TOUGH SCHEDULE - USC again plays one of the most difficult schedules in the nation. Of the 56 games, 34 are against 10 teams that appeared in the Collegiate Baseball preseason Top 40 (Arizona, Arizona State, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, Loyola Marymount, Stanford, Texas, Texas Tech, UCLA and Washington).

PAC-10 PRESEASON POLL - The Trojans are the favorite to win the 1999 Pac-10 title, according to a preseason poll of the coaches. USC had eight of the nine first-place votes. Stanford, voted No. 2, had the other first-place vote. They're followed by Washington, Arizona State, UCLA, California, Arizona, Oregon State and Washington State.

SILVER ANNIVERSARY - This season marks the 25th anniversary of Dedeaux Field, where USC has an all-time record of 545-246-1 (.689). When USC hosted San Diego State on March 30, it was 25 years to the day from when the first game was played at Dedeaux Field. It was a special day, as in the first game of a doubleheader, Russ McQueen threw a no-hitter against California.

NEW-LOOK PAC-10 - From 1979-98, the Pacific-10 Conference operated with two divisions, the Northern and the Southern (as did the Pac-8 from 1972-78). But 1999 brings a new look, with a single nine-team conference. Portland State dropped baseball in the offseason, leading to Oregon State, Washington and Washington State joining the South's six teams. Instead of a 30-game schedule, it's now 24 games, with each team playing the other eight three times.

PRESEASON ACCOLADES - Junior C Eric Munson was the most honored player in the nation in the preseason. First and foremost, he was named Collegiate Baseball's Preseason Player of the Year. Baseball America also named him to its All-American first team. The team was voted on by 23 major league scouting directors, and Munson was the only unanimous pick. In addition, junior LHP Barry Zito was named a Baseball America preseason All-American second teamer, senior UT Jason Lane was named a Collegiate Baseball preseason All-American second teamer and sophomore RHP Rik Currier was named a Collegiate Baseball preseason All-American third teamer.

WHO'S NEW - Though 12 of 26 letterwinners return from the team that won the 1998 national championship, including five starting position players, newcomers make up a large part of the 1999 team. Thus far, seven of the 15 pitchers that USC has used are newcomers, including two weekend starters: junior LHP Barry Zito (UC Santa Barbara and Pierce JC) and senior RHP Justin Lehr (UC Santa Barbara). Lehr has also started at first base and designated hitter. Another transfer, junior Justin Gemoll (UC Santa Barbara), has started at five different positions. Freshman C Beau Craig has started 48 games, freshman OF Brian Barre has started five times and junior OF Chris Ponchak (Orange Coast CC) has started once.

ROSTER NOTES - Junior IF Kevin Schultz, expected to be the starting second baseman, quit the team in January. Junior C Josh Townsend also left the team early in the season. Junior RHP Peter Krogh was advised by doctors to retire due to the broken arm he suffered over the summer.

DRAFT PREVIEW - In the Feb. 15 Baseball America, the magazine printed its annual Early Draft Preview. Eric Munson was projected as the No. 2 overall selection, first among all college players. Other Trojans ranked among the top 100 college prospects were Barry Zito (15th), Brad Ticehurst (65th) and Justin Lehr (93rd). Five of USC's seven fall letter-of-intent signees were ranked among the top 100 high school prospects.

WOOD VS. ALUMINUM - USC was forced to use wood bats in its first two games of the season while the Pacific-10 Conference worked out an indemnification agreement with Louisville Slugger. An agreement was reached during the Friday afternoon game (Feb. 5) while USC was playing Texas, so the two teams began using aluminum in the second game of that series.

1998 RECAP - USC's 12th national championship was won in 1998 thanks to an extraordinary postseason run. The Trojans lost early-round games at both the East Regional and College World Series, but came back to win all eight of the games where they could have been eliminated. After losing the first game of the CWS, 12-10, to two-time defending champion LSU, the Trojans won four games over the next five days, including back-to-back wins over LSU, to reach the final. There they met Pac-10 rival Arizona State, and a slugfest resulted in a 21-14 Trojan win. USC went 49-17 overall and took second place in the Pacific-10 Conference with a 21-9 mark. Among the players not returning in 1999 are RHP Seth Etherton (The Sporting News' Player of the Year), RHP Jack Krawczyk (the NCAA all-time save leader), 3B Morgan Ensberg (USC's first 20 home run/20 stolen base player), 2B Wes Rachels (the College World Series MVP), 1B Robb Gorr, RHP Mike Penney and OF Jeremy Freitas.

USC HITTERS

ERIC MUNSON (#3, C, Jr., 6-3, 220, San Diego)
- Considered one of the very best players in all of college baseball, junior catcher Eric Munson missed 21 games due to a broken bone in his right hand, but has played in the last two contests. The injury was caused at Washington State (March 27) when he was struck by a foul tip while catching. Overall, he is batting .308 with 10 home runs and 32 RBI. Since his return from the injury, he is batting .400 (2-for-5). He is one of 12 semifinalists for the Rotary Smith Award, a national player of the year honor. Munson is No. 4 on USC's career home run list with 39. He has 13 multiple-hit games, as well as nine multiple-RBI games. In the season opener against Cal State Dominguez Hills (Feb. 2), he went 3-for-4 with a mammoth home run and four RBI. Munson hit four home runs in the three-game series against Texas Tech (Feb. 12-14), two in the finale, including a ninth-inning solo shot that won the game. For that, and his .615 batting average and 11 RBI over four games, he was named a National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball on Feb. 15. He went 3-for-5 with two home runs against Long Beach State (Feb. 20). He was named Collegiate Baseball's Preseason National Player of the Year and a preseason All-American first teamer by Baseball America. The Baseball America team was selected by 23 major league scouting directors and Munson was the only unanimous selection. Baseball America also listed him as the Pac-10's "Best Raw Power," "Best Defensive Catcher" and "Catcher/Best Arm." He is a two-time USA National Team member. In 1998, Munson missed a third of the season due to injury but still earned All-American second team honors after batting a team-high .392 with 16 home runs and 56 RBI.

GREG HANOIAN (#25, RF, Sr., 5-9, 170, Huntington Beach)
- Senior rightfielder Greg Hanoian, one of USC's most dangerous hitters, is batting .332 with career highs of seven home runs and 44 RBI. His season-best hitting streak is eight games. Hanoian went 5-for-6 with four RBI against California (April 10), 3-for-5 with a home run against Cal State Dominguez Hills (Feb. 2), 3-for-4 with a home run against San Diego State (March 30) and 3-for-4 against Pepperdine (April 27). He went 7-for-13 (.538) in the Washington State (March 26-28) series. It's important that Hanoian stays healthy, as he was forced to the bench at times the last two seasons with a variety of ailments. In his first three seasons, Hanoian batted .364, good for No. 5 on USC's career list.

BRAD TICEHURST (#7, CF, Sr., 6-2, 195, Los Alamitos)
- Senior centerfielder Brad Ticehurst is batting .276 with nine home runs and 32 RBI. Brad is tied for No. 6 on USC's home run list with 31 in his career. On April 25, he became only the 17th player to hit a home run over ASU's "Green Monster" in center field. Brad had a season-best nine-game hitting streak. Ticehurst went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI against Texas Tech (Feb. 12), 4-for-6 with a home run against Washington State (March 27) and 4-for-6 against Stanford (April 18). He was banged up earlier in the season, missing five games with a pulled groin and four games with a bruised elbow. He was an eighth-round selection of the Texas Rangers in last spring's professional draft, but he chose to return to USC for his final season. Last season, Ticehurst batted .302 with 18 home runs and 54 RBI. Baseball America lists him as having the best outfield arm in the Pac-10.

SETH DAVIDSON (#2, SS, So., 6-0, 175, San Diego)
- Sophomore shortstop Seth Davidson is doing a tremendous job with the bat and glove for the second straight year. He is batting .346 with one home run and 29 RBI. He leads the team with 22 multiple-hit games. Davidson had a 12-game hitting streak (best by a Trojan in 1999) and also had an eight-game hitting streak (six of those were multiple-hit games). He batted .500 (7-for-14) in three games at UCLA (March 5-7). He had a career-high four hits at Texas (Feb. 6). He went 3-for-5 with two RBI against Arizona (March 19). Seth was sidelined for four weeks due to a broken jaw suffered during a practice on January 8 and missed only the first game of the season with that injury. But he pulled a quadricep muscle in the Texas finale (Feb. 7) and missed the next four games. One of the best defensive shortstops in college, Davidson also had a strong freshman season in 1998 with the bat and made Freshman All-American and All-Pac-10 team honors. He batted .333 last season and hit a team-high .387 in Six-Pac play. He was also a member of the 1998 USA National Team.

JUSTIN GEMOLL (#16, 3B, Jr., 6-2, 200, San Jose)
- Junior Justin Gemoll's versatility has been useful this season, as he has started at five positions (all four infield spots and left field). He is batting .295 with four home runs and 19 RBI. He went 3-for-4 with a home run and five RBI against Long Beach State (Feb. 20), 3-for-4 with a home run against Washington State (March 28) and 3-for-3 with four runs scored against Stanford (April 18). Gemoll transferred from UC Santa Barbara and was one of the Gauchos' top hitters the last two years. He was the team MVP last season after batting .351 with nine home runs and a team-high 57 RBI.

BEAU CRAIG (#9, C/3B, Fr., 5-10, 170, Santee)
- One of the top freshmen in the country, Beau Craig earned a starting job immediately at third base but has been the starting catcher due to Eric Munson's injury. He is batting .298 with two home runs and 41 RBI. He went 2-for-3 with his first collegiate home run and five RBI against UC Santa Barbara (April 13), had a 4-for-5 effort at Washington State (March 27) and was 3-for-4 with three extra-base hits and three RBI against Pepperdine (April 27). His second home run was a grand slam at Stanford (April 18). Baseball America named him a preseason Freshman All-American first teamer. Craig was a prep All-American last season at Grossmont High in La Mesa, Calif. He was a third-round pick of the San Diego Padres last summer.

ADDITIONAL HITTERS - Junior 1B/DH Carlos Casillas has started 28 times and is batting .288 with six home runs and 22 RBI. Coming off the bench, he had a solo home run and an RBI double in the final two innings of a 12-10 win at Oregon State (March 13-14). Casillas also went 3-for-3 against Arizona (March 19) ... Sophomore UT Josh Persell has started 14 times and is batting .315 with nine RBI. He went 3-for-4 with two RBI against Washington State (March 27) ... Sophomore UT Josh Self has started eight times and is batting .219 with three RBI. He has played in 41 games, mostly as a late-inning defensive replacement ... Freshman OF Brian Barre has started five times and is batting .240 with one home run and two RBI.

USC PITCHER/HITTERS

JASON LANE (#24, LF/LHP, Sr., 6-2, 210, Sebastopol) - Senior Jason Lane has been on an amazing tear lately and is batting .360 with 18 home runs and 60 RBI (all team highs). He had a recent stretch with eight home runs in seven games. He leads the team with 17 multiple-RBI games. Lane was named the Pac-10 Player of the Week on April 19 after batting .478 (11-for-23) with five doubles, three home runs and 12 RBI in five games, including two victories over then-No. 2 Stanford. He went 4-for-6 with two home runs and six RBI against Stanford (April 18), then had back-to-back two-home run games at Arizona State (April 24-25), giving him three multi-homer games over a five-game period. Lane also went 4-for-5 with two RBI against Michigan (March 3) and 3-for-4 with three RBI against California (April 12). He missed the first eight games recovering from a broken left thumb, suffered on January 23 during practice. Lane, who put together a fantastic season both as a hitter and a pitcher in 1998, got a late start as a pitcher in 1999 and is 1-0 with a 7.24 ERA in 13 2/3 innings. Collegiate Baseball named him a preseason All-American second teamer. Last year as the designated hitter, he batted .332 with 14 home runs and 50 RBI. He was one of the stars at the College World Series, hitting a ninth-inning grand slam against Arizona State and setting CWS records for hits (15) and total bases (31). His nine wins ranked second on USC's staff last season.

DOMINIC CORREA (#6, 2B/RHP, Sr., 5-11, 185, Sacramento)
- Senior Dominic Correa has been one of USC's key players thus far, starting all 53 games and batting .325 with 11 home runs and 43 RBI. He once homered in four consecutive games, including each of the three at Arizona State (April 23-25). He batted .653 (9-for-14) against the Sun Devils and had back-to-back games with four hits in the first two contests against ASU, and picked up his first save in the opener. He went 3-for-5 with three RBI and was the winning pitcher against Stanford (April 18). Correa had a career-best four RBI against San Diego State (March 30). Before the season, he didn't figure to be a starter, but injuries and one player leaving moved him into a starting position. That position has primarily been second base, but he has also played left field and other infield positions. Midseason, he also began pitching in a relief role. He is currently 1-1 with one save and a 2.53 ERA in 10 2/3 innings. Last season, Correa batted .278 as a reserve and did not pitch.

JUSTIN LEHR (#14, 1B/RHP, Sr., 6-1, 200, West Covina)
- Senior RHP Justin Lehr is another standout two-way player for USC this season after transferring from UC Santa Barbara. As USC's No. 2 starting pitcher, he is 6-1 with a 4.30 ERA and has 91 strikeouts in 92 innings. He has won his last six decisions and has a 5-0 mark in Pac-10 play after seven starts. Lehr pitched a three-hit complete-game with 14 strikeouts at Oregon State (March 14), and also earned a save against the Beavers (March 12). Lehr pitched six no-hit innings against Texas Tech (Feb. 14) but eventually got a no-decision. He is used in relief occasionally and has a team-high three saves. He has also started at first base or designated hitter regularly and is batting .295 with four home runs and 25 RBI. He batted .500 (6-for-12) in the Washington State (March 26-28) series. He is batting .419 (13-for-31) when he comes to the plate as the pitcher. A three-year player for the Gauchos, Lehr was primarily a catcher and occasional relief pitcher (1-3 with five saves and a 7.69 ERA in three seasons).

USC PITCHERS

BARRY ZITO (#34, LHP, Jr., 6-4, 205, El Cajon)
- Junior LHP Barry Zito, who joined USC in January, has taken over the No. 1 starting duties and is one of the hottest pitchers in college baseball. He is 10-2 with a 3.30 ERA and has 132 strikeouts in 90 innings (13.2 per nine innings - ranks No. 3 in the nation). His 10 wins are tied for No. 12 in the nation. He has won nine straight starts, including all seven of his Pac-10 starts. Zito tied a career high with 16 strikeouts in seven innings in a win at Oregon State (March 12), matched it with 16 in seven innings one week later against Arizona (March 19) and did it again in a complete-game two-hitter against UCLA (April 30). Both the Arizona and UCLA performances earned him Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week and Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week honors. Sixteen strikeouts are the most by a Trojan pitcher since at least 1987 (as far back as USC single-game records are currently available). He had 12 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings in a win at Arizona State (April 23). He had 11 strikeouts in six innings in a no-decision against Stanford (Feb. 26). He once had streaks of 18 straight innings with a strikeout, and 13 straight innings with at least two strikeouts. Baseball America named him a preseason All-American second teamer and the top newcomer in the Pac-10. He pitched at Los Angeles Pierce JC in last season (where he was all-state) and at UC Santa Barbara in 1997 (he was a Freshman All-American). He was a third-round draft pick of the Texas Rangers in 1998 but elected to transfer to USC.

RIK CURRIER (#8, RHP, So., 5-10, 175, Dana Point)
- Sophomore RHP Rik Currier, who had a terrific freshman season, is looking for similar success with the Trojans this season. He is 4-6 with two saves and a 6.82 ERA and has 77 strikeouts in 67 1/3 innings pitched. Against Cal Lutheran (March 16), he went 7 2/3 innings, gave up one hit, one walk and zero runs and tied a career high with 14 strikeouts. Collegiate Baseball named Currier a preseason All-American third teamer and Baseball America lists him as having the best breaking ball in the Pac-10. Currier moved into the starting rotation midway through the season in 1998 and earned Freshman All-American honors with a 6-1 record and a 5.30 ERA. He placed second nationally and set a school record with an average of 12.62 strikeouts per nine innings (100 K's in 71 1/3 IP).

STEVE SMYTH (#18, LHP, So., 6-0, 195, Temecula)
- Sophomore LHP Steve Smyth has been one of the busiest members of USC's staff in 1999, having pitched in 23 games (eight starts) and picking up 14 decisions. He is 6-8 with two saves and has a 5.76 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 70 1/3 innings. He also has two saves. Steve pitched five scoreless innings against UC Santa Barbara (April 13) to get a win, and went five innings against Michigan (March 3) to earn a win, allowing four hits, one walk and one run while striking out six. Smyth is a transfer from Cypress JC.

ADDITIONAL PITCHERS - Veteran RHP Steve Immel (1-1, 5.33 ERA, one save), a senior, saw a great deal of work his first three seasons and is a mainstay in the bullpen. In his first start this year, he gave up two hits and one run in six innings to beat Pepperdine (April 27) ... A few freshmen have made contributions this season, most notably RHP Tim Petke (0-0, 4.68) of Portland Lutheran HS and RHP Pete Montrenes (2-0, 5.82) of Ocean View HS. Petke went 7 1/3 innings in relief against UCLA (March 6), giving up six hits, two walks and one run while striking out two. Montrenes started and threw six scoreless innings against Cal State Los Angeles (March 9) ... Sophomore RHP Shaun Kramer is beginning to see more action on the mound and is 0-2 with a 8.71 ERA ... Sophomore LHP Ronald Flores (0-0, 5.40) is the younger brother of USC's all-time winningest pitcher, Randy Flores.