USD Baseball 2001

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2CI01l 'Torero Baseball 2001 Torero Baseball Preview

Third-year head coach Rich Hill has posted back– to-back winning seasons at the University of San Diego, and he is coming off a 2000 campaign that saw the Toreros win 34 games. Thirty-one of those wins came against Division I competition, mark– ing a new USO baseball record for wins in a sea– son against Division I opponents. The 34 wins also was just two victories shy of matching USD's school mark set in 1993 . A big key to last year 's success was the leadership the team received from its nine seniors, most notably All-WCC performer Kevin Reese , who left the program as the school's all-time career leader in hits (279) , runs scored ( 183) and RBI ( 185). USO also lost its entire start– ing pitching rotation. For the 200 I squad to con tinue this Torero

success, coach Hill will need hi s players, both key returners and some talented newcomers, to step up and provide the same type of leadership. Although this year's team returns just three seniors and seven upperclassmen from a year ago, the cupboards were not left bare. Junior Greg Sain, who has played both third base and catcher hi s first two seasons, will return behind the plate for hi s junior campagin. Last season Sain earned First Team All -West Coast Conference honors afte r batting .286 with 44 runs, 40 RBI , a team-best 16 doubles, and 6 homers. With Sain behind the plate, and the return of sen ior shortstop Josh Harris and sophomore second baseman Mike McCoy in the infield, and speedy sophomoreTony Perez in center, the Toreros strength wi ll be up the middle. "Our defense up the middle shou ld be the staple of this team," said coach Rich Hill. Harris was solid at shortstop defensively, and surpri sed the coaching staff at the plate, batting .288 with 47 runs scored, 38 RBI and 12 doubles. McCoy, out of nearby Grossmont High School , was the team's lead-off hitter and responded by batting .279 with a team-best 64 runs scored, 50 walks and 19 stolen bases in 2 1 attempts. " Harri s and McCoy fo rm the best double-play combination in the conference," added Hill. The Torero offense will also be bol stered by the return of junior Joe Lima , who moves from the outfi e ld to thi rd base. Lima returns as the top batting leader after batting .3 12 a year ago with 34 runs, 50 RBI , 13 doubles, 5 triples and 8 homers . Juni or S.C. Assael will also play a key ro le in US D's success as Sain 's back-up at catcher, and as an offens ive threat.

Sophomore David Bagley, who was slowed by inju– ries hi s freshman year, returns to compete for play– ing time at third base. He batted .248 in 3 1 starts with 17 RBI , 17 runs , 5 doubles and 2 homers. Joining Tony Perez in the outfield will be sophomore newcomer Tom Caple (San Diego, CA) in right field , with sen ior David Lembo and junior Chris Sandor (Scottsdale CC) compet ing for the open spot in left field. Freshman Adam Bellows (Lake Oswego, OR) will also push for playing time. " I think we ' ll put up comparable offensive numbers to last year," said Hill. "We ' re a little more speed-o ri en ted than we ' ve ever been ." A coupl e of newcomers wi ll be compet– ing for first base and designated hitter ro les -- 6-5 freshman Lucas Wennersten (Phoen ix, AZ) and junior transfer Jason Marian, an Orange County

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