University Southern California Trojans
Baseball Plays Three at Texas
June 21, 1999 | Baseball
February 3, 1999
LOS ANGELES - The No. 1 USC baseball team - coming off its unprecedented 12th NCAA championship last season - is 1-0 overall in 1999. After a season-opening 11-1 win against Cal State Dominguez Hills, USC takes to the road for a three-game set at Texas (1-0 - plays Texas-Arlington today). These are two of the most storied college baseball programs in history, as the two schools have combined for 46 College World Series appearances and 16 national championships. The Trojans and the Longhorns meet up Friday (Feb. 5) at 2:30 p.m. CST, then play on Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 6-7) at 1 p.m.
THE RANKINGS - In the preseason polls, USC is ranked No. 1 by Baseball America and USA Today Baseball Weekly/ESPN and No. 3 by Collegiate Baseball. Texas is No. 31 in the Collegiate Baseball preseason poll.
SCOUTING THE LONGHORNS - Texas opened the 1999 season with a 5-2 victory over Texas-Arlington on Tuesday (Feb. 2) and have another game against UTA today. Last season, Texas went 23-32-1 overall and 11-18 for eighth place in the Big 12.
THE SERIES - Texas leads the series, which began in 1961, 13-10. The Longhorns have won nine of the last 10 games going back to 1980. The two teams have matched up in six different College World Series, with USC holding a 6-1 record in those games.
LAST MEETING - The Longhorns won two out of three last season at Dedeaux Field. The two teams split a doubleheader, with the Trojans winning the first game, 5-3, and the Longhorns winning the second, 6-5 (in five innings). Texas came back the next day and won the third game, 15-7.
PITCHING ROTATION - USC's expected starting pitching rotation for this weekend's series is as follows: sophomore RHP Rik Currier on Friday, junior LHP Barry Zito on Saturday and senior RHP Justin Lehr on Sunday. For Texas, it's junior RHP Scott Dunn, junior LHP Dax Leone and junior LHP D.J. Jones.
LAST GAME - Junior C Eric Munson went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI as the No. 1 USC baseball team opened its 1999 campaign with an 11-1 victory over Cal State Dominguez Hills on Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 2) at Dedeaux Field. Munson launched a mammoth two-run home run in the bottom of the first that landed on top of the parking structure in right field. Both the Trojans (1-0) and the Toros (2-3) were swinging with wood bats. Seven Trojan pitchers combined to scatter seven hits and five walks. Sophomore RHP Rik Currier (1-0) went one inning in relief, striking out two, and earned the win. Senior RF Greg Hanoian went 3-for-5 with two RBI and a solo home run and senior 2B Dominic Correa was 3-for-4 for the Trojans. The Trojans won their fourth straight season opener and fourth straight home opener.
PRESEASON ACCOLADES - Junior C Eric Munson was the most honored player in the nation in the preseason. First and foremost, he was named Collegiate Baseball's Preseason Player of the Year. Baseball America also named him to its All-American first team. The team was voted on by 23 major league scouting directors, and Munson was the only unanimous pick ... In addition, junior LHP Barry Zito was named a Baseball America preseason All-American second teamer, senior 1B/LHP Jason Lane was named a Collegiate Baseball preseason All-American second teamer and sophomore RHP Rik Currier was named a Collegiate Baseball preseason All-American third teamer.
TEAM OF THE CENTURY - No other university can match the collegiate baseball tradition of USC, and it showed when Baseball America awarded the Trojans the title of "Greatest Program of the 20th Century" in its Feb. 1, 1999 issue. Troy has captured an unprecedented 12 NCAA championships (no other school has more than five), 36 conference titles and 19 College World Series appearances (second most in the nation). Legendary former coach Rod Dedeaux has been named "Coach of the Century" by both Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America. Trojan players have been named All-American first teamers 38 times, and more than 70 former players have gone on to play in the major leagues, including such stars as Tom Seaver, Fred Lynn, Ron Fairly, Randy Johnson, Mark McGwire, Jeff Cirillo and Bret Boone.
ROSTER NOTES - USC's depth is already being challenged. Senior 1B/LHP Jason Lane broke his left thumb during a mid-January practice and is expected to miss a few weeks. Sophomore SS Seth Davidson suffered a broken jaw during a practice in early January, though he could return soon. Junior IF Kevin Schultz quit the team in January, leaving USC without either member of its projected starting middle infield. Junior RHP Peter Krogh has been advised by doctors to retire due to the broken arm he suffered over the summer.
WHO'S BACK - An outstanding nucleus returns from the team that won the 1998 national championship. Altogether, 13 of 26 letterwinners from last season are back. Five starting position players return - junior C Eric Munson, sophomore SS Seth Davidson, senior 1B/LHP Jason Lane, senior OF Brad Ticehurst and senior OF Greg Hanoian. Several key reserves are back as well, including junior 1B Carlos Casillas, senior IF Dominic Correa and sophomore UT Josh Persell. On the mound, sophomore RHP Rik Currier is the only starter back, but other experienced pitchers such as Lane and senior RHP Steve Immel are also in the mix.
WHO'S NEW - USC will fill a number of holes with five transfers in 1999. Three potential starting pitchers are junior LHP Barry Zito (UC Santa Barbara and Pierce JC), sophomore LHP Steve Smyth (Cypress JC) and senior RHP Justin Lehr (UC Santa Barbara). Lehr could also be a catcher, first baseman or designated hitter. Junior Justin Gemoll (UC Santa Barbara) has taken over a starting infield position - shortstop, while Seth Davidson is out. Then, there's a group of eight freshmen, led by Beau Craig, who will start at third base, and Brian Barre, who could start in left field.
WHO'S MISSING - USC has the unenviable task of trying to replace many key players from the 1998 national championship team. Among the notable losses were RHP Seth Etherton (The Sporting News' Player of the Year), RHP Jack Krawczyk (the NCAA all-time save leader), 3B Morgan Ensberg (USC's first 20 home run/20 stolen base player), 2B Wes Rachels (the College World Series MVP) 1B Robb Gorr, RHP Mike Penney and OF Jeremy Freitas.
PAC-10 POWERHOUSE - USC is arguably the most successful Pacific-10 Conference team this decade. Here are the facts: In the 1990s, USC has the best winning percentage (.665) of any Pac-10 team (entering the 1999 season).
- The Trojans are the only Pac-10 team to have won a national championship in the last 10 years.
- USC is the only Pac-10 school with seven 40-win seasons this decade, including the last five in a row.
- USC is the only Pac-10 school to have finished in the Top 10 national rankings in seven of the last nine years. The Trojans have reached the NCAA Tournament a league-leading eight times this decade (tied with Stanford), and have advanced to the regional final a Pac-10-best six years in a row.
- USC is one of just two Pac-10 teams to reach the College World Series championship game this decade, and is the only one to have done it twice.
COACH'S CORNER - Mike Gillespie, in his 13th season as the Trojans' head coach, has a 484-267-2 (.644) career record and has led USC to the 1998 national championship, three conference titles (1991-95-96), 10 trips to the NCAA Regionals in 12 years (reaching the regional finals eight times), and trips to the 1995 and 1998 College World Series (Troy finished as the nation's runner-up in 1995). He was named the 1998 National Coach of the Year, the Pac-10 Coach of the Year three times (1991-95-96) and the West Region Coach of the Year twice (1996-98). He served as one of the assistant coaches for the 1997 USA Baseball Team.
SILVER ANNIVERSARY - This season marks the 25th anniversary of Dedeaux Field. When USC hosts San Diego State on March 30, it will be 25 years to the day from when the first game was played at Dedeaux Field. It was a special day, as in the first game of a doubleheader, Russ McQueen threw a no-hitter against California.
TOUGH SCHEDULE - USC again plays one of the most difficult schedules in the nation. Of the 56 games, 34 are against 10 teams that appeared in the Collegiate Baseball preseason Top 40 (Arizona, Arizona State, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, Loyola Marymount, Stanford, Texas, Texas Tech, UCLA and Washington).
NEW-LOOK PAC-10 - From 1979-98, the Pacific-10 Conference operated with two divisions, the Northern and the Southern. But 1999 brings a new look, with a single nine-team conference. Portland State dropped baseball in the offseason, leading to Oregon State, Washington and Washington State joining the South's six teams. Instead of a 30-game schedule, it's now 24 games, with each team playing the other eight three times.
PAC-10 PRESEASON POLL - The Trojans are the favorite to win the 1999 Pac-10 title, according to a preseason poll of the coaches. USC had eight of the nine first-place votes. Stanford, voted No. 2, had the other first-place vote. Theyre followed by Washington, Arizona State, UCLA, California, Arizona, Oregon State and Washington State.
1998 RECAP - USC's 12th national championship was won in 1998 thanks to an extraordinary postseason run. The Trojans lost early-round games at both the East Regional and College World Series, but came back to win all eight of the games where they could have been eliminated. After losing the first game of the CWS, 12-10, to two-time defending champion LSU, the Trojans won four games over the next five days, including back-to-back wins over LSU, to reach the final. There they met Pac-10 rival Arizona State, and a slugfest resulted in a 21-14 Trojan win. USC went 49-17 overall and took second place in the Pacific-10 Conference with a 21-9 mark.
USC HITTERS:
ERIC MUNSON (#3, C, Jr., 6-3, 220, San Diego) - Considered one of the very best players in all of college baseball, junior catcher Eric Munson is primed for a big 1999 season. In the season opener against Cal State Dominguez Hills (Feb. 2), he went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI. He has been named Collegiate Baseball's Preseason National Player of the Year and a preseason All-American first teamer by Baseball America. The Baseball America team was selected by 23 major league scouting directors and Munson was the only unanimous selection. Baseball America also listed him as the Pac-10's "Best Raw Power," "Best Defensive Catcher" and "Catcher/Best Arm." In 1998, Munson missed a third of the season due to injury but still earned All-American second team honors after batting a team-high .392 with 16 home runs and 56 RBI. Munson is tied for No. 6 on USCs career home run list with 30.
BRAD TICEHURST (#7, CF, Sr., 6-2, 195, Los Alamitos) - Senior centerfielder Brad Ticehurst was an eighth-round selection of the Texas Rangers in last spring's professional draft, but he chose to return to USC for his final season. One of the best power hitters around, Ticehurst is tied for No. 20 on USC's home run list with 22 in his career. With another good season, he should move into the top five. Last season, he batted .302 with 18 home runs and 54 RBI. Baseball America lists him as having the best outfield arm in the Pac-10.
GREG HANOIAN (#25, RF, Sr., 5-9, 170, Huntington Beach) - Senior rightfielder Greg Hanoian will look to stay healthy this season, as he is one of USC's most dangerous hitters. The last two seasons saw him forced to the bench at times with a variety of ailments. He went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBI against Cal State Dominguez Hills (Feb. 2). In his first three seasons, Hanoian batted .364, good for No. 5 on USC's career list.
BEAU CRAIG (#9, 3B, Fr., 5-10, 170, Santee) - One of the top freshmen in the country, Beau Craig has earned a starting job immediately and will take over the third base duties. He was a prep All-American last season at Grossmont High in La Mesa, Calif. Baseball America named him a preseason Freshman All-American first teamer. He was a third-round pick of the San Diego Padres last summer but chose to come to USC.
JUSTIN GEMOLL (#16, SS/3B, Jr., 6-2, 200, San Jose) - Junior Justin Gemoll, originally slated to start at third base, is playing shortstop while Seth Davidson is out with a broken jaw. Gemoll transferred from UC Santa Barbara and was one of the Gauchos' top hitters the last two years. He was the team MVP last season after batting .351 with nine home runs and a team-high 57 RBI.
USC PITCHERS:
RIK CURRIER (#8, RHP, So., 5-10, 175, Dana Point) - Sophomore RHP Rik Currier, after a terrific freshman season, is the No. 1 starter for the Trojans in 1999. Currier moved into the starting rotation midway through the season in 1998 and earned Freshman All-American honors with a 6-1 record and a 5.30 ERA. He placed second nationally and set a school record with an average of 12.62 strikeouts per nine innings (100 Ks in 71 1/3 IP). Collegiate Baseball named Currier a preseason All-American third teamer and Baseball America lists him as having the best breaking ball in the Pac-10.
BARRY ZITO (#34, LHP, Jr., 6-4, 205, El Cajon) - Junior LHP Barry Zito, who joined USC in January, is expected to be one of the nation's top pitchers. Baseball America named him a preseason All-American second teamer and the top newcomer in the Pac-10. He pitched at Los Angeles Pierce JC in last season (where he was all-state) and at UC Santa Barbara in 1997 (he was a Freshman All-American). He was a third-round draft pick of the Texas Rangers in 1998 but elected to transfer to USC.
JUSTIN LEHR (#14, RHP, Sr., 6-1, 200, West Covina) - Senior RHP Justin Lehr will concentrate mainly on pitching this season after transferring from UC Santa Barbara. At least initially, he is expected to be USC's No. 3 starting pitcher. A three-year player for the Gauchos, Lehr was primarily a catcher and occasional relief pitcher (1-3 with five saves and a 7.69 ERA in three seasons). He could also be the designated hitter or backup first baseman.
ADDITIONAL PITCHERS - Veteran RHP Steve Immel, a senior, saw a great deal of work as both a starter and a reliever his first three seasons and is expected to do so again ... Sophomore LHP Ronald Flores is the younger brother of USC's all-time winningest pitcher, Randy Flores ... Sophomore LHP Steve Smyth, a transfer from Cypress JC, should be a key member of the staff, either as a starter or in long relief ... A few freshmen may make contributions this season, including RHP Jeff Bruksch (Los Angeles/Beverly Hills HS), RHP Peter Montrenes (Fountain Valley/Ocean View HS) and RHP Tim Petke (Portland, OR/Portland Lutheran HS).
