WEAVER STRIKES OUT 14 IN WIN OVER TROJANS.

Byline: Daily News

LONG BEACH - Long Beach State's Jered Weaver made it difficult to tell if the USC baseball team's offense is any better than last year's version which kept the Trojans out of the playoffs for the first time in 10 years.

Weaver, a Simi Valley High graduate, had a career-high 14 strikeouts and allowed only two hits in seven innings to spoil USC's season opener Friday at Blair Field. Ninth-ranked Long Beach State defeated the Trojans 3-1 in front of a Long Beach State-record crowd of 3,163.

A USC lineup that had enough promise to enter the season ranked as high as No. 16, was hurt by last month's news that All-American sophomore catcher Jeff Clement would spend the beginning of the season on the sideline because he has mononucleosis.

However, all the Trojan batters appeared to be ailing as they struck out 17 times, a record for 49ers opponents.

Weaver (2-0) struck out the first 10 batter of the game, including four in the third inning when Baron Frost reached on a third strike that went to the back stop. Only two of Weaver's pitches were even fouled off in the first inning.

``That was pretty incredible,'' Long Beach State coach Mike Weathers said of the All-American junior right-hander. ``I don't know if you'll ever see that again. To strike out 10 in a row is absolutely unbelievable.''

Weaver's string of strikeouts ended on a fly to deep right by Michael Moon to start the fourth inning. The Trojans began their first rally a batter later when Joey Metropoulos was hit by a pitch.

The next batter, Blake Sharpe, provided the first hit as he doubled just inside the left field line. A groundout by Daniel Perales scored Metropoulos for the first earned run of the season scored off Weaver, evening the score 1-1.

Weaver's performance overshadowed a solid debut by USC freshman right-hander Ian Kennedy. After allowing four consecutive baserunners to fall behind 1-0 in the first inning, Kennedy settled down to follow with four consecutive shutout innings, three times retiring the side in order. He finished with eight strikeouts, three walks, two hits and one run allowed in five innings.

Long Beach took the lead in the sixth inning when reliever Josh Rummonds (0-1) hit his second consecutive batter to force in the go-ahead run. The 49ers added a run in the seventh inning.

Sharpe, a Moorpark High product who played against Weaver in high school, had USC's only hits, adding a leadoff single in the seventh.

-Heather Gripp

--UCLA 6, Fresno St. 2: Casey Janssen was nearly unhittable in his six innings of work, striking out eight batters, walking two while giving up just one hit in his first victory of the season for host UCLA (2-0) at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

UCLA took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a Wes Whisler double, which scored Chad Concolino. The Bruins added two more runs in the third and fourth innings and blew the game open with three insurance runs in the seventh.

Brant Rustich gave up two runs in the eighth but Fresno State (2-3), coached by former Cal State Northridge coach Mike Batesole, would get no closer. Adam Simon pitched a scoreless ninth but didn't figure in the decision.

--Cal Poly SLO 4, Pepperdine 2: Jacob Barrack gave up three runs on six hits in four innings and visiting Pepperdine (1-2) never recovered.