Gonzaga baseball, picked to finish first in WCC, to rely on defense in 2022

Pitching and defense, also known as the Gonzaga specialty, appear to be the strength of the 2022 baseball team.

A season after finishing seventh in the country in fielding percentage, the Bulldogs only return one starter on the infield, second baseman Mason Marenco, and catchers Tyler Rando and Stephen Lund. Outfielders Jack Machtolf and Grayson Sterling return in 2022. Centerfielder Guthrie Morrison graduated.

The Zags lost three fifth-year seniors in the infield, shortstop Ernie Yake, third baseman Brett Harris and first baseman Andrew Orzel.

“So, we’re going to have to obviously replace those guys, are going to have to step up and play well, and I think that we have a chance to pitch very well,” head coach Mark Machtolf said.

Former two-way player Gabriel Hughes is making the switch to full-time pitcher this season after splitting time at first base in 2021. He knows the rigors of playing defense on a program that emphasizes perfection.

“I know the standards that we’re held to every day,” Hughes said. “And it’s nothing less than a championship standard. So, I feel really safe knowing that I’ve got the best defenders in the West Coast behind me.”

With Hughes dropping his infield role, he had more time this offseason to focus on his off-speed offerings, adding a changeup and curveball to is arsenal.

The rest of the pitching staff has arms galore as the team boasts arguably one of its deepest staffs under Machtolf.

Hughes believes this might be the best staff to ever put on a Bulldog uniform, and that mindset to keep getting deeper and better pitching is and has always been by design.

“When looking at your team, if you if you feel like you can pitch, well, you’re always going to be in games,” Machtolf said.

Machtolf is the reigning West Coast Conference coach of the year and his entering his 19th season. His career record is 521-416-2. The shortened 2020 season aside, the Bulldogs have won 30 games for five-straight seasons and the eighth time in 10 tries.

The Bulldogs expect to win and be in a lot of games with the premium talent they have littered across their roster.

“I think we have an exciting group on the mound this year,” assistant coach Brandon Harmon said. “High-end frontline starting pitching led by Gabriel Hughes and then Trystan Vrieling and William Kempner.”

All three starters are righties, but Kempner doesn’t see that as an issue. He says all three throw different pitches with different arm slots, which will help keep hitter guessing. Kempner also deploys a sidewinder type pitching motion that hides the ball from opposing hitters.

The bullpen will employ aggressive pitchers who will attacks the zone, offering less free passes than they did a season ago, according to Kempner.

Hughes and Kempner were named to the Prospect’s Live preseason All-American list. Collegiate Baseball News projects Hughes to win the WCC Pitcher of the Year award.

Hughes was also added to the Golden Spikes Award preseason watchlist, one of 55 players to be named to the list for best amateur (high school and college) player in the country. Since 2008, the only other Zag to make the list was Marco Gonzales in 2013.

On Wednesday, the Zags were picked to finish first in the WCC by 9 out of the 10 coaches (Machtolf can’t vote for GU).

After peaking at No. 19 in Collegiate Baseball’s rankings in May , the Bulldogs ranked No. 35 in its preseason poll.

The Zags begin play at 5 p.m. on Friday against the University of New Mexico in the Sanderson Ford College Baseball Classic in Surprise, Arizona. Hughes will be on the mound.

This is the sixth season in a row the Bulldogs’ opening day is in Surprise.

They finish off the classic with a doubleheader on Saturday against Oregon State and the Lobos, capped off with a second matinee matchup against the Beavers on Sunday.

All four games will be live streamed on FloSports, but a subscription will be needed.

GU’s home opener is March 22 against Oregon and the Bulldogs open conference play in Provo against BYU on March 24.

The schedule features eight games against 2021 NCAA Tournament teams and the WCC Tournament returns after a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

“(We) really challenge ourselves in the nonconference and we want to go to some really nice venues and that helps us with our RPI,” Machtolf said. “And I think helps us recruit and our kids love it. So yeah, I’m excited. It’s going to be a huge challenge.”