Stanford To Wrap Up 2007 Season At USC Friday-SundayStanford To Wrap Up 2007 Season At USC Friday-Sunday

Stanford Returns To Pac-10 Play Versus Arizona Friday-Sunday

Stanford To Wrap Up 2007 Season At USC Friday-Sunday

May 25, 2007

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STANFORD CARDINAL (25-28, 6-15 PAC-10)
at
USC TROJANS (27-26, 8-13 PAC-10)


CURRENT SERIES
Friday, May 25 (7 pm, PT) - LHP Jeremy Bleich (2-8, 5.50) vs. RHP Brad Boxberger (3-5, 2.99)
Live Game Coverage: Gametracker | Webcast (PC Only)

Saturday, May 26 (1:30 pm, PT) - RHP Erik Davis (4-2, 3.86) vs. RHP Ryan Cook (7-3, 4.64)
Live Game Coverage: Gametracker

Sunday, May 27 (1 pm, PT) - TBA vs. LHP Tommy Milone (3-6, 5.85)
Live Game Coverage: Gametracker

STANFORD-USC SERIES HISTORY
All-Time Series: USC 209-160-3
2007 Results: Series - USC 2-1 (Non-Conference at Stanford, March 9-11) - USC 11-8, USC 2-1, Stanford 14-9
2006 Results: Series - USC 4-2 (Non-Conference at USC, March 10-12) - Stanford 7-6, USC 16-7, USC 7-2; (Conference at Stanford, April 1DH-2) - Stanford 9-7 (DH Game 1), USC 3-2 (DH Game 2), USC 6-1
Current Game Win Streak: Stanford - 1 (March 11, 2007)
Current Series Win Streak: USC - 4 (May 27-29, 2005 - March 9-11, 2007)
Current Regular Season Series Win Streak: USC - 1 (2006)
Series Notes: USC is the only opponent on the 2007 Stanford schedule that leads the all-time series over the Cardinal. The Trojans have also had a tremendous amount of success over Stanford recently with four consecutive series victories, taking two-of-three in each of the four sets. Prior to USC's recent resurgence versus the Cardinal, Stanford had been dominating the action between the two clubs. The Cardinal had won the previous seven regular season three-game sets as well as eight consecutive season series from 1997-2004 while posting a 41-14 record in 55 games against the Trojans beginning with the 1997 season and running through the first three-game series of the 2005 campaign.

RED HOT: SIX-OF-SEVEN, THREE IN A ROW
Stanford is currently playing some of its best baseball of the season with wins in three straight games and six of its last seven. The Cardinal started the stretch with a three-game win streak, getting a pair of victories over Washington (May 12, May 13) followed by a win at Santa Clara (May 15) before losing the opener of a three-game series versus Pacific (May 18). The Cardinal bounced right back with wins in the final two games of a three-game set versus Pacific (May 19-20) and against UC Davis (May 22). The pair of three-game win streaks are tied for Stanford's second-longest streak of the year and its longest since the Cardinal won a season-high eight in a row from February 18 - March 4.

PUSH TO FINISH .500
Stanford can finish an even .500 (28-28) and extend its string of .500 plus seasons to 14 in a row with a three-game series sweep at USC this Friday-Sunday. Stanford's last losing season came when the club was 27-28 and failed to qualify for the postseason in 1993.

CHANCE TO GET OUT OF THE CELLAR
Stanford is currently in last place in the Pac-10 with a 6-15 conference record that is 2.0 games behind the 8-13 marks posted by both this week's opponent USC and Oregon State. A sweep of the Trojans would assure the Cardinal would not finish in the cellar. Stanford has finished at the bottom of the Pac-10 just twice in 30 previous seasons under current head coach Mark Marquess, tying for fifth in a six-team league with a 13-17 conference record in 1979 and taking sixth of six teams with a 10-20 mark in 1993.

TWO SERIES IN A ROW
Stanford has won each of its last two series versus Washington (March 11-13) and Pacific (May 18-20) despite losing the opener in both series.

RUBBER GAME WIN STREAK
Stanford has been victorious in each of its last two series rubber games versus Washington (May 13) and Pacific (May 20) after losing its first three rubber game of the campaign. Stanford has played rubber games in each of its last five three-game series after having not playing any in its first nine.

PLAYING WELL ON CAMERA
Stanford has won each of its last three TV games over Oregon State (April 28, FSN), at Washington State (May 5, FSN Northwest) and versus Washington (May 13, CSTV) after losing its first two TV games of the campaign at Arizona State (April 7, FSN Arizona) and versus Oregon State (April 27, CSTV). Stanford does not have any of its seven remaining regular season scheduled to be televised.

SERIES OPENER PROBLEMS
Stanford's 6-4 win in a Pac-10 series opener at Washington State on May 5 is the only time in seven conference series this season the Cardinal has won the opener. Stanford is just 4-11 overall in series-openers.

WINNING MONTH OF MAY
Stanford is in its final month of the 2007 regular season and has a 7-5 record in its first 12 games of May with a three-game series at USC (May 25-27) still on the schedule. Stanford is attempting for a winning month for just the second time this season as the Cardinal was 7-5 in February.

HOT BATS GOING FOR .300
Stanford's late season hitting surge has the Cardinal looking to hit .300 as a team for the first time since 2004. Stanford has a current streak of eight straight double digit hit games and has 17 in its last 19 contests. The team has raised its batting average 26 points during the span to its current .297 and is hitting .339 during the stretch with Adam Sorgi (.442, 34-77, 7 2B, 1 3B, 17 RBI) the club's top hitter during the period.

FIFTH ALL-TIME WINNINGEST PROGRAM
Stanford is the fifth all-time winningest program in college baseball history with a record of 2515-1578-32 (.614) in 4125 games over 114 seasons including 2007. Fordham, Texas, USC and Michigan are the top four.

FOUR FROM STANFORD ON ALL-PAC-10 TEAMS
Three Stanford players -- Sean Ratliff, Adam Sorgi and Michael Taylor -- have earned 2007 All-Pac-10 honors. Joey August added honorable mention All-Pac-10 recognition.

TEAM STATS
OFFENSE - Stanford's offense is its most improved area as the Cardinal has moved up to tied for third in the Pac-10 in hits (560), fifth in batting average (.297), sixth in home runs (38) and sixth in runs scored (319). Stanford is still last in the conference with 26 stolen bases.
PITCHING - Stanford has brought its ERA under 6.00 for the first time since April 21 with a current 5.94 mark that is still last in the Pac-10 and 58 points higher than the highest ERA in the school's recorded history when the 1979 pitching staff posted a 5.36 mark. The team's .313 opponents' batting average is also last in the Pac-10.
FIELDING - Stanford also ranks last in the Pac-10 in fielding percentage (.962). The Cardinal has at least one error in each of its last six contests.

TEAM LEADERS
OFFENSE - Sean Ratliff and Michael Taylor are battling for the team lead in several categories. Ratliff leads the squad in homers (12, #5T Pac-10), runs scored (56, #3T Pac-10), triples (4, #5T Pac-10), at bats (218, #5 Pac-10), total bases (127, #6T Pac-10) and slugging percentage (.583). Taylor paces the club in RBI (48) while the pair is tied for the team lead in hits (71, #10T Pac-10), games played (52) and games started (52). Adam Sorgi leads the club in both batting average (.384) and on-base percentage (.455). Sorgi needs to play in each of the team's final three games to reach the required 75% of the team's games needed to qualify for the Pac-10 and NCAA stat leaders. Other offensive team leaders or co-leaders include Cord Phelps (15 2B, #9T Pac-10; 22 BB), Ryan Seawell (8 HBP), Brent Milleville (4 SF) and Joey August (5 SAC).
PITCHING - Erik Davis (4-2, 3.86, 46.2 IP, 39 SO), Jeffrey Inman (4-4, 5.74, 73.2 IP, 62 SO) and Nolan Gallagher (4-6, 7.89, 59.1 IP, 42 SO) all share the team lead with four wins. Inman also paces the clubs in strikeouts and has the lowest ERA among any pitcher with at least one inning pitched per team game played. Jeremy Bleich (2-8, 5.50, 91.2 IP, 55 SO) has the team lead in innings pitched (#9 Pac-10) and starts (15, #7T Pac-10). Bleich, Gallagher and Inman all have one of the team's three complete games, while Gallagher has the team's only shutout. David Stringer (2-2, 4.76, 7 SV, 56.2 IP, 38 SO) paces the club with 30 appearances and seven saves, ranking second and eighth in the Pac-10 in those two categories.

LAST SERIES STATS (PACIFIC)
OFFENSE - Stanford was very productive in its most recent series versus Pacific as the Cardinal averaged 9.3 runs per game and hit .357 as a team. Toby Gerhart (.538, 7-13, 2B, 2 RBI) and Michael Taylor (.500, 6-12, 2B, HR, 3 RBI) both hit .500 or better, while Sean Ratliff led the club with a pair of homers and seven RBI.
PITCHING - Stanford posted a respectable 5.00 ERA in the series. Stanford gave up nine earned runs in the first game of the series Friday but Jeremy Bleich (2.00, 1-0, 1 APP, 1 GS, 1 CG, 9.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO) made up for that with his first career complete game at Pacific in the second game of the series Saturday. Erik Davis (0.00, 1-0, 1 APP, 1 GS, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO) didn't allow an earned run in his Sunday start before the Tigers managed four earned runs after Davis came out of the game.
FIELDING - Stanford made four errors in the series to field at a .969 clip.

SEAN RATLIFF'S OFFENSIVE FOCUS PAYS OFF
Sean Ratliff is leading or co-leading the Cardinal in several offensive categories, including homers (12, #5T Pac-10), runs scored (56, #3T Pac-10), triples (4, #5T Pac-10), at bats (218, #5 Pac-10), total bases (127, #6T Pac-10) and slugging percentage (.583). Ratliff co-leads the team along with Michael Taylor in hits (71, #10T Pac-10), games played (52) and games started (52). He has also contributed 39 RBI and a .326 batting average that rank second and fourth on the club among regulars, respectively. Ratliff also had a career-best 13-game hit streak (.400, 24-60, 17 R, 5 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 12 RBI) that was also the longest by a Stanford player this season from April 21 - May 13. Ratliff was 0-for-14 with 10 strikeouts last season and has still struggled with his strikeouts in 2007 with a Pac-10-high 65.

ADAM&nbspSORGI NOW BATTING AVERAGE LEADER
Adam Sorgi has reached the minimum number of at bats (2.5 per team game played) needed to officially qualify for Stanford's team lead in stats (however he still needs to play in all three remaining regular season games to reach the Pac-10 and NCAA minimum requirement of playing in 75% of the team's games). Sorgi is currently hitting .384 and also boasts a team-high .455 on-base percentage. Sorgi has returned from a shoulder injury that caused him to miss 2006 and limited his action early in 2007.

MICHAEL TAYLOR ON FIRE
Michael Taylor has a current nine-game hit streak and has notched 13 multiple-hit games in his last 16 contests. Taylor is hitting .438 (32-73) during the period with six doubles, a triple, five homers and 20 RBI. Taylor has raised his average over the past 16 games a total of 35 points to its current season-high .330.

ERIK DAVIS PITCHING VERY WELL
Erik Davis has been Stanford's third starter in each of the team's last four series. In his last three starts, Davis is 2-1 with a 1.74 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 20.2 innings and allowing just a .232 opponents' batting average.

DAVID STRINGER BACK IN FORM
David Stringer has not allowed an earned run over his last three appearances and 14.1 innings. Stringer earned a win at Santa Clara (May 15) with 7.0 innings of relief without giving up an earned run and then tossed 5.2 innings of scoreless relief to picked up a win versus UC Davis (May 22). He has also appeared in 30 games, just one shy of tying for fifth on Stanford's all-time single-season list.

DAY AND NIGHT
Stanford is a respectable 20-15 during day games and has won four in a row during the day but is just 5-13 at night. Stanford had a nine-game losing streak in night games until winning at Santa Clara on May 15.

LONG GAMES
Stanford has clocked in at 3:00 or over in 33 of its 53 games this season, gone 3:40 or longer 16 times and more than 4:00 on four occasions, including a season-long 4:13 against UC Davis in its final home game of the season on May 22. However, Stanford did play under 3:00 in each of its final two games of its most recent series versus Pacific (May 19 and 20) to mark the team's first back-to-back games of under 3:00 since March 24 and 25 versus Sacramento State.

COMEBACK WINS
Stanford has come from behind in 16 of its 25 wins this season. Stanford's biggest comeback of the year came versus USC (March 11) when the Cardinal was down 8-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.

40-HOMER SEASON STREAK
Stanford has 38 homers in its first 53 games this season and needs just two more in its final three regular season games to extend the team's string of 40-homer seasons to 20 in a row. Stanford has picked it up of late to make a run at 40 homers with nine long balls in its last six contests.

PLAYING THE BEST
Stanford has played played seven series and 21 games against teams ranked in at least one national poll at some point.

SUNKEN DIAMOND
Sunken Diamond has served as a host site for 13 NCAA Regionals, as well as NCAA Regionals on five occasions. Stanford has clinched 10 of its 15 trips to the CWS at Sunken Diamond. Stanford finished its 2007 home slate with a 17-15 home record to mark its 43rd consecutive winning season at home and its 12th straight season with at least 17 home wins. Stanford has never had a losing season at Sunken Diamond in the school's recorded history.

STANFORD CAREER STATS VERSUS USC
• Joey August (.357, 8 GP, 7 GS, 10-28, 4 R, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 5 SO, 1 SF)
• Jeremy Bleich (3.75, 0-1, 4 APP, 1 GS, 1 SV, 12.0 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 7 BB, 4 SO)
• Jason Castro (.333, 7 GP, 3 GS, 3-9, 3 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 4 BB, 2 SAC)
• Andrew Clauson (0-0, 5.40, 2 APP, 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO)
• Erik Davis (9.00, 0-0, 7 APP, 1 SV, 3.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO)
• Brendan Domaracki (.222, 9 GP, 2 GS, 4-18, 2 BB, 4 SO, 1 HBP, 1 GDP)
• Grant Escue (.500, 4 GP, 3-6, 1 2B, 1 3B, 4 RBI)
• Max Fearnow (3.18, 2-0, 4 APP, 5.2 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 SO)
• Adam Gaylord (.250, 2 GP, 2 GS, 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 HBP, 1 SO)
• Nolan Gallagher (3.57, 1-3, 5 APP, 2 GS, 17.2 IP, 19 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 15 BB, 16 SO)
• Blake Hancock (0.00, 0-0, 1 APP, 0.1 IP)
• Jeffrey Inman (10.38, 0-0, 1 APP, 1 GS, 4.1 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO)
• J.J. Jelmini (.400, 3 GP, 1 GS, 2-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SO)
• Brian Juhl (.200, 4 GP, 3 GS, 3-11, 3 R, 3 2B, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO)
• Brent Milleville (.250, 7 GP, 3 GS, 5-20, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 4 SO, 1 GDP)
• Randy Molina (.483, 10 GP, 8 GS, 14-29, 5 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 7 SO, 1 GDP)
• Min (Brian) Moon (.000, 1 GP)
• Wande Olabisi (.000, 1 GP, 1 R)
• Cord Phelps (.130, 9 GP, 8 GS, 3-23, 4 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 5 SO, 1 GDP, 1 SF, 1 SAC)
• Sean Ratliff (Hitting: .417, 6 GP, 3 GS, 5-12, 4 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SO, 1 GDP, 1 SB • Pitching: 15.43, 0-0, 2 APP, 2.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO)
• Ryan Seawell (.281, 16 GP, 6 GS, 9-32, 5 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 2 HBP, 7 SO, 2 GDP, 1 SB)
• Adam Sorgi (.250, 9 GP, 7 GS, 7-28, 6 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 6 SO)
• Tom Stilson (4.15, 0-1, 2 APP, 4.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 SO)
• David Stringer (3.86, 0-1, 4 APP, 2 GS, 14.0 IP, 20 H, 10 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 12 SO)
• Michael Taylor (.273, 15 GP, 15 GS, 15-55, 9 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 5 BB, 2 HBP, 10 SO, 2 SF, 1 SAC, 2 SB)
• Jeff Whitlow (.000, 3 GP, 0-3, 1 R)
• Austin Yount (Hitting: .143, 7 GP, 1-7, 1 R, 2 SO • Pitching: 0.00, 0-0, 1 APP, 1.2 IP)

2007 STANFORD-USC GAMES
March 9, 2007 - USC 11, at Stanford 8
USC scored five unearned runs in the top of the eighth inning on the way to an 11-8 victory over Stanford in the opener of a three-game non-conference series at Sunken Diamond. Stanford had tied the contest at 6-6 in the bottom of the seventh when Sean Ratliff (2-4, HR, 2 RBI) connected on a two-run homer and Michael Taylor followed him two batters later with a solo shot. The loss was Stanford's first of the 2007 season at Sunken Diamond, where the Cardinal had began its home slate with a 9-0 record. USC's 21 hits were the most by a Cardinal opponent this season as the Trojans also took advantage of a season-high four Cardinal errors to score a total of six unearned runs. Michael Torres (4-5, 2B, 2 RBI) led the USC offense with four hits while three additional players - Grant Green (3-5, 2B, 3B, RBI, SB), Robert Stock (3-5, RBI) and Nick Buss (3-6, RBI) - had three each. Hector Estrella (2-4, 2 RBI) and Lucas Duda (2-4, RBI) added two apiece. Joey August (3-5) equaled a career-best and recorded a season-best three hits for the Cardinal, while Adam Sorgi (2-3) had a pair of hits and reached base in all four of his plate appearances, and Brent Milleville was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Taylor drove in two runs.
Quote of the Day ... "Tonight was not a particularly well played game. We just need to come back and play better tomorrow." - Mark Marquess

March 10, 2007 - at USC 2, Stanford 1
Jeremy Bleich carried a three-hit shutout through eight innings but USC rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth to hand Stanford a heartbreaking 2-1 non-conference loss on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at Sunken Diamond. Hector Estrella's two-out RBI single through the right side of the infield scored Lucas Duda with the game-winning run. Duda had tied the game at 1-1 earlier in the inning when he singled home pinch-runner Spencer Pabst. Paul Koss retired the Cardinal in order in the bottom of the ninth and struck pinch-hitter Randy Molina for the final out to notch the save. USC reliever Kevin Couture earned the victory after limiting the damage in the Cardinal seventh. Bleich (8.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO) was charged with the loss in the longest outing of his career. Duda (3-4, 2B, RBI, SB) had half of USC's six hits, while Sean Ratliff (2-4, 2B, SB) was the only Stanford player with more than one of the six Cardinal hits.
Quote of the Day ... "I should have gotten job in the ninth, and I didn't," said a subdued Bleich after the contest. "I've got to do a better job at finishing the job and obviously I will work at that." -- Jeremy Bleich

March 11, 2007 - at Stanford 14, USC 9
Stanford scored 10 runs in its final two trips to the plate and hit around the order in both innings in a 14-9 comeback win over USC. The victory prevented Stanford from being swept in a regular season three-game home series for the first time since 1997. Michael Taylor (4-5, 2B, 5 RBI) drove in a career-high five runs, including a game-tying RBI single in a six-run Cardinal eighth that erased a 9-8 USC lead. Taylor also had a season-high four hits, a career-high-tying three runs scored and extended his hit streak to a new career-high 10 games. Joey August also drove in a career-high three runs with two coming on a key two-run single in Stanford's eighth, while Grant Escue and Brian Juhl added two RBI each with Escue equaling a career-best. Sean Ratliff also scored three runs. Max Fearnow (2-1) picked up the victory. Hector Estrella (2-4, 4 RBI) drove in four runs for the Trojans and was one of five USC players with two hits each. Stock (2-3, 2B, RBI), J.J. Owen (2-2, RBI), Derek Perren (2-2, 2B) and Nick Buss (2-6, 2B) also had a pair of hits for the Trojans, while Robert Vasquez drove in a pair with a key two-out double in a three-run Trojan seventh.
Quote of the Day ... "We really didn't want to lose. In the eighth, we had two outs for the whole rally and nobody wanted to be the last out." - Michael Taylor

2006 STANFORD-USC GAMES
March 10, 2006 - Stanford 7, at USC 6
Chris Lewis' two-RBI double with two outs in the top of the eighth inning proved to be the game-winner as Stanford held off a rally in the bottom of the ninth inning in a 7-6 win over USC. Lewis (3-4, 2B, 3 RBI) led the Cardinal offense, while Joey August (2-4, HR, 2 RBI) and Chris Minaker (2-5, 2B, 2 RBI) drove in Stanford's other four runs. Erik Davis earned the save by retiring both batters he faced after coming into the game with the Cardinal holding on to a precarious 7-6 lead with the bases loaded and only one out in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Quote of the Day ... "Any time you have a one-run game you have to be on the high end of it. It's a morale thing because any time you get beat by one run, you second guess and ask what you could have done differently." - Chris Lewis

March 11, 2006 - USC 16, at Stanford 7
USC scored six runs in the bottom of the second and never looked back in a 16-7 victory over Stanford. Daniel Perales (5-5, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI) and Johnny Bowden (3-4, 2 2B, 5 RBI) had huge offensive days to lead a 20-hit Trojan attack that gave USC starter Ryan Cook plenty of support in his first collegiate victory. Randy Molina (4-4, 2B, RBI) had four hits for Stanford.
Quote of the Day ... "This was just one of those days when not much went right for us offensively or on the mound." - Mark Marquess

March 12, 2006 - at USC 7, Stanford 2
USC won the rubber game of a three-game series over Stanford by a score of 7-2 as the Trojans scored seven unanswered runs after the Cardinal had taken an early 2-0 lead. Baron Frost's suicide squeeze with one out in the sixth inning gave USC its first lead before Darin Vieira capped the USC comeback with a two-out bases loaded three-RBI double in the bottom of the eighth. Three USC pitchers retired the final 15 Stanford batters in a row. Tommy Milone picked up the win despite a shaky start, retiring the final nine batters he faced before relievers John Dunn and Paul Koss retired the side in order in the eighth and ninth innings with Koss striking out the side. Brent Milleville hit his first career home run for the Cardinal with a solo shot in the fourth, while Ryan Seawell (3-4, SB) had three hits.
Quote of the Day ... "We had a chance to win this one, but you have to give USC credit. They played well and came up with the big hit or big play when they needed to." - Mark Marquess

April 1, 2006 - at Stanford 9, USC 7 (Game 1); USC 3, at Stanford 2 -- 12 innings (Game 2)
Stanford and USC split a doubleheader with the Cardinal coming from behind to win the opener, 9-7, before losing a 12-inning 3-2 heartbreaker in the nightcap. Chris Lewis' three-run homer keyed a six-run bottom of the sixth to lift the Cardinal to its dramatic comeback win over the Trojans in the opener, while USC scored an unearned run without a hit in the top of the 12th to pull out the nightcap. Stanford left the bases loaded in both the bottom of the 11th and 12th innings in the nightcap as winning pitcher John Dunn finally recorded the last out of the doubleheader seven hours and 36 minutes after action began. Stanford reliever Max Fearnow recorded his first collegiate victory in the opener.
Quote of the Day ... "It's always tough to sweep a doubleheader, but we are disappointed today because we knew we had a chance." - Mark Marquess

April 2, 2006 - USC 6, at Stanford 1
USC earned its first series victory at Sunken Diamond since 1999 and also wrapped up its first season series triumph against Stanford since 1996 with a 6-1 win over the Cardinal in the rubber game of a three-game set. Ryan Cook notched the victory by holding the Cardinal to just one run on four hits and three walks, while striking out five over 8.1 innings. David Parrow got the final two outs for the Trojans in the bottom of the ninth. Matt Cusick (3-4, 2 RBI) led a Trojan offense that outhit Stanford, 11-4. Stanford starter Matt Manship took the loss despite keeping the Cardinal close by allowing just three runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks, while striking out three over the first 6.0 innings.
Quote of the Day ... "We just need to get better. We really haven't played very good baseball in any phase of the game recently." - Mark Marquess

STANFORD HEAD COACH MARK MARQUESS
One of the nation's premier collegiate coaches and the winningest coach in Stanford Baseball history, Mark Marquess is in his 31st season at the helm of the Cardinal and his 39th associated with the program in 2007. Marquess has won more games than any coach in any sport ever at Stanford with the amazing numbers he has posted during his long tenure on The Farm. Marquess has a 1282-645-5 (.665) all-time record in 1932 career games, as well as equally impressive marks in postseason (112-52, .683), NCAA Regional (68-25, .731), NCAA Super Regional (10-4, .714), CWS (34-23, .596) and Pac-10 (507-342, .597) action. He is currently ranked sixth among all active NCAA Division I coaches in victories and 11th on the all-time list among Division I coaches. Marquess became the 23rd coach in the history of NCAA Division I baseball to reach the 1000-win mark with a victory over Florida State on February 9, 2001. Just over two years later, he picked up win No. 1100 versus Nevada on February 17, 2003. He became the 16th NCAA Division I head baseball coach to win 1200 collegiate games just over another two years after that when the Cardinal defeated California at Sunken Diamond on March 5, 2005. He also won his 100th career postseason game in Stanford's NCAA Super Regional clinching victory over Long Beach State (June 7, 2003). The 1969 Stanford graduate has led the Cardinal to two CWS titles and three runner-up showings in five CWS championship appearances, as well as 13 College World Series trips, five NCAA Super Regional titles, 14 NCAA Regional championships and 12 Pac-10 crowns (includes Southern Division and shared titles). Stanford's two CWS championships under Marquess came in back-to-back fashion in 1987 and 1988 as the Cardinal is just one of four teams to have ever won back-to-back Division I College World Series titles. The three runner-up showings have all come this decade with the Cardinal taking second in Omaha in 2000, 2001 and 2003. Maybe even more amazing, all 13 teams that Marquess has taken to the College World Series have won at least one game. Stanford has qualified for the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship 24 times in the first 30 seasons under Marquess with a current school record run of 13 straight appearances in postseason play. He has been named NCAA Coach of the Year three times and has received Pac-10 or Pac-10 Southern Division Coach of the Year honors on nine occasions, most recently with his Pac-10 selection in 2003. The Cardinal recorded 29 winning seasons in the first 30 campaigns under his leadership but will not reach the standard in 2007. His clubs have finished either first or second in the prestigious Pacific-10 (formerly Pac-10 Southern Division) 22 times in the last 26 seasons including 2006. Stanford has had 134 players drafted by professional baseball in the past 22 campaigns, including 18 in the last 20 years that were drafted either in the first round or as a Compensation A pick. Stanford has had more first round picks (6) since 2000 than any other school in the nation, most recently with the selection of Greg Reynolds as the No. 2 overall pick in 2006. A member of the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Marquess was the head coach of the 1988 United States Olympic baseball team that captured the gold medal. He was also an accomplished football and baseball standout on The Farm, and is a member of the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame. He is one of only 10 people to have ever both played and coached in the College World Series. Marquess was the starting first baseman and a First Team All-American on Stanford's 1967 CWS squad and played four seasons in the minor leagues with the Chicago White Sox organization.

STANFORD COACHING STAFF
Dean Stotz is in his 31st season with Stanford Baseball and his eighth as the team's associate head coach after he was promoted to the position prior to the 2000 season following 23 years of service as an assistant. Stotz currently coaches third base while also handling various offensive and defensive aspects of the game. Tom Kunis is in his eighth season as Stanford's pitching coach, while Dave Nakama is also in his eighth campaign over two stints as an assistant.