Gameday: Birdball Opening Weekend

Match-Up: Boston College at Pepperdine
Dates: Feb. 17-19 Times: 4:30 p.m. ET • 4 p.m. ET • 4 p.m. ET
Location: Malibu, Calif. Stadium: Eddy D. Field Stadium
Stream: Friday | Saturday | Sunday

GAME NOTES

PITCHING MATCH-UPS

Friday, 4:30 p.m. ET: RHP-Henry Leake vs. LHP-Shane Telfer
Watch | Live Stats
Saturday, 4 p.m. ET: RHP-Chris Flynn vs. RHP-Tommy Scavone
Watch | Live Stats
Sunday, 4 p.m. ET: RHP-Sean Hard vs. Trevor Kniskern
Watch | Live Stats

WEST CARRIES NO. 8 TRADITION

Junior pitcher John West was voted by coaches and teammates to wear No. 8 in 2023 in honor of Peter “Sonny” Nictakis. West became the 12th player to earn the honor since Gambino (‘99) instituted the team tradition to remember his teammate. Nictakis was a two-time captain for the Eagles in 1998 and 1999. He lost his courageous seven-year battle with Hodgkin’s disease in the summer of 2000. Until 2011, his No. 8 had not been worn since his final season.

BIRDBALL CAPTAINS

Graduate catcher Peter Burns is the first three-time captain in BC history. Burns is joined by graduate pitcher Henry Leake and senior infielder Vince Cimini, who was elected to wear the No. 8 in honor of Sonny Nictakis in 2022.

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN

Travis Honeyman was selected to the Baseball America Preseason All-America Third Team. Honeyman, who had just 14 plate appearances as a freshman, hit a team-leading .329 a season ago after being named the New England Collegiate Baseball League MVP as t=he set the batting record at .430 in the summer of 2021. He followed that with an All-Star summer in the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2022. Honeyman is rated as the No. 23 prospect for the 2023 MLB Draft by MLB.com.