USD Baseball 2006

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TORERO BASEBAIL __ _ "A Trddition of Excellence

♦ 6 consecutive sedSOns of 30 or more wins ♦ Rdllked 36th presedSOn by Collegidle Basebidl ♦ 2 freshmen on Basebidl llmerica"s Filb 50 ♦ 10th toughest non-conference schedule in the ndlion according to BoydsWorld.com ♦ Recruiting cld.SS dlTIOng Basebidl llmerica"s Ddlldy Dozen

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TABLE OF CONT,ENTS 1 ............................................................... ~ .......... General lnfonnation 2 ........................................................................ San Diego, California 3...... ......................................................... The University of San Diego 4........ ............................................. Championship Mentoring Program 5.......................................................... Cunningham Baseball Stadium 6-7 .............................................................................. Season Outlook 8-10 ..................................................................... USD Coaching Staff 12......... ... ...................................................... .................... 2006 Roster 13......... ...................................................... ... ... .2006 TV/Radio Roster 15-24 ... ... ................................................ ... ... ......... Player Biographies 25...... ... ... ................................................... ... .................. 2005 Results 26-27 ... ............................. ...................... ... ......... 2005 Team statistics 29-30 ... ... ................................................ ... .... West Coast Conference 31... ... ... ... .......................... ................... ... ... ...... .. Year-By-Year Results 32...... ... ... .......................... ........................USD Baseball Hall of Fame 33... ... ...... .................................................. USD's Profrssional Players 34-39 ... ... .................................................... .. ... ..... USD Records Book 40-41 ....... ...................................................... .. .............All-time Roster 42...... .......... ....................................... USD Strength and Conditioning 43...... ............................................................. USD Academic Supporl 44...... .................................................... Messaage from the President 45...... ........................................... USD Executive Director ofAthletics 46...... .......... ... .......................................... USD Baseball Support Staff 47................. .. ............................................ ............ NCAA Compliance 48................... ......... ................................... ... .............. Media Relations ◄◄ MEDIA CREDENTIALS Requests should be made by phone (619-260-7930), fax (619-260-2990) or e-mail (cloucks@sandiego.edu) as far in advance as possible and no later than 24 hours before gametime. Credentials can be picked up at the will call table located at the top of Cunningham Stadium. ◄◄ PHOTO CREDENTIALS Credentials will be issued on a game-by-game basis and must be worn in plain sight at all times. All photographers must remain off the playing sur– face and are encouraged to use the area behind the visitors' dugout. NCAA regulations regarding photography will be adhered to at all times. ◄◄ PRESS BOX The USO press box is located on top of the stands behind home plate. Limited seating is avaliable with beat writers receving priority. Radio positions and additional media will be allocated to the press box or the rows immediately in front of the press box, if necessary. ◄◄ TELEPHONES The press box number for the media and scoring updates only is (619) 260- 8829. Additional lines are avaliable on a shared basis in the press box. ◄◄ RADIO LINES Up to two telephone lines can be made avaliable to the designated radio station of the visiting team. Please make arrangements through the athletics media relations office well in advance. ◄~ HIGH-SPEED INTERNET The press box is equipped with several high speed data jacks for on-line browsing and transmission. A wireless connection has also been recently added to the press box for those media members who have a wireless card . ◄◄ INTERVIEWS Coaches and players will be avaliable for postgame interviews on the field after a brief cooling down session and team meeting. Midweek interviews can be conducted before and or after practices by special arrangement through the athletics media relations office. Interviews with visiting coaches or players should be arranged through the visiting team's SID, when available. ◄◄ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 2006 USD Baseball Media Guide was written, edited and produced by Chris Loucks Photography: Dennis Mock, Brock Scott, Dale Frost, Eric Potter Printing: Kings Printing Corporation

2006 SAN DIEGO QUICK FACTS

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◄◄ GENERAL INFORMATION Location . .. .. .... .........

.. ....... San Diego, CA

Founded ..

................................ ....... 1949

Enrollment ..................... ........ . .............. ... .. ... 7,400 President . .. . .. ..... ..... ...... ..... .... ......... .. ..... .. Mary E. Lyons, Ph.D. Executive Director of Athletics .. Ky Snyder Senior Associate Athletics Director ......................... ........................ Mike Matoso Assoc. AD/Business Affairs . . .... .. ............ Dan Yourg Assoc. AD/Athletic Development .. . ..... .... .. ... .. .... ... ..... .. ..... .. Brian Fogarty Assoc. AD for Facilities & Operations ............................ John Martin Assist. AD for Facilities & Operations ..................... ..............................Andy Fee Assoc. AD/ Senior Women's Administrator .. .... ... ..... .. ..... .... Shaney Fink Assistant AD Marketing .. . ..................................................... Briana Ruff Head Athletic Trainer ....................................................... Carolyn Greer, A.T. , C. Associate Athletic Trainer (Baseball) ........................ Paul Signorelli Assistant Athletic Trainer (Baseball).. ...... ... ..... ... .... .... .. Wil Filamor Strength & Conditioning Coach .............................. .................... Shannon Turley Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach ......................... Hans Straub Sport and Business Psychology Consultan .. .... ... ..... Karlene Sugarman Affiliation ................................................................ ....................NCAA Division I Conference .............................. ................................ ........................ West Coast Nickname .... .. ..... ..... ..... .. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ... ..... ..... .. Toreros School Colors .......................... ................................ ...Torero Blue, Navy, White Athletic Dept. Phone ·· ·· ··· ·· ··· (619) 260-4803 ◄◄ TEAM INFORMATION First Year of Baseball (Began Division I play) .................... 1958 (1979) Overall All-Time Record .... ......... 1,046-988-2 (.511) NCAA Division I Appearances (Last) .......................................2 (2003) NCAA Tournament Record .... 2-4

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Best All-Time Record 2005 Overall Record 2005 wee Record (Place 2005 Home Record 2005 Road Record 2005 Neutral Field Record 2005 Postseason

..... ..39-23 (2002) .. ... .... .... .. .... .... .... .. ... .. 30-27-1 .... ... 16-14 (2nd-WCC Coast) .. 9-15-1 ......... 18-11 ....... ..3-1 .... N/A ......... 6/3 ... ......... 212 .. .. 15/14 15

Position Starters returning/lost Starting Pitchers returning/lost Overall Letterwinners returning/lost Newcomers

◄◄ HOME FIELD Ballpark

...... Cunningham Baseball Stadium (1 ,200) Surface ........ .. .... ............ .. .................. .. .. ...... .. ...... .. .. .. Natural Grass Dimensions .. ... .. .... ........ LF-309, CF-395, RF-329

◄◄ BASEBALL STAFF Head Coach Alma Mater

... ..... ........... ..Rich Hill .................. Cal Lutheran, 1984 ............. 233-176-3 (8th Year) ........ ......................... 566-396-2 (18th Year) .. ... Eric Valenzuela (Pepperdine, 2001) .. ...... Jay Johnson (Point Loma, 2001) ............................. .Mark Viramontes ......Chris Cannizzaro .......................(619) 260-5953 ..... .(619) 260-7750

Record at USO Overall Record Assistants .. .

Dir. of Baseball Operations Baseball Phone Baseball Fax

◄◄ MEDIA RELATIONS Associate A 0./Media Relations

.. .. .. ... .Ted Gosen Assistant Dir. of Media Relations (Baseball Contact) .. Chris Loucks Media Relations Intern .. ........ .. ............ .. .. .. Ryan Mccann Loucks' Direct Office Phone .. ..(619) 260-7930 Fax.. .. .... ....... .. ...(619) 260-2990 Loucks' E-mail .... .cloucks@sandiego.edu Cunningham Stadium Press Box ............ .....(619) 260-8829 Web Site ......www.usdtoreros.com www.usdtoreros.com

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San Diego is truly "America's Finest City." A modern metropolis (second largest in California) and a popular year-round resort, San Diego spreads from the coast to the desert, including cliffs, mesas, hills, canyons and valleys. San Diego also surrounds one of California's greatest natural harbors which has been a dominant factor in determining the city's history, economy and development. Meteorologists claim San Diego as the country's only area with perfect climate. This ideal year-round environment posts an average daytime temperature of 70 degrees, with an annual rainfall average 1 of less than 10 inches. Most days are sunny, with humidity generally low, even in the summer. The 1 climate, attractive setting and recreational facilities make San Diego "America's Finest City." According to Sports Illustrated , "For sheer numbers of participants, diversity of pursuits of involve– ment, San Diego must rank as the sports fitness capital of the U.S." Sports are a major feature of the San Diego lifestyle. One can sail, swim, surf, scuba dive, snorkel, wind-surf on 70 miles of public beach or golf at any of the over 80 golf courses throughout the county. Balboa Park, a 1,158-acre recreation and cultural center, offers 25 tennis courts, two gymnasiums, two municipal golf courses, and one of the nation's finest zoos. Mission Bay Park is a 4,600-acre playground for jogging , fishing , bicycling, tennis, golf, jet skiing and kite flying .

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As well as participating in recreational activities, San Diego supports their professional teams -- the NFL Chargers play at Qualcomm Stadium , and the San Diego Padres play in the new Petco Park. During col lege football bowl week, San Diego annually hosts the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl in late December. During 1998, Qualcomm Stadium hosted the Super Bowl game between Denver and Green Bay; followed by the World Series between the San Diego Padres and the New York Yankees. The Super Bowl returned to San Diego in 2003. Whatever sporting activity there is, it's here in San Diego -- the sports capital of the U.S.!

Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, is San Diego's new downtown ballpark.

www.usdtoreros.com

NO EXCUSES, PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION ft --------~

The University of, San Diego

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SETTING The University of San Diego is an independent Catholic institution of higher edu– cation. Founded in 1949, USO is located on 180 acres overlooking Mission Bay, San Diego Harbor and the Pacific Ocean. The campus is named Alcala Park and is located just 10 minutes from downtown San Diego. The campus was named after a Spanish village near Madrid -Alcala de Henares. Founded by the Greeks as Complutum, the village was later renamed Al Kala (the Castle) by the Moslems. Christians recaptured the village centuries later and founded a university whose buildings became the inspiration for USD's architectural style. THE CAMPUS The USO campus is regarded as one of the most architecturally unique institutions in the country, featuring major buildings designed in an ornamental 16th century Spanish Renaissance style. Since 1984, USO has completed numerous major construction and expansion projects. In 2000 the Jenny Craig Pavilion, a 5,100-seat athletic center, opened its doors as home to USO basketball and volleyball. Two years ago the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice opened on the west end of campus, and this past fall the Donald P. Shiley Center for Science and Technol– ogy opened. A five-story Spanish Renaissance parking garage (1 ,100 spaces) was completed in 1998. A landscaped fountain plaza was fin ished in the fall of 1995, connecting the entrances of the lmmaculata and Hughes Administration Center. In 1992, the university completed the 45,000 square foot Loma Hall, which includes an expanded bookstore, a larger mail center, classrooms and laboratories.

ACADEMICS USO enrolls more than 7,400 students who have a choice of more than 50

undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The university's academic units include the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Schools of Business Administration, Education, Law and Nursing. Class size generally averages between 18-25 students with the student to teacher ratio being 18:1. Over 97 percent of USD's full-time faculty hold doctorates. In the annual ratings of the country's colleges and universities, published by U.S. News & World Report, USO moved from the regional to national category in 1994. The university is currently ranked 106th among the top schools in the nation.

DID YOU KNOW?

That 108 USO student-athletes were named to the WCC Commissioner's Honor Roll for garnering 3.0 or higher grade-point averages.

Student activities include cultural events, dances, boat cruises, beach par- ties, BBQ's, concerts, comedy nights, symposia and much more. Students participate in a wide range of volunteer projects such as adult literacy tutor– ing, senior citizen outreach , and house building in Tijuana. The intramural program is also an integral part of student life on campus with over two-thirds of the USO community partaking in intramural sports.

ATHLETICS USO is a member of the West Coast Conference for nearly all sports and competes in 16 intercollegiate sports on the NCAA Division I level. The football team is in its 12th season in the Pioneer Football League . Women's sports include: basketball, cross country, rowing , soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball. Men's sports include: baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, football , rowing , soccer and tennis. Since 1990 USO teams have made 45 NCAA post-season appearances; garnered 50 All-America selections; had 37 Conference Coaches of the Year; 30 Conference Play– ers of the Year; 15 Conference Freshmen of the Year; won 15 conference championships; and 4 wee Scholar Athletes of the Year. In 2002 and 2003 the USO baseball team won back-to-back West Coast Conference championships advancing to the NCAA postseason both years to become the first division I NCAA appearences in baseball for the University.

www.usdtoreros.com

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The mission for the mentoring program is to provide the student-ath– letes in the baseball program at USO with a network of community leaders, campus administrators, faculty, and staff who will serve as advisors, guides, and role models to our players. Our game plan is to assemble a group of leaders who share an interest in helping the members of the team make the transition from high school , junior college, or foreign countries into the collegiate world . Specifically, we would like them to communicate with your student-athlete re– garding anything but baseball (e.g ., their future , their appearance, the way they speak and carry themselves, etc.). We are confident that these young men will benefit greatly from their relationship with the mentors. USO mentors are individuals who serve as "shining examples" to these young men . It is USO's firm belief that our players can never get enough help from positive role models. USO's team will always consist of athletes from a variety of ethnic, social , and economic backgrounds. These players can all use direct exposure to career– oriented people who know what it takes to be successful. If our play– ers have a network of campus-wide and community based profes– sionals helping them transition to college and maintain their "focus ," they will find themselves ahead of the game.

NO EXCUSES, PLAY LIKE A CHAMPIO

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Cunningham Stadium, the home of University of San Diego baseball, is one of the nation's most beautiful collegiate ballparks. Situated in a natural amphitheater, Cunningham stadium is one of the coziest venues on the west coast. Just beyond the right field wall, the Douglas F. Manchester Residence Hall overlooks the picturesque home of the Toreros, creating an imposing view for left-handed hitters. Cunningham Stadium includes 4-lighted batting cages that allow players to hone their skills. For every bit of beauty that envelops Cunningham Stadium, there is an equal dose of tradition. The Toreros have won the 2002 and 2003 WCC Championships, moving on to the NCAA regionals both years as well. Dimensions at Cunningham are 309 feet down the left field line, 375 feet at left-center field , 395 feet to straight– away center, rig ht-centerfield 385 feet, and 329 feet to right field. The fence is 8 feet high . With a capacity of 1,200, all seats are backed for spectator comfort. Field-level box seats are also available behind home plate. Spectators are also comforted by a fu ll-service concessions stand, and public facilities . Prior to the 2003 campaign, Cunningham received several significant additions. A "Turf Tech" synthetic grass surface was installed in the foul areas between first and third base. Secondly, a new press box was built at the

top of Cunningham that keeps the central architectural theme of 16th century Spanish renais– sance alive , creating a superb facility to house media and game operations staff. In addition, a new public address system has been added , replac– ing the sound system that had been in place since Cunningham

Stadium opened in 1970. The stadium also has a concessions stand that services crowd needs as well as a brand new fully lighted scoreboard. The playing surface consists of "Bullseye" Bermuda grass and the dirt portion of the infield is crushed red brick, which can be found at many major league stadiums. In 1988 the stadium was named after John Cunningham , who led the Torero . baseball team for 34 years. Coach Cunningham is still active within the athletic department and is currently the Director of Transportation.

www.usdtoreros.com

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2006 TORERO BASEBALL "'T!)--T-O_R_E_R_O_S_L_O_C_K_E_D_,_L_O_A_D_E_D_A_N_D_R_E_A_D_Y_T_O_R_E_T_U_R_N_T_O_P_O_S_T_S_E_A_S_O_N__

After a two year hiatus from the NCAA postseason, the University of San Diego baseball team is locked, loaded and ready for a return to the NCAA regionals . The Toreros have one of the most highly touted recruiting classes in the history of the program. In fact, the re– cruiting class is ranked among Baseball America's "Dandy Dozen." The recruiting class includes two of Baseball America's 'Fab-50' Freshmen in left-handed pitcher Brian Matusz and right-handed pitcher/ outfielder Josh Romanski. Along with these two outstanding freshmen , USO head coach Rich Hill and his coaching staff have added junior college 2004 All– American honoree, right-handed pitcher Anthony Slama, All-California Interscho– lastic Federation right-handed pitcher Scott Denault, and CIF Player of the Year Ricardo Pecina. With this incoming freshman class as well as the return of All-West Coast Conference selections Josh Butler, Matt Couch, Keoni Ruth, Justin Snyder, Jordan Abruzzo and Shane Buschini , the Toreros have received national recognition being ranked 36th in Collegiate Baseball's pre– season top-40 poll. Hill and his staff have also scheduled well according to Boyd– sworld .com, having the 10th toughest non-conference schedule in the country. With the combination of the new incom– ing freshman class, as well as the return of season veterans, and the 10th tough– est non-conference strength of schedule in the nation , coach Hill has his players focused on winning the wee crown and making their return to the NCAA postsea-

son. "Our goal as a team is the same as it is every year, to win the wee champion– ship and advance to the regionals ," said Hill. "Then , if we get into that regional , we just want to be playing really well at that time and try and kick it into another gear with our pitching to get into the su– per regionals, with the ultimate goal to make it into the College World Series." ◄◄ THE INFIELD The Toreros will look to newcomer Daniel Magness to replace Randy Curtis at first base. Magness joins the Toreros after one year at Dallas Baptist Universi– ty, where he hit .372 , good for third on the team, had 67 hits, with 14 doubles, four homeruns and 45 RBI in 2005. A pos– sibility to back up Magness at first base could be sophomore Brendon Quan , who posted a .111 batting average with one hit in 10 appearances last season . At second base USO welcomes back AII-WCC honorable mention honoree Ruth . Last season Ruth hit .338, second best on the team, was third on the team in doubles with 14, had 93 RBI , also good for third on the team, and led the team in hits with 73. The only other returning starter in the infield is junior shortstop Steve Singleton. In 2005 Singleton hit .283 with 53 hits, a team-leading 16 doubles, one triple and 30 RBI. The third base position has yet to be determined. There is a battle going on between sophomore Kevin Hansen and senior Ryan Lilly. Last season Hansen posted a .260 batting average with 25 hits, three doubles and six RBI in 30 ap– pearances. Lilly hit .240 with 35 hits, five doubles, three home runs and 21 RBI in 45 games. The coaching staff is confident that one of these players will emerge as the starter by the first game of the 2006 season . ◄◄ THE CATCHER When it comes to the catcher position there is no question who to expect - junior Jordan Abruzzo. He makes his return af– ter a season that saw him hit .240 with 67 hits, 14 doubles, one triple, a team– leading 10 home runs and 42 RBI. As a freshman, Abruzzo was a preseason All– American candidate and was selected as the wee Freshman of the Year. USD's coaching staff is confident he will return to that form and believe he can help lead the team to achieve their goals. Backing up Abruzzo behind the plate will be sophomore Logan Gelbrich, who posted a .265 batting average as a fresh-

man with 31 hits, nine doubles, one triple, two home runs and 22 RBI. The coaches will also use Gelbrich at the designated hitter spot throughout the season . ◄◄ THE OUTFIELD Junior Shane Buschini , who is thought by the coaching staff as one of the top draft prospects for the Toreros in 2006, will get the starting nod in right field this season. In 2005 Buschini led the team in hitting with a .352 batting average, led the team in multiple RBI games with 12, runs (46), stolen bases (15) and slugging percentage (.538). He also tied for the team-lead in RBIs with 42. Buschini led the wee in batting average (.398) during conference play en route to an AII-WCC first-team selection . In center field , USO will look to the experience of sophomore Justin Snyder to help anchor down the outfield . Last season Snyder hit .318 with 57 hits, nine doubles, one triple, four home runs and 31 RBI en route to an AII-WCC honorable mention . The front runner for the left field posi– tion appears to be Romanski . As a se– nior in high school, Romanski recorded a 10-1 record with an ERA of 0.42 and hit .510 with eight home runs and 45 RBI en route to being named the Mountain View League MVP along with an AII-CIF and All-State selection . Romanski was drafted in the 15th round of the 2005 MLB draft by the San Diego Padres, but chose to play collegiate baseball instead. Romanski is also expected to see time on the mound for the Toreros, possibly as a closer. Freshman David Harris could poten– tially see time in left field as well. Harris is a highly touted freshman from Glen– dale, Calif. who hit .345 during his senior season while earning a team MVP award and a first-team All-Sierra League selec– tion. ◄◄ THE PITCHING USO will look to some familiar faces in the pitching rotation with the return of Josh Butler and Matt Couch. Couch led the WCC with a 2.39 ERA during confer– ence play, and makes his return to the Toreros after posting a 3.65 overall ERA and a record of 5-3. Butler, a right-hand– er from Danville, Calif., makes his return to USO after registering a 7-7 record and a team-leading 3.42 overall ERA. Butler was second on the team in strikeouts with 82 , with 51 strikeouts coming during con– ference play. Both players are expected to become two of the three starters for the Toreros in 2006. www.usdtoreros.com

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teams in non- onference play that appear in Baseball lfmerica 's Top-20, No. 7 Rice and No. 17 USC. Long Beach State is rated as having the No. 1 toughest non- ~ conference schedule in the nation. ffl "Our non-conference schedule has been ranked No. 10 in the country, and that is by design ," said Hill. "We know we are not going to host a regional here, until we get a new stadium, so we know we will have to go on the road and play a regional against a Big West No. 1 or No. 2 team. Because of that, we will take these tough road games and try to prepare our– selves for what ever regional we get put in ." ◄◄ ABOUT THE CONFERENCE The West Coast Conference enters the 2006 season with three teams receiv– ing preseason rankings. Pepperdine Uni– versity checks in at No. 11 as the highest ranking member then , USO comes in at No. 36 and the University of San Francis– co comes in at No. 35. With these three teams receiving preseason rankings, coach Hill is excited about the strength of the conference. "This conference is as strong as I have ever seen it in my 15 years of coaching in the conference," said Hill. "Every week– end in the conference play is going to be a dog fight with the new format. Every single game now has a consequence. " Starting in 2006 the WCC will change its conference format and schedule. The WCC will abolish divisional play and will revert to a single eight-team conference with each team playing a 21-game confer– ence slate. This will be a departure from the two-division format, West and Coast, with a 30-game conference schedule that was originally implemented in the 1999 season . Under the new format in 2006, the top two teams with the best confer– ence record will compete in the wee Championship Series, with the regular– season series winner holding the home field advantage. "We understand that we have a tre– mendous amount of desire here, how– ever, once we step on the field it is all about the process and all about the tasks and winning that inning, just taking it pitch by pitch," said Hill. "The focus is always on our play. If we can do that I think we will achieve our goal of winning the wee championship. ,, ~ 0 z 0 C -I r- 0 0 :,;:

2005 Holzhauer posted a 10.29 ERA and a 1-1 record. Another one of the incoming freshmen to impress the coaching staff is left-hand– er Ricardo Pecina. As a senior in high school Pecina hit .466 with 112 strikeouts and was named the Harbor League Play– er of the Year. Senior Nicholas Cranmer is another possibility to do some relief pitching for the Toreros. In 2005 Cranmer posted a 0- 1 record with a 6.61 ERA in 16.1 innings of work. ◄◄ THE NEWCOMERS USO welcomes several newcomers to the 2006 squad . Making their first ap– pearance for the Toreros in 2006 will be freshmen Matt Sexton, Mike Lugo, Dylan Cohen , Nick McCoy, Serrin Jarvi , Scott DeNault and Brent Planck. Also making a debut in the USO uniform will be a trans– fer from San Diego Community College, Matt Petrucci. Sexton comes to USO after a standout year at Foothill High School in Las Vegas, Nev. in which he hit .389 with six home runs en route to a first-team All-Sunrise League selection . Lugo is a freshman from Glendora , Calif. who hit .375 as a senior en route to earning a first-team All-Serra League selection and a sec– ond-team All-San Gabriel Valley selec– tion. Cohen, a native of Venice, Calif., hit .603 during his senior season earning a first-team All-Marina Del Rey honor. Mc– Coy, from Westview High in San Diego, hit .300 during his senior season earning the teams' MVP award . Jarvi posted a 3-2 record as a senior helping his team reach the CIF playoffs. DeNault comes to USO after helping his team win the CIF Division I Championship and earning a first-team AII-CIF selection as a senior. Planck comes to USO from Madison High after hitting .432 during his senior season en route to a Harbor League Player of the Year award and being named first-team All-Harbor League. Petrucci comes to USO after posting a 6.00 ERA last season at SDCC. ◄◄ THE SCHEDULE The USO baseball team has the 10th toughest non-conference schedule in the nation , as stated by BoydsWorld.com. The Toreros, who open their 2006 slate with a three-game home stand against the defending national champions, Uni– versity of Texas Longhorns, will play eight games against teams that rank in the top- 10 for strength of schedule for all games - No. 4 USC, No. 7 Cal State Northridge, No. 8 UC Riverside and No. 9 Georgia . Besides Texas, USO will face two other

front runner fci"r the position . Matusz'joins the Toreros after a standout senior sea– son at Saint Mary's High School in Cave Creek, Ariz. As a senior, he posted an 8-1 record with an ERA of 0.50 en route to earning the state of Arizona Player of the Year award along with a Baseball America All-America distinction . Matusz was then drafted in the fourth round of the 2005 Major League Baseball draft by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, but turned down a lucrative contract offer to play collegiate baseball. The coaching staff is not focusing on just these three pitchers; they are also ex– cited about the development of Anthony Slama who joins USO from Santa Ana Community College . Last season , Slama posted a team-leading 2.51 ERA with a record of 4-4, while striking out 48 batters in 46 .2 innings of work. Slama could see a lot of time as a closer for the Toreros, but the coaching staff hasn't ruled him out as a starter. Coach Hill has deemed junior Nate Boman as the "X factor" for the Torero pitching staff. Boman had an impressive freshman year in which he posted a 1.16 ERA and a 3-1 record in 23.1 innings of work during wee play. Last season Bo– man suffered a season ending injury, but is on track to make a full recovery, and could see some playing time after the first month of play. "If he comes back with his full strength, he could be someone that takes us to an– other level ," said Hill of Boman. Along with Slama and Romanski , the Toreros will look to Russell Holzhauer to help give them some relief pitching throughout the season . As a freshman in www.usdtoreros.com

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RICH HILL Head Coach 8th-year Cal Lutheran '84

• No. 1 among active WCC coaches in career (372) and league (188) victories as well as winning% (.587) and wins per season (31.4) • 15 winning seasons in 18 years as a head coach • Over 500 career victories (566-395-3) • Has averaged 34 wins per season at USD since 2000 • Back-to-back West Coast Conference Championships 2002-2003 • WCC Coach of the Year 2002 • Two NCAA Regional teams at USD • Eight players, including seven graduating seniors sign pro contracts following the 2004 season • Inducted into the Cal Lutheran Hall of Fame (2005)

San Diego's Rich Hill is one of the youngest coaches in NCAA history to reach 500 career victories.

San Diego's Rich Hill has built the USD Toreros into one of the most successful Division I baseball programs on the West Coast. The 2006 spring season will be Hill's 19th year as a head coach at the collegiate level , and eighth at USD, having enjoyed 15 winning seasons in 18 years. Since taking over at USD in 1999, Hill has been remarkable in leading the Toreros to seven consecutive winning campaigns, re-writing the school record book en route to claiming back-to-back West Coast Conference Championship titles in 2002 and 2003.

Under his leadership San Diego has averaged 34 wins per season, including winning a school record 39 games in 2002 , a year in which Hill was honored by his peers as the WCC Coach of the Year. Hill became one of the young– est coaches in collegiate history to reach 500 career victories in 2003, taking USD into postseason play and a second consecutive NCAA Regional ap– pearance. Scheduling the nation's top competition , Hill owns a 233-176-3 (.570) overall record as San Diego's manager, improving the Toreros' record in each of his first four seasons at USD. In turn , Hill has brought the school national notoriety, earning a No. 15 national ranking by Baseball America (4/02/02), its highest in school history. Entering the 2005 season the publication included San Diego as one of the top 50 division I baseball programs in the country. Following a 35-21 season in 2004, a record 10 Torero players were recognized as AII– WCC performers. Seven of Hill's eight graduating seniors signed professional contracts following the 2004 season , with five players overall being selected in the '04 MLB First Year Player Draft. The 43-year-old Hill is a proven winner. He has a record of success in each of his three head coaching stops - first at his alma mater Cal Lutheran. In his first head coaching job as the manager at Cal Lutheran , he won 83% of his games during his final three seasons (1991-93). Hill led Cal Lutheran to a record of 194-76 (.719) over six seasons, including two World Series appearances. His 1992 squad posted a 43-6 record before falling a couple of outs shy of the NCAA Division Ill title, while the 1993 team finished first in the Western Region with a 32-7 record . Under Hill's guidance, the Kingsmen knocked off Division I opponents such as USC, Pepperdine, San Diego State, UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Northridge. During his six seasons at Cal Lutheran , 92 percent of his players received their degrees. Hill was hired by The University of San Francisco in 1994, taking the Dons from the WCC cellar to a school record 34-win season in his final year in 1998. During a five-year coaching stint at San Francisco (1994-1998), Hill posted three consecutive winning seasons, including a school best 18 wins in the West Coast Conference in 1998 as the Dons finished tied with USD for third place in the WCC. Over his final three seasons there, Hill guided USF

Rich Hill and his wife Lori with their two children, Robbie (12) and Lindsey (9) riding on Splash Mountain at Disneyland.

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NO EXCUSES, PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION

to upper division finishes in the WCC ; and posted three straight winning seasons, including two campaigns of 30 or more victories. Hill's track record boasts record-breaking seasons for wins in a single season at every stop - Cal Lu (43), USF (34), USO (39) and Chatham in Cape League (35). In addition to his collegiate coaching positions, Hill was head coach for the Chatham A's of the Cape Cod League between 1990-93, winning the league title in 1992 with a franchise record of 35-11 . He has twice been recognized as the ABCAWest Region Coach of the Year (1992, 1993); was the 1992 Cape Cod Baseball League "Manager of the Year"; was twice named the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year (1992, 1993); and twice was the recipient of the California Lutheran Alumni Ca– reer Excellence Award (1993 , 1994). Hill's assistants have gone on to successful careers in baseball , including five earning head coaching positions, and two with administrative positions with Major League clubs. Hill has made his mark off the field as well. The past nine years he has served on the American Baseball Coaches Association Editorial Committee; and has been an advisor with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He started an innovative peer-mentoring program with his USF team. Dons players and coaching staff volunteered at the nearby Hamilton Community Center, reading stories and playing games with homeless children. Furthermore, Hill is a speaker and clinician at various conventions and camps throughout the region . Hill earned his Bachelor of Arts degree (Physical Education) in 1984 from California Lutheran University.After playing one season with the St. Louis Cardinals organization in 1985 (Single A affiliate in Savannah , Georgia), he returned to his alma mater where he earned his Master of Science degree in Education in 1988. Rich and his wife, Lori , live in San Diego with their two children , Robbie (12) and Lindsey (9).

RICH HILL'S COACHING Fll2E...

:t ~ t, n g n :t ::a .... n :t :t .... r- r-

Conference

Record

Year 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

School

13-11 6th(NAIADist. 3) 16-8 3rd (NAIADist. 3) 12-8 1st (NAIA Dist 3) 10-3 1st (NAIA Dist. 3)

21-21 31-18 35-1 6

Cal Lutheran Cal Lutheran Cal Lutheran Cal Lutheran Cal Lutheran Cal Lutheran SanFrancisco SanFrancisco SanFrancisco San Francisco SanFrancisco

32-8 43-6 32-7

20-1 1st (SCIAC)

19-2 1st (West Region)

9-21 (6th WCC) 11-17 {5th WCC) 15-13 {4th wee) 17-11 {3rd WCC) 18-12 {T-3rd WeC)

22-33 24-35 30-25 29-27 34-24 35-21 39-23 32-30 35-21 30-27 28-27-1 34-27-1

13-16-1 (3rd wee Coast) 14-16 (3rd wee Coast) 20-10 {2ndwee West) 18-12 (1stWest/1st WeC) 18-12 (1stWest/1stWCC) 19-11 {2nd wee Coast) 16-14 (2nd wee Coast)

San Diego San Diego San Diego San Diego San Diego San Diego San Diego

Conference

Overall

Years

Career atUSD atUSF

118-91-1

233-176-3

7 5 6

70-74 90-33

139-144 194-76

at Ca/Lu

292-211-1

566-396-3

17

Career

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ERIC VALENZUELA Assistant Coach 3rd-year Pepperdine '01

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Eric Valenzuela , a key component in the success of San Diego baseball and the development of USD's pitching staff, begins his third season as an assistant coach for the Toreros in 2006. Valenzuela made an immediate impact during his first season at USO in 2004. Under his direction the Torero pitching staff led the West Coast Conference in team ERA. All four graduating pitchers from his 2004 staff went on to sign professional contracts at

4

U - ..........

season's end.

~

,._.. Valenzuela continues to recruit and develop some of the nation's top amateur players. Current Toreros' Josh Butler and Nate Boman have been recognized as top profes- 0 sional prospects by Baseball America. A native of West Covina, Valenzuela returned to Southern California after serving as an assistant coach at St. Mary's College for two seasons (2002 & 2003). While at St. U Mary's, Valenzuela coordinated much of the team's community programs, including directing youth camps and clinics. Valenzuela served as the Gaels third base coach , man- aged recruiting efforts and also directed the team's strength and conditioning program. Valenzuela's background in developing young talent includes managing the pitching staff ... of the Brewster White Caps of the Cape Code League in 2003. Z Valenzuela garnered All-America honors as a prep athlete at Bishop Amat High School and went on to accept a baseball scholarship at Arizona State University where he was a member of the Sun Devil's 1998 College World Series team. After transferring to Pepperdine, Valenzuela would be honored as the Wave's team captain his senior year, ~ leading Pepperdine to the 2001 West Coast Conference Championship title. ~ Valenzuela graduated from Pepperdine in 2001 with a BA in Criminal Justice. His father, Victor, was an assistant boxing coach for the United States in the 1984 Olympic 1-- Games and currently runs the Azusa Boxing Club in East Los Angeles. This off season Valenzuela was married to wife, Betty. The couple reside in downtown San Diego. tn JAY JOHNSON 1 Assistant Coach 1st-year Point Loma '01 Jay Johnson, head coach at nearby Point Loma Nazarene University in 2005, was added to the Torero coaching staff in preparation for the 2006 season. Johnson did a remarkable job at PLNU, leading the NAIA Sea Lions to a national ranking as high as No.6 and a 2005 Golden State Athletic Conference-Southern Division Championship. He makes the move to Alcala Park to take on the roll of USD's associate recruiting coordinator and primary hitting coach. During four seasons at Point Loma Nazarene, three as an assistant before becoming the head coach in 2005, Johnson and the Sea Lions made four consecutive trips to the NAIA Region II Championships and established a Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) record with 47 wins in 2004 while claiming the GSAC championship, as well as finishing 3rd in the NAIA College World Series. The 2004 team was also awarded the Hank Burbridge NAIA team Champions of Character award. In the spring of 2005 Johnson guided Point Loma Nazarene to a 37-16 overall mark, winning the 2005 GSAC-Southern Division Championship and finishing the season ranked No. 19 nationally. Seven of Jay's players at PLNU moved on to play professional baseball. Johnson currently works with San Diego's Tecolote Youth Baseball Academy as the Director of Baseball Operations. His coaching experience also includes posting an 83-30-1 record directing the under-18 Chico Mavericks Baseball Club from 1999-2002 and winning an Armed Forces Championship coaching the U.S Navy Baseball club in 2003. An outstanding high school and collegiate athlete, Johnson was the starting second baseman at Point Loma Nazarene in 1999 and 2000, hitting .326 during his senior season in 2000. As a collegiate underclassman, Johnson played at Shasta Junior College, serving as team captain and earning Shasta's most valuable defensive player award. As a prep athlete at Oroville High School, Johnson was a First Team AII-CIF Northern Section pick in both baseball and football. Following his final year as a prep at Oroville in 1995, Johnson was named the school's most outstanding senior athlete. Johnson earned a degree in Physical Education at PLNU in 2001 and later acquired a Master's degree in Physical Education at Azusa Pacific University. Johnson and his wife Erika reside in San Diego.

MARK VIRAMONTES Assistant Coach 1st-year

A native of East Los Angeles, Calif., Mark Viramontes brings seven years of collegiate coaching experience to USO. The 2006 season will be his first as an assistant at San Diego under head coach Rich Hill. Viramontes assumes the roll of USD's catching coach and field supervisor, while also working closely with the team's hitters as an intricate part of the Toreros coaching staff. In the summer of 2006, Viramontes will take over as head coach for the DuPage Dragons of the Central Illinois Collegiate Summer League (CICL). His most recent coaching experience came in handling a wide range of duties as an assistant at Division II California State University of LA in 2005. As an assistant at East LA College from 1999-2004, Viramontes helped the Huskies to three postseason trips including a state finals appearance in 2000. Viramontes has also spent the past two summers (2004 & 2005) coaching in the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) with the Brewster Whitecaps. His coaching career began assisting the 1995 varsity program at James A. Garfield High School in Los Angeles and at San Gabriel High School from 1996-1998. He would later become an Associate Scout for the Cincinnati Reds, evaluating baseball talent in inner-city LA

CHRIS CANNIZZARO Director of Baseball Operations 8th-year

Chris Cannizzaro has spent all seven seasons with Rich Hill as an assistant with the Toreros, bringing a wealth of major league experience to Hill's staff. No stranger to baseball in the city of San Diego, Cannizzaro spent 13 years in the majors - including two stints with the San Diego Padres, where he became the first All-Star in Padre baseball history in the 1969 campaign . A durable defensive catcher, Cannizzaro played in 740 major league games while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals (1960-61 ), New York Mets (1962-65), Pittsburgh (1968), San Diego (1969-71 ; 1974), Chicago Cubs (1971 ) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (1972-73). Cannizzaro holds a share of the Major League record for most unassisted double plays by a catcher (2).

Once his playing career ended, Cannizzaro shifted his focus to coaching and spent three seasons (1976-78) with the Atlanta Braves organization before coaching in the California Angels organization from 1979-82 in the Class A Cal State League. Cannizzaro has two sons - Chris Jr. and Ken, and a daughter, Kimberlee. Chris Jr. was a two-time All-America selection at San Diego State where he was a teammate of USO head coach Rich Hill for one season. Cannizzaro also has three stepdaughters - Marcia, Tricia and Jennifer. Aside from his lifelong passion for the game of baseball, Cannizzaro also enjoys golf and spending time with his four grandchildren - Brittney (17), Morgan (13), Zachary (12) and Cassidy (9). Cannizzaro and his wife, Janice, reside in San Diego.

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2006 TORERO BASEBALL

2006 USD Toreros Baseball Roster

No.

Name

Pos.

Yr. JR so so so JR SR SR FR FR FR FR FR so FR JR so FR FR JR JR FR FR so JR JR JR JR so FR

Ht.

Wt. 171 190 205 170 190 195 205 185 175 185 195 180 185 180 205 190 175 210 180 225 220 190 200 210 230 185 200 195 225 200

BIT SIR LIR R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R S/R R/R LIL R/R LIL LIR R/R LIL

Hometown/Last School Oakland , CA/Bishop O'Dowd HS El Cajon, CA/El Capitan HS Los Angeles , CA/Saini Monica's Catholic

It: 1 w 3 I- 4 5 ,n It: 8 Q 9 6 7 0

Steve Singleton Justin Snyder Logan Gelbrich Kevin Hansen

INF

5-11 5-10

INF/OF

C

6-3

INF INF

5-10 5-10

Glendora , CA/Glendora HS Aiea , HI/Kamehameha HS

Keoni Ruth

Nicholas Cranmer

LHP

6-0 6-1

Solana Beach , CA/Torrey Pines HS/Mesa CC Tucson, AZ/Canyon Del Oro HS/Central Arizona

Ryan Lilly

INF/OF

Brent Planck Serrin Jarvi Nick McCoy Dylan Cohen

INF

5-11

San Diego, CA/James Madison HS Anaheim, CA/Orange Lutheran HS San Diego, CA/Westview HS

,n :::,

11

RHP

6-0

12 13

C

5-10 5-11

INF

Venice, CA/Palisades HS Glendora, CA/Glendora HS

co 14 David Harris 15 Matt Couch

OF

6-0 6-0 6-4 6-3 6-1 6-1 6-0 6-4 6-3 6-3 6-0 6-3 6-2 6-0 6-5 6-0 6-3

RHP LHP RHP LHP

Sacramento, CA/Del Campo HS Cave Creek, AZ/St. Mary's HS Garden Grove, CA/Mater Dei HS New Orleans, LA/Jesuit HS Glendora, CA/Bishop Amat Memorial HS Chula Vista, CA/Castle Park HS Corona, CA/Norco HS San Ramon, CA/California HS San Diego, CA/Dallas Baptist University San Clemente, CA/Mater Dei HS San Diego, CA/James Madison HS Oceanside, CA/Rancho Buena Vista HS El Cajon , CA/El Capitan HS San Diego, CA/Patrick Henry HS Danville, CA/San Ramon Valley HS Centennial, CO/San Diego CC (Grandview HS)

0 0 N

17 18 19 20 21 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 36 38

Brian Matusz Anthony Slama Luke Roniger

Mike Lugo Jose Valerio

INF/OF 38/1B LHP/OF

5-10

RS-FR

Josh Romanski Shane Buschini Daniel Magness Scott DeNault Ricardo Pecina Russell Holzhauer Jordan Abruzzo

LIL LIL LIL

OF 1B

RHP

R/R

LHP/DH

LIL

RHP

R/R S/R

C

Nate Boman Josh Butler Matt Petrucci Brendon Quon

LHP RHP LHP

LIL

R/R S/L R/L R/R

18

Agoura Hills, CA/Agoura HS Las Vegas, NV/Foothill HS

Matt Sexton

C

6-3

TORERO COACHING STAFF: 10 Rich Hill

Head Coach (8th year, Cal Lutheran '84) Assistant Coach (Pepperdine, 2001) Assistant Coach (Point Loma, 2001)

34

Eric Valenzuela

2

Jay Johnson

22

Mark Viramontes Chris Cannizzaro

Assistant Coach

Dir. of Baseball Operations

Front Row (L-R): Michael Lugo, Nick McCoy, Dylan Co– hen, Kevin Hansen, Steve Singleton, Serrin Jarvi, Brent Planck, Justin Snyder Second Row: David Harris, Keoni Ruth, Matt Petrucci, Ryan Lilly, Ricardo Pecina, Josh Romanski, Nate Boman, Matt Couch Third Row: Coach Jay Johnson, Coach Mark Viramon– tes, Coach Eric Valenzuela, Jose Valerio, Brendon Quon, Jordan Abruzzo, Luke Roniger, Nick Cranmer, Dir. of Baseball Opp. Chris Cannizzaro Fourth Row: Daniel Magness, Russell Holzhauer, An– thony Slama, Shane Buschini , Josh Butler, Brian Matusz, Logan Gelbrich , Scott DeNault, Matt Sexton HOW DO YOU SAY... Brian Matusz ............................................MATT-iss Logan Gelbrich ........................................ Gehl-BRICK Nick Cranmer...........................................CRAN-mer Shane Buschini .......................................800-she-knee Anthony Slama .........................................SLAM-a Ricardo Pecina.................................... ..... pa-SEE-na www.usdtoreros.com