MORAGA, Calif. - The Gaels continued to roll over the weekend as they took two games over WCC rival Gonzaga to move into a tie for third place with Portland at 12-9. Mathematically, Saint Mary's still has a chance to earn a first round bye in the conference tournament with the two seed if they can sweep Santa Clara and have Portland win their home series over the Zags to end the regular season.
The Gaels showed plenty of guts in their series win over the Bulldogs as each game was decided by one run. After losing the lead in the ninth inning in game one, they got a stellar outing from senior
Dylan Delvecchio in game two as he earned his fourth win of the season. They then held off another late surge from Gonzaga to win 12-11 in the series finale thanks to five home runs and a one-out save from
Garret Plata.
The Gaels will host their final series of the season and close out WCC play against Santa Clara. Game one is slated for Thursday, May 15th at 3:00 PM and tickets can be bought online at smcgaels.com/tickets.
GAME COVERAGE
BSB | Saint Mary's vs. Santa Clara | Br. Ronald Gallagher Stadium
Moraga, Calif. | May 15-17 | 3/3/1 PM
Live Stats |
ESPN+ |
Tickets
GAELS OUTLOOK
Wildest WCC Series of the Season…
With postseason implications and one of the most intense rivalries on the west coast, Saint Mary's vs. Gonzaga lived up to the hype as all three games were decided by one run. The Gaels were able to overcome a ninth inning collapse in game one to win games two and three and win their fourth consecutive conference series. They smashed nine home runs including a season high five in Sunday's finale and scored a combined 26 runs on the weekend.
Senior lefty
Dylan Delvecchio pitched his tail off on Saturday after
Donovan Chriss was scratched from his start just minutes before first pitch due to an injury. Delvecchio completed a career high seven innings allowing just two earned runs en route to his fourth win of the season.
The bats came to play on Sunday as the Gaels connected on five home runs including three consecutive bombs in the second inning off the bats of Madrigal, Kashimoto and Taurek.Gonzaga scored three runs over the final two innings but came up a run short as
Garret Plata secured his second save of the season.
Road Warriors…
In the words of head coach
Eric Valenzuela, "we feel like we lived on the road this season". The Gaels have learned to be comfortable on the road and have been exposed to several different environments over the course of the season. As a result, they have posted their best road record in the modern era, dating back to 2000, at 17-13.
When things don't go their way or they have a quick turnaround with their schedule, they simply say "it's just how we like it". Valenzuela and his staff have instilled a togetherness with their group and it has allowed them to be resilient all season long at home and on the road.
The team's versatility and depth allows them to play in different ways and makes it a challenge for opposing teams to scout and prepare for. Their road winning percentage is the best since 2017 when they won 14 games and were three games above .500. They are the only team in the WCC with a road record above .500.
Eddie Madrigal Enters Single-Season Program Ranks…
Redshirt junior
Eddie Madrigal has had quite the journey over his collegiate career but has persevered to put together a career season in 2025. After suffering a season ending knee injury in 2024, Madrigal has led the Gaels offense with a .361 batting average and 17 home runs. Madrigal has seen time as the team's primary first baseman and also in the DH spot but has put himself firmly in the WCC Player of the Year conversation.
Madrigal leads the conference in home runs (17), RBI (58), hits (70) and slugging percentage (.680). His stellar season has also put him into the top-three single-season program ranks in home runs and RBI and he sits just outside the top-ten in runs scored with 49 on the season.
Madrigal has a chance to be named the program's third conference player of the year and the second over the last three seasons after the program's all-time home run leader in
Christian Almanza won the award in 2023.
Series History…
Saint Mary's is 37-30 in their series history against Santa Clara dating back to 2001. The Gaels went on a nice run winning eight straight from 2018-2021. Since then, the Broncos have had the edge, winning nine of the last thirteen games including four of the last five and a series win in Santa Clara last season.
The two teams met in postseason play back in 2023 where Santa Clara handed the Gaels their first loss in the conference tournament 17-3. Saint Mary's would eventually fall to Portland to end their season.
ABOUT THE BRONCOS (WCC)
The Santa Clara Broncos are fighting for their postseason lives this weekend as they sit in a tie for eighth place at 7-14. They still have a chance to earn the sixth seed in the conference tournament but will need to pull off a sweep and get some help from around the conference.
One thing working for the Broncos all season long has been sophomore pitcher Max Bayles who leads all starters with a 4.38 ERA and leads the WCC with a whopping 102 strikeouts. Bayles will surely make an appearance this week against Saint Mary's with their season on the line.
Santa Clara ranks seventh in the WCC with a .257 team batting average but ranks second with a staff ERA of 5.69. They were able to take a game from conference leader San Diego last weekend as they held the Toreros to just one run in their game two victory. Santa Clara has won four of their last five matchups with Saint Mary's dating back to 2023.
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
