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Sporting a Fresh Look
The west end of campus, with the new Joan B. Kroc Institute
for Peace and Justice and the nearly complete Donald P. Shiley
Center for Science and Technology, underwent a dramatic and
visible transformation in the past two years. At the same
time, however, construction crews also were busy on the east
end, putting the final touches on what many agree is now the
finest athletic complex in the West Coast Conference.
Among the improvements:
* Renovation of Torero Stadium expanded the seating capacity
to 7,000 and added new turf, along with a new sound system,
press box and video board. Improvements to Cunningham Stadium,
home of Torero baseball, include a state-of-the art batting
cage, a new press box and a new sound system. 
* The Sports Center gym was upgraded with new lighting, paint
and a scoreboard.
* The rebuilt softball field includes fences reconfigured
to NCAA championship play standards, additional seating, new
bullpens, a sound system and a new scoreboard.
* The west tennis courts have new seating and fencing.
* The canyon field, now dubbed Manchester Athletic Field,
was resurfaced to create a multi-use facility for intercollegiate
athletics, club sports, intramurals and recreation. The improvements
aren't finished yet, says Athletics Director Tom Iannacone,
whose wish list includes an intramural/recreation complex
on the current Sports Center site.
"We're very pleased with the work we've accomplished
so far," Iannacone says. "No area of campus has
grown so dramatically, but there is much more to do."
Swim Team Impressive at Championships
The women's swimming and diving team made a big splash at
the Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference championships in February.
Despite injuries that kept it from full strength - USD did
not compete in the diving events - the team finished third
in the field of 13 teams. Torero swimmers also established
half of the 12 PCSC records set at the event.
Freshman Ashley Swart led the way, setting records in both
the 200- and 400-meter individual medleys. Swart edged teammate
Carolyn Gorrick in the 200, where both swimmers finished with
times that might qualify them for NCAA championship competition.
USD also set records in the 200- and 400-meter medley relays,
and the 400- and 800-meter free relays.
USD previously finished first or second in each of the last
four PCSC championships, but Coach Mike Keeler was upbeat
about his team's performance.
"Not being in the diving events hurt us, but it doesn't
take away from the success we had," he says. "These
athletes train very hard, and their times at the championships
prove that. I'm very proud of the way they competed."
Baseball Hosts National Champs
The Torero baseball team entered the 2003 season as defending
West Coast Conference champions, fresh off the team's first-ever
NCAA Division I Tournament appearance.
In February, however, Coach Rich Hill's squad got a taste
of the difference between seeking the College World Series
and winning it, as the University of Texas Longhorns, 2002
national champions, swept a three-game series at Cunningham
Stadium.
Before capacity crowds, a USD rally came up short in a 9-7
opening game loss. The Longhorns showed even more muscle in
the next two games, winning 17-4 and 7-2.
The Toreros faced several top college teams early in the
year, including UC Riverside and Top 25-ranked Texas Tech.
Hill knew taking on these teams would be no easy chore, but
he relished the chance to host the best in college baseball.
"It's always tough to lose," says Hill, whose squad
in March began WCC conference play with a 6-3 record, "but
it is good for our program to play teams who are where we
want to be."
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