USD Baseball 2007

-

, Shane sd \ Buschini

ordan ~ hbruzzo I

r EORBRO& RBEDB/111 1iOJ llBllLOmAiLS

e 0 I.) ..: ~ e Q

• Recruiting class ranked among Baseball America 's "Dandy Dozen" • San Diego ranked No. 6 in team defense nationally • Toreros defeated 7 pitchers on Roger Clemens Award Watch List • Seven Named to AII-WCC Teams • Rich Hill Eclipsed the 200 Conference Win Mark • Josh Romanski Named WCC Freshman of the Year • Six players taken in MLB draft

• USO posted series sweep against No.1 ranked Texas • Earned National Team of the Week honors after Sweeping Texas • Set program-best No. 8 National Ranking • USO played the 10 th toughest non-conference schedule in the nation • USO spent 8 weeks in the national polls • 2 Freshman All-American 's I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

I ~- ~ .... , at'►~'l

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

I I I I I

't;nh,r-rr;,. , , r: .---~- ·~_·._-_,.. ....;.r-·_·_,_~_-______________

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 .. .. ................................................................ General Information 2 ... ............................................................... San Diego, California 3.... .............................. ......... .. ........... The University of San Diego 4. .................................................. Cunningham Baseball Stadium 5.............................................. Championship Mentoring Program 6- 7 .. .. .................... ............. ......... .. ...................... . Season Outlook 8-12 .............................................................. USO Coaching Staff 13.... ........................................................................... 2007 Roster 14............................................................... 2007 TV/Radio Roster 15-25 .... ... . ....... ............................................... Player Biographies 27....... ... ................................. ....... ....................... ... ..2006 Results 28-29 ........................................................... 2006 Team Statistics 30-32 ...................................................... West Coast Conference 33.. .. ............................................................ Year-By- Year Resutls 34. ....... ............................................... USO Baseball Hall of Fame 35.. ......... ............................................ USD's Profrssional Players 36... ............ ..................................... wee 40th-anniversary Team 37-43 ............................................................. USO Records Book 44-45 ... ... ... ..... ....................................................... All-time Roster 46... ............................................. USO Strength and Conditioning 4 7... ...................... ... ................................. USO Academic Support 48.. .................. ................................Messaage from the President 49.... ...................................... USO Executive Director ofAthletics 50...... .. ...................... ........................ USO Baseball Support Staff 51 .......... .... ...... .......... .... ............. ...................... NCAA Compliance 52... .... ........... .. .......... ........................................... Media Relations .._ PHOTO CREDENT IALS 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 play– ing surface 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 2007 USO Baseball Media Guide is a product of the USO Athletics Media Relations department. Layout and Design: Chris Loucks Cover Design: Chris Loucks Photography: Dennis Mock, Brock Scott, Dale Frost, Eric Drotter, Matt Brown Printing: Kings Printing Corporation

.._GENERAL INFORMATION Location . Founded Enrollment President .. Executive Director of Athletics Senior Associate Athletics Director Assoc. AD/Athletic Development.... Assoc. AD for Facilities & Operations .. . Assisi. AD for Facilities & Operations Assoc. AD/ Senior Women 's Administrator . Assoc. AD/Business Affairs

........ San Diego, CA ................... 1949 . .. .. 7,600 .. .... Mary E. Lyons, Ph.D. Ky Snyder .................Mike Matoso .................... Dan Yourg

.. .. Brian Fogarty ... John Martin ..............Andy Fee

. .. Shaney Fink

Assistant AD Marketing Head Athletic Trainer .

...................... Briana Ruff

.. ............... Carolyn Greer, A.T , C. Assistant Athletic Trainer's (Baseball) ............Wil Filamor, Joe Parry Sport and Business Psychology Consultan ........ Karlene Sugarman Affiliation ... .............. .. .. .................. NCAA Division I Conference. Nickname.. School Colors Athletic Dept. Phone West Coast .. ............ Toreros Torero Blue, Navy, White (619) 260-4803

.._ TEAM INFORMATION First Year ofBaseball (Began Division I play)..

.. ....... 1958 (1979)

Overall All-Time Record

................ 1,046-988-2 (.511)

NCAA Division I Appearances (Last)

.3 (2006)

NCAA Tournament Record Best All-Time Record .. 2006 Overall Record 2006 wee Record (Place)

... 3-6

.. ........... 39-23 (2002)

.........33-25 13-8 (3rd)

2006 Home Record 2006 Road Record ..

... 17-6 .13-17 .... 3-2

2006 Neutral Field Record

2006 Postseason

............ 1-2

........... 6/3 .. 4/1 ............ 18/12 .. .... 15

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

Newcomers.......

.._ HOME FIELD Ballpark.. . Surface .... .. .......... ..

.. .. Cunningham Baseball Stadium (1,200) ........ Natural Grass

..... LF-309, CF-395, RF-329

Dimensions ..........................

.._ BASEBALL STAFF Head Coach.

.......... Rich Hill Cal Lutheran, 1984

Alma Mater ...... Record at USO Overall Record Assistants ....

.............. 266-201-3 (8th Year) .............. 599-421-2 (18th Year) .. ... Eric Valenzuela (Pepperdine, 2001) .... Jay Johnson (Point Loma, 2001) ................... Mark Viramontes

Dir. of Baseball Operations Baseball Phone Baseball Fax

... Ramon Orozco . (619) 260-5953 ............ (619) 260-7750

.._ MEDIA RELATIONS Associate A.D./Media Relations

..........................Ted Gosen Assistant Dir. of Media Relations (Baseball Contact) ... Chris Loucks Media Relations Coordinator .. .. .................... 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 .._ 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 wi ll call table located at the top of Cunningham Stadium.

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

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 val– leys. 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 of less than 10 inches. Most days are sunny, with humidity generally low, even in the summer. The 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 involvement, 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 gym-

nasiums , 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. As well as participating in recreational activities, San Diego supports their profes– sional teams -- the NFL Chargers play at Qualcomm Stadium, and the San Diego Padres play in the new Petco Park. Dur– ing college 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 Di– ego 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.!

THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO

THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO The University of San Diego is an independent Catholic institu– tion of higher education. 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 locat– ed just 10 minutes from downtown San Diego and the world fa– mous San Diego Zoo. Historic Old Town is just minutes away as well. The city of San Diego along with this campus traces their origins to fifteenth century Spain . 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, the University of Alcala, whose buildings became the inspiration for USD's style . THE CAMPUS The USO campus is regarded as one of the most architectur– ally unique institutions in the country, featuring major buildings designed in an ornamental 16 th century Spanish Renaissance style. Since 1984, USO has completed numerous major con– struction and expansion projects. In 2000, the Jenny Craig Pa- vilion , a 5,100-seat athletic center, opened its doors as home

to USO volleyball and basketball. In the fall of 2001 , the Joan 8 . Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice opened on the west end of campus and a new Science and Technology Center recently opened for the 2003-04 academic year. A five-story Spanish Renaissance parking garage (1 ,100 spaces) was completed in 1998. A landscaped fountain plaza was finished 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 7,600 students who have a choice of more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The university's academic units in– clude the College ofArts and Sciences , and the Schools of Business Administration , Education, Law, and Nurs– ing . Class size generally averages between 15-25 stu– dents with the student to teacher ratio being 14:1. 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 now consistently ranks among the top schools in the United States.

ATHLETICS The University of San Diego 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 just completed its 13th 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 49 NCAA post-season appearances; garnered 56 All-American selections; had 37 Conference Coaches of the Year; won 15 conference championships; and 4 WCC Scholar Athletes of the Year. At the end of the 2005 football season, Jim Harbaugh was named the Pioneer Football League's Coach of the Year after leading the Torerosa to the best football season in school history. USO won 11 games with one loss, claimed its first ever PFL championship and finished the season ranked No. 1 in the Sports Network poll for mid majors.

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. Cun– ningham 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 trad ition. 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 straightaway center, right-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 full-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 renaissance alive, creating a superb facility to house media and game operations staff. In addition, a new public address system has been added , replacing 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. The Stadium also features five batting cages that are roofed , fenced and all have lights. Three of the cages are 60 feet in length and the remaining two tunnels are each 40 feel long. 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.

USO CHAMPIONSHIP MENTORING PROGRAM

The mission for the mentoring program is to provide the student-athletes 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 regarding 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 suc– cessful. If our players have a network of campus-wide and community based professionals helping them transition to college and maintain their "focus ," they will find themselves ahead of the game.

Thor Eakes and Blake Tagmyer

Linda Coppa and Nick McCoy

Father Owen Mullen, Daniel Magness and Chad Blauer

Judy Eppler and Josh Romanski

Jerry Prior and Darrin Campbell

TOREROS AIM FOR RETURN TO REGIONALS

. . "There is going to be a learning curve with Sean Nicol at shortstop, but he is more than capable of blazing his own trail and not trying to fill the shoes of a Steve Singleton. If you look at the quality shortstops we have had here at USO, it has been an impressive run , and Sean is another one of those in a line of At second base there will be a familiar face to Torero fans, Justin Snyder. Snyder will move from center field to second, his more natural position. As a sophomore Sny- der opened a lot of eyes around the WCC as he had a break-out type of season. In 2006, Snyder served as the USO lead-off hitter and he responded with a .301 batting average, 66 hits, 14 doubles, three home runs and 33 RBI en route to earning an AII-WCC honorable "Justin Snyder is really going to surprise some people. He turns the double play as well as anyone on the west coast and has as strong an arm as anyone in the country," said great shortstops," said Hill. mention . Hansen posted solid numbers as he hit .276 with 53 hits, five doubles and 27 RBI. Hansen was best known this past season for his abil- ity to lay down the bunt and advance runners Now for the outfield. The WCC Freshman of the Year, Josh Romanski , makes his return and will move from left field to center field , as well as serve as a Saturday starter for the Toreros. Romanski was a valuable two-way player for the Toreros this past season as he hit .287 with 45 hits, six doubles, four home runs and 20 RBI , while also serving as the primary closer for USO. On the mound , Ro- manski led the team with five saves, while posting a 4.50 ERA and a record of 5-4. For his efforts, he was selected second-team All- wee and earned a Freshman All-American "Josh gets a great jump on the ball and tracks it extremely well ," said Hill. "The chal- lenge for us there is that we also see Josh as a starting pitcher, being a Saturday starter. So it is going to be a challenge for him to DH and be a starting pitcher, but I am confident In left field , the Toreros will look to a ju- nior transfer from UCLA, Mike Metzger. The coaching staff sees him bouncing back and forth between left and center field . This past season as a Bruin, Metzger played in 25 makes his return after a season that saw him hit .290 with 64 hits, 11 doubles, five home runs and 32 RBI. As a sophomore, Buschini led the conference in hitting en route to a first-team AII-WCC selection and the coaches think he is ready to return to that form. Another newcomer who could see time in both right and left field will be freshman James Meador. Meader comes to USO from Ramona High School after a standout career. He is a three-time first-team All-Valley League selection and as a senior he also earned first- into scoring position. distinction from Collegiate Baseball. he will be successful this season." games with five starts. Another familiar face will appear in right field for USO, Shane Buschini. Buschini

Sure the majority of the infield is gone and so too is second-round draft choic~ and Friday starter Josh Butler. But the allll-..&l cupboard is far from bare for the Univer- sity of San Diego baseball team entering the 2007 season as USO returns two freshman All-Americans in Brian Matusz and Josh Romanski as well as a wealth of offensive talent returning from the 2006 team that made a trip to the NCAA Re- 111111•• .......

~-.i-

gionals.

The goals for this team are the same as they always have been , to win the West Coast Conference championship, make it into the NCAA Regionals and eventu- ally on to the College World Series. San Diego head coach Rich Hill also has the team focused on peak performance. "Our goals in our program are all centered around peak performance on a daily basis," said Hill. "The most im- portant game is the next game, so with that philosophy everything is centered on developing our players to be the best they can be on game day. We wi ll be training like our hair is on fire , training like mad men. We will not rest until this program achieves its ultimate goal of getting to the San Diego will look to some senior leadership to help them achieve their goals, and what better seniors to turn to then Jordan Abruzzo , Shane Buschini, Daniel Magness and Anthony Slama. Abruzzo and Slama were both second day draft selections in 2006 and will now be focused on helping th is team achieve Abruzzo will make his return as the starting catcher for the Toreros after a solid 2006 campaign that saw him take home second-team AII-WCC honors. This past season, Abruzzo finished with a .314 batting average, led the team in dou- bles (18), home runs (8)and in RBI (58). Abruzzo was peaking at the right time for the Toreros in 2006, as he tied a program record for most single-game home runs hit (3), most RBI (8) and most hits (5) in the second game of the NCAA Regionals Backing up Abruzzo as well as split- ting time with him behind the plate will be junior Logan Gelbrich. This past season Gelbrich split his time between the des- ignated hitter and catcher positions with Abruzzo and posted solid numbers. For the season, Gelbrich hit .322 with five "Both Jordan Abruzzo and Logan Gel- brich are upper echelon Division I catch- ers in my opinion," said Hill. "We just have that luxury here and we are very fortunate to have two catchers that are of Nick McCoy also makes his return to the Toreros to add depth to the catcher position. McCoy saw limited action in The continued depth at catcher sees two new faces in Stuart Kam as well as Steven Chatwood. Kam is a freshman from Kamehameha High School in Ho- College World Series." its goals. against Saint Louis. doubles and 10 RBI. that caliber." 2006.

.._,..__

Hill. =;:::;;~~;::::~ in from the outfield to fill the hole left by the departure of Ryan Lilly. As a sophomore, At third base, Kevin Hansen will also move

league performer and as a senior he was named first-team All-State as he helped his team reach the state championship game. Chatwood is a freshman out of Redlands East Valley High School in Yucipa, Calif., where he was a three-time All-Citrus League performer. He gradually increased his hit- ting stats over the course of his outstanding career and he capped off his career with a .470 batting average this past season. Moving to first base, Magness makes his return as the only other returning infielder for USO. Magness was a solid force for the To- reros in 2006 and the coaching staff expects nothing less from him this season. As a ju- nior he hit .313 with 56 hits, seven doubles, Jose Valerio cou ld be a possible back- up for Magness at first base. Valerio was able to step in this past season and play a huge role for the Toreros down the stretch. He played in seven games with four starts at first base. Valerio had a huge hit in the bot- tom of the ninth inning to keep a rally alive against Santa Clara. Valerio posted a .267 batting average in those seven games. The Toreros will have to replace the re- mainder of the infield with the departure of first-team AII-WCC shortstop Steve Single- ton to pro baseball, as well as second base- man Keoni Ruth and third baseman Ryan Lilly. With the loss of these key infielders, some may wonder if it is a case of rebuilding "It is a case of rebuilding , especially early on," said Hill. "When you lose the heart and soul of the infield, Steve Singleton , who has done extremely wel l in pro baseball, it will make things difficult. But we are going to be looking to Sean Nicol to fill that void." Nicol is a shortstop transfer from the Uni- versity of Portland and is expected to come in and help the Toreros not skip a beat de- fensively in the infield. This past season with the Pilots, Nicol was the team's third best hit- ter with a .303 batting average, had 61 hits, 11 doubles, four home runs and 26 RBI. two home runs and 22 RBI. or reloading?

He was a three-time all-

will be Blake Tagmyer. He is a freshman from Grandview High School in Centen– nial, Colo. He was a two-time first-team All-Centennial League selection and as a senior he hit .520 with eight home runs, while helping his team make a trip to the Elite 8 of the playoffs. Steve Winnick comes to the Toreros after a standout career at Horizon High School. He helped lead his team to four consecutive Coastal League champion– ships. As a senior he hit .525 en route to being selected first-team All-State for small schools, and a first-team AII-CIF Di– vision IV. One of the keys to the Toreros earning an at large bid into the Regionals in 2006 was their strength of schedule. 2007 is no different, as once again Hill and his coach– ing staff have put together another strong schedule. Should USO win these tough non-conference games and not win the wee championship, they should have a ) Texas to take on the Texas Longhorns in the second week of the season. The fol– lowing weekend the Toreros will head to Los Angeles, to take on parental power Southern Cal in a three game set, two in L.A. and one in San Diego. Add the Colonial Athletic Association perennial power Virginia Commonwealth , followed by Wake Forrest at home, then a rematch with the school that knocked USO out of the NCAA Regionals, a very strong Fresno State team in Fresno, Calif. To close out the non-conference portion of the schedule the Toreros will have to face an always strong University of Hous– ton team and one of the top teams in the Mountain West in UNLV. Once this non-conference portion of the schedule is over, USO must face a vastly improving wee slate with Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount and San Francisco, all of who, year in and year out, are tough op– ponents. Now add in Santa Clara who has one of the better recruiting classes according to Hill as well as Gonzaga and Saint Mary's, and San Diego's schedule is as tough as it has ever been. "The key is to just take care of business in conference. Last year, I thought the conference was the best that I had seen in my 13 years of coaching in this confer– ence," said Hill. This year, we may not be as strong from top to bottom, but there is way more parity." 2007 wee PRESEASON COACHES POLL good chance at earning another at large ~~ - be1h~me of the highlights of the San Diego (J '1 /JA schedule include a trip to Round Rock, ri 'V/t,

success of this team," said Hill. "They have the potential to eat up a good number of in– nings. Both of those guys could pitch a lot on weekends and either one of them cou ld start on Tuesday's." Looking at some of the newcomers who could see time on the mound as well are San Diego Player of the Year in 2006, freshman AJ Griffin from Grossmont High School. As a senior he posted an 11-3 record, had a 1.49 ERA with 110 strikeouts in 91 innings of work. As a junior he was selected as the San Diego Pitcher of the Year after posting an 8-3 record and a 1.99 ERA. Chad Blauer is another member of the bull– pen who could see some time as well. The freshman comes to USO after a stand-out ca– reer at Edison High School as an outstanding two-way player. As a senior he hit .375 and as a junior he hit .410 en route to earning a first– team All-Sunset League distinction . Darrin Campbell is another potential fresh– man that cou ld have a big impact on the To– reros. Campbell was a member of the Aliso Niguel baseball team. He missed the last two seasons as he was recovering from Tommy John surgery. He has fully healed and is ex– pected to see action this season . Some returners are also expected to see time on the mound as well. Russell Holzhauer makes his return to the Toreros for his junior season. As a sophomore, he posted a 2-3 re– cord with an ERA of 6.91 . Fellow classman, Luke Roniger, makes his return for San Diego after a sophomore season that saw him post a 4.50 ERA while making three appearances. Sophomore right-hander Scott DeNault also returns for the Toreros as he had an im– pressive freshman campaign. In 2006, De– Nault posted a 1-1 record with an ERA of 5.09. DeNault saw more action as the season pro– gressed and became a valuable middle relief pitcher for USO down the stretch. Michael Lugo also makes his return for the Toreros as a utility player. Lugo saw limited action in 2006 primarily serving as a pinch run– ner. He, like Valerio, had a huge hit against Santa Clara to help lift the Toreros to a three– game sweep over the Broncos as he went 1- for- 1 with one run scored. USD's final returner was a redshirt from this past season, Brent Planck. Planck was named the Harbor League Player of the Year award and named first-team All-Harbor League as a senior at Madison High School. USO has several other newcomers that could help them make thei r return to the NCAA postseason. One of these newcomers is a freshman out of Thousand Oaks, Calif. , Kevin Muno. As a senior at Loyola High School , he was named first-team Al l-Mission League af– ter hitting .400 and registering 30 stolen bases and helping his team advance to the quarterfi– nals of the CI F playoffs. Chris Viegas is the next new face in a To– rero uniform this season. He hails from Ather– ton, Calif., and is a graduate of Saint Francis High School. As a senior he hit .378 with two home runs en route to being selected second– team AII-WCAL. As a junior he was named third-team AII-WCAL after posting a .352 bat– ting average. Another key newcomer to the USO squad

team All-State after hitting .510 with 12 home runs. San Diego's pitching will once again be solid as two of the starting three pitchers from this past season make their return. Sophomore south paw Brian Matusz is projected to be USD's Friday starter. As a freshman , Matusz was named a freshman All-American by both Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America. He posted a 4-3 record with an ERA of 4.25 and fanned 93 batters in 89 innings of work in 2006. This season Matusz has already garnered indi– vidual attention as he was named to both the Roger Clemens Award watch list and the Wallace Award watch list. As mentioned before Romanski is pro– jected to be the Saturday starter and USO will conclude its weekend rotation with the return of junior right-hander Matt Couch. Couch is coming off one of his most impres– sive seasons as he posted a 4.00 ERA and had a record of 7-5, while throwing in 108 complete innings. For his efforts this past season, he took home AII-WCC honorable mention honors. USO doesn't have a prototypical closer; Hill and the coaching staff are loaded with talent in the bullpen , which could bear well for the Toreros. USO wil l look to Slama and sophomore Ricardo Pecina for some solid innings of middle relief or as a pos– sible midweek starter. Slama finished his injury plagued season with a 6.18 ERA and a record of 2-0. He was drafted in the 39th round by the Minnesota Twins, but has re– turned to try and improve his draft status. Pecina returns to the Toreros after a solid 2006 freshman campaign as he posted a 4.42 ERA and had a record of 4-4. Pecina came up huge for the Toreros in the NCAA Regionals. In the final game of the season against Fresno State, Pecina came in for some relief work and was lights out as he threw four scoreless innings allowing USO to climb back into the game. "Anthony Slama and Ricardo Pecina are probably two of the biggest keys to the

1. Pepperdine - 47 (6) 2. SAN DIEGO - 41 (1) San Francisco - 41 (1) 4. LMU-28 5. Gonzaga - 25

6. Santa Clara - 19 7. Saint Mary's - 16 8. Portland - 8 (First place votes)

HEAD COACH RICH HILL

San Diego's Rich Hill has built the USO Toreros into one of the most successful Division I baseball programs on the West Coast. The 2007 spring season will be Hill's 20th year as a head coach at the collegiate level , and ninth at USO, having enjoyed 16 winning seasons in 19 years . Since taking over at USO in 1999, Hill has been remarkable in leading the Toreros to eight 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, and guiding the Toreros to their first-ever at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament in 2006. In the 2006 season , not only did Hill lead USO back to the post– season , but he also helped guide the Toreros to their highest national ranking at No. 8 in the Collegiate Baseball top-25 poll on Feb. 2, 2006. Other milestones that Hill achieved during this historic season was the team recorded its first win over a No. 1 ranked opponent as they swept the defending national champion Texas Longhorns in the opening weekend . Hill became the third coach in the history of the WCC to eclipse the 200 conference wins mark, and he is one win shy of the 600 career wins total with an overall coaching record of 599-420-3. Under his leadership San Diego has averaged 33 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 youngest coaches in collegiate history to reach 500 career victories in 2003, taking USO into postseason play and a second consecutive NCAA Regional appearance. Scheduling the nation's top competition, Hill owns a 266-201- 3 (.569) overall record as San Diego's manager. In turn , Hill has brought the school national notoriety, earning a No. 8 national ranking by Collegiate Baseball (2/13/06) , its highest in school history. Following a 35-21 season in 2004, seven of Hill's eight graduating seniors signed professional contracts . That same season a record 10 USO players were recognized as AII-WCC performers, with five players being selected in the '04 MLB First Year Player Draft. This past June six more Toreros were drafted and signed by Major League clubs. The 44-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 Lu, 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 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 Confer- ence in 1998 as the Dons finished tied with USO for third place in the WCC . Over his final three seasons there , Hill guided USF to up– per 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 Cal Lu (43), USO (39) and Chatham in Cape League (35) .

Rich Hill's Coaching Highlights • No. 1 among active WCC coaches in career (405) and league (201) victories as well as winning% (.587) and wins per season (31.4) • 16 winning seasons in 19 years as a head coach • Over 500 career victories (599-420-3) • 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

• Three 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)

In addition to his collegiate coaching positions, Hill was head coach for the Chatham P.:s of the Cape Cod League J between 1990-93, winning the league title in 1992 with a franchise record of 35-11. He has twice been recognized as the ABCA West 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 Career 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 10 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 (SingleAaffiliate in Savannah, Georgia) , he returned RICH HILL'S COACHING FILE. .. to his alma mater where he earned his Master of Science degree in Education in 1988. Rich and his wife, Lori, live in .,_Ye=a.,_r_...,S=c=h=oo=l_____,R=e=c=or,.,,d,__---"C=on,_,_,f=er..,,e'""nc=e San Diego with their two children , Robbie (15) and Lindsey 1988 Cal Lutheran 21-21 13-11 6th (NAIA Dist. 3) (12) . 1989 Cal Lutheran 31-18 16-8 3rd (NAIADist. 3)

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

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

35-16

12-8 1st (NAIA Dist 3) 10-3 1st (NAIA Dist. 3)

32-8 43-6 32-7

20-1 1st (SCIAC)

19-2 1st (West Region)

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

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

13-16-1 (3rd wee Coast) 14-16 (3rd wee Coast) 20-1 o (2nd wee West) 18-12 (1st West/1st WCC) 18-12 (1st West/1st WCC) 19-11 (2nd wee Coast) 16-14 (2nd wee Coast)

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

13-8 (3rd WCC)

Career atUSD atUSF at Cal Lu Career

Years 8 5 6 19

Overall 266-201-3 139-144 194-76 599-421-3

Conference 131-99-1

Rich Hill, his wife Lori and their two children, Robbie (15) and Lindsey (12)

70-74 90-33 305-219-1

F.O~~VER SPORT ~~ ~ aa1 as

\\-~~

"ft' ,t_r... marks ol the ad1das-Salomon Group

~- 200G adidas·Satomon AG adidas, the ad1das I

USD COACHING STAFF

Eric Valenzuela, a key component in the success of San Diego baseball and the development of USD's pitching staff, begins his fourth season as an assistant coach for the Toreros in 2007. Valenzuela made an immediate impact during his first season at USO in 2004 . Under his direction the Torero pitch– ing staff led the West Coast Conference in team ERA. All four graduating pitchers from his 2004 staff went on to sign profes– sional contracts at season's end . Valenzuela continues to recruit and develop some of the nation's top amateur players . Valenzuela spearheaded the recruiting efforts for the 2006 USO recruiting class that was ranked among Baseball America's Dandy Dozon. Valenzuela hasn't stopped there as the 2008 Torero recruiting class has been ranked No. 6 by StudentSportsbaseball.com. 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. Mary's, Va– lenzuela coordinated much of the team's community programs, including directing youth camps and clinics. Valenzuela served as the Gaels third base coach , managed 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. 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 mem– ber 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 B.A. in Criminal Justice. His father, Victor, was an assistant boxing coach for the United States in the 1984 Olympic Games and currently runs the Azusa Boxing Club in East Los Angeles. Valenzuela and his wife Betty reside in downtown San Diego.

Jay Johnson, is entering his second season with the To– reros. During his first season at USO, he was instrumental in helping guide USO back into the postseason , while assisting head coach Rich Hill will all aspects of the game. Johnson serves as USD's primary hitting coach and also takes on the roll of associate recruiting coordinator. He helped recruit USD's 2008 class, which was ranked No. 6 in the nation by StudentSportsBasball.com. In his first season , the Toreros ranked first in the WCC in team hitting overall (.310) as wel as ~ _ 1n conference games (.329). rJ,~~, Johnson , the head coach at nearby Point Loma Naza- ( rene prior to coming to USO, 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. 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 con– secutive trips to the NAIA Region II Championships and es– tablished 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 Ju– nior College. As a prep athlete at Oroville High School , John– son was a First Team AII-CIF Northern Section pick in both baseball and football . Johnson earned a degree in Physical Education at PLNU in 2001 and later acquired a Master's degree in Physical Edu– cation at Azusa Pacific Univers ity. Johnson and his wife Erika reside in San Diego.

Eric and Betty Valenzuela

USD COACHING STAFF

The start of the 2007 season marks the start of Ra– mon Orozco's tenure with the Toreros baseball team under head coach Rich Hill. Orozco brings a wealth of coaching experience to the USO coaching staff as he was most recently an assis– tant coach under current USO Assistant Coach Mark Viramontes for the DuPage Dragons of the Central Il– linois Collegiate Summer League (CICL). During his first season with the team, he helped guide them to the regular-season Co-Championship. During the season, Orozco helped the team post a franchise-best 25-19 overall record . Prior to his work with the DuPage Dragons , Orozco has served as an assistant coach for Glendale Com– munity College helping serve as an academic advisor and mentor to the student-athletes, while also assisting the head coach with all aspects of the game. Orozco earned his bachelor of science degree (Math– ematics) in 1999 from California Lutheran University. He also holds his two masters degrees, one in Cross– Cultural Teaching that he earned in 2002 from National University, and the other is a Masters degree in Educa– tion from the University of Laverne that he received in 2005.

A native of East Los Angeles , Calif. , Mark Vira– montes brings seven years of collegiate coaching experience to USO. The 2007 season will be his second as an assistant at San Diego under head coach Rich Hill. Viramontes assumes the roll of USD's catching coach and field supervisor, while ?lso working closely with the team's hitters as an in– tricate part of the Toreros coaching staff. In the summer of 2006 , Viramontes took over as head coach for the DuPage Dragons of the Central Illinois Collegiate Summer League (CICL) . During his first season at the helm, Viramontes guided the Dragons to a franchise-best 25-19 overall record. His most recent coaching experience came in han– dling a wide range of duties as an assistant at Divi– sion II California State University of L.A. in 2005 . As an assistant at East L.A. College from 1999-2004, Viramontes helped the Huskies to three postseason trips including a state finals appearance in 2000. Vi– ramontes has also spent the 2004 & 2005 season's coaching in the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) with the Brewster Whitecaps. His coaching career began assisting the 1995 var– sity 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 L.A.

2007 USD TOREROS BASEBALL ROSTER

Wt

EHI R/R LIR R/R R/R LIR R/R R/R S/R R/R R/R LIR R/R R/R R/R

l:::lometowalLast Scbool

eos INF

Ye so JR JR JR so JR SR FR so FR FR JR FR so SR JR FR so SR SR so JR FR FR FR FR so FR FR

tilo tilame

1:11

6-0

Scottsdale, AZ/University of Portland

175 190 210 170 175 185 195 230 170 185 170 172 185 170 180 205 190 180 21 0 180 225 220 200 21 0 175 230 190 215 190 180 160

Sean Nicol

5-10

El Cajon, CA/El Capitan HS

INF/OF

Justin Snyder Logan Gelbrich Kevin Hansen Brent Planck Mike Metzger Jordan Abruzzo Mike Lugo

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

6-3

Los Angeles, CA/Saint Monica's Catholic

C

Glendora, CA/Glendora HS

5-10 5-10 5-11

INF

Glendora, CA/Bishop Amat Memorial HS San Diego, CA/James Madison HS

INF/OF

RS-FR

INF OF

6-0 6-2 5-9

Fair Oaks, CA/UCLA

El Cajon , CA/El Capitan HS Thousand Oaks, CA/Loyola HS San Diego, CA/Westview HS Centennial, CO/Grandview HS Atherton, CA/St. Francis HS Sacramento, CA/Del Campo HS Yucaipa , CA/Redlands East Valley HS Cave Creek, AZ/St. Mary's HS Garden Grove, CA/Mater Dei HS New Orleans, LA/Jesuit HS San Diego , CA/Horizon HS Chula Vista , CA/Castle Park HS San Diego, CA/Dallas Baptist University San Diego, CA/James Madison HS Oceanside, CA/Rancho Buena Vista HS Hunnington Beach, CA/Edison HS Laguna Niguel, CA/ Aliso Niguel HS El Cajon, CA/Grossmont HS San Clemente, CA/Mater Dei HS Honolulu, HI/Kamehameha HS Ramona, CA/Ramona HS Corona , CA/Norco HS San Ramon , CA/California HS

C

INF

Kevin Muno Nick McCoy

11

5-10 5-10 5- 10

C

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 23 24 25 27 28 29 30 31 36 40 44 47

INF

Blake Tagmyer Ch ris Viegas

OF

6-0 5-8 6-4 6-3 6-1 6-2 6-1 6-0 6-4 6-3 6-0 6-3 6-1 6-3 6-4 6-5 6-3 6-2 5-9

RHP C/2B LHP RHP LHP

Matt Couch

Steven Chatwood Brian Matusz Anthony Slama Luke Ron iger Steve Winnick Josh Romanski Shane Buschini Daniel Magness Ricardo Pecina Russell Holzhauer James Meador Chad Blauer Darrin Campbell Jose Valerio

LIL

R/R

LIL

R/R R/R

RHP/INF

RS-SO

3B/1B

LIL LIL LIL UL

LHP/OF

OF 1B

LHP/DH

R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R LIR

RHP UTL

RHP/1 B

RHP RHP RHP

AJ Griffin

Scott DeNault

C

Stuart Kam

Phoenix, AZ/Brophy Prep

Stephen Streich

LHP

UL

TORERO COACHING STAFF: 10 Rich Hill

Head Coach (9th year, Cal Lutheran '84) Ass istant Coach (Pepperdine, 2001) Assistant Coach (Point Loma, 2001 )

Eric Valenzuela

34

Jay Johnson

2

Mark Viramontes Ramon Orozco

22

Assistant Coach

Dir. of Baseball Operations (Cal Lutheran '99)

Front Row (L-R): James Meador, Mike Metzger, Kevin Hansen, Josh Roman- ski, Matt Couch, Ricardo Pecina, Jose Valerio, Chris Viegas Second Row: Coach Rich Hill, Coach Eric Valenzuela, Steve Winnick, Luke Roniger, Scott DeNault, Chad Blauer, Stuart Kam, Ramon Orozco (Dir. of Baseball Ops.), Coach Mark Viramontes, Coach Jay Johnson Third Row: Sean Nicol, Blake Tagmyer, Kevin Muno, Steven Streich, Michael Lugo, Nick McCoy, Justin Snyder, Ste- ven Chatwood, Brent Planck Fourth Row: Jordan Abruzzo, Dan- iel Magness, Anthony Slama, Shane Buschini, Brian Matusz, Logan Gelbrich, Russell Holzhauer, Darrin Campbell, AJ Griffin