USD Baseball 2007

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