BASEBALL: USC MUSCLES UP, MAKES REGIONAL FINAL LMU, AFTER GIVING UP 13 RUNS TO TROJANS, TRIED TO AVOID ELIMINATION AGAINST FULLERTON USC 13, LMU 5.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer

FULLERTON - USC got to the winner's bracket of the NCAA baseball regionals with pitching and defense, the team's strengths throughout the year.

But the Trojans are one win away from a berth in the Super Regionals because of offense. Eighteen hits and 13 runs worth.

Just about everyone in the lineup contributed in top-seeded USC's 13-5 win over Loyola Marymount at Cal State Fullerton on Saturday night.

The Trojans (40-18) would have to lose twice today to be deprived of winning the four-team regional. LMU and Cal State Fullerton met in an elimination game late Saturday night to determine USC's opponent in the 1 p.m. game.

The Trojans aren't offensively challenged, hitting .302 as a team and hitting 82 home runs entering Saturday's game. But coach Mike Gillespie's concern has been fielding a quality batting order.

``It's tough outs 1-through-9 that have been an issue,'' Gillespie said. ``If you look at our team's stats, we have four guys with pretty good numbers, some guys with horrible numbers and some in between.''

But the 7-8-9 batters in the USC order - Alberto Concepcion, Brian Barre and Abel Montanez - went a combined 7 for 10 with two RBI and eight runs scored. Only Montanez was hitting more than .300 and that was in 29 at-bats.

Montanez, a senior left fielder, was cut from the team three years ago, served as team manager and rarely played until the final three weeks of the season. But he went 3 for 3 with three runs scored and an RBI from the ninth spot.

Everything went right for the Trojans. Barre had one of the game's biggest hits, an RBI triple in the eighth that broke a 5-5 tie. But it happened against Gillespie's orders.

``It's actually pretty funny because skip gave me the take (sign) and I missed it,'' Barre said. ``And (LMU pitcher Michael Schultz) ended up throwing a fastball down the middle, I hit it good and the rest is history.''

Gillespie's reaction to the sign: ``I was just kidding.''

It's the kind of giddy attitude a coach can have when his team gets that kind of contribution from everyone.

Actually, USC's most consistent hitters in the middle of the lineup were held down. Justin Gemoll, Beau Craig, Anthony Lunetta and Josh Persell managed just three hits between them.

But leadoff batter Seth Davidson went 5 for 6 and Rob Garibaldi was 3 for 5 with four RBI in the No. 2 spot.

``For us to step up tonight was really key because it helps out the whole rest of our lineup,'' Davidson said. ``We're on base for our top hitters, so I think just in general that's really key.''

Schultz (9-6), who attended Cleveland High of Reseda, has been the big-game pitcher for the Lions (40-18). But the 6-foot-8 junior right- hander allowed 15 hits and seven earned runs in 7 2/3 innings.

The Trojans led 8-5 entering the ninth and sealed it with five more runs, four off Chaminade High of West Hills graduate Chris Gray.

Mark Prior (9-6) earned the win for the Trojans, giving up five earned runs on eight hits in 7 2/3 innings.

USC freshman Anthony Reyes (5-6, 4.29 ERA) will start today's championship round game against either LMU or Fullerton.

--Cal State Fullerton 8, Virginia Tech 6: Chris Beck, a senior who's been bothered by wrist and back injuries all season, went 4 for 5 and hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the top of the ninth to keep the host Titans (37-20) alive.

Beck hit .408 with 75 RBI as a junior but was limited to just 117 at-bats and 17 RBI this season. His homer eliminated the fourth-seeded Hokies (34-25-2).

``I don't have any more pain in my wrist or my back,'' Beck said. ``The (home run) pitch was slow . . . I reached out and didn't think I got all of it.''

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Photo:

(1 -- 2) USC's Seth Davidson (2), left, is congratulated by teammates after scoring in Saturday's game against Loyola Marymount. Davidson went 5 for 6 in the game. Below, LMU third baseman Tommy Perez tags out USC's Paki Lum, trying to take an extra base.

Michael Owen Baker/Daily News