Pilots Open Home Schedule With Four Against BYU

Photo: portlandpilots.com

PORTLAND - The Portland Pilots (0-2) host the Brigham Young Cougars (2-1) this week for a four-game series beginning Thursday.

The Pilots and Cougars are set to play at 2:00 PM on Thursday, at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM on Friday and at 1:00 PM on Saturday.

Friday’s game at 11:00 is scheduled for seven innings.

Live statistics and a free live audio broadcast of each game are available at portlandpilots.com.

The Pilots opened the 2007 season last weekend against the Cal Bears in Berkeley, Calif.

After rain washed out the scheduled games on both Friday and Saturday, Cal took both ends of a double-header on Sunday. The Bears prevailed 9-5 and 4-3.

Portland junior right fielder Cory Wiltshire went 4-for-8 during the double dip with two RBI’s, a double and a run.

Portland returned 20 letterwinners from last year, including seven position starters and three starting pitchers, while adding 16 newcomers to the fold in 2007.

The Pilots, who led the West Coast Conference in home runs last season with 42, returns some offensive punch, led by junior pitcher/utility player Danny Meier and senior outfielder Justin Pierce. Pierce played one game last season before utilizing a medical-redshirt season.

Meier is also expected to take a more prominent roll on the mound this season as Portland’s top starter. He made 10 appearances in 2006 and struck out 12 in 12.2 innings.

Junior right-hander Given Kutz returned to the mix after missing all of last season with an injured shoulder. As a sophomore, Kutz was Portland’s top starter and posted a 6-8 record in 2005.

Junior transfer David Gruener (Notre Dame) joins senior Sean Sargent and junior Ari Ronick, Portland’s top two starters last spring, to give the Pilots experience and depth on the pitching staff. Senior Josh Roberts, who started and came out of the bullpen in 2006, begins this season as Portland’s closer.

Senior infielder Jesse Rodgers, who moves to third base after spending the past three seasons as Portland’s starting shortstop, will help anchor the infield.

Portland experienced an abundance of close games last year as the Pilots posted a 4-13 record in one-run games and a 3-4 mark in two-run games.

After playing just 18 home games last season, the Pilots are slated to play 30 times this year at Joe Etzel Field.

Head coach Chris Sperry, who ranks third all-time at Portland in total wins with 154, is in his 10th season at the helm of the Portland baseball program.

The Pilots were tabbed to finish eighth in the WCC preseason coaches poll, while Pepperdine was chosen as the favorite to capture its fourth straight league title.

About BYU

The Cougars enter Thursday’s game with a 2-1 record after winning two of three against Sam Houston State in Huntsville, Texas last weekend.

Freshman third baseman Steve Parker went 6-for-11 last weekend to lead BYU with a .545 batting average. He also belted one home run and drove in seven. The Cougars are hitting .315 as a team.

On the mound, senior Matthew Jensen and sophomore Jordan Muir each picked up a win in Texas. Muir allowed one run on four hits in 6.0 innings pitched. Sophomore J.D. Stambaugh picked up a save.

Former Major League all-star Vance Law is in his eighth year as head coach at Brigham Young.

The Cougars returned 15 letterwinners and three position starters from a squad that was 33-28 last season and 14-8 in the Mountain West Conference.

The Pilots/Cougars Series

The all-time series between BYU and Portland is knotted up at 3-3. The Cougars won the most recent meeting 5-4 in Fresno, Calif. in 2004. All six meetings have been played at neutral sites.

Home-Openers

Since 1980, the Pilots are 22-5 in their home-openers. Portland has won four out of the last five home-openers, including an 8-1 win over Concordia last season.

Portland opened last season with 18 straight road games and didn’t play its first game at the Joe Etzel Field until the 19th game of the season on March 21. The Pilots have eight home games scheduled this February.

A Little Bit of Everything

After emerging as an offensive power last season, junior Danny Meier will try to get it done on the mound this season.

Meier, who started 44 games primarily at third base in 2006, hit .305 last year and led the Pilots with a .557 slugging percentage and a .398 on-base percentage. He also tied for the team-high with nine home runs, while knocking in 29 runs.

The Maple Valley, Wash. native started one game on the hill last season and made nine appearances out of the bullpen. He didn’t record a decision, but did strikeout 12 in 12.2 innings pitched.

Welcome Back

After a year-long hiatus, the Pilots welcomed back two familiar faces to the line-up this spring. Pitcher Given Kutz and outfielder Justin Pierce, who both utilized a medical redshirt season in 2006, are healthy and ready to go.

Kutz, a junior, posted a 6-8 record with a 5.56 earned run average as Portland’s top pitcher in 2005. He struck out 50 in 113.1 innings. Kutz sat out last season with an injured shoulder.

Pierce, a senior, played one game last year before cashing in the season with an injured ankle. In Portland’s season-opener at Dallas Baptist, Pierce went 4-for-7 with two RBI’s and two runs scored. In 2005, Pierce made 39 starts and 43 appearances. He hit .271 with four home runs, 21 RBI’s and 27 runs scored.

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