Joe Santoro
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
1/13/2003 10:52 pm


There is going to be a turn back the clock theme this season at Peccole Park.

“Our goal is to get back some of our tradition of competing hard and playing hard every game,” Nevada Wolf Pack baseball coach Gary Powers said. “I thought we lost some of that last year.”

They also lost more than their share of ballgames. The Pack finished 25-32, failing to win at least 30 games for the first time since 1993. Their .438 winning percentage was the school’s lowest since the 1991 team went 24-33 (.421).

But enough about the past. The Pack opened practices Monday in preparation for the season opener Jan. 31 in Stockton, Calif., against the Pacific Tigers. The home opener will be Feb. 28 against UNLV.

“We’re kind of revamping the whole team,” said Powers, who likened this offseason to the one after the 1991 season.

The overhaul was necessary because of the loss of eight seniors from last year’s team as well as two underclassmen, starting pitchers Darrell Rasner and James Holcomb who left to begin their professional careers.

Gone are familiar faces like shortstop Matt Maguire, first baseman JaRell McIntyre and relief pitchers George Moran and Craig Norris, who each played with the Pack for four seasons. Outfielder Josh Laidlaw and third baseman Mike Gillies are also gone, leaving Powers with a lot of holes to fill for 2003 and a whole lot of inexperience with which to fill them.

Powers, though, is welcoming the challenge of rebuilding the program.

“Last year we just didn’t play like we thought our guys could play,” Powers said. “We need to get back to playing with a mental toughness. Last year we just lost so many games in the late innings when we used to win games in the late innings. We found ways to lose games last year when in the past we would find ways to win.”

Powers is confident that the Pack will rediscover their trademark mental toughness this spring.

“The competition that we have on this team from within will accomplish that,” Powers said. “They will have to play well to keep their jobs this season. We have some depth to work with.”

A look at the 2003 Wolf Pack baseball team:

FIRST BASE: Erick Streelman will have one eye on the NFL and the other on the Pack baseball team this season, at least for the first few months. Streelman, a tight end for the Pack football team, could be a part of the NFL draft in April and might have to spend some time away from baseball in the coming months as he works out for NFL scouts.

“We’ve talked about that and we’ll just have to see what we need to do,” Powers said.

Streelman, a junior, hit .268 last season in just 56 at-bats.

Freshman Ben Mummy will compete for playing time with Streelman at first. Streelman could also see time at designated hitter to find a spot for Mummy.

“He really had a good Fall," said Powers of Mummy, referring to the team’s workouts in September and October. “He’s a very talented freshman.”

SECOND BASE: Sophomore Bub Madrid and senior Ryan Strain will split time at second. Madrid, a Reed High graduate, was solid as a freshman, hitting .291 in 86 at-bats. Strain hit just .217 in only 60 at-bats but should be healthier this season.

“Those two a very capable and they give us a lot of flexibility,” Powers said. “Ryan has made great strides defensively with his arm.”

SHORTSTOP: Taylor Pullins, who hit .275 last year in 33 starts, appears to have the inside track. Pullins, a senior, drove in 18 runs last year.

“He really played well at the end of the year last year,” Powers said.

Freshman Robert Marcial, though, could be the long-term answer at short. “He’s a gamer-type player,” Powers said. “And he has really surprised with his offensive ability (in the fall).”

Powers likes all the combinations he can put on the field at second and short with Madrid, Strain, Pullins and Marcial.

“Those four guys give us a lot of options,” he said. “We can do a lot of things with our middle infielders.”

THIRD BASE: The Pack got an unexpected surprise this fall when transfer Kevin Kouzmanoff became eligible to play this season. It was first feared that Kouzmanoff, who comes to the Pack from Arkansas-Little Rock, might have had to redshirt this season.

“He didn’t get his release (from Arkansas-Little Rock) until December,” Powers said. “Kevin is a very strong kid with an accurate arm.”

Kouzmanoff, a senior, hit .364 last season at Arkansas-Little Rock with a team-high 59 RBIs.

Jacob Butler will also play third. Butler, a sophomore, hit .271 last year with 18 RBIs in 85 at-bats.

CATCHER: Tony Cappuccilli, who will also see time at designated hitter, led the Pack in hitting last season at .357 and his 10 homers tied for the team lead with Mike Hass. Chris Gimenez, who hit .333 in 78 at-bats, will also catch as will freshmen Bake Krukow and Brett Hayes.

“We have a battle going on now with those guys and it’s a good one,” Powers said. “All three of them have different characteristics. ‘Cap’ is a big power threat. Gimenez is versatile. Bake might be the best receiver of all of them with the way he calls a game. And Hayes might be the best athlete.

“The best thing about them is that they all can play so we don’t have to use just one guy and get that guy beat up by the end of the year.”

OUTFIELD: Chris Dickerson, now a junior, returns from an injury-plagued season to start in center.

Dickerson was limited to just 30 starts last year because of a knee injury and hit .301 with just two home runs and 17 RBIs. As a freshman, Dickerson hit .317 with 11 homers and 46 RBIs.

While the knee seems to be healthy — Dickerson played this summer in the Cape Cod League in Massachusetts — the talented outfielder has a new injury to deal with. He broke a rib this fall diving for a ball in center field in a scrimmage.

“He just got cleared to play again,” Powers said.

Brian Gazerro, a transfer from Los Angeles Harbor College, Gimenez and freshman Jamaal Jackson will play left. Jackson is also a linebacker for the Pack football team.

Hass, who hit .305 and drove in 41 runs last year, will play right. The junior has 18 home runs and 73 RBIs over his first two seasons in a Pack uniform.

PITCHING: Mateo Miramontes, who has won 16 games in two seasons, returns for his junior season. Powers is looking for Miramontes to take over Rasner’s role of the past two years as the No. 1 starter.

“Going into the season Mateo has to be our lead guy,” Powers said.

Transfer Eddie Bonine will join the staff from Washington State. Bonine, a senior, was 8-8 last year with a 6.36 ERA as Washington State’s No. 1 starter. He led Washington State in victories, innings pitched (1042/3), strikeouts (78) and complete games (three). He was named honorable mention All-Pac-10 after the season.

Another transfer, Zach Basch from Hofstra, will help stabilize the bullpen.

J.T. Sherman (3-2, 4.58 ERA) will also compete for innings in a starting role. A couple of junior college transfers, Scott Gilbertson (Consumnes River College) and Brandon Gottier (Yakima College) will also find their way into the rotation early in the season.

Left-hander Bryan Johnson, Powers said, will likely serve as the closer. Johnson was effective last season, going 5-4 with four saves in 26 appearances. Ryan Leake, a sophomore, is also back in a middle relief role after appearing in 15 games last year.

Reno High graduate Darrick Cummings, who had to redshirt last season after undergoing elbow surgery, is back for his freshman year.

“We’re going to have to work him in little by little,” Powers said.

Clint Kofmehl, who also missed all of last season because of a shoulder injury, is also back. Kofmehl was 3-2 with a 4.89 ERA as a freshman in 2001.

David Woods, Powers said, will redshirt this season after injuring his elbow this summer. Freshman Jessie Weller, a Reno High graduate like Woods, will also redshirt.

Freshmen Brandon Evans (Galena High), Chris Scott, Ryan Harbaugh and Travis Sutton are also in the mix.

“We’re just going to have to wait and see what happens with this staff,” Powers said. “We have a lot of new arms and a lot of questions that have to be answered. This is a deeper staff than we had last year but they have to stay healthy.”