Game Notes

THIS WEEK FOR THE WAVES: The Pepperdine baseball team hits the road for four games this week, playing at No. 8 USC on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and then at Portland for a three-game WCC series over the weekend.

COVERAGE: Tuesday's game will have an audio broadcast on WaveCasts and all three games over the weekend will have audio broadcasts on portlandpilots.com. Check PepperdineSports.com for links to live stats and broadcasts.

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).

LAST WEEK FOR THE WAVES: The Waves played five games last week, finishing the week 2-3. Pepperdine dropped one at Cal State Northridge and two of three at home to LMU. The Waves downed Dartmouth on Wednesday, 6-5, and took the middle game against the Lions, 7-2. Ryan Wilson had another solid start over the weekend against LMU, moving to 4-1 on the year after tossing 6.0 strong innings at home.

SCHEDULE:
Tuesday, March 24 - 6 p.m. (PT) Los Angeles
Friday, March 27 - 3 p.m. (PT) Portland
Saturday, March 28 - 1 p.m. (PT) Portland
Sunday, March 29 - 1 p.m. (PT) Portland

FRESHMAN HURLER: Freshman starter Ryan Wilson has been a key contributor in his role as the team's Sunday starter, moving to 4-0 with a win this past week. Wilson has tossed at least 6.0 innings in five of his six starts this year and has given up more than two earned runs only once. He is second on the team with a 1.86 ERA and has just 13 walks to 28 strikeouts in his 38.2 innings pitched.

ACE IN THE HOLE: Jackson McClelland has proved himself a true ace since moving into the Friday role this season, leading the team with 1.71 ERA in 42.0 innings pitched. He has yet to throw less than six innings in a start this year and has only given up multiple runs three times in six appearances, allowing three runs only once. McClelland has 28 strikeouts on the year and has given up just seven extra-base hits.

GEMS VS HAWAII: The Waves took three of four from Hawaii at home, 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. 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.

ROAD WEEK: Pepperdine plays all four games on the road this week for just the second time this year. The Waves have only two more road weeks left on the schedule this regular season.

HOME SWEET HOME: In 41 years of baseball at Eddy D. Field Stadium, the Waves own an 887-359-13 (.710) record. Last year the Waves went 22-7 in Malibu, matching the lowest home loss total since 2008 and marking the 27th time in program history the team has notched at least 20 home victories. The program record for home wins was set back in 1985 when the Waves went 31-4 at Eddy D. Field Stadium and the record for home winning percentage was set in 1992 (.942, 24-1-1).

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.