2024 WAC Baseball Release - Week 6

CBU OUT FRONT OF THE WAC STANDINGS
California Baptist enters the new conference week atop the WAC standings with a 3-0 record in league play, earning a home sweep from March 8-10. Grand Canyon officially checked in second at 5-1 (.833), followed by Abilene Christian and Utah Valley at 4-2 (.667). 

ACU’S D’ALESSIO ON FIRE FOR THE WILDCATS LAST WEEK
Abilene Christian graduate utility player Gino D’Alessio was named WAC Player of the Week after hitting a .600 over four games last week against UTSA and UT Arlington, clubbing three home runs while driving in five runs and scoring seven times. D’Alessio hit two home runs and scored four runs in game one against UTA on March 15 and went a perfect 5-for-5 with a home run, stolen base and two runs for the Wildcats in the series finale.

HARDMAN SHUTS THE DOOR ON TWO UTAH TECH WINS
Utah Tech senior right-handed pitcher Ryan Hardman was the difference on the mound late for the Trailblazers in a series win against Sacramento State last weekend. Hardman picked up two saves for Utah Tech in the series victory after a pair of perfect relief showings. Hardman pitched a spotless ninth inning in game one on March 15, striking out two of the three batters he faced in a 9-7 Utah Tech win. Hardman entered in a jam in the eighth inning of game three and retired the final six hitters, three by strikeout, to nail down a 5-4 victory on March 17.

WAC WITH QUALITY NONCON WEEK
WAC teams faced off with nonconference opponents from the Big 12 and PAC-12 Conferences during the midweek slate, with Utah Valley splitting its series with Arizona State thanks to a 7-5 win on March 20 in Tempe. The Wolverines lost a narrow 5-4 decision to the Sun Devils the previous night to kick off the two-game slate.

WAC TEAMS IN THE NCAA STAT RANKINGS
Sacramento State’s Matt Masciangelo remained the national leader in hit by pitch at 15 in the latest NCAA stat rankings as of March 20, also ranking at the top of the hit by pitch per game list at 0.75. Sac State’s JP Smith was eighth in home runs (11) and home runs per game (0.55), and California Baptist’s Michael Carpentier was ninth in doubles with 11 two-baggers.