The Chad Kreuter Era Begins as USC Opens 2007 Season; Hosts Cal Poly Before Long Beach State Series

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1 12-Time National Champions Schedule/Results Overall: 0-0 Pac-10: 0-0 Home: 0-0 Road: 0-0 Date Opponent Time/Res. 1/30 Cal Poly 6 p.m. 2/2 Long Beach State 7 p.m. 2/3 at Long Beach State 1:05 p.m. 2/4 Long Beach State Noon 2/6 at Loyola Marymount 2 p.m. 2/9 San Diego 7 p.m. 2/10 San Diego 1:30 p.m. 2/11 at San Diego 1 p.m. 2/13 at Pepperdine 2 p.m. 2/16 San Diego State 7 p.m. 2/17 at San Diego State 6 p.m. 2/18 at San Diego State 1 p.m. 2/19 St. Paul (Japan) - Exh. 3 p.m. 2/20 UC Irvine 6 p.m. 2/23 Tulane 7 p.m. 2/24 Tulane 1:30 p.m. 2/25 Tulane 1 p.m. 2/27 Loyola Marymount 6 p.m. 3/2 at Georgia 6 p.m. 3/3 at Georgia 2 p.m. 3/4 at Georgia 1 p.m. 3/6 UC Riverside 6 p.m. 3/9 at Stanford 5 p.m. 3/10 at Stanford 1 p.m. 3/11 at Stanford 1 p.m. 3/14 Portland 5 p.m. 3/20 Pepperdine 6 p.m. 3/23 Arizona State * 7 p.m. 3/24 Arizona State * 1:30 p.m. 3/25 Arizona State * 1 p.m. 3/27 at UC Riverside 5 p.m. 4/5 at Oregon State * 5 p.m. 4/6 at Oregon State * 5 p.m. 4/7 at Oregon State * Noon 4/10 at Cal State Fullerton 6 p.m. 4/13 UCLA * 7 p.m. 4/14 UCLA * (FSN) 1:30 p.m. 4/15 UCLA * 1 p.m. 4/17 at UC Irvine 6 p.m. 4/20 at Washington * 6:30 p.m. 4/21 at Washington * 2 p.m. 4/22 at Washington * 1 p.m. 4/24 Cal State Fullerton 6 p.m. 4/27 Washington State * 7 p.m. 4/28 Washington State * 1:30 p.m. 4/29 Washington State * Noon 5/12 at Arizona * 7 p.m. 5/13 at Arizona * 6 p.m. 5/14 at Arizona * Noon 5/16 UC Santa Barbara 6 p.m. 5/19 at California * 2 p.m. 5/20 at California * 1 p.m. 5/21 at California * 1 p.m. 5/23 at UC Santa Barbara 2:30 p.m. 5/25 Stanford * 7 p.m. 5/26 Stanford * 1:30 p.m. 5/27 Stanford * 1 p.m. 6/1-4 NCAA Regionals TBA 6/8-11 NCAA Super Regionals TBA 6/15-24/25 College World Series TBA All times local * Pac-10 game FSN - Fox Sports Net (Baseball America ranking at time of game) UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BASEBALL DEDEAUX FIELD LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA TELEPHONE: (213) FAX: (213) BASEBALL SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTOR: JASON POMMIER pommier@usc.edu TELEPHONE: (213) FAX: (213) For Release: Jan. 29, 2007 The Chad Kreuter Era Begins as USC Opens 2007 Season; Hosts Cal Poly Before Long Beach State Series Upcoming Games Schedule Tuesday, Jan. 30 vs. Cal Poly - Dedeaux Field - 6:00 p.m. LHP Tommy Milone vs. RHP Steven Fischback (0-1, 3.86) Friday, Feb. 2 vs. Long Beach State - Dedeaux Field - 7:00 p.m. RHP Ryan Cook vs. RHP Vance Worley Saturday, Feb. 3 at Long Beach State - Blair Field - 1:30 p.m. RHP Brad Boxberger vs. TBA Sunday, Feb. 4 vs. Long Beach State - Dedeaux Field - Noon LHP Tommy Milone vs. TBA All times local All games broadcast on LOS ANGELES The USC baseball team opens the 2007 regular season on Tuesday (Jan. 30) with a 6 p.m. game against Cal Poly at Dedeaux Field. The Trojans will then play Long Beach State in the annual homeroad-home series with USC hosting games on Friday (Feb. 2) and Sunday (Feb. 4) with the middle game played at Blair Field on Saturday (Feb. 3). Friday s game starts at 7 p.m. with a 1:05 p.m. start on Saturday and noon start for Super Bowl Sunday. SEASON OPENERS The Trojans are beginning their 113th season of play since the program opened with an 0-1 record in USC did not play on a regular basis until 1902 and missed only one year in 1919 when the school did not field a team due to World War I. In the past 20 years, USC has a 14-6 record in season openers. CAL POLY NOTES Cal Poly is 0-3 on the season after being swept last weekend at San Diego. Head coach Larry Lee is in his fifth season at Cal Poly. Five starting position players and nine pitchers returned from last year s club that went overall. The Mustangs batted.259 in the San Diego series with a 7.11 staff ERA. Tuesday starter Steven Fischback is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA (2.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 SO). USC leads the all-time series with Cal Poly by a 13-3 margin. This is the first meeting between the two schools since LONG BEACH STATE NOTES Long Beach State will play its 2007 season opener on Friday against USC. Head coach Mike Weathers is in his sixth season at Long Beach State. Five starting position players and five pitchers return from last year s squad that went overall. Right-hander Manny McElroy was a JUCO All-American last season, going 10-1 with a 1.97 ERA. USC leads the all-time series with Long Beach State by a margin. USC Probable Starters Pos Name (2006 Stats)...Notes C Robert Stock (Freshman)...Baseball America s 2005 Youth Player of the Year will pitch as well 1B Derek Perren (Transfer)...His glove during fall practice earned him a spot in the lineup 2B Matt Cusick ( )...Difficult to strike out; listed on the 2007 Wallace Award Watch SS Grant Green (Freshman)...Listed as the No. 3 Pac-10 newcomer by Baseball America 3B Hector Estrella ( )...Moves to third after being team s starting shortstop last season LF Lucas Duda ( )...At 6-5, he might be the tallest left fielder in college baseball CF Nick Buss (Transfer)...Brings a lot of speed at the top of the order for the Trojans RF Anthony Vasquez (Transfer)...Texas A&M transfer is another two-way player who will pitch DH Keith Castillo (Freshman)...True freshman should see action against right-handed pitchers Bench Roberto Lopez ( )...Should be leading DH candidate against left-handed pitching LHP RHP RHP Tommy Milone (7-4, 4.94)...Started with a 7-0 record as a true freshman last year Ryan Cook (4-4, 5.97)...Sophomore battled mono last year and primed to be a weekend starter Brad Boxberger (Freshman)...Son of USC s 1978 CWS MVP, Rod, gets first collegiate start University of Southern California Baseball

2 National Polls (Preseason) Baseball America 1. Rice 2. Miami 3. Clemson 4. Texas 5. North Carolina 6. South Carolina 7. Arkansas 8. Vanderbilt 9. Virginia 10. Wichita State 11. Tennessee 12. Georgia Tech 13. UCLA 14. Cal State Fullerton 15. Tulane 16. Oregon State 17. Nebraska 18. Florida State 19. Pepperdine 20. Arizona State 21. Evansville 22. Oklahoma State 23. Winthrop 24. TCU 25. Mississippi Dedeaux Field You knew there had to be something special about Dedeaux Field from the day it first opened its gates on March 30, Righthander Russ McQueen threw a no-hitter that afternoon in the first game ever played at Dedeaux Field as USC swept a doubleheader from California. The Trojans went on to win the national championship that year and Dedeaux Field has been their home ever since. The 2007 season marks the 34th season of play at Dedeaux Field. One of the country s finest collegiate baseball structures, Dedeaux Field has continually been improved over recent years with the grandest project taking place before the 2002 season. A $4 million project signified the largest improvement made to the facility as a new clubhouse and players lounge were added on the first base side. Expanded offices for the coaching staff and new Hall of Fame were also part of the project, along with a new restroom pavilion. A new bleacher section was added on the first base side, pushing capacity to 2,500 at Dedeaux Field. With dimensions of 335 feet down the right and left field lines, 365 in the right field power alleys and 375 to the left field power alleys, and 395 to straightaway center, Dedeaux Field is a natural grass field and seats more than 1,800. The outfield fences stand 10 feet high. The lighting is comparable to most professional baseball fields (with footcandle power of 82 in the infield and 71 in the outfield). Dedeaux Field has also been used extensively by the entertainment industry. It has been the site of MTV s Rock-and-Jock softball game and was used in the production and filming of several motion pictures, including Mr. Baseball, The Big Leaguer, A League of Their Own and For Love of the Game USC at Dedeaux Field - Year-by-Year ESPN/USA Today Sports Weekly 1. Rice 2. Clemson 3. Miami 4. South Carolina 5. North Carolina 6. Texas 7. Arkansas 8. Cal State Fullerton 9. Virginia 10. Vanderbilt 11. Georgia Tech 12. Nebraska 13. Wichita State 14. Arizona State 15. Oregon State 16. Tulane 17. Florida State 18. Mississippi 19. Tennessee 20. Pepperdine 21. UCLA 22. TCU 23. Oklahoma State 24. Baylor 25. Stanford All-Time (.686) TROJANS ON THE NET All USC baseball games this season will be broadcast live on usctrojans.com with live video webcasts for home games at Dedeaux Field. A rotation of USC students will handle the majority of the broadcasts while baseball sports information director Jason Pommier will handle selected road games. TROJANS IN THE MAJORS During the history of the USC baseball program, a total of 93 former players have made it to the majors. The 2006 season proved to be a tremendous year for USC as 17 former Trojans played at least one game in the major leagues (Aaron Boone, Brian Bannister, Jeff Cirillo, Morgan Ensberg, Seth Etherton, Randy Flores, Ron Flores, Geoff Jenkins, Randy Johnson, Jacque Jones, Jason Lane, Justin Lehr, Chad Moeller, Eric Munson, Mark Prior, Anthony Reyes and Barry Zito). GO CRAZY, FOLKS! Jack Buck, the late legendary broadcaster for the St. Louis Cardinals, would have used his famous call after the team s 2006 World Series championship which involved two former Trojans. Anthony Reyes set the tempo as the Game 1 starter for the Cardinals, allowing just two runs in eight innings while retiring 17 Detroit Tigers in a row. Left-handed reliever Randy Flores was a key in the Cardinals bullpen, earning the win in Game 7 of the National League Championship series against the New York Mets in Shea Stadium. THE MILLIONAIRES CLUB For the upcoming major league baseball season, a total of seven former Trojans will be making at least $1 million dollars. Barry Zito signed a seven-year, $126-million contract with the San Francisco Giants for a healthy $18 million a year. Randy Johnson was traded from the New York Yankees to the Arizona Diamondbacks, earning over $15 million. Geoff Jenkins (Milwaukee), Jacque Jones (Chicago Cubs) and Mark Prior (Chicago Cubs) also enjoy seven-figure incomes. Morgan Ensberg and Jason Lane signed one-year contracts with the Houston Astros in late January and will make $4.35 and $1.05 million, respectively. Left-handed reliever Randy Flores signed a two-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals in the offseason. Flores will make $800,000 this season and join the club next year when he makes $1 million. USING THE CRYSTAL BALL In Baseball America s annual list of the Top 100 College Prospects, two Trojans earned recognition. Senior right-hander Paul Koss is rated at No. 54 while junior infielder Matt Cusick is ranked No. 80. TOP FIVE RE-KREUTER First-year head coach Chad Kreuter picked up the nickname Ruh last summer after capping the 2007 recruiting class with catcher/ pitcher Robert Stock. Baseball America rated USC s class as the third-best in the nation behind Baylor and South Carolina while the class was rated No. 5 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball. Baseball America also ranked the top five newcomers in the Pac-10 Conference with two Trojans being named: Stock at No. 1 and shortstop Grant Green at No. 3. TROJANS PICKED SIXTH IN PAC-10 USC has been picked to finish sixth in the Pac-10 Conference, according to the preseason coaches poll. The Trojans were slotted behind Arizona State, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA and Arizona. Cal was picked seventh, followed by Washington State and Washington. COACH S CORNER On June 2, 2006, Chad Kreuter became just the fourth head baseball coach at USC in the past 77 years. Kreuter was named head coach after his father-in-law, Mike Gillespie, announced his retirement. Kreuter took the position after starting the 2006 season as the manager for the Modesto Nuts of the California League, the single A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. He spent the 2005 season as director of operations for the USC baseball program after retiring from the major leagues. In a career that spanned 17 seasons, Kreuter played in a total of 944 games with a.237 career average, 54 home runs, 274 RBI and.990 fielding percentage. He started with the Texas Rangers in 1988 and later played with the Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, Anaheim Angels, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Dodgers. His best season came in 1993 with Detroit, batting.286 (107-for-374) with 15 home runs and 51 RBI. During his career, Kreuter worked with top-flight pitchers such as Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Eric Gagne, Kevin Brown, Charlie Hough, Frank Tanana, Bill Gullickson, Walt Terrell, James Baldwin, Chuck Finley, Mark Langston, Robb Nen, Kenny Rogers and Chan Ho Park. He played collegiately at Pepperdine for three seasons ( ). University of Southern California Baseball 2

3 21 Head Coach 1st year Pepperdine CHAD KREUTER On June 2, 2006, Chad Kreuter became just the fourth head baseball coach at USC in the past 77 years. Kreuter was named head coach after his father-in-law, Mike Gillespie, announced his retirement. Kreuter took the position after starting the 2006 season as the manager for the Modesto Nuts of the California League, the single A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. He spent the 2005 season as director of operations for the USC baseball program after retiring from the major leagues. In a career that spanned 17 seasons, Kreuter played in a total of 944 games with a.237 career average, 54 home runs, 274 RBI and.990 fielding percentage. He started with the Texas Rangers in 1988 and later played with the Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, Anaheim Angels, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Dodgers. His best season came in 1993 with Detroit, batting.286 (107-for-374) with 15 home runs and 51 RBI. During his career, Kreuter worked with top-flight pitchers such as Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Eric Gagne, Kevin Brown, Charlie Hough, Frank Tanana, Bill Gullickson, Walt Terrell, James Baldwin, Chuck Finley, Mark Langston, Robb Nen, Kenny Rogers and Chan Ho Park. He played collegiately at Pepperdine for three seasons ( ). While there, he participated in an international tournament in Cuba in 1984 with Team USA. He was the 109th overall pick (fifth round) in the 1985 draft. Kreuter prepped at Redwood High in Larkspur (Calif.), the same high school as USC football head coach Pete Carroll. Born Aug. 26, 1964, Kreuter is married to Gillespie's daughter, Kelly, and they have two sons, Cade, 15, and Cole, 10. REVAMPED STAFF Chad Kreuter has added two new assistant coaches for the 2007 season, joining pitching coach Dave Lawn, who returns for his seventh season at Troy. Bill Mosiello will handle the infielders after serving as a manager in the New York Yankees farm system. Mosiello managed for two seasons with the Charleston RiverDogs of the South Atlantic League after spending 15 seasons at the collegiate level with Cal State Fullerton, Tennessee, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Arizona State. Tim Burton joins the staff and will assist with the outfielders. Burton, who also teaches in the USC physical education department, has an eight-year coaching career that includes stops at Riverside Community College and Cal Poly Pomona. CUE BALL For his 2007 junior season, Matt Cusick (Mission Viejo/Santa Margarita HS) moves back to second base after playing at third last season. He was named to the 2007 Wallace Watch by the College Baseball Foundation. Last summer, Cusick batted.304 (41-for-135) with two home runs and 12 RBI for the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League. He earned All-Cape Cod League honors and played in the Cape Cod League All-Star Game while having the fourth-highest batting average in the league. He had a.425 on-base percentage and struck out just 12 times. CUSICK (2006) Cusick started every game and earned All-Pac-10 honors as a 2006 sophomore. He was second on the team with a.369 (83-for-225) batting average with four home runs and 35 RBI. He led the team with 43 walks and a.486 on-base percentage. In 225 at-bats, he struck out just 11 times during the season and led the team with 27 multi-hit games, including 10 three-hit games. He had a season-high, nine-game hitting streak from March 21 through April 9 where he batted.471 (16-for-34) with 10 walks and seven RBI. During the UCLA series, he led off two straight games with a home run. His lone four-hit game came on May 13 at UCLA and batted.538 (7-for-13) with a home run and four RBI in the Pac-10 series at Stanford (April 1-2). He hit a home run in a 2-for-4 game with three RBI on March 7 against UC Irvine. Cusick went 3-for-5 with a double, triple and four RBI on March 4 against Georgia. CUSICK (2005) As a freshman, Cusick was the first freshman to be the leadoff hitter in a season opener since Wes Rachels did it in Cusick was third on the team last year with a.311 batting average (70-for-225), earning him All-Pac- 10 honorable mention recognition. He hit four home runs and 35 RBI. Cusick was named most outstanding player at the NCAA First-Round Regional after batting.750 (9-for-12) with five runs, three doubles and four RBI. In fact, he was 9-for-10 in the first three games after a 4-4 performance on June 5 against Pepperdine. He had a season-long, 10-game hitting streak snapped on May 1 at Arizona and hit.439 during the streak. On Feb. 15 against San Diego, he delivered a cue shot in the bottom of the ninth with a walkoff, two-run homer with two outs in USC s 7-5 win. TOMMY, CAN YOU HEAR ME Sophomore left-hander Tommy Milone (Saugus/ Saugus HS) started his collegiate career last season with a 7-0 record as a true freshman. Over the summer, he went 5-1 with a 2.61 ERA and two saves for the Wenatchee AppleSox of the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League. With eight starts and 11 appearances, he threw 51 2/3 innings and allowed 44 hits, 15 earned runs, walked 10 and struck out 36. He also went 20-for-105 at the plate, batting.190 with 11 RBI. Last season for the Trojans, Milone went 7-4 with a 4.94 ERA in 16 starts. In 98 1/3 innings (second-most on the team), he allowed 126 hits and 54 earned runs while walking 21 and striking out 55. He had only one start out of 16 where he allowed more than two walks. He made his collegiate debut on Feb. 4 against No. 22 Long Beach State where he threw four scoreless innings, allowing three hits. He earned his first collegiate win on Feb. 7 at UC Riverside with 4 1/3 innings in relief. He allowed just two runs in six innings with five strikeouts and no walks in a win against No. 15 San Diego at USC's Public Storage Baseball Classic. On March 12 against No. 16 Stanford, he threw seven innings and allowed two runs to get the win and allowed two runs again in eight innings on April 1 at Stanford in the second game of a doubleheader. University of Southern California Baseball

4 IT S ALL BEEN DUNN Sophomore right-hander John Dunn (Torrance/West HS) should be one of the workhorses of the pitching staff. Dunn set the USC single-season record for most appearances (40) last year, going 3-2 on the season with a 4.00 ERA. In 63 innings, Dunn allowed 58 hits, walked 32 and struck out 33 with opponents batting.258 against him. He allowed only one home run in 225 at-bats against him and did not allow a run in 16 2/3 innings from Feb. 7 through March 4. He recorded 3 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits, on May 16 at Pepperdine and struck out four in two innings of work on May 14 at UCLA. He earned the Pac-10 win in the second game of a doubleheader on April 1 at Stanford with 2 2/3 scoreless innings. The Cardinal had the bases loaded in the 11th and 12th innings, but Dunn did not allow a run in the Trojans 3-2 victory. During the series against No. 13 Oregon State, Dunn threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings in two appearances, including a win on March 18 where he had 2 2/3 no-hit innings, to earn his first Pac-10 Conference Pitcher of the Week honor. He threw in all three games during the Georgia series (March 2-4) and did not allow a run in six innings. Dunn recorded his first collegiate win on Feb. 14 at UC Santa Barbara with 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit with two walks and two strikeouts and threw three perfect innings on Feb. 18 against Vanderbilt at the Public Storage Baseball Classic, striking out four. STAR OF THE INFIELD Senior infielder Hector Estrella (Rosemead/Northview HS) moves to third base this season after being the team s starting shortstop last year. Last summer, Estrella earned all-tournament honors with the Santa Barbara Foresters squad that won the 2006 NBC World Series in Wichita, Kansas. The Foresters went undefeated and beat the Derby (KS) Twins, 8-7, in the championship on Saturday for the team's first-ever title in the 16-day tournament. He went 2-for-5 in the championship with an RBI and finished the summer with a.380 average (76-for-200) with 40 RBI and a team-leading 24 stolen bases. ESTRELLA (2006) As the team's starting shortstop in 56 of 58 games, Estrella batted.289 (57-for-197) with three home runs and 30 RBI as a 2006 junior. He also had 14 doubles and two triples. He went 5-for-11 (.455) with a double, triple and solo home run in the Florida International series (Feb ). He recorded a season-high 13-game hitting streak snapped on April 14 at No. 13 Arizona State. On April 11 against UC Riverside, he went 2-for-5 with a grand slam and four RBI in the Trojans 17-9 victory. He had two doubles in a 2-for-4 night on May 10 at No. 2 Cal State Fullerton and went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI on May 12 at UCLA. He finished the season with a streak of hitting safely in 13 of the team's final 14 games. ESTRELLA (2004 and 2005) Estrella batted.271 (51-for-188) in his 2005 sophomore season with three home runs and 28 RBI, earning him All-Pac-10 honorable mention recognition. He earned NCAA First-Round Regional All- Tournament honors after batting.222, but playing spectacular defense. On April 29 in a 13-0 shutout at No. 9/10 Arizona, he went 4-for-5 including a two-run triple. He had a career-high five RBI, along with a home run, on April 20 at No. 2 Cal State Fullerton with all five runs coming off Fullerton ace Ricky Romero. Estrella s tworun homer in the second inning held up in a 2-1 win on April 1 at Washington. He made 16 starts in 27 games and batted.216 (11-for-51) with six RBI and three stolen bases as a 2004 freshman. THE DUDE Junior Lucas Duda (Riverside/Arlington HS) makes the switch to left field after two seasons at first base. Over the summer, he batted.273 (59-for- 216) with eight home runs, 12 doubles and 49 RBI for the Alexandria Beetles of the Northwoods League. He was named as a Northwoods League All-Star and also earned the Silver Glove Award at first base. Last season for the Trojans, Duda appeared in 54 games as a 2006 sophomore. He batted.298 (57-for-191) with three home runs and 36 RBI. He also stole four bases in six attempts. He recorded a 4- for-9 day with two doubles, a triple and two RBI in the doubleheader at Stanford on April 1 and went 6-for-12 with four RBI in the Stanford series (March 10-12). On March 4 against Georgia, he went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI with his home run tying the game at eight apiece in the fifth, leading to a win. He clubbed his first homer of the season on Feb. 4 against Long Beach State and had a four-hit game on Feb. 7 at UC Riverside. In his 2005 freshman season, he played at first base and also was a designated hitter before suffering a left wrist injury on March 25 against Arizona State. Duda did not play again until April 26 against Loyola Marymount. He finished with a.208 (16-for-77) average with a home run and 11 RBI. Duda was the 2004 CIF-SS Division I Player of the Year and earned the save in Arlington s 4-3 win over Long Beach Wilson (against current USC teammates Spencer Pabst and Ryan Schlack) in the CIF Division I Championship game at Dodger Stadium. IRON CHEF Sophomore right-hander Ryan Cook (Clovis/Clovis HS) will be a valuable member of USC s starting rotation. Cook spent the majority of his 2006 freshman season as a weekend starter, going 4-4 with a 5.97 ERA. In 13 starts, Cook threw 69 1/3 innings and allowed 93 hits with 34 walks and 31 strikeouts. His fourth win of the season came on April 8 against California, going seven innings and giving up two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. His longest stint of the season came on April 2 at Stanford with 8 1/3 innings with only one run on four hits while striking out five. Cook earned the win on March 19 against No. 13 Oregon State with five innings, allowing one run on five hits with four walks and three strikeouts. He recorded his first collegiate win on March 11 against No. 16 Stanford with 5 1/3 innings of work, giving up three runs (two earned) on eight hits. He made his collegiate debut on Feb. 5 at No. 22 Long Beach State and did not figure in the decision after allowing three runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings KOSS AND EFFECT Senior right-hander Paul Koss (Orange/Orange Lutheran HS) had a strong summer after difficulties as a junior in Koss is one of three potential closers along with freshmen Robert Stock and Hector Rabago. As a member of the Chatham A's of the Cape Cod Baseball League last summer, Koss went 2-0 with four saves in 11 appearances without allowing a run. In 13 2/3 innings, he allowed six hits, walked seven and struck out 17 and played in the 2006 CCBL All-Star Game. Koss went 0-8 with a 6.28 ERA and six saves last season for the Trojans. In 38 2/3 innings, he allowed 50 hits, walked 20 and struck out 37. After giving up two runs in back-to-back appearances to begin the season, Koss allowed just two earned runs in 20 straight appearances (22 2/3 innings from Feb. 12-April 23). He threw two no-hit innings against Oregon State on March 19 for this third save of the year. A key save came on April 13 at No. 13 Arizona State when he struck out the side in the ninth to preserve the victory. SAVING THE DAY Paul Koss is fourth on USC s all-time saves list with 20, two behind Dan Hubbs ( ) and six behind Brian Nichols ( ). Jack Krawczyk ( ) still holds the USC and NCAA career mark with 49 saves. KOSS (2005) Koss recorded 14 saves as a 2005 sophomore, placing him fifth on USC s all-time single season list. He went 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA (51 1/3 IP, 39 H, 16 ER, 21 BB, 42 SO). He retired the final 11 batters he faced in a dramatic 9-8 win in 10 innings on June 12 at No. 2 Oregon State in the NCAA Super Regional to earn his fourth victory of the season. During the NCAA First-Round Regional, he recorded three saves with 3 2/3 scoreless innings (four hits, no walks and three strikeouts). He recorded his tenth save on May 15 against Washington State with two no-hit innings. On April 5 against Pepperdine, he allowed just one run in 2 2/3 innings for the save despite facing bases-loaded situations twice. He threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the save on March 24 against Arizona State. Koss retired four straight batters with two strikeouts to earn his third save of the year on March 12 against No. 19 Wichita State. He earned his first collegiate win on March 6 against No. 21 Nebraska, throwing a career-high 3 1/3 innings. Koss earned saves in back-to-back contests against No. 17 Long Beach State on Feb. 12 and 13. STOCK MARKET After bypassing his senior year in high school to enroll at USC in the fall of 2006, catcher/right-handed pitcher Robert Stock (Westlake Village/Agoura HS) will be one of the most interesting stories in college baseball as a 2007 freshman. He is expected to be the team's No. 1 starting catcher, but also has the ability to be one of the team's closers on the mound. As a member of the 2004 and 2005 U.S. Youth National Team, Stock was named 2005 Baseball America Youth Player of the Year after his junior season at Agoura High. He batted.456 with six home runs and 25 RBI while posting a 5-3 record with a 2.69 ERA with a fastball clocked as high as 95 miles per hour. Behind the plate, he committed only one error and threw out almost 70% of all base runners. He also played in the 2006 Aflac All-American Classic in San Diego where he was the starting pitcher for the West squad and allowed two unearned runs in one inning before striking out the side. In the game, he showed his hitting prowess later in the game with a solo home run to center field. He batted.400 with eight home runs in his sophomore season. Baseball America named him as the top player in the nation in his age group three years in a row (age 13, 14 and 15). Along with his Baseball America honors, Stock was named Player of the Year by the Los Angeles Times and earned All-CIF first team honors. His Agoura team reached the CIF Division I final, losing to Lakewood, 2-1, despite Stock throwing six shutout innings and going 3-for-3 at the plate. University of Southern California Baseball

5 GREEN ACRES: THE PLACE TO BE Freshman Grant Green (Anaheim Hills/Canyon HS) becomes the first true freshman to start as USC s shortstop since Seth Davidson in Before his collegiate career, Green was a member of the 2005 U.S. Junior National Team, batting.412 with six RBI and two stolen bases at the 2005 Pan-Am Championships. As a standout infielder at Canyon HS, he earned All-CIF Division I, Orange County Register and all-league first team honors as a senior after batting.453 with four home runs, 22 RBI and 14 stolen bases. He hit the game-winning RBI in the 11th inning of the 2006 North/South All-Star Game. He batted.455 (40-for-88) in his junior season with three home runs, 30 RBI and 14 stolen bases. He was named 2004 Century League Rookie of the Year as a sophomore after batting.430 (31-for-72) with eight doubles and 22 RBI. MAGIC BUSS Sophomore Nick Buss (Clinton Township, Mich./De La Salle HS/San Diego Mesa CC) might be the catalyst for the Trojans on offense and defense this season. He will start the season in center field and as the team s leadoff hitter. Buss earned All-Southern California second team and All-Pacific Coast Conference first team honors as a 2006 freshman after leading San Diego Mesa CC with a.382 (66-for-173) batting average. He scored 30 runs and recorded 22 RBI while stealing 21 bases in 25 attempts. He was selected in the 35th round of the 2006 amateur draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. REMEMBER THE ALAMO Sophomore outfielder/pitcher Anthony Vasquez (San Antonio, Texas/Texas A&M) adds another two-way player to the lineup and will be the Trojans starting right fielder. He played with the Seguin Steelers during the summer as the team finished seventh at the 2006 NBC World Series in Wichita, Kansas. In his 2006 freshman season at Texas A&M, Vasquez went 0-1 on the mound with a 3.78 ERA and two saves while batting.231 (3-for-13) with two RBI. In 23 appearances as a pitcher, he threw 33 1/3 innings while allowing 37 hits, nine walks and 25 strikeouts with opponents batting.270 against him. He went four innings and allowed one earned run on six hits on March 24 against Texas Tech while striking out a season-high five batters. He pitched a seasonhigh 5 2/3 innings on April 22 at Baylor, allowing one run on seven hits with a walk and four strikeouts. Vasquez finished the season by allowing only one earned run in his final 10 appearances (nine innings). PARTRIDGE IN A PERREN TREE Sophomore first baseman Derek Perren (Chatsworth/Granada Hills HS/L.A. Pierce College) surprised the USC coaching staff with a strong fall to earn a spot in the starting lineup. He earned allconference first team honors as a 2006 sophomore for coach Bob Lofrano at L.A. Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. He batted.318 (57-for-179) with seven home runs and 44 RBI. During the season, he had five hits in one game against Valley College, one away from the school record. RIVERSIDE RABAGO Freshman infielder/right-handed pitcher Hector Rabago (Riverside/Poly HS) is one of several two-way threats on the Trojans roster. He was a four-year varsity letterwinner at Poly High where he was a three-time all-county selection as well as a two-time Riverside Press Enterprise first team selection. He earned All-CIF Division I first team honors after batting.437 with seven home runs, 32 walks, 31 runs and 26 RBI in his senior season. He helped Poly to the 2006 CIF Division I semifinals and was the Ivy League comost valuable player and earned all-league honors. In his junior season, he was named 2005 Los Angeles Times Player of the Year for the Inland Empire area after batting.384 with nine home runs, 30 runs and 44 RBI while going 6-1 on the mound with a 2.30 ERA. In 45 2/3 innings as a junior, he struck out 53 batters while earning All-CIF Division I honors as a junior. DEDEAUX FIELD: EXTREME MAKEOVER One of Chad Kreuter s first tasks as head coach was to make Dedeaux Field one of the top collegiate facilities on the West Coast. The traditional red-colored outfield wooden fence has been torn down and replaced with a safer chain-linked fence which is covered by green padding. In June, the batting cages on the third base side will be redone and future plans will add improved lighting and a new video scoreboard. BASEBALL HALL OF FAME On Feb. 1, 2003, the USC Baseball Hall of Fame opened to the public for the first time. The Hall of Fame was the final part of a $4 million Dedeaux Field renovation project that included a new locker room, seating pavilion on the first base side and stadium seating. All 12 national championship trophies are permanently displayed as well as the awards won by former Trojan and current Chicago Cub pitcher Mark Prior during his 2001 national player of the year season. The major league uniforms of former Trojans are also on display. The Last Time a USC pitcher threw a complete-game shutout: Ian Kennedy vs. UCLA, 4/9/05... a USC pitcher had 12 or more strikeouts: Ian Kennedy (13) vs. Kansas, 2/17/06... a USC pitcher threw 10+ innings: Ian Kennedy (10.0) vs. California, 4/7/06... a USC player hit a game-winning, game-ending home run: Matt Cusick vs. San Diego, 2/15/05... USC players hit back-to-back-to-back home runs: Jason Lane, Eric Munson and Dominic Correa vs. Washington, 5/16/99... USC players hit back-to-back home runs: Daniel Perales and Hector Estrella vs. Florida International, 2/12/06... a USC player homered in four straight games: Cyle Hankerd, April 25-30, a USC player had back-to-back multi-home run games: Jeff Clement vs. South Alabama, 2/14-2/15/03... a USC player had home runs in the same inning: Jeff Clement at Arizona (3rd inn.), 3/21/03... a USC player hit a grand slam: Hector Estrella vs. UC Riverside, 4/11/06... a USC player hit for the cycle: Michael Moon vs. Washington State, 5/17/03... a USC player had seven or more RBI: Joey Metropoulos at UCLA (7), 5/26/02... a USC player stole home (not double steal): Baron Frost at Wichita State, 5/21/06... USC scored in every inning: vs. North Carolina, 2/14/98... USC batters had zero strikeouts in a game: vs. Arizona State, 3/30/03 FAMOUS RELATIVE -- Senior catcher Johnny Bowden s great-great-grandfather is the brother of Florida State head football coach Bobby Bowden s grandfather. OPERATION: OMAHA From 1948 to 1978, USC dominated the world of college baseball with 11 national championships in 17 appearances at the College World Series (the 1948 CWS was held in Kalamazoo, Mich., with the CWS moving to Omaha, Neb., in 1949). After the 1978 season, the Trojans went through a drought and did not return to Omaha until 1995, when Troy reached the national championship game. Since 1995, the Trojans have made four trips to Omaha ( ), winning their 12th CWS title in USC has the second-most wins (74) at the CWS and is third for most appearances (21). The Trojans also have the highest winning percentage for all teams (.740) that have played at least 20 games at the CWS. University of Southern California Baseball

6 USC Baseball - By The Numbers 1 - Rod Dedeaux s jersey number, the only retired USC baseball jersey 2 - Number of coaches on the USC staff who have been a manager at the minor league level (Chad Kreuter and Bill Mosiello). 3 - National Players of the Year (Mark McGwire in 1984, Seth Etherton in 1998 and Mark Prior in 2001) 3 - Ranking of USC s 2007 recruiting class in the nation by Baseball America 5 - Consecutive national championships that USC won from Times since 1995 that a Trojan player has been selected in the top ten overall picks in the major league baseball draft (Geoff Jenkins, 9th in 1995; Eric Munson, 3rd in 1999; Barry Zito, 9th in 1999; Mark Prior, 2nd in 2001 and Jeff Clement, 3rd in 2005) 8 - Pac-10 Pitchers of the Year since 1991 with Ian Kennedy being the most recent in National championships in USC history Number of U.S. National Team participations by USC players. Ian Kennedy was the most recent in 2005 and five players, including Kennedy, have played in back-to-back seasons Number of former Trojans who played at least one game during the 2006 major league baseball season 20 - Career saves by senior right-hander Paul Koss, fourth alltime at USC College World Series appearances 26 - Number of 40-win seasons for USC since Number of seasons (beginning at the start of the 2007 season) since Dedeaux Field opened in Conference championships 40 - NCAA Tournament appearances Approximate value of 2007 major league contracts (in millions) held by seven former Trojans. Barry Zito will make $18 million this season while Randy Johnson will make over $15 million Career home runs at USC by Mark McGwire, a school record 74 - College World Series victories Number of years spanning three head coaches at USC since 1930 (Sam Barry from 1930 through 1942, Rod Dedeaux from 1942 to 1986 and Mike Gillespie from 1987 through 2006) 91 - Total number of All-America first team selections in USC history 93 - Trojans who have played in the major leagues 95 - Top velocity recorded by freshman Robert Stock when he is on the mound Percentage of votes received by Tom Seaver for his 1992 induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Seaver s selection in 425 of 430 total votes is still the highest percentage in history Total number of All-Americans in USC history University of Southern California Baseball

7 2007 Season Outlook For the first time in 20 years, the USC baseball program enters the season with a new head coach. Former major league catcher Chad Kreuter takes over the helm for the 2007 season, replacing Mike Gillespie, who retired last June. Kreuter is all too familiar with the Trojan Family concept since Gillespie is his father-in-law. He took the position at USC after serving as manager for the Modesto Nuts, the California League Class A entry of the Colorado Rockies organization. His first order of business was to complete a recruiting class which ended up as a top-five class nationally, thanks to the late addition of catcher/right-handed pitcher Robert Stock (Westlake Village/Agoura HS). Stock, who was Baseball America s Youth Player of the Year in 2005, bypassed his final season of high school to enroll early at USC. The news of Stock s decision sent shockwaves through the baseball world and perhaps sent notice to other college baseball programs that Kreuter and his coaching staff mean business when it comes to returning the Trojans to the national spotlight. The Trojans return four starting position players and nine pitchers from last year s squad that went overall and tied for fifth in the Pac-10 Conference with an record. Troy finished the season with an 11-game losing streak, but Kreuter insists the slate is clean for the 2007 campaign. The returners will be judged on their history of being a player, said Kreuter. I prefer to coach in the present and want to know what the players are going to be able to do for me right now. Here is a position-by-position outlook for the Trojans: Coaching Pitching coach and recruiting coordinator Dave Lawn returns to a revamped staff that includes another former minor league manager, Bill Mosiello. Before his stint as manager for the Charleston RiverDogs, the New York Yankees Class A team, Mosiello spent 15 seasons at the collegiate level with Cal State Fullerton, Tennessee, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Arizona State. Tim Burton joins the staff as an assistant coach after eight years of coaching experience at Riverside Community College and Cal Poly Pomona. Catchers Stock will begin the season as the team s No. 1 catcher. He will be tested early defensively, but it s his bat that will make him a special player as he possesses exceptional power. When Stock goes to the mound as a closer or needs a day off, the Trojans have plenty of depth to handle catching chores. His poise and maturity and character are fabulous, said Kreuter. You want your son to grow up to be like him or your daughter to marry him. He is a great kid and very humble. He is a better citizen off the field and that doesn t slight his baseball ability. I would hesitate to say that he is going to be a star right away because he will have his growing pains. Senior Johnny Bowden ( ) proved to be a capable player behind the plate last season for the Trojans, throwing out 17 of 46 base runners (37%). J.J. Owen is another senior who can play as a catcher or at first base. He has hit the ball well and could be in the mix as a designated hitter. Junior Sebastian Salinas made a couple of starts late last season while freshman Keith Castillo (Huntington Beach/Mater Dei HS) adds another bat and physical presence (6-3, 215) to the lineup. Infielders 2006 All-Pac-10 selection Matt Cusick ( ) returns for the Trojans as a junior and will begin the season at second base. With the team s second-best hitting average last season, Cusick proved his value as a player who can get on base. In 225 at-bats, Cusick struck out only 11 times and registered a.486 on-base percentage. Matt is one of the best college hitters around, said Kreuter. He s not a power guy, but a pure hitter. We moved him to second in order to showcase him for the pro guys. We feel that he is a pro guy and one of the things is that we want to teach him how to play second base to the best of his abilities. We want to get him as many reps as possible. Senior Hector Estrella ( ) played at short last year, but makes the move to the hot corner for His flashy glove and strong arm will be a benefit at third base for the Trojans. Hector is versatile where he can play three positions, said Kreuter. It makes us better defensively to have flexibility. He gives us a great defender no matter where we put him. He can charge the ball and make a play on a slow roller, throw on the run and throw from a deep backhand position. Grant Green (Anaheim Hills/Canyon HS) becomes the first freshman since Seth Davidson in 1998 to start at short. With plenty of experience on the U.S. Junior National Team, the Trojans are not worried about Green s ability to play an important position. Grant is a prototypical, professional shortstop, said Kreuter. He is a big and physical player who is quick and has a lot of range. We are excited to have him in the middle of the infield. In three years, he will be one of those guys that everyone will talk about. He will fit the mold of a power-hitting shortstop that has a lot of range and a great arm. Junior transfer Derek Perren (Chatsworth/Granada Hills HS/L.A. Pierce College) is the surprise starter at first base after impressing the coaching staff with his defense. He is short in stature, but can really play with his glove or, as we call it, flashing leather, said Kreuter. He is really smooth over there. He does a great job on ground balls, turning double plays, getting to the bag and picking balls in the dirt. Everyone always wants a big target over at first, but it s one of those things that our infielders know if they miss, miss low, he will pick it out of the dirt. He has the potential at the plate with his power and hitting for average. Sophomore Michael Torres ( in 26 at-bats) will back up Cusick at second base, along with seeing some time in the outfield. Freshman Hector Rabago (Riverside/Poly HS) is similar to Cusick and Estrella where he can play several infield positions, as well as seeing action on the pitching mound. Outfielders The Trojans lost all three starting outfielders from last season, but there will be no shortage of talent with several transfers earning starting spots and one surprising move. --more--

8 2007 Season Outlook Junior Lucas Duda ( ) might be the tallest left fielder in college baseball at 6-5 after two seasons at first base. With the impressive fall by Perren, Duda made the move to left field and has not skipped a beat. He is ready for a monster year, said Kreuter. He hasn t hit over.300 or hit over four home runs yet here, but I always joke with him that he will hit 20 home runs by mistake and I believe that he s a guy that has as much power as any big league guy that I have played with. He just has to learn how to hit. He s coming into his own at the plate and really starting to drive the ball to all fields. He has worked hard at his new position, getting a lot of work done early and late. He is getting his reps out there and become part of what we are excited about in the outfield. He has a plus arm so it adds another dimension to our defense. Center field is an important position in terms of building a strong defense up the middle and the Trojans feel they have found a gem in sophomore transfer Nick Buss (Clinton Township, Mich./ De La Salle HS/San Diego Mesa CC). As a converted shortstop, Buss will be a great left-handed leadoff hitter for the Trojans. He provides a lot of speed at the top of the order, as well as possessing some pop in his bat. Another sophomore transfer will get the start in right field when he is not on the pitching mound. Anthony Vasquez (San Antonio, Texas/Texas A&M) is another left-handed bat in the lineup and his arm adds another two-way dimension. If he is just a pitcher, we love him, said Kreuter. We know he can start in the outfield and do well no matter where we put him in the lineup. Roberto Lopez ( in 44 at-bats) and Spencer Pabst both return to add to the depth in the outfield. Lopez has a good chance to be used as a designated hitter while Pabst s speed makes him a great defensive replacement or pinch-runner. USC also has two additional junior transfers in the mix with Darren Gemoll (San Jose/Stanford/College of San Mateo) and Will Rice (Houston, Texas/Tulane). Pitchers With the loss of Ian Kennedy, who was a 2006 first-round selection by the New York Yankees, the Trojans will utilize a deep pitching staff to offset the loss. It has been a long time since USC has possessed this kind of depth among its starters and Kreuter is quick to point out that there will be daily competition for the chance to be a starter. Sophomores Tommy Milone (7-4, 4.94) and Ryan Cook (4-4, 5.97) gained valuable experience last season as true freshmen in the starting rotation while senior Shawn Olsen (4-6, 4.85) provides another experienced arm for the Trojans. The intriguing thing about Tommy is that he lost 30 pounds in the off season and is probably in the best shape of his life, said Kreuter. Ryan won a lot of big games last year until he got mono and went down late in the season, but he proved to be a big-game pitcher. Shawn had an up-and-down season, but he has shown great stuff during the fall. When he is not playing in right field, Vasquez will see action on the mound while freshmen Brad Boxberger (Tustin/Foothill HS) and Kevin Couture (Coronado/Coronado HS) will get their chance to show off their arms. We have six guys that are battling for the four starting pitching positions, said Kreuter. Vasquez will probably pitch on Sundays or midweek games if he becomes a starter so we have him fresh in the outfield on the other days. Brad and Kevin have arms that are worthy of No. 1 status. I don t want to characterize a guy as a Friday night guy or a Saturday guy. I feel that each and every one of those guys is as good as any one guy so I won t be afraid to pull the trigger on having someone start for our season opener and then throwing a dart at a dartboard for our Friday starter. I don t believe we will lose anything by having any of those guys out there. Sophomore John Dunn (3-2, 4.00) set a school record with 40 appearances last year and showed that he can be a workhorse in the bullpen. Sophomore Anthony Encinas and redshirt freshman Nate Klein both missed last season with injuries, but both are healthy and able to assist the staff. Encinas also has the potential to be a starter as he showed in his freshman season. Other relievers in the mix include right-handers Steve Martlaro and Andy Guy and left-handers David Parrow and Kevin Zelenay. Perhaps the most exciting part of this year s staff is the potential to have not one, but three potential closers on the mound. Senior right-hander Paul Koss (0-8, 6.28, six saves) rebounded from a difficult season with a strong performance last summer in the Cape Cod Baseball League. With the addition of freshmen Rabago and Stock, USC now has three guys who can throw in the low 90s and provide many options this season. We will use those guys at the end of the game, either as a setup or closer, said Kreuter. Those three guys give us a lot of thunder at the end of a game. It s probably unlike any situation they have had at USC for awhile in terms of having three options to close the game or have any combination. Stock is even more intriguing when you consider that he could be the team s starting catcher for the first part of the game and then be used as a pitcher. It just depends on how fresh his arm is, how much he has thrown in a game, said Kreuter. There will be a lot of variables with it. Some days, we may rest him and use him as a designated hitter. He might come in as a true closer, but he is capable of throwing two innings. We just have to forecast and see where we will be and how we need to use him. The Schedule USC faces a schedule with nonconference series against Long Beach State, San Diego, San Diego State, Tulane and Georgia. The Trojans continue their annual nonconference series with Stanford on the road before the start of the always difficult Pac-10 schedule. Arizona State, UCLA, Washington State and Stanford travel to Dedeaux Field while USC will hit the road to face Oregon State, Washington, Arizona and California. Midweek games will include home-and-home series with Cal State Fullerton, Pepperdine, UC Irvine, Loyola Marymount, UC Riverside and UC Santa Barbara. Kreuter is willing to go to his young guns for the 2007 season and knows the potential is there in order to reach USC s annual goal of getting to Omaha and the College World Series. When I was here in 2005, we didn t have the depth that we had this year, said Kreuter. The 2005 team was one win away from getting to Omaha and while you could argue that we don t have players like Jeff Clement or Billy Hart, we have a lot more depth in our lineup this year."