TACOMA, Washington – Following its annual non-conference games at Cheney Stadium, the Puget Sound baseball team returns to Northwest Conference action when the Loggers head to Spokane for a three-game series at Whitworth.
 
Postseason on the line
Puget Sound enters the weekend with a 10-11 record in the conference, which is just one game out from the No. 4 seed for the NWC Tournament. Pacific (18-6) already locked in the No. 1 seed, while Willamette (14-7) clinched a postseason berth. Puget Sound trails Lewis & Clark (12-9) and Pacific Lutheran (11-10) in the NWC standings, while Whitman is also 10-11 in the NWC.
 
Tacoma's baseball teams
Puget Sound hosted NCAA D-II St. Martin's at Cheney Stadium Wednesday this week. Cheney Stadium is home to the Seattle Mariners' triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers. Gio Parascondola hit a home run and the Loggers nearly completed a comeback bid, but the Saints held on for a 7-5 win.
 
Drew it up that way
Sophomore centerfielder Drew Kamihara has settled in as the Loggers' leadoff hitter. Kamihara enters the weekend with an 18-game hitting streak, including five consecutive games with multiple hits. Kamihara is hitting .388 for the season.
 
Joyce inches closer to another record
Senior Dylan Joyce is Puget Sound's home run king (36), and he is nearing another school record. Joyce needs just six more RBI to match the school record (131) held by Olin Wick '04. He has 11 home runs and 38 RBI while hitting .400 this season.
 
Franklin gets conference nod
Davis Franklin was named the NWC Pitcher of the Week after he struck out a career-high 12 batters in a win at Lewis & Clark (April 5). Franklin threw 6.1 innings to improve to 7-2, and at the time it made him the NCAA D-III leader for wins.
 
Huante on the mic
Senior second baseman Gabe Huante was mic'd up during the Loggers' game at Cheney Stadium (click HERE).
 
Scouting Whitworth (9-23, 6-15 NWC)
The Pirates enter the weekend with five losses in their last six games, including a 13-inning loss against George Fox (April 2). Whitworth has the lowest team batting average in the NWC (.259), and its 7.19 ERA also ranks last. Henry Zaske leads the team in hitting (.372), and Elijah Tanner follows closely (.360). Tanner also has a team-high nine steals. No Pirate has more than two home runs this season.