May 6, 2003

A LOOK AT USF: San Francisco enters the final week of West Coast Conference play in the hunt for the first divisional crown in program history when they travel to Loyola Marymount for a crucial three-game series at George Page Stadium. The Diamond Dons are tied for the lead in the West Division with San Diego at 15-12 league ledgers. USF kept pace in the conference race by sweeping Portland last weekend. For the Dons it was their third league sweep in four weeks. The Toreros swept Loyola Marymount last weekend to keep pace as the Lions have lost 10 consecutive contests. San Diego travels to Portland to take on the Pilots in their season finale.

WHO'S HOT FOR THE DONS: USF has won six of their last 10 contests, despite suffering a home West Coast Conference sweep against #26 Pepperdine April 17-19. In their last 10 contests, the Dons have batted at a .322 clip, while the pitching staff has posted a 5.89 ERA. Senior designated hitter Ryan Sittauer has been surging at the plate, batting at a .419 (13-31) pace with four doubles and six RBI, while junior infielder Joe Jacobitz also has swung the bat very well lately, connecting at a .378 (14-37) clip with a double, homerun and nine RBI in his last 10. Sophomore infielder Royce Fukuroku has also improved, batting .367 (11-30) with four doubles, a homerun and seven RBI. Senior right-hander Bryan Williams posted a 1-1 record in his last three starts with a 4.30 ERA, pitching 23.0 innings, striking out 15. Williams collected a complete game victory against Saint Mary's in his last decision. Freshman right-handed reliever Patrick McGuigan also has thrown well, posting a 1-0 record with a 3.52 ERA and seven strikeouts in 7.2 innings of work. San Francisco has won nine out of their last 14 contests.

SCOUTING LOYOLA MARYMOUNT: USF travels to Los Angeles to wrap up the 2003 West Coast Conference regular season in what has become a crucial series for USF as the Diamond Dons seek their first divisional title in program history. After jumping out of the gate with a 21-12 overall record, LMU has struggled recently, losing 10 straight contests and 15 of their last 16. The Lions own a 9-15 WCC record and a 14-10 mark at George Page Stadium. As a team, LMU hits at a .305 pace overall, led by Jonathan Higashi, who hits .339 with five doubles, triple and 33 RBI. Josh Whitesell adds a .329 average, 18 doubles and shares the team homerun lead of 11 with Jon Oller, who hits at a .305 pace with 15 doubles and a team-leading 35 RBI. Sophomore right-hander Kyle Huddy (4-6, 3.35 ERA) leads the Lions' rotation with 72 strikeouts, while junior right-hander Vince Cordova (5-5, 4.02 ERA) leads the team in innings with 85.0 and rates second in strikeouts with 65. LMU owns a dominating 58-28 advantage in the series since 1985, although USF won the previous series this season at Benedetti Diamond 2-1 (12-6, 9-4, 5-7).

USF vs. PORTLAND SERIES RECAP: USF leads the West Division in the West Coast Conference race after sweeping Portland last weekend at Benedetti Diamond. The Diamond Dons are tied with San Diego, who completed a home sweep of Loyola Marymount at Cunningham Stadium. San Francisco took game one 13-6 behind a career-high nine strikeouts from senior right-handed starter Kevin Annis and a grand slam homerun from freshman outfielder Jonnie Knoble. USF took the tight nightcap 8-7 behind another grand slam - this one from senior outfielder Jason Howard and got an excellent relief appearance from freshman right-hander Patrick McGuigan, who collected his first career victory after striking out three of the four batters he faced. San Francisco took the finale 8-4 on a three RBI day from Howard and a two RBI effort from senior outfielder Nick Tarbat. Four Dons hit better than .400 against the Pilots led by senior designated hitter Ryan Sittauer, who hit .667 (4-6) with a double and two RBI. Sophomore Royce Fukuroku punished the Pilots hitting .556 (5-9) with two doubles, his second homerun of the season and four RBI. Junior catcher Ryan Hanson hit .455 (5-11) with two RBI, while Howard finished at .417 (5-12) with a double and a grand slam.

USF vs. SAINT MARY'S SERIES RECAP: USF bounced back after suffering a home West Coast Conference sweep against #26 Pepperdine by taking to the road for a crucial interdivisional sweep against Bay Area rival Saint Mary's. The Dons outscored the Gaels 24-10, erupting for 36 base hits. USF bats hit at a .393 clip for the series, while the pitching staff posted a 2.36 ERA during the three-game set. Only one regular hit below .300 for the series against the Gaels. Senior right-hander Bryan Williams went the distance for USF in game two Saturday, collecting his team-leading fifth win of the season, allowing just one earned run off five hits. In addition, Williams equalled a career-high with seven strikeouts.

BREAKING OUT THE BROOMS: USF's three-game West Coast Conference sweep against Portland was the third league sweep of the season for the Dons. San Francisco posted road sweeps at Gonzaga (4/11-4/13) and at Saint Mary's (4/26-4/27).

USF TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS DURING LEAGUE PLAY: San Francisco has posted 15 West Coast Conference victories heading into the final weekend of league play at Loyola Marymount. The 15 wins are the most for the Diamond Dons in conference since 1998, when USF posted the most WCC victories in program history with 18.

GRAND SLAMS FOR THE DIAMOND DONS: San Francisco hammered two grand slam homeruns in a double-header sweep of Portland last weekend at Benedetti Diamond. Freshman outfielder Jonnie Knoble powered his first career salami and his second blast of the season in game one against the Pilots, while senior Jason Howard also launched the first of his career in the nightcap. USF has hit 28 long balls this season, three of them grand slams. Junior infielder Nick Cirbo has the other going deep with the bases loaded against Loyola Marymount (3/21).

JACOBITZ WCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: USF junior infielder Joe Jacobitz captured West Coast Conference Player of the Week honors after leading USF to a road league sweep of Saint Mary's College, propelling the Dons into a share of first place in the West Division. Jacobitz went .500 (6-12) with a homerun and seven RBI against the Gaels. Jacobitz is the fourth Diamond Don honored this season, following junior catcher Ryan Hanson (4/11) and junior infielders Nick Cirbo (3/24) and Armand Gaerlan.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: USF will not spend much time playing at Benedetti Diamond the remainder of the 2003 campaign as the Diamond Dons play just one of their final seven games at the friendly confines of Benedetti Diamond. USF swept Portland in the final West Coast Conference home series and host Sacramento State in the regular season finale Saturday, May 17.

ROAD WARRIORS: USF has shown great improvement on the road this season, posting a 12-13 mark away from Benedetti Diamond this season, including an impressive 8-4 record during the West Coast Conference schedule. Last season, the Diamond Dons were a dismal 5-24 on the road, winning just three WCC contests.

MORE PATIENCE AT THE PLATE: With seven games remaining in the 2003 regular season, USF has already drawn more walks (201) than they did in the entire 2002 season (200). San Francisco also has more hit-by-pitches (66) than they did a year ago (54).

USF GETTING IT DONE AT THE PLATE: San Francisco's success during West Coast Conference play has come primarily at the plate. Last weekend the Diamond Dons offense continued to fire on all cylinders as USF leads the WCC in hits (278), runs scored (173), and RBI (161).

DONS WEARING THE LEATHER WELL: San Francisco's defense has been infinitely better this season, particularly during West Coast Conference play. The Dons own the best fielding percentage in the league (.972) and have committed the third fewest errors (30), behind Loyola Marymount (29) and league-leader Pepperdine (28), although the Lions and Waves have played three fewer games than the Dons have.

GAERLAN IMPRESSIVE: Junior infielder Armand Gaerlan shows he is back from a broken finger suffered in the 2003 opening series at UC Riverside. Gaerlan is batting .308 (28-91) on the year with four doubles, three triples, five homeruns and 20 RBI in just 26 games this season. Gaerlan won WCC Player of the Week honors after an outstanding series at San Diego, where he hit .500 as USF took one of three against the Toreros. Gaerlan hit his first homerun of the season, a solo blast to dead center in a win at San Jose State (3/18). Gaerlan was named USF's student-athlete of the month for March after batting .382 (21-55), with three doubles, three triples four homeruns and 16 RBI. This year, Gaerlan leads the team in batting average at .321 (42-131), homeruns (8), slugging (.588) and on-base percentage (.441).

HOWARD SURGING: Senior outfielder Jason Howard continues to enjoy a career year in his sixth and final collegiate season. So far, Howard leads the team in hits (55) and is second in total bases (76). Howard, who had an 11-game hitting streak earlier this season, litters San Francisco's career record books. With 144 runs, Howard ranks fifth in program history. Howard also owns fifth place on the USF career doubles chart with 43 and shares sixth place on the career long ball list with 18. In addition, Howard owns sole possession of sixth place on the all-time hits chart with 201, trailing Jermaine Clark (1995-97) for fifth place on the list. Howard needs two long balls and 15 knocks to crack the top-five in each category.

ROSE TOSSES COMPLETE GAME GEM: Junior right-hander Kevin Rose picked an outstanding time for the second complete game of his career, going the distance at Fresno State as the Diamond Dons defeated the Bulldogs 8-1 at Beiden Field for the first time since the Reagan Administration. Rose scattered seven hits and struck out five for his first win of the season. It marked the second complete game of his career, the first coming during his freshman campaign when he went the distance with a career-high 10 strikeouts against Portland (3/7/01). During his career on the Hilltop, Rose has recorded 158 career K's and needs 11 punchouts for fifth place on the all-time list. Ken Bullock (1977-79) is in fifth place with 169.

HANSON MAKING A DIFFERENCE BEHIND/AT PLATE: Junior catcher Ryan Hanson has been a nice addition for USF this season. A transfer from Orange Coast College, Hanson has big shoes to fill following 2002 All-West Coast Conference First Team selection and ninth round draft pick Steve Booth. So far, Hanson has proved up to the challenge and ranks second on the team in batting average at .318 (48-151) with six doubles, two homeruns and 28 RBI. Hanson was named WCC Player of the Week after leading USF to a road sweep at Gonzaga.

FUKUROKU BACK AT IT AGAIN: Sophomore infielder Royce Fukuroku continues to make an impact for USF. Fukuroku bats .310 (49-158), slapping 11 doubles, two homeruns and 20 RBI. Fukuroku was a 2002 Freshman All-American and earned All-West Coast Conference second team honors last year.

HOWARD'S RECORD HOMER: When senior outfielder Jason Howard hit a homerun in the 2003 season opener at UC Riverside, he accomplished something only a handful of players have ever done by hitting a homerun in six consecutive seasons. Howard was granted a rare sixth year through a medical hardship last season after tearing his ACL eight games into 2002.

WILLIAMS COLLECTS FIFTH VICTORY: Senior right-hander Bryan Williams collected back-to-back saves for USF in game three at Texas Tech and came through in the clutch against San Jose State. Williams' outing against the Red Raiders was particularly memorable as he added an RBI single in the eighth in his first career at-bat at USF. As a starter this season, Williams has posted a 5-3 record with a 5.02 ERA, with a 5-2 mark coming during West Coast Conference play. On the season, Williams has recorded 31 strikeouts in a team-high 86.0 innings of work.

JACOBITZ EMERGING DURING WCC PLAY: Junior outfielder Joe Jacobitz appears recovered from a back injury, which bothered him early in the season. In March, Jacobitz batted at a .345 (19-55) clip with three doubles, two homeruns and 15 RBI, leading USF to a 8-10 mark. During West Coast Conference play, Jacobitz leads the Dons, hitting at a .361 (30-83) clip to share ninth place among league leaders, to go along with 23 RBI. Jacobitz established a new USF single-season record with 85 base hits in 2002. Three-time First Team All-American Tagg Bozied (1998-01) recorded 84 in 1999.

BASEBALL AMERICA NAMES JACOBITZ TOP PROSPECT: In the 2003 preseason edition of Baseball America, a pair of USF Diamond Dons were recognized as the class of the West Coast Conference. Jacobitz was named the league's best outfielder in addition to the top prospect, while sophomore infielder Royce Fukuroku was named the top third baseman.

ANNIS PITCHING WELL: Senior right-handed starter Kevin Annis has been impressive in his final season of college baseball. After being inserted in the starting lineup at Gonzaga, Annis has posted a 3-1 record with a 4.43 ERA during West Coast Conference play. So far this season, Annis (5-3, 3.95 ERA) owns the lowest ERA on the USF staff, allowing 26 runs (24 earned) off 52 hits in 54.2 innings and ranks second on the team with 51 strikeouts.

CIRBO LEAVING THE YARD: Junior infielder Nick Cirbo has shown signs of power for USF this season. On the season, Cirbo hits at a .252 (30-119) clip with 10 doubles and four homeruns. Cirbo owns the team lead in RBI (26). Cirbo, who clubbed seven homeruns during his freshman campaign, hit just one as a sophomore last season. Cirbo clubbed a homerun in three consecutive games, with the streak ending in game two against UC Riverside. With 11 career long balls, Cirbo needs just six to crack the top-10 homer list. Cirbo also posted a 16-game hitting streak the longest of his career this season (2/22-3/22). Cirbo posted a 14-game string as a freshman.

LONG TIME COMING: USF's 8-1 victory against Fresno State was impressive for many reasons, mostly due to a complete game pitching performance from junior right-hander Kevin Rose. With the Diamond Dons victory, San Francisco secured their first victory against the Bulldogs since taking a 13-11 victory during the 1987 season. It was USF's first win in Fresno since capturing a 7-6 victory in the 1984 campaign.

GIARRATANO SURPASSES CENTURY MARK: USF head coach Nino Giarratano collected his 100th career victory on the Hilltop with a 3-2 victory against San Diego (3/15/03). Giarratano became the fifth coach in program history to surpass the century mark, joining USF Hall-of-Famer Dante Benedetti (427), Ken Bowman (209), Dutch Anderson (158) and Rich Hill (139) on the leader board.

USF HEAD COACH NINO GIARRATANO: Nino Giarratano returns for his fifth season on the Hilltop. He guided the Dons to a winning season in 2001, including a 13-2 home record, against the toughest schedule in program history. Giarratano owns a 115-158-1 record with the Dons. Giarratano served as an assistant at Arizona State during the Sun Devils' runner-up showing in the 1998 College World Series. He also posted a 310-122 mark in seven years as head coach at Trinidad State JC (1989-94) and Yavapai CC (1995-96), while being named Collegiate Baseball's National Junior College Coach of the Year three times.

INTERNET BROADCAST SCHEDULE: USF's West Coast Conference divisional series at Loyola Marymount will be carried live on the internet via YahooBroadcast.com. Ryan McCrary will call all the action live from George Page Stadium in Los Angeles. Fans can access the broadcast at www.USFDons.com. In addition to the live internet broadcasts, USF is proud to offer Gametracker, a state-of-the-art system for following games in progress batter-by-batter. Gametracker is available for all USF home games and several WCC road contests, including Loyola Marymount.