COLLEGE BASEBALL PREVIEW.Byline: Heather Gripp PEPPERDINE Coach: Steve Rodriguez, 71-55 in two seasons Last season: 41-23 overall, 21-9 West Coast Conference (first); advanced to NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association Regional final. THE SEASON IS A SUCCESS IF ... All-American catcher Chad Tracy Chad Austin Tracy (born May 22, 1980 in Charlotte, North Carolina) is a third baseman in Major League Baseball who plays with the Arizona Diamondbacks.Tracy also commonly known as "Opposite Field Tracy" bats left handed and throws right handed. Tracy compiled a . plays the way he has the past two seasons and the pitching staff lives up to expectations. Tracy, who won the conference's Triple Crown last season, joins left-hander Paul Coleman on the national watch list for the Player of the Year award Several sports leagues honor their best player with an award called Player of the Year. In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award. The awards with the "player of the year" phrasing include these. . After Coleman, the WCC WCC n abbr (= World Council of Churches) → COE m (Conseil œcuménique des Églises) WCC n abbr (= World Council of Churches) → Weltkirchenrat m Pitcher of the Year, the Waves' staff features right-hander Barry Enright, whose 10-1 record tied for the team lead in wins last season. THE SEASON IS A DISAPPOINTMENT IF ... The Waves can't fill the void left by All-American Steve Kleen, last season's clutch-hitting first baseman and closer, who was an 11th-round draft pick of the Oakland A's. Kleen's 17 saves last season ranked second in the nation, and his .350 batting average batting average n. Baseball A measure of a batter's performance obtained by dividing the total of base hits by the number of times at bat, not including walks. Noun 1. , eight home runs and 58 RBI RBI abbr. Baseball runs batted in Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season" run batted in were all second among the Waves behind Tracy. The team has yet to settle on a first baseman, and potential closer Doug Konoske is recovering from an offseason shoulder injury. FRESHMEN TO WATCH Chase d'Arnaud, 3B: The Los Alamitos Los Alamitos (lôs ăləmē`təs, lŏs), city (1990 pop. 11,676), Orange co., NE of Long Beach, S Calif., in a suburban area; inc. 1960. Los Alamitos Racetrack and U.S. military installations are nearby. High graduate is competing for the third-base job. He led the Sunset League The Sunset League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1947 through 1950. For the 1951 season, the league merged with the Arizona-Texas League to form the Southwest International League. with a .512 average last season. Denny Duron, IF/OF: A versatile athlete from Shreveport, La., he batted .481 as a high school senior and helped his school to three state titles. Brett Hunter, RHP rhp abbr. rated horsepower : After posting a 1.15 ERA last year as a senior at Moorpark High, Hunter might start for the Waves. FUTURE MAJOR LEAGUER Chad Tracy, Jr., C: As the son of a major-league manager, Tracy has taken advantage of spending plenty of time in a big-league atmosphere. Tracy's lengthy list of accolades includes WCC Player of the Year and All-America honors last season when he batted .367 with 12 home runs and 61 RBI. He is nominated for this year's Johnny Bench Award The Johnny Bench Award was created in 2000 to honor college baseball's top catcher. It is dedicated to the former Cincinnati catcher Johnny Bench, who by some is considered to be the best defensive catcher in baseball history. , which recognizes the nation's top catcher. Tracy has a .344 career average with the Waves and is tied for ninth in team history in career home runs with 24. SAVE THE DATES Feb. 17-19: Visiting Oregon State, ranked as high as No. 3 in preseason polls, is one of six top-25 teams Pepperdine faces before starting WCC play. March 28: The Waves play at USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. in a rematch of last year's regional final won by the Trojans. March 31-April 2: Pepperdine opens WCC play at Loyola Marymount in a rematch of the past two conference championship series. MAKE RESERVATIONS FOR ... Omaha, Neb. It wouldn't be much of a surprise if Pepperdine made its first trip to the College World Series since winning its lone title in 1992. The Waves, with 24 returnees, are an experienced group used to the big games and big-time opponents. Seven starters return from last year's regional championship game, and that's not including WCC Pitcher of the Year Paul Coleman or WCC Freshman of the Year Barry Enright. Pepperdine is ranked as high as No. 11 in preseason national rankings. The College World Series begins June 16 in Omaha. Q&A Three questions with ADRIAN ORTIZ, the Waves' sophomore center fielder. He grew up in Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (pwār`tō rē`kō), island (2005 est. pop. 3,917,000), 3,508 sq mi (9,086 sq km), West Indies, c.1,000 mi (1,610 km) SE of Miami, Fla. , playing at the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy, and last season was tabbed the fastest player in the WCC. You're known for speed, did you ever run track? Actually, my grandpa wanted me to go into track since I was little. I didn't like it because you'd run and run and run forever. In baseball you just practice a few days a week and have games every weekend. That's a lot more fun. In track you run a lot and only have a few big meets. I didn't like that. My last year at the baseball academy, we had a team for track, just to get better for baseball. I was on the 4x100 and 4x400. We did pretty good. Our 4x4, we won nationals in Puerto Rico and we went to participate in the Penn Relays The Penn Relays (also Penn Relays Carnival) is the oldest and largest track and field carnival in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. in Pennsylvania. Roberto Clemente, of course. And I also like Bernie Williams Bernabé "Bernie" Figueroa Williams (born September 13, 1968, in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and a guitar-playing jazz recording artist. A switch hitter, Williams has played his entire career (1991-2006) with the New York Yankees. . He's real fast and a great center fielder. I'd like to be able to play like that. What made you decide to attend Pepperdine? What's not to like? Look at how beautiful it is here. It has a really nice climate, that was a really big factor. I didn't know if I could play in cold weather. I didn't know how I'd handle living in snow. So I was looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. someplace some·place adv. & n. Somewhere: "I didn't care where I was from so long as it was someplace else" Garrison Keillor. See Usage Note at everyplace. warm. I came here, it was beautiful, the baseball's good, the coaches are good and it's a good school. It was the right place. Is it difficult being away from your family? It's tough. I get to see them at Christmas break and maybe Thanksgiving - not a lot. They come here and visit me sometimes. But homesickness isn't a huge problem. I'm really close with these guys here. They make feel welcome here. That helps. USC Coach: Mike Gillespie There are 3 sports coaches with the name Mike Gillespie:
Last season: 41-22, 15-9 Pac-10 (third); advanced to NCAA Super Regionals. THE SEASON IS A SUCCESS IF ... The Trojans can find a way to replace the power lost by the departure of first-round draft pick Jeff Clement Jeffrey B. Clement is a catcher who is currently in the Mariners farm system, and was called up to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers on June 21, 2006. Clement was the Mariners' first round draft pick (third overall) in the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft. . No returning player had more than five homers last season. Junior outfielder Cyle Hankerd, who homered nine times en route to being named the New England Collegiate Baseball League The New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) is a 12-team amateur summer baseball league founded in 1993 and sanctioned by the NCAA and Major League Baseball. Each NECBL team plays an eight-week, 42-game schedule during June and July, with a playoff in early August. MVP (Multimedia Video Processor) A high-speed DSP chip from Texas Instruments, introduced in 1994. Officially introduced as the TMS320C80, it combines RISC technology with the functionality of four DSPs on one chip. last summer, is a leading candidate to fill the void. A potentially deep offense also includes senior outfielder Baron Frost, who was second in the Cape Cod Cape Cod, narrow peninsula of glacial origin, 399 sq mi (1,033 sq km), SE Mass., extending 65 mi (105 km) E and N into the Atlantic Ocean. It is generally flat, with sand dunes, low hills, and numerous lakes. League last summer with a .343 average; and sophomore infielder Matt Cusick, who hit .311 as a freshman starter. Ace Ian Kennedy For the British academic, lawyer and bioethicist, see . Ian Patrick Kennedy (born December 19, 1984 in Long Beach, CA) is a right-handed pitcher for the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball. He is 6' 0" tall, and weighs 190 pounds. (12-3, 2.54 ERA last season) and closer Paul Koss (4-1, 2.81 ERA, 14 saves) give USC two of college baseball's most reliable pitchers. THE SEASON IS A DISAPPOINTMENT IF ... The young pitching staff doesn't mature quickly. Kennedy is the only returning starter, and a tough schedule will make growing pains grow·ing pains pl.n. Pains in the limbs and joints of children or adolescents, frequently occurring at night and often attributed to rapid growth but arising from various unrelated causes. glaring. Health will also be key for the team that was plagued by injury last year. Pitcher Anthony Encinas Encinas is a municipality located in the province of Segovia, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 68 inhabitants. already is out for the season with an elbow injury. First baseman Lucas Duda and outfielder Daniel Perales are among those back after being sidelined much of last season. FRESHMEN TO WATCH Ryan Cook Ryan Cook is the name of:
Tommy Milone, LHP LHP Left-Handed Pitcher LHP Left Hand Path LHP Lighthouse Point (Broward County, Florida city) LHP Left Half-Plane LHP Lead Hollowpoint (bullet) LHP Living History Project LHP Landslide Hazard Program : He pitched a perfect game last season as an all-state player at Saugus High, and he'll be counted on to contribute immediately at USC. FUTURE MAJOR LEAGUER Ian Kennedy, Jr., RHP: Never overmatched, even in his college debut starting against Jered Weaver Jered David Weaver (born October 4, 1982 in Northridge, California), is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Jered attended college at Long Beach State University where he was the 2004 College Baseball's Golden Spikes Award winner. , the Trojans can count on being in position to win any time Kennedy starts. Just as certain is Kennedy's status as a probable first-round pick in this spring's draft. He led the nation with 158 strikeouts last season (fourth-best in school history), when he also went 12-3 with a 2.54 ERA and only 38 walks in 117 innings. Kennedy was selected as a first-team All-American and Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year as a sophomore before spending a second consecutive summer starring for the U.S. National Team. Kennedy was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals For the National Football League team that played in St. Louis from 1960 to 1987, see . The St. Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards" or "the Redbirds") are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. in the 14th round in 2003 out of La Quinta High. SAVE THE DATES Feb. 17-19: The Trojans host San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. , Vanderbilt and Kansas in the Public Storage Classic. March 17-19: USC hosts Oregon State in the Pac-10 opener, a rematch of last year's Super Regional won by the Beavers. MAKE RESERVATIONS FOR ... Super Regionals. The Trojans have a solid lineup with a lot of potential, but Kennedy can't start every game. The rest of the pitching staff will have to overachieve o·ver·a·chieve intr.v. o·ver·a·chieved, o·ver·a·chiev·ing, o·ver·a·chieves To perform better or achieve more success than expected. o for a deep postseason run. Q&A Three questions with JOSH FOGEL, a junior walk-on from Saugus High who has become the Trojans' most versatile player, thanks to his willingness to do anything to make the team. The former infielder is slated to pitch and catch this season. You were a shortstop in high school. Did you ever imagine you'd be a pitcher or catcher in college? Not at all. I especially didn't think I'd be a catcher. For one, I don't have the physique of a typical catcher. I'd be what they call slim. But it's fun. I like doing it, especially when I got to work with coach (Chad) Kreuter last year. Getting to work with a former major-league catcher like that really helped, with catching and pitching. Is there any position you can't play? Not to be arrogant or anything, but I don't think so. If they ask me to play left field, I'd go out and take some fly balls out there and be ready to give it my best. I'll play anywhere they want. You had to come back from Tommy John surgery Tommy John surgery, known by doctors as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (or UCL), is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body (often from the forearm, hamstring, knee, or foot of the during your freshman year and were hurt again last season. Was there ever a point when you considered quitting? I never, ever thought of quitting. But I didn't think it'd be this difficult. I knew it'd be hard to make the team, but I didn't think it'd be this hard to get healthy. You have to work so hard just to get healthy and then you come back and are competing for a spot with guys who have been there all season. It was hard. This is my fourth year here and it's the first opening day I've been healthy. UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX Coach: John Savage John Savage may refer to:
Last season: 15-41, 4-20 Pac-10 (eighth). THE SEASON IS A SUCCESS IF ... The highly touted freshmen make an immediate impact. The incoming class is rated No. 5 in the nation, with catcher Ryan Babineau, shortstop Brandon Crawford and outfielder/pitcher Tim Murphy all ranked among the nation's top 50 freshmen. Infielder Eddie Murray
THE SEASON IS A DISAPPOINTMENT IF ... The Bruins' inexperience up the middle is too much to overcome against a schedule that has been rated the toughest in the nation. The catching and shortstop jobs are the biggest uncertainties. That's not good news for a team looking to improve on a defense that committed 98 errors in 56 games last season. Questions surrounding the bullpen include how effective senior right-hander Josh Roenicke can be as a closer after spending the previous three seasons as an outfielder. FRESHMEN TO WATCH Ryan Babineau, C: He was drafted in the 13th round by the Milwaukee Brewers last season when he was also a high school All-American and national Defensive Player of the Year. Babineau batted .412 as a senior at Rancho Bernardo High of Rancho Cucamonga. Brandon Crawford, IF: Baseball America ranks him No. 24 among the nation's top freshmen. He stole a school-record 21 bases last year as a senior at Foothill High in Pleasanton. Tim Murphy, OF/LHP: The Angels drafted him in the 11th round last year out of Rancho Buena Vista High of Vista. As the No. 39 freshman in the country according to Baseball America, he should have plenty of chances to contribute. FUTURE MAJOR LEAGUER David Huff, Jr., LHP: The pros have already tried to get him twice, and he'll likely be drafted again this year. Huff, who will be a part of the Bruins' starting rotation, was a starting pitcher for Savage as a freshman at UC Irvine. He then spent last season at Cypress College. He was drafted in the 19th round last year by the Philadelphia Phillies, and was a 31st-round pick of the Angels in 2003 out of Edison High in Huntington Beach. Huff spent last summer pitching for the Chatham A's in the Cape Cod League and posted a 1.46 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 37 innings. SAVE THE DATES March 10-12: The Bruins face their fifth consecutive nationally ranked team when they play host to Mississippi, ranked as high as No. 20. May 12-14: An always intense matchup with rival USC pits the Bruins against yet another nationally ranked team. MAKE RESERVATIONS FOR ... Corvallis, Ore.: Although UCLA will be much improved from the version that posted a school-record 19-game losing streak last season, it's unlikely the young Bruins will be playing beyond their regular-season finale at Oregon State on May 28. Q&A Three questions with BRIAN SCHROEDER, a junior left-hander - and son of former NFL NFL abbr. National Football League NFL (US) n abbr (= National Football League) → Fußball-Nationalliga quarterback Jay Schroeder - who led the Bruins in wins last season. Your dad was a UCLA quarterback and played in the NFL, and you were a successful high school football player. What made you choose baseball over football here at UCLA? I just love playing baseball more than football. Football was always more of a hobby than a passion. I never really thought I had what it takes to play at that (college) level, so it's not like I watch and say, 'I should be out there.' You set your high school's single-season home run record. Do you ever try to convince coach to let you bat? I miss hitting. I hit a little bit over the summer with the team I was on in Duluth (Minn.). But out here, my job is to pitch, that's fine with me. What has been the highlight of your college career so far? Definitely the (NCAA) regional my first year when we went to Oklahoma. That was a great experience - I'd like to do it again. And the other would be getting my first save, that was in Petco (Park) in the series they had there before the stadium opened. CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE Coach: Steve Rousey, 51-116-1 in three seasons. Last season: 18-36-1, 2-19 Big West (eighth). THE SEASON IS A SUCCESS IF ... The 25 newcomers, hungry to prove themselves, continue to fuel competition within the team to get the most out of everyone. Six Division I transfers are among those hoping to take advantage of a second chance. Outfielder Brett Blumenthal, a sophomore transfer from San Bernardino Valley College San Bernardino Valley College is a community college located in San Bernardino, California. It is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The two-year college has an enrollment of approximately 1,540, and covers 82 acres. , is a leading hitter. THE SEASON IS A DISAPPOINTMENT IF ... There isn't a lot of overachieving. Seven of the projected starters are nonscholarship players. The Big West schedule won't be kind to the Matadors, with nationally ranked Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State among the conference's eight teams. FRESHMAN TO WATCH Edwin Quirarte, RHP: A 39th-round draft pick by the Cincinnati Reds last season out of Oxnard High, he'll be a promising member of the starting rotation. He was an All-Ventura County selection the past two years when he led Oxnard to back-to-back league titles. FUTURE MAJOR LEAGUER Craig Baker, Jr. RHP: He's not a can't-miss prospect, but if Baker displays the potential the Matadors see in their ace, he could play at the next level. The 6-foot-3 Hemet product got off to an impressive start this season by upsetting No. 12 Arizona State in last weekend's season opener. Baker is coming off a sophomore season in which he was 4-5 with a 7.88 ERA. SAVE THE DATES Today-Sunday: A month-long homestand begins with the home-opening series against Nevada. March 31-April 2: The Matadors begin Big West Conference play at defending champion Cal St. Fullerton MAKE RESERVATIONS FOR ... Stockton: CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge finishes the season May 26-28 at Pacific. The Matadors haven't had a winning season since making their last postseason appearance in 2002, and it is unlikely the trend will end this year. Q&A Three questions with ALEX BARDEGUEZ, a junior infielder who transferred from Villanova. You're from New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of and played at Villanova, so what made you decide to come all the way out here to play for CSUN? One of the first things was all the good baseball out here in California. And the weather - it's definitely nice being in warm weather. A lot of the players on the team are transfers. Do you think that second-chance mentality will help bring a fresh outlook to a team that has struggled in recent years? A lot of us were allowed to come here and get a second chance. We don't want to waste it. If you weren't still playing baseball, what would you be doing? Playing basketball. I love basketball. CAPTION(S): 9 photos Photo: (1) Pepperdine sophomores, from left, Adrian Ortiz, Jason Dominguez, Doug Konoske, Barry Enright, Adam Olbrychowski, Danny Worth and Donald Brown. (2) no caption (Adrian Ortiz) Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer (3) COOK (4) KENNEDY (5) FOGEL (6) BAKER (7) BARDEGUEZ (8) HUFF (9) SCHROEDER |
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