Athletic Media Relations 30 Smith Fieldhouse • Provo, Utah • 84602 801-422-9769 • fax 801-422-0633 ASEBALL Weekly Release -Jan. 29, 2004 B 2004 Season Begins in California Media Relations Information The Cougars open up their 2004 season with a three-game series against Baseball contact: Ralph Zobell California in Berkley, Calif., beginning Thursday. The Cougars start the season E-Mail: [email protected] after finishing the 2003 season tied for second place in the Mountain West Date Opp/Event Time at site of game Conference with a 30-24 overall record and 18-12 conference record. The Golden 1/29-30California Berkeley, CA + 1:30 p.m. Bears also open their season against BYU after finishing with a 28-27 overall 1/31 California Berkeley, CA + Noon record last year. Cal is ranked 26th in Baseball America’s Top-50 Preseason Poll. 2/5-7 Pacific Invitational Stockton, CA 2/5 St. Mary’s Stockton, CA 6 p.m. A Quick Look at the Cougars 2/6 Pacific Stockton, CA +% 6 p.m. Fifth year coach Vance Law returns five position starters and Paul Jacinto, the 2/7 Nevada Stockton, CA +% 2 p.m. MWC Pitcher of the Year. Players to watch include third-team Preseason All- 2/9 Santa Clara+Santa Clara, CA 6 p.m. American Ranger Wiens, Ryan Chambers, Robi Itri and Casey Cloward. 2/10 Santa Clara+Santa Clara, CA 3 p.m. Pitchers to watch are Jacinto, junior college transfer Patrick Wells and Justin 2/12-13UC Riverside Riverside, CA 3 p.m. Su’a. 2/14 UC Riverside Riverside, CA 1 p.m. 2/19-20San Jose St. San Jose, CA % 6 p.m. Probable Pitching Rotation 2/21 San Jose St. San Jose, CA % 1 p.m. Jan. 29 California Paul Jacinto (10-5, 4.14) Berkeley, 1:30 p.m. 2/26-28Battle at the Beach Tournament Jan. 30 California Bryce Searle (2.1 IP, 0.00) Berkeley, 1:30 p.m. 2/26 Pepperdine Malibu, CA % 2 p.m. Jan. 31 California Patrick Wells (8-2, 1.29 at CEU JC) Berkeley, Noon 2/27 Nevada Malibu, CA +% 10 a.m. 2/28 Cal St. NR Malibu, CA 10 a.m. Series Record 3/4 Cal St. NR Northridge, CA 2 p.m. BYU and Cal are tied in the series at 8-8. Tha last time the two teams met was 3/5 Long Beach Long Beach, CA %6:30 p.m. in 2001 at Berkeley when BYU won the first and last of the three-game series. 3/6 Cal St. NR Northridge, CA 1 p.m. 3/8-13 Fresno Tournament Fresno, CA Radio Coverage 3/8 Dallas BaptistFresno, CA +% 10 a.m. BYU radio coverage begins once league play starts in March. Prior to then 3/9 Chicago St. Fresno, CA 1:30 p.m. selected games will be available via live audiostreaming on the Internet from 3/10 Fresno St. Fresno, CA % 6:35 p.m. 3/11 Monmouth Fresno, CA 1:30 p.m. host schools. Once BYU’s live radio coverage begins, the play-by-play will 3/12 Portland Fresno, CA 10 a.m. come again from Brent Norton, BYU’s veteran broadcaster. 3/13 TBA Fresno, CA TBA TV Coverage 3/18-19UNLV * Provo +% 6:30 p.m. 3/20 UNLV * Provo +% Noon There is a possibility that two of BYU’s home games will be televised by 3/25-26Utah * Salt Lake City 6 p.m. BYUTV. The opponents will be announced later. 3/27 Utah * Salt Lake City 1 p.m. 4/1-2 New Mexico *Albuquerque 6 p.m. Coach Law on the Season 4/3 New Mexico *Albuquerque Noon “We have a close-knit unit and continue to add more depth. We do not have a 4/8-9 UNLV * Las Vegas 6:30 p.m. pitcher in our program outside of Paul Jacinto who posted a victory for us last 4/10 UNLV * Las Vegas 2 p.m. season because Michel Bergeron(6-3, 5.37) and Anthony Bingham (1-0, 5.93) are 4/15-16San Diego St*Provo 7 p.m. seeking a medical redshirt.” 4/17 San Diego St*Provo Noon 4/22-23Air Force * Colorado Spgs. + 2 p.m. Probable Lineup 4/24 Air Force * Colorado Spgs. + Noon 1B–#1-Tim Law 2B–#5 Wade Vest SS–#2 Brandon Taylor 4/29-30Utah * Provo 7 p.m. 3B–#6 Blair Lucas RF–#25 Ben Saylor CF–#22 Ryan Chambers 5/1 Utah * Provo Noon LF–12 Kory Knell or #10 Kevin Bills 5/6-7 New Mexico * Provo 7 p.m. C–#9 Casey Cloward or #24 Adam Wilkes 5/8 New Mexico *Provo Noon DH–#8 Ranger Wiens or #16 Jeff Hiestand 5/12-14San Diego St*San Diego % 6 p.m. 5/18 Utah Valley Provo 7 p.m. Regarding BYU this season 5/20-21Air Force * Provo 7 p.m. BYU has nine current players who are married (Michel Bergeron, Bryce Burger, 5/22 Air Force * Provo Noon Casey Cloward, Brad Hales, Tyler Heid, Nathan Hess, Blair Lucas, Ranger 5/26-29MWC Tourn. Las Vegas TBA Wiens, Adam Wilkes). There are 23 players on the team who have served two- 6/2-5 NCAA Regionals TBA year volunteer Church missions, 16 of whom were assigned outside the United 6/9-12 NCAA Super Regionals TBA States and speak Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese and Russian. 6/16-22College World Series Omaha, Neb. Incorporated into this year’s team are seven players who have just finished * MWC Games, %Internet Audio +webcast serving two-year Church missions (Joshua Barrett, Brad Hales, Jeff Hiestand, www.byucougars.com BYU Baseball Release Page 2 BYU Quick Facts Seth Iorg, Ben Saylor, Justin Su’a, Brandon Taylor). Eight playerstransferred to BYU this season (Lance Beus, Bryce Burger, Nathan Hess, Nick Lemon, Kalen Location: Provo, Utah 84602 Parsons, Ben Saylor, Brandon Taylor, Patrick Wells). Among those throwing Enrollment: 30,069 (Daytime) batting practice to BYU again this season is former Cy Young winner Vernon Founded: Oct. 15, 1875, by The Church of Jesus Law (1960 Pittsburgh Pirates), father of BYU head coach Vance Law. Vernon Christ of Latter-day Saints turned 73-years-old last March. Earlier this month, Vance Law was in Colors: Blue and White Washington, D.C., where he was again a resource player (yearly for 12 of the Nickname: Cougars past 13 years) for the major league rookie training. Also in January, Coach Law Mascot: Cosmo (the Cougar) attended the Cubs Convention, an annual gathering which draws thousands of Affiliation: NCAA Division I fans. Conference: Mountain West Coach Vance Law and staff Field: Larry H. Miller Field (2,300) Vance Law played 14 years of pro ball, including 11 years in the majors with six President: Cecil O. Samuelson different teams. In 2001 he was named Coach of the Year for the Mountain Men’s AD: Val Hale West Conference. The 48-year-old coach is in his fifth year at BYU and has a Ticket Office Phone: (801) 378-BYU1 or 128-106-1 (.547) record. He is assisted by Ryan Roberts, in his second year at 1-800-322-BYU1 BYU. Pitching coach Bobby Applegate is in his first full year with BYU, having Baseball Staff: last coached at the Air Force Academy. Volunteer assistant Seth King is in his Head Coach: Vance Law (BYU, 1978) first year on the BYU staff, succeeding Nate Mathis who is now a member of the Utah Valley State baseball staff. Office Phone: (801) 378-5049 Record: 128-106-1, fifth season Team Notes Assistant Coaches: • Ranger Wiens led the team with 25 multiple hit games in 2003. Ryan Roberts (BYU, 1998) • BYU had 15 one-run games in 2003 and won four of them. Bobby Applegate (U of Southern Colorado, 1996) • BYU’s MWC regular season title in 2001 was its first since 1994 when it won Seth King (BYU) the Western Athletic Conference playoff. By winning the MWC title in 2001 Trainer: Spencer Mack and 2002, it marks the first time BYU has repeated as the league champ since Baseball Facts: 1988-89, the only other time it has happened for the Cougars. The Cougars have won 11 league titles dating back to the WAC’s inception in 1962. 2003 Record: 30-24-1 (14-4 home,16-20 away) • Brock Jacobsen is one player who could have returned to this year’s team, but Conference Finish: 18-12, Second place in MWC skipped remaining college eligibility to sign with the Texas Rangers. Final National Ranking: NA Starters Returning (5): NCAA Rankings Ryan Chambers, 6-0, Jr., OF • Batting Casey Cloward, 5-11, Jr., C No. 30 Ranger Wiens, Brigham Young-------- 53 .405 Rob Itri, 6-3, Sr., 2B/3B • RBI Wade Vest, 5-9, Sr., 2B No. 21 Kainoa Obrey, Brigham Young -------- 53 65 1.23 • Triples Ranger Wiens, 6-3, Sr., SS No. 8 Doug Jackson, Brigham Young --------- 54 8 0.15 Starters Lost (4): • Runs Per Game Doug Jackson, OF No. 7 Doug Jackson, Brigham Young---------- 54 71 1.31 Brock Jacobsen, OF • Victories Kainoa Obrey, 3B No. 25 Paul Jacinto, Brigham Young --------- 10 5 0.667 Jake Stubblefield, 1B • Batting Other Key Letterwinners Returning: No. 8 Brigham Young ---------------------------- .330 Kevin Bills, 3B/OF • Scoring No. 9 Brigham Young ---------------------------- 54 30 24 0 466 8.6 Brad Hales, INF • Home Runs Jeff Hiestand, OF/C No. 24 Brigham Young ----------- --------------- 54 30 24 0 65 1.2 Tim Law, 1B/OF • Slugging Blair Lucas, INF No.