Jan. 30, 2007
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WHAT'S ON TAP THIS WEEK IN AZTEC BASEBALL
*** San Diego State opens its 2007 campaign with a three-game series at the Cal Poly beginning Friday, Feb. 2. The teams will meet in a single game at 6:00 p.m. (PST) that evening followed by contests on Saturday (Feb. 3) and Sunday (Feb. 4), both at 1:00 p.m. (PST). *** This is the sixth time in the last seven years that SDSU has opened the season away from home. *** This will be the 69th season of Aztec baseball since the sport was elevated to major status in 1936. The school did not field varsity teams from 1943 to 1945.
SERIES RECORD
*** San Diego State leads the series with Cal Poly 57-27. The teams first met during the 1946 season in San Diego and faced each other annually as members of the California Collegiate Athletic Association from 1947 through 1968. They were reunited as members of the Western Athletic Conference for the 1995 and 1996 seasons. *** SDSU's record against the Mustangs in San Diego is 35-10 while it is 22-17 in meetings played in San Luis Obispo. *** Most recently, Cal Poly took two of three games at Tony Gwynn Stadium during the 2006 season. Prior to those three contests, the teams had not faced each other since 1996.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
*** Cal Poly (0-3) opened its season last weekend by dropping three games at University of San Diego. The Mustangs are scheduled to visit USC for a contest on Tuesday (Jan. 30) prior to playing the Aztecs this weekend. *** Cal Poly's leading hitters during the USD series included catcher first baseman Wes Dorrell (4-for-7, double), second baseman Brent Morel (7-for-13, 2 doubles) and Adam Buschini (4-for-12, two runs). Right fielder Grant Desme, who hit a home run in his first at bat of the series, played at San Diego State as a freshman in 2005. *** On the mound, Marc Nobriga made two relief appearances (4.2 innings), allowing one run on two hits. He will move into the starting rotation for the Mustangs this weekend. Starter Thomas Eager struck out seven in five innings of work and gave up three runs over five innings. *** For the series, Cal Poly batted .259 as a team. On the mound, it posted a 7.11 earned run average for the three-game series.
FOR OPENERS
*** San Diego State has a record of 44-23-1 in season openers since 1936. Since attaining Division I status in 1969, the Aztecs are 23-14 in their annual debuts. *** SDSU has won only one of its last 10 season debuts, that coming in 2004 at Hawai'i-Hilo. *** When playing their first game of the year away from home, the Aztecs are 17-15 all-time and 11-9 in the Division I era (since 1969). *** When opening the season at home, SDSU has an all-time record of 26-9-1 and the Aztecs are 12-6 as a Division I school.
HEAD COACH Tony Gwynn
*** Tony Gwynn enters his fifth season as San Diego State's head coach after being named to the position in Sept. 2001. He became just the fourth head coach in SDSU history since baseball was elevated to major sport status in 1936. *** In 2002, he served as a volunteer coach for the Aztecs under Jim Dietz, who retired at the end of that season. *** In 2004, Gwynn led his squad to the Mountain West Conference regular-season championship and was named the MWC coach of the year. *** A former Aztec who played baseball at San Diego State from 1979 to 1981, Gwynn concluded a 20-year major league career with the San Diego Padres in 2001. With a career batting average of .338, he won eight National League batting titles, five Gold Gloves, and made 15 appearances in the annual All-Star Game. *** Tony Gwynn was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Jan. 7 along with Cal Ripken, Jr. He will be officially inducted into the Hall in Cooperstown during the weekend of July 27-30
WHO'S MISSING
*** The Aztecs lost eight starting position players, two starting pitchers and its closer at the conclusion of the 2006 season. Two of those position players and one pitcher were all-Mountain West Conference second-team selections last year. *** Among the primary losses are left fielder Paul Smyth, who led the Aztecs in batting average, doubles, triples, home runs and RBI plus center fielder Quintin Berry, the team leader in runs and stolen bases. Both were second-team all-MWC honorees in 2006. *** On the pitching side, starter Justin Masterson (6-7, 4.81, 108 strikeouts, all-MWC second team) opted to sign with the Boston Red Sox after his junior season while closer Adam Simon (seven saves) graduated and signed a pro contract.
CAUGHT IN THE DRAFT
*** San Diego State had a total of nine players drafted by major league clubs last June, the third-highest total of any school in the nation (behind only UCLA and Clemson). *** Among the signees were seniors Paul Smyth, Tim O'Brien, Adam Simon and Jordan Swaydan along with juniors Quintin Berry, Justin Masterson and Brock Ungricht. *** Other draftees included Bruce Billings, who chose to return to SDSU for his senior season, and Lance Zawadzki, who has transferred.
RETURNING STARTERS
*** SDSU has one starter in the field and one starting pitcher back for the 2007 season. *** In the field, sophomore Nick Romero is the lone returning starter. A second baseman as a freshman in 2006, he will move to third base this season. *** On the mound, Bruce Billings returns for his fourth season at San Diego State. Billings has been a starting pitcher each of the past three years, but will begin the 2007 campaign in the role of closer. *** Billings was an All-MWC first-team selection last season while Romero was named to the all-conference second team.
A NEW LOOK
*** A total of just 10 players who were on SDSU's roster a year ago return for the 2007 season. *** Of the three field players returning, only one (Nick Romero) saw action in at least half of the team's games in 2006. *** Among the seven returning pitchers, just three (Billings, Mike Koons, Lance Sewell) threw more than 30 innings last season while three others totaled 44 innings among them. The seventh is a returning redshirt who did not play a year ago. *** The current Aztec roster lists 28 newcomers in their first season at SDSU. *** From that group will come seven or eight starters in the field plus two or three starting pitchers.
CURRENT DRAFTEES
*** Ten of San Diego State's new players have been drafted by major league clubs at least once during their playing careers. *** That list includes:
Aaron Brady..........Atlanta (2005-47th) Brandon Glover.......Milwaukee (2004-46th) Steven Hirschfeld.....Colorado (2005-25th) and............Montreal (2004-29th) Cameron Johnson......N.Y.Yankees (2005-30th) Frank LoNigro........Texas (2005-45th) J.R. Murphy..........Texas (2005-38th) Brandon Pullen.......Arizona (2004-42nd) George Snyder........San Francisco (2005-47th) Nate Solow...........Philadelphia (2006-40th) Brandon Villalobos...Chicago WS (2006-23rd) *** In addition, three SDSU returnees have also been previously drafted: Bruce Billings (Philadelphia 2006-31st), Garrett Parcell (Seattle-2004-41st) and Nick Romero (Kansas City-2005-41st). TOP TRANSFERS
*** Baseball America has listed two SDSU newcomers among its top 25 transfers this season. *** Pitcher Donnie Hume (Long Beach State) is listed at number 16 while catcher Frank LoNigro (Fresno State) in number 24. *** A total of six new members of the 2007 Aztecs arrived this season from other Division I schools. The other four are Brandon Glover (Texas A&M), Joe Spiers (Hawai'i), Brandon Decker (Long Beach State) and Dustin Warren (UC Santa Barbara).
PRESEASON NOTICE
*** San Diego State has been ranked 33rd by Baseball America in its 2007 preseason poll. *** The Aztecs will face 10 teams ranked among the top 50 by that publication. *** SDSU is also among teams receiving votes in top-25 polls by Collegiate Baseball, USA Today/ESPN and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. *** San Diego State's recruiting class for the upcoming season was ranked 25th in the country by Collegiate Baseball and was the only Mountain West Conference school mentioned in that magazine's top 50 class list.
STARTING ON THE MOUND
*** San Diego will begin the season with a pair of new faces in the starting weekend rotation. Those two newcomers are Donnie Hume and Steven Hirschfeld. *** Hume has emerged as the No. 1 starter after transferring in from Long Beach State where he was 3-3 with a 3.59 earned run average last season. *** Hirschfeld will begin as the Saturday starter. He arrives from CC of Southern Nevada where he went 10-0 with a 1.62 ERA in 2006. *** SDSU's third starter will be returning sophomore Lance Sewell, who compiled a mark of 1-2 with a 5.68 ERA as a freshman.
INFIELD SHUFFLE
*** The SDSU infield will have three new faces to begin the 2007 season. *** Joe Spiers, a transfer from Hawai'i, will be at first base. Spiers was the starting shortstop for the Rainbows last season and is in his first year as a collegiate first baseman. *** Up the middle, SDSU has a pair of JC All-American's in second baseman Garett Green and shortstop Troy Hanzawa. *** Green hit .383 at cypress JC last year while Hanzawa batted .395 at Yavapai JC. *** Nick Romero, SDSU's starter at second in 2006, will move to third base this year.
ROOKIE OUTFIELD
*** San Diego State will field an entirely new outfield for every game this season as three starters and three reserves in that area departed at the end of the 2006 campaign. *** Expected starters to begin the year include Brandon Decker (2006 redshirt at Long Beach State) in left, Cameron Johnson (.331, 35 steals at CC of Southern Nevada) in center and Brandon Glover (transfer from Texas A&M) in right. *** Freshman Josh Chasse (all-state selection from Las Vegas HS) is also expected to see regular action in the outfield.
AZTECS ADD STEVENS
*** The Aztecs have added former SDSU pitcher Jody Stevens to their coaching staff as the Aztec program's volunteer assistant for the 2007 season. He replaces Anthony Johnson, who has returned to teaching in the local San Diego community. *** The 30-year-old Stevens played at San Diego State during the 1995 and 1966 seasons. Since leaving SDSU, he has served as a coach at Fontana (Calif.) High School and Chaffey Junior College in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
PRESEASON ALL-MWC
u Senior pitcher Bruce Billings is the lone Aztec named to the 2007 all-Mountain West Conference preseason team. *** He went 6-3 last year with a 3.43 earned run average, striking out 85 over 81.1 innings. *** Billings is a two-time all-MWC selection and was the league's pitcher of the year in 2005.
AZTECS PICKED SECOND
*** San Diego State has been picked to finish second the regular-season Mountain West Conference baseball standings. *** In a vote of the six MWC head coaches and a select media panel, the Aztecs received 52 points and one first-place vote to finish behind favorite TCU. *** MWC Preseason Poll: Rk. Team (1st place votes) Pts 1. TCU (9)..................69 2. San Diego State (1)......52 3. Brigham Young............47 4. UNLV.....................43 5. New Mexico...............34 6. Utah.....................22 7. Air Force................11
AZTEC EXPERIENCE
*** Even with only 10 returnees (including a redshirt) on the roster, the 2007 Aztecs will have a good deal Division I experience entering the season. *** Six of the new faces have come to SDSU from other Division I institutions plus one other played at Long Beach State prior to enrolling at junior college. *** The 2007 Aztec squad consists of 13 freshmen, four sophomores, 19 juniors and two seniors.
THE RECORD BOOK
*** Junior pitcher Bruce Billings has 245 strikeouts over his three collegiate seasons and is rapidly approaching the SDSU career mark in that category. *** He need 55 K's to break the Aztec record of 299 held by Mike Erb (1985-87). *** Billings enters the season ranked seventh in career starts with 39 (school record is 56), 18th in innings pitched at 239.0 (school record is 342.2) and 18th in wins with 18 (school record is 32).
GEOGRAPHY LESSON
*** SDSU's 2006 roster features 14 athletes who played their high school ball in San Diego county. *** Included in that number are seven pitchers, two catchers, two infielders and a three outfielders. *** Six newcomers this season were recruited from the Las Vegas area, three high school and three JC athletes. *** A total of 12 players are from outside the state of California.
BASEBALL AMERICA PRESEASON HONORS
*** The lone Aztec to appear on Baseball America's preseason all-Mountain West Conference team is junior pitcher Steven Hirschfeld. *** Three SDSU players are among the five mentioned as the league's top newcomers this season. That trio includes Donnie Hume (first), shortstop Troy Hanzawa (second) and Hirschfeld (fourth). *** The publication projects SDSU to finish second in the conference behind TCU.
2006 SCHEDULE
*** Ten of SDSU's opponents this season appear among Baseball America's preseason Top 50: UCLA (13), Cal State Fullerton (14), TCU (24), UC Riverside (26), USC (29), San Francisco (32), Oklahoma (35), Baylor (37), Michigan (40) and San Diego (46). *** Nine opponents appear in the preseason top 40 poll by Collegiate Baseball.
AZTECS AT PETCO
*** As part of its tournament, the Tony Gwynn 2007 Classic, San Diego State will host a collegiate doubleheader at PETCO Park, the home of the San Diego Padres, on Saturday, March 10. *** On that day, Oklahoma will face University of San Diego at 3:00 p.m. and Michigan will take on the Aztecs at 7:00 p.m. Between games, SDSU will hold a ceremony to honor coach Tony Gwynn for his election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. *** Tickets for the event are available on the Internet at Padres.com or Goaztecs.com as well as at the Padre ticket office at PETCO Park. They may also be purchased by calling 1-877-FRIAR TIX (374-2784).
ON DECK
*** After returning from Cal Poly, the Aztecs will prepare for their home opener against on Santa Clara on Friday, Feb. 9, at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium. *** That three-game series against the Broncos will continue with games on Saturday (Feb. 10) and Sunday (Feb. 11), both at 1:00 p.m.