PORTLAND, ORE. – The Pepperdine baseball team continues conference play, traveling to Oregon for a three-game series against Portland.
 
GAME #33— Pepperdine (8-24, 5-4) vs Portland (14-19, 7-2) | Friday, April 11 | 6:00 p.m. | Joe Etzel Field | Portland, Ore.
 
GAME #34— Pepperdine vs Portland | Saturday, April 12 | 3:00 p.m. | Joe Etzel Field | Portland, Ore.
 
GAME #35— Pepperdine vs Portland | Tuesday, April 8 |1:00 p.m. | Joe Etzel Field | Portland, Ore.
 
COVERAGE: The games will all be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required). Links to the broadcasts as well as live stats will be available at pepperdinewaves.com.
 
SERIES VS. PORTLAND: All-time, Pepperdine is 77-31 against Portland, including a 0-3 sweep by the Pilots last season. The last win for the Waves came in Malibu in 2022, with a 2-1 series victory. The last win at Joe Etzel field was in 2021 with a 7-5 victory, but the last series victory in Portland would be tracked back to 2019.
 
SCOUTING THE PILOTS:  With an overall record of 14-19, including 7-2 in conference, Portland currently sits in second place in the WCC, just one win behind Gonzaga. Most recently coming off a loss to #8 Oregon State, the Pilots have taken every series in conference so far, including a sweep over Pacific. Offensively, three players are hitting over .300 with Tyler Howard boasting a .989 OPS. On the mound, the three probable starters combine for an average ERA of 5.46. 
 
PROBABLE STARTERS: The three starters for Portland are RHP Curtis Hebert, RHP Carter Gaston, and LHP Ryan Rembisz. Rembisz threw a no-hitter Feb. 25 in the 8-0 win over Seattle. The Friday starter, Hebert, has the best ERA at 3.23 while the Saturday probable, Gaston, has a 7.75 ERA so far this season. In the Waves' typical lineup of Scavone, Boyer, and Stewart, it is mirrored with the Friday starter, Scavone having the lowest ERA while the Saturday starter, Boyer, has the highest.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Waves lost control of the midweek against UCSB in the latter innings to drop a 9-4 game. Ahead in the first four innings, five runs allowed by the Pepperdine defense in the fifth would prove to be the deciding factor for Pepperdine in the Tuesday afternoon matchup. Of note in the game, redshirt sophomore Joe Cardinale got an inside-the-park home run for the Waves' most productive offensive inning in the third.

WCC PRESEASON: Identical to last season, Pepperdine is predicted to finish seventh in the West Coast Conference this year. The whole list is as follows:
1. San Diego 2. Portland T-3. Gonzaga T-3. Saint Mary's 5. Santa Clara 6. LMU 7. Pepperdine 8. San Francisco; 9. Pacific.
 
YARD SALE: So far this season, nine different Waves have notched a home run, with freshman Joey Damelio and seniors Andrew Savage and Julian Nunez hitting multiple. All but four have been solo shots, accounting for just under 22 percent of total runs scored this season.
 
UP WITH UPSTILL: Graduate Nick Upstill leads the Waves with a .318 batting average, including a team-high eight extra base hits. With a perfect stolen base percentage, the Huntington Beach native is intentional when he is on base, reflected by his statistics as he leads Pepperdine in nearly all offensive categories.
 
WAVES IN THE DRAFT: In the 2019 MLB Draft, Easton Lucas was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the 14th round with the 411th overall pick. He made his big league debut with the Oakland Athletics on 9/8/23 as a relieving pitcher against the Texas Rangers. Actively, Lucas has transitioned into a starter role with the Toronto Bluejays and through two starts this season, has pitched 10.1 scoreless innings.
 
In 2023, middle infielders Ryan Johnson and John Peck were both selected in the MLB Draft. Peck was the Waves' highest drafted player since 2016, having been selected in the seventh round by the Detroit Tigers. Johnson was drafted in the eighth round by the Houston Astros. This is the first time since 2010 that Pepperdine had two picks in the first eight rounds. Left handed pitcher Shane Telfer also signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks on 7/17/23.
 
Last season, Billy Cook premiered in the majors with the Pittburgh Pirates, orignially drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 10th round of the 2021 MLB Draft. 
 
POSTSEASON HISTORY:  Pepperdine won its only College World Series title in 1992 and also played in the 1979 CWS. The Waves made their 30th and most recent appearance in NCAA postseason play in 2015, 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.
 
TICKETS: Season tickets are now available for just $99! Any group inquiries for discounted rates can contact alrick.drummond@pepperdine.edu. All tickets can be purchased at tickets.pepperdinewaves.com. Register your youngster today to get exclusive perks like a JR WAVES t shirt and access to home events. Email joey.swett@pepperdine.edu for all interests.
 
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 20 schools to have accomplished this feat — and 10 overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment, is the only school without football and is the only university that has not been affiliated with a "major" conference. The Waves have won a total of 26 team or individual national championships in their history. Pepperdine has also earned the Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy, an award based on postseason success that's given to the top non-football school, five times (most recently in back-to-back years during the 2022-23 and 2021-22). Located in scenic Malibu, California, 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 #76 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.