1997 Stanford Baseball Season Preview
STANFORD ENTERS 1997 IN SEARCH OF THIRD CWS TITLE
Top-ranked Stanford University begins its quest for a third
national title when it takes on Bay Area rival Saint Mary's College this
weekend. The Cardinal hosts the Gaels on Saturday at 1 p.m. before traveling to
Moraga for a 1 p.m. contest on Sunday. Stanford returns six starters, including
four preseason All-Americans, from a squad that went 41-19 last season and
placed third at the NCAA West Regional at Sunken Diamond. Starting pitchers Kyle
Peterson, Jeff Austin and Chad Hutchinson were all Second Team Preseason
All-Americans according to Baseball America, while center fielder Jody Gerut was
named to the Thid Team. Peterson (10-5, 3.71 ERA in 1996) will get the start on
Opening Day, while Austin (6-4, 3.81) is scheduled to start on Sunday.
THE RANKINGS
Stanford is ranked No.1 by Baseball America and No. 15 by
Collegiate Baseball in the 1997 preseason polls. A high preseason ranking by
Baseball America is nothing new for Stanford. The Cardinal was ranked No. 1
heading into the 1995 campaign, and No. 2 in 1996.
THE COACH
Mark Marquess reached the career 800-win milestone with a 9-2 win
over California on May 3, 1996 at Sunken Diamond. Marquess, who was inducted
into the American Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame earlier this month, has a
808-431-4 career mark (.652), including a 331-245 (.575) record against Six Pac
competition. The 1969 Stanford graduate has been named NCAA Coach of the Year
three times (1985, 1987 and 1988), Pac-10 South Coach of the Year five times
(1983, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1994) and also led the United States to the gold medal
at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
1996 AT A GLANCE
Stanford finished the season 41-19 overall and 19-11 in the
Six Pac, good for second place. The Cardinal wrapped up the campaign by going 2-2 at
the NCAA West Regionals. Stanford opened the tournament with a 10-5 win over Cal
State Northridge and an 8-6 victory over Mississippi State before falling to
Florida State 5-4 and Cal State Northridge 4-3. The season was highlighted by an
18-game winning streak, which ran from Tuesday, April 16-Friday, May 24. The
Cardinal also compiled a 26-7 record at Sunken Diamond, including 20 wins in its
last 24 tries. The 41 wins was the most for Stanford since a 59-12 record in
1990.
FOUR NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA SQUADS
Junior right-hander Kyle
Peterson added two more honors to its lengthy resume when he was selected Second
Team Preseason All-American by Baseball America and Third Team by Collegiate
Baseball. Peterson was joined on Baseball America's Second Team by the other two
members of the Cardinal's starting rotation - sophomores Jeff Austin and Chad
Hutchinson. Rounding out the group is center fielder Jody Gerut, a Third Team
selection by Baseball America. Stanford is the only school to have four players
selected to Baseball America's Preseason All-America squads.
CARDINAL RACKS UP 1996 POSTSEASON HONORS
Senior catcher A.J. Hinch further wrote his name into
Stanford's baseball record book when he became the first player in school
history to win Six Pac Player of the Year honors twice. He also became only the
second player in conference history to win the award twice, along with Arizona's
Torey Lovullo (1986-1987). Hinch was joined on the All-Pac-10 Team by teammates
Brian Dallimore, Joe Kilburg and Kyle Peterson. The selection was the second for
Peterson and the first for Dallimore and Kilburg. Hinch was also named First
Team All-America by the Smith Super Team and the Coaches Association and Second
Team All-America by both Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America and First Team
All-District VIII, while Jeff Austin and Chad Hutchinson were First Team
Freshman All-Americans and Jody Gerut an Honorable Mention All-Freshman
selection, also according to Collegiate Baseball. Peterson was named to the
Smith Super Team's Second Team, while Dallimore and Hutchinson were both
Honorable Mention selec-tions. Stanford also had two players - second baseman
Dallimore and designated hitter Jon Schaeffer - selected to the West Region
All-Tournament Team. Stanford also had a conference-high six players selected to
the Pac-10 All-Academic Team, with Cale Carter, Luke Quaccia and Brendan
Sullivan being named to the first team, Jay Pecci and Eric Sees the second team
and Jon Schaeffer honorable mention.
PETERSON CLOSES IN ON HISTORY
In just two seasons, right-handed pitcher Kyle Peterson has already established himself as
one of Stanford's best-ever. The Elkhorn, Nebraska native is 24-6 with a 3.29
ERA, and ranks on two of Stanford's career top 10 lists and four single season
top 10 lists. To put it in perspective, Peterson needs only one win to tie
MikeMussina's (1988-90) career total of 25. The junior is currently tied for
ninth in Stanford history in career wins, which puts him 13 behind all-time
leader Jeff Ballard (1982-85) and 12 behind second place Jack McDowell (1985-
87). Peterson burst onto the scene in 1995 with one of the best ever single
season pitching performaces by a freshman. Peterson finished his first campaign
with a 14-1 mark and a 2.96 ERA, which earned him National Feshman of the Year,
First Team All-American and Pac-10 Co-Pitcher of the Year Honors. He followed up
his frosh cam-paign by going 10-5 last season en route to All-Pac-10 and Second
Team All-American honors.
HUTCHINSON CONCLUDES A BANNER 1996
Sophomore right-hander/quarter-back Chad
Hutchinson has a tough act to follow. In 1996, Hutchinson was named a Freshman
All-American on the diamond after going 7-2 with a 3.51 ERA. He was twice named
Pac-10 Player of the Week, and was 5-0 with a 3.54 ERA in conference action.
He
followed that up by leading the Stanford football team to a 7-5 mark in 1996,
including an MVP performance in a 38-0 win over Michigan State at the Norwest
Sun Bowl. Hutchinson started all 12 games at quarterback for Tyrone Willingham's
squad and completed 190-of-312 passes for 2,134 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Del
Mar, California native came to The Farm as one of the top ranked recruits in the
country. Hutchinson, who was drafted in the first round of the June 1996 Amateur
Draft by the Atlanta Braves (26th pick overall), turned down a $1.5-million
dollar offer from the Braves in order to play baseball and football on The Farm.
KILBURG AIMS FOR ENCORE PERFORMANCE
Junior right fielder Joe Kilburg
joins Kyle Peterson as Stanford's other returning All-Pac-10 selection. Kilburg
hit safely in 30 of the Cardinal's final 35 games to raise his average from .308
to .358. The Cardinal's leadoff man finished the season ranked first on the
squad in hits (87) and stolen bases (23) and second in on-base percentage
(.434). Kilburg also lifted himself into the spotlight with a four-day power
spree. After hitting just one home run in his first 341 career at-bats, he hit
four in the span of just four games and 19 at-bats. The impres-sive offensive
numbers in 1996 gives Kilburg a .329 career batting average with six home runs
and 65 RBI.
IN SHORT
Here's a quick look at just some of the other Stanford
players to watch in 1997. Jeff Austin - Hard-throwing sophomore was the
Cardinal's top hurler in the first half of the season, and was an Honorable
Mention Freshman All-American. Chris Clark - Took over the starting job in left
field late in the season, and played a big role in Stanford's 18-game winning
streak. Tony Cogan - Sophomore lefty is projected to be the Cardinal's closer
after going 1-0 with a 4.76 ERA out of the pen in 1996. Nick Day - Freshman left
fielder comes to Stanford after being named the 1996 Nevada Player of the Year.
Josh Hochgesang - Started 26 games at third base in 1996, and hit .303 in the
Cape Cod League over the summer. Jay Pecci - Former walk-on has established
himself as one of the top defensive infielders in the Pac-10, and is competing
for the starting jobs at shortstop and third base. Luke Quaccia - Starting first
baseman raised his average nearly .200 points over the final two months of the
season. Jeff Rizzo - Freshman infielder was the St. Louis Cardinals' fifth
round pick in the June 1996 Amateur Draft. John Salter - Sophomore appeared in
22 games last season, and will see time at both catcher and designated hitter.
Jon Schaeffer - All-West Regional selection was an All-Star and All-League
selection in the Cape Cod League over the summer. Tony Schrager - Transfer from
Yale University will start at second base.
SIX PAC AMONG NATION'S BEST - AGAIN
The Pacific-10 Conference's Southern Division figures to once again be one of
the best in the nation. An astounding four of Baseball America's top seven teams
- No. 1 Stanford, No. 3 USC, No. 5 UCLA and No. 7 Arizona State - are from the
Six Pac. In all, five Six Pac teams are in Baseball America's top 25 (No. 25
California) and all six are in Collegiate Baseball's Fabulous 40 (No. 2 UCLA,
No. 6 USC, No. 12 Arizona State, No. 15 Stanford, No. 30 California, No. 40
Arizona).
