Feb. 17, 2010
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -
Complete Release in PDF Format 
BRIEFLY...
LMU baseball opens the 2010 campaign this weekend when it plays a somewhat unusual three-game series against UC Irvine, including games on Friday and Sunday in Irvine, and the 2010 home-opener against the Anteaters in Page Stadium on Saturday. The Lions, and the rest of college baseball, start the season on February 19 due to the uniform start date that was implemented in collegiate baseball beginning two years ago. LMU will open the season on Friday at 6 p.m. on Friday, return home for the home-opener at 1 p.m. on Saturday, and finish with a game back at UC Irvine at 1 p.m. on Sunday. After the three-game series with UCI, the Lions will host Oregon on Monday at 2 p.m., as head coach Jason Gill's mentor, George Horton, takes the opposite dugout as the head coach of the Ducks.
HIT THE GROUND RUNNING...
Including the three games against UCI and midweek contests against Oregon and USC early next week, LMU will play five games in the first five days of the season. The schedule doesn't slow down at all from there, as LMU then hosts UC Riverside on February 26, plays a doubleheader at UCR on the 27, and returns home to conclude the four-game series against the Highlanders on the 28th. That equates to nine games in the first 10 days of the season. Toss in a game at home against UC Santa Barbara on March 2, and the Lions will take the field 10 times over the course of the first 12 days of the season.
FOLLOW THE LIONS ONLINE...
Log on to www.LMULions.com for all the latest info on the Lions, including updated schedules, rosters, player bios, and more. Don't forget to also sign up to follow the Lions on Facebook (Facebook.com/LMULions) and Twitter (Twitter.com/LMULions). All LMU baseball games, including those games on the road, will be broadcast live via Gametracker. In addition, in conjunction with Stretch Internet, all LMU baseball games will be broadcast via live audio online at www.LMULions.com. Just visit the Lion baseball page, click on schedule, and click on the links located on the right side of the schedule for that particular game. All broadcasts will be archived within 72 hours of their original airing and will include both the pre-game and post-game shows.
LMU SPORTS WEEKLY...
LMU is also proud to introduce a new weekly podcast show, LMU Sports Weekly, hosted by Jesse Kass. The show will feature radio highlights and recaps from recent games, interviews with student-athletes and coaches, and previews of upcoming events. All shows can be heard online at LMULions.com. Fans can also subscribe to the free podcast via iTunes. Just search "LMU" in the iTunes Store.
INSIDE THE LIONS...
"Inside the Lions" is a special look into LMU Athletics and its student-athletes in a 10 to 15 minute show hosted by a student-athlete, sophomore men's basketball guard Jarred DuBois. Airing roughly twice a month, the show will highlight a student-athlete and give an inside look to why LMU is such a special place. In addition, highlights from top games and other game day features will be within the show. Take a look at the newest show or past shows. It's all here thanks to Lions' All-Access.
COMING TO A GAME?
Fans, come cheer on the Lions this year at Page Stadium. LMU will host 29 home games this season. To reserve your tickets today, please contact the LMU Ticket Office at (310) 338-LION. Tickets are also available at the Ticket Office prior to the start of the game. When traveling to the venue, please remember that the Loyola Marymount University campus is located in Westchester at One LMU Drive, approximately four miles north of the Los Angeles International Airport. Fans traveling to LMU must use the main entrance off of Lincoln Blvd. on LMU Drive. Those seeking handicap parking must also use the main entrance, where they can get directions from the guard at the front gate. Gates to Page Stadium open roughly two hours before the start of a game.
Thursday and Saturday's men's basketball games against Gonzaga and Portland are this week's "Team LMU" events. "Team LMU" was created to generate awareness and excitement for LMU sporting events on game days. Staff and students are encouraged to wear LMU gear on designated "Team LMU" days and to attend the games. To view more information about the current and future "Team LMU" events, please visit www.LMULions.com/teamlmu.
LION TRACKS...
LMU finished in second place in the West Coast Conference after posting a 30-29 overall record and a 13-8 mark in WCC play in 2009. The season was capped by LMU's first trip to the WCC Championship Series since 2005. That year also saw the Lions' last winning season prior to the 2009 campaign. 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 Gill completed his first season at the helm of the program in 2009. After that mark, LMU dropped each of its next 10 games. Prior to the losing streak, LMU had won four straight, capped by a victory over then-No. 5 UC Irvine on March 3. Over the 10-game losing streak, LMU dropped five games by one run. The losing streak was the longest since LMU lost 10 straight from April 19 to May 4, 2003. After losing the 10 games, LMU went on to win eight straight before falling to No. 8 UC Irvine on March 31. The eight-game winning streak was the longest for the Lions since LMU won 10 straight from April 22 to May 12, 2000. LMU then started the year 20-14, the fastest route to 20 wins since LMU started the 2003 season at 20-12. The Lions reached 30 victories on May 17, the last game of the regular season. It marked the first time since 2005 that LMU had reached the 30-win plateau. Unfortunately, trends continued to play even into the final few games of the year as LMU dropped eight of its last nine games of the season, including four of five played against Gonzaga, the 2009 WCC Champion. For their work on the field last year, seven Lion players garnered All-West Coast Conference recognition. Jonathan Johnson, Lee Roberts and Ryan Wheeler were all named to the WCC's first team, while T.J. Bernardy, Ryan Hawthorne, Shon Roe and Kyle Spraker each earned a spot on the honorable mention list. Hawthorne and Roe were also named to the All-Freshman squad.
AND THE SURVEY SAYS...
The LMU baseball team was picked to finish fifth overall in the West Coast Conference in 2010 according to the annual preseason coaches poll conducted by the league's eight head coaches. LMU earned 28 total points in the poll, just finishing below Gonzaga, the WCC's 2009 champion, with 29 points and one first-place vote. San Diego garnered six first-place votes and amassed 48 overall points. Pepperdine did not receive a first-place nod, but did claim 38 total points to finish second in the poll. San Francisco claimed third with 33 points, followed by Gonzaga, LMU and Santa Clara in sixth. The Broncos earned the final first-place vote, helping them to 20 total points. Saint Mary's was picked to finish seventh with 17 points, followed by Portland in eighth at 11 points.
IT'S JUST A NUMBER...
LMU perennially squares-off against quality teams not only on the weekends, but also in midweek contests, competing in the baseball-rich landscape of Southern California. 2009 was no different...and it proved to be a major contributor to LMU's success last season. With a series sweep of then-No. 30 San Diego from May 1-3, LMU finished 9-2 against ranked opponents last year. The only two losses came at the hands of UC Irvine (March 31 and April 13). LMU took down then-No. 5 UC Irvine on March 3, swept then-No. 24 Fresno State in a four-game series from March 20-24, beat then-No. 6 Cal State Fullerton on April 7, and finally swept the Toreros in conference play. In games against ranked opponents last season, LMU batted .332 (126-for-379) with 82 runs scored, 28 doubles, five triples, five home runs and 72 RBI. The team slugged .474 and reached base at a .407 clip.
ALL-CONFERENCE RETURNERS...
Junior Jonathan Johnson highlights a trio of returners who garnered All-Conference recognition last year. A native of Lakewood, Calif., Johnson is slated to be the Lion leadoff hitter after hitting at the top of the lineup last year. The second baseman garnered All-West Coast Conference first team honors after a stellar sophomore campaign in which he started all 59 games for the Lions. The left-handed hitter batted .305 with seven triples, 10 doubles, a home run, 41 runs scored, 25 walks, a team-best six stolen bases, 11 hit-by-pitches and 24 RBI. His seven triples ranked second in the WCC and 10th in the nation last year. Johnson posted 17 multiple-hit games and six-multiple-RBI games over the course of the season. In conference games alone, he batted .375 with 16 runs scored, five doubles, three triples, a home run and 12 RBI. Shortstop Shon Roe was named honorable mention All-West Coast Conference as a freshman, and garnered a spot on the WCC All-Freshman team after a breakout first season. He started 57 of LMU's 59 games at shortstop, playing in 58 total contests. The native of Palmdale, Calif. amassed 17 multiple-hit games, placing fourth on the team in that category. Roe batted .259 with 28 runs scored, 10 doubles, five home runs and 41 RBI. The 6'2 infielder really hit his stride in conference play, batting .308 with 14 runs scored, seven doubles, four home runs and 23 RBI in WCC games alone. Rounding out the trio, Ryan Hawthorne was named honorable mention All-West Coast Conference as a freshman last year, also garnering a spot on the WCC All-Freshman team after a breakout first season. He started 57 of LMU's 59 games in left field, playing in 58 total contests. Over the course of the season, he batted .307 with 39 runs scored, 12 doubles, a home run and 29 RBI. His 70 hits placed third on the team last year, and first amongst players returning for the 2010 season. Increasing his productivity during WCC play, he hit .348 with 13 runs scored, four doubles and nine RBI in conference games alone.
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 last season. 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. Sac State got the best of the Lions in 2008, defeating LMU by a count of 11-7 to open that season in Sacramento.
ANOTHER TOUGH SCHEDULE...
LMU, which perennially has one of the toughest schedules in the nation, will open the 2010 season with the 49th toughest according to Boydsworld.com. The Lions' non-conference schedule earned a ranking of 23rd overall. The schedule features 16 games against 2009 NCAA Regional teams, including a home-and-home two-game series against 2009 College World Series qualifier Cal State Fullerton. In addition, six of LMU's opponents this year have been ranked in one of the major collegiate baseball preseason polls. Cal State Fullerton was ranked as high as No. 3 (USA Today/ESPN), while UC Irvine topped-out at No. 5 in the Rivals.com poll. WCC-foe San Diego also appeared in every major preseason poll, receiving a ranking of 19th according to Baseball America. Minnesota, Fresno State and Pepperdine are all listed in at least one of the polls. The 56-game slate will see 29 of the contests played within the walls of Page Stadium, and the other 27 on the road, including three games at the Metrodome from March 5 to 7 as part of the 2010 Dairy Queen Classic hosted by Minnesota. Last season, the Lions finished the year 36th in terms of strength of schedule according to Boydsworld.com. The Lions will host two seven-game homestands this year. The first runs from March 23 to March 31, while the second runs from April 30 to May 16. Moreover, LMU will host 11 of its 12 games from April 20 to May 16, with the only road contest coming at Cal State Bakersfield on April 27.
LOCALLY GROWN...
Thirty-two of LMU's 35 baseball players on the 2010 roster hail from California. Of those 32 players from California, 23 are from cities within 100 miles of the LMU campus. The three out-of-state players are sophomore infielder Case Miyahira from Honolulu, Hawai'i; senior right-hander Jordan McClintick from Ardmore, Okla.; and freshman catcher Steve Dueñas from Kirkland, Wash.
