Fresno State Athletics
Practice Makes Perfect
4/24/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
There is an old adage in the great game of baseball, "a successful team is always strong up the middle." The meaning is that the catcher, second baseman, shortstop and center fielder are cornerstones of a strong defense. Those four positions cannot be weak links if a team hopes to be successful.
Junior center fielder Tony Guzman has been a model of consistency for the Bulldogs in his three seasons in the middle. In fact, Guzman has been more than consistent -- he has been perfect. In 113 career games, he has handled 228 chances without an error.
Guzman said he has maintained a high-level of focus by simply playing his position to the foremost of his abilities.
"I like playing defense, but I don't concern myself too much with those type of statistics," he said. "I just go out there, give it my best and have fun."
Guzman, who hails from Clovis High School, helped lead the Cougars to a 33-2 record in 1998 and the national high school championship. The Cougars won league titles in each of his final three seasons at Clovis and Guzman earned first-team all-conference accolades two times. He still holds the school's career records for hits, doubles, runs scored, walks and RBIs.
"It was a great experience," Guzman said. "I loved playing at Clovis. It was a lot of fun playing in an exciting atmosphere where everything was always good."
In his senior season, Guzman received a preview of his future, as he was selected to play at the City-County All-Star Game at Pete Beiden Field. A few months later, Guzman was wearing a Fresno State uniform at that same ballpark, his new home.
"I came to watch a lot of the games when I was younger," Guzman said. "I always wanted to see myself out on the field."
In his freshman season, Guzman saw action as a reserve outfielder in 20 games, starting two of those contests. Although he did not play regularly, Guzman gained valuable experience in preparation for his sophomore year.
Guzman found himself in the starting lineup just a few weeks into his sophomore campaign because of a hamstring injury to Sim?n Tafoya. He played in 56 games, starting 52. Guzman finished the year with a .323 batting average. One of his most productive games came against New Mexico when he was 4-for-4 a run scored and one RBI. He also had a nine-game hitting streak late in the season. While his sharp outfield skills did not go unnoticed by his peers -- he was named a Gold Glove winner at the annual team banquet -- Guzman said he prefers to recognize the team's success rather than his own.
"All I really care about is winning," he said. "I could go 0-for-4, but as long as we win, I don't care what I do personally."
Guzman has a true home-field advantage, as his parents and older brother are regulars at Bulldog home games. As a business major, he said he plans pursuing a career in the field of information systems. However, he does not plan on hanging up his baseball spikes anytime soon.
"When I first got here I realized I had a lot to improve on," Guzman said. "I'm not as gifted as others are because I'm not really fast and I don't have a lot of power. I just have to work a little harder to get the job done."
Head coach Bob Bennett said he has noticed Guzman's development from a speedy outfielder in high school to a polished, experienced outfielder in college.
"He's gradually improved," Bennett said. "He gets a pretty good jump on the ball. He's improved his arm strength and accuracy, although he's always been pretty accurate."
Guzman, now in his junior season, must now take on the role as a leader as well. He has to set the example for players such as Joey Myers, a reserve outfielder who also hails from the valley.
"I always do my best to show the younger guys little things that help the team get better and improve their own game," Guzman said. "It's my job out there in center to be a captain."
The intangibles are always a bonus, something Guzman appears to have. Bennett said Guzman has a good feel for the game and is an intelligent player.
"Mentally, he's a very strong player," Bennett said. "He understands the hitters and where he ought to play. And it's always good to have a veteran guy like Tony as an example for our newcomers. If nothing else, he pushes the others to improve."
-- Curtis Webb, Fresno State Media Relations
