Setting the Scene: The Lutes return home to the friendly confines of PLU Field riding a four-game win streak. Still in the hunt for the NWC Tournament, the Lutes welcome in-state rival Whitworth University to Tacoma in the penultimate weekend series of the regular season.
Series History: The Lutes and Pirates have met 144 times since 1980 with the scales tilted 76-68 in favor of Whitworth. PLU has won five of the last six meetings, including two of three last season.
About the Lutes: Pacific Lutheran (13-15, 7-9 NWC) returns home with a four-game win streak. The Lutes' success began in California, downing Whittier College 13-7 in the back end of a doubleheader on March 25.
The wins continued last weekend, edging crosstown nemesis University of Puget Sound 9-8 and 13-9 on April 1 before securing the sweep on Sunday with a 6-4 victory.
Headlining the weekend was Cole Trotignon inking his name atop the record books with his 23rd career home run in the sixth inning of game two on Saturday. His blast surpasses the previous record of 22 held by John Panko (1982-85) and former teammate Jordan Haworth (2019-22).
Braeden Lundberg boasts a team-best .368 batting average and a .457 on-base percentage while Andy Schmitz has a .328 average with 17 extra base hits and 24 RBIs. Ashton Barton has a team-high 14 doubles and 26 RBIs while Cole Trotignon has a team-leading six home runs on the year.
Spencer Howell is the Lutes' ace, logging 55 innings on the hill with a 3.11 earned run average and 48 strikeouts. Chris Moreno has 32 strikeouts and three saves out of the bullpen while starter Trotignon has 23 punch outs in 38 2/3 innings of work.
About the Pirates: Whitworth (8-20, 5-12 NWC) heads to Tacoma having dropped nine of its last 11 games.
The Pirates were swept by league heavyweights Pacific University and Willamette University before earning a doubleheader split with in-state rival Whitman College on March 29. The host Blues took game one 7-6 before the Pirates pulled out the 10-3 win in the nightcap to level the series.
Last Saturday, Whitworth's bats were cooking, cranking out 24 hits in an 18-13 win over George Fox University but the Bruins took the next two games, scoring in the ninth for an 11-10 win to close the day before securing a 5-1 victory in a marathon 13-inning game on Sunday.
Elijah Tanner is Whitworth's top hitter with at least 70 at-bats, boasting a .357 batting average with 16 RBIs and eight stolen bases, Austin Paul drives in a team-best 18 RBIs with seven extra base hits while Dawson Warner and Riley Cuisine are both hitting above .300.
Hunter Dryden is the workhorse on the mound with a 3.89 earned run average and 34 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings. Dryden has made eight starts and owns a 4-2 record on the hill. Hunter Williams has 32 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings of work with a 4.79 ERA.
Thank You Seniors!
This years senior class has won 67 games over the past four seasons, including 43 wins in Northwest Conference play. The 2023 seniors have continued a legacy of success, qualifying for the NWC Tournament in 2022 and 2021 and have kept the Lutes as the only program in the league to have appeared in every NWC Tournament since its inception in 2015.
This year's senior class includes Sean Kauffman, Spencer Howell, Alex Boyd, Andy Schmitz, Cody Bentley, and Cole Trotignon.
NWC Coaches' Poll
The Northwest Conference released its annual preseason coaches' poll on Jan. 31 with PLU picked to finish third.
The Lutes sit third overall in the preseason poll after collecting 49 points. Defending NWC Champion Pacific University sits atop the poll with 63 points and seven of the nine first-place votes. Linfield University is second in the rankings with 52 points and one first place vote while George Fox University rounds out the top four with 45 points and the remaining first place endorsement.
Willamette University is fifth with 37 points followed by Lewis & Clark College and Whitman College tied for sixth with 24 points. University of Puget Sound was picked eighth with 20 points followed by Whitworth University in ninth (10 points).
Trailblazing NIL the D3 Way: PLU Athletics continues to lead the way nationally in Name, Image, and Likeness, unveiling the Luteville Marketplace on August 31 through the department's partnership with Opendorse. Learn more about the deal here: LINK. But don't stay on the sidelines, get involved and connect with PLU student-athletes on the Luteville Marketplace: LINK
The Luteville Marketplace is the first dedicated NIL marketplace in Division III on the Opendorse platform that directly connects student-athletes with fans, supporters, and business partners in an easy to use website.
New Look Lutemobile for 2023
The new Lutemobile is here! During the first week in January, the Lutes' bus partner Bellair Charters, unveiled its newest PLU branded bus as it took the men's and women's hoops teams to Oregon.
Stay connected to your favorite teams by downloading the official mobile app of the Pacific Lutheran University athletic department powered by SIDEARM Sports, available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
Featuring real-time news alerts, schedules, exclusive multimedia content, gameday details and more, the new PLU Athletics app is free and compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
To download the app to your smartphone or tablet, visit the Apple App Store (DOWNLOAD LINK) or Google Play (DOWNLOAD LINK) and search for "PLU Athletics."
Next Games:
Apr. 12: PLU at Linfield (DH) at 12 p.m.
PLU Non-Discrimination Policy: Pacific Lutheran University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability or age in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Title IX Coordinator Jennifer Childress-White; 253-535-7361; TitleIX@plu.edu