Game Notes

THIS WEEK FOR THE WAVES: The Pepperdine baseball team hits the road for all four games this week, heading to Cal State Fullerton for a 6 p.m. game on Tuesday and then up to Washington for a three-game set over the weekend.

COVERAGE: Tuesday's game will have an audio only broadcast on WaveCasts. Check PepperdineSports.com for links to broadcasts and live stats for the weekend series.

FOLLOW AND LIKE WAVES BASEBALL: Be sure and join Pepperdine's growing communities on Facebook and Twitter today. Follow and like Waves baseball on Facebook (Pepperdine Baseball) or Twitter (@PEPPBASEBALL).

SCHEDULE
Tuesday, March 3 - 6 p.m. (PT)
Friday, March 6 - 5 p.m. (PT)
Saturday, March 7 - 2 p.m. (PT)
Sunday, March 8 - 1 p.m. (PT)

STARTERS
Tues: PEP RHP Kiko Garcia (0-0, 7.62 ERA) vs. CSUF RHP Connor Seabold (1-0, 3.12 ERA)

GEMS VS HAWAII: The Waves took three of four from Hawaii at home this past week, getting three solid pitching performances and some big offense in the wins. Jackson McClelland gave up just one run and three hits in 8.0 innings, and was backed by 16 runs on 17 hits from the offense as the Waves bounced back from a series opening loss to the Rainbow Warriors. A.J. Puckett then highlighted the weekend with a complete-game, three-hit shutout of the Warriors in a 2-0 pitcher's duel to win game three. The Waves finished with a 10-5 win, getting 7.0 solid innings from Ryan Wilson, and a four-RBI day from Brad Anderson.

BUTLER SWEEP: The Waves scored a three-game sweep of Butler earlier this year. Pepperdine opened the series with big games from two of its veterans in a 6-3 win. Hutton Moyer hit a pair of home runs, starting with a solo-hot and then a grand slam later in the game to drive in five of the team's six runs. Jackson McClelland got the start on the mound and tossed 7.0 scoreless innings to pick up the win. The Waves then took both games of a doubleheader the following day, getting a 3-2 victory in the opener thanks to a game-ending outfield assist at home plate from Brandon Caruso and 8.0 innings of work on the mound from A.J. Puckett. Pepperdine then plated nine runs on 13 hits to close out the sweep with a 9-6 win.

WALK-OFF WIN: The Waves scored a dramatic victory to cap its series against Tulane, getting a walk-off, two-run homer from Jordan Qsar. Qsar's long ball was one of two hits on the day for Pepperdine. It was the first career home run for the freshman.

COMING ON STRONG: After a slow start to the year, Brad Anderson had a breakout week against Hawaii last weekend. Anderson led the Waves to a 3-2 week, driving in a team-high 10 runs and hitting two homers in his five starts. The junior first baseman opened a four-game series against Hawaii with a 2-for-3 day at the plate, driving in three runs and hitting one homer. Anderson then finished the series by driving in four runs on two hits, including a three-run homer late in the game that gave the Waves a five-run cushion. He hit .316 on the week, with six hits and four walks.

HITTING THE ROAD: The Waves' had only one road game in the month of January, but will now play eight of their next nine away from the friendly confines of Malibu. The only home game is on March 10 vs. UCLA.

WCC CHAMPS: The Waves won the regular-season WCC Championship last year, making it the program's 17th regular-season title and second in the past three years after winning the 2012 title. Pepperdine also grabbed the conference tournament title, going 3-0 in Stockton, Calif. to lock up the WCC's automatic bid. It was just the second year the WCC has used the four-team format and the first time the Waves have won it.

POSTSEASON HISTORY: The Waves have made their 28th appearance in NCAA postseason play last season, advancing to the first ever NCAA Super Regional since the round was instated in 1999. Pepperdine advanced by winning the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Regional, defeating Cal Poly and Arizona State to move on. The Waves eventually fell to TCU, two games to one in the best of three series. Pepperdine won a College World Series title in 1992 and has appeared in the College World Series twice (`79, `92).

COACHES POLL: With the release of the 2015 WCC Preseason Coaches Poll, Pepperdine was picked to finish second in the conference. The Waves tallied 72 total points in the coaches poll, with three first-place votes, to sit behind cross-town rival LMU (77 points, 6 first place). San Diego received the remaining first-place vote. The defending champion Waves were picked second in the preseason poll last year as well. Pepperdine also placed one player on the preseason all-conference team with Hutton Moyer making the list as an infielder.

WAVES ROSTER BREAKDOWN: This year's Waves squad features a good balance of veterans and young talent, with 18 returners and 15 newcomers on the roster. The Waves have two seniors, six juniors, 12 sophomores and 15 freshmen. Two of the four Waves' probable starting pitchers are returners and six of the probable starting position players were with the team last season as well.

ABOUT PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY: Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won NCAA Division I championships in five different men's sports - one of just 16 schools to have accomplished this feat - and nine overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment and is the only school not affiliated with a BCS-level conference. The Waves have earned the Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy, an award based on postseason success that's given to the top non-football school, three times (most recently in 2011-12). Located in scenic Malibu, Calif., the university overlooks the Pacific Ocean and its campus and athletic facilities are regularly voted among the nation's most beautiful. Pepperdine, which is affiliated with the Church of Christ, ranks #57 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.