FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
LOS ANGELES – Former USC baseball and major league infielder Gabe Alvarez has been named assistant coach, interim head coach Frank Cruz announced today. Cruz filled out his full-time staff by selecting Alvarez, a three-time All-American at USC.
“I’m excited about bringing Gabe aboard and having a three-time All-American working with our players,” said Cruz. “He will work primarily with the infielders, but also with our hitters along with assistant coach Doyle Wilson.”
Alvarez played at USC as a shortstop from 1993-95 and had a career .338 batting average for the Trojans with 28 home runs and 163 RBI. He earned Baseball America All-America second team honors in his 1993 freshman season after batting .326 with eight home runs and 53 RBI. In 1994, he was a first team All-America pick by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association after batting .326 with seven home runs and 51 RBI.
In 1995, he was part of the Trojan squad that made its first trip to the College World Series since 1978 as USC reached the national title game. After batting .361 with 13 home runs and 59 RBI, Alvarez earned ABCA and NCBWA All-America first team, Collegiate Baseball All-America second team and Baseball America All-America third team honors.
He was a second-round selection in the 1995 major league baseball draft by the San Diego Padres and played three seasons in the major leagues (1998-2000). He was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 1997 expansion draft before being traded to the Detroit Tigers. He made his debut in 1998 with the Tigers, batting .231 with five home runs and 29 RBI. He was eventually traded to the San Diego Padres in 2000, where he finished his career by playing 92 total major league games.
The El Monte native and graduate from Bishop Amat High is single and has a 10-year-old daughter, Madison.
