GWYNN LEGACY IS NOT JUST NAME OF TOURNEY
The second week of the college baseball season in San Diego serves as a welcome reminder — perhaps this year more than ever given the goings-on at the game’s highest level — for players aspiring to be their best.
That’s when San Diego State (3-1) and USD (3-1) co-host the Tony Gwynn Legacy event, which this week brings in a national field that includes Arizona (3-1), Iowa (2-1), Nebraska (1-2), Seattle (2-2), Southern Illinois (3-2) and USC (2-1) for the fifth annual tournament.
“We talk about Tony all the time,” SDSU head coach Mark Martinez said. “We talk about his legacy. We don’t just talk about the baseball piece, but also the off-the-field stuff. Respecting the game, respecting people, being high character, having compassion for people. Doing things right. That’s his mantra.
“We have a tournament celebrating Tony once a year, but his legacy is celebrated daily in our program. I was just talking to one of our players yesterday about Tony and how he went about his business. His work habits, his attention to detail and trying to teach young men to emulate those characteristics.”
The event provides an opportunity for both schools to create a postseason atmosphere, with NCAA Regonal-caliber opponents here for the weekend. The Aztecs and Toreros are both off to solid starts, including big Tuesday night victories. SDSU defeated perennial power Cal State Fullerton 8-4 while USD was posting a 9-1 win over UC Irvine.
There is a lot of local flavor on both the Arizona and USC rosters.
Arizona coach Jay Johnson, a longtime assistant at USD, has mined the talent at local high schools for years and that is reflected on the Wildcats’ roster. It includes seven San Diego-area players — sophomore left-hander Randy Abshier (Otay Ranch), freshman outfielder Mac Bingham (Torrey Pines), sophomore first baseman Dayton Dooney (Poway), sophomore infielder Jacob Blas (San Marcos), junior right-hander Bryce Collins (Ramona), senior righthander Preston Price (Cathedral Catholic) and freshman left-hander Blake Peyton (El Capitan).
Blas (.389, 3 RBIS) and Dooney (.286, 6 RBIS) have started all four games this season while Abshier, Peyton and Price all have made appearances out of the bullpen.
USC includes junior outfielder Trevor Halsema (Madison), junior right-hander Kyle Hurt (Torrey Pines), freshman catcher Taylor Johnson (Poway) and junior infielder Ben Ramirez (Eastlake). Ramirez (.357, 2 HR, 5 RBIS) is among the team’s top hitters. Hurt is the Trojans’ Friday starter. He allowed one
SCHEDULE
PLNU at Concordia, 11 a.m. (DH) Tony Gwynn Legacy (at SDSU) Seattle vs. USC, 1 p.m.
Iowa vs. SDSU, 6 p.m.
TGL (at USD)
Arizona vs. Southern Illinois, 1 p.m. Nebraska vs. USD, 6 p.m.
UCSD at Sonoma St., 2 p.m. Cal State San Marcos at San Francisco St., 2 p.m.
Concordia at PLNU, 11 a.m. (DH) Tony Gwynn Legacy (at SDSU) Southern Illinois vs. USC, 1 p.m. Nebraska vs. SDSU, 6 p.m.
TGL (at USD)
Arizona vs. Iowa, 1 p.m. Seattle vs. USD, 6 p.m.
UCSD at Sonoma St., 11 a.m. (DH) CSUSM at S.F. St., 11 a.m. (DH)
SUNDAY
Tony Gwynn Legacy (at SDSU) Arizona vs. Nebraska, 10 a.m. USC vs. SDSU, 2 p.m.
TGL (at USD)
Seattle vs. Southern Illinois, 10 a.m. Iowa vs. USD, 2 p.m.
UCSD at Sonoma St., 11 a.m. CSUSM at S.F. St., 11 a.m.
run with six strikeouts over three innings against Western Michigan in last week’s season opener.
Elsewhere
UC San Diego (7-2, 2-2 CCAA), which travels to Sonoma State (2-7, 1-3), is looking to shake off a pair of losses in Sunday’s doubleheader against Cal Poly Pomona that ended the Tritons’ seven-game winning streak to open the season.
• Cal State San Marcos (3-7, 2-2 CCAA) has an opportunity to get back on track at San Francisco State (7-3, 1-3), which lost three of four last week against Chico State.
• Point Loma Nazarene (4-4) plays a nonconference series at Concordia (7-4) before opening up Pacwest play next week.
kirk.kenney@sduniontribune.com