THE RECORDS
Linfield and Pacific Lutheran enter the series tied for second place in the Northwest Conference standings with 12-9 conference records. The Wildcats are 16-14 overall while the Lutes sit at 19-12. The Lutes were picked third in the NWC Preseason Coaches Poll while the 'Cats were picked eighth.
 
Action starts with a doubleheader on Friday and the finale on Saturday. First pitch for both days is set for noon at the Pacific Lutheran baseball field in Tacoma, Washington.
 
LINFIELD AT A GLANCE
The Wildcats took two games from George Fox last week to earn their second straight NWC series win. Colton Meyer picked up a save in each end of Saturday's doubleheader sweep of the Bruins. The hard-throwing lefty is 4-0 on the season with five saves and a team-leading 1.74 ERA. Skyler Manelski has also been solid out of the bullpen with a 2.00 ERA in 17 appearances. Jackson Koons has settled well into the starting rotation. He has three wins and 21 Ks on the season.
 
Tanner Jacques leads the Wildcat offense with a .306 batting average, 41 hits and 25 runs. Branden Pasion is batting .304 with 16 RBI while Daniel Kahn has driven in 21 runs and leads the team with 10 doubles. Mike LaVigne (.296) is batting just under .300.
 
PACIFIC LUTHERAN AT A GLANCE
The Lutes dropped two games in their series with Whitman last week. They're batting .308 and are outscoring opponents 208-171. Andy Schmitz, Cole Trotignon, Tori Doten and Jordan Haworth have started in all 31 games. All four are batting above .300, led by Schmitz's .360 average. Schmitz leads the team with 50 hits, 30 runs and four triples. Trotignon has driven in 34 runs and leads the team with seven home runs while Doten has six homers. Haworth is 13 for 14 on stolen base attempts.
 
Spencer Howell and Tommy Snyder are both 5-1 on the mound. Howell owns a 3.06 ERA while Snyder leads the team with 52 punchouts. Noah Ferguson is 4-1 with 41 Ks and a 2.63 ERA in 13 relief appearances.
 
THE SERIES
Linfield and Pacific Lutheran have met 168 times in their all-time series. The Wildcats have won 111 of those games. The longest win streak for the 'Cats was 19 straight games between the 1988 and 1994 seasons. The 'Cats are 92-43 against the Lutes in NWC play and 48-24 in Tacoma. The two teams met eight times in 2021 with the Lutes winning six of those games, including a four-game series sweep in NWC play.