the Pilots secured second place and a first round bye in the WCC Championship that begins next week in Las Vegas.

"Comfortably" ahead by 3 runs going into the bottom of the 9th, a 3-run homer tied the game for USF before the Pilots rallied back in the 11th innings with two runs and the Dons with 1 run, for 9-8 UP victory.

With the win, the Pilots matched their program record for 17 WCC wins in a season that was set last year.

by DoubleDipper Fri May 19, 2023 6:12 pm

Yesterday the Pilots broke out their new gloves designed to by the folks at Nike...

Pretty nice...

by DoubleDipper Sun May 21, 2023 10:21 am

Tied for second place with both USD and SCU with a record of 17-10, the Pilots won the tiebreaker by having beaten both teams 2 out of 3 times this season.

The first round single elimination games between USD and SMC and between SCU and GU begin on Wednesday, and the Pilots open play at 7:20 on Thursday against the second lowest remaining seed in the double elimination round.

All games will be streamed on WCC Network until the Saturday final on ESPNU.

by Pilot14 Thu May 25, 2023 7:37 am

Santa Clara knocked off Gonzaga 4-2 yesterday while St. Mary's beat San Diego 17-8. Pilots will play Santa Clara at 7:20 tonight, available on the WCC network.

Santa Clara used just two pitchers, neither of which was a typical weekend starter for them. Though it does look like Skylar Hales, who pitched 4 innings in relief to close the game out was their most used and one of their most effective relievers throughout the year. Anyway, they should have most of their best arms available for their matchup with the Pilots today.

by DoubleDipper Thu May 25, 2023 11:25 pm

SCU pounded the Pilots, 15-3, and SMC upset LMU, 4-2.

Today (Friday) LMU and UP meet at noon. The loser goes home and the winner plays either SMC or SCU later in the evening.

by up7587 Fri May 26, 2023 3:18 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:Today (Friday) LMU and UP meet at noon. The loser goes home and the winner plays either SMC or SCU later in the evening.

Pilots dispatched LMU 15-3, will play again at 8:30pm this evening against the loser of the SMC - SCU game.

LMU did not get any benefit from their #1 seed.

UPDATE
SCU blew out SMC 17-3. Pilots now play SMC at 9:35pm Sleep

by DoubleDipper Sat May 27, 2023 8:07 am

up7587 wrote: Pilots now play SMC at 9:35pm

Not sure what time the boys got to bed this morning, but it was close to 1am before they closed out the Gaels, 8-4.

UP now faces the daunting task of having to beat a rested SCU twice today to win the WCC Championship and advance to the NCAA Regionals.

Regardless of the outcome of today's game(s), this is the first time in history the Pilots have reached the championship game.

The 1'oclock game is on ESPNU. If the Pilots win, the second game will apparently be streamed on the WCC Network.

by DoubleDipper Sat May 27, 2023 4:03 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:UP now faces the daunting task of having to beat a rested SCU twice today to win the WCC Championship and advance to the NCAA Regionals.

There's an old adage that good pitching will dominate good hitting in a short series, and that was the case today as SCU pitchers shutout the best hitting team in the conference, 6-0, to take the WCC Championship Series and send the Pilots home with an all time best second place finish.

by ExpatPilot Sun May 28, 2023 5:31 am

Hurts to be so close and come up short but this was a phenomenal season! Absolutely feeling like this is not a peak but just part of an upward trajectory. Already cannot wait for next year.

by Fox Mulder Thu Oct 26, 2023 3:23 pm

UP's Briley Knight has made Team Australia for the Asia Professional Baseball Championships this November!