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Head Coach Bob Brontsema

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Senior Dave Molidor

Location: Santa Barbara, Calif.
Founded: 1944
Enrollment: 18,900
Nickname: Gauchos
Colors: Blue and Gold
President: Dr. Henry T. Yang
Athletic Director: Dr. Gary Cunningham
Baseball Administrator: Gary Colson
Home Stadium (cap.): Caesar Uyesaka Stadium (1,000)
Surface, Dimensions: Grass, 335-385-400-385-335
Head Coach: Bob Brontsema (UC Santa Barbara ’84)
Career Record: 215-206, .511 (eight seasons)
Record at UCSB: same
Assistant Coaches: Tom Myers (UCSB ’91), Brian Allen (UCSB ’98)
Volunteer Assistant Coaches: John Kirkgard (Westmont ’80)
Athletic Trainer for Baseball: Chris Ritter
Baseball SID: Paul Rivas
Conference: Big West
2000 Record: 28-25
’00 Conference Record, Finish: 18-12, T-3rd
’00 Postseason: none
Position Starters Returning from ’00: 7/2
Pitchers Returning/Lost from ’00: 5/7
Letterwinners Returning/Lost from ’00: 19/7
2001 Record: 39-15
2001 Conference Record, Finish: 12-6, 2nd
website: ucsbgauchos.com

NCAA HISTORY

• The Gauchos are making their eighth trip to the NCAA Tournament, but their first trip since 1996.
• UCSB has an all-time record of 5-15 in seven trips to the NCAA playoffs since the program’s inception in 1947.
• In five regional showings since 1983, the Gauchos are 3-10, including an 0-8 streak since beating Loyola Marymount in 1986 before losing twice that year as well as in 1987, 1990 and 1996.
• This is only UCSB’s second NCAA appearance out of California and its first-ever trip out of the West (the Gauchos went to Arizona State in 1990).

TEAM NOTES

• The Gauchos have never faced any of the three teams in the 2001 South Bend Regional.
• UCSB has faced five teams that are in the 2001 NCAA Tournament with a combined 10-6 record against those teams. They are 2-0 against Temple, 4-2 against Long Beach State, 2-1 against national number-one seed Cal St. Fullerton, 2-1 at California and 0-2 against USC.
• The Gauchos second-place Big West finish was their best since 1996. They have not won a conference title since 1986.
• UCSB’s 39-15 record is the team’s most wins since the 1990 Gauchos went 40-22.
• This year’s version of Gaucho Baseball has slugged its way to the highest batting average (.336) by a UCSB team since 1986 (.348). Its ERA (3.96) is the school’s lowest since 1984 (3.24). The hitting mark was the Big West’s best in 2001, while the ERA is the conference’s second lowest. The Gauchos have set a team record for most doubles in a season with 123.
• The Gauchos regular starting lineup features seven .300 hitters, as well as three 10-plus home run hitters. All nine regular starters have chalked up 10 or more extra-base hits.
• The Gauchos notched three seven-game winning streaks this season, and from March 18 to May 5, steamrolled their way to a 23-4 record. Included in that spell was a 6-1 showing at the Verizon/Rainbow Classic in Hawaii, where the Gauchos captured a tournament title.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Senior 2B Chad Peshke has started in all 211 games at UCSB (a school consecutive games played record) and leads the team with 18 doubles. He is the school-record holder for career hits (287) and doubles (68). His 202 career runs are just six shy of the UCSB record.
• Junior 1B Tyler Von Schell set the school record this season with 18 home runs and leads the team with 34 extra-base hits. He is six total bases shy of breaking the school record of 147.
• Sophomore CF Skip Schumaker, the Gaucho leadoff hitter, has started every game this season. His 94 hits this season were second-most in the Big West and most at UCSB in 16 years. He has three four-hit games and nine three-hit games. He leads the team with 59 runs scored and 19 steals.
• Sophomore RF Ryan Spilborghs has an active 33-game hitting streak, the longest in the Big West this year. He is hitting .415 (54-130) during the streak.
• Righthander James Garcia and lefthander Rylie Ogle have been the Gauchos’ 1-2 punch all season. Each man is 10-2 on the season, while Garcia is second on the team with a 2.63 ERA and Ogle fifth at 3.65. Garcia was twice named Big West Pitcher of the Year, Ogle once. They are the school’s first 10-game winners since current pitching coach Tom Myers went 10-1 in 1991.
• Freshman righthander Matt Vasquez, a freshman All-American candidate, is 5-4 with a 3.20 ERA. In his last eight appearances, six of them starts, he has an ERA of 2.51.
• Senior righthander Jamie Gonzales posted a 0.00 ERA in conference games as the Gauchos’ closer. He made five conference appearances totaling 6 2/3 innings, allowing just two singles, no walks and six strikeouts. He was 1-0 with three saves. Over his last 18 innings, he has allowed three unearned runs on 11 hits (all singles), five walks and 16 strikeouts.