PREVIEW VIDEO | 2016 SCHEDULE

Game Notes

MALIBU, Calif. - The Pepperdine baseball team opens the 2016 season this Friday when it hosts Oakland for a three game series. All three games will be played at Eddy D. Field Stadium, with Friday's opener starting at 2 p.m. and both weekend games set for 1 p.m.

The 2016 campaign marks the first season with Head Coach Rick Hirtensteiner at the helm for the Waves. Hirtensteiner took over the managerial duties this summer after serving as an assistant on staff for the past 17 years.

The Waves went 32-29 last year, winning their second straight WCC Tournament title to earn a berth in the NCAA Fullerton Regional. Pepperdine ousted Clemson and Arizona State in regional play before falling to Cal State Fullerton in the final.

The Waves bring back 22 letter-winners from last year's squad including seven starters in the lineup and two starters from the rotation. Pepperdine also adds 12 players considered newcomers or coming off of redshirt seasons. The Waves were selected second in the WCC's Preseason Coaches Poll, with Aaron Barnett, Brandon Caruso and Ryan Wilson being named to the preseason all-conference team.

We sat down with Coach Hirtensteiner and some of the veterans to get their thoughts on the upcoming year:

"We're coming off of a successful year and returning a lot of position players and pitchers from that lineup, so the expectation is that we will compete for a WCC title," said Hirtensteiner. "I think that's always the expectation with our program. We've also added a little bit of depth on both sides of the ball and I believe we have a balanced attack. We shouldn't have any glaring weaknesses and we're ready to get out there and compete."

Coach Hirtensteiner on the offense: "We lost 14 home runs from our lineup in Hutton Moyer and we're not going to make up for that with just one guy. This is going to be a balanced lineup that does most things well, but doesn't have just one guy who will carry it. Our strikeouts were high last year and I expect that number to come down this season. It's also going to be a lineup that is balanced in terms of left and right-handed hitters. We have a lot of options in that area. There are also some guys who I expect to make some big jumps this year in Jeremy Goldenetz and Ben Rodriguez. Then, with our returning starters, I think we know what we can expect from guys like Barnett, Caruso and Brad Anderson. Barnett especially has been swinging a good bat this offseason. We have some good depth and it's tough to know where everyone fits just yet, but the guys will be competing for spots."

Coach Hirtensteiner on the defense: "I expect us to be better defensively. I thought that was a little bit of a weakness for us last year, so it's been a point of emphasis this offseason. Cooper Fouts has done a great job working with the defense, especially the infield, and I'm excited to see where we're at. The guys have really bought in to what we want from them."

Coach Hirtensteiner on the pitching: "A.J. Puckett is a fantastic leader to have on this staff. He competes, is a hard-worker and just an overall great team guy. We're looking for him to lead us from that Friday spot every week. After that, there is a lot of competition and I think we have even more guys from last year fighting for spots. Kiko Garcia has made improvements coming into this year and he'll get a chance this weekend, along with Chandler Blanchard. Max Gamboa looks great again, as well, and we expect him to do a solid job as our closer. Easton Lucas is a freshman lefty out of Simi Valley that we expect to compete for some innings as well, and even he could pitch his way into the weekend. It would be nice to have the rotation set a little more than it is at this point, but we have plenty of guys competing for spots.

Game Notes:

THIS WEEK FOR THE WAVES: The Pepperdine baseball team opens the 2016 season at home this weekend, taking on the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in a three-game series. Play starts on Friday at 2 p.m. at Eddy D. Field Stadium.

SCHEDULE
Friday, Feb. 19 - 2 p.m. (PT)
Saturday, Feb. 20 - 1 p.m. (PT)
Sunday, Feb. 21 - 1 p.m. (PT)

COVERAGE: All three games will be shown live on WaveCasts via TheW.tv. Live statistics will also be available at PepperdineSports.com.

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).

OPENING AT HOME: The Waves open the 2016 season with seven straight home games and play 12 of their first 16 games before WCC play starts in the friendly confines of Eddy D. Field Stadium.

ROSTER BREAKDOWN
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 22/10
Starters Returning/Lost (lineup): 7/2
Starters Returning/Lost (pitchers): 2/1
Newcomers, Off Redshirts: 14
Class: SR-3, JR-9 (1-RS), SO-10 (2-RS), 14-FR (2-RS)

PITCHING PROBABLES
Fri: (PEP) RHP A.J. Puckett vs. (OAK) RHP Aaron Dehn
Sat: (PEP) RHP Kiko Garcia vs. (OAK) RHP Joe Buchalski
Sun: (PEP) RHP Chandler Blanchard vs. (OAK) RHP Tyler Palm

TOP RETURNERS:
Pitchers - RHP A.J. Puckett (7-5, 4.35 ERA, 81 K, 31 BB), LHP Ryan Wilson (8-3, 3.78 ERA, 69 K, 42 BB), RHP Max Gamboa (6-2, 2.89 ERA, 8 SV, 41 K, 20 BB), RHP Chandler Blanchard (4-4, 4.99 ERA, 4 SV, 33 K, 16 BB)
Hitters - OF Brandon Caruso (.309 BA, 26 RBI, 3 HR, 19 2B, 2 3B), C Aaron Barnett (.303 BA, 27 RBI, 10 2B), Brad Anderson (.278 BA, 41 RBI, 10 HR, 8 2B)

2016 COACHES POLL: With the release of the 2016 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 San Diego (76 points, 6 first place). LMU received the remaining first-place vote. The defending conference tournament champion Waves were picked second in the preseason poll last year as well. Pepperdine also placed three players on the preseason all-conference team with Aaron Barnett, Brandon Caruso and Ryan Wilson all on the list.

2015 SEASON CAPSULE: The Waves finished 2015 with a 32-29 overall record and a 17-10 WCC mark. The Waves finished the regular season second in the conference standings, but went on to win a second straight WCC Tournament title to secure the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Waves drew the #4 seed in the Fullerton Regional, but advanced to the regional final after knocking off Clemson and Arizona State. Pepperdine would eventually fall to host Cal State Fullerton, ending the Waves' season.

MOVING ON: Pepperdine lost four key contributors from last year's squad, including two graduated seniors and two draftees. Kolten Yamaguchi, a catcher and designated hitter for the Waves last year, and reliever Mat Snider graduated. Hutton Moyer was selected in the seventh round of the MLB Draft by the Angels and Jackson McClelland was picked in the 15th round by the Blue Jays. Yamaguchi is still with the team serving as a graduate manager.

2015 ALL-WCC: Pepperdine had seven players honored on the WCC postseason awards last season. Hutton Moyer and Brandon Caruso took home All-WCC first team accolades, while Jackson McClelland was named to the All-WCC second team, and Jordan Qsar and Ryan Wilson grabbed All-Freshman Team honors. Aaron Barnett and Matt Gelalich received honorable mention.

COACHING STAFF: 2016 marks the first season of Head Coach Rick Hirtensteiner's tenure at the helm for Pepperdine. Hirtensteiner served as an assistant on the Waves' staff for 17 years prior to taking over for Steve Rodriguez, who left for Baylor this past summer. Hirtensteiner hired Cooper Fouts, who previously served as a volunteer assistant with the Waves from 2011-12, to serve as the team's recruiting coordinator and hitting coach. Hirtensteiner tabbed Rolando Garza to fill the team's role as pitching coach, after former pitching instructor Jon Strauss also left to fill the same role with Rodriguez at Baylor. Fouts was previously an assistant at Utah Valley, while Garza served as the pitching coach at Riverside Community College.

POSTSEASON HISTORY: The Waves made their 29th appearance in NCAA postseason play last season, advancing to the NCAA Fullerton Regional final. In 2014 Pepperdine made its first ever NCAA Super Regional after winning the San Luis Obispo Regional Tournament. 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 (1979, 1992).

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.