COLLEGE PREVIEW: WASHINGTON STATE Southpaws aplenty in Cougs’ 2018 schedule Times and dates are subject to change. All times are Pacific. (*) = Pac-12 game. eft-handers only make up about 10 percent of the world’s population, 2/16 UC Riverside Tempe, Ariz. 11a per a quick Google search, but lefties are set to make up 80 percent of COUGARS Washington State’s starting . 2/17 Nebraska Tempe, Ariz. 11a L Some pitchers will undoubtedly fluctuate between starter and re- 2/18 Nebraska Tempe, Ariz. 11a liever throughout the season until everyone settles into 2/18 UC Riverside Tempe, Ariz. 3p a role, but coach Marty Lees already has his top three 2/20 Grand Canyon Phoenix 6p starters picked out: seniors Cody Anderson and Scotty 2/23 Alabama Tuscaloosa, Ala. 1p Sunitsch and sophomore Isaac Mullins. 2/24 Alabama Tuscaloosa, Ala. 11a Anderson posted a 5-4 record and 3.40 ERA as the Cou- 2/25 Alabama Tuscaloosa, Ala. 7a gars’ ace last season and Sunitsch moves to the rotation after 3/1 Sacramento St. Pullman 4p posting a 4.17 ERA and eight saves as the team’s closer. 3/2 Sacramento St. Pullman 4p Mullins hopes to improve on his last season numbers 3/3 Sacramento St. Pullman 2p after going 2-4 with a 6.14 ERA in 291/3 . 3/4 Sacramento St. Pullman 1p “We’re able to start possibly all three lefthanders right 3/8 Saint Mary’s Pullman 4p > CoaCh now, but we’d like to be able to get to where those right- 3/9 Saint Mary’s Pullman 4p Marty Lees, third handers emerge,” Lees said. “Then we can maybe has Sr.-LHP 3/10 Saint Mary’s Pullman 2p year, 43-64 overall some flexibility with the lineups as the season starts.” 3/11 Saint Mary’s Pullman 1p Throw in lefty > 2017 A.J. Block (0-3, 6.89) and you start to CODY ANDERSON 3/14 Long Beach St. Long Beach, Calif. 6p wonder if the Cougars have enough left-handed gloves 3/16 UCLA * Los Angeles 6p 24-29 overall, to go around. 3/17 UCLA * Los Angeles 2p 10-20 Pac-12 Among the Cougars’ best right-handed pitchers is Ryan The Cougars’ most experienced starter leads 3/18 UCLA * Los Angeles 1p Walker, who went 5-5 last season and is expected to be 3/23 Arizona * Tucson, Ariz. 6p the top reliever. an experienced staff that But regardless of who settles into the starter and reliever roles, Lees expects Lees says he expects to show 3/24 Arizona * Tucson, Ariz. 6p to see improved play from a pitching squad that tallied the second-fewest improvement this season. 3/25 Arizona * Tucson, Ariz. 1p (352) and third-worst ERA (5.50) in the Pac-12. WSU was ninth in the Pac-12 3/29 Arizona St. * Pullman 6p “What we’re really hoping for is we need some changes in that pitching last season with a 5.50 ERA, 3/30 Arizona St. * Pullman 5p staff,” he said. “Some guys have not performed as well as what you need to do but Anderson (3.40 ERA) held 3/31 Arizona St. * Pullman noon opponents to a .239 BA, 10th- 4/3 Gonzaga Pullman 5p in this league on the mound the last couple years, so it’s time for the older kids lowest in the league. to take the bull by the horns.” 4/6 Oregon * Eugene, Ore. 6p 4/7 Oregon * Eugene, Ore. 2p 4/8 Oregon * Eugene, Ore. noon COUGARS 4/13 California * Pullman 5p COUGARS COUGARS 4/14 California * Pullman 2p 4/15 California * Pullman 1p 4/17 Gonzaga Spokane 6p 4/20 Santa Clara Pullman 5p 4/21 Santa Clara Pullman 2p 4/22 Santa Clara Pullman 1p 4/25 Seattle Bellevue, Wash. 3p 4/27 Washington * Seattle 7p 4/28 Washington * Seattle 7p 4/29 Washington * Seattle 1p 5/4 Oregon St. * Pullman 5p 5/5 Oregon St. * Pullman 5p Jr.-2B Soph.-3B 5/6 Oregon St. * Pullman 1p Jr.-SS 5/11 USC * Pullman 5p 5/12 USC * Pullman 2p JUSTIN HARRER DILLON PLEW 5/13 USC * Pullman 1p ANDRES ALV AREZ 5/15 Gonzaga Pullman 5p Moving from the outfield back The true sophomore has big 5/18 Stanford * Stanford, Calif. 6p to the infield this season. cleats to fill, sliding from Dazzled at the plate during 5/19 Stanford * Stanford, Calif. 1:30p The 6-3 junior was tied for second base to third to his sophomore campaign, his 5/20 Stanford * Stanford, Calif. noon first as a Coug, with a .309 second in the Pac-12 a year replace Washington State’s 5/24 Utah * Pullman 4p ago in doubles (17) and 11th only All-Pac-12 performer, average — second on the team Shane Matheny, who erupted and first among returners. 5/25 Utah * Pullman 4p in slugging percentage (.509). 5/26 Utah * Pullman noon Now all he needs to do is cut to a breakout season and Also one of only two players back on his 54 strikeouts moved on to the Single-A to start all 53 games. — fourth most in the league. Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. Returning leaders > THIRD BASE No. Player yr thr BattING aVeraGe Projected lineup 11 Dillon Plew Soph. L R > STARTING PITCHING Andres Alvarez ...... 308 12 Jack Smith Fr. R R 23 Scotty Sunitsch Sr. L Justin Harrer ...... 298 No. Player yr Bats thr > CATCHER 32 Cody Anderson Sr. L J.J. Hancock ...... 298 > FIRST BASE 19 Cal Waterman Soph. R R 32 Isaac Mullins Soph. L rUNs BatteD IN 10 James Rudkin Sr. R L 22 Robert Teel Jr. R R 20 A.J. Block Soph. L Justin Harrer ...... 32 44 Wyatt Segle Jr. R R > OUTFIELD 34 Parker McFadden Jr. R James Rudkin ...... 32 > SECOND BASE > 17 Blake Clanton Sr. L R RELIEF PITCHING earNeD aVeraGe 5 Justin Harrer Jr. R R 2 Danny Sinatro Soph. L R 30 Ryan Walker Sr. R Cody Anderson ...... 3.40 6 Mason De La Cruz Fr. R R 4 J.J. Hancock Sr. L R 15 Nick Strange Jr. R Scotty Sunitsch ...... 4.17 > SHORTSTOP 40 Dustin Yates Soph. R R 27 Michael Newstrom Fr. L 3 Andres Alvarez Jr. R R 1 Derek Chapman Sr. L R 24 Hayden Rosenkrantz Fr. R TRIBUNE GRAPHIC/STEPHAN WIEBE, MATT BANEY 6 Mason De La Cruz Fr. R R 5 Justin Harrer Jr. R R 35 Collin Maier Sr. R PHOTOS COURTESY OF WASHINGTON STATE