TACOMA, Washington – For the first time this season, the Puget Sound baseball team heads to eastern Washington where it has a three-game series at Whitworth, April 9-10. Saturday's doubleheader begins at 12 p.m., and Sunday's single game also starts at 12 p.m.
 
Tuesday split
The Loggers hosted Lewis & Clark for a conference doubleheader earlier this week (April 5). The Pioneers won the first game, 11-4, and the Loggers won the second game, 15-1. Dylan Joyce belted his 10^th home run of the season, while Clayton Waltz and Shane Himeda also cleared the fences that day.
 
Can't tame Shane
Shane Himeda is the conference's second-leading hitter with a .443 batting average. His .560 on-base percentage includes a conference-high 13 hit-by-pitches. Himeda enters this weekend with a nine-game hitting streak, during which he is hitting 19-for-34 (.559).
 
Records will fall
Kyle Strash is just one start and two walks away from becoming Puget Sound's all-time leader in each category. His 179 hits rank fourth all-time in school history. Strash is just one hit away from tying head coach Jeff Halstead on the all-time leaderboard.
 
Jacob's ladder
Jacob Ota's batting average has been on a steady climb thanks to his current seven-game hitting streak. He is hitting 10-for-27 (.370) during the streak.
 
8 for eight
Makana Murashige, who wears No. 8 on his back, enters this weekend with an eight-game hitting streak. He is 14-for-36 (.389) at the plate in his last eight games.
 
Ohtani of the NWC
Dylan Joyce not only leads the Loggers in home runs, but he also has a team-best 1.06 ERA. He has allowed only 15 hits and struck out 25 in his 17.0 innings on the mound.
 
The right read
Puget Sound has swiped 31 bases this season, and the Loggers have been caught stealing on twice. Makana Murashige is 10-for-11 in stolen base attempts. Shane Himeda is 7-for-7 on the bases, and Jackson Bolitho is 6-for-6.
 
Scouting Whitworth (6-23, 5-13 NWC)
The Pirates enter this weekend with four losses in their last five games. Among all nine NWC teams, Whitworth ranks last in hitting (.231) and ERA (7.96). Jaxsen Sweum is the only Pirate batting over .300 (.327) this season (min. 20 AB). He also has a team-high eight home runs.