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USF DONS
Diamond Dons Look to Finish in the Top

By Jordan Wilcox

After a one-year absence in 2007, San Francisco returned to the 30-win mark, finishing 31-26 overall, and 12-9 in the West Coast Conference in 2008. The Dons are very young this season, with a roster featuring 23 underclassmen and just three seniors. The team is highlighted by the return of two Louisville Slugger Freshman All-Americans in LHP Matt Lujuan and OF Connor Bernatz. USF will look to them to continue their dominance in the highly competitive WCC.

With just four players remaining from the 2006 squad that won 39 games and went to the first ever regional for USF baseball, the Dons will rely heavily on core veterans and strong newcomers to take the team back to the post season.

Head coach Nino Giarratano and catcher Ryan Lipkin had the opportunity to travel this summer with Baseball USA's National Collegiate Team and they both came home with the gold medal the team won in the Czech Republic.

Giarratano coached the offense over the summer and the team finished with a .265 batting average, 209 hits (36 doubles, five triples, 25 home runs), 138 RBI and 150 runs scored. For some perspective, Team USA's opponents batted .154 with 16 doubles, one triple, and one home run. Lipkin batted .256 in 15 games with 10 hits (two doubles, two home runs), seven RBI and four runs scored.

After suffering injuries to key players last season, USF is hoping for a healthy season first and foremost. Senior 3B Dane Braunecker and junior SS Derek Poppert went down with injuries last season, but will be needed to anchor the left side of the infield this season.

Braunecker, in his first season as a Don, batted .299 in 29 games before being sidelined with a knee injury. Poppert played in 39 games before succumbing to injury. Both played spectacular defense while they were healthy.

USF will have to start playing better on the road as they play more than half their games away this season. In 2008, the Dons finished the season 13-19 away from Benedetti Diamond.

Dante Benedetti Classic

Three games, three wins. AT&T Park has been good to the Dons as they won their third consecutive Dante Benedetti Classic on April 1, 2008, 5-1 over No. 7 California. In the inaugural game in 2006, USF defeated the Bears 7-6 in a thrilling come-from-behind victory. Two seasons ago, the Dons earned a 6-2 victory over Santa Clara.

The Classic celebrates the legacy of Dante Benedetti, former Diamond Dons head coach and a giant in San Francisco youth and collegiate baseball. Benedetti, who coached USF for 16 years for an annual salary of one dollar, passed away in November 2005 at the age of 86 after a long illness.

West Coast Conference

The 21-game West Coast Conference season runs from March 27 to May 17. The WCC Championships are set to take place on May 22-24. "I think USF is definitely one of the top four teams in this conference," said Giarratano. "You obviously can't ever count San Diego out, they've been so good over the past two years or so, but they lost some great starting pitchers after last year. Pepperdine has been strong for as long as I can remember and Loyola Marymount is very much improved. This year Santa Clara could be very good with the pitching they got back and their big offensive players. Portland is much improved and Saint Mary's is building. So hopefully we can stay in the top three, but it could go any way depending on how you play in the 21-game spread that we have."