NO. 3 Stanford Leads Six-Pac by Two Games With Six to Go

Stanford University will look to move a step closer to clinching its seventh Pac-10 Southern Division title this weekend when it hosts Arizona on Friday-Sunday at Sunken Diamond. The Cardinal enters the weekend at 17-7, while UCLA is second at 15-9. The Bruins visit Cal this weekend, before hosting Stanford in the final series of the year on May 9-11. Stanford has already assured itself of no worse than a second-place finish in the Six Pac. Here are this weekend's probable starting pitching matchups:

Fri. - Darrell Hussman (ARIZ; 4-7, 5.28) vs. Kyle Peterson (STAN; 8-2, 3.64)
Sat. - James Johnson (ARIZ; 4-6, 4.89) vs. Brent Hoard (STAN; 8-3, 4.29)
Sun. - Rob Shabansky (ARIZ; 8-5, 3.73) vs. Chad Hutchinson (STAN; 4-3, 6.24)

THE RECORDS: The Cardinal has won five in a row, and is 34-13 overall and 17-7 in the Pac-10 Southern Division. Stanford sandwiched wins over Sacramento State 9-3 (Apr. 22) and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 4-3 (Apr. 29) around a three-game sweep over Cal. Stanford won at Cal 14-2 on Friday and 12-6 on Sunday, and prevailed at Sunken Diamond 8-0 on Saturday. Arizona is 32-23 overall and 13-14 in the Pac-10 after winning two of three at Arizona State over the weekend. The Wildcats dropped the series opener 7-5 on Friday, but bounced back to win 6-4 on Saturday and 8-3 on Sunday.

THE RANKINGS: Stanford is ranked 3rd by Baseball America and 4th by Collegiate Baseball. Arizona is not ranked in either poll.

THE COACH: Mark Marquess reached the career 800-win milestone with a 9-2 victory 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 842-446-4 career mark (.653), including a 349-251 (.582) 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 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. Arizona's Jerry Stitt is 32-23 (.582) in his first season in Tucson.

THE SERIES: Stanford leads the all-time series with Arizona 74-45, including a 2-1 mark in 1997. The Cardinal is 71-40 against the Wildcats in Six Pac play. Stanford took two out of three from the Wildcats on Mar. 27-29 in Tucson (W 10-3, L 11-7, W 4-2).

STANFORD'S PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP:
No. Name            Pos. Yr. 1997 stats      
13  Joe Kilburg     2B   Jr. .357, 5 HR, 34 RBI, 8 SB
15  Edmund Muth     RF   Fr. .411, 5 HR, 32 RBI, 8 2B    
17  Jody Gerut      CF   So. .362, 8 HR, 59 RBI, 11 SB
24  Jon Schaeffer    C   Jr. .354, 14 HR, 53 RBI, 9 2B
22  Luke Quaccia    1B   Sr. .327, 6 HR, 31 RBI, 15 2B
33  Josh Hochgesang 3B   So. .332, 10 HR, 47 RBI, 15 2B
7   John Gall       DH   Fr. .366, 4 HR, 44 RBI, 13 2B
2   Chris Clark     LF   Sr. .353, 9 HR, 41 RBI, 7 SB
1   Jay Pecci       SS   Jr. .323, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 6 SB
    
Starting Pitching Rotation          
26  Kyle Peterson (Friday)      RHP Jr. 8-2, 3.64 ERA, 99.0 IP
29  Brent Hoard (Saturday)      LHP So. 8-3, 4.29 ERA, 65.0 IP
36  Chad Hutchinson (Sunday)    RHP So. 4-3, 6.24 ERA, 70.2 IP

LAST WEEK IN REVIEW:
Game #43 - Stanford 9, Sacramento State 3 (Apr. 22 @ Sunken Diamond): Junior Josh Koons (West Lafayette, IN/West Lafayette HS) threw 5.0 innings of two-hit, scoreless ball to lead the Cardinal to the convincing win. The Cardinal scored one in the second, six in the third and two in the fourth to take a 9-0 lead. Junior Jon Schaeffer (Tarzana, CA/Harvard-Westlake HS) and sophomore Jody Gerut (Villa Park, IL/Willowbrook HS) each homered to lead the 13-hit attack.
Game #44 - Stanford 14, California 2 (Apr. 25 @ Evans Diamond): Sophomore Josh Hochgesang (Fullerton, CA/Sunny Hills HS) and Jon Schaeffer each hit two homers, and the Cardinal pounded out seven in all in the easy win. Schaeffer hit a two-run shot in the first and a solo shot in the eighth, and Hochgesang hit solo homers in the fifth and eighth. Stanford scored in eight of its nine at-bats to give starter Kyle Peterson (Elkhorn, NE/Creighton Prep HS) his fourth career win against Cal in as many decisions.
Game #45 - Stanford 8, California 0 (Apr. 26 @ Sunken Diamond): Sophomore left-hander Brent Hoard (Los Gatos, CA/Bellarmine HS) threw a complete game four-hit shutout to lead the winners. Hoard, who walked four and struck out seven, went the distance for the first time in his career. Senior Luke Quaccia (Oakdale, CA/Modesto JC) went 3-for-4 with a homer, two runs scored and two RBI for the Cardinal.
Game #46 - Stanford 12, California 6 (Apr. 27 @ Evans Diamond): Stanford hit four more homers en route to its ninth straight win over Cal and the series sweep. The Cardinal outscored the Golden Bears 76-22 in sweeping the 1997 season series, and 46-13 in the three games at Evans Diamond. Jon Schaeffer hit two homers in the contest to give him five in the last four games, and 14 on the year. Senior Chris Clark (Cohoes, NY/Albany Academy) also homered for the third time in as many games. Sophomore right-hander Chad Hutchinson (Del Mar, CA/Torrey Pines HS) went the distance to improve to 4-3.
Game #47 - Stanford 4, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 3 (Apr. 29 @ Sunken Diamond): Jody Gerut's solo homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning gave Stanford the thrilling nonconference win. Gerut blasted a 2-0 pitch over the left-center field fence to improve Stanford's nonconference record to 17-6. Luke Quaccia homered in his third consecutive game for the Cardinal, while sophomore Tony Schrager (Omaha, NE/Yale Univ.) also added a solo shot. Sophomore Tony Cogan (Highland Park, IL/Highland Park HS) worked the final three innings to improve to 7-1.

SCHAEFFER NAMED PAC-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Junior Jon Schaeffer was named Pac-10 Southern Division Player of the Week on Apr. 29 after hitting five homers in the Cardinal's four wins last week. The Stanford catcher hit two homers in each of Stanford's wins on Friday and Sunday, and hit .533 (8-for-15) with eight runs scored and 10 RBI. Schaeffer was also named Pac-10 Player of the Week on April 8, 1996.

AUSTIN, GERUT INVITED TO TRY OUT FOR TEAM USA: Sophomores Jeff Austin (Kingwood, TX/Kingwood TX) and Jody Gerut (Villa Park, IL/Willowbrook HS) are among 21 players who have been invited to participate at the 1997 USA Baseball National Team Summer Camp. Forty players in total will be invited to the camp, which begins June 4. Head coach Bob Milano of California will pick 24 of those players to participate in a 25-game national tour in mid-June and the International Baseball Association's XIII Intercontinental Cup in Barcelona, Spain. Gerut previously played for the 1995 Junior National Team that won the gold at the World Junior Championships, while Austin participated in the USA Baseball National Team Trials in October of 1995.

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 in 1997 he has continued to show why. The Elkhorn, Nebraska native is a career 32-8 with a 3.39 ERA, and ranks on four of Stanford's career top 10 lists (innings pitched, wins, winning percentage and strikeouts) and four single season top 10 lists (wins, winning percentage, innings pitched and strikeouts). To put it in perspective, Peterson has already passed the Baltimore Orioles' Mike Mussina (25; 1988-90) on Stanford's all-time win list. The junior is fourth in Stanford history with 32 career wins, which puts him five behind all-time leader Jeff Ballard (1982-85) and three behind second place Jack McDowell (1985-87). He is also fourth on the career strikeout list with 309, and is just 28 behind all-time leader McDowell. On Feb. 7, 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 in a game 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. He was also later named Pac-10 Player of the Week on Mar. 4 after hurling a six-hit shutout against USC. Here's a look at Peterson's caree stats and where he stands in Stanford's all-time record book:

 
Year     W-L   ERA    G/GS   CG     IP    H    R-ER   BB    K
1995    14-1  2.96   20/18   10  142.2  129   54-47   35  112
1996    10-5  3.71   17/16    2  111.2  105   60-46   41   95
1997    8-2   3.76   13/13    2   99.0   93   52-40   23  102
TOT.    32-8  3.39   50/47   14  353.1  327 166-133   99  309 
CAREER WINS                         CAREER STRIKEOUTS
1. Jeff Ballard (1982-85)   37     1. Jack McDowell (1985-87)  337
2. Jack McDowell (1985-87)  35     2. Lee Plemel (1985-88)     326
3. Lee Plemel (1985-88)     34     3. Jeff Ballard (1982-85)   316
4. Kyle Peterson (1995-)    32     4. Kyle Peterson (1995-)    309
5. Bruce Mignano (1979-82)  28     5. Stan Spencer (1988-90)   297

HUTCHINSON DOUBLES HIS PLEASURE: Sophomore right-hander/quarterback Chad Hutchinson (Del Mar, CA/Torrey Pines HS)has established himself as one of the top two-sport collegiate stars in America. Hutchinson started all 12 games at quarterback for the 1996 Cardinal football team that won the Sun Bowl and finished 7-5, and has been a member of baseball's starting rotation each of the past two seasons. On the gridiron, Hutchinson completed 190-of-312 passes in 1996 for 2,134 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was also named the Sun Bowl MVP after completing 22-of-28 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown in the Cardinal's 38-0 win over Michigan State. Hutchinson is currently attending football mettings, but will not participate in spring practice from Apr. 5-26. On the diamond, the 1995 first-round pick of the Atlanta Braves has alternated between the No. 2 and 3 slots in the starting rotation. He is currently 3-3 with a 6.42 ERA in 12 appearances, including 11 starts. Hutchinson threw a complete game seven-hitter on Sunday as Stanford won at Cal 12-6. Here's a look at Hutchinson's career baseball stats:

 
Year    W-L     ERA     G/GS  CG     IP    H   R-ER   BB   K
1996    7-2    3.51    16/12   4   84.2   86  38-33   33  70
1997    4-3    6.24    13/12   1   70.2   70  61-49   44  82
TOT.   11-5    4.74    29/24   5  155.1  156  99-82   77 152

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 center fielder is hitting .362 in 47 games with eight homers and a team-high 59 RBI. He needs just nine more RBI to break into Stanford's single season top 10. Gerut drove in six runs in a game for the second time in his career in an 18-4 win at Sacramento State on Feb. 25. In that contest, Gerut went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a grand slam. He followed that up with a 3-for-4, five-RBI performance in a 22-13 slugfest with USC on Sunday, Mar. 2. Gerut earned Pac-10 Player of the Week honors on Mar. 4 for his efforts in the USC series. A Third Team Preseason All-American selection by Baseball America, Gerut was an Honorable Mention Freshman All-American selection by Collegiate Baseball in 1996. On March 28, Gerut was invited to participate in the 1997 USA Baseball National Team Camp in June.

IN SHORT: Here's a quick look at just some of the other Stanford players to watch in 1997. Jeff Austin - Hard-throwing sophomore has moved to the bullpen, where he has made 10 of his 18 appearances. Chris Clark - Homered in each of the three Cal games to up his season total to nine. Tony Cogan - Sophomore closer is 7-1 with a 2.17 ERA and three saves. John Gall - Freshman first baseman/designated hitterleads the team in hits with 70. Brent Hoard - Sophomore lefty threw a complete game four-hit shutout vs. Cal on Saturday. Josh Hochgesang -Had career-high 19-game hitting streak from Mar. 2-Apr. 19. Edmund Muth - Freshman right fielder leads the team with a .411 batting average. Jay Pecci -Had career-high 10-game hitting streak snapped on Apr. 12. Luke Quaccia - Has homered in each of the Cardinal's last three games. Jon Schaeffer - Has a team-high 14 home runs, including five in the last four games.

OFFENSIVE UPRISING: With seven games remaining in the 1997 regular season, Stanford is on a pace to record the highest single season batting average in school history. The Cardinal enters the weekend hitting .342 as a club, which puts it ahead of the .337 mark established in 1981. All nine Cardinal starters are currently above the .320 mark. Stanford has already scored 431 runs in 47 games, while the 1996 squad, which went 41-19, scored 435 in 60 contests. Stanford is nine homers shy of the 80 barrier, which has broken by only four teams in Stanford history (1981, 1983, 1985, 1990). The Cardinal has also scored 10 or more runs in 20 of its 47 games, and has a perfect 20-0 mark in those contests. Here's a comparison of the Cardinal's 1996 and 1997 offensive stats:

Year    G    .BA    AB    R    H  HR  RBI .SLG    
1996    60  .309  2125  435  656  56  388 .469
1997    47  .342  1744  431  597  71  397 .542        

PAC-10 CONFERENCE STANDINGS (as of Apr. 28)

SOUTHERN DIVISION
                CONFERENCE            OVERALL
School           W   L   .PCT    GB    W   L  T   .PCT
Stanford        17   7   .708    --   33  13  0   .717
UCLA            15   9   .625    2    36  13  1   .727
USC             17  13   .567    3    36  18  0   .667
Arizona State   16  14   .533    4    31  19  0   .620
Arizona         13  14   .481    5.5  32  23  0   .582
California       3  24   .111   15.5  17  34  0   .333
NORTHERN DIVISION
                CONFERENCE            OVERALL
School           W   L   .PCT    GB    W   L   T  .PCT
Washington      12   4   .750    --   31  17   0  .646
Oregon State    10   5   .667    1.5  28  11   1  .709
Washington St.   7   9   .438    5    12  33   0  .267
Portland State   2  13   .133    9.5   9  35   0  .205
       
       
Nat'l Polls (as of 4/28)
Baseball America (As of Apr. 28)
 1. LSU (41-8)
 2. Texas Tech (42-6) 
 3. STANFORD (33-13)
 4. UCLA (36-13)
 5. Miami (36-13)
 6. Alabama (38-10)
 7. Auburn (39-9)
 8. Florida State (35-13)
 9. Mississippi State (36-12)
10. Oklahoma State (37-13)
11. Tennessee (37-12)
12. USC (36-18)
13. Arizona State (31-19)
14. North Carolina State (38-12)
15. Southwestern Louisiana (36-12)
16. Rice (36-13)
17. Wichita State (40-9)
18. Georgia Tech (36-9)
19. Oklahoma (32-13)
20. Long Beach State (30-18)
21. Florida (31-18)
22. Texas A&M (36-17)
23. Tulane (32-15)
24. Houston (31-17)
25. Cal State Northridge (36-17)
Collegiate Baseball  (As of Apr. 28)
 1. Texas Tech (42-6)
 2. LSU (41-8)
 3. Miami (36-13)
 4. STANFORD (33-13)
 5. Mississippi State (36-12)
 6. Georgia Tech (36-9)
 7. UCLA (36-13-1)
 8. Florida State  (35-13)
 9. Alabama (38-10)
10. Auburn (39-9)
11. Wichita State (40-9)
12. North Carolina State (38-12)
13. USC (36-18)
14. Rice (36-13)
15. Tennessee (37-12)
16. Oklahoma State (37-13)
17. Arizona State (31-19)
18. Oklahoma (32-13)
19. Massachusetts (26-6)
20. Santa Clara (29-16)
21. Long Beach State (30-18)
22. Arkansas (34-14)
23. Texas A&M (36-17)
24. Delaware (38-6)
25. Western Carolina (39-16-1)
26. Southwestern Louisiana (36-12)
27. Cal State Fullerton (29-19-1)
28. Nevada (31-16)
29. Tulane (32-15)
30. Florida (31-18)

Stanford Superlatives
Overall Record: 34-13
Conference Record: 17-7
Home: 20-8
Away: 14-5
Neutral: 0-0
Day Games: 23-9
Night Games: 11-4
On Grass: 34-13
On Turf: 0-0
vs. Ranked Opponents: 12-9
On Television: 3-1
January: 2-1
February: 11-5
March: 10-2
April: 11-5
May: 0-0
June: 0-0
Monday: 3-0
Tuesday: 9-0
Wednesday: 0-0
Thursday: 1-0
Friday: 5-4
Saturday: 9-4
Sunday: 7-5
1-run games: 5-4
2-run games: 5-4
3+ run games: 24-5
Stanford scores first: 22-6
Opponent scores first: 12-7
Leading after 5: 28-2
Trailing after 5: 4-9
Tied after 5: 2-2
Leading after 8: 30-1
Trailing after 8: 2-10
Tied after 8: 2-2

- Stanford enters its 102nd season of baseball in 1995 with an all-time record of 2000-1346-31 (.597).


- The Cardinal have captured two national titles (1987, 1988) and advanced to the NCAA College World Series nine times, including seven appearances in the last 13 years. 


- Stanford has advanced to the NCAA Tournament 16 times, including 13 regional appearances in the last 15 seasons.


- The Cardinal own a record of 306-208 in Six-Pac action (1979-1995) for a league-best .595 winning percentage.


- Stanford has captured 14 total conference titles, including six of the last 13 Six-Pac conference crowns.


- Six Stanford players/coaches have played on the United States Olympic team, including three gold medal winners.


- The Cardinal boasts two NCAA Player of the Year winners (David McCarty - 1991, Steve Dunning - 1970) and three NCAA Freshman of the Year selections (Kyle Peterson - 1995, Jeffrey Hammonds - 1990, Paul Carey - 1987).


- Ten Stanford players have earned CWS All-Tournament team honors, including two MVP awards.


- Stanford has produced 31 All-Americans who have won 35 All-America honors.


- Eighty-two  Stanford players have been named to All-Conference teams, collecting a combined 99 All-League honors.


- Forty-four (44) former Cardinal players have gone on to play in the major leagues.  Last season, 16 former Stanford stars either coached or played at the major league level.


- There have been seven no-hitters thrown by Cardinal pitchers in school history.




			

			
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