March 11, 2009
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -
Complete Release in PDF Format 
THE SCHEDULE
Games 16-20
LMU Lions vs. Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors
Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 9:35 p.m. at Hawai'i's Les Murakami Stadium
Friday, March 13, 2009 at 9:35 p.m. at Hawai'i's Les Murakami Stadium
Saturday, March 14, 2009 at 9:35 p.m. at Hawai'i's Les Murakami Stadium
Sunday, March 15, 2009 at 4:05 p.m. at Hawai'i's Les Murakami Stadium
LMU Lions vs. Long Beach State 49ers
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. at Long Beach State's Blair Field
BRIEFLY…
Having dropped its last five games, including a series sweep at the hands of UC Santa Barbara last weekend, LMU (8-7) will look to get back on the winning track as it visits Hawai’i (6-6) for a four-game series starting on Thursday at 9:35 p.m. The Lions will then play games on Friday (9:35 p.m.), Saturday (9:35 p.m.) and the finale on Sunday (4:05 p.m.). Following the four-game set with the Rainbow Warriors, LMU will visit Long Beach State (4-7) at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
FOLLOWWW THE LIONS...
It’s easy to follow the Lions throughout the 2009 season! Just log on to LMULions.com for all the latest Lion baseball coverage. Tyler Geivett and a host of student radio broadcasters will bring fans the play-by-play for all LMU baseball games live online courtesy of the Lions Audio Network. Fans can also follow the action online via Gametracker. Just visit the Lion baseball page at www.LMULions.com, click on schedule, and click on the link located on the right side of the schedule for that particular game.
LION TRACKS…
LMU is coming off a 10-9 extra-inning loss to UC Riverside at home on Tuesday of this week. The loss marked the fifth consecutive loss for LMU, after it had won its previous four games. The Lions led 4-0 in the game, and scored a run in the ninth to send the contest into extra innings before succumbing to the loss in the 10th. Designated hitter Brad Bauer led the Lion offense in terms of hits, batting 3-for-5 with two runs scored, a home run and a RBI. The home run was his first of his Lion career. Junior Angelo Songco, who is no stranger to the long ball in his own right after belting 15 last season, homered twice in the loss, including a solo-shot to left centerfield to knot the game at eight in the bottom of the ninth. He posted a two-run homer in the third inning as well. The two home runs run his total to a team-leading five on the season, and push his career total to 24, just three behind the number 10 spot in the All-Time LMU Record Book. Songco finished the game 2-for-4 with three runs scored, a walk and three RBI. Jonathan Johnson and Ryan Wheeler also posted two hits, including a double apiece, with Johnson scoring two runs and driving in one in the loss. With the two home runs, Songco becomes the first player to hit two in a game since he himself hit two against Gonzaga in the final game of the 2008 campaign. Freshman Jason Wheeler got the start and was effective, lasting four innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks before giving way to Jordan McClintick. The junior right-hander pitched an inning and a third, surrendering three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out one batter. Sophomore Chris Eusebio dealt the next inning and two-thirds scoreless and punched-out three hitters. Jeremy Burrell followed by throwing two-thirds of a frame, giving up two runs (one earned) on one hit and a walk before leaving the ball for Xavier Esquivel. Esquivel had a chance to earn his second save of the season, but allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks en route to being tagged with his first loss of the season.
Prior to hosting UC Riverside this week, the Lions were swept in a four-game weekend series by UC Santa Barbara. LMU was one-hit by left-hander Mario Hollands and UC Santa Barbara en route to falling 1-0 on Friday in game one of the four-game series against the Gauchos. The sophomore, who became the first Gaucho pitcher to be named Big West Pitcher of the Year in 2008, tossed a complete-game one-hitter, allowing just one hit to senior T.J. Bernardy and a walk to Brad Bauer in the first inning, while striking out 10 Lion hitters. The one-hitter was the first thrown against LMU since Steve Wright allowed one hit for Hawai’i on February 17, 2006. The complete-game shutout was the first thrown against the Lions since Patrick Donovan shut the Lions out over nine innings on March 25, 2005 for Gonzaga. Hollands retired 11 consecutive batters from the end of the first inning to the end of the fourth. He went on to retire the final 15 batters he faced from the fifth inning on. Senior Lee Roberts was outstanding in his own right for the Lions, pitching six and a third innings and allowing just one hit of his own and striking out eight batters. Roberts retired seven straight hitters from the first to the third before retiring seven straight from the end of the third to the end of the fifth. With the solid outing, Roberts now owns a 1.33 ERA in 20.1 innings of work, striking out 20 along the way. Eusebio pitched the final inning and two-thirds on the hill, surrendering three hits and the eventual game-winning run to fall to 0-1 on the season. Eric Oliver’s RBI-double to plate Gump in the eighth inning proved to be all the Gauchos would need in the victory.
LMU surrendered six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning en route to losing a three-run cushion and falling to UC Santa Barbara by a count of 12-9 at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium on Saturday in game one of a doubleheader. The Gauchos then erased a five-run deficit in the second game of the doubleheader, defeating LMU by a score of 9-5. Freshmen Trevor Gee and Ryan Hawthorne each collected three hits in game-one’s loss. Gee was 3-for-4 with two RBI, while Hawthorne finished 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and a RBI. McClintick was charged with the loss in the first game after tossing an inning and two-thirds and allowing five runs on four hits and three walks. David Meals threw two innings and allowed three runs (one earned) on two walks and three hits before recording his first win of the season. UCSB erased a 9-6 LMU lead by scoring six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning in game one, highlighted by Oliver’s two-RBI double down the right field line and Cummings’ two-RBI double to left centerfield.
LMU scored five runs in the third inning of game two of the doubleheader, but did not score a run after that en route to dropping the game, 9-5. Johnson led the Lions offensively, batting 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Hawthorne contributed two RBI in the loss. Freshman Alex Gillingham dealt the first five innings of the game, allowing nine runs (seven earned) on 10 hits and one walk while striking out four batters, before being tagged with his first loss of the season. J. Wheeler followed with the final three scoreless innings of work, allowing just two hits and two walks, striking out four batters.
LMU was swept for the first time this season after dropping the final game of the series by a count of 10-3 on Sunday. The Lions trailed from the first inning on in the game. R. Wheeler collected two of LMU’s seven hits on the day, finishing 2-for-4. Songco had the biggest hit for the Lions, belting a solo home run, his third of the season, over the wall in left centerfield to begin the fifth inning. Johnson and freshman Shon Roe drove in the other two Lion runs, collecting sacrifice flies in the seventh inning. Freshman John Lally made the first start of his collegiate career on Sunday, tossing two and two-thirds innings and allowing seven runs (six earned) on six hits and five walks and punching-out four batters before taking the loss. Fellow freshman, Ramiro Carreon, pitched the next four innings and surrendered two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out two Gaucho hitters. Eusebio contributed a third of an inning before Jeremy Burrell finished the game on the hill for the Lions, allowing one unearned run on two hits.
WHEW! WHAT A RELIEF…
LMU relievers have now tossed 67 innings, allowing 36 runs (32 earned) and striking out 65 batters to the tune of a 4.30 ERA. In addition, four of the Lions' eight wins belong to relief pitchers this season. Chris Eusebio has been the most called-upon, and most effective, option out of the bullpen so far this year, tossing nine and two-thirds innings over eight appearances and striking out 14 batters. Opponents are hitting .243 against the right-hander.
SWEET-SWINGING SONGCO…
Junior Angelo Songco is off to another outstanding year in 2009. The native of Granada Hills, Calif. is the team-leader in nine offensive categories. His .759 slugging percentage, 23 runs scored, 21 hits, five home runs, 21 RBI, three doubles, a triple, 41 total bases and six hit by pitches all place him tops on the team, while his .389 batting average, .529 on base percentage, 10 walks and two stolen bases rank second overall. His home runs, RBI, runs and total bases marks all place him first in the West Coast Conference. For the rest of Songco’s and LMU’s rankings in the WCC, please see the chart on page five of this weekly release. The left-handed hitter homered twice in the loss to UC Riverside on March 10, including a solo-shot to left centerfield to knot the game at eight in the bottom of the ninth. The two home runs run his total to a team-leading five on the season, and push his career total to 24, just three behind the number 10 spot in the All-Time LMU Record Book. With the two home runs, Songco becomes the first player to hit two in a game since he himself hit two against Gonzaga in the final game of the 2008 campaign. Songco began the season with a 16-game hitting streak, which started on May 2, 2008 and continued into the beginning of the 2009 campaign. Over the 16 games, he batted 28-for-62 (.452) with 21 runs scored, 27 RBI, eight doubles and nine home runs. The team-leader in multiple hit games with seven, he amassed a team-best four hits against UC Irvine on March 3, finishing 4-for-5 with a two-RBI double, three runs scored and three RBI.
THE ‘WHEELS’ CONTINUE TO TURN…
Junior Ryan Wheeler, a 2009 Wallace Watch List player, is proving himself worthy of the preseason accolades early in 2009. The native of Torrance, Calif. is the team-leader in triples with one, doubles with three, sacrifice flies with two and walks with 11. His 13 RBI, 18 runs scored, three home runs and 29 total bases all place him second on the team, while his .547 slugging percentage and .437 on base percentage ranks third overall. Wheeler had an outstanding stretch of play in three games against Holy Cross, homering in all three games against the Crusaders from February 28-March 1. Wheeler’s best game this season came on February 21 against Utah when he batted 3-for-3 with three runs scored, two RBI, a double and a triple to fall a home run shy of the cycle.
WEARING IT FOR THE TEAM…
The Lions have been hit by 35 pitches over the first 15 games this season (an average of 2.33 per game), including six times in game two of a doubleheader against Holy Cross on February 28. The Lions were hit a total of 11 times in the series against the Crusaders. The six hit batsmen marked the second time this season that LMU had been hit six times (2/21 vs. Utah). The overall mark also includes the opening series against the Utes in which LMU was hit by 12 pitches. LMU was hit just six times over the course of the four-game series against UC Santa Barbara, but that number includes five hit batsmen in game three of the series alone (3/7). With those five included, the Lions have been hit five or more times in a game on four occasions this year. Before this season, LMU was last hit six times in a game versus New Mexico State on February 21, 2004. Freshman Trevor Gee and junior Angelo Songco lead all players in the category, being hit by a pitch on six occasions. Ryan Wheeler is third overall in hit-by-pitches with five in 2009. Jonathan Johnson has been hit four times, while Ollie Enos and Kyle Spraker have each been hit three times.
HONING IN ON HAWAI’I…
Hawai’i enters the series with the Lions toting a 6-6 record. The Rainbow Warriors have won three straight games, defeating No. 26 Mississippi State in the final three games of a four-game series at home. Hawai’i lost three of four to then-No. 9 UC Irvine to start the season before earning wins over Minnesota and Washington. The Warriors are batting .241 as a team so far this year, guided by Vinnie Catricala’s .364 (16-for-44) mark. Kolten Wong paces the team in doubles with four, while Catricala is the team-leader in RBI (13) and home runs (2). Jeffrey Van Doornum is the most successful base stealer, swiping four bags in 2009. Jared Alexander is the leading starter for UH, posting a 0.00 ERA in two starts and eight innings this year. Nate Klein leads the team in strikeouts with 16 over three starts and 20 innings, while Sam Spangler is the leading reliever, accumulating 15 strikeouts and a 1-0 record with a 0.00 ERA in four appearances and 12.1 innings of work.
LONG BEACH SHORT HOPS…
Long Beach State enters the weekend with a 4-7 record, having won its last two games. LBSU defeated South Carolina in the final game of a three-game set against the Gamecocks before taking down San Diego by a count of 17-3 at home on Tuesday of this week. Facing the No. 18 Gamecocks, the Dirtbags struggled against the South Carolina bats on Friday night, falling 15-8, but battled in a 7-5 loss on Saturday. The Dirtbags rebounded on Sunday, starting their current hot streak at the plate with a 10-7 win, taking a 7-0 lead on the way to the win. Long Beach will host Washington State at Blair Field before the Lions come to town on Tuesday. In Long Beach State's last two games, the Dirtbags have really found their offensive swing. Hitting .290 as a team for the entire year, Long Beach State has hit .400 in its last two games, both wins. The Dirtbags have scored 27 runs while pounding out 34 hits, including eight doubles and give homers in that span. Over the last two games, Long Beach State has reached base at a .453 rate while slugging .694, putting up 10 runs against a previously undefeated South Carolina squad and running up a 17-3 score against a ranked San Diego ballclub. Devin Lohman leads the team in batting average at .390 (16-for-41), amassing four doubles, a home run and seven RBI as well. Steve Tinoco provides the home run numbers for Long Beach, amassing a team-best three round-trippers. Jonathan Jones paces the squad in runs scored with 10, while Derek Legg has driven-in a team-high nine runs in 2009. Lohman, Legg and Jordan Casas each have five stolen bases as the Dirtbags are 24-for-31 in stolen bases this year. Adam Wilk is the top starter for LBSU, pitching 16 innings and toting a 3.94 ERA and a 1-1 record in two starts and four appearances. Charlie Ruiz and Dustin Rasco have each appeared in a team-high six games out of the bullpen for Head Coach Mike Weathers.
WE’RE GOING STREAKING…
Freshmen Trevor Gee and Ryan Hawthorne each carry a four-game hitting streak into the four-game series against Hawai’i. Gee enters the series batting .375 (6-for-16) with a run scored, a triple and three RBI over the span. The hitting streak is the second of three or more games for Gee this season, hitting in the first six games of his Lion career to start the season. He batted .375 over that streak with eight runs scored and five RBI. Hawthorne is 6-for-18 (.333) with four runs scored, three RBI, a double and a walk over the streak. Juniors Brad Bauer and Angelo Songco carry three-game streaks into the series against the Rainbow Warriors. Songco is 4-for-11 with three home runs, two walks, four runs scored and five RBI. Bauer is batting .500 (5-for-10) with three runs scored, two RBI, a home run and two walks over the three-game span.
BETTER WITH TIME…
Entering the series against Hawai’i, LMU has outscored its opponent 46-20 in seventh innings or later this season. Included in that mark is a 22-3 advantage in the seventh, 17-13 advantage in the eighth, and 5-2 mark in the ninth. The Lions also hold the lead in the first (18-11), fourth (10-3) and sixth (13-12). The second (8-7), third (22-16) and fifth (19-9) show a slight favor toward the opponents. Extra-innings are tied 2-2.
STELLAR START…
The Lions’ 8-2 start in 2009 was the best since LMU began the 1988 season with a 15-2 record. That team, led by Head Coach Dave Snow, went on to start the year 17-3, before finishing the season at 48-18. The 8-2 mark through the first 10 games was also the best start for a first-year Head Coach at LMU, as Jason Gill begins his first season at the helm of the program in 2009.
JOHNSON WALKS INTO THE RECORD BOOKS…
Sophomore Jonathan Johnson walked a total of four times in game two of a doubleheader against Holy Cross on February 28. The four walks matched the LMU individual game record for that category, marking the seventh time a Lion has reached the plateau. Johnson joins DeAndre Miller (2/2/07), Sean Smith (3/15/03), Josh Whitesell (3/24/02, 3/15/02), Robert Hirsh (3/10/01) and Greg Bergeron (5/7/94) on the list.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES…
Freshman Shon Roe began the year 0-for-18 before recording his first hit against Long Beach State on February 25. The Lions returned to action on February 28 against Holy Cross, where things changed drastically for Roe. The freshman led all players with three hits in game two, batting 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored and five RBI. The five RBI were the most since Andy Preston collected six versus San Diego on March 9, 2008. Roe batted 2-for-4 with a RBI and a double in the first game of the double-dip, finishing a combined 5-for-9 with two doubles, a run scored and six RBI on the day. In addition, he also collected the game-winning hit in the Lions’ “walk-off” victory in game one against Holy Cross. Roe entered the Saturday doubleheader batting .053 (1-for-19) and left batting .214 (6-for-28).
GET OFF ON THE RIGHT ‘PAW’…
Since 2001, LMU has been victorious in six of its nine games on Opening Day, earning an 8-7 “walk-off” victory in 11 innings over Utah this season, and falling last season to Sac State, 11-7, on February 22. The Lions defeated Cal State Northridge, 7-3, in 2001’s opener at Page Stadium before defeating UC Santa Barbara on the road to start the 2002 campaign. LMU failed to make it three-straight in 2003, dropping a one-run decision to Cal to open the year. LMU was back to its winning ways in 2004, knocking-off UC Riverside, 5-4, and getting revenge against Cal with a one-run victory in 2005. Starting the 2006 season on the road in Arizona, LMU dropped the first game of the year, 10-5, before rebounding in 2007 with a 9-5 victory over Sac State.
A DYNAMIC DUO…
Juniors Angelo Songco and Ryan Wheeler were named to the Rivals.com Preseason All-Conference team, it was announced on February 13. Rivals.com named one player from each infield position, three outfielders, a designated hitter, three starting pitchers and one reliever to the team. Wheeler was selected at first base, while Songco earned one of the three outfield spots. Last year, Songco garnered All-WCC First Team honors after starting 51 of LMU’s 55 games. The native of Granada Hills, Calif. finished the season batting .356 with 36 runs scored, 17 doubles, 15 home runs, 48 RBI, 130 total bases and a .681 slugging percentage. Wheeler garnered All-WCC First Team honors last year after batting .345 and starting every game for the Lions as a sophomore. The native of Torrance, Calif. finished the season with 36 runs scored, a conference-best 20 doubles, one triple, six home runs, 45 RBI and 110 total bases. In addition, he slugged .542 and reached base at a .405 pace.
AND THE SURVEY SAYS…
Loyola Marymount was picked to finish sixth in the West Coast Conference in 2009 according to the preseason coaches poll. University of San Diego and Pepperdine were picked as favorites to win this year’s WCC regular season title, while Gonzaga received the last remaining first place vote. The Toreros and Waves both received 45 points, with the Toreros receiving four first place votes to three for the Waves. Santa Clara was picked to finish third with 35 points. Gonzaga received 30 points to come in at fourth place, edging out San Francisco, which received 26 points, for fifth place. Rounding out this year’s poll are LMU, with 20 points, Saint Mary’s, with 14 points, and Portland, with nine points.
WALLACE WATCHES WHEELER…
Junior Ryan Wheeler was named to the 2009 Brooks Wallace Award Preseason Watch List, it was announced on December 5. Wheeler, a 2008 First Team All-West Coast Conference selection, earned a spot the prestigious list that will eventually determine the Player of the Year. Joining Wheeler from the WCC are USD’s AJ Griffin, Kyle Blair and Sammy Solis, while Santa Clara’s Thain Simon was also placed among those on the watch list. Saint Mary’s junior Kyle Jensen was also named, while Portland’s Riley Henricks and San Francisco’s Matt Lujan round out the players tabbed from the WCC. The Wallace Award is presented to the nation’s top collegiate baseball player in conjunction with the College Baseball Hall of Fame’s annual induction festivities. The 2009 award banquet will be held Thursday, July 2, in the United Spirit Arena on the campus of Texas Tech University.
