COMING UP: vs. Simpson, Tuesday, 1 p.m.; vs. Corban (DH), Saturday, 12 p.m.; vs. Corban (DH), Sunday, 11 a.m.

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: All five games this week will be streamed live on the Owls Sports Network with Mike Safford on the call, with Live Stats provided through the OIT SIDEARM Stats Portal.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – SIMPSON: The home-and-home non-conference series between Tech and Simpson heads to Klamath on Tuesday, as the Redhawks (19-26) prepare for the California Pacific Conference tournament as the No. 3 seed. As a team, SU is hitting .278 with 37 home runs – paced by centerfielder Logan Gomes (.315 15 HR 41 RBI), designated hitter Alex Tolbert (.301 6 HR 22 RBI), third baseman Max Lopez (.283 5 HR 24 RBI) and second baseman Kade Kupihea (.323 0 HR 10 RBI). On the mound, the Redhawks have a 6.70 team ERA – led by starters Garrett Brogdon (3-1 4.71 ERA) and Eric Winchester (3-5 5.52 ERA), along with reliever Chad Horton (1-1 3.55 ERA). OIT won the first meeting three weeks ago, 7-4 – their sixth-straight win in the series – with the Owls holding an 86-30 series edge, including a 35-6 mark in the Basin.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – CORBAN: Tech ends the regular-season this weekend, hosting Corban – as the Warriors (9-34, 4-16 CCC) look to snap a 9-game losing streak. The Salem school ranks last in the CCC in both team batting average (.253) and team ERA (10.75) – but have a win this season against the top-two teams in the circuit. The top of the order sets the table for the Corban offense – led by third baseman Ryan Clay (.313 5 HR 29 RBI), centerfielder Brad Pellkofer (.269 8 HR 27 RBI), first baseman Nainoa Kaahanui (.329 5 HR 34 RBI) and catcher Joshua Miyakawa (.293 0 HR 13 RBI). On the mound, no Warrior pitcher has a sub-7.50 ERA, with starters Hayden Van Acker (0-7 7.79 ERA) and Avery Williamson (3-6 8.83 ERA) leading the team in innings and Nathan Findley (1-1 7.71 ERA) the top reliever. Tech won 3-of-4 games in Salem this season, scoring 47 runs in the set, with OIT holding a 81-74 all-time series lead.
 
PLAYOFF SPOT CLINCHED: Friday's win at Bushnell clinched the Hustlin' Owls their third trip to the playoffs in four seasons under head coach Jacob Garsez and their 15th overall playoff appearance. The Owls made five trips to the NAIA District II Tournament (1974, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1989), three trips to the NAIA Region I Tournament (2004, 2005, 2006), four trips to the NAIA West Tournament (2009, 2010, 2013, 2017) and Cascade Conference Tournament appearances in 2021 and 2023. Tech is a combined 12-28 all-time in postseason games.
 
CCC TOURNAMENT SCENARIOS: Heading into the final weekend of the regular-season, LC State holds a 3-game lead on OIT for the top spot in the CCC standings, needing a win or an OIT loss to secure at least a share of the CCC regular-season title. For the Owls to host the CCC Tournament, Tech must sweep Corban and have LC State lose four games to Bushnell. If OIT sweeps Corban, LC loses 3-of-4 to Bushnell and College of Idaho sweeps EOU – all CCC tiebreakers would be even – with a coin flip determining the host site for the tournament.
 
TAM STAYS HOT: The OIT offensive attack at Bushnell was led by leftfielder Ka'ala Tam, who extended his multi-hit game streak to six with a 9-for-18 series. The junior had a pair of doubles, hit his fifth homer of the season, drove in three runs and stole three bases in the four-game set. Tam saw his batting average climb to a season-high .341 – with his conference-only batting average jumping to .400.
 
BLAKELY PROVIDING A BOOST: Tech has platooned players at catcher throughout the season, with Ty Blakely making the most of his opportunity behind the plate. The transfer had a big 3-run double in Game 4 of the series, while over his last three appearances, Blakely is a combined 4-for-10 with two doubles and seven RBI.
 
ORTIZ STREAK SNAPPED: Infielder Matthew Ortiz had his 21-game hit streak snapped in the series opener vs. Bushnell, going 0-for-4 in Game 1 – ending the second-longest hit streak in OIT history. The junior responded in the Game 3 win, going 2-for-4 with a double, triple and three RBI – pushing his career hit total to 199.
 
TRIPLE CROWN THREAT: Heading into the final weekend of the regular-season, catcher/third baseman Tyler Horner has an outside shot of winning the CCC Triple Crown – looking to lead the league in batting average, home runs and RBI. The junior ranks second in the league with a .391 batting average, is second in the league with 13 home runs, while leading the CCC with 50 RBI.
 
CHAPPLE RUNS WIN STREAK TO EIGHT: Right-hander Bronson Chapple continued his statement as potential CCC Pitcher of the Year, winning his eighth-straight decision – tossing seven strong innings in the Game 2 win. The transfer did not walk a batter, striking out eight – pushing his season total to 77 – one off Dylan Grogan's school record of 78 strikeouts from 2022. Chapple has thrown 7-or-more innings in four of his last five starters and leads the league with eight victories.
 
STRONG BULLPEN: The OIT bullpen continued to put up stellar numbers in Springfield, getting quality numbers from multiple arms. In the opener, Landon Cheney closed out the game with two shutout innings, while in Game 2, Brian McClelland worked out of an inherited bases loaded jam, throwing and inning and two-thirds of shutout relief. Tim Williams notched his team-high fifth save with two innings of 1-hit ball in Game 2, while in Game 3, Riley Cronin earned his second save with two shutout innings, fanning a pair. Drake Aboud finished off Game 4, retiring all six batters he faced.
 
SENIOR DAY: Sunday marks the final regular-season home game for seven Hustlin' Owl seniors. Pitchers Patrick Arman, Cody Dubray, Ryan Poling and Collin Brougham, outfielders Kage Southern and Matthew Lehrbach, along with first baseman Kellen Mendez will be honored in a ceremony between Games 3 and 4.
 
AROUND THE CONFERENCE: Last week, LC State took command of the league standings with a road sweep at British Columbia, while College of Idaho swept a 4-game series at Corban. This weekend, the league schedule ends with Bushnell headed to LC, C of I traveling to Eastern Oregon, with UBC having a bye weekend.
 
RECORD BOOK: Eleven OIT players are currently ranked in the Top-25 of the Owls career record book. Patrick Arman holds the school record for wins (21), strikeouts (239), pitching starts (49) and innings pitched (316.2), ranking No. 3 in pitching appearances (60); Cody Dubray is No. 2 in strikeouts (227), No. 3 in pitching starts (37), No. 5 in pitching appearances (55), No. 7 in wins (13), ranking No. 10 in innings pitched (189.2); with Riley Cronin No. 3 in saves (7) and Tim Williams No. 5 in saves (5). Matthew Ortiz is No. 1 in sacrifice flies (14), No. 2 in stolen bases (45), No. 6 in RBI (123), No. 9 in hits (199), runs scored (116), triples (7) and at bats (598), No. 12 in doubles (35), No. 13 in games started (146), No. 14 in walks (57) and No. 16 in games played (146); Tyler Horner is No. 2 in walks (80), No. 3 in RBI (133), No. 4 in home runs (24), No. 6 in doubles (45) and hit-by-pitches (26), No. 8 in hits (205), No. 10 in games started (151) and in at bats (581), No. 15 in games played (151), ranking No. 24 in sacrifice flies (5); Korrey Siracusa is No. 2 in hit-by-pitches (38) and No. 21 in walks (50); Ka'ala Tam is No. 3 in stolen bases (43), No. 9 in hit-by-pitches (22), No. 16 in home runs (12), No. 18 in runs scored (92), No. 19 in RBI (76), No. 20 in triples (5) and No. 25 in at bats (382); Julien Jones is No. 9 in triples (7), No. 16 in home runs (12), No. 17 in stolen bases (25), No. 18 in RBI (77), ranking No. 24 in doubles (24) and just outside the Top-25 in runs scored (73); with Kyle Norton No. 17 in stolen bases (25) and Dane Bradshaw No. 20 in stolen bases (22).
 
LOOKING AHEAD: The Owls will have most of next week off, preparing for the CCC Championships, presented by U.S. Bank, Saturday-Monday (May 4-6) – in Lewiston, Idaho or at Steen Sports Park.