BRIEFLY...
Having won back-to-back games for the first time this year, LMU (5-10) will head to Fresno, Calif. to play a four-game series, including a doubleheader on Saturday, with Fresno State (9-7) this weekend. Friday's game is slated for a 6:05 p.m. start, while Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 2:05 p.m. Sunday's series finale has a scheduled first pitch of 1:05 p.m. After the four-game set with the Bulldogs, LMU will return home to host Cal State Fullerton on March 23 at 3 p.m.
LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST...
The seven, eight and nine hitters in the Lion order on March 14 at Cal State Northridge, namely Shon Roe, Brad Bauer and Alex Guthrie, finished the game a combined 9-for-13 (.692) with two doubles, two home runs, nine runs scored and 10 RBI. Bauer led the charge by going 4-for-5 with a three-run homer, a double, four runs scored and five RBI. Guthrie batted a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs scored, a double, a home run, two hit-by-pitches and two RBI, while Roe was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI. Bauer and Brad Decater, who hit ninth for CSUN, combined to finish 6-for-9 (.667) with a double, three home runs, six runs scored and nine RBI as the last hitters in their respective orders. Before the game, LMU's nine spot was 7-for-45 (.156) with three runs scored, two doubles and four RBI.
LION TRACKS...
LMU broke a 4-4 tie with two runs in the eighth inning en route to earning a 6-4 victory over Long Beach State on Tuesday at LMU's Page Stadium. The Lions trailed 4-1 headed into the bottom of the fifth, but scored five runs over the next four frames. Freshman Colton Plaia led the Lions offensively, finishing 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, two runs scored and two RBI. For Plaia, the home run was his second of the season. Nick Devian contributed a two-out two-RBI double to give LMU the lead in the eighth, while Jason Barmasse also drove in a pair in the win. With a hit apiece on Tuesday, Matt Koch and Ryan Hawthorne each extended their hitting streaks to four games. Sophomore Alex Gillingham continued to pitch well to start the 2010 season, tossing seven and a third innings and allowing four runs on eight hits and one intentional walk while striking out eight batters. He did not factor in the decision after leaving the ballgame with the score tied at four. Junior Chris Eusebio dealt an inning and two-thirds, including inducing a double-play ball to end the eighth, en route to recording his second win of the season. The native of Walnut, Calif. allowed just one hit in the stellar relief outing. Nate Underwood got the start for Long Beach State, lasting five innings and allowing three runs on five hits and two walks before not factoring in the decision. Troy Watson, who took the first loss of his season, pitched two and two-thirds, surrendering two runs on two hits before Cris Trout allowed a run on two hits en route to recording the final out of the eighth. TJ Mittelstaedt finished 2-for-4 as the lone Dirtbag with multiple hits. The left-handed batter also recorded a run scored. Joey Terdoslavich, Brennan Metzger and Tre Dennis each doubled-home runs for Long Beach State.
KOCH IN THE LINEUP...ON THE BENCH...
Sophomore Matt Koch was named to the 2010 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award Watch List, it was announced by The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission on March 2. Fifty-three catchers were nominated for the award by their coaches to start the year, but because the award is given annually to the top division one collegiate catcher, the list will be updated to include other candidates until May 5, 2010. Koch is one of only two catchers from the West Coast Conference currently on the list, with the other being Santa Clara's Geoff Klein. The annual award serves to honor those athletes that serve as a team's starting catcher in at least 75% of the games. Nominees that end up playing primarily another position, such as designated hitter, or those that split their time with another catcher in a 50/50 situation will be disqualified from semifinalist selection. Koch has started all 15 games for the Lions this year, including 12 behind the plate. He is batting .333 (20-for-60) with 13 runs scored, a team-best eight doubles, three home runs, a stolen base and a team-high 13 RBI. He is slugging .617 and reaching base at a .373 clip. The watch list will be narrowed down to ten semifinalists, whom will be announced May 19, 2010. Ballots will be sent to the national voting panel at the end of May for a vote to determine the three finalists. The finalists will be announced June 2, 2010 prior to the NCAA Regionals and Major League Baseball Draft. A final vote among the national committee will occur during the College World Series. All finalists will be brought to Wichita and the winner will be announced at the 13th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on July 1, 2010.
FOLLOW THE LIONS ONLINE...
Log on to www.LMULions.com for all the latest info on the Lions, including updated schedules, rosters, player bios, and more. Don't forget to also sign up to follow the Lions on Facebook (Facebook.com/LMULions) and Twitter (Twitter.com/LMULions). All LMU baseball games, including those games on the road, will be broadcast live via Gametracker. In addition, in conjunction with Stretch Internet, all LMU baseball games will be broadcast via live audio online at www.LMULions.com. Just visit the Lion baseball page, click on schedule, and click on the links located on the right side of the schedule for that particular game. All broadcasts will be archived within 72 hours of their original airing and will include both the pre-game and post-game shows.
LMU SPORTS WEEKLY...
LMU is also proud to introduce a new weekly podcast show, LMU Sports Weekly, hosted by Jesse Kass. The show will feature radio highlights and recaps from recent games, interviews with student-athletes and coaches, and previews of upcoming events. All shows can be heard online at LMULions.com. Fans can also subscribe to the free podcast via iTunes. Just search "LMU" in the iTunes Store.
INSIDE THE LIONS...
"Inside the Lions" is a special look into LMU Athletics and its student-athletes in a 10 to 15 minute show hosted by a student-athlete, sophomore men's basketball guard Jarred DuBois. Airing roughly twice a month, the show will highlight a student-athlete and give an inside look to why LMU is such a special place. In addition, highlights from top games and other game day features will be within the show. Take a look at the newest show or past shows. It's all here thanks to Lions' All-Access.
COMING TO A GAME?
Fans, come cheer on the Lions this year at Page Stadium. LMU will host 29 home games this season. To reserve your tickets today, please contact the LMU Ticket Office at (310) 338-LION. Tickets are also available at the Ticket Office prior to the start of the game. When traveling to the venue, please remember that the Loyola Marymount University campus is located in Westchester at One LMU Drive, approximately four miles north of the Los Angeles International Airport. Fans traveling to LMU must use the main entrance off of Lincoln Blvd. on LMU Drive. Those seeking handicap parking must also use the main entrance, where they can get directions from the guard at the front gate. Gates to Page Stadium open roughly two hours before the start of a game.
Wednesday's CIT playoff men's basketball game against Pacific, along with the women's water polo tournament this weekend, are this week's "Team LMU" events. "Team LMU" was created to generate awareness and excitement for LMU sporting events on game days. Staff and students are encouraged to wear LMU gear on designated "Team LMU" days and to attend the games. To view more information about the current and future "Team LMU" events, please visit www.LMULions.com/teamlmu.
DOUBLE THE FUN...
The Lions have had their fair share of doubles to start the 2010 season. LMU entered the week ranked fifth in the WCC in doubles with 29 through 14 games played, an average of 2.07 doubles per game. With two more on Tuesday against Long Beach State, LMU has now collected 31 two-baggers in 15 games, an average of 2.07. Sophomore Matt Koch leads the way with a conference-high tying eight two-baggers entering the week, followed by teammate Jason Barmasse with five doubles, good for a tie for sixth in the WCC entering the week. The Lions collected a season-high five doubles in a loss to UC Riverside on February 26, and have posted three or more doubles in six of the first 15 games.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS...
Redshirt-sophomore Martin Viramontes is slated to make his fifth start of the season on Friday in his hometown of Fresno, Calif. After an impressive showing in his third start of the year in Minnesota on March 5, Viramontes struggled against Cal State Northridge in his last start on March 12. The Bullard High School product lasted three and two-thirds innings and allowed seven runs (two earned) on seven hits and four walks while striking out three. With the loss, he fell to 0-3 on the season. Prior to his last start, Viramontes allowed a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning, but finished the game with six innings pitched, allowing only the three runs on three hits, four walks and a hit-by-pitch, while striking out eight against Minnesota. In all this year, he has pitched 20.0 innings, allowing 23 runs (15 earned) on 26 hits and 11 walks. He has struck out 21 batters, while opponents have batted .321 against him. In his second start of the season against UC Riverside on February 26, Viramontes pitched five innings, allowing eight runs (five earned) on nine hits en route to taking the loss. In his first start of the season on opening day, Viramontes was outstanding through the first five innings, allowing four hits and striking out six against then-No. 7 UC Irvine. The right-hander from Fresno, Calif. tossed five and a third innings total, allowing five runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out six. He ran into trouble in the sixth inning before surrendering all five of the runs in that frame. Overall, this will be Viramontes' 18th career start, accumulating a 3-9 record and a 6.44 ERA over the first 17. Viramontes suffered a season-ending injury early last year, resulting in a medical redshirt. Prior to the injury, he appeared in and started three games for the Lions. He posted a 7.11 ERA and did not factor in a decision, pitching only 6.1 innings and striking out four.
`CARREON' THE SUCCESS...
Sophomore Ramiro Carreon will take the ball on Saturday in game one of the doubleheader against Fresno State, the fifth start of this season and the 15th start of his career. The native of Pasadena, Calif. carries a 1-2 record and a 5.48 ERA into the weekend. Over his four starts this year, he has pitched 23.0 innings, allowing 17 runs (14 earned), on 27 hits and seven walks while striking out 15. Opponents are hitting .310 against him. In his last start against Cal State Northridge on March 13, Carreon lasted just four innings, allowing nine runs (eight earned), on eight hits and three walks before taking the loss, his second of the season. Before the game against Northridge, Carreon was outstanding in his previous two starts. He tossed a career-high tying seven and a third innings, allowing two runs on nine hits while striking out a career-best seven batters against Northwestern on March 6, a game that the Lions were shut out and fell 3-0, leaving Carreon as the tough-luck loser. In his second start of the year on February 28, Carreon pitched six innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks while striking out two en route to his first victory of the season over UC Riverside. He tossed only 28 pitches through the first three innings, facing the minimum through those frames. Carreon tossed 5.2 innings in his first start this year on February 20 vs. then-No. 7 UC Irvine, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out three batters before not factoring in the decision. Carreon made starts against a handful of ranked opponents last year, appearing in 17 games for the Lions as a freshman, starting 10. He finished the year with a 3-1 record and a 5.05 ERA in 76.2 innings on the hill, walking 18 and striking out 48. His innings mark ranked second on the team in that category. His best and longest outing of the season came on April 6 versus then-No. 6 Cal State Fullerton. He pitched seven and a third innings in that start against the Titans en route to a victory. He also recorded wins over then-No. 30 Fresno State and Santa Clara. Carreon lasted at least six innings in each of his final three starts of the season in 2009.
LUCK BE A LALLY TONIGHT...
Sophomore John Lally is slated to get the ball on Saturday in the second game of the doubleheader against Fresno State. For Lally, the start will be his fourth of the season and eighth of his career. The left-hander is coming off a pair of victories in his last two starts, including his best start of his career as he combined with Alex Gillingham to toss a two-hit shutout over Oklahoma State in the championship game of the 2010 Dairy Queen Classic on March 7. In his last start against Cal State Northridge on the road on March 14, Lally tossed six innings and allowed eight runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out seven on a windy day in which both teams hit five home runs. The Lions eventually won the game, 20-10. In the 3-0 victory over Oklahoma State to win the Dairy Queen Classic, Lally used just 89 pitches over the first seven scoreless innings to record his first win of the season. He faced 25 total batters, four over the minimum, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out a career-high tying five batters. For his efforts, he was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament and WCC Pitcher of the Week. So far this year, Lally has appeared in four games, starting three, and has collected a 20 record and a 5.14 ERA. Lally has pitched 21.0 innings, allowing 13 runs (12 earned) on 22 hits and five walks while striking out 18 batters. Prior to the stellar start against Oklahoma State, Lally last appeared on February 28 in relief versus UC Riverside, tossing two innings, and allowing two runs on five hits. The native of Santa Margarita, Calif. was strong as LMU's starter on February 23 against USC in his first start of the season, lasting six innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits while striking out four before not factoring in the decision. Lally appeared in 17 games for the Lions, starting four, as a freshman in 2009. He posted a 1-3 record and a 7.03 ERA over 32 innings, walking 24 and striking out 29. He finished the season well, appearing in five WCC games, all in relief, posting a 1.50 ERA, placing tops on the team in WCC ERA. Lally pitched a season-best five innings against Fresno State on March 22 and punched-out a season-high five batters against Holy Cross on February 28. His lone victory last year came at UC Riverside on April 14. As a reliever, he posted a 3.12 ERA over the course of the season, tops on the team amongst players with at least four relief appearances.
ALEX THE GREAT...
Perhaps the hottest Lions starting pitcher as of late, sophomore Alex Gillingham could potentially take the ball in the final game of the four-game series against Fresno State this weekend. For Gillingham, the start would be his fourth of this season and the 17th of his young career. He enters the weekend with a 0-1 record and a 3.47 ERA over 23.1 innings of work. Gillingham last started on Tuesday of this week, when he took the mound against Long Beach State and did not factor in the decision. Gillingham tossed seven and a third innings and allowed four runs on eight hits and one intentional walk while striking out eight batters in that game. In his second start of the year against UC Santa Barbara on March 2, Gillingham pitched well, but the LMU offense faltered as the Lions fell 4-1, leaving the right-hander with the loss. Gillingham tossed seven innings and allowed three runs on seven hits while striking out two in that game. The native of Thousand Oaks, Calif. last appeared in relief on March 14 at Cal State Northridge, pitching a perfect ninth inning to help LMU to a 20-10 victory. Prior to that one-inning stint in relief, Gillingham appeared on March 7, combining with John Lally to record a two-hit shutout over Oklahoma State. Gillingham pitched the final two innings of that game, allowing two walks and striking out one batter en route to recording the first save of career. After surrendering two runs in the second inning in his first start of the year against Oregon on February 22, Gillingham settled-in nicely to toss six innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks while striking out five. Showing stellar control, Gillingham has walked only 14 while striking out 68 in his career to this point. The right-hander from Thousand Oaks, Calif., who was asked to make an immediate impact as a starter at the Division I level last year, turned in a solid freshman campaign in 2009. Gillingham recorded a 4-4 record and a 5.74 ERA over 14 appearances and 13 starts as a freshman. He tossed 73.2 innings, ranking third on the squad in that category. Showing extreme control of his pitches, he struck out 51 batters and walked only nine for an impressive 5.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His 51 strikeouts placed second on the team, while his 1.10 walks per nine innings placed ninth in the nation. Gillingham lasted at least five innings in 10 of his 13 starts, and at least six innings in seven. He also walked one batter or fewer in all but two of his appearances, including none on seven occasions.
THE HITTING `KOCH'...
After missing all of last year due to injury, sophomore Matt Koch is off to an impressive start in 2010. Koch is currently batting .333 (20-for-60) with 13 runs scored, eight doubles, three home runs, four walks, a hit-by-pitch, a stolen base and 13 RBI. He has slugged .617 and reached base at a .373 clip. Over the three-game series against then No. 7 UC Irvine to start the year, Koch batted .667 (8-for-12) with three runs scored, five doubles, one walk, a home run and four RBI. He slugged 1.333 and reached base at a .643 clip. Koch was 2-for-4 with two doubles on Friday, 4-for-5 with his first career home run, a double, two runs scored and a RBI on Saturday, and finished 2-for-3 with a run scored, a sacrifice fly, three RBI, a walk and two doubles on Sunday against Irvine. He turned in another solid day at the plate on February 26 versus UC Riverside, batting 3-for-5 with two runs scored, two RBI and a double. The right-handed slugger belted home runs in back-to-back games for the first time in his career on March 12 and 13 versus Cal State Northridge. Koch entered the week ranked tied for first in the conference in doubles (8), sixth in slugging percentage (.643), tied for sixth in home runs (3) and total bases (36), and tied for seventh in RBI (13). He currently leads the team in slugging percentage (.617), RBI (13), doubles (8), total bases (37), walks (4), and sacrifice flies (2). He finds himself in the top-three of 11 major offensive categories. Koch has posted six multiple-hit games and a team-high four multiple-RBI games.
SETTING THE TABLE...
Junior Jonathan Johnson has emerged as one of the team-leaders offensively this year. The native of Lakewood, Calif. has hit .349 (22-for-63) with 14 runs scored, four doubles, four triples, a home run, two walks, three hit-by-pitches, and five RBI serving as LMU's leadoff hitter in each of the first 15 games of the season. He has slugged .587 and reached base at a .397 clip. After finishing 0-for-5 in the season opener on February 19, Johnson went 4-for-4 with a hit-by-pitch on February 20 and 3-for-3 over his first three at bats on February 21. His fourth at bat that day resulted in a strikeout, but Johnson reached first base on a missed third strike that got away from UC Irvine backstop Francis Larson. In all, Johnson recorded a hit in seven consecutive at bats, and reached base safely in nine straight plate appearances. He had another stellar day at the plate on February 26 versus UC Riverside, finishing 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored. Continuing his hot streak, Johnson batted 3-for-4 with a triple, two stolen bases and a run scored to help LMU to a victory in the championship game of the 2010 Dairy Queen Classic on March 7. He hit safely in 11 straight games from February 20 through March 12, batting .435 (20-for-46) with 11 runs scored, four doubles, four triples, a home run, two walks, three stolen bases and five RBI over the span. In all, Johnson has hit safely in 13 of the 15 games this year. The team-leader in triples with four, he tripled in three straight games from March 6-12, and posted an extra-base hit in five straight from March 2-12. Johnson entered the week ranked first in the conference in triples (4), tied for sixth in total bases (36), tied for seventh in hits (21), eighth in runs scored (14), and tied for 10th in stolen bases (3). He currently leads the team in batting average (.349), runs scored (14), hits (22), triples (4), total bases (37), and stolen bases (3). He is listed in the top-three of 10 major offensive categories. Johnson has posted four multiple-hit games and two multiple-RBI games.
LUCKY NUMBER 7...
Junior Jason Barmasse has been very impressive in his inaugural campaign in a Lion jersey after transferring into the program from Pierce College. Barmasse, who has started 13 of the first 15 games of the season in right field, has found time in 14 so far this year. The native of Westlake, Calif. is batting .346 (18-for-52) with 12 runs scored, five doubles, four walks, a hit-by-pitch, and nine RBI. He has reached base at a .404 clip and slugged .500. His best day so far this year came on March 14 at Cal State Northridge, as he finished 3-for-6 with a three-run home run, two singles, two runs scored and five RBI. Serving as a pinch-hitter and then taking over in right field against USC on February 23, Barmasse finished 2-for-2 with a run scored. He amassed two hits in five consecutive games from February 21-28, including a 2-for-4 day with a pair of doubles, two runs scored and a RBI against UC Riverside on February 26. Barmasse entered the week ranked tied for sixth in the WCC in doubles with five. He currently sits in the top-three of eight major offensive categories, including first in on-base percentage (.404) and walks (4). He has posted a team-best seven multiple-hit games and two multiple-RBI games. He hit safely in each of the first seven games of the season, going 12-for-27 (.444) with eight runs scored, four doubles, two walks, a hit-by-pitch, and two RBI over the span.
SOPHOMORE SLUGGER...
Sophomore Alex Guthrie has emerged as a powerful option in the LMU lineup so far this year. The native of Sunnyvale, Calif. is batting .208 (10-for-48) with eight runs scored, a double, a team-high four home runs and five hit-by-pitches, and seven RBI. He is slugging .479. Guthrie's four home runs entering this week ranked tied for third in the conference in that category. He has also posted two multiple-hit and three multiple-RBI games this season. His biggest home run this year came on March 5 at Minnesota in the first game of the 2010 Dairy Queen Classic when he broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the ninth with a solo-shot, his third homer of the year, to left centerfield. Guthrie's best day at the plate came on March 14 at Cal State Northridge, as he batted a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs scored, a double, a home run, two hit-by-pitches and two RBI.
I'M GOING STREAKING...
Three Lion players currently carry hitting streaks of three games or better into the weekend series against Fresno State. Matt Koch and Ryan Hawthorne have each hit in four straight games, while Shon Roe has batted safely in three. Koch is 6-for-17 (.353) with five runs scored, two home runs and five RBI over the span. Hawthorne is batting .467 (7-for-15) with three runs scored, two doubles, a home run, a walk, and four RBI over his four-game streak. Roe is 4-for-12 (.333) with four runs scored, a double and four RBI over the course of the three games.
A WHOLE LOT OF NOTHING...
As a staff, LMU pitching posted 15 consecutive scoreless innings from inning number two against Minnesota on March 5 through inning eight against Northwestern on March 6 at the 2010 Dairy Queen Classic. After surrendering three runs in the eighth against Northwestern, LMU shut out Oklahoma State on March 7. In all, the Lions posted 25 scoreless frames over 26 innings from the second inning on March 5 through the victory over Oklahoma State on March 7.
KINGS OF THE DAIRY QUEEN...
LMU won the 2010 Dairy Queen Classic from March 5-7 by finishing the three-day tournament with a 2-1 record. The Lions defeated Oklahoma State, which also had a 2-1 record, by a count of 3-0 in what proved to be the Championship Game on March 7 due to tiebreaker rules. Minnesota, which hosted the tournament, and Northwestern both finished with 1-2 record. John Lally was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament for his seven shutout innings and career-high tying five strikeouts against Oklahoma State to help LMU to the championship. Lally, who combined with Alex Gillingham to throw a two-hit shutout, was also named to the All-Tournament team with Jonathan Johnson and Ryan Hawthorne. To read more about Lally and Johnson's weekends, which earned them WCC Pitcher and Player of the Week accolades, please read the "Lions Sweep Weekly Honors" portion of this release. Hawthorne finished the three-day tournament with a .375 batting average (3-for-8) with a double, a walk, three sacrifice bunts and a RBI. He slugged .500 and reached base at a .444 clip. Hawthorne's best day came on March 6 as he finished 2-for-3 with two of LMU's three hits in a loss to Northwestern.
LIONS SWEEP WEEKLY HONORS...
LMU baseball swept the West Coast Conference Players of the Week awards for the first week of March, as sophomore John Lally and junior Jonathan Johnson took home weekly honors. Lally was named WCC Pitcher of the Week, while Johnson took home Player of the Week accolades as the Lions finished 2-2 that week, including winning the 2010 Dairy Queen Classic in Minneapolis, Minn. from March 5-7. Lally was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Dairy Queen Classic for his seven shutout innings and career-high tying five strikeouts in a two-hit shutout victory over Oklahoma State to help LMU to the 2010 Dairy Queen Classic Championship on March 7. He teamed with sophomore Alex Gillingham to record the two-hit shutout as LMU won the game, 3-0. The native of Santa Margarita, Calif. used just 89 pitches over the first seven scoreless innings to improve to 1-0 on the season. The left-hander faced 25 total batters, four over the minimum, allowing just two hits and two walks. The shutout was the first for LMU since shutting out Santa Clara 2-0 on the road on March 27, 2009. The combined two-hitter was the first for LMU since Daniel Macias allowed just two hits in a 5-0 victory over Gonzaga on April 30, 2006. Johnson batted .400 (6-for-15) with two runs scored, a double, three triples, a walk and two stolen bases over the week. He slugged .867 and reached base at a .471 clip. Johnson recorded a triple in three of LMU's four games that week. The native of Lakewood, Calif. was vital in LMU's Championship Game at the 2010 Dairy Queen Classic against Oklahoma State, finishing 3-for-4 with a run scored and a triple, his second of the tournament. Over the three-game tournament alone, Johnson batted .417 (5-for-12) with two runs scored, a double, two triples, and a pair of stolen bases en route to being named to the All-Tournament team. He reached base at a 462 clip and slugged .833.
YOU CAN'T RAIN ON MY PARADE...
The doubleheader between LMU and UC Riverside, originally scheduled for February 27 in Riverside, Calif., was rained out as Southern California took a powerful hit from Mother Nature. The two teams had decided prior to the series, that if games happened to get rained out, the two teams would not attempt to play a doubleheader if better weather followed the next day. Instead, the two teams will play single games in Riverside on April 21 and May 12 at 6 p.m.
HIT THE GROUND RUNNING...
Including three games against UCI from February 19-21, and midweek contests against Oregon (February 22) and USC (February 23), LMU played five games in the first five days of the season. The schedule didn't seem to slow down at all from there, as LMU was scheduled to host UC Riverside on February 26, play a doubleheader at UCR on the 27th, and return home to conclude the four-game series against the Highlanders on February 28. That would have equated to nine games in the first 10 days of the season. Instead, LMU's doubleheader against UCR was rained out, handing LMU a much-needed break to start the year. Even with the rain-outs, toss in a game at home against UC Santa Barbara on March 2, and the Lions took the field eight times over the course of the first 12 days of the season.
AND THE SURVEY SAYS...
The LMU baseball team was picked to finish fifth overall in the West Coast Conference in 2010 according to the annual preseason coaches poll conducted by the league's eight head coaches. LMU earned 28 total points in the poll, just finishing below Gonzaga, the WCC's 2009 champion, with 29 points and one first-place vote. San Diego garnered six first-place votes and amassed 48 overall points. Pepperdine did not receive a first-place nod, but did claim 38 total points to finish second in the poll. San Francisco claimed third with 33 points, followed by Gonzaga, LMU and Santa Clara in sixth. The Broncos earned the final first-place vote, helping them to 20 total points. Saint Mary's was picked to finish seventh with 17 points, followed by Portland in eighth at 11 points.
IT'S JUST A NUMBER...
LMU perennially squares-off against quality teams not only on the weekends, but also in midweek contests, competing in the baseball-rich landscape of Southern California. 2009 was no different...and it proved to be a major contributor to LMU's success last season. Unfortunately for the Lions, 2010 has not started with the same success. This season, LMU is 0-3 against ranked opponents, dropping each of the first three games of the season to then-No. 7 UC Irvine. Last year, LMU finished 9-2 against ranked opponents. The only two losses came at the hands of UC Irvine (March 31 and April 13). LMU took down then-No. 5 UC Irvine on March 3, swept then-No. 24 Fresno State in a four-game series from March 20-24, beat then-No. 6 Cal State Fullerton on April 7, and finally swept USD in conference play from May 1-3. In games against ranked opponents last season, LMU batted .332 (126-for-379) with 82 runs scored, 28 doubles, five triples, five home runs and 72 RBI. The team slugged .474 and reached base at a .407 clip. This year the Lions have once again been pretty impressive at the plate against ranked opponents, batting .319 (36-for-113) with seven doubles, four home runs and 13 RBI. The Lions have slugged .487 and reached base at a .366 clip. The pitching staff has accumulated a 10.80 ERA (30 er/25.0 ip), walked 10 batters and hit four more over those three games against ranked foes. Opposing hitters have batted .351 and reached base at a .424 clip.
ALL-CONFERENCE RETURNERS...
Junior Jonathan Johnson highlights a trio of returners who garnered All-Conference recognition last year. A native of Lakewood, Calif., Johnson is slated to be the Lion leadoff hitter after hitting at the top of the lineup last year. The second baseman garnered All-West Coast Conference first team honors after a stellar sophomore campaign in which he started all 59 games for the Lions. The left-handed hitter batted .305 with seven triples, 10 doubles, a home run, 41 runs scored, 25 walks, a team-best six stolen bases, 11 hit-by-pitches and 24 RBI. His seven triples ranked second in the WCC and 10th in the nation last year. Johnson posted 17 multiple-hit games and six-multiple-RBI games over the course of the season. In conference games alone, he batted .375 with 16 runs scored, five doubles, three triples, a home run and 12 RBI. Shortstop Shon Roe was named honorable mention All-West Coast Conference as a freshman, and garnered a spot on the WCC All-Freshman team after a breakout first season. He started 57 of LMU's 59 games at shortstop, playing in 58 total contests. The native of Palmdale, Calif. amassed 17 multiple-hit games, placing fourth on the team in that category. Roe batted .259 with 28 runs scored, 10 doubles, five home runs and 41 RBI. The 6'2 infielder really hit his stride in conference play, batting .308 with 14 runs scored, seven doubles, four home runs and 23 RBI in WCC games alone. Rounding out the trio, Ryan Hawthorne was named honorable mention All-West Coast Conference as a freshman last year, also garnering a spot on the WCC All-Freshman team after a breakout first season. He started 57 of LMU's 59 games in left field, playing in 58 total contests. Over the course of the season, he batted .307 with 39 runs scored, 12 doubles, a home run and 29 RBI. His 70 hits placed third on the team last year, and first amongst players returning for the 2010 season. Increasing his productivity during WCC play, he hit .348 with 13 runs scored, four doubles and nine RBI in conference games alone.
GET OFF ON THE RIGHT `PAW'...
Since 2001, LMU has been victorious in six of its 10 games on Opening Day, falling to No. 7 UC Irvine on the road this season by a count of 5-1. LMU earned an 8-7 "walk-off" victory in 11 innings over Utah last season. The Lions defeated Cal State Northridge, 7-3, in 2001's opener at Page Stadium before defeating UC Santa Barbara on the road to start the 2002 campaign. LMU failed to make it three-straight in 2003, dropping a one-run decision to Cal to open the year. LMU was back to its winning ways in 2004, knocking-off UC Riverside, 5-4, and getting revenge against Cal with a one-run victory in 2005. Starting the 2006 season on the road in Arizona, LMU dropped the first game of the year, 10-5, before rebounding in 2007 with a 9-5 victory over Sac State. Sac State got the best of the Lions in 2008, defeating LMU by a count of 11-7 to open that season in Sacramento.
PCH CHALLENGE...
Separated by 19.1 miles of scenic coastline, longtime cross-town adversaries Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine have come together in an effort to boost their decades-long rivalry with the creation of the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) Challenge. The series will serve as an annual scorecard for the NCAA-sponsored athletic contests between the Lions and Waves, and challenges each institution to rise above the other within the West Coast Conference. LMU and Pepperdine will be represented by over 12 of their intercollegiate athletic teams through both regular and post-season competitions over the course of the academic calendar. Teams scheduled to compete head-to-head during the regular season include baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's soccer, men's tennis, women's tennis (if scheduled), women's volleyball, and men's and women's track. Any head-to-head competition, including matches in the post-season and tournaments throughout the year, will be counted toward the scoring and added to the scorecard as they occur. The remaining programs (men's and women's cross country, women's swimming and diving, men's golf) - in addition to women's tennis (if the teams do not meet head-to-head at any point) will battle for points that will be awarded on the basis of overall finish at their respective post-season championships. The next scheduled meeting between the two schools is slated for April 1 when the men's tennis teams meet in Malibu, Calif. The Waves currently lead the Lions in the standings, 8.5-7.5. To learn more about the PCH Challenge and view the current scorecard, please visit http://www.lmulions.com/trads/PCH-Cup.html.
ANOTHER TOUGH SCHEDULE...
According to boydsworld.com, the Lions currently rank 35th in Strength of Schedule (SOS), which takes into account the results and success of LMU's opponents this season, 137th in Iterative Strength Rating (ISR), which is essentially a measure of the quality of a team's season by combining its winning percentage with the difficulty of its schedule, and 158th in Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), the official measure of team quality used by the tournament selection committee. LMU, which perennially has one of the toughest schedules in the nation, opened the 2010 season with the 49th toughest according to Boyd's World. The Lions' non-conference schedule earned a ranking of 23rd overall. The schedule features 16 games against 2009 NCAA Regional teams, including a home-and-home two-game series against 2009 College World Series qualifier Cal State Fullerton. In addition, six of LMU's opponents this year were ranked in one of the major collegiate baseball preseason polls. Cal State Fullerton was ranked as high as No. 3 (USA Today/ESPN), while UC Irvine topped-out at No. 5 in the Rivals.com poll. WCC-foe San Diego also appeared in every major preseason poll, receiving a ranking of 19th according to Baseball America. Minnesota, Fresno State and Pepperdine were all listed in at least one of the polls. The 56-game slate will see 29 of the contests played within the walls of Page Stadium, and the other 27 on the road, including three games at the Metrodome from March 5 to 7 as part of the 2010 Dairy Queen Classic hosted by Minnesota. Last season, the Lions finished the year 36th in terms of strength of schedule according to Boydsworld.com.
LOCALLY GROWN...
Thirty-two of LMU's 35 baseball players on the 2010 roster hail from California. Of those 32 players from California, 23 are from cities within 100 miles of the LMU campus. The three out-of-state players are sophomore infielder Case Miyahira from Honolulu, Hawai'i; senior right-hander Jordan McClintick from Ardmore, Okla.; and freshman catcher Steve Dueñas from Kirkland, Wash.
BULLDOG BANTER...
Fresno State enters the weekend toting a 9-7 overall record having won four of its last five games. Most recently, the Bulldogs fell to San Diego at the 2010 Aztec Invitational. Prior to the loss, Fresno State defeated Cal State Fullerton, San Francisco and host San Diego State at the tournament. Jordan Ribera leads the offense with a .361 batting average, 15 runs scored, three doubles, seven home runs and 14 RBI. He is slugging a team-best .754 and reaching base at a 418 clip. Trent Garrison has also been stellar for the Bulldogs, batting .341 with nine runs scored, two doubles, three home runs and 14 RBI. Dusty Robinson leads the team in stolen bases, swiping three in four attempts. Charlie Robertson is the top starter in terms of ERA at 3.71 over 17 innings of work. The right-hander has accumulated a 0-1 record. Matt Morse is tied for the team-lead in wins with two. The right-hander has amassed a 3.91 ERA in 25.1 innings of work and four starts. Gene Escat has been stellar out of the bullpen, collecting a pair of wins in six relief appearances and nine innings of work. Fresno State leads the all-time series between the two teams, 27-13. The Lions and Bulldogs, led by head coach Mike Batesole in his seventh season, last met on March 22, 2009 at LMU as the Lions earned an 11-7 victory. The Lions are 4-1 over the last five meetings and 5-5 over the last 10 overall. Fresno State's last victory came on February 18, 2007 at home as it defeated the Lions by a count of 5-4.
