MORAGA, Calif. — After a majority of the 2020 baseball season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, baseball has finally returned to Louis Guisto Field. Saint Mary's is set to begin their 2021 campaign at home this weekend with a four-game series against Utah Valley, members of the Western Athletic Conference.
 
THE DETAILS
Utah Valley Wolverines (5-14 in 2020) vs. Saint Mary's Gaels (8-8 in 2020)
Friday-Sunday, February 19-21
Louis Guisto Field – Moraga, Calif.
Friday: 2:00 pm (Watch Live | Live Stats)
Saturday Game 1: 10:00 am (Watch Live | Live Stats)
Saturday Game 2: 2:00 pm (Watch Live | Live Stats)
Sunday: 1:00 pm (Watch Live | Live Stats)
 
LAST SEASON
Saint Mary's ended last year with an 8-8 record in 16 non-conference games, as the season was canceled just before WCC play begin against Pacific. While the Gaels struggled coming out of the gate, they ended the year strong, going 6-1 in the month of March before things were halted. Pitching was a strength of last year's team, finishing just outside the top-50 nationally in team earned run average. For Saint Mary's they return a bulk of their pitching staff, including their Friday and Sunday starters from one season ago.
 
WCC IS BACK
After the 2020 season was halted the week WCC play was slated to begin, the Gaels are scheduled to play WCC games for the first time since 2019. Conference play begins on March 19 as the Gaels host San Diego for a three-game series, and continues all the way through mid-May. Saint Mary's went 17-10 during WCC play in the 2019 season and went all the way to championship game of the WCC tournament before falling to LMU in the title game. The last two teams Saint Mary's saw in the postseason (Gonzaga and LMU) are on the schedule late in the year – at Gonzaga (April 9-11) and vs. LMU (14-16, the final WCC series of the year).
 
ADDITIONAL NOTES
It is important to remember that this 2021 season's schedule is extremely tentative, and is subject to change based on further restrictions and cautions over COVID-19…no fans will be allowed into Louis Guisto Field during the entire 2021 season…live broadcasts of every Saint Mary's home game (with Ben Ross and Brian Brownfield) can be found on the WCC Network throughout the season, with links to every broadcast on the Gaels schedule page.
 
ABOUT UTAH VALLEY
Utah Valley is looking to improve on their 2020 season which saw them go just 5-14. They struggled in a lot of areas, including batting average (.214) and earned run average (5.44), but it's a new year. Jesse Schmit is back atop the rotation, and he dazzled in four starts last year, with an ERA of just 1.08 across 25 innings with 27 strikeouts. Kade Poulsen and Mitch Moralez were the leaders at the plate and both return for the 2021 season, with Poulsen hitting at .357 and Moralez batting .329 come year's end. Utah Valley struggled to hit the ball out of the yard last year, with just one home run in 19 games.
 
CARDBOARD CUTOUTS
We are all excited that Saint Mary's athletics are back, but we understand that it's not quite the same since YOU, THE FANS, are not be able to attend in person. But that doesn't mean you can't be there in body (well, sort of) and spirit, supporting your Gael Athletic Programs! For $75, you can upload your photo to represent you as a cardboard cutout in the stands at one of 6venues on campus (Women's 'Volleyball in UCU Pavilion, Men's and Women's Soccer at Saint Mary's Stadium, Baseball at Louis Guisto Field, Men's and Women's Tennis at the Korth Tennis Complex, Softball at Cottrell Field, or Beach Volleyball at Saint Mary's Campus Courts). A link for more information can be found HERE.
 
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