USD Baseball 2005

UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO BASEBALL

MICHAEL KRAMER Assistant Coach 3rd-year Pepperdine '99

Entering his third year as USD's primary hitting coach and second season as the Toreros' top assistant, Michael Kramer has been essential in building USO Torero baseball into one of the elite Division I programs on the West Coast. In just his first season on Alcala Park, Kramer helped San Diego capture the 2003 West Coast Conference Championship and advance into the NCAA Regionals for just the second time in school history. Under his leadership, San Diego became one of the nation's top hitting teams in 2004. USO finished the season ranked 7th nationally with a .328 team batting average, leading the WCC in virtually every offensive category, including on-base % (.412), slugging % (.463) and RBI (394).

In just two years in San Diego, Kramer has developed a number of USO players into professional prospects, as eight position players from USD's 2004 team received AII-WCC honors at season's end. Kramer will once again serve as the Torero's first base coach for a 2005 San Diego team that was named one of the nation's top 50 collegiate programs by Baseball America. A 1999 Pepperdine graduate and four-year collegiate player for the Waves, Kramer returned to the West Coast Conference in 2003 after spending two seasons as an assistant at UNC Greensboro. As a college player he helped Pepperdine amass a 46-16 record during his senior year playing mostly as a catcher. After graduating in 1999 he began his coaching career as an assistant at Pepperdine the following season. His coaching experience also includes serving as the head coach for the Thomasville Hi-Toms of the Coastal Plain League and as an assistant for the Danville Dans of the Central Illinois Collegiate League. Kramer earned a B.S. in Physical Education from Pepperdine in 1999. He is currently working towards a Master's Degree in Leadership Studies at USD and was recently married to wife, Kristina, this past August.

ERIC VALENZUELA Assistant Coach 2nd-year Pepperdine '01

Eric Valenzuela, a key component in the success of San Diego baseball and the development of USD's pitching staff, begins his second season as an assistant coach for the Toreros in 2005. Valenzuela made an immediate impact during his first season at USO in 2004. Under his direction the Torero pitching staff led the West Coast Conference in team ERA. All four graduating pitchers from his 2004 staff went on to sign professional contracts at season's end. Valenzuela continues to recruit and develop some of the nation's top amateur players. Current Toreros' Justin Blaine, Josh Butler and Nate Boman have been recognized as top professional prospects by Baseball America.

A native of West Covina, Valenzuela returned to Southern California after serving as an assistant coach at St. Mary's College for two seasons (2002 & 2003). While at St. Mary's, Valenzuela coordinated much of the team's community programs, including directing youth camps and clinics. Valenzuela served as the Gaels third base coach, managed recruiting efforts and also directed the team's strength and conditioning program. Valenzuela's background in developing young talent includes managing the pitching staff of the Brewster White Caps of the Cape Code League in 2003. Valenzuela garnered All-America honors as a prep athlete at Bishop Amat High School and went on to accept a baseball scholarship at Arizona State University where he was a member of the Sun Devil's 1998 College World Series team. After transferring to Pepperdine, Valenzuela would be honored as the Wave's team captain his senior year, leading Pepperdine to the 2001 West Coast Conference Championship title. Valenzuela graduated from Pepperdine in 2001 with a B.A. in Criminal Justice. His father, Victor, was an assistant boxing coach for the United States in the 1984 Olympic Games and currently runs the Azusa Boxing Club in East Los Angeles. This off season Valenzuela was married to wife , Betty. The couple reside in downtown San Diego.

CHRIS CANNIZZARO Assistant Coach 7th-year

Chris Cannizzaro has spent all seven seasons with Rich Hill as an assistant with the Toreros, bringing a wealth of major league experience to Hill's staff. No stranger to baseball in the city of San Diego, Cannizzaro spent 13 years in the majors - incl uding two stints with the San Diego Padres, where he became the first All-Star in Padre baseball history in the 1969 campaign. A durable defensive catcher, Cannizzaro played in 740 major league games while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals (1960-61), New York Mets (1962-65), Pittsburgh (1968), San Diego (1969-71 ; 1974), Chicago Cubs (1971) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (1972-73). Cannizzaro holds a share of the Major League record for most unassisted double plays by a catcher (2). Once his playing career ended, Cannizzaro shifted his focus to coaching and spent three seasons (1976-78) with the Atlanta Braves organization before coaching in the California Angels organization from 1979-82 in the Class A Cal State League. Can–

nizzaro has two sons - Chris Jr. and Ken, and a daughter, Ki mberlee. Chris Jr. was a two-time All-America selection at San Diego State where he was a teammate of USO head coach Rich Hill for one season. Cannizzaro also has three stepdaughters - Marcia, Tricia and Jennifer. Aside from his lifelong passion for the game of baseball, Cannizzaro also enjoys golf and spending time with his four grandchildren - Brittney (17), Morgan (1 3), Zachary (12) and Cassidy (9). Cannizzaro and his wife, Janice, reside in San Diego.

www.usdtoreros.com

10