April 8, 2010
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -
Complete Release in PDF Format 
BRIEFLY...
Having won 12 of its last 14 games, and seven of its last eight, LMU (15-12) will look to continue its success when it travels to San Diego to open West Coast Conference play with a three-game series against the Toreros (14-14) over the weekend.
HAWTHORNE TAKES HOME WCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK...
Sophomore Ryan Hawthorne was named WCC Player of the Week, it was announced by the conference office on Monday. The native of Granada Hills, Calif. guided LMU to a 1-1 record last week, including a midweek victory over Cal Poly on Wednesday. The Player of the Week selection is the third this year for the Lions, as junior Jonathan Johnson took home the honor on March 9 and sophomore Matt Koch earned the selection on March 22. For Hawthorne, the selection is the first of his career. Although the Lions played only two games last week and finished with a 1-1 record, Hawthorne hit .571 with a run scored, a double and a RBI. He also drew a pair of walks and stole a base. Hawthorne collected two of hits and a walk in each of the two games last week. LMU fell to USC on Tuesday at home by a count of 9-7 before defeating Cal Poly on Wednesday, 7-5.
GILL MAKES APPEARANCE ON WCC LIVE...
Head Coach Jason Gill was featured and interviewed on Wednesday's (April 7) episode of WCC Live, an online radio show hosted by the WCC that features interviews with coaches and players from a wide range of WCC sports. Fans were able to participate and ask the guests questions by calling the listener line at 646-378-1311 or emailing questions to wcclive@ymail.com. Fans can listen to any previous episode, including Gill's appearance, from the Podcentral tab on WCCSports.com, or by visiting http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wccsports.
TIME CHANGE!...
LMU's three-game series against San Francisco, scheduled for April 23-25, will have a few different start times in an effort to minimize conflicts with LMU's home softball games on Saturday and Sunday. Friday's game will still be played at 3 p.m., while Saturday has been moved to 2 p.m. and Sunday to 1:30 p.m.
LION TRACKS...
LMU (15-12) scored twice in the fourth, four times in the fifth and five times in the sixth en route to defeating UC Santa Barbara (12-11) by a count of 12-4 on Tuesday at UCSB's Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. With the win, LMU has now won 12 of its last 14 games, and seven of its last eight. Brad Bauer and Matt Koch each finished with one hit on Tuesday, but they made the most of the swing, each belting a home run. Bauer hit a solo-shot, his fourth of the year, with one out in the fifth before Koch connected on his team-best ninth, a two-run homer, in the five-run sixth. Bauer finished 1-for-2 with two runs scored and a walk, while Koch was 1-for-3 with three runs scored, two RBI and a walk. Jason Barmasse and Matt Lowenstein finished with two hits, while Jonathan Johnson and Ryan Hawthorne posted a pair of runs apiece. Hawthorne, who went 1-for-4 with the two runs scored, a walk and three RBI, extended his hitting streak to 16 games. The Lions used nine different pitchers on Tuesday, with each one tossing an inning. Martin Viramontes surrendered three runs in the first before Ramiro Carreon dealt a perfect second. John Lally appeared third and allowed an unearned run on two hits and a walk. Alex Sachs, who improved to 1-0 after earning the win, pitched a scoreless fourth. Matt Florer, Xavier Esquivel, Aaron Griffin, Chris Eusebio and Alex Gillingham each tossed scoreless frames in relief, in that order.
SO MUCH FOR A POWER OUTAGE...
LMU hit 42 home runs in 2009, and of those 42, just eight came from the bats of players who are still on the roster in 2010...that is a mere 19 percent of the home runs from a year ago. Taking that into consideration, LMU was expected to experience a "power-outage" in 2010. So far, LMU hasn't received the memo. The Lions enter the weekend ranked first in the conference in home runs with 30 through 27 games. That equates to an average of 1.11 home runs per game. At the current rate, LMU is on pace to hit right about 62 home runs this year. Sophomore Matt Koch leads the way with a conference-high tying nine home runs entering this weekend. Sophomore Alex Guthrie is right behind Koch with five, followed by senior Brad Bauer with four.
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's women's water polo match against UCLA is 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.
TORERO TALK...
The University of San Diego enters the three-game conferene series with the Lions toting a 14-14 overall record, having dropped three straight games. The Toreros have played very well as of late despite the record, taking two-of-three from ranked opponents Rice and Coastal Carolina in each of their last weekend series. Most recently, USD fell in a pair of midweek games against top-ranked Arizona State on Monday and Tuesday of this week. Mike Ferraro paces the team in terms of batting average at .391, while Kevin Muno sets the pace in runs scored with 24. James Meador provides power and RBI, collecting a team-best eight doubles, a triple and two home runs to the tune of a team-high 27 RBI. Victor Sanchez leads the team in home runs with three, while Muno is the top base stealer with 11 stolen bases in 13 attempts. Sammy Solis is the top starter for USD, collecting a 4-1 record with a 3.38 ERA over six starts and seven appearances in 37.1 innings of work. Matt Hauser has received the bulk of the save opportunities, converting five. Matt Hauser and Matt Thompson have each appeared in 13 games in relief to pace the team in that category. AJ Griffin, the older brother of LMU's Aaron Griffin, leads the team in strikeouts with 51 in 44 innings on the hill. LMU leads the all-time series between the two teams, 81-66-1. The Lions and Toreros, led by head coach Rich Hill in his 12th season, last met on May 3, 2009 at LMU as the Lions defeated USD by a count of 5-4. The Lions are 3-2 over the last five meetings and 4-6 over the last 10 overall. LMU's last loss to San Diego came on April 27, 2008 at San Diego as it fell to the Toreros by a count of 11-3.
DOUBLE THE FUN...
The Lions have had their fair share of doubles to start the 2010 season. LMU enters the weekend ranked fourth in the WCC in doubles with 60 through 27 games played, an average of 2.22 doubles per game. Sophomore Matt Koch leads the way with 11 two-baggers, followed by teammate Ryan Hawthorne with eight doubles. The Lions collected a season-high seven doubles in a victory over Albany on March 27. They have also posted five doubles on two occasions this year (February 26 versus UC Riverside and March 19 at Fresno State). So far this year, LMU has posted three or more doubles in 10 of its 27 games.
THE HITTING `KOCH'...
After missing all of last year due to injury, sophomore Matt Koch is making up for lost time in 2010. Koch is currently batting .301 with 24 runs scored, 11 doubles, nine home runs, 10 walks, two hit-by-pitches, a stolen base, four sacrifice flies and 25 RBI. He has slugged .670 and reached base at a .361 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. For the third time this year, Koch hit home runs in back-to-back games on March 27 and 28 versus Albany. He 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 enters the weekend ranked tied for first in the conference in home runs (9), third in slugging percentage (.670), tied for third in doubles (11), fourth in total bases (69), tied for eighth in runs scored (24), and ninth in RBI (25). He currently leads the team in slugging percentage (.670), RBI (25), doubles (11), home runs (9), total bases (69), and sacrifice flies (4). He finds himself in the top-three of nine major offensive categories for LMU. Koch has posted nine multiple-hit games and a team-best eight multiple-RBI games. In all, Koch has hit safely in 19 of the 27 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 .330 with 27 runs scored, six doubles, four triples, a home run, eight walks, seven hit-by-pitches, seven stolen bases and 11 RBI serving as LMU's leadoff hitter in each of the first 27 games of the season. He has slugged .491 and reached base at a .410 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 enters the weekend ranked second in the conference in triples (4), tied for fourth in runs scored (27), tied for sixth in stolen bases (7), ninth in hits (35), and 16th in batting average (.330). He currently leads the team in runs scored (27), hits (35), triples (4), and stolen bases (7). He is listed in the top-three of 11 major offensive categories for LMU. Johnson has posted six multiple-hit games, including a team-best two four-hit games, and four multiple-RBI games. In all, Johnson has hit safely in 22 of the 27 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 24 of the first 27 games of the season in right field, has found time in 26 so far this year. The native of Westlake, Calif. is batting .315 with 21 runs scored, seven doubles, three home runs, 14 walks, two hit-by-pitches, two stolen bases and 19 RBI. He has reached base at a .419 clip and slugged .494. 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. He went deep just two games later, hammering his third home run of the year on March 27 versus Albany. 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 enters the weekend ranked tied for fourth in the WCC in walks with 14. He currently sits in the top-three of eight major offensive categories for LMU, including first in walks (14). He has posted a team-high 10 multiple-hit games and six 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 17 of his 26 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 16-game hitting streak that he carries into the weekend series against San Diego. The left-handed hitter is currently batting a team-best .352 with 11 runs scored, eight doubles, a home run, seven walks, a hit-by-pitch and 17 RBI. His slugging percentage sits at .473 and his on-base percentage is .400. After batting .091 through his first three games, and .211 through his first five, Hawthorne has batted .389 since March 5, a span of 19 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 .391 with 10 runs scored, six doubles, a home run and 13 RBI over 16 games. Hawthorne has collected nine multiple-hit games and five 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. One of two season-best three-RBI performances came on February 28 versus UC Riverside when he finished 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. He later repeated the feat on April 6 at UC Santa Barbara, batting 1-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored and the three RBI. His lone home run this year came on March 14 at Cal State Northridge, a day that saw five Lion home runs. Hawthorne enters the weekend ranked 10th in the conference in batting average at .352. On the national level, Hawthorne places fourth in the nation entering this week in toughest to strike out, averaging just one strikeout per 43.5 at bats. He currently sits in the top-three of six major offensive categories for LMU, including first in batting average (.352) and sacrifice bunts (4).
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 .253 with 17 runs scored, five doubles, five home runs, a team-high eight hit-by-pitches, two walks, a stolen base and 17 RBI. He is slugging .483. Guthrie's five home runs entering this weekend rank tied for eighth in the conference in that category. He has also posted six multiple-hit and six 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. He collected a season-best three RBI for the second time this season when he batted 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI on March 31 versus Cal Poly. He previously reached that mark when he went 3-for-4 with a run scored, a double, a walk and three RBI at Fresno State on March 19. A major contributor to LMU's success as of late, Guthrie has batted .333 with 12 runs scored, five doubles , two home runs and 12 RBI over the 14 games from March 14 through the present...a span in which the Lions have gone 12-2.
SUNDAYS BRING BAUER POWER...
Senior Brad Bauer has taken a liking to Sunday games through six Sundays this year. Bauer, who has appeared in five of the six Sunday games so far, is 9-for-15 (.600) with six runs scored, three doubles, a home run and nine RBI. He is slugging 1.000 and reaching base at a .600 clip on the final day of the week. In three Sunday starts, Bauer is batting .615 (8-for-13). To read about Bauer's best Sunday performance to this point, please read the "Last, but certainly not least" portion of this release. Overall this year, Bauer is batting .295 with 16 runs scored, four doubles, four home runs and 16 RBI. He enters the weekend ranked eighth in the WCC in slugging percentage (.557) and tied for 10th in home runs.
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 27 games for the Lions this year, including 21 behind the plate. 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 eighth start of the season on Friday in the first game of the three-game series against San Diego. Viramontes pitched the first inning of the game against UC Santa Barbara on April 6, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk before handing the ball over in a staff day on the hill in which LMU pitched nine different players for an inning apiece. Prior to that start, Viramontes pitched five and two-thirds innings, allowing an unearned run on six hits and three walks against Albany on March 26. He struck out six batters and earned the victory in the game as LMU defeated Albany, 4-1. Pitching in his hometown of Fresno, Calif. on March 19 at Fresno State, 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 33.0 innings, allowing 30 runs (20 earned) on 45 hits and 17 walks. He has struck out a team-best 31 batters, while opponents have batted .333 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' 21st career start, accumulating a 5-9 record and a 6.03 ERA over the first 20. 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 the second game against the Toreros, the seventh start of this season and the 17th start of his career. The native of Pasadena, Calif. carries a 2-2 record and a 4.78 ERA into the weekend. Over his six starts and seven appearances this year, he has pitched 37.2 innings, allowing 24 runs (20 earned), on 41 hits and 14 walks while striking out 24. Opponents are hitting .293 against him, and he has lasted at least six innings in four of his six starts. Carreon pitched a perfect second inning and struck out two in his last appearance on April 6 at UC Santa Barbara. In his last start, Carreon earned his second victory after lasting six innings, allowing five runs on nine hits and four walks while striking out four. In his previous 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 Sunday in the series finale against San Diego. For Lally, the start will be his sixth of the season and 10th of his career. Lally last appeared in relief on April 6 at UC Santa Barbara, dealing an inning and allowing an unearned run on two hits and a walk. In his last start against Albany on March 27, Lally earned the victory after pitching seven innings and surrendering just three runs and striking out six. So far this year, Lally has appeared in seven games, starting five, and has collected a 3-0 record and a 4.59 ERA. Lally has pitched 33.1 innings, allowing 19 runs (17 earned) on 35 hits and 12 walks while striking out 28 batters. He has lasted at least six innings in four of his five starts this year. In his 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. 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.
I'M GOING STREAKING...
Two Lion players currently carry hitting streaks of six games or better into the weekend series against San Diego. Ryan Hawthorne paces the way with a 16-game hitting streak, while Matt Lowenstein has collected at least one hit in six consecutive games. Hawthorne is batting .391 (25-for-64) with 10 runs scored, six doubles, a home run, six walks and 13 RBI over his 16-game streak. Hawthorne has collected multiple hits in seven of the 16 games, including three straight from March 19-20, and then again from March 28-31. Lowenstein is 11-for-20 (.550) with eight runs scored, four doubles, two walks and six RBI over his six-game hitting streak. He has collected multiple hits in three of the six games with an at bat.
ANOTHER TOUGH SCHEDULE...
According to boydsworld.com, the Lions currently rank 66th in Strength of Schedule (SOS), which takes into account the results and success of LMU's opponents this season, 82nd 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 125th 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.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING FOR LOWENSTEIN...
Freshman Matt Lowenstein did something that no Lion had done since 1991 on March 27 in the second game of a doubleheader against Albany. The freshman from Chino Hills, Calif. finished 4-for-4 with four doubles, a run scored and a RBI. The four doubles matched a program record set by Joe Ciccarella on February 23, 1991 against San Francisco. Prior to Lowenstein's performance, the last Lion to collect three doubles in a game was Kyle Spraker, who did so against Saint Mary's on April 24, 2009.
GRIFFIN NAMED WCC CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK...
Freshman right-hander Aaron Griffin was named WCC Co-Player of the Week for the week from March 22-28, it was announced by the conference office on March 29. He shared the honor with Pepperdine's Matt Bywater. The native of El Cajon, Calif. tossed a complete game and earned the victory over Cal State Fullerton on March 23 en route to the selection. The Pitcher of the Week selection was the second this year for the Lions, as sophomore John Lally took home the honor on March 9. Griffin was outstanding on the hill for LMU against Cal State Fullerton, as the Lions defeated the Titans, 4-2. The freshman had a shutout headed into the ninth inning when Fullerton posted two runs in the frame. Griffin used 119 pitches (73 strikes) to record the complete game and improve to 2-1 on the year. He 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. The complete game was the first for the Lions since Lee Roberts tossed nine against Gonzaga on May 15, 2009. LMU finished that week with a 5-0 record after defeating Cal State Fullerton and then sweeping a four-game series over Albany at home over the weekend.
KOCH NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK...
Sophomore Matt Koch was named WCC Player of the Week, it was announced by the conference office on March 22. The native of Manhattan Beach, Calif. guided LMU to a 4-1 record over the course of the week from March 15-21, 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 was 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 that 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.
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 8 when the women's tennis teams meet in Malibu, Calif. The Waves currently lead the Lions in the standings, 9.5-7.5. 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.
