Former Trojans to coach


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Three new but familiar faces will be in the dugout at Dedeaux Field this spring.

Former USC baseball players Alberto Concepcion, Cyle Hankerd and Morgan Ensberg were named assistant coaches Monday by interim head coach Frank Cruz.

Ensberg is the most notable of the three, having played third base for eight seasons in the Major Leagues.

The Hermosa Beach, Calif., native played for the Houston Astros from 2000 to 2006, the San Diego Padres in 2007, and finished his career with the New York Yankees in 2008. A lifetime .263 hitter, Ensberg also racked up 110 home runs, 347 RBI and 332 walks over the course of his career, and made All-Star and World Series appearances with the Astros in 2005.

While at USC, Ensberg helped lead the Trojans to a national title in 1998, including a 2-4, three-run performance in a 21-14 national championship game win over Arizona State. He was drafted by the Astros in the ninth round of the 1998 MLB draft.

Hankerd is a Covina, Calif., native and former Trojan outfielder who played for three years from 2004 to 2006. He hit .340 in his USC career, with 107 runs scored and 123 RBI.

Hankerd helped lead the Trojans to the postseason is 2005 and was named an All-Pac-10 selection in 2006 before being drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third round of the 2006 MLB draft. He played parts of four seasons in the minors for Arizona, including a stint at the AAA level earlier this year.

Concepcion played catcher for the Trojans from 2000 to 2002, finishing with a .334 career average, 26 home runs and 111 RBIs.

The El Segundo, Calif., native was drafted out of high school by the San Diego Padres in the second round of the 1999 MLB draft, but passed on the pros to play at USC.

He helped the Trojans to fifth place finishes at the College World Series in 2000 and 2001, and was an All-Pac-10 selection in 2002. He played in the minors for six years from 2002 to 2008, reaching the AAA level twice.

The coaches will make their debut on Feb. 18, when the Trojans host a four-team weekend tournament at Dedeaux Field to open the season.