News Scrapbook 1986

Los Angeles, CA (Los Angeles Co) Times (San Diego Ed.I (Cir. D 50,010) (Cir . S 55,573)

MAY 16 1986

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USO Continued from Pare 2 A run derby.

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ogether, They Pack a Powerful Punch - Rolls and Baron Supply Offense for USO ByROBMlECH A DIEGO-Dave Rolls and

"I think 1f he [Baron) had those games back it would be a little diff rent story," Rolls said. "He is a home run hitter. When he hits homers they are high and long and far. Mine are out quick and just graze the trees. His are in the air for about five mmutes before they're out." Either way, the outcome is the same, though. Baron and Rolls have made this season much easier than last for Coach John Cunning- ham, who just finished his 24th season at USO. The Toreros were 17-39 m 1985, and Cunningham credits the Rolls-Baron duo with a great deal of the improvement. "They are the biggest 1-2 punch we've had on the team since I've been here," Cunningham said. "I never had anybody hit double figures in home runs in a given season. This year I had two. Get- ting the runners m, who are in scoring position, is a bigger statistic than home runs, though, and Dave has the second-highest percentage (.610) in USO hJStory. Sean 1s right behmd at 550 " Where one is, the other 1s sure to be right h hind Rolls bats third m the lineup, Baron is the cleanup hitter Both are 20 year-old sophomores. Both are recently declared business ma- jors. In a sense, they even comple- ment each other by their differenc- es Rolls 1s right-handed and Baron is left-handed. "We definitely complement each other," Rolls said. "We let each other know when he does good and hits the hall hard. We say, 'Keep it gomg.' When I get on base I'll tell him to get t 'Follow it up, Sean.' We try to keep each other up e ,ery time we are up. ' Said Cunningham, ''The amazing thing this year 1s that they rarely hit homers in the same game. It only happened once." When it did happen, the game was a microcosm of USD's entire season. The Toreros were down by two runs at anta Clara on April 18 when Rolls hit a three-run homer m the top of the ninth inning to put USO ahead. Santa Clara tied it in the bottom of the ninth. Baron's two-run homer in the 13th gave USD the lead again, but Santa Clara came back with three for the victory. "At Santa Clara, there are light poles 90 feet high, hehmd the 360-foot fence in right, and Baron hit a ball over the pole," Cunning- ham said. "In left there is a big scoreboard that starts about 20 feet high, and goes for another 20 feet. Rolls hit the top of that." But the Toreros lost. "We've been in a position to win an awful lot of ballgames," Cun- ningham said. "Many times we've had a lead with three outs to go, • and we've lost." The chance to have a winning season came down to the final doubleheader against St. Mary's. After winning the first game, the Toreros completed the sweep when Rolls drove home the tie-hreaKing runs in he eighth mning. It was only a single, but it drove home two runner~-one of them Baron. "We could play with any team this year," Rolls said. "We have played everyone tough, except for one series with Loyola down here [when the Toreros were outscored 40-11). Wedidalotbetterthanlast year, though." So did Rolls. Last season he hit .254, with three home runs. His goal was .333 this year, but he "settled" for .325. Rolls lifted weights last summer, something he had not done before. That helped his strength and obvi- ously created power. He said he doesn't "max-out" with the weights, hut goes to the weight room at least three times a week for conditioning. In addition to the weights, Rolls· worked out all summer with Jake

S an Baron stood m the outfield of the Univ rs1t~of an Diego's Tore- ro 8taihum urmg practice last w ek Rolls was gazmg past his teamm,ite toward the outfield fence. "I hct l c n rem mber where I hit all my homers this year," Rolls said, "and what the pitch was." Baron shook his head. No way. "W 11," Roils said. "Against P pperdme I hit a slider to right- center gamst Pomt Loma I hit a c ngcuµ to left. Against Loyola I hit a r· tbali over the tree in l ft-c nter .. :· And so it went. Rolls, the left field r, broke USD's.smgle-sea.son horn run r cord Wlth 13 this sea- nd he re mb rs all of them. 1 h ,\!,.''.,.......,..,,...,, started to recall h1 11 homers. "I don't think he's finished," Rolls W th 24 horn rs between them, they produced more home runs than any oth r pair of hitters m U Dhlstory It was not th best sea on m USO h1 tory, but the Toreros salvaged a 500 ason (26-25-2) for the first ttme smce 1982 They climbed over by sweeping a doubleheader from St. Mary's m th 1r season £male It was the b st season Rolls has ever had, however. And his 13 horn runs broke the 26-year Tore- ro record of 12 set by Jim Fiorenza. Baron missed a few weeks of the a on with a hamstring pull. and th t may have helped determine the wmner of this two-way ome Please see USD, Pa e 12

BRADMANGIL University of San Diego first baseman Sean Baron takes a pickoff throw. His 13 home runs this season are a school record. •

Molina, Cunningham's assistant. And they talked about philosophies of hitting. "He [Molina) taught me what I have to master," Rolls said. "He taught m how to go to the opposite field. He was !so a positive person, always giving me compliments." And Rolls returned with a differ- ent attitude. "Last year, we were terrible and hr.d a bunch of guys that I don't think wanted to win," Rolls aid. "I kmd of followed, and rode behind them. I didn't play hard like I should have. I tried to change that this year. Instead of watcn ng ev- erybody, doing as they do, I tried to set an example. I tr1 d to take it on my own not to follow, hopefully to lead." ' He came to USD from Tucson, Ariz., whe1 e he starred on the state championship team at Canyon Del Oro High. He was advised that USO might be a place he would enjoy by Orin Freeman, a scout for the New York Yankees. Rolls sent Cunningham a letter, and the Torero coach imme- diately responded. "He came out to see me play," Rolls said, "and offered me a scholarship. I always wanted to come to San Diego to play." Meanwhile, a three-sport star named Baron from Antelope Valley High School was attracting Cun- n ngham's attention. Ho•vever, three games into Bar on's senior football season he suf- fered a knee injury that required total reconstruction. He missed the rest of football and all of basketball season. He concentrated on baseball. "I didn't want to mess with football anymore," Baron said, "and J.C. [Cunningham] asked me to come down-and I liked 1t. It's close to the beach. That's me." · Cunningham on Baron's knee injury: "We took a chance, but it's paid off." So now these two power hitters are together, sophomores with sock and futures. Maybe one-or both-will make it to the major leagues. Rolls pondered what he might do with his first seven-figure con- tract.

''I'd buy a house in the middle of Wyoming," Rolls said. "I'd like to be away in the outdoors, and go out and fish and camp." "That's Dave," Baron said. "I'm surprised he didn't say in the middle of Siberia." ,--·

San Diego, CA (San Diego Co.) Ocean Mission Pacific Beach Star News (Cir. 2xW. 21,600) ll.Y 9 9 1 Jl ll~n's P. c B

Sean Baron

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1 " ,us Spor! Sh ?-i5""s Basketball camp The Universgy of San Diego basketball coaching staff - under the direction of head coach Hank Egan - will hold its 1986 basketball camp August 3·8. The camp is for boys between the ages of eight and 17. Held at the University of San Diego, par- ticipants can sign up for either orts

Los Angeles, CA (Los Angeles Co) Times (San Diego Ed .I (Cir. D 50,010) (Cir. S 55,573) MAY1 6 1986

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Toreros Sign Hartnell Star Munn T~cctfi~~ of San Diego men s basketball foam ha~ signed Marty Munn to a national letter of mtent.

Munn, a 6-foot 6-inch forward, was third m the state m scoring and rebounding last year at Salinas' Har n II Community College. He averaged 23.4 points and 13 re- bounds per game. Munn earned all-state and All- Amenca honorable mention honors last year. He is the fourth and final re<:ruit signed by the Toreros.

resident camp or as day campers. The camp stresses both in- dividual and team development. It features: • Individual video analysis of each player. • Individualized shooting and ball handling, take-home pro- grams and evaluations. • Daily fundamentals instruc- tion lectures, demonstrations and professional highlight fihns. • Team competition and daily games. • Personalized instruction tailored to different age groups. For further information, call 260-4803.

San Diego, CA (San Diego Co.) San Diego Union (Cir. D. 217,089) (Cir. S. 341,840)

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U§_D J)Dtfielder Jacas on All-WCAC first team Umversitf ots:n Diegqsenior out- ------------- 1 St · 1 · · field - o J L I B . f pays ams aus twice today Games Diego High Tickets are $2 for adults playZ; n!~~d :OC~~e ~~~-::f~~a~! oea rie S 4 and_ 5 of the best-of-five senes, if $1 f_or child~en. The Nomads, a men•; Athletic Conference first team an- n_ece sary, are tomorrow. The senior team. are not affiliated with nounced yesterda . year, and the Lions' Dave Snow was Y.mner advances to_ the Dmswn III the La Jolla Nomads youth soccer Jacas hit 369 y.th f h 63 selected coach of the year. Loyola College World Series in Manetta oro~ram run; batt

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