University Southern California Trojans
No. 12 USC Baseball Looks To Rebound With Non- Conference Series At No. 2 Stanford
March 15, 2000 | Baseball
March 15, 2000
LOS ANGELES -- The No. 12 USC baseball team -- winner of 12 NCAA championships, more than twice as many as any other school -- is 13-7 to start the 2000 season. The Trojans were swept at home by Houston by scores of 3-2 on Friday (March 10), 14-7 on Saturday (March 11) and 8-4 on Sunday (March 12). USC split a doubleheader on the road Tuesday (March 14) at the University of San Diego by losing the first game, 10-4, and winning the second game, 5-3.
RANKINGS -- USC is No. 12 in the latest Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball polls and No. 15 in the USA Today Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches' poll. Stanford is ranked No. 2 in Baseball America and No. 3 in Collegiate Baseball and USA Today Baseball Weekly.
USA BASEBALL -- USC coach Mike Gillespie will serve as Head Coach of the 2000 USA Baseball National Team of collegiate all-stars that will play on the US WEST Red, White and Blue Summer Tour. USC assistant coach John Savage will serve as the pitching coach for Team USA.
TEAM OF THE 20TH 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 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 was named "Coach of the Century" by both Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America. Trojan players have been named All-American first teamers 41 times, and 80 players have gone on to play in the majors, including such stars as Tom Seaver, Fred Lynn, Ron Fairly, Randy Johnson, Mark McGwire, Jeff Cirillo and Bret Boone.
PAC-10 POWERHOUSE -- USC, certainly among the strongest teams annually in the Pac-10, has many highlights over the last few years to prove it:
- With its College World Series title in 1998, USC is the only Pacific-10 Conference team to have won a national championship in the last 11 years.
- With 224 victories over the last five seasons (1995-99), USC ranked first among Pac-10 teams.
- USC is the only Pac-10 school to have finished in the Top 10 national rankings in eight of the last 10 years.
- USC has made it to an NCAA Regional final seven straight years (best among Pac-10 teams) and has earned NCAA Tournament bids nine of the last 10 years (tied with Stanford for best in the Pac-10).
- USC has reached the College World Series championship game twice in the last five years (only one other Pac-10 team has made it once in the last 11 years).
This Week's Schedule
Friday, March 17 at Stanford - 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 18 at Stanford - 1 p.m.
Sunday, March 19 at Stanford - 1 p.m.
COACH'S CORNER -- Mike Gillespie, in his 14th season as the Trojans' head coach, has a 532-300-2 (.639) career record and has led USC to the 1998 national championship, three conference titles (1991-95-96), 11 trips to the NCAA Regionals in 13 years (reaching the regional finals nine 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). The starting leftfielder on USC's 1961 NCAA-winning team, he is one of just two men who have both coached and played on championship teams.
COACHING SUPERLATIVES -- Legendary USC coach Rod Dedeaux was named College Coach of the Century for baseball in the February issue of Coach & Athletic Director Magazine. Dedeaux led the Trojan baseball team to an unprecedented 11 College World Series titles (including five in a row in the 1970s) and amassed a 1,332-571-11 record during his 45-year (1942-86) tenure at Troy.
PAC-10 PRESEASON POLL -- In a preseason poll of the Pac-10 coaches, USC was picked to finish third. In order, the poll went as follows: Stanford (six first-place votes), UCLA (two first-place votes), USC, Arizona (one first-place vote), California, Arizona State, Washington, Washington State and Oregon State.
PRIOR NOTICE -- Sophomore Pitcher Mark Prior (Bonita/University HS/Vanderbilt) is showing early in the 2000 season why he earned All-America honors in his freshman season last year at Vanderbilt. Prior has a 4-1 record with a 1.79 ERA and two saves. In 50 and 1/3 innings of work, Prior has allowed 33 hits, struck out 54 batters and walked 14 as opponents have hit a measly .190 against him. He recorded his first collegiate save on Feb. 15 at Cal State Fullerton after pitching 1 1/3 innings with one hit and two strikeouts in the Trojans' 7-6 win against the Titans. He was named to the Baseball America 2000 preseason All-American second team.
LUNAR ECLIPSE -- Freshman second baseman Anthony Lunetta (Riverside/Arlington HS) has made an impact at the plate. He leads the team with a .449 batting average (35-for-78) and has three errors in 94 chances (.968). He leads the team with a .516 on-base percentage and a .731 slugging percentage, as well as leading the team with 10 doubles. Lunetta belted two home runs in the Trojans 6-5 win over UC Santa Barbara on March 7 and went 4-for-5 in game two of a doubleheader on March 14 at the University of San Diego. He went 5-for-5 in his collegiate debut on Jan. 29 at Pepperdine.
DR. NO-NO -- Junior Rik Currier (Dana Point/Capistrano Valley HS) found out on Sunday morning (March 5) that he had pitched the sixth no-hitter in school history after USC's March 4 game against Mississippi State, which was suspended after the fifth inning due to rain, was declared official. Currier allowed one earned run with six strikeouts and five walks:
USC No-Hitters
| Joe Gonzales (9) vs. Stanford, 3/26/37 | USC 8-0 |
| Jerry Merz (9) vs. BYU, 3/23/61 | USC 3-0 |
| Ron Cook (8) vs. Pacific, 4/5/66 | USC 12-0 |
| Russ McQueen (7) vs. California, 3/30/74 | USC 7-0 |
| Brad Brink (7) and Brian Brooks (2) vs. Cal State Los Angeles, 2/18/86 | USC 2-1 |
| Rik Currier (5) vs. Mississippi State, 3/4/00 | USC 7-1 |
A WEEK TO REMEMBER -- Mark Prior had an impact in three games during the week of Feb. 21. On Tuesday (Feb. 22), Prior pitched two innings and recorded the win as the designated starter in USC's 7-3 win against the University of San Diego. He did not allow a hit, striking out four and walking one. On Friday (Feb. 25), he pitched seven and 2/3 innings to pick up his second straight win as the Trojans defeated the UCLA Bruins, 10-7. Prior retired 19 straight batters and, at one point, struck out five straight batters en route to a 13-strikeout performance. He scattered four hits and walked two Bruins. The following day, in a pinch-hit role, Prior singled to center and scored third baseman Justin Gemoll in the bottom of the ninth for the Trojans' 4-3 victory.
BEAU KNOWS -- Sophomore catcher Beau Craig (Santee/Grossmont HS), a 1998 third-round selection by the San Diego Padres, has produced at the plate for the Trojans.. He has a .278 batting average (20-for-72) and leads the team in home runs (seven) and RBI (22).
"K"LIMBING UP THE CHARTS -- Rik Currier, with 42 strikeouts this season, is now in 14th place on USC's all-time career list with 230 strikeouts. He needs six strikeouts to tie Ken Yaryan (1960-62) for 13th place. This season, he started in 21st place and has passed such pitchers as Randy Johnson (1983-85 with 206) and Bill Lee (1966-68 with 211). As the team's No. 2 starter, Currier has a 5-2 record with a 3.86 ERA.
Career Strikeouts
| 9. Dan Hubbs, 1990-93 | 254 |
| 10. Greg Widman, 1970-72 | 244 |
| 11. Brad Brink, 1984-86 | 241 |
| 12. Jackie Nickell, 1988-92 | 238 |
| 13. Ken Yaryan, 1960-62 | 236 |
| 14. Rik Currier, 1998-00 | 230 |
WHO'S HOT
2B Anthony Lunetta: has a four-game hitting streak (9-for-17) and is 16-for-31 in last eight games with seven doubles, two home runs and six RBI
1B Bill Peavey: has an eight-game hitting streak (11-for-35) with three doubles, a triple, two home runs and seven RBI
RHP Mark Prior: seven earned runs in last 35.2 innings (1.79 ERA), 41 SO, 11 BB
NEWS & NOTES -- For the second time this season, starting pitchers Rik Currier and Mark Prior entered a game in relief and recorded the win and the save, respectively, when both pitchers preserved a 5-3 win on March 14 at the University of San Diego in the second part of the doubleheader (the first time was on Feb. 15 at Cal State Fullerton)...Josh Self, a defensive replacement in that game, hit a solo home run to break the 3-3 tie against the Toreros and added an RBI single in the eighth inning...In losing three games at home March 10-12 against Houston, it was the first time since April 2-4, 1997, that the Trojans have been swept in a three-game series at Dedeaux Field (Stanford won all three games in 1997)...Anthony Lunetta went 5-for-6 with two doubles and two RBI at the Kia Baseball Bash in Fullerton on March 3 and 4.
DEDEAUX FIELD -- This season marks the 26th year of play at Dedeaux Field, where USC has an all-time record of 557-251-1 (.689). When USC hosted San Diego State on March 30, 1999, it was 25 years to the day from when the first game was played at Dedeaux Field. It was a special opening day in 1974, as in the first game of a doubleheader, Russ McQueen threw a no-hitter against California.
PRESEASON ACCOLADES -- Junior SS Seth Davidson appears on two preseason All-American teams, as a second-team selection in Collegiate Baseball and a third-team pick in Baseball America. Sophomore RHP Mark Prior, a transfer from Vanderbilt, made the Baseball America second team. In Baseball America's Pac-10 preview, UT Alberto Concepcion was named the conference's Freshman of the Year, Prior, Concepcion and sophomore OF Aaron Fausett were listed as the first, second and fourth top newcomers, respectively, and freshman Anthony Lunetta was named the conference's top defensive second baseman.
THE RETURNERS -- The Trojans return only three position starters and one starting pitcher from the 1999 team, but it's a group that makes up a nice nucleus. Junior SS Seth Davidson, a two-time All-Pac-10 pick, starts for the third straight year. Sophomore C Beau Craig was a Freshman All-American last season. Senior 3B Justin Gemoll provides a steady bat and glove. Junior RHP Rik Currier is one of the top strikeout artists in USC history. Other returners who are poised to make a larger impact in 2000 are OF Brian Barre, RHP Tanner Eriksen, LHP Ronald Flores, RHP Pete Montrenes, UT Josh Persell, RHP Tim Petke and UT Josh Self.
THE NEWCOMERS -- It'll be difficult to distinguish the players apart without a program in 2000, as 20 of the 38 players are new to the roster. But it's a talented group, as Collegiate Baseball ranked the newcomers as the No. 1 recruiting class in the country (Baseball America ranked them second). The Trojans added Vanderbilt transfer -- RHP Mark Prior -- who was named Freshman All-American last season. OF Rob Garibaldi was the Northern California JC Player of the Year last season at Santa Rosa. Among the key freshmen are RHP Chad Clark, UT Alberto Concepcion, IF Anthony Lunetta and RHP Anthony Reyes.
1999 RECAP -- Despite a rough start, USC rebounded nicely to post a successful 1999 season. The Trojans went 36-26 overall, 17-7 for second place in the Pac-10, won their own NCAA Los Angeles Regional and advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals before losing at Stanford. LHP Barry Zito was named the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year and was a unanimous All-American first teamer. C Eric Munson and OF/LHP Jason Lane were also named to at least one All-American first team. Early-season injuries and close losses saw the Trojans get off to a 4-11 start, but they went 29-12 the rest of the regular season.
PLAYER CAPSULES
#6, Brian Barre, CF, L-L
.319, 2 HR, 7 RBI Streak: 0 (.000, 0-0)
Started in 18 games this season...third on the team in batting average...hitless in last five games (0-for-15)...had four walks in the first game of a doubleheader on 3/14 at University of San Diego, one away from the school record...had eight-game hitting streak snapped on March 3...went 5-for-5 with a double and an RBI on 2/25 vs. UCLA...set a career-high with two home runs on 2/15 at Cal State Fullerton, went 2-for-4 with two RBI...went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base on 2/13 at Texas Tech...has one error in 34 chances this season...has five multiple-hit games this season.
#13, Alberto Concepcion, UT, R-R
.293, 1 HR, 6 RBI Streak: 3 (.400, 4-10)
Started in 11 games this season...has seen action this season at catcher, first base and in the outfield...slugged his first collegiate home run (solo shot) to center field in game two of a doubleheader on 3/14 at the University of San Diego...went 2-for-4 in his collegiate debut on 1/29 at Pepperdine...went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI on 2/4 vs. Long Beach State.
#9, Beau Craig, C, S-R
.278, 7 HR, 22 RBI Streak: 0 (.000, 0-0)
Started in every game this season...leads the team in home runs, RBI and multiple-RBI games...went 2-for-3 with a double, home run and four RBI on 3/11 vs. Houston...hit his sixth home run of the season in a 2-for-4 performance with three RBI on 2/25 vs. UCLA...celebrated his 21st birthday by going 3-for-6 with a double, home run and two RBI on 2/12 at Texas Tech...in the next game on 2/13 at Texas Tech, he went 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI...opened the season by going 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI on 1/29 at Pepperdine.
#2, Seth Davidson, SS, S-R
.218, 1 HR, 5 RBI Streak: 0 (.000, 0-0)
Started in every game this season...leads the team in stolen bases (six)...has two errors in 88 chances this season (.977)...hit his first home run of the season on 3/12 vs. Houston...went 3-for-4 on 3/11 vs. Houston...has four multiple-hit games this season...named to the 2000 Collegiate Baseball preseason All-American second team and Baseball America preseason All-American third team.
#15, Rob Garibaldi, RF, L-L
.295, 1 HR, 11 RBI Streak: 1 (.500, 1-2)
Started in 18 games this season...went 2-for-4 with a double on 3/14 at the University of San Diego...hit his first home run of the season on 2/22 vs. the University of San Diego, going 3-for-4 with three RBI...went 2-for-4 with two doubles on 2/11 at Texas Tech..
#26, Justin Gemoll, 3B, R-R
.365, 5 HR, 17 RBI Streak: 8 (.314, 11-35)
Started in every game this season...second on the team in batting average...hit a two-run homer, his fifth of the season, in the first game of a doubleheader on 3/14 at the University of San Diego...went 3-for-4 on 3/7 vs. UC Santa Barbara...went 4-for-4 with a double, home run and two RBI on 2/15 at Cal State Fullerton...had a 2-for-4 performance with two RBI on 2/6 vs. Long Beach State...has one error in 52 chances (.981) this season...has eight multiple-hit games this season.
#24, Anthony Lunetta, 2B, R-R
.449, 4 HR, 17 RBI Streak: 4 (.529, 9-17)
Started in every game this season...leads the team in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage...has 11 multiple-hit games this season...had three singles and a double in a 4-for-5 game on 3/14 at the University of San Diego...had two doubles on 3/11 vs. Houston...had a 2-for-4 game on 3/7 vs. UC Santa Barbara with two home runs and three RBI...hit two doubles in a 3-for-3 performance in a rain-shortened game on 3/4 vs. Mississippi State...went 3-for-5 with two RBI on 2/12 at Texas Tech...had a 3-for-5 performance with a home run and two RBI on 2/6 vs. Long Beach State...went 5-for-5 in his collegiate debut on 1/29 at Pepperdine, with a home run and two RBI...has three errors in 94 chances this season (.968).
#50, Bill Peavey, 1B, L-L
.259, 2 HR, 13 RBI Streak: 0 (.000, 0-0)
Started in 14 games this season...went 2-for-4 with two doubles on 3/7 vs. UC Santa Barbara...knocked in three runs on two doubles on 3/4 vs. Mississippi State...hit his second home run of the season in a 2-for-4 game on 3/3 vs. Georgia Tech...went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI on 1/30 vs. Pepperdine.
#22, Josh Persell, DH, S-R
.319, 1 HR, 10 RBI Streak: 4 (.555, 5-9)
Started in 16 games this season...hit one double in both games of a doubleheader on 3/14 at the University of San Diego...recorded a 2-for-3 game on 3/11 vs. Houston...went 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI on 3/4 vs. Georgia Tech...hit his first collegiate home run on 2/25 vs. UCLA, going 1-for-2 with four RBI...went 2-for-2 with two walks on 2/4 vs. Long Beach State.
#10, Josh Self, UT, R-R
.250, 3 HR, 6 RBI Streak: 1 (.667, 2-3)
Started in five games this season...broke a 3-3 tie with a solo home run and an RBI single for a 5-3 win on 3/14 at the University of San Diego (second game of a doubleheader)...hit his second home run of the season on 3/11 vs. Houston...hit a solo home run on 2/13 at Texas Tech...went 2-for-2 with two walks on 2/4 vs. Long Beach State.
STARTING PITCHERS
(results are from starts only)
PRIOR | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | W/L | |
| at Pepperdine (1/29) | 7 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 5 | W | |
| vs. Long Beach St. (2/4) | 7.2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 8 | ND | |
| at Texas Tech (2/11) | 8.1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | L | |
| vs. Univ. of San Diego (2/22) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | W | |
| vs. UCLA (2/25) | 7.2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 13 | W | |
| vs. Georgia Tech (3/3) | 7 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 6 | W | |
| vs. Houston (3/10) | 8 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 9 | ND |
CURRIER | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | W/L | |
| vs. Pepperdine (1/30) | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 8 | W | |
| at Long Beach St. (2/5) | 4 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | L | |
| at Texas Tech (2/12) | 7.2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 7 | W | |
| vs. UCLA (2/26) | 8 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 7 | W | |
| vs. Mississippi State (3/4) | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | W | |
| vs. Houston (3/11) | 2.1 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | L |
REYES | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | W/L |
| vs. Long Beach St. (2/6) | 6 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | W |
| at Texas Tech (2/13) | 3.2 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 4 | L |
| vs. UC Santa Barbara (3/7) | 6 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | W |
| vs. Houston (3/12) | 5 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | L |
MONTRENES | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | W/L |
| at Loyola Marymount (2/8) | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |
| at Cal State Fullerton (2/15) | 1.2 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | ND |
| at Univ. of San Diego (3/14) | 4.2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | ND |
FLORES | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | W/L |
| at Univ. of San Diego (3/14) | 3.2 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 2 | L |
SEASON HIGHS
Team Highs -- Batting
| Runs | 10, vs. UCLA (2/25) |
| Hits | 17, at Loyola Marymount (2/8), at Texas Tech (2/12) |
| Doubles | 6, vs. Mississippi State (3/4) |
| Triples | 2, at Texas Tech (2/12) |
| Home Runs | 3, vs. Pepperdine (1/30), vs. LMU (2/8), |
| at Texas Tech (2/13), at Cal State Fullerton (2/15) | |
| Stolen Bases | 3, vs. UCLA (2/26) |
| Strikeouts | 11, at Texas Tech (2/13) |
| Walks | 9, vs. Long Beach State (2/4) and vs. Georgia Tech (3/3) |
| Hit by Pitch | 3, at Cal State Fullerton (2/15) |
| and vs. Mississippi State (3/4) | |
| Runners Left On Base | 14, vs. Long Beach State (3/4) |
Individual Highs -- Batting
| Hits | 5, Anthony Lunetta vs. Pepperdine (1/29) and | |
| Brian Barre vs. UCLA, (2/25) | ||
| Home Runs | 2, Beau Craig at Texas Tech (2/13) and | |
| Brian Barre at Cal State Fullerton (2/15) | ||
| RBI | 4, Josh Persell vs. UCLA (2/25) and | |
| Beau Craig vs. Houston (3/11) | ||
| Runs | 3, Anthony Lunetta vs. Georgia Tech (3/3) and | |
| Seth Davidson vs. Houston (3/12) | ||
| Stolen Bases | 2, Brian Barre vs. UCLA (2/26) | |
| Walks | 4, Brian Barre vs. Univ. of San Diego (3/14) | |
| Strikeouts | 3, Rob Garibaldi at Texas Tech (2/13) | |
| and Anthony Lunetta vs. UCLA (2/25) |
Team Highs -- Pitching
| Hits | 18, at Texas Tech (2/13) |
| Walks | 10, at Cal State Fullerton (2/15) |
| Doubles | 6, at Texas Tech (2/13) |
| Triples | 1, at Long Beach State (2/5) and at Cal State Fullerton (2/15) |
| Home Runs | 3, vs. Houston (3/11) and vs. Houston (3/12) |
Individual Highs -- Pitching
| Innings | 8 1/3, Mark Prior at Texas Tech (2/11) |
| Strikeouts | 13, Mark Prior vs. UCLA (2/25) |
