TACOMA, Wash. - The Pacific Lutheran University baseball team heads back on the road this weekend, taking on the Willamette University in a three-game series down in Salem, Oregon.
Last weekend the Lutes (20-13, 12-9 NWC) battled against Pacific University at home in a three-game series, wrapping up the series taking two of the three from the Boxers. The Lutes took the first game of the series on senior day winning 3-1, then fell in the second game 13-2,before taking the series finale with a commanding 15-5 score line.
"The series against Pacific was probably our most important series of the season so far as it showed how dangerous our team can be," said sophomore
Alex Gregory. "The difference between the two games on Monday came from our focus. When we're able to commit to our game plan like we did during the last game of the series, we're a very fun team to watch."
Gregory played an important role for the Lutes this weekend, wrapping up the save on senior day in the 3-1 victory.
"The seniors this year are guys that I've had the privilege to play alongside with for the past two years now. It is sad to see my brothers move on, but it felt good to cap off the day for them and send them off on a high note."
Gregory is finishing up his sophomore year here at PLU and is very much enjoying the opportunity to play collegiate athletics in the competitive Northwest conference.
"My favorite part of being on the team is the relationships that get built on and off the field. When you get a group of guys wanting to win just as much as the next, it's easy for a team to become a family."
Gregory is also working hard in the classroom as he is studying kinesiology, with a plan to become a physical therapist post-graduation.
"I've had to go to physical therapy a couple times myself over the past couple years and I just really enjoyed working with the people there. My physical therapists have always wanted to help as many people as they can, and it inspired me to do the same."
Outside of the demands of athletics and academics, Gregory has many hobbies that he enjoys pursuing.
"When I'm not studying or playing baseball, I like to play video games or just hanging out with friends. If I'm out with my friends I try to be as active as possible, whether that's playing basketball, football, or any random game that we come up with, I'm all for it."
Gregory and the Lutes look to continue this winning form next weekend as they take on Willamette University in a three-game series. Game 1 will take place on Friday, April 19th, beginning at 3 p.m. The next two game will take place on Saturday, April 20th, with the first game slated to start at 12 p.m. and the second game at 3 p.m.
"As a team we're looking to build off of our series against Pacific and carry it over to this weekend against Willamette. Willamette is a team that we've had a lot of big games against over the past couple of years and this year won't be any different. Our goal is to win the series so we can make it to the conference tournament because we know we can do some damage when we get there."
April 19: PLU vs. Willamette in Salem, Oregon (3 p.m.)
April 20: PLU vs. Willamette in Salem, Oregon (12 p.m.)
Series History: It's been a tightly contested series since 1980 with the Bearcats holding a slim 64-57 advantage in the series. Last season, Willamette won three of the four encounters, including a 4-2 victory in the NWC Tournament hosted by the Lutes.
About the Bearcats: Willamette (16-13, 13-8 NWC) heads into the final series of the NWC slate riding a five game winning streak. The Bearcats opened their series against Pacific with a 3-2 extra innings setback but has been on a roll since, claiming game two of the series 8-1. Willamette prevailed 9-3 to close the series before earning 8-5, 10-4, and 9-1 wins over George Fox University last weekend.
Connor Bailey leads the Bearcats at the plate with a .409 batting average and seven home runs while Justin Scanlon has a team-best 30 RBIs. Matt Steindorf has been the workhorse on the mound, pitching 68 innings with 59 strikeouts and a 2.65 earned run average.
