May 28, 2012
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The University of San Diego baseball team has learned it will be headed back to the post season for the seventh time in program history. The Toreros will head up to Los Angels for the UCLA Regional and will be the No. 2 seed in this regional playing the No. 3 seeded University of New Mexico on Friday at 3 p.m. The winner of this game will play the winner of the No. 2 national seeded UCLA and Creighton on Saturday at 7 p.m.
The Toreros enter the regional after putting together the third best regular-season in program history at 40-15, and USD finished second in the West Coast Conference with a 15-9. The Toreros offense is paced by Kris Bryant, who is hitting .359 with 74 hits, 16 doubles, two triples, 14 home runs and 57 RBI. Bryant also is bolstering a .660 slugging percentage, while having an on base percentage of .478. The Toreros pitching rotation in anchored down by senior right-hander Paul Sewald, who is 8-3 with a 2.83 ERA. USD has never played New Mexico or Creighton in program history, and the Toreros are 7-19 against the Bruins all-time, with the last meeting coming on May 6, 2008, a 5-3 USD win in Los Angeles.
New Mexico enters the regional with an overall record of 36-22 and they won the Mountain West Conference Tournament for a second consecutive season to earn the league's automatic bid into the Regionals. The Lobos have a high-powere offense that is hitting .333 as a team, and sophomore infielder DJ Peterson paces this offense with a .418 batting average to go along with 99 hits, 21 doubles, three triples, 16 home runs and 76 RBI. On the mound, the Lobos rotation is anchored down by junior right-hander Austin House, who is 7-5 with a 2.92 ERA in 104.2 innings of work. House has recorded 86 strikeouts on the season and issued 34 walks.
Creighton enters the regional with an overall record of 26-28 after claiming the championship of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, posting a 4-0 record in the tournament. The Bluejays are led offensively by first baseman Nick Judkins, who hits a team-best .308. Judkins was one of five Bluejays named to the all-MVC Tournament Team, which was headlined by MVP Mike Gerber (.247, 4 HR, 35 RBI). The pitching staff is led by preseason All-American Ty Blach (6-5, 2.64 ERA), who ranks in the top-10 in program history in strikeouts, innings pitched and ERA. The Jays also boast a deep bullpen with four men with experience as a closer, and all have made 30 or more appearances this spring. Known nationally for its defense, Creighton owns a 3.42 ERA as a team and fields at a .979 clip.
The Bruins have earned their 18th NCAA Tournament berth, and sixth in the last seven seasons. UCLA has gone 42-14 during the regular-season, posting a 20-10 Pac-12 record good for a tie for first place in the Pac-12 with Arizona. Junior outfielder Jeff Gelalich paced the Bruins offense with a .367 batting average, recording 79 hits, right doubles, one triple, nine home runs and 39 RBI. On the mound, the Bruins pitching rotation is anchored down by sophomore right-hander Adam Plutko, who is 9-3 with a 2.79 ERA in 96.2 innings of work.
Tickets for NCAA Regional games at Jackie Robinson Stadium can be purchased online Monday, by visiting tickets.ucla.edu. Starting Tuesday at 10 a.m., fans will be able to purchase tickets via phone through UCLA's Central Ticket Office (310-825-2101). All-session reserved ticket packages cost $80 for adults and $65 for students and youth. All-session general admission packages cost $55 for adults and $40 for students and youth. The student prices apply to all grade school, high school and college students. Pending availability, single-game tickets will go on sale Friday morning.
