USD Baseball 1998

1998 Preview

What might be one of .the best shots at the West Coast Conference title for the University of San Diego Toreros is coming in Head Coach John Cunningham's 35th season. The 1998 Toreros return six everyday starters and nearly the entire pitching staff from last year's squad that finished as the second best staff in the country (3.91 ERA). Cunningham has also kept his bench nucleus together with a total of 18 players re- turning from last year. Cunningham is only bringing in four newcomers to this year's team to try to fill the holes left by the graduating seniors from last year. The mix of talented newcomers and award winning veterans will attempt to give Cunningham his first wee title and his 17th winning season.

(1-r) B. Mazone, K. Reese, M. Vallecorsa, T. Farrell The run to the title will start with a pitching staff that was ranked #2 in the nation in ERA and saw two returners ranked in the top ten in the WCC in ERA. The Toreros lost their top pitcher to the Boston Red Sox, but return All WCC Second Team member Brian Mazone (who ranked second on the team in wins and strikeouts, ninth in the league in ERA and first in shutouts) , and the team leader in ERA, junior, Mark Vallecorsa , who also ranked fourth in the WCC (2.86 ERA). Senior Travis Farrell will also be in the starting rotation and sopho- more Kevin Reese will move into the bullpen and join Mike Amundson as a reliever. Offensively, the Toreros lost the team's batting cham- pion and stolen base king , Jeb Dougherty, to gradua- tion but return the top run producer Brian Mazone , who plays first when he is not pitching . Mazone hit .338 to rank eighth in the WCC and knocked in a team high 34 runs. Junior catcher Tony Betancourt tied for the team lead last year in RBl's with Mazone, and led the team in home runs with 7. He has led the team in both categories over the past two seasons and earned WCC Honorable Mention honors in '97. -8-