USD Baseball 1990

Page 7

The Outlook

1990 UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO BASEBALL OUTLOOK The 1990 version of the Torero baseball team will be one of its youngest ever. To its list of 16 returning lettermen, Hi:lad Coach John Cunningham has added 10 newcomers - many of whom will be counted on to be important contributors. Their impact may very well go a long way toward determining the direction of the season. Pitching should be the Toreros' strongest suit. Seven letter- men return to the 10-man staff. Anchoring the staff will be the three past USO "Pitcher of the Year" award winners - senior lefthander Louis Skertich ('87), junior righthander James Ferguson ('88) and senior righthander Pat Fitzsimons ('89). Senior righthander Mike Newby, who missed the '89 campaign with a shoulder injury, is expected to be the team's fourth starter. Junior Tom Cheek, a junior college transfer, and sophomores Bob Grandpre and lefty Aaron Miller will be counted on to be the bullpen "stoppers'.' Sophomores Peter Keup and Pat Crema, as well as freshman Marc Bouchard , are ticketed for duty as " long men" and occasional starters. The catching will be handled by sophomore Sean Gousha. Gousha, last year's USO " Rookie of the Year:· started 53 games in '89 and should see the bulk of this year's catching. He will be backed up by junior Steve Stump/I and freshman Merv Hartman . Hartman will also see additional action as the designated hitter. The right side of the Torero infield will be manned by first baseman Rick Doane and second baseman Jim Keen. Doane, a junior who batted .285 last season, and Keen, the "Gold Glove" winner who ripped 5 triples in '89, will be expected to shoulder much of the offensive load . Freshmen Dave Pingree and Kevin Herde are slated for shortstop and third base, respectively. Utility roles will be filled by freshmen Chad Boyd and Kevin Davis. Last season's centerfielder, sophomore Paul Thornton, has been moved to rightfield to make room for freshman Tony Moeder. Moeder is considered a fine defender and will com- bine with Thornton and senior leftfielder Jim Alexander to give the Toreros an excellent defensive trio. Alexander, who played shortstop last season, batted .317 in '89. The trio of outfielders will be backed up by juniors Devin Bundy and Dan McAdoo, as well as newcomer John McCoy. Pitching and defense will be the strengths of the team . Whether they are strong enough to offset an offense that returns only five 1989 homeruns is a question that will need to be answered . The 1990 Toreros will play sixty games to find the answer. The search should prove to be interesting.