Friday, February 14
Los Angeles, Calif.
6:00 PM
USC
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Western Michigan
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Photo by: Katie Chin
USC Baseball 2020 Season Preview
February 11, 2020 | Baseball, Features
LOS ANGELES – A new era of USC baseball begins this week as the Trojans open up the 2020 season on Friday under new head coach Jason Gill.
Gill, who was hired this past June and became the fifth USC head coach since the famed Rod Dedeaux retired in 1986, leads the Trojans against Western Michigan in a three game season-opening home series this weekend.
Though heading into the season with a new manager at the helm, the Trojans return a solid core of talent and will mix in a few fresh faces as they look to once again challenge for a regional berth.
Here's a look at the 2020 Trojans…
Coaching Staff
As mentioned, Gill was hired this past June after serving as the head coach of nearby Loyola Marymount for the past 11 years. Not only a veteran as a manager, Gill has served under some of the best in the business during his 25 years of collegiate coaching, including Augie Garrido, George Horton and John Savage. He looks to bring that wealth of experience to a Trojan program that last made the postseason in 2015.
Gill's coaching staff is a mix of the old and new, as he retained longtime Trojan assistant Gabe Alvarez, and brought in pitching coach Ted Silva and volunteer assistant Bobby Andrews. The four Southern California natives boast over 50 years of coaching experience, nine trips to Omaha and 29 years of playing experience between the collegiate, MiLB and MLB levels.
On the Mound
The Trojans lost their ace (Connor Lunn) and closer (Chris Clarke) to last year's MLB draft, but return starters Kyle Hurt, Isaac Esqueda and John Beller, who made a total of 31 starts and tossed 187.1 innings last year. Lefties Esqueda and Beller each had sub-4 ERA's last season and Hurt looks to bounce back from an up and down 2019 campaign to hopefully capitalize on the talent that has many outlets pegging him as a frontline starter and high draft prospect in the Pac-12.
Also in the mix for starting spots will be veteran lefty Quentin Longrie, hard-throwing right-hander Chandler Champlain and LHP Alex Cornwell, who looks to capitalize on his potential after being sidelined with injury much of his first two years at Troy. Longrie, a fifth-year senior, has 39 career appearances and 15 starts under his belt, showing promise out of both the pen and in a starting role. Champlain, a highly-touted prospect who joined the team last year, was up and down during the 2019 campaign, but did make 15 appearances and six starts, flashing high-velocity stuff throughout.
"If you just went off the fall, Kyle Hurt will be our Friday guy and most likely gets the opening day nod, but we feel like we have several guys who can start on a weekend," said Gill. "We just still have some questions that need to be answered. Who can rebound? Who is better for our team in a starting role? Who is a better reliever? We still really haven't identified a closer yet. Usually what I like to do is take one of the top four arms, and one of those guys closes games, but we also have to find out who is able to bounce back and pitch twice on a weekend, who is suited for that role? There are a lot of questions because we are still somewhat new to working with these guys and we just don't have enough inter-squad time to give us those answers. We might go with some piggyback starts, hopefully get four innings, four innings, four innings, four innings, and then see where we are at on Sunday with some backend guys."
In the bullpen, the most experienced and effective arm returning for the Trojans will be RHP Carson Lambert, who posted 41 strikeouts to 19 walks in 27 appearances last year. LHP Brian Gursky and RHP's Gus Culpo and Ethan Reed all saw time out of the pen as well last year and look to take steps forward towards increased roles this season. One new addition who is expected to figure in heavily out of the bullpen and will likely compete for the closer role, will be graduate transfer Ben Wanger. The right-hander transferred from Yale this offseason and brings with him a wealth of experience both on the mound and at the plate. Additionally, RHP Ethan Hoopingarner could work his way into the mix as a freshman.
Sophomore Patrick Hubbs saw limited time out of the pen last year and the side-arming righty could be called on for some situational matchups. Freshmen Charles Acker and Jason Starrels are also available arms for the Trojans.
At the Plate
Like on the mound, the Trojans lost some significant production at the plate in Matthew Acosta, who led the team with a .319 average and seven homers, CJ Stubbs, who batted .285 and led the Trojans with 38 runs scored, and Blake Sabol, who started every game and posted 37 runs scored and 22 RBI. All three players were taken in last year's MLB draft.
USC will look to make up for that lost productions with both a deep and talented roster of hitters, and hopefully some breakout seasons in the middle of the lineup.
"Our best complete hitter in the fall was Brady Shockey," said Gill. "He took the most consistent at-bats and he was putting the ball in play all over the field. Jamal O'Guinn is the real deal. He's in a good place offensively and defensively right now at third base. Hitting comes and goes, but right now I'd say he's a lock to hit third to start the season. There are a handful of top of the lineup guys who we are going to try to mix-in there. Tyresse Turner and Rhylan Thomas are two freshmen who have shown us some good things so far. They're very talented, know their role, get on base and both can really run. Tyler Pritchard fits into that role a little bit near the top of the lineup and I think Shockey fits into maybe a two-hole type hitter when he is fully healthy. Then we have Ben Ramirez, depending on how we want to shape the lineup, being either a 2, 3, 4, or 5 hitter. He's somewhere in the middle of the lineup."
Shockey, a senior outfielder, was second on the team in terms of average last season, hitting .295 with 24 runs and 14 RBI. O'Guinn comes into his junior year after hitting .281 last season, while getting on base at a .401 clip and slugging .452. Pritchard, another returning senior, was just behind O'Guinn with a .279 average as both a starter and reserve last season, and struck out just 11 times in 61 at-bats. Ramirez posted a .273 average, with 24 RBI and 21 runs scored. The returning junior looks to have a breakout year after he and O'Guinn both had solid showings with the Chatham Anglers in the Cape Cod League this summer.
Turner comes in as the seventh-ranked prep shortstop in California and was selected in the 38th round of the MLB draft by the Miami Marlins. Rhylan Thomas, the 11th-ranked outfielder in last year's class, played his prep ball under Royce Clayton at Oaks Christian. Though Turner came in as an infielder, both players are expected to compete for spots in the outfield.
"It is so open right now because we have a lot of guys playing well," said Gill. "We have guys battling for spots like Bart West and John Thomas who are having really good Januarys and early Februarys. Ben Wanger, the two-way player is playing really well. He had a walk-off home run in an inter-squad the other day and is using the whole field, with some big power. Clay Owens can really hit, and will certainly factor into the middle of the lineup. Preston Hartsell is in the mix. Miko Rodriguez and Johnny Olmstead are having a good Januarys too. Offensively there are still quite a few battles. Obviously the defense is going to factor in at some point, so if everybody is hitting, the best defenders will play. Early on, though, you are going to see a variety of different lineups given that they have all earned it."
John Thomas is another one of the six seniors on the Trojan roster and comes in with 78 games of experience at the corner infield positions and also as a designated hitter. West, a junior outfielder, saw time in just eight games last year, but looks to increase his role after a strong offseason. Owens was a revelation at the plate as a freshman in 2019, hitting .279 overall and a team-leading .333 in Pac-12 play on his way to earning All-Conference honors. Hartsell is also a returning sophomore and played in 22 games last year. He looks to tap into some of the promise that made him the top-ranked outfielder in California coming out of high school.
Rodriguez and Olmstead are a pair of newcomers who made strong first impressions on the staff this offseason. Rodriguez, a right-handed outfielder, transferred from Texas A&M after redshirting his freshman year, and Olmstead, an infielder, comes in as a true freshman out of Newport Harbor High School. Olmstead was one of the top 20 shortstops in the state according to Perfect Game.
In the Field
Catcher -
Tyler Lozano has the inside track on the catchers spot and will likely be backed up by freshman Taylor Johnson, converted pitcher Riley Lamb and junior college transfer Frank Yokas. As a freshman last year, Lozano hit .267 in 24 games behind the plate and caught a pair of runners stealing.
"Lozano is going to start off behind the plate," said Gill. "Tyler has been improving daily and is a solid Division I catcher. He's going to need help behind him so we'll see who can step up in that spot."
Infield –
After playing in the outfield much of last year, Jamal O'Guinn is expected to hold down the third base spot after Gold Glover Brandon Perez graduated last year, while John Thomas and Johnny Olmstead are also expect to factor in at the hot corner. Ben Ramirez is the presumptive starter at short after splitting time at third and second as well during his first two years at USC. Tyler Pritchard is the expected starter at second after playing 19 games there last year. Also figuring into both middle infield spots and third will be Emilio Rosas, who saw time around the infield in 28 games last season. The Trojans will also have freshman Connor Cirillo as an option on the bench.
First base is still up for grabs between John Thomas, Clay Owens and Ben Wanger. All three could possibly serve as the DH at times.
"First is definitely a three-way battle. Wanger being a pitcher, we might be better off DH'ing him. The good news is JT (Thomas) can play more than one position. He can play third, he can play left, we've put him at second base, he can play first. He's kind of our utility guy and the way he's been swinging the bat, he might find his way into that lineup at least once or twice on a weekend right now."
Outfield –
The outfield is another spot where competition abounds, with several players regularly competing for time. Tyresse Turner's athleticism has him as the likely opening day centerfielder, with fellow freshman Rhylan Thomas also in the mix. Brady Shockey played the bulk of last year at right and will likely be there for much of the year, with plenty of competition from Bart West and freshman Miko Rodriguez. Preston Hartsell and John Thomas are expected to compete mainly for time in left, while Trevor Halsema and Adrian Colon-Rosado will also be in the mix for corner outfield time. Halsema earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention at the DH spot last year and could see time there as well.
"The outfield is still kind of wide open," said Gill. "I would say the frontrunner for center field is Tyresse, but Rhylan is right there with him. They are both doing extremely well, better than any of us thought they would be doing this early on. I think Tyresse is still learning the position coming from being a shortstop in high school, but you see some things that he does because of his foot speed that are special. Whereas Rhylan has been an outfielder for a while, and has a little bit better feel for the position. Hartsell and Thomas will compete in left, with JT also getting time in the infield. And then Shockey, Rodriguez and West are all playing their tail off right now. We also have Halsema and Rosado as options out there. It's a good problem to have, because I have too many guys for one outfield, but a lot of talent out there."
Season Outlook
"The competition among the team is as good as I have been around in a long time," said Gill. "I don't think I have had this kind of depth and I can only assume that it's because I came in with a clean slate on everyone. I didn't have any opinions about anyone when I got here, and I made them aware of that. I told the guys that I don't care about what they did last year, I don't care where they came from, I don't care what they did in high school... show me what you can do now, because it's wide open. We strive to reward guys for doing the right things. Nothing has been given to anybody on our team. Everybody is earning every minute of playing time that they get this year."
"I think what you're going to see is a team that throws strikes, plays catch, puts the ball in play, and runs the bases intelligently. We are excited to get going just to see where we are at, and to see what we need to work on. If this team can come out and give a championship effort every day, which is something that has to be learned, I believe we can be very successful."
Gill, who was hired this past June and became the fifth USC head coach since the famed Rod Dedeaux retired in 1986, leads the Trojans against Western Michigan in a three game season-opening home series this weekend.
Though heading into the season with a new manager at the helm, the Trojans return a solid core of talent and will mix in a few fresh faces as they look to once again challenge for a regional berth.
Here's a look at the 2020 Trojans…
Coaching Staff
As mentioned, Gill was hired this past June after serving as the head coach of nearby Loyola Marymount for the past 11 years. Not only a veteran as a manager, Gill has served under some of the best in the business during his 25 years of collegiate coaching, including Augie Garrido, George Horton and John Savage. He looks to bring that wealth of experience to a Trojan program that last made the postseason in 2015.
Gill's coaching staff is a mix of the old and new, as he retained longtime Trojan assistant Gabe Alvarez, and brought in pitching coach Ted Silva and volunteer assistant Bobby Andrews. The four Southern California natives boast over 50 years of coaching experience, nine trips to Omaha and 29 years of playing experience between the collegiate, MiLB and MLB levels.
On the Mound
The Trojans lost their ace (Connor Lunn) and closer (Chris Clarke) to last year's MLB draft, but return starters Kyle Hurt, Isaac Esqueda and John Beller, who made a total of 31 starts and tossed 187.1 innings last year. Lefties Esqueda and Beller each had sub-4 ERA's last season and Hurt looks to bounce back from an up and down 2019 campaign to hopefully capitalize on the talent that has many outlets pegging him as a frontline starter and high draft prospect in the Pac-12.
Also in the mix for starting spots will be veteran lefty Quentin Longrie, hard-throwing right-hander Chandler Champlain and LHP Alex Cornwell, who looks to capitalize on his potential after being sidelined with injury much of his first two years at Troy. Longrie, a fifth-year senior, has 39 career appearances and 15 starts under his belt, showing promise out of both the pen and in a starting role. Champlain, a highly-touted prospect who joined the team last year, was up and down during the 2019 campaign, but did make 15 appearances and six starts, flashing high-velocity stuff throughout.
"If you just went off the fall, Kyle Hurt will be our Friday guy and most likely gets the opening day nod, but we feel like we have several guys who can start on a weekend," said Gill. "We just still have some questions that need to be answered. Who can rebound? Who is better for our team in a starting role? Who is a better reliever? We still really haven't identified a closer yet. Usually what I like to do is take one of the top four arms, and one of those guys closes games, but we also have to find out who is able to bounce back and pitch twice on a weekend, who is suited for that role? There are a lot of questions because we are still somewhat new to working with these guys and we just don't have enough inter-squad time to give us those answers. We might go with some piggyback starts, hopefully get four innings, four innings, four innings, four innings, and then see where we are at on Sunday with some backend guys."
In the bullpen, the most experienced and effective arm returning for the Trojans will be RHP Carson Lambert, who posted 41 strikeouts to 19 walks in 27 appearances last year. LHP Brian Gursky and RHP's Gus Culpo and Ethan Reed all saw time out of the pen as well last year and look to take steps forward towards increased roles this season. One new addition who is expected to figure in heavily out of the bullpen and will likely compete for the closer role, will be graduate transfer Ben Wanger. The right-hander transferred from Yale this offseason and brings with him a wealth of experience both on the mound and at the plate. Additionally, RHP Ethan Hoopingarner could work his way into the mix as a freshman.
Sophomore Patrick Hubbs saw limited time out of the pen last year and the side-arming righty could be called on for some situational matchups. Freshmen Charles Acker and Jason Starrels are also available arms for the Trojans.
At the Plate
Like on the mound, the Trojans lost some significant production at the plate in Matthew Acosta, who led the team with a .319 average and seven homers, CJ Stubbs, who batted .285 and led the Trojans with 38 runs scored, and Blake Sabol, who started every game and posted 37 runs scored and 22 RBI. All three players were taken in last year's MLB draft.
USC will look to make up for that lost productions with both a deep and talented roster of hitters, and hopefully some breakout seasons in the middle of the lineup.
"Our best complete hitter in the fall was Brady Shockey," said Gill. "He took the most consistent at-bats and he was putting the ball in play all over the field. Jamal O'Guinn is the real deal. He's in a good place offensively and defensively right now at third base. Hitting comes and goes, but right now I'd say he's a lock to hit third to start the season. There are a handful of top of the lineup guys who we are going to try to mix-in there. Tyresse Turner and Rhylan Thomas are two freshmen who have shown us some good things so far. They're very talented, know their role, get on base and both can really run. Tyler Pritchard fits into that role a little bit near the top of the lineup and I think Shockey fits into maybe a two-hole type hitter when he is fully healthy. Then we have Ben Ramirez, depending on how we want to shape the lineup, being either a 2, 3, 4, or 5 hitter. He's somewhere in the middle of the lineup."
Shockey, a senior outfielder, was second on the team in terms of average last season, hitting .295 with 24 runs and 14 RBI. O'Guinn comes into his junior year after hitting .281 last season, while getting on base at a .401 clip and slugging .452. Pritchard, another returning senior, was just behind O'Guinn with a .279 average as both a starter and reserve last season, and struck out just 11 times in 61 at-bats. Ramirez posted a .273 average, with 24 RBI and 21 runs scored. The returning junior looks to have a breakout year after he and O'Guinn both had solid showings with the Chatham Anglers in the Cape Cod League this summer.
Turner comes in as the seventh-ranked prep shortstop in California and was selected in the 38th round of the MLB draft by the Miami Marlins. Rhylan Thomas, the 11th-ranked outfielder in last year's class, played his prep ball under Royce Clayton at Oaks Christian. Though Turner came in as an infielder, both players are expected to compete for spots in the outfield.
"It is so open right now because we have a lot of guys playing well," said Gill. "We have guys battling for spots like Bart West and John Thomas who are having really good Januarys and early Februarys. Ben Wanger, the two-way player is playing really well. He had a walk-off home run in an inter-squad the other day and is using the whole field, with some big power. Clay Owens can really hit, and will certainly factor into the middle of the lineup. Preston Hartsell is in the mix. Miko Rodriguez and Johnny Olmstead are having a good Januarys too. Offensively there are still quite a few battles. Obviously the defense is going to factor in at some point, so if everybody is hitting, the best defenders will play. Early on, though, you are going to see a variety of different lineups given that they have all earned it."
John Thomas is another one of the six seniors on the Trojan roster and comes in with 78 games of experience at the corner infield positions and also as a designated hitter. West, a junior outfielder, saw time in just eight games last year, but looks to increase his role after a strong offseason. Owens was a revelation at the plate as a freshman in 2019, hitting .279 overall and a team-leading .333 in Pac-12 play on his way to earning All-Conference honors. Hartsell is also a returning sophomore and played in 22 games last year. He looks to tap into some of the promise that made him the top-ranked outfielder in California coming out of high school.
Rodriguez and Olmstead are a pair of newcomers who made strong first impressions on the staff this offseason. Rodriguez, a right-handed outfielder, transferred from Texas A&M after redshirting his freshman year, and Olmstead, an infielder, comes in as a true freshman out of Newport Harbor High School. Olmstead was one of the top 20 shortstops in the state according to Perfect Game.
In the Field
Catcher -
Tyler Lozano has the inside track on the catchers spot and will likely be backed up by freshman Taylor Johnson, converted pitcher Riley Lamb and junior college transfer Frank Yokas. As a freshman last year, Lozano hit .267 in 24 games behind the plate and caught a pair of runners stealing.
"Lozano is going to start off behind the plate," said Gill. "Tyler has been improving daily and is a solid Division I catcher. He's going to need help behind him so we'll see who can step up in that spot."
Infield –
After playing in the outfield much of last year, Jamal O'Guinn is expected to hold down the third base spot after Gold Glover Brandon Perez graduated last year, while John Thomas and Johnny Olmstead are also expect to factor in at the hot corner. Ben Ramirez is the presumptive starter at short after splitting time at third and second as well during his first two years at USC. Tyler Pritchard is the expected starter at second after playing 19 games there last year. Also figuring into both middle infield spots and third will be Emilio Rosas, who saw time around the infield in 28 games last season. The Trojans will also have freshman Connor Cirillo as an option on the bench.
First base is still up for grabs between John Thomas, Clay Owens and Ben Wanger. All three could possibly serve as the DH at times.
"First is definitely a three-way battle. Wanger being a pitcher, we might be better off DH'ing him. The good news is JT (Thomas) can play more than one position. He can play third, he can play left, we've put him at second base, he can play first. He's kind of our utility guy and the way he's been swinging the bat, he might find his way into that lineup at least once or twice on a weekend right now."
Outfield –
The outfield is another spot where competition abounds, with several players regularly competing for time. Tyresse Turner's athleticism has him as the likely opening day centerfielder, with fellow freshman Rhylan Thomas also in the mix. Brady Shockey played the bulk of last year at right and will likely be there for much of the year, with plenty of competition from Bart West and freshman Miko Rodriguez. Preston Hartsell and John Thomas are expected to compete mainly for time in left, while Trevor Halsema and Adrian Colon-Rosado will also be in the mix for corner outfield time. Halsema earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention at the DH spot last year and could see time there as well.
"The outfield is still kind of wide open," said Gill. "I would say the frontrunner for center field is Tyresse, but Rhylan is right there with him. They are both doing extremely well, better than any of us thought they would be doing this early on. I think Tyresse is still learning the position coming from being a shortstop in high school, but you see some things that he does because of his foot speed that are special. Whereas Rhylan has been an outfielder for a while, and has a little bit better feel for the position. Hartsell and Thomas will compete in left, with JT also getting time in the infield. And then Shockey, Rodriguez and West are all playing their tail off right now. We also have Halsema and Rosado as options out there. It's a good problem to have, because I have too many guys for one outfield, but a lot of talent out there."
Season Outlook
"The competition among the team is as good as I have been around in a long time," said Gill. "I don't think I have had this kind of depth and I can only assume that it's because I came in with a clean slate on everyone. I didn't have any opinions about anyone when I got here, and I made them aware of that. I told the guys that I don't care about what they did last year, I don't care where they came from, I don't care what they did in high school... show me what you can do now, because it's wide open. We strive to reward guys for doing the right things. Nothing has been given to anybody on our team. Everybody is earning every minute of playing time that they get this year."
"I think what you're going to see is a team that throws strikes, plays catch, puts the ball in play, and runs the bases intelligently. We are excited to get going just to see where we are at, and to see what we need to work on. If this team can come out and give a championship effort every day, which is something that has to be learned, I believe we can be very successful."
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