DONS’ PROBABLE LINEUP: 1. #5 Connor Bernatz RF .214 BA, 3 H, 1 RBI* 2. #20 Pete Lavin CF .250 BA, 1 R, 3 H, 3 BB, 1 SB* 3. #28 Adam Clear SS .267 BA, 2 R, 4 H, 1 2B* 4. #12 Stephen Yarrow 3B .267 BA, 4 H, 2 2B, 2 RBI* 5. #22 Travis Higgs C .100 BA, 1 H* 6. #3 Tom Barry DH .167 BA, 1 H* 7. #45 Nik Balog 1B .083 BA, 1 H, 1 BB* 8. #29 Jason Mahood 2B .000 BA* 9. #9 Ted LeMasters LF .000 BA, 1 BB* *2011 Season Statistics BASEBALL CONTACT: Stacy Hicklin, Asst. Director, Media Relations [email protected](415) 422-6161 (office); (415) 422-2929 (fax) GAME NOTES USF opens home slate against UC Davis Dons to play three-game series against Aggies; Friday and Sunday games on the Hilltop with one game Saturday at Davis THIS WEEK: The Dons play a three-game series against UC Davis with games in San Francisco and Davis. The series begins on the Hilltop with a 2 p.m. game on Friday. Feb 25, which will serve as USF’s home opener. The teams then travel to Davis for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 26 and return to San Francisco for a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday, Feb. 27. LOOKING AHEAD: San Francisco travels to Beaumont, Texas to play four games in the Cardinal Clas- sic, hosted by Lamar University. USF opens the tournament with a 4:30 p.m. game on Thursday, March 3 against host Lamar. The Dons play New Mexico State on Friday and Saturday March 4 & 5 at 11 a.m. and 9 a.m., respectively. San Francisco will play again on Saturday afternoon, facing off against Cal State Northridge at 4 p.m. LOOKING BACK: The Dons lost three close games against No. 1 UCLA in an opening weekend that featured all-around impressive pitching. USF then lost a 6-2 contest at Cal State Bakersfield. LIVE VIDEO/RADIO: Fans can visit http://sports.yahoo.com/top/collegebroadcast/teams/saf to lis- ten to this weekend’s games against UC Davis. The home games will also offer video in addition to the play-by-play audio. WEATHER ALERTS: Weather predictions for this weekend include rainy conditions and even the possibility of snow in the Bay Area. Game times/date changes will be posted on USFDons.com. WCC PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Senior left-handed pitcher Matt Lujan earned his third career West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week honor after an impressive season opener at No. 1 UCLA on Feb. 18. Lujan gave up just one run on four hits with nine strikeouts, while pitching a complete game for the Dons. FIRST TIME OUT: Six players made their career debuts for USF during the UCLA series: transfers Tom Barry, Aritz Garcia, Ted LeMasters and freshmen Alex Balog, Ben Graff and Jordan Haseltine. SAN FRANCISCO 2011 BASEBALL USF @ UC Davis Game 6 • Sat., Feb. 26 Dobbins Baseball Stadium Davis, Calif. Record: 0-4 Home: 0-0 Road: 0-4 Neutral: 0-0 WCC: 0-0 Home: 0-0 Road: 0-0 Neural: 0-0 2011 BASEBALL SCHEDULE DATE DAY OPPONENT TIME FEBRUARY (0-4) 18 Fri. UCLA L 1-0 19 Sat. UCLA L 4-1 20 Sun. UCLA L 3-0 21 Mon. Cal State Bakersfield L 6-2 25 FRI. UC DAVIS 2 P.M. 26 Sat. UC Davis 1 p.m. 27 SUN. UC DAVIS 1 P.M. MARCH (0-0) CARDINAL CLASSIC - BEAUMONT, TX 3 Thurs. Lamar 4:30 p.m. 4 Fri. New Mexico State 11:00 a.m. 5 Sat. New Mexico State 9:00 a.m. 5 Sat. Cal State Northridge 4:00 p.m. 8 Tue. Sacramento State 1:30 p.m. AT&T TOURNAMENT - AT&T PARK 11 Fri. UC Santa Barbara 3:00 p.m. 12 Sat. Long Beach State 3:00 p.m. 13 Sun. Louisiana-Lafayette 9:00 a.m. DANTE BENEDETTI CLASSIS - AT&T PARK 15 Tue. San Jose State 12:20 p.m. 16 Wed. California 2:30 p.m. 19 Sat. Arizona 6:00 p.m. 20 Sun. Arizona 5:00 p.m. 21 Mon. Arizona 11 a.m. 23 WED. OREGON 2:00 P.M. 25 Fri. Pacific 6:00 p.m. 26 Sat. PACIFIC 2:00 P.M. 27 SUN. PACIFIC 1:00 P.M. 29 TUE. CALIFORNIA 2:00 P.M. APRIL (0-0) 1 Fri. Fresno State 6:05 p.m. 2 Sat. Fresno State 6:05 p.m. 3 Sun. Fresno State 1:05 p.m. 5 TUE. CAL POLY SLO 3:00 P.M. 8 FRI. SAINT MARY’S* 3:00 P.M. 9 SAT. SAINT MARY’S* 1:00 P.M. 10 SUN. SAINT MARY’S* 1:00 P.M. 12 Tues. San Jose State 6:00 p.m. 15 Fri. Portland* 3:00 p.m. 16 Sat. Portland* 1:00 p.m. 17 Sun. Portland* 1:00 p.m. 18 Mon. Oregon 1:00 p.m. 21 THUR. SANTA CLARA* 3:00 P.M. 22 FRI. SANTA CLARA* 3:00 P.M. 23 SAT. SANTA CLARA* 1:00 P.M. 26 TUE. SAN FRANCISCO STATE 2:00 P.M. 29 FRI. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT* 3:00 P.M. 30 SAT. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT* 1:00 P.M. MAY (0-0) 1 SUN. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT* 1:00 P.M. 6 Fri. San Diego* 3:00 p.m. 7 Sat. San Diego* 1:00 p.m. 8 Sun. San Diego* 1:00 p.m. 13 FRI. PEPPERDINE* 3:00 P.M. 14 SAT. PEPPERDINE* 1:00 P.M. 15 SUN. PEPPERDINE* 1:00 P.M. 17 Tue. Stanford 5:30 p.m. 24 TUE. CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD 3:00 P.M. 27 Fri. Gonzaga* 6:00 p.m. 28 Sat. Gonzaga* 1:00 p.m. 29 Sun. Gonzaga* 1:00 p.m. *West Coast Conference Game All times listed in Pacific Time (PT) ALL HOME GAMES IN BOLD CAPS AT BENEDETTI DIAMOND PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS: FRIDAY: Sr. LHP Matt Lujan vs. Jr. LHP Dayne Quist SATURDAY: So. RHP KyleZimmer vs.Jr. LHP Anthony Kupbens SUNDAY: Sr. RHP Matt Hiserman vs. Jr. RHP Scott Lyman UC Davis @ USF • Games 5 & 7 Fri., Feb. 25 & Sun., Feb. 27 Dante Bennedetti Field San Francisco, Calif.
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USF opens home slate against UC DavisDons to play three-game series against Aggies; Friday and Sunday games on the Hilltop with one game Saturday at Davis
THIS WEEK: The Dons play a three-game series against UC Davis with games in San Francisco and Davis. The series begins on the Hilltop with a 2 p.m. game on Friday. Feb 25, which will serve as USF’s home opener. The teams then travel to Davis for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 26 and return to San Francisco for a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday, Feb. 27.
LOOKING AHEAD: San Francisco travels to Beaumont, Texas to play four games in the Cardinal Clas-sic, hosted by Lamar University. USF opens the tournament with a 4:30 p.m. game on Thursday, March 3 against host Lamar. The Dons play New Mexico State on Friday and Saturday March 4 & 5 at 11 a.m. and 9 a.m., respectively. San Francisco will play again on Saturday afternoon, facing off against Cal State Northridge at 4 p.m.
LOOKING BACK: The Dons lost three close games against No. 1 UCLA in an opening weekend that featured all-around impressive pitching. USF then lost a 6-2 contest at Cal State Bakersfield.
LIVE VIDEO/RADIO: Fans can visit http://sports.yahoo.com/top/collegebroadcast/teams/saf to lis-ten to this weekend’s games against UC Davis. The home games will also offer video in addition to the play-by-play audio.
WEATHER ALERTS: Weather predictions for this weekend include rainy conditions and even the possibility of snow in the Bay Area. Game times/date changes will be posted on USFDons.com.
WCC PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Senior left-handed pitcher Matt Lujan earned his third career West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week honor after an impressive season opener at No. 1 UCLA on Feb. 18. Lujan gave up just one run on four hits with nine strikeouts, while pitching a complete game for the Dons.
FIRST TIME OUT: Six players made their career debuts for USF during the UCLA series: transfers Tom Barry, Aritz Garcia, Ted LeMasters and freshmen Alex Balog, Ben Graff and Jordan Haseltine.
DATE DAY OPPONENT TIMEFEBRUARY (0-4)18 Fri. UCLA L 1-019 Sat. UCLA L 4-120 Sun. UCLA L 3-021 Mon. Cal State Bakersfield L 6-225 FRI. UC DAVIS 2 P.M.26 Sat. UC Davis 1 p.m.27 SUN. UC DAVIS 1 P.M.MARCH (0-0) CARDINAL CLASSIC - BEAUMONT, TX3 Thurs. Lamar 4:30 p.m.4 Fri. New Mexico State 11:00 a.m.5 Sat. New Mexico State 9:00 a.m.5 Sat. Cal State Northridge 4:00 p.m.8 Tue. Sacramento State 1:30 p.m. AT&T TOURNAMENT - AT&T PARK11 Fri. UC Santa Barbara 3:00 p.m.12 Sat. Long Beach State 3:00 p.m.13 Sun. Louisiana-Lafayette 9:00 a.m. DANTE BENEDETTI CLASSIS - AT&T PARK15 Tue. San Jose State 12:20 p.m.16 Wed. California 2:30 p.m.19 Sat. Arizona 6:00 p.m.20 Sun. Arizona 5:00 p.m.21 Mon. Arizona 11 a.m.23 WED. OREGON 2:00 P.M.25 Fri. Pacific 6:00 p.m.26 Sat. PACIFIC 2:00 P.M.27 SUN. PACIFIC 1:00 P.M.29 TUE. CALIFORNIA 2:00 P.M.APRIL (0-0)1 Fri. Fresno State 6:05 p.m.2 Sat. Fresno State 6:05 p.m.3 Sun. Fresno State 1:05 p.m.5 TUE. CAL POLY SLO 3:00 P.M.8 FRI. SAINT MARY’S* 3:00 P.M.9 SAT. SAINT MARY’S* 1:00 P.M.10 SUN. SAINT MARY’S* 1:00 P.M.12 Tues. San Jose State 6:00 p.m.15 Fri. Portland* 3:00 p.m.16 Sat. Portland* 1:00 p.m.17 Sun. Portland* 1:00 p.m.18 Mon. Oregon 1:00 p.m.21 THUR. SANTA CLARA* 3:00 P.M.22 FRI. SANTA CLARA* 3:00 P.M.23 SAT. SANTA CLARA* 1:00 P.M.26 TUE. SAN FRANCISCO STATE 2:00 P.M.29 FRI. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT* 3:00 P.M.30 SAT. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT* 1:00 P.M.MAY (0-0)1 SUN. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT* 1:00 P.M.6 Fri. San Diego* 3:00 p.m.7 Sat. San Diego* 1:00 p.m.8 Sun. San Diego* 1:00 p.m.13 FRI. PEPPERDINE* 3:00 P.M.14 SAT. PEPPERDINE* 1:00 P.M.15 SUN. PEPPERDINE* 1:00 P.M.17 Tue. Stanford 5:30 p.m.24 TUE. CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD 3:00 P.M.27 Fri. Gonzaga* 6:00 p.m.28 Sat. Gonzaga* 1:00 p.m.29 Sun. Gonzaga* 1:00 p.m.*West Coast Conference Game All times listed in Pacific Time (PT)ALL HOME GAMES IN BOLD CAPS AT BENEDETTI DIAMOND
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS:
FRIDAY:
Sr.LHPMatt Lujan vs.Jr.LHPDayne Quist
SATURDAY:
So.RHP KyleZimmer vs.Jr.LHPAnthony Kupbens
SUNDAY:
Sr.RHP Matt Hiserman vs.Jr.RHPScott Lyman
UC Davis @ USF • Games 5 & 7Fri., Feb. 25 & Sun., Feb. 27
Dante Bennedetti Field San Francisco, Calif.
GENERAL INFORMATIONSchool Name......................UniversityofSanFranciscoLocation............................................2130FultonStreet, ................................SanFrancisco,CA94117-1080Religious Affiliation..........................RomanCatholic(Jesuit)Year Founded..........................................................1855Enrollment..............................................................8,000Conference...............................WestCoastConferenceNational Affiliation..............................NCAADivisionINickname................................................................DonsColors.........................................................Green&GoldHome Field...........................BenedettiDiamond(1,000)President...............................Fr.StephenJ.Privett,S.J.VP, Business and Finance....................CharlieCrossInterim Athletic Director..................Dr.GaryNelsonWebsite............................................www.USFDons.com
QUICK FACTSGiarratano At USF..................................336-345,(12)Giarratano Career Record in D-I........336-345,(12)Giarratano Record (all levels).............646-527,(20)2010 Overall/WCC (Finish)..............28-28/10-11(4th)Letter-winners Returning/Lost..........................24/8Position Players Returning/Lost.......................11/5Pitchers Returning/Lost......................................12/3Utility Players Returning/Lost.............................1/0Newcomers...................................................................8NCAA Appearances/Last.................................1/2006NCAA Regional Record..........................................1-2Baseball SID..............................................StacyHicklin Work Phone........................................(415)422-6161 Cell Phone.........................................(608)469-1022 Email.........................................smhicklin@usfca.edu
KEY RETURNERSSR RHP Matt HisermanSR INF Stephen Yarrow
2011 USF Baseball Team Leaders Hits .......................................................................................................Stephen Yarrow & Adam Clear (4)Batting average ......................................................................... Stephen Yarro & Adam Clear (.267)Homeruns ...............................................................................................................................................NONEDoubles ......................................................................................................................... Stephen Yarrow (2)RBIs ................................................................................................................................. Stephen Yarrow (2)Slugging percentage ........................................................................................ Stephen Yarrow (.400)Wins .......................................................................................................................................................... NONEE.R.A .................................................................................................................................. Matt Lujan (1.12)Strikeouts .............................................................................................................................. Matt Lujan (9)Appearances ........................................................................................................................ Sean Burns (2)Games started.............................................................................................Four players (1)Innings pitched ................................................................................................................... Matt Lujan (8)
SAFE AT FIRST: Senior catcher Travis Higgs gets credit for the first hit of the 2011 sea-son. His single to leftfield came during the fifth inning of the Dons’ first game of the season against UCLA.
HEAD OF THE CLASS: College Baseball Daily named Dons’ third baseman Stephen Yarrow one of their ten seniors to watch this season. Also included on this list were: Paul Hoilman (E. Tenn. State), Chad Obernacker (Tennessee Tech), Mike McGee (Florida State), Jordan Ribera (Fresno State), Chad Arnold (Washington State), Cole Green (Tex-as), Mike Nemeth (Connecticut), Steve Maxwell (TCU) and Jerrud Sabourin (Indiana).
STANDING TALL: The Dons feature not only a hard-throwing and crafty pitching staff, but a physically imposing one as well. USF boasts 12 pitchers that stand 6-foot-2 or taller and four that are 6-foot-5 or taller.
SINGLED OUT: College Baseball Insider dubbed USF head coach Nino Giarratano the best game coach in the West Coast Conference. It also listed senior Stephen Yarrow as one of the three biggest power threats in the conference.
BASEBALL AMERICA PREDICTIONS: Baseball America’s preseason look at the West Coast Conference predicts that USF senior Stephen Yarrow will be this season’s Player of the Year. It also lists Yarrow as the seventh best WCC prospect for the 2011 Major League Draft.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: Boyd’s World, a national collegiate baseball website, ranks the Dons’ non-conference schedule as the seventh most difficult in the country. It lists USF’s overall schedule as 24th toughest in the nation.
CLOSE TO HOME: USF plays 22 of its 55 games at Bendetti Diamond this season, with another seven games taking place at neutral sites. The Dons will play 31 of their 55 games within 84 miles of the USF campus. Four of the team’s game will take place at AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.
DANTE BENEDETTI CLASSIC: San Francisco will hold the sixth annual Dante Bene-detti Classic at AT&T Park on Tuesday, March 15th against San Jose State. The first pitch is set for 12:20 p.m. with the Saint Ignatius and Sacred Heart Cathedral game set to follow at 3:30 p.m. USF is 4-1 in Benedetti Classic games.
UC DAVISHead Coach................... Rex Peters (9)Career Record (Years) 464-360-2 (17)School Record (Years) ..... 216-229 (8)2011 Record .................................... 1-32010 Record ...... 26-29 (9-15 Big West)Last Meeting ........................ USF 18-5Series...................................... USF/5-0Series Streak.......................... USF/5-0Website .......... www.ucdavisaggies.com Live Stats ....................................... YesStreaming Audio/Video ................. Yes
SCOUTING THE BRUINS: UC Davis returns four starters from a team that fin-ished the 2010 season with a 26-29 record. Like the Dons, the Aggies return their infield intact with the exception of their shortstop. Scott Lyman leads the team at the plate with a .462 batting average. UC Davis has five players hitting .250 or better so far this season. All four of the Aggies’ games this year have been decided by one run, with the team losing one of the those games in extra innings. Its pitching staff has held opposing hitters to a .176 batting average.
LAST TIME VS. USF: USF beat UC Davis 18-5 last year on April 13 in the only meeting between the teams last season. Stephen Yarrow led the Dons with four hits, with his team totaling 16 hits.
2011 USF BASEBALL “IT’S TIME.”
THE HONOR ROLL: This fall marked an exciting time for USF head coach Nino Giarratano, who was inducted into two Hall of Fames and was named the Northern California Scouts Association division I Coach of the Year. Giarratano was inducted into the Pueblo South High School Hall of Fame and Greater Pueblo Sports Association Hall of Fame. HOME RUNS FOR HEALTH CAMPAIGN: Junior pitcher/outfielder Bob Mott and teammates Cameron Love, Nik Balog and Jared Denham dreamed up a fundraising campaign for the Nothing But Nets Foundation, which raises money to buy malaria nets for families in Africa. For each home run USF hits this season, the Dons plan to donate a malaria net to the Nothing But Nets Foundation. Each nets costs $10. To donate, please visit nothingbutnets.net and search for the USF team page.
MAKING THE GRADE: The USF baseball team posted the highest cumulative team GPA in a semester with a 3.26 during the fall of 2010 in program history. The previous record of 3.25 was set two years ago. An impressive 62 percent of the team earned a 3.0 or higher, with 97 percent of the team earning a 2.5 or higher. Five USF baseball players were also named to the West Coast Conference’s All-Academic team last spring.
GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS: A tough final weekend to end the 2010 season left the USF baseball team anxious to get back on the diamond again and resume its journey to compete for the program’s first West Coast Conference championship since the 2006 season.
The Dons had a chance to finish in second place in the WCC going into the final weekend of the season. The Dons ended up finishing 10-11 in league play for a fourth-place finish. USF has finished in the top three in the WCC standings in six of the past eight seasons.
The Dons ended the season with a 28-28 overall record, which marked the eighth consecutive year of totaling 25 or more wins.
“Anytime you are .500 you look back on that and if you can switch six games that could put you into a regional,” Giarratano said. “There were some key games in that sequence. I think what I look back on most of all is the three losses at Pepperdine.”
USF returns 24 letter winners and 12 of its 15 pitchers. Five of its eight position players are back with a roster that boasts nine seniors.
Giarratano counts his team’s senior leadership as one of the program’s biggest strengths this year in addition to the overall balance on his squad. He envisions a great season for his pitchers, but says his team will also need to score runs because he doesn’t anticipate many shut-out games.
BEHIND THE PLATE: The Dons have a major void to fill behind the plate after losing three-year starter Ryan Lipkin to graduation. Lipkin started at catcher in all 56 of USF’s games last season and was a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award. Set to replace Lipkin is redshirt senior Travis Higgs, who has waited patiently in
PRESEASON HONORS: Senior third baseman Stephen Yarrow was named a Preseason All-West Coast Conference selection. Yarrow, was a first-team All-WCC pick last spring after leading the league in home runs with 16. He hit .310 with 46 RBIs, 12 doubles and a .635 slugging percentage.
DONS PICKED TO FINISH THIRD IN WCC: The Dons were picked to finish third in the West Coast Conference’s preseason coaches’ poll. The league coaches unanimously pick San Diego to repeat as WCC Champions with Pepperdine to come in second. USF was six points behind Pepperdine with Portland one points behind the Dons in fourth. USF hosts homestands Saint Mary’s, Santa Clara, Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine and goes on the road for series at Gonzaga, Portland and San Diego.
POWERING UP: Senior third baseman Stephen Yarrow enters the 2011 season in the top 10 in home runs, extra base hits and putouts in USF history. He needs just six home runs to become second all-time and needs just four triples to become the school’s all-time leader. Four more RBIs will put Yarrow in the top 10 in that category as well.
CHART TOPPER: Senior pitcher Matt Lujan is just five victories away from becoming the school’s all-time wins leader. The left–handed pitcher has won 18 games in his three years on the Hilltop. Lujan is also nine starts away from starting the most games in USF history.
TIME ON THE MOUND: Senior left-handed pitcher Garrett Luippold enters the 2011 needing just nine more appearances to become the Dons’ all-time appearances leader. He has pitched in 79 games for the green and gold.
RECORD-SETTING SKIPPER: Head coach Nino Giarratano enters the 2011 season just 14 wins away from collecting his 350th victory at USF. Another 13 West Coast Conference wins would give Giarratano the seventh most league wins in WCC history.
PRIDE IN YOUR COUNTRY: USF head coach Nino Giarratano spent his summer coaching for the United States Collegiate National Team. The team competed in Japan and Taiwan and finished with a silver medal at the FISU World Championships. Giarratano also helped coach Team USA to a gold medal during the summer of 2008.
2010 DRAFT: Four USF players were selected in the 2010 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft: Doug Murrary (19th round by Chicago White Sox), Ryan Lipkin (24th round, Oakland Athletics), Derek Poppert (30th round, Seattle Mariners) and Matt Chavez (44th round, Chicago White Sox). Murrary, Lipkin and Poppert all graduated from USF that spring, but Chavez elected to return to school and play for the Dons.
MOORE RETURNS HOME: After a one-year absence, Greg Moore re-joined the Dons’ coaching staff. Moore coached at USF for eight seasons before spending the 2010 season coaching at the University of Washington. Moore, who also pitched at USF, was named Associate Head Coach upon his returned and signed to a multi-year contract.
2011 USF BASEBALL “IT’S TIME.”
the wings for his chance at a starting role. Junior catcher Mason Morioka will also see time at catcher, likely spelling Higgs on Saturdays and perhaps on Tuesdays as well.
“We are really fortunate to have Travis,” Giarratano said. “He’s learned a lot from Ryan in those three years. He’s a remarkable leader, he’s a tough player and a very talented player.”
EXPERIENCED INFIELD: The Dons return two first-team West Coast Conference infielders in senior third baseman Stephen Yarrow and junior first baseman Nik Balog, along with sophomore second baseman Jason Mahood, who was voted onto the conference’s all-freshman team.
“It’s comforting to know Yarrow is back there at third,” Giarratano said. “If he plays the kind of defense he did last year and hits 16 homeruns again this year we have a chance to wins some games. Jason continues to get better and has all of the intangibles of a tough, gritty second baseman and Balog has improved from a defensive standpoint.”
That only leaves the shortstop position a question mark after losing Derek Poppert to graduation. Poppert was a two-year starter and was a part-time starter as a sophomore and freshman. Vying for the starting job in that crucial spot are junior Adam Clear and junior transfer Artiz Garcia. No clear favorite has emerged, with Giarratano saying he’s enjoying the competition playing out for that position.
ROAMING THE OUTFIELD: Back to patrol the outfield again this season are seniors Connor Bernatz and Pete Lavin. Bernatz was a first-team all-WCC selection last year in rightfield and Lavin was an honorable mention selection in centerfield.
Giarratano is excited to have that kind of leadership and defensive experience back, especially to help get a new leftfielder up-to-speed. Four players are competing for that leftfield spot including juniors Bob Mott, Grame Agate, Tom Barry and transfer Ted LeMasters. Mott spent the past two seasons pitching for the Dons, but has emerged as the darkhorse candidate to snag the starting job with LeMasters following closely behind. Barry will also see time in the line-up as a designated hitter.
ON THE MOUND: The Dons return nearly three-fourths of their total innings from last year. Senior left-handed pitcher Matt Lujan will step into the Friday starter role after the graduation of eight-game winner Doug Murry. Lujan has pitched on every day of the weekend throughout his career, giving the Dons confidence in his leadership and ability to give the team a chance to win each Friday.
“On Saturday, a young guy, Kyle Zimmer, has emerged,” Giarratano said. “We are very excited about him and his powerful arm.”
The Sunday starting role is going to depend on who will be the team’s closer this season. If senior right-handers Sean Burns and freshman left-hander Jordan Haseltine handle the final innings then senior right-hander Matt Hiserman can step into that Sunday spot, but if Hiserman is needed to close, than lefties Garrett
Luippold or Jordan Remer will move into that role. Hiserman is excited to begin his final season for the green and gold after recovering completely after suffering a skull fracture from being hit by a line drive to the head last February.
Giarratano is pleased with the progress of sophomore right-hander Haden Hinkle, who could be the team’s Tuesday starter with classmate Elliott Waterman a candidate for that role as well. Freshman Ben Graff may be called upon to be a spot starter or left-handed specialist. Senior Jonathan Abramson will anchor the team’s middle relief effort along with juniors Camerson Love and Matt Chavez and sophomore Abe Bobb. Chavez will also see time in the line-up as a designated hitter.
“I like the depth of our staff this season,” Giarratano said. “We can go 12-13 pitchers deep and have eight left-handed pitchers.”
AT THE PLATE: The pre-season buzz surrounding hitting this year is the NCAA rules change regarding the length and weight of bats. After the 1998 season, which was marked by records in homerun hits and runs scored, the NCAA created the Ball Exit Speed Ratio in an effort reduce the power of metal bats and the speed in which the ball comes off the bat. During the off-season, the NCAA once again adjusted the measurement requirements of bats in an effort to reduce the speed off the ball for safety, in addition to speeding up play.
Giarratano said there will be an early adjustment period because the new bats will change the flight of the ball. The Dons, however, began playing with the new bats during the fall season.
USF returns three players in the top four spots of the line-up, with a slight shuffling of the order. After leading off last season, Lavin will move to the three-hole, while Connor Bernatz moves from the bottom third of the lineup to the lead-off spot. Mahood will bat second again this season and Yarrow stays at clean-up.
Giarratano plans to put his designator hitter — either Barry or Chavez — at No. 5 with Higgs following in sixth. Balog will stay at nearly the same spot with the shortstop/rightfielder hitting eighth and ninth.
“I think our team has balance and so does our line-up,” Giarratano said. “This team has the potential to hit 30 or 40 points higher than last year and get into the .310 or .320 category. We are going to have to be offensive enough to score runs.”
Giarratano is excited about having five left-handed and five right-handed hitters to be able to go 5-4 or 4-5 on any given day.
HEAD COACH: (32)NinoGiarratano,13thYear(WilliamJewell,1985)ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH: (30)GregMoore,9thYear(USF,2001)ASSISTANT COACH: (1)TroyNakamura,13thYear(USF,1998)ASSISTANT COACH: (34)GregRevelli,3rdYear(CCSF,1989)DIR. OF PLAYER RELATIONS: AnthonyD’Albora,3rdYear(ChicoState,2008)SENIOR DIR. OF BASEBALL OPS: BryanZahn,1stYear(USF)
Pickoffs - Team (0), Opp (2). SBA/ATT - T. Higgs (6-7), E. Waterman (3-3), M. Lujan (2-2), K. Zimmer (0-1), S. Burns (1-1),M. Hiserman (1-1), M.Morioka (1-1), J. Abramson (0-1).
The Automated ScoreBookOverall Statistics for Univ. San Francisco (as of Oct 29, 2010)
LOB - Team (432), Opp (426). DPs turned - Team (49), Opp (38). CI - Team (1), MORIOKA 1, Opp (1). IBB - Team (7), YARROW 3,LAVIN 1, POPPERT 1, BALOG 1, DENHAM 1, Opp (8). Picked off - LUJAN, G 1, LIPKIN 1, POPPERT 1, LAVIN 1.
(All games Sorted by Earned run avg)
Player era w-l app gs cg sho sv ip h r er bb so 2b 3b hr b/avg wp hp bk sfa sha
PB - Team (4), LIPKIN 3, MORIOKA 1, Opp (3). SBA/ATT - LIPKIN (7-11), LUJAN, M (3-6), MORIOKA (2-3), REMER (0-2), HISERMAN(2-2), LUIPPOLD (1-1), OROPEZA (1-1), CHAVEZ, M (1-1), KALOGRIDES (1-1).
2010 WEST COAST CONFERENCE STATISTICS 2011 USF BASEBALL “IT’S TIME.”
The Automated ScoreBookGame Results for Univ. San Francisco (as of Dec 16, 2010)
(All games)
Date Opponent Score Inns Overall Conference Pitcher of record Attend TimeFeb 19, 2010 at Pacific L 1-3 9 0-1-0 0-0-0 MURRAY (L 0-1) 4 4 5 2:14Feb 20, 2010 at Pacific-1 W 6-5 9 1-1-0 0-0-0 MOTT (W 1-0) 7 0 4 2:42Feb 20, 2010 at Pacific-2 L 3-10 9 1-2-0 0-0-0 LOVE (L 0-1) 7 0 4 2:49Feb 26, 2010 at Cal Poly W 5-0 9 2-2-0 0-0-0 MURRAY (W 1-1) 1 8 3 2:34Feb 28, 2010 at Cal Poly-1 L 3-7 9 2-3-0 0-0-0 LUJAN, M (L 0-1) - 2:52Feb 28, 2010 at Cal Poly-2 W 11-5 9 3-3-0 0-0-0 BOBB (W 1-0) 3 5 2 3:15Mar 02, 2010 at San Jose State L 3-5 9 3-4-0 0-0-0 BOBB (L 1-1) 2 6 2 3:13Mar 05, 2010 vs Texas San Antonio W 3-2 7 4-4-0 0-0-0 MURRAY (W 2-1) 1 0 0 1:52Mar 05, 2010 vs Texas San Antonio W 8-2 9 5-4-0 0-0-0 LUJAN, M (W 1-1) 1 0 0 2:43Mar 06, 2010 TEXAS SAN ANTONIO L 8-9 9 5-5-0 0-0-0 BURNS (L 0-1) 1 0 3 3:30Mar 07, 2010 TEXAS SAN ANTONIO L 1-2 9 5-6-0 0-0-0 LOVE (L 0-2) 1 0 6 2:25Mar 09, 2010 CSU BAKERSFIELD W 3-0 9 6-6-0 0-0-0 KALOGRIDES (W 1-0) 8 7 2:16Mar 10, 2010 CSU BAKERSFIELD W 2-0 9 7-6-0 0-0-0 REMER (W 1-0) 7 2 2:13Mar 11, 2010 at San Diego L 7-15 9 7-7-0 0-0-0 KALOGRIDES (L 1-1) 1 3 5 3:33Mar 12, 2010 vs Fresno State L 2-5 9 7-8-0 0-0-0 MURRAY (L 2-2) 8 9 2:21Mar 13, 2010 at UAB W 14-8 9 8-8-0 0-0-0 LUJAN, M (W 2-1) 0 3:41Mar 14, 2010 at San Diego State W 5-3 9 9-8-0 0-0-0 LUIPPOLD (W 1-0) 5 5 5 2:53Mar 16, 2010 HOUSTON W 3-2 9 10-8-0 0-0-0 ABRAMSON (W 1-0) 1 5 1 2:35Mar 19, 2010 at UC Riverside L 5-8 9 10-9-0 0-0-0 MURRAY (L 2-3) 2 7 9 2:26Mar 20, 2010 at UC Riverside L 1-10 9 10-10-0 0-0-0 LUIPPOLD (L 1-1) 2 1 9 2:32Mar 21, 2010 at UC Riverside W 9-3 9 11-10-0 0-0-0 LUJAN, M (W 3-1) 2 8 9 3:00Mar 23, 2010 CALIFORNIA L 3-8 9 11-11-0 0-0-0 BOBB (L 1-2) 1 0 0 3:00Mar 26, 2010 at UC Santa Barbara W 6-4 9 12-11-0 0-0-0 MURRAY (W 3-3) 1 6 7 2:54Mar 27, 2010 at UC Santa Barbara L 2-3 9 12-12-0 0-0-0 LUJAN, M (L 3-2) 1 7 7 2:13Mar 28, 2010 at UC Santa Barbara L 6-11 9 12-13-0 0-0-0 LOVE (L 0-3) 3 7 6 2:44Mar 29, 2010 at Stanford W 5-1 9 13-13-0 0-0-0 HINKLE (W 1-0) 1 2 1 1 2:56Mar 31, 2010 BRIGHAM YOUNG W 20-4 8 14-13-0 0-0-0 MURRAY (W 4-3) 1 6 7 3:04Apr 06, 2010 SAN JOSE STATE L 1-5 9 14-14-0 0-0-0 LUJAN, M (L 3-3) 9 6 2:53Apr 07, 2010 SACRAMENTO STATE W 5-4 (11) 15-14-0 0-0-0 CHAVEZ, M (W 1-0) 1 0 7 3:22
* Apr 09, 2010 GONZAGA L 2-3 9 15-15-0 0-1-0 MURRAY (L 4-4) 2 1 3 2:51* Apr 10, 2010 GONZAGA-1 W 20-9 9 16-15-0 1-1-0 LUJAN, M (W 4-3) - 3:22
Apr 13, 2010 at UC Davis W 18-5 9 17-15-0 1-1-0 WATERMAN (W 1-0) 1 6 5 3:01* Apr 16, 2010 vs Saint Mary's W 4-2 9 18-15-0 2-1-0 MURRAY (W 5-4) 7 0 3 6 2:33* Apr 17, 2010 at Saint Mary's L 1-5 9 18-16-0 2-2-0 LUJAN, M (L 4-4) 3 0 9 2:32* Apr 18, 2010 at Saint Mary's W 5-0 9 19-16-0 3-2-0 HISERMAN (W 1-0) 4 2 5 2:24
Apr 20, 2010 at New Mexico W 9-5 9 20-16-0 3-2-0 HINKLE (W 2-0) 1 4 2 3 3:05Apr 21, 2010 at New Mexico L 4-19 9 20-17-0 3-2-0 ABRAMSON (L 1-1) 1 5 7 4 2:42
* Apr 23, 2010 at LMU W 8-5 9 21-17-0 4-2-0 MURRAY (W 6-4) 3 0 2 3:16* Apr 24, 2010 at LMU W 9-2 9 22-17-0 5-2-0 LUJAN, M (W 5-4) 3 5 5 2:39* Apr 25, 2010 at LMU L 9-11 9 22-18-0 5-3-0 REMER (L 1-1) 3 3 1 2:45
Apr 27, 2010 at #2 Arizona State L 5-11 9 22-19-0 5-3-0 LUIPPOLD (L 1-2) 3 0 4 0 2:50Apr 28, 2010 at #2 Arizona State L 3-21 9 22-20-0 5-3-0 REMER (L 1-2) 3 2 4 8 3:20
* Apr 30, 2010 #24 SAN DIEGO L 2-4 9 22-21-0 5-4-0 MURRAY (L 6-5) 2 4 7 2:27* May 01, 2010 #24 SAN DIEGO L 4-10 (12) 22-22-0 5-5-0 HISERMAN (L 1-1) 3 0 5 3:45* May 02, 2010 #24 SAN DIEGO L 3-4 9 22-23-0 5-6-0 HISERMAN (L 1-2) 3 2 2 3:03* May 07, 2010 at Santa Clara W 13-5 9 23-23-0 6-6-0 MURRAY (W 7-5) 3 8 7 3:05* May 08, 2010 at Santa Clara W 11-5 9 24-23-0 7-6-0 LUJAN, M (W 6-4) 3 3 3 3:50* May 09, 2010 at Santa Clara L 6-12 9 24-24-0 7-7-0 HISERMAN (L 1-3) 3 3 6 3:28* Apr 10, 2010 GONZAGA-2 L 2-6 (13) 24-25-0 7-8-0 HISERMAN (L 1-4) 2 5 9 3:30* May 14, 2010 PORTLAND W 10-3 9 25-25-0 8-8-0 MURRAY (W 8-5) 1 0 7 2:45* May 15, 2010 PORTLAND W 7-6 9 26-25-0 9-8-0 OROPEZA (W 1-0) 1 4 2 2:38* May 16, 2010 PORTLAND W 4-2 9 27-25-0 10-8-0 KALOGRIDES (W 2-1) 3 9 7 2:28
May 18, 2010 at #25 California W 6-1 9 28-25-0 10-8-0 REMER (W 2-2) 2 7 2 2:58* May 28, 2010 at Pepperdine L 3-9 9 28-26-0 10-9-0 MURRAY (L 8-6) 3 3 0 3:00* May 29, 2010 at Pepperdine L 1-4 9 28-27-0 10-10-0 LUJAN, M (L 6-5) 2 5 3 2:38* May 30, 2010 at Pepperdine L 0-1 9 28-28-0 10-11-0 HISERMAN (L 1-5) 3 3 1 2:14
() extra inning game
2010 FINAL RESULTS 2011 USF BASEBALL “IT’S TIME.”
#12 StephenYARROW
Garrett LUIPPOLD
Senior Third Baseman.310BA,48R,63H,122B,33B,16HR,46RBI,27BB,2SB*
San Francisco ip h r er bb so ab bf npKyle Zimmer 4.2 5 2 2 2 4 17 21 76
Sean Burns 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2
Elliott Waterman 2.0 3 2 2 1 3 9 10 34
Jordan Haseltine 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 12
UCLA ip h r er bb so ab bf npBauer, Trevor 7.2 2 1 0 4 10 25 29 118
Beacom, Mitchell 0.1 1 0 0 0 1 2 2 12
Vander Tuig, Nick 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 7
Win - BAUER (1-0). Loss - K. Zimmer (0-1). Save - VANDER TUIG (1).WP - K. Zimmer. HBP - by K. Zimmer (AMARAL). Pitches/strikes: K. Zimmer 76/46; S. Burns 2/2; E. Waterman 34/21; J.Haseltine 12/6; BAUER 118/76; BEACOM 12/6; VANDER TUIG 7/5.
Umpires - HP: Dick Flaherty 1B: Joe Maiden 3B: Heath JonesStart: 1:01 pm Time: 2:47 Attendance: 645BEACOM faced 1 batter in the 9th.
LAST WEEK’S BOX SCORES 2011 USF BASEBALL “IT’S TIME.”
The Automated ScoreBookSan Francisco at UCLA
Feb 20, 2011 at Los Angeles, Calif. (Jackie Robinson Std.)
Win - PLUTKO (1-0). Loss - M. Hiserman (0-1). Save - VANDER TUIG (2).HBP - by M. Hiserman (GELALICH); by M. Hiserman (KEEFER); by M. Hiserman (AMARAL).
Umpires - HP: Joe Maiden 1B: Heath Jones 3B: Dick FlahertyStart: 1:02 pm Time: 2:57 Attendance: 917
LAST WEEK’S BOX SCORES 2011 USF BASEBALL “IT’S TIME.”
The Automated ScoreBookSan Francisco at CSU Bakersfield