Gonzaga students received this memo (below the jump) today from President McCulloh. Should chants mocking previous sexcapades (Davies) be off-limits? How about light-hearted taunts about Mormonism? Make your own decisions. Rumor is ESPN and the Athletic Department are double-checking everything that comes in that door.

#RollZags

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Let me be the first to say.......

CHOOOOOOOOOOOOKE! (Jack and Dan's erupts into cheers). Thank you so much LMU.

We're not out of the woods yet; not even close. Gonzaga lost at Santa Clara and USF last year, and that's this weekend's road swing. Sacre is the only player on the current roster ever to beat the Dons in Memorial Gym (we've lost at USF the last two seasons).

Set your alarm clock to Zombie Nation tomorrow. Game on, Gaels.

Hey everybody-

Collecting video from Tent City today/tonight for our next Slipper TV episode.

Submit questions you'd like the students to answer about the season thus far, players, coaching decisions, concerns, Notre Dame...pretty much anything relevant. ASAP!

 

Making the rounds on GU student facebooks...

Slipper TV Season Opener (via GregTalbott)

Slipper TV is back in 2011-2012! In our season preview video, Gonzaga students react to key losses and returners, the incoming recruiting class, a re-vamped WCC, BYU, and predict how far the Zags go in the NCAA tournament. Give us YOUR perspective by commenting on the video. Roll Zags! 

Hey everybody, long time no post!

Due to the positive reception we got last year, we're bringing back Slipper TV this season with much more consistent campus coverage. The most commented-on posts were the Student Perspective videos, and since tip-off is just over a week away, we want YOUR submissions for our first edition!

What are your 3 biggest questions about the upcoming season you'd like to see the on-campus response to? Remember, students often have inside access (players as friends, etc), so pretty much everything is fair game! Feel free to respond via Facebook and Twitter, too.

Expect the first video out in about a week.

Here's the confirmed big-game home schedule for this season:

1. Washington State, November 14th (Monday)

2. Notre Dame, November 30th (Wednesday)

3. Michigan State, December 10th (Saturday)

4. Arizona, December 17th (Saturday)--Battle In Seattle

5. Butler, December 20th (Tuesday)

According to the release, "the remainder of the schedule will be announced as it becomes finalized." SET UP THOSE TENTS!

As some of you know, I’m broadcasting baseball this summer in the Northwoods League, which, next to the Cape Cod League, is the top summer collegiate baseball league in America. Luckily, I’ve gotten a chance to see some Zags out here in Wisconsin playing for the Green Bay Bullfrogs: Billy Moon, Steven Halcomb, and Andy Hunter, all of whom are making names for themselves in a premier league low on west coast representation.

Read below the jump for updates and scouting reports

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The Bulldog baseball team (22-13-1, 6-3 WCC) kicks off a 13-game roadtrip tonight in Santa Clara against the last-place Broncos (15-22, 2-7). After dropping the final two games of the series to St. Mary's at PBC last weekend, the Zags are now second place in the conference and are no longer nationally-ranked. But after (hopefully) finishing off the weak SCU squad, Gonzaga plays some non-conference games to toughen them up against BYU and Oregon before finishing off the trip against mediocre Portland and Pepperdine teams.

Read below the jump for a preview of the Santa Clara series...

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After a fantastic, warm, sunny weekend in Spokane...we all came back to school and got awful weather. Yesterday and today's games against Washington have been canceled and unfortunately won't be made up. The only other home games the Zags will play this season are at the end of May against USF (two-three weeks after school gets out). The boys are headed for a huge roadtrip now: they'll visit Santa Clara, BYU, Portland, Oregon, and Pepperdine before heading back to PBC to close out the season.

We'll have a SCU preview later this week. Roll Zags!

The SMC Gaels are paying the Zags a visit over the long weekend, starting this evening at 6pm in the Patterson Baseball Complex, with a game tomorrow at 6pm and the series finale Saturday at 1pm. It's a four-day weekend here at Gonzaga, so don't expect much of a crowd, especially with this awful weather outside (it's snowed the last 3/4 days...for real).

The Gaels couldn't be more mediocre this season: a 15-16 overall record, 3-3 WCC. Their pitching has been hit-and-miss (starters shaky and bullpen always gives up late-game runs) and their hitting has been weak. They just lost 2/3 to 14-16 Santa Clara in Moraga.

This Zags should have no problem winning this series, especially since it's in Spokane: GU has won every home series this season.

Roll Zags (heard fans saying it at the park...kinda like it)!

Roll Zags! The Bulldogs continued their rise in the rankings this week after winning the Loyola Marimount series over the weekend, now at #24 in the Baseball America rankings and #29 in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. With the win, Gonzaga (21-11-1) has emerged victorious in both conference series so far. After taking two games, the Zags now sit alone atop the WCC.

Read below the jump for a quick LMU weekend wrap-up

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The #24 Gonzaga Bulldogs and Loyola Marimount University Lions were the bottom two teams in the 2010 WCC baseball standing at season's end. Take a look at the current standings and you'll probably double-take: Gonzaga and LMU are now atop the standings, both with 3-0 WCC records. The Zags play a three-game series at LMU this weekend, and they need to be on upset alert. Big time.

The Lions lineup, led by sophomore slugger, and 2010 freshman All-American, Matt Lowstein, is solid 1-5, but drops off dramatically towards the bottom of the order. It's been the pitching staff that's pushed LMU into second place: their total staff ERA is 2.84, and 3/4 starters have winning records.

Check back on Sunday night for a full series review. GO ZAGS!

After two consecutive weekends of home series sweeps, Gonzaga's baseball team has surged to #24 in the national rankings. The Zags got bulldozed Tuesday night against WSU 11-6, but GU can rebound tonight when they open up WCC play against the San Diego Torreros. They won the 2010 WCC title, graduations have decimated the program, and USD is last place in the conference at 7-19.

Student tailgate in the parking lot from 3pm-6pm tonight! Saturday and Sunday games at 1pm. We'll have a full series recap up Sunday night.

Games broadcast online and on 1510 KGA

Patterson Baseball Complex was a time machine this weekend: the 2011 Lobos played exactly like 2010 Bulldogs.

Inexperienced, impulsive at the plate, and scattered on the mound, UNM showcased just how hard key graduations can hurt a successful program . The three-game series was a testament to the transformation Mark Machtolf's Zags have undergone in the last nine months. Gonzaga (16-8-1) outscored New Mexico (9-20) 26-6 en route to their second straight home series sweep.

Read below the jump for series recap and analysis

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After sweeping nationally-ranked UC-Irvine, the Zags had their nine-game winning streak snapped by WSU in Pullman on Tuesday night 17-11.

Tonight at PBC, the Bulldogs (13-8-1) begin a three-gamer with the  New Mexico Lobos (9-17). UNM's underclassman-laden roster plays to Gonzaga's favor, especially since the Lobos are on a two-game skid, dropping both games of their recent series to Arizona.

Read below the jump for a preview of the UNM series

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Slipper TV's final Student Perspective video of the 2010-2011 season! Do you agree with the students? Why did Gonzaga lose to BYU? Was the season a success? Who leads the team next year? Give us YOUR perspective by commenting on the video!

Slipper.mov (via zagfan13)

Headed into this weekend, the UC-Irvine Anteaters were #11 in the college baseball rankings, and were in USA Today's top 15. However, they were noticeably absent from Baseball America's list, and we told you why in our series preview: their non-conference schedule is weak. Very weak.

The Bulldogs (13-6) put their extremely difficult schedule (3rd hardest in America, according to CollegeBaseballMag.com) to use and made quick work of the Eaters, 4-1 on Friday, and 3-0 Saturday and Sunday. The win streak is now at nine games.

Read below the jump for a series recap, and a preview of the home-and-home with Washington St.

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Here's something to take your mind off men's basketball: Gonzaga baseball is on a roll and plays their home opener tomorrow night! They'll take on UC Irvine in Patterson Baseball Complex at 6pm in the first of a three-game series.

The last baseball post had the Zags at 4-5 (after an 0-5 start), and they've been climbing the standings. Since then, the Bulldogs have gone 6-2, winning series against Minnesota, splitting with Mizzou, sweeping Iowa, and picking up a win and tie with Notre Dame. They're now 10-7.

Our starting pitching has been dependable (3.02 ERA), but it's been the bats that have come alive in the last two weeks. As of today, four starters are hitting above .300, and Eric Lane is right behind at .294.

Read below the jump for a preview of the UCI series...

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What an amazing atmosphere in the Orleans last night! Had to be 95% Zag fans, and the Kennel Club was great. Here are some quick baseball notes before tonight's WCC Championship game:

After starting the season 0-5 (losses to Or. St (2), Fresno St., Texas A&M (2)) the Gonzaga baseball team turned things around and have won four straight with this weekend's sweep of Pacific, making them 4-5. Since their most recent loss, they've outscored opponents 23-12. Royce Bolinger is hitting a stunning .391 with five RBIs, while Eric Lane and Billy Moon are also above the .300 mark. 

Even though the plate performances have been solid, what's really saved the Bulldogs as of late has been the pitching. The collective ERA is 3.07, with starters Ryan Carpenter (1-0, 3.38, 26k in 18.2 ip) and Tyler Olson (1-1, .075, 12k in 12 ip) going deep into games. Moon has been fantastic out of the pen with a perfect 0.00 ERA and surrendering just two hits in 5.2 innings of work; he's also started every game in the field, so look for him to be a versatile contributor as the season wears on.

They'll travel for pair at Missouri starting tomorrow, and fly to take on Minnesota in a three-gamer on Friday.

GO ZAGS! And for the record, St. Mary's, God is a Bulldog. 

This weekend in Vegas is going to be sick! For those of you who are students (or recent grads trying to re-live your glory days), here's the student agenda.

This thread can also double as a place for your epic stories come Monday morning. Hope to see some of you there!

1. Hotel: Treasure Island. The Kennel Club got some sweet students deals, and we pretty much take over the lobby after games. The actual team is staying in Mandalay Bay if you want to spot them post-game.

2. Drink: "Rhumbar" at The Mirage. KC has a tab and reserved a private patio area and a live DJ from 11pm tonight through Sunday night.

3. Gamble: If you're of age, anywhere. If you're underage but look like you COULD be 21, and are a girl, hit The Mirage...I saw plenty of it last Spring Break haha.

4. Shenanigans: Steal a tiger, get your best friend kidnapped, get punched by Mike Tyson, pretend to be Rainman, ask "Caesar didn't actually live here, did he?" to the receptionist in the lobby of Caesar's Palace, do jagerbombs, or reenact any number of classic scenes from The Hangover like a respectable college student.

5. Game Schedule: if you aren't passed out by game time, here's the schedule. Sunday 7:30pm (semis), Monday 6:00pm.

Any big plans for those of you who'll be there? GO ZAGS!

Great win for the Zags tonight! As a side note, thought I'd throw some non-MBB stuff up. Baseball and Women's Basketball below the jump.

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Basketball season is getting wild after the USF win, so I'll keep this baseball post short.

In 2009, the Gonzaga baseball team had one of its best seasons in history, finishing #22 in the country and nearly making it to Omaha. Last year, however, was a gigantic drop-off: Mark Machtolf's Bulldogs ended up second-to-last in the WCC.

With scare losses to graduation, we've kept nearly all the key position players (Bolinger, Edman, Eslick, Hunter, Moon) and last year's starting pitchers (Carpenter, Martin)...it's all about experience this time around.

But after this weekend's tournament to open the 2011 campaign, the Bulldogs are coming back to Spokane without a win, having lost all three games down in California (two to Oregon State and one to Fresno State).

I'll get into more detail about the team in March...box scores below the jump

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Not sure if this was ever officially reported, it might have been a few years back

I can't reveal my source (it's 100% legit), but when Memphis signed the contract for the GU series, when Calipari was their head coach, HE put it in the contract that he refused to play in The Kennel. Few was reportedly willing to play at UM instead of a neutral site, but it was Calipari who was too scared to take his team into the MAC.

Just a fun fact to make us feel better after that loss!

It was also mentioned that, although not yet official, the Memphis series is all but over.

Slipper TV 1/28

Pregame predictions and postgame reactions.

The first video in the new "Slipper TV" series chronicling student perspectives on the season! In this video, students react Sunday morning to USF loss in line for ticket distribution...warning: contains some profanity, watch at own risk :)

After USF (via zagfan13)

As a Gonzaga student, it's hard to say this...but I can't take it anymore:

The Kennel Club this season is lazy, quiet, unenthusiastic, and dissapointing.

In fact, I left tonight's LMU game furious because I needed to get this off my chest. Read on for "The State of the Kennel Club" and solutions to this huge problem.

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As Gonzaga is a Catholic school, I felt it appropriate to begin today's summary with a bible quote:

"How the mighty have fallen!"

The Bulldogs faced off against the Broncos this weekend, who were last in the West Coast Conference prior to Friday's game. After seeing these games, it's clear that the wheels have come off, as Gonzaga (14-31, 2-9 WCC) was swept by Santa Clara (18-23, 4-10 WCC). Our Zags are now last place in the WCC only a year after our most successful season in decades.

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Sorry it's been awhile since the last baseball post everyone; these professors crank it up a notch when finals roll around!

Anyway, not much has changed in the last week. The Zags flew down to San Diego and got swept by the WCC-leading Toreros, which was to be expected. USD is filled with upperclassmen that can hit and field with some of the best teams in the country.

The Bulldogs then backtracked to Seattle, where they split a two-gamer with the Huskies. GU took the first game 11-1 with some major help from Clayton Eslick, who came in to pinch-hit and ended up whacking a grand slam. The next night we saw pretty much the opposite when Washington posted a 12-4 beating.

And now the Zags are back at Patterson for their finals-weekend set with the Santa Clara Broncos. Gonzaga (14-28, 2-6 WCC) is now out of the running for a shot at the tournament, but Santa Clara (15-22, 1-10 WCC) would be a perfect way to boost their ego and get some feel-good wins under their belts for their fans, most of whom are students, who will be gone a week from tomorrow. Read on for a series preview.

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The schedule just kept getting harder for the Bulldogs over the last two weeks. Luckily for them, they've almost reached the end of the road. But there's one barrier between them and UDub and Santa Clara next week: USD this weekend. Based on the schedule GU put together, you could say that they're the "boss" at the end of one of Mario's toughest levels. The University of San Diego (20-15, 6-0 WCC) is squatting atop the West Coast Conference, while Gonzaga (13-24, 2-3 WCC) is in 6^th.

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