Baseball 5/1/2026 10:49:00 PM

Baseball Beats First-Place Bulldogs in Series Opener

Johnny Luetzow turned in his fourth three-hit game of 2026 Friday at Gonzaga.

SPOKANE, Wash. — The Santa Clara University baseball team scored early and rode shutdown pitching Friday to beat first-place Gonzaga, 5-3, in the team's West Coast Conference series opener at Patterson Baseball Complex.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Broncos (17-27, 6-13 WCC) scored a run in the first inning without a hit thanks to two leadoff walks, immediately giving starter Max Bayles a lead. Thomas Ferroggiaro added to that lead in the second with a towering two-run home run to right field after another walk earlier in the frame, making it 3-0 Broncos. Santa Clara was handed eight free base runners (seven walks, one hit-by-pitch) and outhit the Bulldogs (27-16, 15-4 WCC) 11-7, causing stress on the base paths all night long.
Gonzaga got its first run of the game in the fourth, breaking through against Bayles with a two-out RBI single to make it 3-1. Solo home runs by Jacob Wrubleski in the sixth and Ryder Young in the ninth were all the offense Gonzaga could muster, as it went 1 for 8 (.125) with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners on base, four of them on second and third.
Bayles struck out four Friday to reach 239 career strikeouts, tying him for 10th all-time in the Santa Clara record book. He only allowed one run in 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision. Josh Johnson (2-1) also struck out four in relief of Bayles, getting the Broncos out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth and throwing 2 1/3 innings while only allowing Wrubleski's solo homer to earn the victory.
RJ Meyn threw 1 1/3 innings of shutout relief, not allowing a hit and striking out two. Hunter Hargett earned his fifth save of the season in the ninth, only allowing Young's solo shot and striking out one. His five saves are the most by a Bronco in a single season since Bayles also saved five games in 2024.
The Broncos put together a crucial rally for insurance runs in the sixth that ended up being the difference in the game. Mateo Garcia hit his 12th double of the season and would score when Spokane native Andrew Rayment drove him in with an RBI single. Then Rayment, who went to Mt. Spokane High School only 10 miles from Gonzaga's campus, came around to score on Johnny Luetzow's two-out RBI single, his third hit of the game.
Lutezow went 3 for 5 with an RBI to lead all players. Rayment went 2 for 4 and Will Anderson went 2 for 5 with a double and an RBI. Ferroggiaro reached base four times batting in the leadoff spot, going 1 for 2 with his home run and three walks. Wrubleski had Gonzaga's lone multi-hit performance, going 2 for 4 with a home run, two RBIs and a run scored.
The Bulldogs' Justin Feld (6-1) suffered his first defeat of the season, allowing five runs on seven hits and four walks in 5 1/3 innings. Garrett Gores saved the rest of Gonzaga's bullpen for the weekend by throwing 3 2/3 innings of shutout relief despite issuing three walks and allowing four hits.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

7: The Broncos' 11 hits at the plate and 11 strikeouts on the mound Friday marked the seventh time this season the offense has had double-digit hits and the pitching staff has recorded double-digit strikeouts in the same game. They're 5-2 in those games.
244: Next on the Santa Clara career strikeouts list for Bayles to pass is All-American Mike Frank (1994-97), who struck out 244 across four seasons.

COMING UP

Saturday's game two is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start. Fans can find all live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.

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Players Mentioned

#45 Max Bayles: RHP; 6' 3"; Junior

#7 Thomas Ferroggiaro: IF; 5' 10"; Senior

#20 Mateo Garcia: IF; 6' 0"; Senior

#48 Josh Johnson: RHP; 6' 2"; Graduate Student

#22 Johnny Luetzow: C; 6' 0"; Senior

#43 RJ Meyn: LHP; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#27 Andrew Rayment: OF; 6' 5"; Sophomore

#17 Will Anderson: INF/OF; 6' 2"; Junior

#46 Hunter Hargett: RHP; 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior

Players Mentioned

#45 Max Bayles
: 6' 3"; Junior
: RHP

#7 Thomas Ferroggiaro
: 5' 10"; Senior
: IF

#20 Mateo Garcia
: 6' 0"; Senior
: IF

#48 Josh Johnson
: 6' 2"; Graduate Student
: RHP

#22 Johnny Luetzow
: 6' 0"; Senior
: C

#43 RJ Meyn
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: LHP

#27 Andrew Rayment
: 6' 5"; Sophomore
: OF

#17 Will Anderson
: 6' 2"; Junior
: INF/OF

#46 Hunter Hargett
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior
: RHP