The Portland Pilots baseball team will play its first West Coast Conference (WCC) home series of the season against the Saint Mary’s Gaels at Joe Etzel Field, beginning Friday, March 27. The three-game set marks a key early test for both teams as they look to build momentum in conference play.
This series is significant as it represents the Pilots’ return to their home field for WCC action after a strong start on the road. The games are scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets and live streaming options are available through PortlandPilots.com.
The Pilots enter the weekend with notable recent success, having swept Loyola Marymount University (LMU) on the road—a first in program history—and defeating Northwestern at home earlier this week. Key performances included Trey Swygart’s two three-hit games and seven strikeouts on Friday, Alex Via’s four saves leading the team, and Carter Gaston’s seven-inning win against Northwestern. Jonas Salk also contributed with a bases-clearing double, becoming the first Pilot to reach 20 runs batted in this season.
Statistically, Portland leads the WCC in several pitching categories such as earned run average (ERA), walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP), hits allowed per nine innings, walks allowed per nine innings, strikeout-to-walk ratio, sacrifice flies, and win-loss percentage. Nationally, they rank among top programs in ERA and other metrics. Brady Bean leads qualified batters with a .318 average while Salk’s five sacrifice flies place him among national leaders.
Last season saw Portland finish fifth in conference play with a record of 22-30 overall and six players earning All-WCC honors—four of whom returned this year. Head coach Geoff Loomis is now in his eleventh year leading the program with over 248 career wins.
Saint Mary’s comes into the matchup holding a record of 13-11 overall and was picked to finish third in preseason polls after winning last year’s WCC Tournament to earn an NCAA berth.
