USD Baseball 2008

The 2008 University of San Diego baseball season will be much like a new season of apopular television series.Each season, a television show has the same name and airs on the same network but often introduces new characters and new storylines. While the premise and main characters of the show remain the same from year to year, each season is filled with new adventures, new drama and a whole lot of entertainment. Over the years, USD's baseball team has provided many chills and thrills. It's a storyline that seems to get better and better with each season. While the past two seasons have been some of San Diego's best with back-to-back trips to the NCAA post season and the first 40-win season in program history, they were very different in many ways. Each season had its' own cast of players who created their own storylines and style of play. Gone from last season's record setting team are WCC Player of the Year Shane Buchini, catcher Jordan Abruzzo, first baseman Daniel Magness and sec– ond baseman Justin Snyder, but the cup– board is far from bare for the Toreros this season. The Toreros are locked, loaded and ready to go for the season as they wel– come in the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation, have three preseason All-Ameri– cans on the roster and arguably the best pitching rotation in the country. "Our pitching is the strength of this team, the depth in the bullpen is the strongest it has ever been of a Torero team, or of any team I have coached in my 21 years," said head coach Rich Hill. "On the offensive side of things, the power will be a question mark, but we will continue to put pressure on the de– fense as much as we can to create scor– ing opportunities and play an aggressive style of offense." Highlighting the returners is pre– season first-team All-American Brian Ma– tusz. A year ago, Matusz set a new pro– gram record for single-season strikeouts with 163, posted a 10-3 record and had an ERA of 2.85. For his efforts this past season, Matusz was named a second– team All-American, was lnsidepitching. corn's West Region Pitcher of the Year, was named first-team AII-WCC and was a member of Team USA over the sum– mer. Matusz will help anchor down the nation's top pitching rotation. "Everything has gone to plan with Brian Matusz. He is one of the most dominating pitchers in the country, which provides us with a quality starter at the top of the rotation," said Hill. "He continues to raise the bar for himself, which is important. He has stepped it up a notch on his strength and condition-

ing program over the off season, where he is stronger and more durable and has bet– ter bite on all of his pitches." Another key returner for the Toreros pitching rotation is preseason All-Ameri– can Josh Romanski. The junior left-hander makes his return after spending summer with Team USA. During his sophomore campaign, Romanski posted a record of 9-1 with an ERA of 3.05. The two-way star was also a solid force at the plate for the Tore– ros, as he hit .335, with 43 hits, 1 O doubles, two triples, three home runs and 30 RBI. For his efforts, Romanski was named a second– team All-American and was a first-team AII– WCC performer. "Josh is another guy that helps provide that one-two punch at the top of the rota– tion, and I felt like he was our best guy down the stretch last season," stated Hill. "We are really counting on him out in center field and in the middle of the batting order as well. So he is well aware that he needs to be one of the best conditioned athletes on our team, and he has accepted that role." Making a return for his fourth season is senior right-hander Matt Couch. As a junior, Couch opened eyes around the country as he helped solidify one of the nation's top pitching rotations becoming USD's Sunday starter. For the season, Couch posted a 9-2 record with a 3.60 ERA in 100.0 innings of work. Couch was also a first-team AII-WCC selection this past season. The Toreros will also welcome back their preseason All-American closer, AJ Griffin. As a freshman, Griffin made a splash on the collegiate baseball scene as he racked up 11 saves, posted a 6-2 record and had a team-leading 2.70 ERA. Griffin took home freshman All-American honors and was se– lected as a first-team AII-WCC performer. "AJ is one of the premier closers, premier relief guys in the country. He has only got– ten bigger, stronger and more durable since last season," stated Hill. The Toreros pitching corps doesn't stop here, as USD has one of its deepest pitch– ing rotations in the history of the program. Highlighting some of the key returning pitchers is junior south paw Ricardo Pecina, who posted a 5-4 record with a 3.86 ERA a year ago. Pecina found himself becoming USD's mid week starter early in the season and helped lead USD to a 40-win season. After taking a redshirt season, Torero fans will get an opportunity to finally see Darrin Campbell. Campbell, who missed all of 2007 after having Tommy John surgery in January 2006, bounced back strong this past summer, going 2-0, with a 1.53 ERA, had 19 strikeouts and six walks in 18 in– nings of work to be tabbed as one of the summer's top prospects out of the Clark Griffin League. "Two of the top guys that no one talks about that I believe will be key to our sea-

son are Ricardo Pecina and Darrin Campbell," stated Hill. "We really like to use that set-up guy in the middle of the game and I believe that both of these guys will do a great job for us in this type of role." The final returners in the bullpen are se– nior Luke Roniger, junior Scott DeNault and sophomore Steve Winnick. As a junior, Ro– niger posted a 0-0 record and threw in 1.0 inning and didn't allow a single run to cross the plate for the season. In DeNault's sopho– more campaign, he made one appearance for 0.2 innings of work and Winnick made two appearances in 2007, throwing in 1.1 in– nings. Newcomers to the Torero pitching staff that are expected to have an immediate impact include fifth-round draft choice Kyle Blair from Los Gatos High School. Blair comes in as one of the most highly touted freshman in the country as he was a second– team All-American as a senior in high school. He was very impressive against experienced college hitters in the Northwoods League this past summer, going 3-3, with a 2.81 ERA, striking out 52 batters and posting 16 walks in 42 innings of work. The coaching staff is expecting big things from Blair this season, as he was tabbed as the No. 2 prospect out of the Northwoods League this past summer by Baseball America. Another big impact player to the Toreros pitching staff is the addition of freshman Sammy Solis. Solis comes to San Diego from Litchfield Park, Ariz. where he was a stand– out on the Agua Fria High School team. Through his first three seasons, he posted a 17-10 overall record, with 289 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.90. Matt Kohorst will be another new face to Torero fans in the bullpen as he comes to San Diego after a stand-out career at La Salle High School. He posted a 6-4 record