Gonzaga baseball looks to continue success after first CWS since 2018
SPOKANE, Wash. (BVM) — The Gonzaga men鈥檚 baseball team is coming off a season in which it finished in the top 30 in the RPI rankings. In the 2021 preseason poll, the Zags were voted second in the West Coast Conference (WCC) behind Pepperdine University. The Bulldogs won the WCC on the backs of a combination of young, emerging talent and veterans. After losing three of these veterans to the MLB Draft, the team hopes to retain its WCC crown and advance further in the College World Series.
Head Coach Mark Machtolf has been with the Zags since 1996, taking over as head coach in 2004. The team saw its first College World Series appearance since 1981 when Machtolf led the Zags there in 2009. Gonzaga鈥檚 baseball program is on the rise in recent years, with three College World Series appearances since 2016, and Machtolf deserves much of the credit.
Three losses will be felt the most by the Zags this season 鈥� the three players that left for the MLB Draft. Shortstop Ernie Yake, third baseman Brett Harris, and starting pitcher Alek Jacob, drafted by the Twins, Athletics, and Padres, respectively, played a big role in Gonzaga鈥檚 success in 2021. Harris and Yake were the top two in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and on-base plus slugging among qualified players on the team. Meanwhile, Jacob led the team in earned run average and walks and hits per innings pitched among qualified Zags. He also led in strikeouts and had an 8-1 record. While winning the WCC was a full team effort, these were the three best players on the team, and the Zags are going to have a lot to replace.
Despite the losses they suffered in the offseason, the Bulldogs are ranked No. 35 in the Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll. This speaks to the depth last year’s team had, as well as the youth. Starting pitcher Gabriel Hughes is a Preseason First Team All-American and starting pitcher William Kempner is a Preseason Second Team All-American. Relief pitcher Brody Jessee and designated hitter Stephen Lund, along with Hughes and Kempner, made the preseason all-conference team in the WCC. In 2021, Hughes finished second in the team in strikeouts and third in earned run average among qualified players on the team, while also having the second-most innings pitched despite only appearing in 10 games. Kempner finished second in earned run average among qualified Zags and fifth in strikeouts. Jessee appeared in 17 games while collecting 33 strikeouts and not allowing a single home run. Lund was likely the best hitter on the team in 2021 outside of Harris and Yake, with a .300 average and .880 OPS.
At worst, it is clear that the Zags will have a good pitching staff. The Bulldogs have a lot of pieces to replace, but there is a lot of hope surrounding the team. The team begins its season on Feb. 18 against the University of New Mexico in the Sanderson Ford College Baseball Classic, hoping to start its season off with a bang.聽 With a strong coaching staff and a strong rotation, the Zags are the favorites to take the WCC again with their eyes set on the College World Series once again.
