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FOLLOW THE LIONS
LMU vs. #11 TCU -- Friday, February 19 | 4:30 PM | Fort Worth, Texas | Listen Live |
LMU vs. #11 TCU -- Saturday, February 20 | 12:00 PM | Fort Worth, Texas | Listen Live |
LMU vs. #11 TCU -- Sunday, February 21 | 11:00 AM | Fort Worth, Texas | Listen Live |

QUICK HITS
◊ LMU is picked to finish tied for third in the WCC Preseason Coaches' Poll ... is picked fifth according to D1Baseball.com ... will begin the year on the road for the first time since 2010 ... is 5-2 on Opening Day under eighth-year head coach Jason Gill ... is 6-1 in Opening Weekend series over that span (only loss against then-No. 7 UC Irvine in 2010) ... will not play a non-conference home weekend series this year after playing just one non-conference road weekend series last year, and none in 2014 ... 33 wins last year were the most since recording 40 in 2000 (40-19) ... reached 30 wins for the fourth time in seven years under Gill ... has played for the WCC Championship the last two years (both losses to Pepperdine) ... last earned a WCC Championship and NCAA berth in 2000 ... earned seven All-WCC selections last year ... had 32 of its 55 games last year decided by three runs or less (does not include tie at #6 UCSB) ... seven of LMU's last 8 losses in 2015 came by 2 runs or less ... went 9-7 in one-run games and 6-5 in two-run games a year ago ... recorded four walk-off victories last year (3/14 vs. Santa Clara | 3/27 vs. Gonzaga | 4/14 vs. UNLV | 3/18 vs. Pacific).
◊ JD BUSFIELD is a third team Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American according to Collegiate Baseball.
◊ Jason Gill is one win shy of recording his 200th as head coach of the Lions (199-186-1).
◊ Austin Miller was tabbed a preseason All-WCC selection.
◊ Michael Silva was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 25th round of the 2015 MLB Draft.
◊ Sean Watkins was tabbed a preseason All-WCC selection ... a freshman All-American as a utility player last year.

THIS WEEK
The 2016 baseball season begins this week across the nation, and the Lions will travel to #11 TCU for an opening weekend series ... this year marks the first time since 2010 (at UC Irvine) that LMU will play the first game of the season on the road, and the first time since 2008 that the Lions will open with a road weekend series (at Sacramento State) ... the three-game series against TCU will feature live audio streaming and live stats at lmulions.com.

LION TRACKS
The 2015 season saw the Lions go 33-21-1, reaching the WCC Championship Game for the second straight year ... the 33 victories were the most for a Lion team since recording 40 in 2000 (40-19) ... seven Lion players garnered All-WCC honors, including David Fletcher earning a spot on the first team for the second straight year ... David Edwards, Austin Miller and Colin Welmon found themselves on the second team, while J.D. Busfield, Trevor Megill and Sean Watkins took home honorable mention honors ... Watkins would also receive Freshman All-American accolades as a two-way player ... in the June Amateur Draft, LMU had a player selected in the sixth, seventh and eighth rounds, marking the first time since 2005 that LMU has had three players selected in the top-10 rounds.

FROM THE `PEN TO THE ROTATION
LMU's Opening Weekend rotation features three players who made a combined two starts in 2015, and have combined for just 10 starts in their collegiate careers ... while the starts may be limited, the appearaces are plenty, as the trio served a vital role in the bullpen last year ... Friday night starter, JD Busfield, set a new LMU single season record for saves with 14 last year while pitching to a 4-2 record and a 1.89 ERA with 35 strikeouts over 27 appearances and 38 innings of work ... the right-hander is the only weekend starter with more than one start to his name, making eight as a freshman in 2014 ... Cory Abbott, who is scheduled to get the ball on Saturday, made 27 appearances and one start, pitching to a 1-1 record and a 2.37 ERA over 49.1 innings in his first season with the Lions last year ... Tyler Cohen, who will toe the rubber on Sunday, made 13 appearances and one start last year, after appearing in 20 games out of the bullpen as a freshman in 2014.

IT'S JUST A NUMBER
LMU is 30-35-1 against ranked-opponents under head coach Jason Gill ... the Lions are also 7-8 in weekend series over that span ... the Lions went 1-4-1 last year against ranked-foes, with the lone victory coming in the series finale at #20 Arkansas on 3/8 ... LMU's best record under Gill against ranked-teams came in his first year (2009) when the Lions went 9-2 ... over the last two years, LMU is 7-12-1.

GET OFF ON THE RIGHT PAW
The Lions have had a knack for coming out of the gates strong under head coach Jason Gill, going 5-2 on Opening Day during his tenure ... the Lions are 6-1 in Opening Weekend series over that span, with the only loss against then-No. 7 UC Irvine in 2010 ... since 2000, LMU is 10-6 on Opening Day.

PROSPECT WATCH
D1Baseball.com released its 2016 preseason predictions, tabbing the Lions fifth in the WCC race ... in conjunction with the poll, it also released a listing of top prospects on the national scene as well as in the WCC ... junior right-hander J.D. Busfield is tabbed the 143rd-best prospect in the 2016 Draft, while Austin Miller (214) and Cassidy Brown (297) also made the list ... within the WCC, Busfield is tabbed the fourth-best prospect in the conference, while Miller (ninth) and Brown (18th) also cracked the top-20.

ABOUT TCU
TCU enters the weekend series with LMU carrying a national ranking in every major preseason poll, including #11 according to the USA Today Coaches' Poll ... the Horned Frogs are picked to win the Big 12, receiving three first-place votes ... RHP Mitchell Traver is a preseason All-American, but is not expected to be ready to pitch during Opening Weekend ... TCU has an all-time record of 310-104 (.749) at Lupton Stadium, tallying at least 20 wins in 11 of 13 seasons ... in 2015, the Frogs posted a nation's best 33-4 (.892) record in 37 home games ... the Horned Frogs feature 18 newcomers (13 freshmen and five juniors), but return four everyday players in Connor Wanhanen, Nolan Brown, Dane Steinhagen and Evan Skoug, along with utility player Elliott Barzilli ... TCU, which has reached the College World Series in consecutive years, is led by 13th-year head coach Jim Schlossnagle ... Schlossnagle needs two victories to become TCU's all-time winningest coach, surpassing Lance Brown's total of 516 set between 1986-2003.

SURVEY SAYS
The LMU baseball team, led by eighth-year head coach Jason Gill, was picked to finish tied with Saint Mary's for third in the competitive West Coast Conference after a polling all 10 of the head coaches during the preseason ... San Diego, which received six of the 10 first-place votes, topped the conference poll, earning 76 points, while Pepperdine (three) and the Lions (one) both earned at least one first-place vote.

@LMLIONSBASEBALL ON TWITTER
For fans, scouts, parents and players who are interested in following LMU baseball even closer this year, LMU baseball is tweeting under the handle @LMLionsBaseball ... to get the inside look at LMU baseball from the coaching perspective, make sure to follow @LMLionsBaseball on Twitter.

TICKET PACKAGES ON SALE
The 2016 LMU baseball schedule features 21 home games to be played at Page Stadium ... season ticket plans start at $40 for a General Admission season ticket, while Reserved Chair Back season tickets can be purchased for $70 ... each season ticket purchased comes with a commemorative LMU Scarf, and Reserved Chair Back season tickets also include a nameplate on your chair identifying your seat(s) at Page Stadium ... children 12 years and under attending any regular season LMU baseball game get in for free if they are wearing their softball or baseball youth league uniform ... students, faculty and staff with a valid One Card also receive free General Admission access to every home game ... to purchase Reserved Chair Back season tickets, please contact the LMU Box Office at 310-338-5466 ... to purchase General Admission season tickets or single-game tickets, please visit LMULions.com/tickets.

PICKED BEFORE THE PITCH
Junior outfielder Austin Miller and sophomore right-hander Sean Watkins were tabbed preseason All-West Coast Conference prior to the start of the 2016 campaign ... Miller is one of 10 position players on the preseason All-WCC squad, while Watkins, who is a two-way player for LMU, is one of five pitchers selected ... Miller was a second team All-WCC selection as a sophomore in 2015 , while Watkins was an honorable mention selection and earned a spot on the All-Freshman team before taking home Freshman All-American honors ... all told, eight of the 10 WCC schools are represented on the preseason All-WCC team, led by Pepperdine which placed two position players and a pitcher on the squad ... Gonzaga, LMU, Saint Mary's, San Diego and Santa Clara each placed two on the preseason list.

U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A!
USA Baseball announced the 2016 Collegiate National Team coaching staff in early February, including tabbing current LMU head coach, Jason Gill, and former Lion skipper, Dave Snow, as coaches with the team ... the 2016 Collegiate National Team will be led by current University of Oregon Head Coach, George Horton, as Manager ... joining Horton, Gill and Snow will Mitch Karraker, David Pierce and Dave Serrano ... Gill will join the 2016 Collegiate National Team staff after previously working with Horton and Serrano on the 2012 U.S. squad ... during his stint with Team USA in 2012, Gill helped the squad to a 12-5 record and a bronze medal after finishing 5-2 at Honkbal Week hosted at Pim Mulier Stadium in the Netherlands ... a three-time USA Baseball coaching alum, Snow will serve as the Bench Coach for the 2016 squad ... Snow, who guided LMU to its lone College World Series appearance in 1986 and earned Baseball America's Coach of the Year that season, was an assistant coach for the Collegiate National Team in the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, 1995, and at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.

FOLLOW IT LIVE ONLINE
LMU Athletics will video stream all home baseball games this year through the LMU Sports Network and theW.tv ... the video stream is free of charge, and will be accompanied by an audio play-by-play broadcast ... all road games will once again feature an audio play-by-play broadcast ... to watch any and all home games this year, and to listen to the audio on the road, please visit: lmulions.com/multimedia/LMUSportsNetwork-BASE.html

ALL-CONFERENCE RETURNERS
LMU returns three players who received All-WCC recognition at the end of the 2015 season, including juniors Austin Miller and JD Busfield, and sophomore Sean Watkins ... Miller was a second team All-WCC selection in 2015 after hitting .314 with 43 runs scored, 11 doubles, two triples, three homers and 27 RBI while starting all 55 games for the Lions in centerfield ... the speedy outfielder, who reached at a .402 clip, swiped 15 bags in 21 attempts to lead the team, while also pacing the squad in runs, hits and on-base percentage ... Watkins turned in the third-best ERA in LMU history (1.89) as a freshman in 2015, while also registering the second-lowest opponent batting average in program history (.201) en route to garnering Freshman All-American honors and an honorable mention All-WCC nod ... Watkins, who did not allow an earned run over his first 19 collegiate innings of work, went 4-1 over 17 appearances and nine starts last year while combining on a pair of shutouts ... Busfield garnered All-West Coast Conference honorable mention accolades in 2015 after setting a new LMU record for saves in a season (14) ... the right-hander pitched to a 4-2 record and a 1.89 ERA with 35 strikeouts over 27 appearances and 38 innings of work ... Busfield did not allow an earned run over first 20.2 innings.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
In its 34th season as the home of Lion baseball in 2016, George C. Page Stadium also enters its third year under the lights ... the 2016 LMU baseball schedule features 21 home games, including 16 under the lights ... LMU went 17-14 at home last year ... the Lions will not play a non-conference home weekend series this year after playing just one non-conference road weekend series last year, and none in 2014 ... the home schedule features contests against USC, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, Hawaii, CSU Bakersfield and Long Beach State in non-conference play, while WCC weekend series include Portland, San Francisco, Saint Mary's, Gonzaga, and PCH-Cup rival Pepperdine ... the Lions, who have posted a 534-398-4 (.573) overall record in the park's 33 seasons, have claimed five conference titles while calling Page Stadium home ... the first Page Stadium conference title came in 1986, when the Lions posted a 24-8 record at home ... the best record came in 1988, when LMU was 30-5 at home (.857).

JOURNEY TO THE TOURNEY
For the fourth consecutive year, the West Coast Conference will hold a WCC Championship Tournament at Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton, Calif. from May 28-30 to decide who will claim the WCC's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament ... the top-four teams will compete in the tournament, with the #1 seed facing #4 and #2 facing #3 in first-round play ... unlike in previous seasons, the tournament is double elimination throughout, with the winner of the tournament earning the WCC's automatic bid ... LMU has played for the WCC Championship in each of the last two years (both losses to Pepperdine).

WELLS FARGO PCH CUP
Separated by 19.1 miles of scenic coastline, longtime cross-town adversaries Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine came together in an effort to boost their decades-long rivalry with the creation of the Wells Fargo Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) Cup ... the series, which is in its seventh year, serves 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 ... 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 ... for the sports in which the two teams do not meet head-to-head, the teams will battle for points that will be awarded on the basis of overall finish at their respective post-season championships ... LMU currently leads the 2015-16 standings, 6-5 ... LMU won the challenge for the first time last year ... to learn more about the PCH Cup and view the current scorecard, please visit: lmulions.com/pchcup

ALL-AMERICAN LIONS
Last season ended with a freshman All-American honor for LMU, and the 2016 season has started with an All-American selection - albeit different players ... current sophomore, Sean Watkins, took home Freshman All-American honors according to Baseball America, National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (Louisville Slugger), D1Baseball.com and Perfect Game as a two-way player, while junior right-hander JD Busfield has been tabbed a Louisville Slugger third team Preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball ... Watkins posted a team-best 1.89 ERA with a 4-1 record over 17 appearances and nine starts in 2015, while Busfield pitched to a 4-2 record and a 1.89 ERA over 27 appearances and 38 innings of work last year ... the 2016 Friday starter managed six of his LMU record-setting 14 saves, and all four of his wins, in WCC play.

PICK UP WHERE I LEFT OFF
Four Lion baseball players carry a hitting streak of one game from 2015 into the 2016 campaign, while seven carry over reached-base streaks ... Josh Blank, Ted Boeke, Ryan Erickson and Austin Miller each got a hit in their final game of 2015, while Billy Wilson has reached in eight straight dating back to 2015.

LIONS IN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL
LMU had one former baseball player in the Major Leagues in 2015, as C.J. Wilson (Los Angeles Angels) spent his 11th year on the game's biggest stage ... Ryan Wheeler (Arizona Diamondbacks) and Eric Farris (Minnesota Twins), who also have MLB experience, competed in Minor League Baseball during the 2015 season ... including Wheeler and Farris, 10 former Lions played in the Minor Leagues in 2015, including Tanner Donnels, David Fletcher, Trevor Megill and Colin Welmon, who finished LMU careers in 2015 ... the Lions have had more than 125 players drafted by Major League Baseball teams in program history, including 29 players in the last 10 years ... Billy Traber and Chris Donnels are the lone Lions to be selected in the first round, both selected by the Mets ... Traber went 16th overall in 2000, while Donnels was taken with the 24th pick in 1987 ... including Traber and Donnels, LMU has had 22 players selected in the first five rounds of a MLB draft ... LMU's best draft came in 2000, as a Lion was taken in each of the first three rounds - Traber went in the first, followed by Michael Schultz in the second, and Scott Walter in the third ... for a list of current Lions playing in professional baseball, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/7taglqf

HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT
Never afraid to wear a pitch to reach first base, LMU recorded 89 hit-by-pitches over 55 games last year (1.62 per game) to place third in LMU history ... LMU's existing program record is 112 in 2000, followed by 93 in 1998 ... Austin Miller was hit 16 times to lead the way - tied for fifth-most in LMU history ... 15 different Lions registered at least one hit-by-pitch ... the high-water mark for the year was five hit batsmen against Saint Joseph's on 2/21 in the second game of a doubleheader, while LMU failed to record a hit-by-pitch in only 13 games last year ... the five hit-by-pitches were the most for the Lions since recording five at Cal State Fullerton on 5/18/10 ... the Lions also recorded a walk-off hit-by-pitch in a 6-5 victory over Gonzaga on 3/27 in the bottom of the 10th (Wilson).

LMU Baseball Notes

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