April 28, 1998

LOS ANGELES - Senior 3B Morgan Ensberg slugged three home runs as the No. 6 USC baseball team hit seven overall and set a new team single-season record for homers in a 17-10 victory over San Diego State in a nonconference game at Dedeaux Field on Tuesday night.

USC (36-13) now has 86 home runs in 1998, breaking the school record of 85 set in 1984. San Diego State fell to 26-20.

Ensberg went 4-for-5 and hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning and solo shots in the sixth and seventh innings. Ensberg leads USC with 17 home runs in 1998. Junior 1B Robb Gorr hit a pair of home runs and senior 2B Wes Rachels and junior RF Brad Ticehurst each hit one.

Ticehurst's home run was his 10th of the season, giving the Trojans six players with double-digit homers. Prior to this season, no USC team had ever had more than three players in double figures.

Junior RHP Mike Penney (6-3) started and got the win for USC, as he went six innings and gave up eight hits, two walks and four runs while striking out four. The Aztecs used seven pitchers, and sophomore RHP Jeremy Cook (3-6) started and took the loss.

Rachels went 5-for-5 for USC, tying a USC season high for hits in a game. USC scored a season-high 17 runs for the third straight game after doing it twice against UCLA over the weekend.

San Diego State was led by junior CF Jason Pacheco's 3-for-4 performance.

USC hosts UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday (April 29) at 2:30 p.m. in the final home game of the year.

SDSU 000-031-042 --- 10-14-1

USC 014-404-40x --- 17-21-1

Cook, Garibaldi (4), Herrera (4), Hughes (6), Halvorson (6), Eppeneder (7), Aguilera (7) and Rogers, Wickham (8).

Penney, Weibling (7), DiDomizio (9) and DePippo, Townsend (8).

WP -- Penney (6-3) LP -- Cook (3-6)

HR: USC -- Ensberg 3 (17), Gorr 2 (12), Rachels (2), Ticehurst (10); SDSU -- Pelaez (11).