Baseball Opens 1999 Season against Arizona State

January 11, 1999

Ute Travel
The University of Utah baseball team opens the 1999 season against nationally ranked Arizona State. The Utes play in Tempe, Ariz., Fri., Jan. 15-17. Friday's game will be played at 7:00 p.m., while the Saturday and Sunday games start at 1:00 p.m.

1998 in Review
Last season, the Utes fell short of their goal to defend their 1997 Western Athletic Conference Northern Division title-Utah's first since 1965. They finished the year with a 23-31 mark, going 12-18 in the WAC and placing second in the division. This year, the Utes are reloading with a strong mixture of upper and lower classmen. Utah has a diverse crew in terms of experience, with nine seniors, eight juniors, three sophomores and 11 freshmen.

Utes to Watch

Pitchers
Lance Ericksen enters his senior year as one of Utah's dominant hurlers. The four-year starter notched 32 strikeouts and a 7.26 ERA in 16 appearances as a junior. Troy Beckman joined the Ute lineup last season as a transfer from Salt Lake Community College and jumped in as Utah's primary closer, posting a team high three saves. The right-handed slinger was 3-2 as a junior, with an 9.76 ERA. As a senior this season, Beckman will move from the bullpen into the starting rotation. Brett McDermaid transferred to the U. from Brigham Young where he was an all-WAC pick and a freshman all-American in 1995. In his first season with the Utes, McDermaid posted a 2-3 record with 27 strikeouts and a 6.29 ERA. He stepped up as Utah's relief specialist and will now take a place in the opening lineup . Brandon Page rounds out the starting circuit. A two-year veteran of the Ute program, Page has worked his way into the opening lineup. As a freshman, he joined the roster as Utah's principal closer, setting the school record in saves (8) and appearances (28) and was named an honorable mention all-American. Page stepped into a semi-starting position as a sophomore in 1998, starting six of the 15 games he played. He posted a 2-4 season mark, with 29 strikeouts.

Behind the pitching brigade, the Utes have a solid defensive base. The outfield returns three upperclass starters in junior center fielder Sam Swenson and senior left and right fielders Eric Wallace and Mike Wood. As a sophomore, Swenson started in 53 games, recording 114 put outs and 10 assists with a fielding average of .969. Wallace and Wood jumped into the starting lineup as junior college transfers last year, filling in the left and right corners, respectively. In his first season at the U., Wallace batted .353 and was 14 of 16 in stolen bases. Wood batted .253 with five doubles, four triples and nine home runs.

The Ute infield looks to be a balanced group as well though Utah returns only one starter to the infield--senior second baseman Ryan Hilts. Hilts started his junior season as a utility player before settling in at second. New to the starting lineup are seniors Jared Larsen and Ryan Johnerson. Larsen spent his junior season as the Utes' primary designated hitter while backing up all-WAC catcher Nate Forbush. He will start behind the plate as a senior. Johnerson moves from back-up shortstop to starting first baseman. Rounding out the infield are third baseman Mike Goff and newcomer Jake Shortino. Goff started in the hot corner last season before being sidelined by a broken arm. Shortino, a Dixie College transfer, takes over at shortstop.

Scouting the Opponent
Arizona State begins the season ranked 12th in the Baseball America and 27th in the Collegiate Baseball polls. Last year, ASU finished second in the polls after placing second in the 1998 College World Series. The Sundevils logged a 41-23 record.

Head Coach Tim Esmay
"The team is really looking forward to opening with a Top 20 program. It will give us a good chance to see what a traditional baseball powerhouse is like. If a team wants a regional bid, it has to prepare and we're shooting for it right out of the gate. "In order for Utah to prepare for regionals, we have to put ourselves in the line of fire on the road. Playing top caliber teams like ASU will be a good start for our program because it will be a good gauge to measure where we need to be by the end of the season."

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