USD Baseball 2006

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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

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,._.. 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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