USD Baseball 1980

spectacular catch. Last season he led the Toreros with a .378 average, 26 stolen bases, and 74 hits, while making first team All-Con­ ference. Left field will be the territory of junior Chris Alberico, a transfer from Palomar College. Chris is probably thefastest man on the team, and can hit for power and foraverage. Providing depth in the outfield are junior Mike Alberico, a transfer from Palomar, and a pair of freshman, Joe MQtfamaraand Mark Chapman. All three are good hitters with excellent speed. They will frequently be used in base running and pinch hitting situations as well as the out­ field. In the infield Coach Cunningham willrely upon the experience of seniorshortstop, Mike Saverino. Mike, in his third season asUSD's starting shortstop, has good speed and excellent defensive skills. In 1979 he hit .322, with 7 triples and 15 stolen bases, while being named second team All-Conference. Sophomore Martin Harris will be the re­ turning second baseman for the Toreros. Martin

Vs

MIKE SAVERINO

is an excellent contact hitter, striking out only six times in 146at-bats last season, while hitting at a .294clip. Adding depth at second will be freshman Bruce Tomlinson, a solid defensive player out of Montgomery High School. Returning at first base will be sophomore, Andy Asaro, unless he is con­ verted to a catcher. Andy was USD's "Outstanding Hitter" in 1979, posting a .365 average, with 15 doubles,6 home runs, and 43 RBI's. He is a fine defensive player, leading the Toreros in fielding percentage last season. Backing up at first base will be Keith Wilson. Keith is a hard hitting fresh­ man from Southwest High School. At third base, juniorDon Kosic andfreshman JohnMullen will try to fill the shoes of lastyear's standout Jaime Paredes. Dan, a hard-nosed fielder with long ball power, will getfirst shot atthe starting job. John is a solid all-around player and should get some playingtime in the infield, if he doesn't start. The catching spot will be a battle between Asaro, junior Bart Brainard, and senior Karl Hall. Before settling down at first base right away, Andy will take a shot at catching. If successful, he'll staythere and Brainard will go to first. Bart hit .293 last year with 13 stolen bases, while splitting time

between catcher and designated hitter. He has excel lent speed. Karl hit .320 while seeing limited ac­ tion last season. This year his arm and defense are greatly improved. Adding depth behind the plate wil be freshman Paul Lofgren, a solid defensive catcher from Glairemont High School. This group of Toreros definitely has the chem­ istry for a winning team. If the pitching staff can successfully endure the rigorous schedule ahead, USD could be a contender in I98O.

BART BRAINARD

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