2008 With an experienced and deep infield, the reigning WCC Freshman of the Year roaming the outfield, a strong pitching staff that includes seven upper-classmen arms and key new additions, look for the 2008 LMU baseball team to finish near the top of the heap in the competitive West Coast Conference. Squaring-off against some of the toughest competition in 2007, including five games against eventual College World Series participants and 21 games against teams ranked in the Top-25 at some point in the year, LMU (22-33-1, 9-12 in the WCC) had little room for injury and spurts of bad luck. Unfortunately for the Lions, the injury bug struck early and removed a senior leader and four-year starter, A.J. LaMonda. LaMonda recorded only nine at bats during Opening Weekend before breaking his wrist and being forced to the sideline for the remainder of the season. Just as the Lions seemed to find a groove, opening the month of March by winning six of seven games, including a three-game road sweep of Cal Poly and a road series win over No. 28 Tulane, injury riddled yet another key component of the team. Andy Beal, who threw in six of those seven games and compiled a 1-0 record with four saves and a 1.12 ERA as the Lions closer, was able to throw in just three more games over the course of the season. This year, LMU looks ready to get back on the winning track through dependence on both experienced and newly acquired hitters as well as the arms of both their returning pitchers and fresh fireballers eager to show their stuff. Expecting to be amongst the best in the competitive West Coast Conference, the Lions look to be in the mix for their first postseason bid since 2000. LMU was once again predicted to finish fourth amongst its WCC opponents, securing that spot in the preseason predictions for the fourth time in the last five seasons. Picked to finish fourth in 2004, Head Coach Frank Cruz led the team to a conference-best 20-7 record and the Coast Division title. His efforts earned him his third career WCC Coach of the Year selection and the top place in the 2005 WCC preseason poll. Trying to once again defy the preseason predictions, LMU returns four starters to the field, highlighted by the return of sophomore outfielder, Angelo Songco. A.J. LaMonda, the Lions starting first baseman to start the 2007 campaign, returns for a fifth year of eligibility after injury halted his season early last year. Seniors Michael Glomb and Sean Dovel provide leadership in the infield, while newcomers Kyle Spraker and Andy Preston will be called upon immediately to make a difference. On the mound, the Lions return nine pitchers from last year s staff. Now in his senior year, Andy Beal, junior Mike Kenney and freshman Martin Viramontes are expected to be called upon to provide quality starts for LMU, while many arms, including sophomore Xavier Esquivel and junior Lee Roberts, could potentially see starts throughout the year. When they are not starting, Esquivel and Roberts, along with senior Nate Keadle, juniors Ernie Cho and Steve Connolly, sophomore Jeremy Burrell and a host of first-year Lions, will be summoned to deliver quality innings out of the bullpen. Pitchers Head Coach Frank Cruz and his staff are faced with the task of filling the void left by the draft and/or departure of Brad Meyers, Daniel Macias and Brian Wilson from last year s rotation. LMU returns only 34 percent of the innings from last year, but the coaching staff is confident that the current team of returning arms and new hurlers are poised to succeed this season. One favorite to get the nod on Friday is Andy Beal, who has been used in variety of situations over his tenure at LMU. Mike Kenney is in the mix to get starts on Saturday after appearing exclusively out of the Lion bullpen just a year ago. Martin Viramontes, who is just one year removed from high
school, will likely see time as LMU s third starter and will be expected to immediately contribute quality innings and starts on the hill for the Lions. Praised by his coaches for doing everything they ve ever asked of him, whether it be to start or come out of the bullpen, it looks as though Andy Beal will be asked to fulfill the former role this season for the Lions. After a stellar season as a freshman in which he compiled a 4-1 record, three saves and 40 punch-outs in 31 relief appearances to the tune of a 3.71 ERA, Beal was entered into the starting rotation for the first time in 2006. The Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. native was called upon 14 times to start a game that season, recording a 5-8 mark with a 5.58 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 90.1 innings of work. Last season, serving as the LMU closer, he appeared in 18 games and collected a 2-1 record with a 7.33 ERA, five saves and 20 strikeouts. Already off to a good start in 2008, Beal was awarded the Outstanding Pitcher honor at this year s Crimson vs. Navy series. We are hoping that Beal can stay healthy all year, and we will look to him for guidance and quality starts due to his vast experience and potential at the college level, Cruz said. Cruz is also expecting big things from Mike Kenney, a junior right-hander who has appeared solely out of the bullpen over his two seasons at LMU. Following a freshman campaign in which he appeared in just two games due to rehabilitation of a previous injury, Kenney appeared in 23 games last year. The native of Carlsbad, Calif. finished the season with a 2-3 record and a 9.88 ERA in 27.1 innings of relief. According to Cruz, Kenney had a great summer and we are hoping and expecting him to carry it over into the spring. Our team has experience in the field, and a major part of our success will rely on the pitching being able to step up. The Lions expect immediate results from their hard-throwing, highly touted freshman recruit in Martin Viramontes. The righthander, a 2007 graduate of Bullard High School in Fresno, Calif., earned varsity letters in his sophomore, junior and senior years. Viramontes garnered All-League honors in his junior and senior seasons while earning All-State and All-CIF recognition after his senior campaign. Although it is unclear who will take the mound as the fourth starter in a four-game non-conference series, or as the midweek starter, sophomore Xavier Esquivel, junior Lee Roberts and a host of Lion hurlers could see time in those positions for Cruz. When he is not summoned for starting duties, Esquivel is expected to be one of the strongest arms out of the Lion bullpen in 2008. The hard-throwing right-hander appeared in 28 games last season, four as a starter and 24 out of the Lion bullpen. His 28 appearances were tied for most on the team last season, while his eight games finished placed him second in that category. In all, the native of Chino, Calif. collected a 6.06 ERA over 52 innings of work while striking out 18 batters. In addition, he held opponents to a.270 batting average, tops amongst pitchers with at least 20 innings pitched last year. Esquivel is coming off a good freshman campaign, and with a full year of experience under his belt, we expect good things this season, Cruz said. Roberts made 17 appearances, one start, for LMU last season. The Hermosa Beach, Calif. native toted a 1-1 record with a 6.00 ERA in 24 innings pitched. Entering his senior season, Nate Keadle is also expected to be called upon often out of the Lion bullpen. Keadle appeared in a team-high tying 28 games last year for the Lions, consisting of two starts and a team-best 26 relief appearances, while compiling a 3-2 record and a 6.37 ERA over 29.2 innings pitched. Keadle ranked fourth on the team with 26 strikeouts last year, trailing only the weekend starters from last season in Brad Meyers (85), Daniel Macias (51) and Brian Wilson (45). An all-around athlete, Ernie Cho will be asked to contribute both on the mound and in the outfield for the Lions this season. Cho appeared in six games last year for the Lions, turning in 4.1 innings of work. Jeremy Burrell is another right-handed reliever who could see innings out of the bullpen this season. The sophomore from Hawthorne, Calif. made five appearances last year and finished the season with a 6.23 ERA in 4.1 innings of work. Steve Connolly, one of only two left-handed pitchers on the roster, could see time as a left-handed specialist. Connolly made two appearances last season, accumulating two innings of work. After utilizing his redshirt season in 2007, Greg Meyers is ready to begin his official freshman campaign in 2008. Meyers, the younger brother of former LMU standout, Brad, could see time out of the Lion bullpen this year. Along with Viramontes, LMU has some fresh new pitching entering this season with the arrival of freshmen Chris Eusebio and Brett Williams and sophomore transfer Russell Lowell. Eusebio, a 2007 graduate of Bishop Amat High School in La Puente, Calif., will be used as both an outfielder and a pitcher this season. The right-hander earned varsity letters in his junior and senior years, and was a team captain his senior year, while garnering All-League, All-CIF and All-Area recognition last season. At the plate, he batted.378 with a slugging percentage of.610 and an on-base percentage of.433 as a senior. On the mound, he finished the season with a 10-0 pitching record and a 1.70 ERA en route to guiding his team to the CIF Division 5 championship and the Del Rey League Most Valuable Pitcher award. Lowell transferred to LMU from perennial baseball powerhouse, Long Beach State, after making one appearance for the Dirtbags in 2007. As one of only two left-handers on the staff, Lowell could see quality innings when a southpaw is needed out of the bullpen.
Catchers In 2008, the Lions will have four different players competing for time behind the dish. Of those four, two (senior Sean Dovel and junior T.J. Bernardy) are returning. Ollie Enos, a junior transfer from The College of Wooster, and freshman Matt Koch round out the rest of the Lion backstops. The catching position is very deep for us this season, Cruz said. In addition, each player is very versatile, which allows for the possibility of being able to fit a few of our catchers in the lineup at different positions. Senior Sean Dovel started 55 of LMU s 56 games last season, batting.244 with 22 runs scored, 12 doubles, a triple and a team-leading six home runs. The native of LaMirada, Calif. collected 28 RBI and 11 multi-hit games, including two four-hit games, last season. In addition, Dovel ranked second in doubles (12), third in RBI (28) and total bases (83), and fifth in slugging percentage (.397), hits (51) and runs scored (22) last year. Junior T.J. Bernardy (Corona Del Mar, Calif.) was named 2007 LMU Baseball Newcomer of the Year after starting 17 of LMU s 21 WCC games and batting.250 over that span. His seven RBI in conference play ranked fourth on the Lions, while he finished the season batting.233 overall with 12 RBI and six doubles. Junior transfer Ollie Enos and freshman Matt Koch will also look for innings calling pitches this season. Enos batted.360 with 11 doubles, one triple, a home run, 34 RBI, a.467 slugging percentage, a.419 onbase percentage and eight stolen bases as a sophomore at The College of Wooster before being named first-team All-Conference in 2007. In 2006, he batted.352 and garnered All-Conference honorable mention recognition after finishing with 14 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 34 RBI, a.517 slugging percentage, a.424 on-base percentage and 10 stolen bases. Enos is a very good transfer for us in that he can play all over, Cruz remarked. He is a solid, all-around addition who has really opened eyes so far at LMU and proven that he fits in as a team player on the squad. Koch, the younger brother of former Lion player and coach, Brady, completed a standout high school career at Mira Costa High School in 2007. A team captain as a senior, Koch was a two-time All-Area selection, two-time All-League selection and two-time All-CIF selection in high school. In addition, the 6 0 backstop earned All-State honors as a junior. Junior Brett Mendoza, who is listed as a catcher and could see time at a variety of positions in 2008, played in 37 games and batted.286 overall and.353 in WCC play last year. The native of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. had a pinch-hit walk-off single to beat Cal State Northridge, 9-8, on March 6. About the options at the catching position, Cruz explained the catchers this season each bring a little something unique to the table, and each one offers a big upside. Dovel has been hitting very well so far this year and he seems to have the best bat. Bernardy is a solid backstop who is often considered the best receiver of the group. When he is behind the dish, Enos has the strongest arm, while Koch has shown spurts of power at the plate.
Infield With experience and depth at each position, the Lion infield should prove to be a strength of the team in 2008. Right now there are good battles for the starting jobs at shortstop and first base. All players involved provide tremendous advantages, and no one player has the job locked-up for the season, Cruz said. A four-year player for the Lions at both shortstop and third base, Michael Glomb will likely be called upon to play at various positions again in 2008. In a battle for the starting shortstop position in 2008, Glomb finished the 2007 season batting.283 with seven doubles, two triples, a home run and 20 RBI. He posted a career-high and team-high 12-game hitting streak last season while recording two three-hit games. The team leader with 11 hitby-pitches, his.283 batting average placed him fourth on the squad amongst players with 100 at bats, while he also ranked third in triples (2), fourth in hits (56) and runs scored (25), and fifth in doubles (7) and total bases (70). Glomb also batted.286 in conference play last season, which was good for third on the team over that span. Freshman Jonathan Johnson is the early favorite to start at second base this year. Johnson was a three-time team captain and two-time All-League selection for Lakewood High School in Lakewood, Calif. In his senior season, he batted.446 with one home run, 16 RBI, a.524 on-base percentage, nine triples and 37 runs scored. Proving himself worthy of a starting spot this season, Johnson was named MVP of the Crimson vs. Navy series earlier this year. Johnson is a complete player who we are extremely happy to have in our program, Cruz said. He is a very smart player who knows the game, and as a freshman, he is well beyond his years in terms of baseball knowledge. A duo of transfers, junior Kyle Spraker (Cal) and senior Andy Preston (Purdue), are currently battling for starting spots at shortstop and first base, respectively. Both experienced players at the Division I level, both will likely see a fair amount of playing time this season. Spraker is a quality transfer who redshirted last season for Cal. In 2006, he had 18 starts at second base and five starts at shortstop, batting.164 with a double and three RBI. As a freshman in 2005, Spraker batted.221 with six doubles, three home runs and 15 RBI while making only seven errors in 182 chances (.962 fielding percentage) and turning 31 double plays. Preston batted.267 with three home runs, four doubles and 16 RBI in 33 games last season for Purdue. The 6 4 left-handed hitter spent the summer playing for the Santa Barbara Foresters of the California Collegiate League, where he batted.376 with three home runs, 14 doubles and 51 RBI while helping lead the Foresters to a fourth-place finish at the NBC World Series. Joining Preston in the battle for the starting spot at first base is senior Justin Bunkis. Bunkis hit.254 with a.478 slugging percentage in 37 games, 19 starts, for the Lions in 2007. His three home runs placed him tied for fourth on the team. Both Preston and Bunkis are experienced Division I hitters, and when they are not starting at first base, they have the potential to be used at the designated hitter spot or as pinch-hitters in match-up situations. While sophomore Ryan Wheeler is penciled-in as the starting third baseman for 2008, freshman T.J. Filicia and sophomore Will Dugoni will battle for time at the middle-infield positions. Wheeler, a big, physical, left-handed hitter who the coaches feel has unlimited potential, hit.375 in 13 conference games and.261 for the season, playing in 39 games and making 27 starts in 2007. Filicia, a graduate of Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, Calif., was a team captain his senior year while garnering All-League recognition after both his junior and senior campaigns. The 5 10 right-handed hitter batted.360 as a senior. Dugoni found action in 29 of LMU s 56 games last season, starting 14 along the way. The native of Fremont, Calif. batted.308 with two doubles, three RBI and six runs scored in his 52 at bats.
Outfield Despite its youth, and anchored by the return of Angelo Songco, the LMU outfield looks to be strong offensively and defensively in 2008. With Songco penciled-in to start daily either in center or right, the competition is heating up for the final two spots in the outfield. Along with A.J. LaMonda, a host of freshmen, including Joe Vierra, Michael Lowe, Andrew Irvine and Evan Simonitsch could find innings in each of the outfield positions. Songco, a member of the 2008 Brooks Wallace Award Preseason Watch List and a preseason All-Conference selection, earned 2007 WCC Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-American honors after a stellar campaign last season. The left-handed hitting outfielder led LMU in doubles (22), RBI (33), slugging percentage (.528), sacrifice flies (7) and outfield assists (8) last year. In addition, he tied for the lead in triples (3) and was second in batting average (.321), runs scored (36), home runs (4), total bases (102) and walks (30). In WCC play alone, he led the team in batting average (.392), hits (29), doubles (10), slugging percentage (.635) and on-base percentage (.464). Although he too is just an underclassman, Songco will be looked upon to provide leadership in the outfield. Likely seeing time as the starter in left field or at the designated hitter position will be fifth-year senior and 2007 Baseball America preseason first-team AllWCC pick, A.J. LaMonda. LaMonda missed virtually the entire 2007 campaign due to a broken wrist, but not before recording three hits in nine at bats in three games played. One of the top defensive players in the conference, LaMonda will be expected to help pull weight offensively as well in 2008. As a senior last year at Quartz Hill High School in Quartz Hill, Calif., Joe Vierra was voted All-League and All-CIF after batting.467 with six home runs, 12 doubles, 12 stolen bases, 40 runs scored and 33 RBI. In addition, the 6 3 right-handed hitter garnered Team MVP, Player of the Year and City and CIF All-Star recognition after his senior campaign. Michael Lowe, who could also see time on the mound for the Lions in 2008, was a three-time All-League selection for Jesuit Prep High School in Portland, Ore. In addition, he garnered All-State honors after his junior year and led the Metro League in stolen bases as a junior and senior. Andrew Irvine earned three varsity letters in his high school career at Great Oak and Temecula Valley High Schools in Temecula, Calif. Irvine was named All-League, All-Conference, All-City and All-Area as a junior and senior and was awarded an All-CIF bid as a junior. The 6 2 right-handed hitter batted.330 with four home runs as a senior and.524 with five home runs as a junior. Evan Simonitsch was a twotime team captain and was selected All-League after his sophomore, junior and senior seasons at Saint Francis High School in Glendale, Calif. Simonitsch garnered All-Area recognition after his junior and senior campaigns, while earning an All-CIF bid as a junior. He finished his senior year batting.426 with 22 runs scored, 27 RBI, six doubles, two triples, one home run and 11 stolen bases. According to Cruz, Our goal for this season is to go out and play to the best of our potential. We are hoping to be offensive and play good defense, and we need our pitching to really step-up and provide quality innings. One of our strengths this season will be the depth and experience in the field, especially at the infield positions. If the new players can come in and gel well with the returnees, and both groups can produce offensively, we feel that we can be very competitive in this conference.