No. 9 Stanford Opens Six Pac Play Against No. 3 USC
The ninth-ranked Stanford
Cardinal opens its 1997 Six Pac shedule this weekend when it hosts the
third-ranked USC Trojans at Sunken Diamond. The conference rivals will meet on
Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. Here are this weekend's
probable pitching matchups: Fri. - Randy Flores (USC; 4-1, 2.78) vs. Kyle
Peterson (STAN; 2-1, 4.15) Sat. - Seth Etherton (USC; 4-0, 1.75) vs. Jeff Austin
(STAN; 2-1, 5.12) Sun. - Scott Henderson (USC; 4-1, 5.76) vs. Chad Hutchinson
(STAN; 1-0, 5.40)
THE RECORDS
Stanford is 12-6 heading into conference play this weekend.
Stanford lost two of three at home to UC Santa Barbara last weekend (L 6-4, L
10-8, W 12-7), but bounced back with an 18-4 win at Sacramento State on Tuesday.
The Trojans, winners of nine straight, are 17-3 overall and 2-1 in the Six Pac.
The Trojans won the Long Beach State Classic over the weekend by defeating
Mississippi 18-2, Notre Dame 14-4 and Long Beach State 7-1. USC also beat
Pepperdine 7-1 on Tuesday night at Dedeaux Field.
THE RANKINGS
Stanford is ranked No.9 by Baseball America and No. 16 by
Collegiate Baseball. USC is ranked No. 3 by Baseball America and Collegiate
Base-ball.
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 in January of 1997, has a
820-439-4 career mark (.651), 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. Marquess is also one of only
five active head coaches to who have both played and coached in the College
World Series. Marquess played for the Cardinal in 1967, and coached his way to
Omaha in 1982, '83, '85, '87, '88, '90 and '95. Mike Gillespie of USC is
409-233-2 (.637) in his 11th season, and 176-127 (.581) in Six Pac games.
THE SERIES
The Cardinal is 116-186-3 all-time against the Trojans, including a
58- 50 record in Six Pac contests. USC won the season series 6-0 in 1996,
posting sweeps at Sunken Diamond on Mar. 8-10 (8-0, 9-3, 14-7) and at Dedeaux
Field on Apr. 12-14 (6- 3, 9-8, 5-2).
LAST WEEK IN REVIEW
Game #15 - UC Santa Barbara 6, Stanford 4 (Feb. 21 @ Sunken
Diamond): David Willis had two home runs and five RBI to lead the Gauchos to the
series-opening victory. Senior Chris Clark (Cohoes, NY/Albany Academy) hit a
two-run homer in the seventh to cut the lead to 5-4, but the Gauchos put it away
with a solo run in the eighth. Stanford starter Kyle Peterson (Elkhorn,
NE/Creighton Prep HS) struck out 14 over 7.1 innings, but fell to 2-1 on the
year. Game #16 - UC Santa Barbara 10, Stanford 8 (Feb. 22 @ Sunken Diamond): The
Gauchos scored two in the top of the seventh to clinch its second straight win.
The Gauchos led 8-3 after three, but Stanford bounced back with two in the fifth
and three in the sixth to tie it. Sophomore Jody Gerut (Villa Park,
IL/Willowbrook HS) had two runs scored and two RBI to lead the Stanford offense.
Game #17 - Stanford 12, UC Santa Barbara 7 (Feb. 23 @ Sunken Diamond): The
Cardinal rallied from a 6-0 deficit to avoid the series sweep. Stanford trailed
7-5 after six, but broke the game open with seven runs in the bottom of the
seventh. Sophomore Josh Hochgesang (Fullerton, CA/Sunny Hills HS) went 3-for-5
with a homer, three runs scored and two RBI, while sophomore Brent Hoard (Los
Gatos, CA/Bellarmine Prep HS) picked up his third win with three innings of
seven-strikeout relief. Game #18 - Stanford 18, Sarcamento State 4 (Feb. 25 @
Hornet Field): Jody Gerut went 3-for-4 with a grand slam and six RBI to lead the
visitors to the easy win. The grand slam was the Cardinal's first of the season.
After the Hornets took a 4-3 lead after two, Stanford scored the final 15 runs
of the contest, including five in the fifth and six in the eighth. Junior Joe
Kilburg (Bay Village, OH/Bay Village HS), sophomore John Salter (Laverne,
CA/Damien HS) and Josh Hochgesang all homered for the Cardinal.
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 (Kingwood,
TX/Kingwood HS) and Chad Hutchinson (Del Mar, CA/Torrey Pines HS) were First
Team Freshman All-Ameri-cans 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 selections. Stanford also had two players - second baseman
Dallimore and designated hitter Jon Schaeffer (Tarzana, CA/Harvard-Westlake HS)
- selected to the West Region All-Tournament Team. Stanford had a
conference-high six players selected to the Pac-10 All-Academic Team, with Cale
Carter, Luke Quaccia (Oakdale, CA/Modsto JC/Oakldale HS) and Brendan Sullivan
being named to the first team, Jay Pecci (Novato, CA/San Marin HS) and Eric Sees
the second team and Jon Schaeffer honorable mention.
PETERSON CLOSES IN ON HISTORY
In just two-plus seasons, Kyle Peterson has
already established himself as one of the best pitchers in Stanford history. And
on Friday, February 7 against Fresno State, Peterson showed why. The junior
right-hander threw a complete game four-hitter while striking out 17 and walking
none in the Cardinal's 6-1 win. The 17 strikeouts is the most by a Cardinal
since Steve Dunning fanned 18 in a game in 1970. For the effort, Peterson was
named as one of Collegiate Baseball's National Players of the Week. The Elkhorn,
Nebraska native is 26-7 with a 3.39 ERA, and ranks on three of Stanford's career
top 10 lists (wins, winning percent-age and strikeouts) and four single season
top 10 lists (wins, winning percentage, innings pitched and strikeouts). To put
it in perspective, Peterson just passed the Baltimore Orioles' Mike Mussina
(1988-90) on Stanford's all-time win list. The junior is currently tied for
sixth in Stanford history with 26 career wins, which puts him 11 behind all-time
leader Jeff Ballard (1982-85) and nine behind second place Jack McDowell
(1985-87). He is also ninth on the career strikeout list with 256, and is just
81 behind all-time leader McDowell. 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 campaign 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/ quarterback 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 confer-ence 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.
Hutchinson has appeared in five games this season, and is 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in
23.1 innings. 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 of 1996 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. Kilburg's hot hitting has continued
into 1997. Kilburg is batting .438 (32-for-73) with two homer and 17 RBI, while
splitting time defenively between second base and right field.
GERUT FOLLOWING UP ON FRESHMAN SUCCESS
Sophomore center fielder Jody Gerut
continues to emerge as one of both the top offensive and defensive players in
the Pac-10. The speedy center fielder is hitting .413 in 18 games with three
homers and a team-high 27 RBI. Gerut is also second on the team in runs scored
(20) and first in RBI (27). Gerut drove in six runs in a game for the second
time in his career in Tuesday's 18- 4 win at Sacramento State. In that contest,
Gerut went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a grand slam. A Third Team
Preseason All-American selection by Baseball America, Gerut was an Honorable
Mention Freshman All-American selection by Collegiate Baseball in 1996.
IN SHORT
Here's a quick look at just some of the other Stanford players to
watch in 1997. Jeff Austin - Hard-throwing sophomore threw two scoreless innings
of relief in Tuesday's win over Sacramento State. Chris Clark - Enetered the
season with just one career homer, but has hit four in 17 games in 1997. Tony
Cogan - Sophomore closer has emerged as one of the top relief pitchers in the
Pac-10, and is 2-1 with a 0.42 ERA entering the weekend. John Gall - Went
5-for-5, including his second homer of the year, in 9-5 loss to Cal State
Fullerton on Sunday, Feb. 2. Brent Hoard - Sophomore lefty has a team-high three
wins. Josh Hochgesang - Keyed Sunday's 12-7 come-from-behind win with three
hits, including a homer, and two RBI. Edmund Muth - Freshman right fielder has
three homers in just 35 at-bats. Jay Pecci - Defensive standout is also hitting
.304 with one homer and four RBI. Luke Quaccia - Starting first baseman raised
his average nearly .200 points over the final two months of the 1996 season.
Jeff Rizzo -Freshman infielder was the St. Louis Cardinals' fifth round pick in
the June 1996 Amateur Draft. John Salter - Hit pinch hit two-run homer in
Saturday, Feb. 1 win over Cal State Fullerton. Jon Schaeffer - Homered in three
consecutive at-bats from Feb. 9-11.
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 15 teams - No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 USC, No. 9 Stanford
and No.158 Arizona State - are from the Six Pac. In the latest Collegiate
Baseball poll, UCLA is No. 2, followed by USC (No.34), Stanford (No. 16) and
Arizona State (No. 17).
CARDINAL NOTES
Stanford has won nine of its 12 games by five runs or more,
including six by 10 runs or more ... Saturday's game with USC will be televised
live by SportsChannel Pacific at 1 p.m. ... Stanford has scored five runs or
more in an inning six times this season, including a 10-run first vs. Saint
Mary's on Jan. 26.
