49ers ready to make pitch at improvement

Dave Snow's baseball team is Cal State Long Beach's best-known Spring athletic squad, having won five of the last eight Big West Conference titles, and the coach is approaching the 1997 season with cautious optimism.

The 49ers, coming off a 34-26 record and NCAA tournament appearance last year, are ranked as high as 11th in the national preseason polls.

While Snow, who is in his ninth season as skipper, is confident about the 49ers' talent and potential, he admits that there is a scarcity of Division I experience on this year's roster.

"How our new players make the adjustment to this level will determine, to a great extent, our fate,"Snow said. "The players who have realized success at this level will be counted on to be leaders."

Snow emphasized that the leadership will be especially needed early in the season. One area in which the 49ers do have experienced talent returning is the pitching staff.

"This staff has strong potential, and could be very deep...,"Snow said.

Junior right-handers Marcus Jones and Rocky Biddle form an awesome double-threat in the starting rotation. Jones is reigning Big West Pitcher of the Year, and is a preseason first team All-America choice by Collegiate Baseball.

Biddle has also been selected preseason All-America, by Baseball America. Senior right-hander Iran Barrera is coming off a solid season as a reliever and occasional starter, and may develop into the strong closer the 49ers usually retain.

"Marcus and Rocky have been through the wars as starters here," Snow said. "Iran played a significant role in Ô96."

Likely candidates to round out the starting rotation include Ara Petrosian, Dan Thomas, Daryl Grant, Matt Montgomery, and Denny Glitch, Jr. Mike Gallo, a transfer from Long Beach City College, will be a key left-hander out of the bullpen.

While many new faces will be appearing in both the infield and the outfield for the 49ers, each area is expected to be solid. Senior J.J. Newkirk, the team's top returning hitter (.302 batting average in 1996), returns to center field. His speed and his passion for the game will make Newkirk an asset. Alongside Newkirk are four players vying for starting positions. Sophomore transfers Paul Day and Chuck Lopez, junior Toby Sanchez and sophomore Chris Toomey are all eager to nail down spots in the Dirtbag outfield.

Day, who spent last season at Saddleback College, was the 49ers' most consistent player in fall workouts. Lopez has emerged as a proficient all-around player. Sanchez may see some action at first base, and Toomey comes to CSULB from Loyola Marymount.

The infield is new, but promising. The lone returnee is senior Keith Cowley, who played third base last season, and will move to first this year. The versatile Cypress native also pitches relief. The starting infield is composed of Cowley and three transfers. Izzy Gonzalez will handle third base, and Steve Doherty and Lateef Vaughn are penciled in at shortstop and second base, respectively. Each is expected to contribute with both bat and glove.

"They're all capable guys defensively,"Snow said. "And the keys to our offensive attack."

Providing depth for the Beach are middle infielders Nate Endicott and Sam Munroy and Grant, who can play first base as well as pitch. Third-year junior Casey Martin is the Dirtbags' number one catcher.

"We feel he's matured and could be on the verge of a banner year,"Snow said.

Last year, Martin shared starts with Casey Snow. Transfer Boe Depew and talented freshman Neville Hill will come off the bench to perform relief duties behind the plate. Offensively, the Dirtbags return two dependable threats from last season. Newkirk had the 49ers' second best on-base percentage (.425), and Cowley blasted eight home runs and drove in 28 runs. Gonzalez brought superb hitting prowess with him from Oklahoma, where he hit .362 last year.

All-Big West pitchers Ryan Brannan and Steve Hueston are among the leaders from last year's NCAA Tournament team who must now be replaced. Hueston's 3.11 ERA and Brannan's 14 saves paced the 49ers.

Snow, co-Coach of the Year in the Big West last year, is charged with harnessing the 49ers' talent and combining the various players' abilities into a competitive attack. With 490 career coaching victories under his belt, he has shown himself to be a capable field general. While Snow is needed to squeeze the best out of his players to ensure a successful campaign, his past record indicates that he knows what to do with talent: seven players who competed under him at CSULB have gone on to the major leagues.

Returning as assistant coaches are Mike Weathers and Jim Yogi. Joining them on the staff are former CSULB players John Strauss and Mike Stembridge. Snow considers the 49ers' 1997 schedule to be among the most difficult the team has faced in years. Eight of the Dirtbags' opponents are ranked among the top 40 teams in the nation, and three of those start the season in the top 10.

Highlights of the schedule include a three-game series at No. 17 Tennessee, and a two-game road set with No. 13 Wichita State. The 49ers' home schedule includes the Beach Baseball Classic, Feb. 21-23. Joining CSULB for the Blair Field event are NCAA heavyweights USC, Mississippi, and Notre Dame. CSULB has also been selected to host the inaugural Big West Tournament, May 15-18 at Blair.

The first pitch of the 1997 season will be thrown Jan. 31, when the Dirtbags take a trip to Fresno State. The game is the first of a three-game set against the Bulldogs. The first CSULB home game is Feb. 7, when the 49ers face USC. Big West Play starts March 7, when the 49ers start a three-game series with traditional rival Cal State Fullerton.