USD Baseball 2004

THE 2004 TOREROS

THE REIGNING CHAMPS SAN DIEGO NATIONALLY RANKED IN TWO PRESEASON PUBLICATIONS

San Diego returns its entire pitching rotation from its WCC Championship team of 2003 and the league's best closer in two-time All-WCC performer TomCaple. Senior's Kyle Collins and AaronWilson along w ith sopho– more left-hander Justin Blaine make up the USD starting rotation that pro– pelled USD into the NCAA Regionals a year ago. The trio is complemented by the return of Caple, a 5' h -year senior from Rancho Bernardo High School. Caple was named the WCC Pitcher of the Week three times as a junior and returns to assume the role of USD's closer after taking a medical red shirt last season. Caple led the WCC and set a then-USD school record with nine saves as a sophomore in 2001. A .313 career hitter, Caple is also expected to be San Diego's everyday centerfielder and leadoff hitter. The heart of the San Diego order is highlighted by senior Joey Prast, a 2004 Preseason Third TeamAll-America pick by CollegiateBaselxlllsNewspaper. Prast is also BaseballAmericas projected wee Player ofthe Year. Ayear ago Prast led the WCC in hits (90), RBI (57), 2B (26) and total bases (154) as a junior. Prast also has an endorsement from his coach RichHill (the 2002 WCC Coach of the Year), who for the first time in his 17-year head coaching career named a team captain, that being Prast, his 5-foot-11 , 180-pound right fielder Prast is surrounded by talented players throughout the line-up. All-WCC outfielder Josh Hansen returns for his senior season after powering USD into the 2003 NCAA Regionals with a pair of title-clinching homeruns. Hansen will likely be the cleanup hitter, possessing the ability not only to play left field and DH, but also can catch and play first base. The infield returns its left side in standout third baseman FreddySandoval and shortstop Jose Ortega. Samdoval, a junior from Tijuana, Mexico, is arguably USD's best professional prospect, displaying excellent defensive skills while hitting for power from both sides of the plate . Sandoval hit .319 last year with nine homers and 20 doubles. Ortega has been dubbed by Baseball America as the WCC's 'Best Defensive Shortstop' and 'Best Arm. ' Ortega, a senior from Riverside, started in 60 ofUSD's 62 games last season, stringing together a team-high 12-game hitting streak and batting .348 during San Diego's last nine games of the regular season. With all the returning talent, San Diego is drawing national attention in the form of a No. 39 pre-season ranking by CollegiateBaseballNewspaper. It is the first time in USD's program history that the Toreros have been included in CollegiateBaseballs Fabulous 40 pre-season rankings. The Toreros will take that ranking into its regular season opener scheduled forJanuary 23,

San Diego's senior class is highlighted by record– breaking outfielder Joey Prast above, and a pair of starting pitchers from USD's championship team of 2003, including right-hander AaronWtlson below.

accept a baseball scholarship at Arizona State University where he was a mernber ofthe Sun Devil's 1998 College World Series team. After transferring to Pepperdine, Valenzuela would be honored as the Waves team cap– tain his senior year, leading Pepperdine to the 2001 West Coast Conference Championship title.

4 • University of San Diego Toreros