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BSB: WHAT’S BRUIN - Bruins Visit Willamette Hoping to Keep Pace with 1st-Place Linfield
* Upcoming Games
- Sat., Mar. 20, 12:00 pm - at Willamette University (2), Salem, Ore.
- Sun., Mar. 21, 1:00 pm - at Willamette University, Salem, Ore.
NEWBERG, Ore. - After splitting their first six Northwest Conference games, the George Fox University Bruins find themselves two games behind league-leading Linfield College, and need to have a good weekend series at Willamette University if they hope to keep pace in the conference race with the high-flying Wildcats.
The Bruins and Bearcats will play a doubleheader on Saturday at 12:00 noon, with a single game Sunday at 1:00 p.m. The NWC reverted to a three-game sets for conference this year after a two-year experiment with four-game series. Willamette is planning to provide live stats for the series at the following link:
Live Stats: http://www.willamette.edu/athletics/bsn/live/bsb/
George Fox is the defending NWC champion, coming off a 36-11 campaign and a second-place finish in the NCAA Division III West Regional, but with six regulars from last year’s hard-hitting lineup having graduated, the Bruins are still trying to find their rhythm with so many new faces in the lineup. The Bruins’ pitching staff has a 4.31 ERA, better than last year’s 4.45, but the team’s .297 batting average is 70 points below last season’s .367 average that was third nationally, and their fielding average is at .954, 15 points under their 2009 mark that was sixth in the nation.
The Bruins enter the series 10-8 overall and 3-3 in the conference, tied for 4th, while the Bearcats are 5-9 overall and 2-4 and in 8th place in the NWC. George Fox is coming off a 2-1 series win over Pacific last weekend, followed by a 10-7 win over Corban Wednesday in a non-conference game. Willamette dropped three at Linfield last weekend, being out-scored 34-3 in the series.
Projected starters for the Bruins this weekend include RHP Mark Putney (2-2, 4.82, 16 K’s, 28.0 ip), RHP Jeremy Cheney (2-1, 3.77, 29 K’s, 31.0 ip), and RHP Brian Ranta (2-2, 5.61, 20 K’s, 25.2 ip). RHP Clay Gartner (2-0, 1.80, 15 k’S, 20.0 IP) will likely be held out of his No. 3 starting spot in the rotation as he nurses a tender elbow. RHP Chad Jones (1-2, 3.20, 21 K’s, 19.2 ip), a First Team All-NWC performer last year, anchors the bullpen.
BRUIN BITS:
* Brown Gets BAA, NWC Offensive Player Awards, HM for National Honors
After a perfect week at the plate in the Bruins’ three-game Northwest Conference series against Pacific, Jason Brown has been named the Bruin Athletic Association Men’s Athlete of the Week, the NWC Baseball Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week, and honorable mention for NCAA Division III National Hitter of the Week for games of Mar. 8-14.
Brown began his week with a two-run pinch-hit home run batting left-handed in the Bruins' 8-1 first-game win over Pacific on Mar. 12. In the second game of the twinbill, he started at designated hitter and went 4-for-4 at the dish, also getting hit by a pitch while scoring two runs in a 10-0 Bruins' win. On Mar. 13, he pinch-hit again in the 9th inning, this time right-handed, driving in a run with a double, and later scored as the Bruins rallied but fell short in a 7-4 loss to the Boxers. For the week, he was 6-for-6 (1.000) with a double, a home run, 3 runs scored, 3 RBIs, 10 total bases, a 1.667 slugging percentage, and a perfect 1.000 on base percentage.
Right-hander Jeremy Cheney received honorable mention for Northwest Conference Baseball Pitching Student-Athlete of the Week for Mar. 8-14. He went 7.0 innings in the Bruins’ 10-0 second-game win over Pacific on Mr. 12, scattering four hits while striking out seven and walking one in raising his record to 2-1. He fanned the side in the 3rd. The sophomore from Medford, Ore., leads the NWC in strikeouts (29), and is 4th in innings (31.0) and 5th in ERA (3.77).
Cheney was also honorable mention for the NWC for the week of Mar. 1-7 when he went 6.0 innings in the Bruins’ 10-inning 7-6 loss at Pacific Lutheran in the second game of a doubleheaderon Mar. 6. He allowed five hits and two runs, both unearned, while fanning seven and walking three. He go a no-decision in that game.
Center fielder Nate Hickok was honorable mention for NWC Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week for Mar. 1-7 as he batted .625 (5-for-8) in a three-game series at Pacific Lutheran, scoring three runs with two walks and two stolen bases. The junior from Sherwood, Ore., was 2-for-3 with a run in a 6-5 first-game loss, 2-for-2 with a run and a walk in a 7-6, 10-inning second-game loss, and 1-for-3 with a walk, two stolen bases, and scored the winning run in a 4-3 win on Mar. 13.
* 2010 Honors
Sam Stahl
- Northwest Conference Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week - HM, Feb. 8-14; HM, Feb. 15-21
Chad Jones
- Northwest Conference Pitching Student-Athlete of the Week - HM, Feb. 8-14; HM, Feb. 15-21
Josh Burch
- Northwest Conference Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week - HM, Feb. 22-28
Clay Gartner
- Northwest Conference Pitching Student-Athlete of the Week - HM, Feb. 22-28
Nate Hickok
- Northwest Conference Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week - HM, Mar. 1-7
Jeremy Cheney
- Northwest Conference Pitching Student-Athlete of the Week - HM, Mar. 1-7; HM, Mar. 8-14
Jason Brown
- Bruin Athletic Association Men’s Athlete of the Week - Mar. 8-14
- Northwest Conference Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week - Mar. 8-14
- NCBWA NCAA Division III National Hitter of the Week - HM, Mar. 8-14
NWC Stats - Team (thru 3/14):
- Batting: George Fox is 1st in triples (3, T), hit by pitches (29), sacrifice bunts (18), 2nd in total at bats (724), at bats (611), 3rd in runs (123), hits (178), RBIs (107), total bases (233), 4th in batting avg. (291), doubles (31), walks (61), strikeouts (92), 5th in on base pct. (.380), sacrifice flies (5), 7th in slugging pct. (.381), home runs (6), 9th in stolen bases (9) …
- Pitching: George Fox is 1st in saves (5), pickoffs (4), fewest walks (41), 2nd in ERA (4.27), innings (151.2), strikeouts (113), 3rd in opponents’ batting avg. (.276), 7th in hit batters (16), 8th in wild pitches …
- Fielding: George Fox is 1st in assists (200), errors (32, T), 2nd in chances (687), putouts (455), double plays (14, T), 5th in caught stealing (8, T), 7th in fielding avg. (.953) …
NWC Stats - Ind. Batting (thru 3/14): Stahl 2nd in Four Categories
- SS Sam Stahl is 2nd in batting avg. (.429), hits (33), total bases (45, T), at bats (77), 4th in runs (16, T), RBIs (19, T), plate appearances (82, T), 5th in doubles (7, T) …
- DH Jason Brown is 5th in batting avg. (.409), 9th in slugging pct. (.636) …
- CF Nate Hickok is 5th in walks (10, T), 6th in on base pct. (.482) …
- 2B Josh Burch is 1st in hit by pitches (7),3rd in sacrifice flies (3, T) …
- 3B Eric Gantenbein is 4th in sacrifices (3, T) …
- RF Dan Winterstein is 4th in sacrifices (3, T), 9th in plate appearances (80, T) …
- 1B Seth Anderson is 3rd in at bats (75), 4th in plate appearances (82, T) …
NWC Stats - Ind. Pitching (thru 3/14): Cheney NWC Leader in Strikeouts
- RHP Clay Gartner is 1st in ERA (1.80), opponents’ batting avg. (.188) …
- RHP Jeremy Cheney is 1st in strikeouts (29), 2nd in starts (5, T), 4th in innings (31.0), 5th in ERA (3.77), 6th in opponents’ batting avg. (.269), wild pitches (5, T) …
- RHP Mark Putney is 2nd in starts (5, T), 6th in ERA (4.82), 7th in opponents’ batting avg. (.282), innings (28.0, T) …
- RHP Brian Ranta is 6th in strikeouts (20, T) …
- RHP Chad Jones is 1st in saves (2, T), appearances (9), games finished (8) …
- RHP Adam Weber is 1st in saves (2, T), 4th in appearances (7, T), 6th in games finished (4, T) …
- RHP Travis Schroeder is 4th in appearances (7, T) …
NWC Stats - Ind. Fielding (thru 3/14): Anderson NWC Leader in Chances, Putouts
- C Brent Trask is 1st in fielding avg. (1.000, T) …
- 1B Seth Anderson is 1st in chances (175), putouts (170), 3rd in double plays (12) …
- SS Sam Stahl is 1st in assists (54, T) …
* Career Lists: Jones One Away from Tying Career Saves Record
- Chad Jones: With a save in the Bruins’ 6-4 win over Concordia-Portland on Feb. 21, Jones notched his 9th career save, one short of the team record. No. 1 is southpaw Nick Hedgecock (10, 2005-08) …
* Head Coach Marty Hunter
Marty Hunter (Linfield ’84) is 74-33 (.692, 34-12 home, 34-14 road, 6-7 neutral) to date in his 3rd season as the George Fox head coach … He was the Northwest Conference Co-Coach of the Year in 2009 … He has guided the Bruins to two post-season appearances in his two seasons at GFU … Against Willamette, he is 6-2 (2-2 home, 4-0 road) …
