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Toreros Set to Take On No. 10 TCU

San Diego baseball's nine-game road trip continues against Horned Frogs at Lupton Stadium

San Diego (5-6-1, 0-0 WCC)  •  No. 10 TCU (7-5, 0-0 Big 12)

Lupton Stadium (4,500) • Fort Worth, Texas

Live Stream • ESPN+ |  Live Statistics  • GoFrogs .com

Social  •  Twitter.com/USDBaseball  •  Instagram.com/USDBaseball

FORT WORTH, Texas — After a hard-fought midweek matchup at No. 25 Oregon State on Tuesday, San Diego baseball (5-6-1, 0-0 WCC) is set to continue its longest road trip of 2023 this weekend, traveling to Fort Worth, Texas to take on No. 10 TCU (7-5, 0-0 Big 12) in a three-game series at Lupton Stadium.

Action will get underway on Friday with a 6:30 p.m. CST first pitch, followed by a 2:00 p.m. matchup on Saturday and a 1:00 start in Sunday's series finale.

All three contests will be streamed live on ESPN+. Live statistics will be available on GoFrogs.com.

LAST TIME OUT
• Despite jumping out to an early 2-0 lead and pushing a run across in the top of the ninth inning, USD dropped a 9-4 decision to No. 25 Oregon State at Goss Stadium last time out on Tuesday evening.

ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS TCU
• The Toreros are 1-0 against the Horned Frogs all-time, with the two programs' lone previous meeting coming on March 12, 2019, a 9-6 San Diego win at Fowler Park.

FOR STARTERS (PROBABLE)
Friday: Redshirt junior righty James Sashin is set to make his fourth start of the season and the fifth of his career when he takes the mound against the Horned Frogs in Friday night's series opener.

• Sashin, a Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts native who spent time with both USD's football and club baseball programs before joining USD's Division I baseball team as a walk-on, has posted a 2.70 ERA through 13.1 total frames so far in 2023, striking out 13 while working around 12 walks.

• He set new career highs in both innings pitched and strikeouts last time out at Oregon (March 3), allowing three earned runs across 5.2 innings of work while striking out eight.

• Sashin's breakthrough performance in Eugene (which saw him walk just two batters) came after issuing a combined 10 walks through his first two appearances.

Saturday: Graduate right-hander Garrett Rennie will begin Saturday's game on the mound for the Toreros in what marks his fourth start of 2023 and the 15th of his career.

• He allowed a season-high six runs (five earned) on seven hits last time out at Oregon (March 4), tying his career high with three walks across 4.2 innings of work.

• Rennie's tough-luck outing opposite the Ducks came a week after he set a career-high in strikeouts against UNLV at Fowler Park (February 26), fanning nine Hustlin' Rebels across six innings of work while allowing three runs (zero earned) and one walk on five hits.

• He appeared in 15 of San Diego's games last season (11 starts), going 2-4 with a 4.01 ERA, 50 strikeouts, and 25 walks in 67.1 total innings pitched, which was the second-most on the USD roster.

• Rennie started each of the Toreros' first eight Friday night games in 2022 and threw five or more innings on seven occasions.

• He joined USD in 2020 from Long Beach City College, where he earned 2018 First Team All-South Coast Conference honors and was named both the 2019 LBCC Pitcher of the Year and the 2019 South Coast Conference Pitcher/Athlete of the Year.

Sunday: Redshirt sophomore righty Ryan Kysar is set to make his 2023 season debut for the Toreros on Sunday afternoon.

• The Valencia, California native earned All-WCC Freshman Team Honors in 2022 after posting a 4-1 record and a 5.24 ERA across 56.2 innings, which marked the third-most innings pitched on the San Diego roster.

• He struck out 52 batters against 25 walks that year, and saw action both in the WCC Tournament against Portland (4.2 IP, 4 ER), and in the NCAA Corvallis Regional opposite No. 25 Oregon State (2 IP, 4 ER).

• Kysar joined the Toreros from the University of Arizona, where he redshirted in 2021.

ROAD WARRIORS
• After a seven-game season-opening homestand that saw it go 5-1-1 against Nebraska, Hawaii, and UNLV, San Diego is currently in the midst of its longest road trip of the 2023 season, one that spans 11 days, nine games, four cities, three states, and 3,691 miles, comprising the majority of USD's non-conference schedule this year.

• The Toreros began the trip this past weekend with four games at Oregon (March 2-5) before continuing north for Tuesday night's midweek matchup at No. 25 Oregon State.

• One last away contest will await the Toreros next week when they finally return to California on March 14 after three games in Fort Worth, Texas against TCU— a Tuesday night matchup at UCLA.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Freshman Infielder/Designated Hitter Jack Gurevitch:
• Celebrated his 19th birthday on Thursday (March 9).

• Has a team-high .313 (5-for-16) road batting average this season.

• Enters Friday night's action on a five-game hit streak that dates back to February 27 versus UC Irvine at Fowler Park, is
batting .333 in that span.

• Recorded his first multi-hit game and his second double of the season on Tuesday night at No. 25 Oregon State with a 2-for-4 performance.

• Hit the first college pitch he saw for a pinch-hit, eighth-inning, two-RBI double on Opening Night versus Nebraska (February 17).

• Attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, where he batted .357 as a senior with 41 hits and led the Knights to a 25-9-1 record and a CIF Championship game appearance in his senior year.

Sophomore Shortstop Justin DeCriscio
• Leads USD with a .326 batting average through all 12 of the Toreros' games thus far in 2023; has a hit in all but two of them.

• Has recorded hit streaks of six (February 19 - March 2) and three games (March 4 - Present) this season.

• Notched his second multi-hit game of the year on Tuesday with a 2-for-3 evening at No. 25 Oregon State that saw him come around to score a run.

• Tied his career high with three hits on February 24 versus Hawaii.

• Won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award as a senior at Orange Lutheran High School (California) in 2021.

Junior Third Baseman/Outfielder Jack Costello:
• Leads the San Diego offense with six home runs and 19 RBIs so far in 2023.

• His ten walks are tied for first among his teammates and his .318 (14-for-44) batting average is second.

• .267 (4-for-15) batting average through five road games is tied for the second-highest on the USD roster.

• Hit five home runs across three games at Fowler Park from February 20th - February 26, including two homers in back-to-back contests against both Nebraska (February 20) and Hawaii (February 24) and one more on February 26 opposite UNLV.

Costello's homers so far this season have included:        
  • A go-ahead grand slam (February 20 vs. Nebraska)
  • A game-tying three-run shot (February 20 vs. Nebraska)
  • A go-ahead two-run shot (February 26 vs. UNLV)
  • A go-ahead solo shot (March 2 at Oregon)
• Also notched a walk-off single against UNLV on February 26.

• Was named both the NCAA National and the West Coast Conference Player of the Week on February 27, earned his second consecutive All-WCC Preseason Team selection last month.

• Earned WCC All-Tournament Team honors and was an WCC All-Academic Honorable Mention in 2022 after powering San Diego to the WCC Tournament Championship with a go-ahead two-RBI single and a go-ahead solo home run in San Diego's 15-12 extra-innings win over Gonzaga at Banner Island Ballpark.

• Was named a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American, an All-WCC Freshman Team selection, and an All-WCC Honorable Mention after his college debut in 2021.

Junior Utility Player Angelo Peraza
• Is batting .316 (12-for-38) with 12 runs scored, a double, two home runs, eight RBIs, a tied-for-team-high 10 walks, and four hit by pitches in 2023.

• Batting average ranks third on USD roster, hit by pitches are second.

• Has three stolen bases in three attempts so far this season.

• Went 1-for-2 on Tuesday at No. 25 Oregon State with two RBIs — both were sacrifice flies that drove in junior center fielder Dustin Allen from third.

• Has notched a hit in all but three of the Toreros' 12 games so far this year, has put together two three-game hit streaks, enters Friday night with hits in back-to-back games.

• Had a season-high three hits and four runs scored on February 24 versus Hawaii at Fowler Park.

• Delivered a walk-off RBI single on February 19 versus Nebraska.

Sophomore Outfielder/Left-Handed Pitcher Austin Smith
• After beginning his USD career 4-for-4 on Opening Night at Fowler Park (February 17), Smith is batting .275 (11-for-40) through all 12 of the Toreros' games so far in 2023 with six runs scored, three doubles, eight RBIs, six walks, and a two by pitches.

• Has posted a 1.93 ERA on the mound through 4.2 total innings pitched (three appearances, one start), allowing just one run on five hits in that span while striking out six, walking none, and earning a save.

• Smith transferred to the Toreros after spending his freshman season at nearby UC San Diego, where he batted .261 (46-for-176) with four home runs and ranked third on the team with a 3.18 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched. He attended local Granite Hills High School, located just under 30 minutes away from the University of San Diego.

Graduate Infielder James Arakawa
• Hit safely in each of the Toreros' first eight games in 2023, was 1-for-2 on Tuesday at No. 25 Oregon State

• Is batting .275 (11-for-40) with four runs scored, a triple, four RBIs, two walks, and a team-high six hit by pitches.

• Transferred to USD last fall from West Coast Conference foe Pacific, at which he spent four seasons (2019-2022) and earned All-WCC Honorable Mention recognition in 2021.

Redshirt Junior Right-Handed Pitcher Ryan Robinson
• Is 1-1 with an even 3.00 ERA, 14 strikeouts, and three walks through nine total innings pitched in 2023 out of the Torero bullpen.

• Began this season with 6.2 consecutive scoreless frames against Nebraska and UNLV.

• Has earned an All-WCC Honorable Mention selection in back-to-back seasons (2021 and 2022), was 3-0 with a  2.70 ERA, 45 strikeouts, and 36.2 IP (26 app.) as a redshirt sophomore in 2021.

• Transferred to USD from Ohlone College (California) in 2020.

• Holds the single-season strikeout record at Livermore High School, previously set by Randy Johnson.

• Had Tommy John surgery, missing his junior high school season (2017).

• Received a kidney transplant when he was 10 years old.

Freshman Right-Handed Pitcher Aídan Gonzalez
• First name is pronounced EYE-DON.

• Shined for the Toreros in his college debut against Nebraska at Fowler Park (February 18), working around a pair of hits with a pair of strikeouts for a scoreless seventh to help guide San Diego to a big 5-3 win.

• Walked the first batter he faced at Oregon on March 5 before a 36-minute snow delay paused the game in the bottom of the fifth.

• Returned after the break and stranded the runner, then came back out and threw a scoreless sixth to complete a career-high two college innings.

• Has six total strikeouts in just 5.2 innings of work so far this season to begin his college career.

BUILDING BLOCKS
• San Diego has held a lead in all but two of its games so far in 2023 (March 4 and 5 at Oregon).

BEST IN THE WEST (COAST CONFERENCE)
• From the beginning of the 2019 season until now, no team in the West Coast Conference has had a better record than San Diego baseball. Combining their 2019 record (32-21), their abbreviated 2020 totals (12-4), their 33-12 mark in 2021, their 37-20 record in 2022, and their 5-6-1 totals so far in 2023, the Toreros are a conference-best 120-64-1 (.652) in that 184-game span.

• Next best within that timeframe are Gonzaga (109-82, .570), BYU (103-81, .559) and San Francisco (99-83, .515).
 
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Players Mentioned

Garrett Rennie

#20 Garrett Rennie

RHP
6' 2"
Junior
James Sashin

#18 James Sashin

RHP
6' 5"
Freshman
Dustin Allen

#12 Dustin Allen

OF
6' 1"
Freshman
Jack Costello

#39 Jack Costello

UTL
6' 1"
Freshman
Angelo Peraza

#14 Angelo Peraza

C/UTL
5' 9"
Freshman
Ryan Robinson

#38 Ryan Robinson

RHP
6' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
Justin DeCriscio

#14 Justin DeCriscio

INF
5' 10"
Sophomore
Ryan Kysar

#30 Ryan Kysar

RHP
6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
James Arakawa

#3 James Arakawa

INF
5' 8"
Graduate Student
Jack Gurevitch

#19 Jack Gurevitch

INF
6' 0"
Freshman
Austin Smith

#24 Austin Smith

LHP/OF
5' 11"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Garrett Rennie

#20 Garrett Rennie

6' 2"
Junior
RHP
James Sashin

#18 James Sashin

6' 5"
Freshman
RHP
Dustin Allen

#12 Dustin Allen

6' 1"
Freshman
OF
Jack Costello

#39 Jack Costello

6' 1"
Freshman
UTL
Angelo Peraza

#14 Angelo Peraza

5' 9"
Freshman
C/UTL
Ryan Robinson

#38 Ryan Robinson

6' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
RHP
Justin DeCriscio

#14 Justin DeCriscio

5' 10"
Sophomore
INF
Ryan Kysar

#30 Ryan Kysar

6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
RHP
James Arakawa

#3 James Arakawa

5' 8"
Graduate Student
INF
Jack Gurevitch

#19 Jack Gurevitch

6' 0"
Freshman
INF
Austin Smith

#24 Austin Smith

5' 11"
Sophomore
LHP/OF