University of California Athletics

April 5, 2000

RADIO: KALX Radio (90.7 FM) will broadcast the Apr. 7-9 Cal-Texas games...the David Esquer Show will air 10 minutes before the first pitch...

SERIES RECORD: Cal has a 3-3 overall series record against the Texas Longhorns...the last time the Bears faced the Longhorns they were swept Feb. 4-6, 1994 in Austin, TX (13-4, 22-9 and 3-1)prior to the '94 season, Cal was 3-0 versus Texas, winning 8-7 in the 1947 NCAA Western Playoffs in Denver, CO, and winning 8-7 and 6-5 in the championship game of the 1988 NCAA Central Regional in Austin, TX

HEAD COACH DAVID ESQUER: The Bears coach is in his first season at Cal and has a career record of 16-17 (.485),Esquer, 34, became only the 10th coach in the long history of Cal baseball, which began in 1892, when he was hired June 10, 1999, Esquer replaced longtime Bear mentor Bob Milano, who retired May 17 after 22 years as the Bears head coach and 29 years involved in the Cal baseball program,Esquer comes to Berkeley after serving as the top assistant at Pepperdine since 1996,prior to working at Pepperdine, he was the No. 2 assistant coach at Stanford under Mark Marquess from 1991-96,a shortstop at Stanford from 1984-87, Esquer was a starter on Stanford's 1987 College World Series championship team, earning All-Tournament honors after hitting .350 with six RBI in Omahahe, also earned All-Pac-10 Southern Division honors as a senior and went on to play professional baseball for four seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, California Angels and Milwaukee Brewers organizations

BEAR NOTES: The 2000 California baseball team (16-17, 6-6 Pac-10) defeated Wichita State, 5-3, Mar. 28 in Wichita, KS and then won two-of-three Pac-10 games, Mar. 31-Apr. 2 at Washington (won 10-1, lost 8-5, won 8-2),on Tuesday, Cal defeated Saint Mary's, 13-2, at Evans Diamond,the Bears have now won five of their last six games,junior first baseman Clint Hoover (Moraga, CA) has hit a home run in four of the last five games, including hitting a three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning to defeat Wichita State,in those five games, Hoover is 9-for-22 (.409) with a triple, four home runs and 12 RBI,junior catcher Mike Tonis (Elk Grove, CA) went 8-for-22 with two doubles, a home run and five RBI against Wichita State, Washington and Saint Mary's and is currently on a team-high 14-game hitting streak (23-for-57, .404, 7-2B, 5-HR, 18 RBI) since Mar. 10,after not pitching since Mar. 5 due to a strained right tricep, senior right-hander Jon Shirley (Bakersfield, CA) returned Mar. 28 at Wichita State, (3.0 innings, no hits, no runs, one walk, four strikeouts),Shirley then picked up the win Apr. 2 at Washington (6.0 innings, five hits, two runs, no walks, six strikeouts)for the week, he threw 9.0 innings with five hits, two runs, only one walk and 10 strikeouts,counting his performance Mar. 5 versus Washington State, in Shirley's last three outings, he has thrown 12.0 innings with six hits, three runs, two walks and 16 strikeouts,junior right-hander Andrew Sproul pitched extremely well in relief for the Bears last week,at Wichita State, he earned his first collegiate win, pitching a career-high 5.0 innings with three hits, one earned run, two walks and a career-high five strikeoutson Sunday at Washington, he earned a save, pitching 3.0 innings with one hit, no runs, no walks and two strikeouts,for the week, Sproul pitched 8.0 innings with four hits, one earned run, two walks and seven strikeouts,on Tuesday, the Bears were led by the pitching of junior right-hander David Cash (Modesto, CA), who improved his record to 5-3 (career-high 7.0 innings, six hits, two runs, two walks, career-high seven strikeouts)the Bears were also led by junior third baseman Xavier Nady (Salinas, CA 3-for-4, HR, three RBI), freshman left fielder David Weiner (Los Angeles, CA 3-for-6, two RBI), senior second baseman Tommy Callen (Burlingame, CA 3-for-5, two RBI) and Hoover (2-for-4, HR, three RBI),Nady's home run was his 11th of the season and the 49th of his college career, only one away from tying the Cal school record of 50 set by Troy Penix from 1990-92

ADDITIONAL CAL NOTES: The Bears have hit 46 home runs this season, including a school-record four home runs in the seventh inning Feb. 2 at Santa Clara,Nady has hit two grand slams this season, Feb. 19 at Pepperdine and Mar. 18 at Arizona,the Bears have struggle at the plate at times this year, including Feb. 25-27 against Stanford when they only manage 10 hits,but, Cal scored 26 and 24 runs on 51 hits in two games, Mar. 18-19 at Arizona, 20 hits and three home runs Feb. 19 at Pepperdine and 18 hits and five home runs Feb. 2 at Santa Clara,on the mound, Cal has maintained a respectable 4.87 team ERA, led by junior reliever Rob Meyer's (Antioch, CA) 1.06 ERA,the Bears are 5-8 this season against teams ranked in this week's Baseball America Top 25 poll,Cal is also third in the nation in fielding percentage (.976)

PAC-10 RACE (as of Apr. 4)

PLAYER NOTES

CLINT HOOVER: Is batting .323 with nine doubles, two triples, 10 home runs and 30 RBI,has hit a home run in four of the last five games and is currently on a six-game hitting streak,last week was 7-for-18 with a triple, three home runs and nine RBI,hit the game-winning three-run homer Mar. 28 at Wichita Stateon Tuesday, went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI,went 9-for-17 (.529) with two doubles, a triple and three RBI Mar. 17-19 at Arizona,was 5-for-14 with two home runs and four RBI Mar. 10-12 vs. Cal State Fullerton,hit the game-tying home run in the ninth inning Mar. 12 vs. CSF,hit the game-winning homer in the 11th inning Mar. 3 vs. Washington State,went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run and three RBI Feb. 2 at Santa Clara

TREVOR HUTCHINSON: Is 3-3 with a 4.19 ERA and has a team-high 44 strikeouts in 62.3 innings,last outing earned the win Mar. 31 at Washington (7.0 innings, nine hits, one run, two walks, career-high eight strikeouts)got no decision Mar. 24 vs. Arizona State (7.0 innings, five hits, three runs, three walks, five strikeouts)earned win Mar. 10 vs. Cal State Fullerton (career-high 8.0 innings, six hits, four runs, two walks, four strikeouts)got no decision Mar. 3 vs. Washington State (6.0 innings, six hits, two runs, four walks, seven strikeouts)got no decision Feb. 11 at Long Beach State (7.0 innings, seven hits, three runs, two walks, four strikeouts)also got no decision Feb. 4 vs. Loyola Marymount (6.0 innings, six hits, one run, one walk, four strikeouts)earned win in season-opener Jan. 25 vs. San Francisco (5.0 innings, six hits, three runs, three walks, two strikeouts)...is slated to start Friday...

ROB MEYER: Is batting .312 with five doubles, two home runs and 18 RBI,is 2-0 with a save and a 1.06 ERA (17.0 innings, 10 hits, two earned runs, nine strikeouts) on the mound,is currently on a 10-game hitting streak (17-for-44, .386, 3-2B, six RBI) since Mar. 18went 6-for-16 with a double and two RBI last week at Wichita State and Washington and was 1-for-5 Tuesday vs. Saint Mary'salso earned save against the Shockers, pitching the ninth inning (one hit, one run, two walks)was 5-for-11 with a double and an RBI against Arizona State Mar. 24-26,concluded last season on a nine-game hitting streak and started this season on a six-game hitting streak for a career-high 15-game hitting streak (24-for-59, .407, 3-2B, 2-HR, 12 RBI)went 5-for-16 with a double and three RBI Mar. 17-19 at Arizonavs. Washington State Mar. 3-5 was 4-for-12 and pitched a total of 5.0 innings in two games (two hits, two strikeouts), earning the win in relief Mar. 3 (1.0 inning, one strikeout)Feb. 29 at Fresno State went 2-for-6 with an RBI and picked up the win in relief (2.0 innings, one hit, three walks)was 6-for-15 with a home run and three RBI Feb. 18-20 at Pepperdinewas 3-for-4 with an RBI Feb. 6 vs. Loyola Marymountwent 4-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in the season-opener Jan. 25 vs. San Francisco

XAVIER NADY: Is batting a team-leading .328 with a team-high 11 home runs and 37 RBI,has 49 career homers at Cal, one away from tying the school record for career home runs (Troy Penix, 1990-92)is also third on the Bears all-time RBI list (169)went 0-for-2 with three walks Mar. 28 at Wichita State, 3-for-11 with a home run and three RBI Mar. 31-Apr. 2 and 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI Tuesday vs. Saint Mary's,Mar. 17-19 at Arizona went 7-for-13 with three home runs and 11 RBI,on Mar. 18 vs. UA was 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and a grand slam for a career-high seven RBIearned Pac-10 Player of the Week honors for his exploits at Arizona,was 5-for-13 with a home run Mar. 10-12 vs. Cal State Fullerton,went 4-for-13 with a double, home run and two RBI Mar. 3-5 vs. Washington State,was 5-15 with a double and a grand slam Feb. 18-20 at Pepperdine,knocked in the game-winning RBI Feb. 4 and was 3-for-3 with a home run and two RBI Feb. 6 vs. Loyola Marymount

JON SHIRLEY: Is 1-3 with a 5.50 ERA,has 32 strikeouts in 36.0 innings,in last outing earned win Apr. 2 at Washington (6.0 innings, five hits, two runs, no walks, six strikeouts)was outstanding in a start Mar. 28 at Wichita State (3.0 innings, no hits, no runs, one walk, four strikeouts)prior to Wichita State, had not pitched since Mar. 5 vs. Washington State (3.0 innings, one hit, one run, one walk, six strikeouts) after suffering soreness in his right tricep,had struck out six of the nine batters he had faced against the Cougars,lost Feb. 27 vs. Stanford (5.3 innings, nine hits, seven runs, one walk, six strikeouts)lost Feb. 20 at Pepperdine (5.0 innings, eight hits, five runs, two walks, two strikeouts)suffered the loss Feb. 13 at Long Beach State, pitching a season-high 7.0 innings (eight hits, three runs, one walk five strikeouts)has thrown five complete-games in his careeris slated to start Sunday

BRAD STEELE: Is 3-5 with a 4.39 ERA and a team-high 67.7 innings pitched,suffered loss in last outing Apr. 1 at Washington (5.3 innings, nine hits, six runs, four walks, four strikeouts)loss Mar. 25 vs. Arizona State (7.0 innings, eight hits, three earned runs, two walks, four strikeouts)earned win Mar. 18 at Arizona (5.7 innings, 11 hits, five runs, three walks, two strikeouts)got no decision Mar. 11 vs. Cal State Fullerton (7.0 innings, 11 hits, two earned runs, two walks, six strikeouts)got a no decision Mar. 4 vs. Washington State, tying a career-high with 9.0 innings in an extra-inning contest (eight hits, two runs, two walks) with a career-high nine strikeouts,threw first career complete-game Feb. 19 at Pepperdine (10 hits, four runs, two walks, four strikeouts)is slated to start Saturday

MIKE TONIS: Is batting .323 with 13 doubles (team-high), eight home runs and 27 RBIis fourth on the Cal all-time home run list (35)went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI Mar. 28 at Wichita State, was 5-for-13 with a double, home run and two RBI Mar. 31-Apr. 2 at Washington and 1-for-4 Tuesday vs. Saint Mary's,is currently on a team-high 14-game hitting streak (23-for-57, .404, seven doubles, five home runs, 18 RBI) from Mar. 10,was 4-for-8 with three doubles against Arizona State Mar. 24-26,threw out five Sun Devil baserunners during the series, including three runners Mar. 26went 7-for-14 with two doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI Mar. 17-19 at Arizona,Mar. 19 at UA was 2-for-5 with a three-run homer and a two-run homer,went 4-for-13 with a home run and three RBI Mar. 10-12 vs. Cal State Fullertonwas 6-for-14 with a double, home run and two RBI Feb. 18-20 at Pepperdine,went 2-for-4 with two doubles Feb. 9 at Saint Mary's,was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI Feb. 2 at Santa Clara

PRESEASON ACCOLADES: Junior third baseman Xavier Nady (Salinas, CA) is the Preseason National Player of the Year and a first team Preseason All-American by both Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball after hitting 40 home runs last year (school record 23 for Cal in the spring and 17 for the USA National Team during the summer),Nady, selected Baseball America's 1999 Summer Player of the Year, is also projected to be next June's No. 1 pick in the Amateur Draft by the baseball publication,fellow USA National Team member, junior catcher Mike Tonis (Elk Grove, CA), is a second team Preseason All-American in Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball

TEXAS: The Texas Longhorns (ranked 2nd in Collegiate Baseball and 3rd in Baseball America), coached by Augie Garrido (fourth year at Texas, 118-86-1, .578), are currently 30-6, winning two-of-three Mar. 31-Apr. 2 at Oklahoma (won 6-5, 18-5, lost 11-7) and defeating McNeese State 4-2 Tuesday at Disch-Falk Fieldtop hitters for the Longhorns are senior left fielder Ben Emond (.398, 0 HR, 25 RBI), junior second baseman Tommy Nicholson (.369, 1 HR, 23 RBI) and sophomore first baseman Jeff Ontiveros (.355, 9 HR, 48 RBI)Texas' tentative pitching rotation is senior left-hander D.J. Jones (8-2, 2.77 ERA), junior right-hander Beau Hale (7-2, 3.28 ERA) and TBA