March 25, 2010
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -
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Complete Release in PDF Format 
BRIEFLY...
Having won six of its last seven games, including earning midweek victories over Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton, and taking the first three games of a four-game series at Fresno State over the weekend, LMU (9-11) continues what will be a seven-game homestand when it hosts Albany (1-12) in a four-game series this weekend. All four games against Albany will be sponsored by Dick's Sporting Goods.
KOCH NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK...
Sophomore Matt Koch was named WCC Player of the Week, it was announced by the conference office on Monday. The native of Manhattan Beach, Calif. guided LMU to a 4-1 record last week, including a midweek victory over Long Beach State and a four-game series win over Fresno State over the weekend. The Player of the Week selection is the second this year for the Lions, as junior Jonathan Johnson took home the honor on March 9. Koch batted .389 (7-for-18) with five runs scored, two doubles, three home runs, two walks, a hit-by-pitch and four RBI to lead LMU to the 4-1 week. He recorded 18 total bases, slugged 1.000 and reached base at a .455 clip. In addition, he hit safely in each of the five games last week, including recording a home run in three of the four games against Fresno State over the weekend. Koch belted what proved to be the game-winning home run in game one of the doubleheader on March 20 at Fresno State, sending a pitch over the wall in left centerfield in the top of the 10th inning to break a 3-3 tie.
LION TRACKS...
Freshman Aaron Griffin tossed his first career complete game as LMU defeated visiting Cal State Fullerton by a count of 4-2 at Page Stadium on Tuesday. The complete game was the first for the Lions since Lee Roberts tossed nine against Gonzaga on May 15, 2009. Griffin had a shutout headed into the ninth inning when Fullerton posted two runs in the frame. Griffin, a native of El Cajon, Calif., used 119 pitches (73 strikes) to record the complete game and improve to 2-1 on the year. The right-hander faced 34 hitters and retired 15 of 16 batters from the second through the seventh, including 10 straight from the fourth into the seventh. Griffin allowed seven hits, a walk and two runs while striking out five. The two runs and three of the seven hits came in the ninth inning. Transfer players did all the damage offensively for the Lions, as LMU scored all four of its runs via the home run. Pierce Junior College transfers Nick Devian and Jason Barmasse each contributed a home run, while Cuesta College product from two years ago, Brad Bauer, collected the final round-tripper for LMU. The home run was the second of the year for each player, as Barmasse hit a two-run shot and Devian and Bauer each trotted alone. Bauer was the lone Lion hitter to collect a pair of hits, finishing 2-for-3 with the home run and a single. With one hit apiece on Tuesday, Ryan Hawthorne (nine games), Barmasse and Devian (seven games), and Colton Plaia (five games) each extended their respective hitting streaks. Tyler Pill, who hit for himself and later went into the designated hitter position, tossed five innings, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk before taking his third loss of the season. Corey Jones paced the offense for Fullerton, finishing 3-for-4 with a double in the game.
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.
Tuesday's baseball game against Cal State Fullerton was this week's "Team LMU" event. "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.
ALBANY ANTICS...
The University of Albany enters the four-game weekend series with the Lions toting a 1-12 overall record, including a 1-2 mark over the last three. The Great Danes started the year by dropping each of their first 10 games. Most recently, Albany lost two-of-three games to St. John's last weekend. The Great Danes defeated St. John's on Friday to open the series, but lost a lopsided affair on Saturday before dropping the rubber-game of the series on Sunday. Freshman Brian Bullard was named the America East Conference Baseball Rookie of the Week this week after batting .632 in five games played. Starting all five games at second base, he recorded 12 hits and scored seven runs, while driving in nine more. He went 12-19 at the plate, including two doubles and two home runs, drawing one walk and striking out just once to finish with a .619 on base percentage and a 1.053 slugging percentage. Bullard paces the team on offense with a .417 batting average, nine runs scored, three doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI. This weekend marks the first time that the Great Danes, led by head coach Jon Mueller in his 11th season, and the Lions have met in program history.
DOUBLE THE FUN...
The Lions have had their fair share of doubles to start the 2010 season. LMU entered the week ranked second in the WCC in doubles with 41 through 19 games played, an average of 2.16 doubles per game. After collecting one more on Tuesday against Cal State Fullerton, LMU has now amassed 42 through 20 games, an average of 2.1 doubles per game. Sophomore Matt Koch leads the way with a conference-best 10 two-baggers entering the week, followed by teammate Jason Barmasse with six doubles, good for a tie for fifth in the WCC entering the week. The Lions collected a season-high five doubles in a loss to UC Riverside on February 26, and then again in a victory over Fresno State on March 19. So far this year, LMU has posted three or more doubles in seven of its 20 games.
THE HITTING `KOCH'...
After missing all of last year due to injury, sophomore Matt Koch is off to an impressive start in 2010. Koch is currently batting .333 with 17 runs scored, 10 doubles, six home runs, six walks, two hit-by-pitches, a stolen base and 17 RBI. He has slugged .692 and reached base at a .382 clip. Over the three-game series against then No. 7 UC Irvine to start the year, Koch batted .667 (8-for-12) with three runs scored, five doubles, one walk, a home run and four RBI. He slugged 1.333 and reached base at a .643 clip. Koch was 2-for-4 with two doubles on Friday, 4-for-5 with his first career home run, a double, two runs scored and a RBI on Saturday, and finished 2-for-3 with a run scored, a sacrifice fly, three RBI, a walk and two doubles on Sunday against Irvine. He turned in another solid day at the plate on February 26 versus UC Riverside, batting 3-for-5 with two runs scored, two RBI and a double. The right-handed slugger belted home runs in back-to-back games for the first time in his career on March 12 and 13 versus Cal State Northridge. He repeated the feat just three games later, homering in consecutive games against Fresno State on March 19 and 20. Koch homered in three of the four games against the Bulldogs over that weekend. He has blasted five home runs over an eight-game hitting streak from March 12 through March 21. He was 12-for-31 (.387) with nine runs scored, two doubles, five home runs, two walks and nine RBI over the span, collecting a slugging percentage of .935. Koch entered the week ranked first in the conference in doubles (10), second in slugging percentage (.730), tied for second in home runs (6) and total bases (54), tied for sixth in RBI (17), seventh in hits (26), tied for seventh in runs (17), and 13th in batting average (.351). He currently leads the team in slugging percentage (.692), RBI (17), doubles (10), home runs (6), total bases (54), and sacrifice flies (3). He finds himself in the top-three of nine major offensive categories. Koch has posted eight multiple-hit games and a team-high tying five multiple-RBI games. In all, Koch has hit safely in 15 of the 20 games this year.
SETTING THE TABLE...
Junior Jonathan Johnson has emerged as one of the team-leaders offensively this year. The native of Lakewood, Calif. has hit .366 with 20 runs scored, six doubles, four triples, a home run, three walks, five hit-by-pitches, four stolen bases and nine RBI serving as LMU's leadoff hitter in each of the first 20 games of the season. He has slugged .573 and reached base at a .418 clip. After finishing 0-for-5 in the season opener on February 19, Johnson went 4-for-4 with a hit-by-pitch on February 20 and 3-for-3 over his first three at bats on February 21. His fourth at bat that day resulted in a strikeout, but Johnson reached first base on a missed third strike that got away from UC Irvine backstop Francis Larson. In all, Johnson recorded a hit in seven consecutive at bats, and reached base safely in nine straight plate appearances. He had another stellar day at the plate on February 26 versus UC Riverside, finishing 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored. Continuing his hot streak, Johnson batted 3-for-4 with a triple, two stolen bases and a run scored to help LMU to a victory in the championship game of the 2010 Dairy Queen Classic on March 7. Johnson turned-in his second four-hit game of the season on March 19 at Fresno State, finishing 4-for-5 with two runs scored, a double and two RBI. He hit safely in 11 straight games from February 20 through March 12, batting .435 (20-for-46) with 11 runs scored, four doubles, four triples, a home run, two walks, three stolen bases and five RBI over the span. The team-leader in triples with four, he tripled in three straight games from March 6-12, and posted an extra-base hit in five straight from March 2-12. Johnson entered the week ranked tied for first in the conference in triples (4) and runs scored (19), tied for second in hits (29), fifth in total bases (45), 10th in batting average (.363), and tied for 10th in stolen bases (3). He currently leads the team in batting average (.366), on-base percentage (.418), runs scored (20), hits (30), triples (4), and stolen bases (4). He is listed in the top-three of 11 major offensive categories. Johnson has posted six multiple-hit games, including a team-best two four-hit games, and three multiple-RBI games. In all, Johnson has hit safely in 17 of the 20 games this year, and has not been held hitless in back-to-back games so far.
LUCKY NUMBER 7...
Junior Jason Barmasse has been very impressive in his inaugural campaign in a Lion jersey after transferring into the program from Pierce College. Barmasse, who has started 18 of the first 20 games of the season in right field, has found time in 19 so far this year. The native of Westlake, Calif. is batting .347 with 16 runs scored, six doubles, two home runs, seven walks, a hit-by-pitch, two stolen bases and 16 RBI. He has reached base at a .413 clip and slugged .514. His best day so far this year came on March 14 at Cal State Northridge, as he finished 3-for-6 with a three-run home run, two singles, two runs scored and five RBI. His second home run came on March 23 versus Cal State Fullerton when he belted a two-run shot to help LMU to a 4-2 victory over the Titans. Serving as a pinch-hitter and then taking over in right field against USC on February 23, Barmasse finished 2-for-2 with a run scored. He amassed two hits in five consecutive games from February 21-28, including a 2-for-4 day with a pair of doubles, two runs scored and a RBI against UC Riverside on February 26. Barmasse entered the week ranked tied for fourth in the WCC in doubles with six, tied for ninth in hits (24), tied for 10th in RBI (14), tied for 12th in runs (15), and 14th in batting average (.348). He currently sits in the top-three of nine major offensive categories, including first in walks (7). He has posted a team-best nine multiple-hit games and a team-high tying five multiple-RBI games, including one of only two five-RBI games this year for LMU. He hit safely in each of the first seven games of the season, going 12-for-27 (.444) with eight runs scored, four doubles, two walks, a hit-by-pitch, and two RBI over the span. In all, Barmasse has hit safely in 15 of his 19 games played.
HOT-HITTING HAWTHORNE...
Sophomore Ryan Hawthorne has cemented his spot in the Lion outfield after going on an offensive tear as of late, including a nine-game hitting streak that he carries into the weekend. The left-handed hitter is currently batting .349 with seven runs scored, five doubles, a home run, four walks and nine RBI. His slugging percentage sits at .476 and his on-base percentage is .382. After batting .091 through his first three games, and .211 through his first five, Hawthorne has batted .409 with six runs scored, four doubles, a home run and six RBI since March 5, a span of 12 games. In addition, since taking over in the third spot in the Lion batting order on March 12 at Cal State Northridge, he has batted .417 with six runs scored, three doubles, a home run and five RBI over nine games. Hawthorne has collected six multiple-hit games and three multiple-RBI games, including a 4-for-4 day at the plate against Cal State Northridge on March 12 in which he finished with a run scored, a double and two RBI. A season-best three RBI came on February 28 versus UC Riverside when he finished 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
SOPHOMORE SLUGGER...
Sophomore Alex Guthrie has emerged as a powerful option in the LMU lineup so far this year. The native of Sunnyvale, Calif. is batting .234 with 12 runs scored, two doubles, four home runs, a team-high six hit-by-pitches, two walks, a stolen base and 10 RBI. He is slugging .453. Guthrie's four home runs entering this week ranked tied for fifth in the conference in that category. He has also posted four multiple-hit and four multiple-RBI games this season. His biggest home run this year came on March 5 at Minnesota in the first game of the 2010 Dairy Queen Classic when he broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the ninth with a solo-shot, his third homer of the year, to left centerfield. Guthrie's best day at the plate came on March 14 at Cal State Northridge, as he batted a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs scored, a double, a home run, two hit-by-pitches and two RBI.
SUNDAYS BRING BAUER POWER...
Senior Brad Bauer has taken a liking to Sunday games through five Sundays this year. Bauer, who has appeared in four of the five Sunday games so far, is 8-for-11 (.727) with five runs scored, three doubles, a home run and nine RBI. He is slugging 1.273 and reaching base at a .727 clip on the final day of the week. In two Sunday starts, Bauer is batting .778 (7-for-9). To read about Bauer's best Sunday performance to this point, please read the "Last, but certainly not least" portion of this release.
KOCH IN THE LINEUP...ON THE BENCH...
Sophomore Matt Koch was named to the 2010 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award Watch List, it was announced by The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission on March 2. Fifty-three catchers were nominated for the award by their coaches to start the year, but because the award is given annually to the top division one collegiate catcher, the list will be updated to include other candidates until May 5, 2010. Koch is one of only two catchers from the West Coast Conference currently on the list, with the other being Santa Clara's Geoff Klein. The annual award serves to honor those athletes that serve as a team's starting catcher in at least 75% of the games. Nominees that end up playing primarily another position, such as designated hitter, or those that split their time with another catcher in a 50/50 situation will be disqualified from semifinalist selection. Koch has started all 20 games for the Lions this year, including 16 behind the plate. He is batting .333 with 17 runs scored, a team-best 10 doubles and six home runs, a stolen base and a team-high 17 RBI. He is slugging .692 and reaching base at a .382 clip. The watch list will be narrowed down to ten semifinalists, whom will be announced May 19, 2010. Ballots will be sent to the national voting panel at the end of May for a vote to determine the three finalists. The finalists will be announced June 2, 2010 prior to the NCAA Regionals and Major League Baseball Draft. A final vote among the national committee will occur during the College World Series. All finalists will be brought to Wichita and the winner will be announced at the 13th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on July 1, 2010.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS...
Redshirt-sophomore Martin Viramontes is slated to make his sixth start of the season on Friday in the first game of the four-game series against Albany. Pitching in his hometown of Fresno, Calif., Viramontes performed well. The right-hander tossed six and a third innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on nine hits and two walks while striking out two to earn his first victory of the season. . In all this year, he has pitched 26.01 innings, allowing 26 runs (17 earned) on 35 hits and 13 walks. He has struck out a team-best 25 batters, while opponents have batted .327 against him. After an impressive showing in his third start of the year in Minnesota on March 5, Viramontes struggled against Cal State Northridge on March 12. The Bullard High School product lasted three and two-thirds innings and allowed seven runs (two earned) on seven hits and four walks while striking out three. With the loss, he fell to 0-3 on the season. In his third start of the year, Viramontes allowed a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning, but finished the game with six innings pitched, allowing only the three runs on three hits, four walks and a hit-by-pitch, while striking out eight against Minnesota. In his second start of the season against UC Riverside on February 26, Viramontes pitched five innings, allowing eight runs (five earned) on nine hits en route to taking the loss. In his first start of the season on opening day, Viramontes was outstanding through the first five innings, allowing four hits and striking out six against then-No. 7 UC Irvine. The right-hander from Fresno, Calif. tossed five and a third innings total, allowing five runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out six. He ran into trouble in the sixth inning before surrendering all five of the runs in that frame. Overall, this will be Viramontes' 19th career start, accumulating a 4-9 record and a 6.18 ERA over the first 18. Viramontes suffered a season-ending injury early last year, resulting in a medical redshirt. Prior to the injury, he appeared in and started three games for the Lions. He posted a 7.11 ERA and did not factor in a decision, pitching only 6.1 innings and striking out four.
`CARREON' THE SUCCESS...
Sophomore Ramiro Carreon will take the ball on Saturday in game one of the doubleheader against the Great Danes, the sixth start of this season and the 16th start of his career. The native of Pasadena, Calif. carries a 1-2 record and a 4.40 ERA into the weekend, tops amongst starting pitchers. Over his five starts this year, he has pitched 30.2 innings, allowing 19 runs (15 earned), on 32 hits and 10 walks while striking out 18. Opponents are hitting .286 against him. In his last start against Fresno State on March 20, Carreon pitched a career-high seven and two-thirds innings before not factoring in the decision. The right-hander allowed just two runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks while striking out three. Chris Eusebio earned the victory after surrendering the game-tying run in the ninth. In his fourth start of the year against Cal State Northridge on March 13, he lasted just four innings, allowing nine runs (eight earned), on eight hits and three walks before taking the loss, his second of the season. Before the game against Northridge, Carreon was outstanding in his previous two starts. He tossed a then-career-high tying seven and a third innings, allowing two runs on nine hits while striking out a career-best seven batters against Northwestern on March 6, a game that the Lions were shut out and fell 3-0, leaving Carreon as the tough-luck loser. In his second start of the year on February 28, Carreon pitched six innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks while striking out two en route to his first victory of the season over UC Riverside. He tossed only 28 pitches through the first three innings, facing the minimum through those frames. Carreon tossed 5.2 innings in his first start this year on February 20 vs. then-No. 7 UC Irvine, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out three batters before not factoring in the decision. Carreon made starts against a handful of ranked opponents last year, appearing in 17 games for the Lions as a freshman, starting 10. He finished the year with a 3-1 record and a 5.05 ERA in 76.2 innings on the hill, walking 18 and striking out 48. His innings mark ranked second on the team in that category. His best and longest outing of the season came on April 6 versus then-No. 6 Cal State Fullerton. He pitched seven and a third innings in that start against the Titans en route to a victory. He also recorded wins over then-No. 30 Fresno State and Santa Clara. Carreon lasted at least six innings in each of his final three starts of the season in 2009.
LUCK BE A LALLY TONIGHT...
Sophomore John Lally is slated to get the ball on Saturday in the second game of the doubleheader against Fresno State. For Lally, the start will be his fifth of the season and ninth of his career. In his last start on March 20 at Fresno State, Lally went four and a third innings, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks, all of which came with one out in the fifth before not factoring in the decision. So far this year, Lally has appeared in five games, starting four, and has collected a 2-0 record and a 4.97 ERA. Lally has pitched 25.1 innings, allowing 15 runs (14 earned) on 27 hits and eight walks while striking out 20 batters. Prior to the start against Fresno State, the left-hander posted a pair of victories in his previous two outings, including his best start of his career as he combined with Alex Gillingham to toss a two-hit shutout over Oklahoma State in the championship game of the 2010 Dairy Queen Classic on March 7. After that start, he defeated Cal State Northridge on the road on March 14. Lally tossed six innings and allowed eight runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out seven on a windy day in which both teams hit five home runs. The Lions eventually won the game, 20-10. In the 3-0 victory over Oklahoma State to win the Dairy Queen Classic, Lally used just 89 pitches over the first seven scoreless innings to record his first win of the season. He faced 25 total batters, four over the minimum, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out a career-high tying five batters. For his efforts, he was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament and WCC Pitcher of the Week. Prior to the stellar start against Oklahoma State, Lally last appeared on February 28 in relief versus UC Riverside, tossing two innings, and allowing two runs on five hits. The native of Santa Margarita, Calif. was strong as LMU's starter on February 23 against USC in his first start of the season, lasting six innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits while striking out four before not factoring in the decision. Lally appeared in 17 games for the Lions, starting four, as a freshman in 2009. He posted a 1-3 record and a 7.03 ERA over 32 innings, walking 24 and striking out 29. He finished the season well, appearing in five WCC games, all in relief, posting a 1.50 ERA, placing tops on the team in WCC ERA. Lally pitched a season-best five innings against Fresno State on March 22 and punched-out a season-high five batters against Holy Cross on February 28. His lone victory last year came at UC Riverside on April 14. As a reliever, he posted a 3.12 ERA over the course of the season, tops on the team amongst players with at least four relief appearances.
ALEX THE GREAT...
Sophomore Alex Gillingham is scheduled to take the ball in the final game of the four-game series against Albany on Sunday. For Gillingham, the start will be his fifth of this season and the 18th of his young career. He enters the weekend with a 0-1 record and a 4.88 ERA over 27.2 innings of work. He has allowed 17 runs (15 earned) on 31 hits and six walks while striking out 20. A control pitcher, his strikeout-to-walk ratio sits at 3.33. Gillingham last started on March 21 at Fresno State as he tossed four and a third innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) on 12 hits and one walk while striking out three. Prior to that start, Gillingham took the mound and pitched well against Long Beach State on March 16 before not factoring in the decision. Gillingham tossed seven and a third innings and allowed four runs on eight hits and one intentional walk while striking out eight batters in that game. In his second start of the year against UC Santa Barbara on March 2, Gillingham pitched well, but the LMU offense faltered as the Lions fell 4-1, leaving the right-hander with the loss. Gillingham tossed seven innings and allowed three runs on seven hits while striking out two in that game. The native of Thousand Oaks, Calif. last appeared in relief on March 14 at Cal State Northridge, pitching a perfect ninth inning to help LMU to a 20-10 victory. Prior to that one-inning stint in relief, Gillingham appeared on March 7, combining with John Lally to record a two-hit shutout over Oklahoma State. Gillingham pitched the final two innings of that game, allowing two walks and striking out one batter en route to recording the first save of career. After surrendering two runs in the second inning in his first start of the year against Oregon on February 22, Gillingham settled-in nicely to toss six innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks while striking out five. Showing stellar control, Gillingham has walked only 15 while striking out 71 in his career to this point, a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4.73. The right-hander from Thousand Oaks, Calif., who was asked to make an immediate impact as a starter at the Division I level last year, turned in a solid freshman campaign in 2009. Gillingham recorded a 4-4 record and a 5.74 ERA over 14 appearances and 13 starts as a freshman. He tossed 73.2 innings, ranking third on the squad in that category. Showing extreme control of his pitches, he struck out 51 batters and walked only nine for an impressive 5.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His 51 strikeouts placed second on the team, while his 1.10 walks per nine innings placed ninth in the nation. Gillingham lasted at least five innings in 10 of his 13 starts, and at least six innings in seven. He also walked one batter or fewer in all but two of his appearances, including none on seven occasions.
I'M GOING STREAKING...
Four Lion players currently carry hitting streaks of six games or better into the weekend series against Albany. Ryan Hawthorne paces the way with a nine-game hitting streak, while Nick Devian and Jason Barmasse have each hit safely in seven. Freshman Colton Plaia rounds-out the streaking Lions, collecting at least one hit in six consecutive games. Hawthorne is batting .417 (15-for-36) with six runs scored, three doubles, a home run, three walks and five RBI over his nine-game streak. Hawthorne has collected multiple hits in four of the nine games. Barmasse is 11-for-30 (.367) with six runs scored, a double, two home runs, three walks, a stolen base and 14 RBI during a seven-game streak. He has collected multiple RBI in five of the seven games. Devian is batting .333 (8-for-24) with five runs scored, two doubles, two home runs, three walks and six RBI, while Plaia totes a .346 average (9-for-26) with four runs scored, two doubles, two home runs, a walk and four RBI during a six-game streak.
ANOTHER TOUGH SCHEDULE...
According to boydsworld.com, the Lions currently rank 20th in Strength of Schedule (SOS), which takes into account the results and success of LMU's opponents this season, 78th in Iterative Strength Rating (ISR), which is essentially a measure of the quality of a team's season by combining its winning percentage with the difficulty of its schedule, and 82nd in Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), the official measure of team quality used by the tournament selection committee. LMU, which perennially has one of the toughest schedules in the nation, opened the 2010 season with the 49th toughest according to Boyd's World. 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 were 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 were 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.
LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST...
The seven, eight and nine hitters in the Lion order on March 14 at Cal State Northridge, namely Shon Roe, Alex Guthrie and Brad Bauer, finished the game a combined 9-for-13 (.692) with two doubles, two home runs, nine runs scored and 10 RBI. Bauer led the charge by going 4-for-5 with a three-run homer, a double, four runs scored and five RBI. Guthrie batted a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs scored, a double, a home run, two hit-by-pitches and two RBI, while Roe was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI. Bauer and Brad Decater, who hit ninth for CSUN, combined to finish 6-for-9 (.667) with a double, three home runs, six runs scored and nine RBI as the last hitters in their respective orders. Before the game, LMU's nine spot was 7-for-45 (.156) with three runs scored, two doubles and four RBI.
A WHOLE LOT OF NOTHING...
As a staff, LMU pitching posted 15 consecutive scoreless innings from inning number two against Minnesota on March 5 through inning eight against Northwestern on March 6 at the 2010 Dairy Queen Classic. After surrendering three runs in the eighth against Northwestern, LMU shut out Oklahoma State on March 7. In all, the Lions posted 25 scoreless frames over 26 innings from the second inning on March 5 through the victory over Oklahoma State on March 7.
KINGS OF THE DAIRY QUEEN...
LMU won the 2010 Dairy Queen Classic from March 5-7 by finishing the three-day tournament with a 2-1 record. The Lions defeated Oklahoma State, which also had a 2-1 record, by a count of 3-0 in what proved to be the Championship Game on March 7 due to tiebreaker rules. Minnesota, which hosted the tournament, and Northwestern both finished with 1-2 record. John Lally was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament for his seven shutout innings and career-high tying five strikeouts against Oklahoma State to help LMU to the championship. Lally, who combined with Alex Gillingham to throw a two-hit shutout, was also named to the All-Tournament team with Jonathan Johnson and Ryan Hawthorne. To read more about Lally and Johnson's weekends, which earned them WCC Pitcher and Player of the Week accolades, please read the "Lions Sweep Weekly Honors" portion of this release. Hawthorne finished the three-day tournament with a .375 batting average (3-for-8) with a double, a walk, three sacrifice bunts and a RBI. He slugged .500 and reached base at a .444 clip. Hawthorne's best day came on March 6 as he finished 2-for-3 with two of LMU's three hits in a loss to Northwestern.
LIONS SWEEP WEEKLY HONORS...
LMU baseball swept the West Coast Conference Players of the Week awards for the first week of March, as sophomore John Lally and junior Jonathan Johnson took home weekly honors. Lally was named WCC Pitcher of the Week, while Johnson took home Player of the Week accolades as the Lions finished 2-2 that week, including winning the 2010 Dairy Queen Classic in Minneapolis, Minn. from March 5-7. Lally was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Dairy Queen Classic for his seven shutout innings and career-high tying five strikeouts in a two-hit shutout victory over Oklahoma State to help LMU to the 2010 Dairy Queen Classic Championship on March 7. He teamed with sophomore Alex Gillingham to record the two-hit shutout as LMU won the game, 3-0. The native of Santa Margarita, Calif. used just 89 pitches over the first seven scoreless innings to improve to 1-0 on the season. The left-hander faced 25 total batters, four over the minimum, allowing just two hits and two walks. The shutout was the first for LMU since shutting out Santa Clara 2-0 on the road on March 27, 2009. The combined two-hitter was the first for LMU since Daniel Macias allowed just two hits in a 5-0 victory over Gonzaga on April 30, 2006. Johnson batted .400 (6-for-15) with two runs scored, a double, three triples, a walk and two stolen bases over the week. He slugged .867 and reached base at a .471 clip. Johnson recorded a triple in three of LMU's four games that week. The native of Lakewood, Calif. was vital in LMU's Championship Game at the 2010 Dairy Queen Classic against Oklahoma State, finishing 3-for-4 with a run scored and a triple, his second of the tournament. Over the three-game tournament alone, Johnson batted .417 (5-for-12) with two runs scored, a double, two triples, and a pair of stolen bases en route to being named to the All-Tournament team. He reached base at a 462 clip and slugged .833.
YOU CAN'T RAIN ON MY PARADE...
The doubleheader between LMU and UC Riverside, originally scheduled for February 27 in Riverside, Calif., was rained out as Southern California took a powerful hit from Mother Nature. The two teams had decided prior to the series, that if games happened to get rained out, the two teams would not attempt to play a doubleheader if better weather followed the next day. Instead, the two teams will play single games in Riverside on April 21 and May 12 at 6 p.m.
HIT THE GROUND RUNNING...
Including three games against UCI from February 19-21, and midweek contests against Oregon (February 22) and USC (February 23), LMU played five games in the first five days of the season. The schedule didn't seem to slow down at all from there, as LMU was scheduled to host UC Riverside on February 26, play a doubleheader at UCR on the 27th, and return home to conclude the four-game series against the Highlanders on February 28. That would have equated to nine games in the first 10 days of the season. Instead, LMU's doubleheader against UCR was rained out, handing LMU a much-needed break to start the year. Even with the rain-outs, toss in a game at home against UC Santa Barbara on March 2, and the Lions took the field eight times over the course of the first 12 days of the season.
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. Unfortunately for the Lions, 2010 has not started with the same success. This season, LMU is 0-3 against ranked opponents, dropping each of the first three games of the season to then-No. 7 UC Irvine. Last year, LMU finished 9-2 against ranked opponents. 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 USD in conference play from May 1-3. 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. This year the Lions have once again been pretty impressive at the plate against ranked opponents, batting .319 (36-for-113) with seven doubles, four home runs and 13 RBI. The Lions have slugged .487 and reached base at a .366 clip. The pitching staff has accumulated a 10.80 ERA (30 er/25.0 ip), walked 10 batters and hit four more over those three games against ranked foes. Opposing hitters have batted .351 and reached base at a .424 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 10 games on Opening Day, falling to No. 7 UC Irvine on the road this season by a count of 5-1. LMU earned 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.
PCH CHALLENGE...
Separated by 19.1 miles of scenic coastline, longtime cross-town adversaries Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine have come together in an effort to boost their decades-long rivalry with the creation of the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) Challenge. The series will serve as an annual scorecard for the NCAA-sponsored athletic contests between the Lions and Waves, and challenges each institution to rise above the other within the West Coast Conference. LMU and Pepperdine will be represented by over 12 of their intercollegiate athletic teams through both regular and post-season competitions over the course of the academic calendar. Teams scheduled to compete head-to-head during the regular season include baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's soccer, men's tennis, women's tennis (if scheduled), women's volleyball, and men's and women's track. Any head-to-head competition, including matches in the post-season and tournaments throughout the year, will be counted toward the scoring and added to the scorecard as they occur. The remaining programs (men's and women's cross country, women's swimming and diving, men's golf) - in addition to women's tennis (if the teams do not meet head-to-head at any point) will battle for points that will be awarded on the basis of overall finish at their respective post-season championships. The next scheduled meeting between the two schools is slated for April 1 when the men's tennis teams meet in Malibu, Calif. The Waves currently lead the Lions in the standings, 8.5-7.5. To learn more about the PCH Challenge and view the current scorecard, please visit http://www.lmulions.com/trads/PCH-Cup.html.
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.
