April 2008 Archives

The Cal Poly Pomona women's tennis team will enjoy postseason play for the sixth time in the last seven years as the Broncos have been selected to the NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Championship, the NCAA announced Wednesday.

            The Broncos, who finished the regular season 7-9 overall and 5-3 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, are seeded fifth in the West Region and will face fourth seed and CCAA champion UC San Diego at 11 a.m. Saturday in La Jolla.

            "It's an honor for our team to earn an NCAA berth,'' Bronco coach Sandy Kriezel said. "It's a deserving honor. No question, playing UC San Diego will be our biggest match of the season. We have a chance to win, although they've gotten us twice. We've gotten closer against them each time.''

            The Tritons won both of their matches against the Broncos, winning 9-0 at Cal Poly Pomona on Feb. 23 and then winning 8-1 on April 16. The Tritons have won 49 consecutive conference matches.

            The winner of the Cal Poly Pomona-UC San Diego match will play at two-time defending champion Brigham Young-Hawaii - the West Region's top seed - at 1 p.m. May 7. The winner of that match will move on to the Round of 16 to be played in Houston on May 14-17.

            The Broncos have won four national championships in their history - 1980, 1981, 1991 and 1992.

            Representing Cal Poly Pomona are: senior Jenny Tsai (Artesia), junior Jessica Winkler (Fullerton), sophomore Mallory Brady (Torrance), freshman Jennifer Chow (Diamond Bar), freshman Kaitlin Wooldridge (Fort Collins, Colo.), freshman Michelle Stock (Valencia), sophomore Kara Fisher (Southampton, Bermuda), sophomore Fallon Blattner (Kihei, Hawaii), senior Ellyn Caprara (Carlsbad) and junior Kelley Wong (Rowland Heights).

Cal State San Bernardino senior infielder Jordan Dahl today was named the California Collegiate Athletic Association's most valuable player of the year by a vote of the conference coaches.

Dahl, of Vacaville (Will Wood HS/Sacramento City College),  played 18 games at third base and the last 12 at shortstop for CSUSB in CCAA play, and was No. 1 in conference competition in hitting (.418), doubles (12), total bases (70), slugging percentage (.714), and was No. 2 in on base percentage (.491) and third in runs scored (25), hits (41),  RBI (21) and steals (10).

In the field, she handled 94 chances at third and shortstop with only two errors (.979 fielding percentage).

Overall, this season, Dahl batted ..375 in 61 games with 11 home runs,  15 doubles, a team-high 72 hits, a team-high 50 runs scored and stole 23 bases in 26 attempts. In 30 CCAA games she hit .475 in the leadoff position and .452 with runners in scoring position.

Joining Dahl on the all-CCAA first team were:

-- Freshman centerfielder Priscilla Curiel (San Bernardino/Cajon HS), who batted

.329 in 30 CCAA games with a CCAA-leading eight home runs and 19 RBI and a .659 slugging percentage. Curiel handled 49 chances in the outfield without an error. Overall, Curiel hit .285 in 58 games with 10 home runs and 33 RBI.

n      Junior right-handed pitcher-outfielder Debbie Shisler (Phoenix, AZ./Scottsdale Christian Academy/West Alabama), who batted. .371 in 26 CCAA games and made only one error in 51 chances (.980) playing both left and right fields. In the circle, Shisler was 3-3 in CCAA play with a 2.77 earned run average. Overall, she hit .351 in 54 games with 10 doubles and 11 stolen bases, posting a 5-6 record in the circle with a 2.29 ERA and six complete games, two of them shutouts.

n      Senior second baseman Jamie Lowe (Norco, Norco HS, Cal Baptist) who batted .349 in 30 CCAA games with a CCAA-leading 12 sacrifice bunts hitting behind Dahl who led off most of the season. Lowe was an "at-large" selection. She hit .339 in 61 games, drew a team-high 30 walks and led the team in sacrifice bunts with 17.

Capping off the honors, Coach Tacy Duncan was named the CCAA's "Coach of the Year". In her three seasons, she had taken the team that struggled before she arrived to a third-place finish in the CCAA standings and the program's first-ever appearance in a post-season championship tournament. CSUSB is also ranked No. 9 in the West Region.

Duncan's team is 32-28-1 this season, equaling the second most wins in the history of the program dating back to 1987. In her three years, her teams are 80-87 overall and 47-47 in the CCAA. The program produced a dismal 38-129 record in the three years before her arrival.

Other first-team selections were Marissa Slattery, Natalie Galletly, Caitlin Klug and Lizzy Prescott from Humboldt State; Meghan Franksen, Jessica Gaumnitz and Alyssa Guzman of Cal State Stanislaus; Katie Jordan and Katie Garcia from Cal State Dominguez Hills and Allison May of UC San Diego.

Prescott was named the CCAA "Pitcher of the Year" while Nikki Ketteringham was selected as "Freshman of the Year."

No Coyotes were selected to the second team..

 

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Cal State San Bernardino rode the clutch hitting of Ashley Collinwood and Nicole Camarena and the solid relief pitching of Tawni Baker to a 3-2 victory over Cal State Stanislaus Saturday in the first game of their CCAA softball doubleheader.

    That victory was enough to give the Coyotes the No. 3 seed in the CCAA conference tournament next week at Humboldt State. The Lumberjacks (24-8) are the No. 1 seed while the Warriors (20-12) are the No. 2 seed and Cal State Monterey Bay (18-14) is the No. 4 seed.

    The Coyotes will play the Warriors in the first game of the tournament at 1 p.m. Thursday followed by the Humboldt-Monterey Bay game at 3:30 p.m.

    CSUSB lost the nightcap to the Warriors, 5-2, finishing the regular season with a 32-28-1 record and 17-13 in the CCAA, equaling the most wins the softball program has won in CCAA play since it joined the conference in 1991-92.

    The irony here is that two teams who didn't make the CCAA tournament -- UC San Diego and Cal State Dominguez Hills -- are shoe-ins for the NCAA West Regional since they are ranked No. 2 and No. 5 respectively in the region. 

    The NCAA tournament is an eight-team affair and right now the Coyotes are in the No. 9 spot, behind San Francisco State, another team that didn't make the CCAA tournament, having tied UCSD for sixth place at 15-17 in CCAA play. The Gators took three of four from UCSD this weekend.

    Other teams in the region top 10 are No. 6 Western Oregon, No. 7 Seattle and No. 10 Hawaii Pacific.

    For this moment in time, the Coyotes are celebrating their rising like a Phoenix from the ashes over the past three seasons since it was a cellar-dweller in the conference in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

    Head Coach Tacy Duncan has rebuilt the team into a regional contender, posting a .500 record against the top 10 teams CSUSB faced this year and taking three of four from UCSD in their CCAA series. The team went 27-27 in 2007 and was picked by the coaches to finish seventh this year.

    In game one Saturday, the Coyotes rallied from a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth and Duncan brought in Baker to relieve freshman left-hander Cassidy Lee. Baker pitched three dominant innings, allowing one hit and striking out three to give Lee her eighth win of the season.

    The three Coyote runs came when Tayler Wilson led off the fifth with a single and Debbie Shisler moved her to second with a bunt single. With one out, Jamie Lowe sacrificed both runners along. Collinwood, who had four RBIs on the day, touched Warriors pitcher Jessica Gaumnitz (14-7) for a double to score two runs. Camarena then singled to score Collinwood to make it 3-2 CSUSB.

    Camarena and Shisler were both two-for-three in the game as CSUSB had nine hits. The Warriors had just four hits off the combined efforts of Lee and Baker.

    In game two, Lee again was in the circle to pitch and went three innings, yielding three hits and two runs, both coming on a two-run homer by Alicia Reid.

    The Coyotes tied the game in the third as Wilson walked, Shisler reached on a fielder's choice. Both runners moved up on a sacrifice by Jordan Dahl and Collinwood delivered again, this time a two-out double to tie the score at 2-2.

    Jackie Jacob (10-8) came on to pitch for CSUSB and Stanislaus scored two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth for a 5-2 lead before Baker came in to pitch the final 1.2 innings, giving up two hits and no runs.

    CSUSB tried to come back in the seventh, putting runners on first and second with two out but Wilson was thrown out at third on a steal attempt to end the game with the potential tying run at the plate with Jamie Lowe at bat.
    
        

Sophomore Kaitlin Hartman scored the match-deciding goal with 5:32 left in the fourth period Saturday to advance Cal State San Bernardino to the consolation final of the Western Water Polo Association championship tournament.

The Coyotes, 19-17 on the season, will face the winner of the Cal State Bakersfield-Cal State Monterey Bay match at 11:30 a.m. Sunday at the Burns Recreation and Aquatics Center at Loyola Marymount University.

Before Hartman’s deciding goal, the Coyotes – seeded No. 7 in the tournament – had a nip-and-tuck battle with No. 6 seed Sonoma State before prevailing 8-7, keeping the Seawolves at bay during the final 5:32 of the match.

All-WWPA first-team selection and two-time all-American Freyja Berg had three goals for the Coyotes as did her teammate, senior Ashley Hays. Senior Italia Iossif scored the other point for CSUSB. Freshman goalkeeper Bryanna Burns had three saves.

The Coyotes took a 3-1 lead early in the first period but SSU rallied to tie the match at 3-3 and then took a 4-3 lead over CSUSB in the second period and led 5-4 at halftime.

CSUSB got two goals from Hays and a third from Berg to forge a 7-7 tie after three quarters.

Harman’s goal came right after Samantha Mullins of Sonoma State was cited for an ejection foul at 5:52, leaving the Seawolves short a player and the Coyotes capitalized 20 seconds later.

CSUSB’s defense held Sonoma State scoreless in the final period.

CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO 8, SONOMA STATE 7

CSUSB goals: Freyja Berg 3, Ashley Hays 3, Italia Iossif, Kaitlin Hartman. Goalie saves: Bryanna Burns (3).

Sonoma St. goals: Samantha Burchard, Jessica Scott, Jenna Bole, Lauren Smith, Emily Pearce, Sara Watt, Samantha Mullins. Goalie saves: Lysa Limbard (9).

Max Moya drilled a pair of home runs – giving him three for the day – and Yuichiro Fujiwara pitched five strong innings to lead Cal State L.A. to an 11-6 win in the nightcap. That win was badly needed because Cal Poly Pomona rode some outstanding pitching from Brandon King and Peter Shiner in the opener to post a 3-1 win.

Cal State L.A. (25-21, 19-12 CCAA) pulled to within one-half game of fourth-place Cal State Stanislaus (31-18, 19-11) in the conference race. Chico State (32-12, 21-10 CCAA) is in third place, two games ahead of the Golden Eagles. Cal State Stanislaus hosts first-place Sonoma State in a doubleheader on Sunday and then finishes the regular-season with a four-game series at Cal Poly Pomona. Chico State finishes with a four-game series at Cal State San Bernardino and Cal State L.A. wraps up its regular-season with a four-game series at San Francisco State.

The Golden Eagles got a big day from Moya, who accounted for their only run in the first game with a solo home run in the first inning. He then belted a two-run home run in the first inning of the nightcap and added a solo shot third. He was 3-for-3 in the nightcap with two runs scored and three RBI.

The first game featured strong pitching from both teams. King didn’t allow another run after Moya’s first-inning homer and went seven innings, allowing eight hits while walking two and striking out five. Peter Shiner allowed only one hit and struck out three over the final two innings to pick up the save.

The Golden Eagles were paced by John Mitchell, who allowed seven hits and three runs over seven innings. Erick Hong allowed only one hit over the final two innings to give Cal State L.A. a chance to rally.

Cal Poly Pomona broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh when Chris Wilson singled, took second on a sacrifice by Jeff Ringholm and scored on a double by Andres Fernandez. Kyle Boggio followed with a double to score Fernandez and make it 3-1.

In between games, the Golden Eagles honored their six seniors – Dustin Birosak, Theon Bourdaniotis, Tyler Warmerdam, Darrick Hale, Manny Urresti and Henry Contreras – in a special ceremony.

Cal Poly Pomona took a 1-0 lead in the nightcap on a leadoff home run by Matt Davidson, but Fujiwara didn’t allow another run in his five innings of work. Cal State L.A. countered with four runs in the bottom of the inning – two on a home run by Moya – to take command.

The Golden Eagles made it 5-1 on a solo home run by Moya in the third and then broke the game open with three runs each in the fourth and fifth innings. Joe Park had a two-run single in the fourth, while Devin Ramirez, Nico Moreno and Christian Ramirez had RBI in the fifth.

Cal Poly Pomona battled back for five runs in its half of the seventh inning. Davidson drove in a run with a single, Jordan Alcantar had a sacrifice fly to drive in a run and Manny Navarro drove in a run with a sacrifice fly for the Broncos.

Cal State L.A. had 14 hits in the nightcap. Park and Devon Ramirez had two hits and scored two runs each, while Christian Ramirez drove in a pair of runs.

Cal State L.A. will play its final home game of the season on Tuesday when the Golden Eagles host Point Loma in a non-conference game. The Golden Eagles will travel to San Francisco State for a four-game series to conclude the conference regular season beginning with a single game on Friday.

Berg earned first-team all-WWPA honors while Burns was named to the all-freshman team.

This is the first year that the WWPA has chosen both an all-association team and an all-tournament team. The latter will be named at the conclusion of the 2008 WWPA championship tournament on Sunday at Loyola Marymount University.

The Coyotes open the tournament as the No. 7 seed and will play UC Santa Cruz in the first round at 11 a.m. on Friday. If they win that match, they advance to the second round to play the host school and No. 2 seed, Loyola Marymount, at 4 p.m.

Berg  is tied for second in the nation in goals scored with 101 this season and her 3.1 goals per match average is No. 3 in the nation behind Amanda Ortiz of Cal State Bakersfield, the WWPA player of the year, and Billy Hoelck of Wagner (N.Y.).

In addition, the senior from Whittier (La Serna HS) has set a new Coyotes team record for career goals with 347, breaking the old career mark set by Sarah Reneker Schweiger at 324.

Berg scored seven goals against NCAA Division I UC Santa Barbara, ranked No. 17 in the nation, last weekend in a 13-12 overtime win by the Coyotes.

Burns has been a force in the cage for the Coyotes in her first year out of Rancho Buena Vista High School in Oceanside. She has 293 saves in 33 matches, averaging 8.9 saves per match, ranking her seventh in the nation, according to statistics compiled by Niall Adler of Long Beach State.

Veronica Campbell of Cal State Bakersfield was named “newcomer of the year” and Jamey Wright of WWPA leader UC Davis was named “coach of the year.”

The seedings for the WWPA tournament are: 1. UC Davis; 2. LMU; 3. UCSD; 4. CS Bakersfield; 5. Santa Clara; 6. Sonoma State; 7. COYOTES; 8. Cal State Monterey Bay; 9. Colorado State; 10. UC Santa Cruz; 11. Cal State East Bay; 12. Chapman.

Cal State San Bernardino’s  softball team heads to Turlock for a four-game CCAA softball series against Cal State Stanislaus with the goal of taking the fourth and final spot in the 2008 CCAA conference championship tournament.

The Coyotes are one of three teams with a shot at the fourth spot. UC San Diego and Cal State Dominguez Hills both have a mathematical chance of being the fourth team as well.

The bad news is that CSUSB (15-11) is facing  the second-place Warriors (18-10) while the Tritons (14-14) are playing San Francisco State (12-16) and Dominguez Hills (13-15) is at cellar-dweller Sonoma State (3-23).

In 2007, the Coyotes entered the final weekend of play with a shot at the fourth spot in the conference tournament but wound up fifth behind S.F. State.

            After taking three of four games from Chico State this past weekend, the Coyotes are now 30-26-1 overall, the team’s first 30-win season since 2002 when CSUSB won 32 games and narrowly missed a berth in the NCAA West Regional.

            First-place Humboldt State (21-7), a team which split with the Coyotes 2-2 in CCAA play, will host the conference tournament next weekend, the CCAA announced this week, and hosts Chico State (12-16) this weekend in its regular season finale.

            Cal State Stanislaus and Cal State Monterey Bay, which has finished its season at 18-14 after sweeping the Gators last weekend, have also clinched berths in the tourney.

            The Coyotes, picked for seventh in the CCAA in the coaches’ pre-season poll, is the top team in the CCAA when it comes to offense. CSUSB is batting .312 as a team with 57 home runs and 273 runs batted in 57 games.

            Senior Jordan Dahl (Vacaville) is the team leader in hitting with a .382 average in 57 games and is batting .440 in 26 CCAA games. She has 11 home runs and a team-leading 44 RBIs. She leads the squad in runs scored (48), hits (68),  stolen bases (22), and slugging percentage (.663).

            Freshman center fielder Priscilla Curiel (San Bernardino) is having a solid season, batting .295 overall with 10 home runs and 33 RBI and hitting .351 in CCAA play with eight of her homers and 19 of her RBI coming against conference foes.

            Sophomore Ashley Collinwood is hitting .327 with seven home runs, 13 doubles and 43 RBI. Senior catcher Nicole Camarena is batting .306 with 13 home runs and 35 RBI. Senior Jamie Lowe is batting .337 with three homers and 25 RBI overall and .347 in CCAA games.

            The team is 7-3 over its last 10 games.

PASO ROBLES – Senior Dane Bagnell and junior Micah Burke both shot sub-par rounds Tuesday as Cal State San Bernardino finished third in the 10^th annual California Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Golf Championship at Hunter Ranch Golf Club.

Bagnell shot his lowest round of the season, a four-under-par 68, to wind up in a tie for 11^th place among the 35 individuals in the event with a 54-hole total of 219, three over par for the tournament.

Burke came in with a three-under par 69 to finish on the 6,741-yard, par-72 course to tie for fourth place, 11 shots back of tournament medalist Eric Justesen of Cal State Stanislaus who lapped the field with a 14-under-par total of 202, closing with a five-under 67 after shooting 65 and 70 on Monday.

Both Burke and Webster were named to the all-CCAA first team selected by the conference coaches.

As expected Sonoma State led wire-to-wire for its first-ever CCAA championship in men’s golf  with an aggregate 54-hole total of 858, finishing four shots ahead of 2007 champion Cal State Stanislaus (862) and 11 shots ahead of the Coyotes (869).

Sonoma State’s Jarin Todd, who won three tournaments this year and had the lowest stroke average in the CCAA at 70.5, was named the CCAA’s player of the year.

His coach, Val Verhunce, was named CCAA coach of the year.

            The Seawolves will host the NCAA West-Northwest Super Regional on May 5-7 at Adobe Creek Golf Course in Petaluma.

            With its third-place finish, Cal State San Bernardino, ranked No. 8 in the region entering the tournament, most likely reserved a tee time for the regional where they are the defending West champions. The top eight teams and five individuals from non-qualifying teams advance to the regional.

            It takes a team to post an aggregate score and senior Bill Clayton stepped up when it counted, shooting a two-over-par 74 that enabled the Coyotes to post their low team round of the tournament – 284.

            Sophomore Gene Webster, tied for second place in the event after 36 holes with a four-under-par total of 140 on rounds of  69 and 71 on Monday, skied to a 79 on Tuesday and finished in a tie with Bagnell in 11^th spot at 219.

            Sophomore Joe Alldis improved his position each round, starting with a 76 on Monday morning, shooting 74 in the afternoon and posting a one-over 73 to help the Coyotes distance themselves from the fourth-place finisher, Cal State Monterey Bay. The Otters were 12 shots in back of CSUSB in fourth spot at 881.

            Four Coyotes finished in the top 20 while all five members of Sonoma State were in the top 16 and ties. The Seawolves are ranked No. 1 in the West.

            Hunter Ranch as been Justesen’s personal playground in three of the last four CCAA tournaments.  He won CCAA championship medalist honors for the third time in four years. He finished first in 2005 at 11 under over the same course while playing for Cal State Monterey Bay, then a provisional CCAA member,  and won it in 2007 competing for Stanislaus, also at 11 under. He has played nine rounds at Hunter Ranch at 36 under par.

            CSUSB has finished second or third in three of the last four CCAA tournaments.

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            2008 CCAA All-CONFERENCE TEAM

            Micah Burke (CSUSB), Gene Webster (CSUSB), Jarin Todd (Sonoma St.), Kyle Hopkins (Sonoma St.), Eric Justesen (CS Stanislaus), Lucas Delgado (Chico St.), John Jackson (CS Monterey Bay); Jacob O’Keefe (Sonoma St.); Andy Moren (CS Stanislaus); Ryan Trask (Chico St.).

            MVP – Jarin Todd (Sonoma St).

            Freshman of Year – Patrick Bauer (Sonoma St.)

            Newcomer of Year – Lucas Delgado (Chico St.)

            Coach of Year – Val Verhunce (Sonoma St.)

            2008 CCAA MEN’S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

                  @ Hunter Ranch Golf Club in Paso Robles

TEAM: 1. Sonoma State – 858; 2. CS Stanislaus – 862; 3. COYOTES – 869; 4. CS Monterey Bay – 881; 5. Chico State – 884; 6. UC San Diego – 891; 7. CS Dominguez Hills – 930.

INDIVIDUALS: 1. Eric Justesen (Stanislaus) 70-65-67 – 202; 2. Jarin Todd (Sonoma St.) – 70-72-68 – 210; 3. John Jackson (CS Monterey Bay) 71-69-72 – 212; 4. (tie) Micah Burke (CSUSB) 71-73-69 – 213; Jason McHargue (CS Stanislaus) 75-72-66 – 213.

COYOTE CARDS: 4. Micah Burke (71-73-69 – 213); 11. (tie) Gene Webster (69-71-79 – 219) and Dane Bagnell (76-75-68 – 219); 16. Joe Alldis (76-74-73 – 223);

30. Bill Clayton (81-79-74 – 234).

Cal State San Bernardino senior David Reichel has signed with the Los Angeles Lightning of the International Basketball League which plays through June.

The IBL is made up of  teams from the Midwest and West Coast along with teams from China, Canada and The Netherlands. The league is a showcase for professional leagues overseas as well the NBA, ABA and other domestic pro circuits.

The Lightning plays its home games at Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks, just a few miles from Reichel’s home in Camarillo where he played his high school ball and one year at nearby The Master’s College before coming to CSUSB.

The 6-8 Reichel scored six points in eight minutes of action in Saturday’s game against Battle Creek, Mich.

Two veteran NBA players are the marquee players for the Lightning – 11-year NBA veteran Lamond Murray and Fred Vinson, most recently an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers. Murray was a first-round draft pick of the Clippers and also played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets.

“This is an opportunity for me to show what I can do and hope I can sign a contract with an international team in Europe, Australia or Asia,” said Reichel, who will get his bachelor’s degree in business from CSUSB in June.

He said the IBL has a 50 percent success rate of placing players with pro teams at higher levels and overseas.

Asked about the quality of play in the IBL compared to NCAA Division II, Reichel said, “Everyone is not that much quicker, but they are much stronger and the veterans know all the tricks of the trade.”

Reichel had an outstanding year for the Coyotes in 2006-07, averaging  5.6 points a game in 32 games, helping CSUSB post a 26-6 record and win the NCAA Div. II West Regional. The team made the Elite Eight for the third time in the history of the program and became the first to advance to the Final Four, beating Wingate 100-73 in the quarterfinals.

He averaged 14 minutes per game, shot 54 percent from the field and set a new all-time single-season record by hitting 50 percent of his three-pointers (39 of 78) in 2006-07.

His senior season was marred by a thumb injury that forced him to miss six games and affected his shooting and playing time. He averaged 5.1 points per game but shot only 36 percent from the field. Still, he averaged 15 minutes per game for a team that won a CCAA conference co-championship.

Reichel’s best performance of 2007-08 was a career-high, 17-point outing against Kentucky Wesleyan in early November in the Disney West Coast Classic. He averaged 7.4 points a game before being hurt during the Christmas break. He scored 11 points against Humboldt State in CSUSB’s 82-73 win on Jan. 26 and grabbed a career-high eight rebounds against UC San Diego in the CCAA tournament quarterfinals on March 4.

The Lightning is owned and managed by Mark Harwell, a television and film executive. The head coach is Ron Quarterman, former coach at L.A. Pierce College and an assistant with the L.A. Aftershock of the ABA.

The IBL teams include Bellingham, WA., Snohomish County, WA., Vancouver, WA.,, Portland, Ore., Tacoma, WA., Central Oregon, Las Vegas, NV., Elgin, Ill., Elkhart, Ind., Chicago, Grand Rapids, Mich, and three international teams – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Shanxi, China; and Holland.

The Lightning play most of their games at home at CLU, but will be traveling to Las Vegas, Chicago, Indiana and Michigan for games. The team is in the Southwest Division of the IBL along with Central Oregon, Portland, China and Las Vegas. The IBL is adding seven more teams in 2009, according to its website.

The Ninth Annual California Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Golf Championships is scheduled to open
Monday at the par-72, 7,741-yard Hunter Ranch Golf Course in Paso Robles.

The 54-hole event opens with 36 holes on Monday and concludes with  the final 18 on Tuesday. Monday’s opening round is scheduled to begin at 7:34 a.m. and Tuesday’s final round is set to start at 7:25  a.m.

The seven-team field includes Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State Stanislaus, Chico State, UC San Diego, Sonoma State and Cal State Monterey Bay. Cal State Stanislaus senior All-American Erick Justesen is the defending individual medalist after he helped the Warriors to the 2007 championship.

Sonoma State, which is coming off a win at the Buzzini/Stanislaus Invitational on Tuesday, enters the CCAA Championships ranked No. 2 in the latest Golfstat rankings, while Cal State Stanislaus is No. 6
and Chico State is No. 14.

The Seawolves enter the CCAA Championships with three team victories, while Cal State Stanislaus and Chico State have each won two tournaments.

Junior All-American and 2007 Jack Nicklaus Award winner Jarin Todd leads Sonoma State, which captured two tournaments during the fall portion of its schedule. The Redmond, Wash., native has captured three individual medalist honors this season, and tops the CCAA with a 70.5 stroke average.

The Seawolves boast four of the CCAA’s top five stroke average leaders as Apple Valley native Kyle Hopkins (73.2), Patrick Bauer (73.4) and Jacob O’Keefe (73.5) rank third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

Justesen is second in the CCAA with a 71.9 stroke average and has victories at the Sonoma State Invitational and CSUMB Otter Invitational.

Cal State Stanislaus captured last year’s championships with a 4- under par total of 860. The victory snapped a string of five straight wins by Cal State Bakersfield, which left the CCAA following the 2007 season to move to Division I. The Warriors captured the first-ever event when it won in 1999 at the Turlock Golf & Country Club.

CCAA Men’s Golf Champions

Team

1999 Yascha Feld (CSUS)
2000 John Davis (GCU)
2001 Marc Lawless (CSUS)
2002 Jason Boyd (UCD)
2003 Bill Noon (CSUB)
2004 D.J. Fernando (CSUB)
2005 Mark Baker (CSUB)
2006 Brady Baguio (CSUB)
2007 Erick Justesen (CSUS)

Junior right-hander Brandan King (Walnut) threw a three-hit shutout and junior Chris Brehm (Murrieta) continued his fine play at the plate as the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos earned a pair of victories over visiting San Francisco State in California Collegiate Athletic Association baseball Saturday at Scolinos Field.

            The Broncos, now 13-25 overall and 10-15 in the CCAA, look to earn a series sweep over the Gators (7-37-1, 1-26) with the finale played at 11 a.m. Sunday at Scolinos Field.

GAME 1: Broncos 11, SF State 0

            King (3-2) earned his first complete-game effort on the season and shut down the Gators. He struck out seven, issued no walks, but did hit two batters in a stellar effort.

            The Broncos earned a 1-0 lead in the first as Kyle Boggio (senior, Santa Clarita) tripled to open the game. Brehm picked up the RBI on an infield ground-out.

            Cal Poly Pomona gained another run in the second as senior Andres Fernandez (San Fernando) lifted a sacrifice fly to center that scored junior Josh Potter (Orange), who reached on a single.

            The Broncos broke the game wide open with an eight-run fourth inning and sent 12 to the plate. Fernandez hit a two-run double that scored junior Chris Wilson (Rancho Cucamonga) and freshman Joe Villa (Hacienda Heights), who both singled. After Boggio flew out to right field, the Broncos continued to score with two outs. Fernandez scored after Jason Jordan (senior, Huntington Beach) reached base on an error. After senior John Daniels (Rancho Cucamonga) singled, senior A.J. Cavaletto hit a run-scoring single that scored Brehm, who reached on an error.

            Junior Josh Potter (Orange) then walked, bringing Wilson to the plate for the second time in the inning. He answered with a three-run double and the Broncos led 10-0.

            The Broncos added a run in the sixth when Villa doubled to score Wilson, who also doubled.

            Wilson finished 4-for-5 with three RBI and a pair of doubles. Fernandez also had three RBI.

GAME 2: Broncos 5, SF State 2

            The Broncos grabbed a 5-0 run lead after three innings and held on for the sweep.

            Three straight walks put Daniels, Cavaletto and Potter on as the Broncos threatened in the second. Daniels scored on a wild pitch thrown by Gator starter Matt Edgecombe. Wilson added a sacrifice fly to left that scored Cavaletto. Two batters later, senior Matt Davidson (Laguna Hills) also hit a sacrifice fly, this time to center that scored Potter.

            Leading 3-0, the Broncos added their other two runs in the third. Brehm delivered with a two-run home run to left field that scored Jordan, who reached on a double.

            Freshman Casey Yokubaitis (Goleta) earned the win for the Broncos. He threw 5 2 /3 innings, scattering six hits, two runs – both earned – struck out two and did not issue a walk. Senior Sean Hunter (Oakland) entered in the seventh and picked up the save with two strikeouts. He now has five saves this season.

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO - All season long the Cal State San Bernardino softball team has relied on its offense. The Coyote bats did their job again Saturday as the host team smacked four home runs in an 8-4win over Chico State in the nightcap of a CCAA doubleheader.

Chico State salvaged a split because of a 6-4 win in the opener but the Coyotes swept a doubleheader Friday, giving them three wins in a four-game set that rounded out the home schedule.

The Coyotes (30-26-1, 15-11) had nine home runs in the series. They lead the conference in that category as well as most other offensive departments. They are among the national leaders in home runs with 59.

“We have a lot of girls that can really hit the ball and it has been our strong suit all year,” coach Tacy Duncan said. “That really showed in the second game.”

The split helps the Coyotes in their pursuit of a conference tournament berth. They started the day third, one spot ahead of where they need to finish.They wrap up the season with a four-game set at second-place Stanislaus next weekend.

But players don’t feel the burden of the stretch run.

“It’s a game and it’s fun so we really don’t feel pressure,” said junior Tori Beaudette, who led the charge with two home runs in the nightcap.

The Coyotes trailed 3-1 early, their lone run coming on a solo shot by Ashley Collinwood in the first.

But the sticks woke up in the fourth as Beaudette launched her fifth of the season to lead off the inning. Tayler Wilson reached on a fielder’s choice and Debbie Shisler followed with an infield single. Jordan Dahl, the No. 5 hitter in the conference, then stroked a three-run shot to put the Coyotes up 5-3. Beaudette delivered a two run-shot an inning later and the Coyotes were not threatened again.

The win went to Tawni Baker who entered in relief in the top of the fifth.

The second game also featured a pair of great defensive plays by center fielder Priscilla Curiel. The Cajon High product made a nice catch to end the Chico sixth, then made an even better one to start the seventh. She raced to her right and made a sprawling grab of a ball off the bat of Nickie Jarrett that was headed to the gap.
Wilson and Shisler had two hits for the Coyotes in the opener but the difference was a five-run third by the Wildcats (24-25, 12-16).

A sweep would have been big given that the Coyotes end the season on the road against a quality for but Duncan was satisfied.

“It’s tough to sweep so we have to be happy winning three of four. This conference is tough and we’re playing each other so many times you’re not going to beat the same team every time,” she said.

The game was the last at home for six Cal State seniors who were honored after the game. That group includes Baker, Wilson, Dahl, Jackie Jacob, Nicole Camarena and Jamie Lowe.

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

Cal Poly Pomona got off to a good start with its recruiting class signing a pair of players coach Greg Kamansky thinks can make an impact right away.

Kevin Ryan, a 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward out of El Segundo High School, and Dwayne Fells, a 235-pound forward out of Fullerton High School, are the first to sign letters of intent.

“I am very pleased. This gets us off to a great start,” Kamansky said. “They’re guys that can be program changers. You never know how guys are going to progress but they have that kind of potential.”

Ryan averaged 22 points and 15 rebounds, earning Pioneer League Most Outstanding Player honors this past season.

Fells averaged 20 points and 14 rebounds, earning first-team all-Freeway League honors. He was the league’s Most Valuable Player as a junior in 2007 and was a two-time, all-CIF selection.

Those additions address one of the Broncos biggest needs with the departure of center Kaelen Daniels and his backup Kein Neveu.

Kamansky said he is still looking to add three or four more players, with the biggest emphasis now going to the guard position. While the Broncos recruiting focus has typically been on high school graduates, he might look to fill that void with a more experienced transfer.

Cal Poly graduates shooting guard Angelo Tsagarakis but does already have a quality player in the fold in Austin Swift, a Division I transfer who redshirted last year because of an ankle injury.

“We never seem to have a problem with the big men but we never get enough guards,” he said.

The Broncos finished 13-15 this past season and just missed their fifth NCAA Division II postseason berth in six seasons by finishing second in the CCAA Tournament.

“We’re hoping these guys can get us back to where we’re challenging for a conference title and back up there with the elite teams,” he said.

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

At 5 a.m. when most college students are sleeping soundly, Freyja Berg is starting her day. The Cal State San Bernardino senior reports to school an hour later for a two-hour water polo practice.

After a full day of classes, there is yet another practice, except on days the Coyotes have a match.
But the dedication has paid off. Berg recently became the school’s all-time leading scorer and currently ranks third nationally in scoring.

“I’m not going to lie, sometimes it’s really tough getting up,” she said. “But it’s what you have to do if you want to be good at something.”

Berg, a native of Whittier, is rounding out a storied career this month. The Coyotes (16-14) have three matches this week, starting with Division I foes UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Northridge on Saturday and rounding out the regular season against Pomona-Pitzer at home Sunday.

They will compete in the Western Water Polo Association tournament the following week in Los Angeles.

Every goal she scores adds to her legacy. She has 334 goals which breaks the career record of Sarah Reneker Schweiger who had 324 before graduating in 2006.

Berg didn’t know she was even close until sports information director Mike Murphy brought it up during a meeting of the Coyote Athletic Association at which she was being honored as the school’s athlete of the month for March.
Coyotes coach Tom Finwall didn’t know either.

Berg appreciates the honor, especially because the record she broke was that of a former teammate she respects. Schweiger also helped coach the team early this season.
But much like Schweiger did, Berg focuses on the bigger picture.

“It’s cool. But it will probably mean more to me later,” said Berg, the fourth All-American in the history of the program. “Right now I just want to help us win. It doesn’t matter how many goals I score.”

Berg’s big junior year set her up for the record run this season. She tallied 66 goals as a freshman and 68 as a sophomore.

She emerged as the dominant player last year with Schweiger having departed and managed 112 goals, 55 assists and 84 steals which earned her All-American honors for the second time.
Her 88 so far this season are enough to put her second nationally in a list of players in all divisions. Junior Amanda Ortiz of Cal State Bakersfield (102) is first.

She also has a team-high 64 steals and 37 assists.

Finwall says it is hard to compare his top two players of all-time since the styles of play are different. Berg is also five inches taller which comes into play both offensively and defensively, even in a pool.

“Freyja is a little taller and has a longer reach which really helps her,” he said. “She is able to get some shots off over an opponent where maybe Sarah had to pass it off. She (Berg) is also a little better defender. Not to say Sarah wasn’t good. Freyja is just a littler better.”

Berg admits she has progressed faster in the sport than even she believed was possible. She took it up in the eighth grade because older sisters Bridget and Kelby played. The three competed together for one year at La Serna High School and Bridget played with Freyja for two years at Cal State.

Freyja redshirted her first year at Cal State while she was working her way back from arm injuries suffered in a snowboarding accident.

Finwall also helped her with a few adjustments to her shot which apparently have helped.

“There were just some minor things on her motion,” Finwall said. “And old habits are hard to break.”

Schweiger currently lives in Seattle with husband Brian, a bullpen catcher with the Mariners. She also plays on a master’s team and has had some coaching offers.

If her record had to fall so soon, she is happy for her former teammate.

“She’s a great player because she has worked hard at getting better every year,” Schweiger said. “She has never been afraid to ask a question or do what it takes to get to the next level. She deserves it.”

When Tacy Duncan took over the reigns of the Cal State San Bernardino softball program three years ago, she was starting from scratch. The Coyotes had never made the playoffs and were a woeful 38-129 overall (24-70 in California Collegiate Athletic Association) the three years before she arrived.

But the Coyotes (27-25, 12-10) are heading down the homestretch with a chance to make the four-team postseason conference tournament. They are third behind Humboldt State (40-14, 17-7) and Cal State Stanislaus (25-19, 18-10) with Monterey Bay (27-22, 14-14), UC San Diego (28-18, 13-13) and San Francisco State (26-18, 12-12) in pursuit.

Cal State has two four-game series left — a winnable one against Chico State (23-22, 11-13), then the tougher one against nationally ranked Stanislaus.

“Six of eight will get us in,” Duncan said. “Anything less than that and we just have to see how it plays out. It would be great to get in and have that opportunity.”

In Duncan’s first season the Coyotes improved by 10 wins, it progressed by six more the following year and has equaled its win total of 2007 with eight games to go. The Coyotes are slightly ahead of the timetable she laid out.

“It really takes five years. You have to get all your own players in and have the chance to work with them,” she said. “I’m hard to please so I think it can always be better, but I am satisfied.”

Pitching depth has helped. Last year seniors Tawni Baker and Jordan Dahl carried the load with Dahl doing so out of necessity. She prefers to play the infield.

This season Baker (9-6, 2.78) has been joined by freshman Cassidy Lee (4-7, 4.73), senior Jackie Jacob (9-6, 3.83) and junior Debbie Shisler (4-5, 2.33).

Senior Nicole Camarena (.294, 31 RBI, 12 HR), a Victorville native, is behind the plate.

Duncan’s infield usually consists of sophomore first baseman Ashley Collinwood (.331, 41 RBI), senior second baseman Jamie Lowe (.361, 31 runs) and senior third baseman Tayler Wilson (.298), with Dahl (.378, 36 RBI, 43 runs, eight HR) at short.

Cajon graduate Priscilla Curiel (.294, 31 RBI, eight HR), whom Duncan touts as a conference Freshman of the Year candidate, patrols the outfield, along with junior Tori Beaudette and Shisler with freshman Jaclyn Holtzclaw in when Shisler (.328) is pitching.

The Coyotes lead the conference in hitting (.308), slugging (.475) and on-base (.388). They also have a conference-high 48 home runs.

It has also been a challenging season for Duncan, who is balancing coaching and a full-time teaching job in Riverside with motherhood. She and husband Shannon are the parents of 8-month-old twin girls.
The school is elevating her position to full-time next year, which should ease some of the burden.

            Long was recognized for his complete-game six-hitter in an 11-1 win over San Francisco State last Friday that set the stage for the Coyotes to sweep all four games from the Gators.

            The 6-3 senior right-hander from Woodland, Calif., struck out 12 batters in the game to give him an even 100 on the season which leads the CCAA by a wide margin.

            Long is now 6-5 on the season with a 3.14 earned run average. He is 4-4 in the CCAA with 70 strikeouts and a 3.38 ERA in eight CCAA starts totaling 56 innings.

            In last Friday’s win over SFSU, Long was strong from start to finish. He demonstrated that in the bottom of the ninth when he struck out the side to end the game after giving up a leadoff hit.

            Over his last three outings, all victories, Long has pitched 25 innings, yielded just 12 hits and five runs and struck out 38 batters while walking nine. Only three of the hits off him went for extra bases.

            Long needs five more strikeouts this season to eclipse the all-time single-season record of 104 set by John Major in 1996. He has already smashed Major’s career strikeout mark of 150, having fanned 227 batters in two-plus seasons. One more win and he equals Major’s career win record of 15. Long has 14 in his third season with CSUSB.

            Long also earned CCAA pitcher of the week honors in March for a 5-0 shutout win over Cal Poly Pomona. He has three complete games in 12 starts for CSUSB.

He is expected to start Thursday at Cal State L.A. The Coyotes take a six-game win streak into the four-game series with the Golden Eagles and are now 22-19 overall, 13-15 in the CCAA.

            Brehm, a Murrieta native, played a key role in helping Cal Poly Pomona win a four-game series from Cal State Monterey Bay last weekend. The junior batted .647 (11-for-17) with seven runs scored and seven RBI, while totaling seven extra-base hits. He had multiple hits in all four contests and concluded the series with a 4-for-5 effort that included three doubles, three runs scored and an RBI. He opened the series with three hits, including a grand slam, on Friday.

            He leads the team in batting average at .415 that is second in the CCAA. He has played in 31 games and owns 30 starts for the Broncos, who are 10-25 overall and 7-15 in the CCAA. Incidentally, the 11-4 victory Sunday marked coach Mike Ashman’s 300^th victory while at Cal Poly Pomona.

            The Broncos return to play this weekend with a four-game series against visiting San Francisco State. The series starts Friday with a 2:30 p.m. start at Scolinos Field.

Wilson CCAA Baseball Player of the Week:

Jan. 28-Feb. 3: Darrick Hale (Cal State L.A); Feb. 4-10: Cody Puckett (Cal State Dominguez Hills); Feb. 11-17: Evan Kehoe (UC San Diego); Feb. 18-24: Cameron Cook (Sonoma State); Feb. 25-Mar. 2: Cody Dee (Chico State); Mar. 3-9: Kyle Loretelli (Cal State Stanislaus); Mar. 10-16: Jon Alia (Cal State Dominguez Hills); Mar. 17-23: Shane Farmer (Chico State); Mar. 24-30: Kenny Shanahan (Cal State L.A.); Mar. 31-Apr. 6: Ian Bridges (Sonoma State); Apr. 7-13: Chris Brehm (Cal Poly Pomona).

SAN FRANCISCO -- Cal State San Bernardino extended its win streak to five Saturday with a CCAA conference doubleheader sweep of host San Francisco State, helped by the pitching of seniors Ward Minich and Kevin Wilson and the hitting of Brent Planck, Johnnie Haas and Jason Klug.

    In defeating the Gators 5-4 in the opener and 7-4 in the seven-inning nightcap, the Coyotes improved to 21-19 on the season, 12-15 in the CCAA. The last-place Gators are now 7-32-1 overall and 1-22 in the conference. The two teams wind up the four-game series with a single game at noon on Sunday.

    CSUSB has now won eight of its last 10 games.

    Planck went four-for-eight in the twinbill with three runs batted in and two runs scored while Haas was three-for-seven with two RBI and two runs scored. Klug hit a two-run homer, his eighth of the season, in the first inning of game two. His three RBIs in the game give him a team-leading 53 on the season.

    Wilson went 8.1 innings in the opener, yielding three runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking none to improve his record to 3-4. He needed relief help in the ninth from Michael Leal  after giving up a two-run homer to Jeff McCall. Leal gave up another run but got Matt Kavanaugh to hit into a game-ending double play in the 5-4 Coyotes win, earning a save in the process.

    Trailing 1-0 after two innings, the Coyotes took a 2-1 lead in the third on two hits and an error, the big blow being a two-run single by Billy Haynes. 

    The score remained 2-1 until the eighth when the Coyotes erupted for three runs aided by three hits and another Gators error. Planck singled in one run. Haas doubled in another and Chris LeFay singled in the third run to give Wilson a 5-1 cushion heading to the ninth.

    In game two, the Coyotes banged out 11 hits and stranded 11 runners but still scored seven runs to back the six-hit pitching of Minich, a senior right-hander who improved his record to 3-0 with six innings of work. Chad Borowski came on in the seventh and gave up a run in the 7-4 victory.

    CSUSB jumped on Gators starter Matt Edgecombe (0-4) for three runs in the first, two coming on Klug's homer, and made it 5-0 in the second with a pair of runs on an RBI single by Planck and a bases-loaded walk to Klug, forcing in the other run.

    The Coyotes made it 6-0 in the third as Mike Minjares was hit by a pitch, stole second, and scored on Planck's single. CSUSB made it 7-1 in the top of the fifth as Minjares singled, stole second and scored on Haas' RBI single.

    The Coyotes return home to face Cal State L.A. in a four-game CCAA series starting Thursday at the Golden Eagles field. Game two will be played Friday afternoon, also at L.A. CSUSB will host the final two games on Saturday, April 19, at Riverside Community College, starting at noon.
    

            The Broncos are now 8-24 overall and 5-14 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, while the Otters dropped to 8-29, 6-23. The two teams play a doubleheader Saturday, beginning at 12 p.m., and a 9-inning game Sunday.

            The game was tied at 2-2 through 3 ½ innings before the Broncos looked to gain control. Jordan (Huntington Beach) led off the inning with a walk and freshman Joe Villa (Hacienda Heights) was hit by a pitch. After an out, senior Kyle Boggio (Santa Clarita) walked and senior John Daniels (Rancho Cucamonga) reached on a fielder’s choice. That brought up Brehm (Murrieta), who sent a 3-2 offering from Otters starter Justin Aguilera to deep left field and cleared the wall for his first grand slam and third homer of the season.

            Brehm finished 3-for-6 and had a double.

            The Otters, who trailed 6-2, scored five runs in the fifth inning – all unearned off Bronco starter Ryan Screnar (junior, Claremont). The right-hander went five innings for the Broncos, scattering seven hits, seven runs, and two strikeouts. He did not issue a walk, but hit two batsmen.

            Down 7-6, Cal Poly Pomona scored twice in the fifth to back on top. Jordan hit a run-scoring double and Villa singled in Jordan.

            CS Monterey Bay scored one run in the sixth to tie the game at 8-8, but the Broncos took control for good with five runs in the sixth.

            Junior Josh Potter (Orange) had a two-run double to cap the inning, while Daniels, Jordan and Villa each RBI for the inning.

            Matt DeJesus had a two-run home run for the Otters in the eighth.

            Sean Moreno (junior, La Mirada) earned the victory in relief. He threw three innings and struck out four, walked one and allowed three hits, three runs (two earned).

            Nadav Poringer (0-3) was the loser. He threw 1 2/3 innings and allowed four runs – all earned.

            Senior A.J. Cavaletto (Santa Barbara) went 4-for-6 with two RBI and Potter went 2-for-4 with two RBI for the Broncos. Villa also had two RBI.

Marlon Pierce, the senior guard from Cal State San Bernardino who has earned all-conference, all-region and honorable mention all-America honors this season, is heading to his second post-season all-star event later this month.

Pierce, the 6-2 guard from San Diego who competed in the NCAA Division II All-Star game at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., on March 28, will this time compete in the Collegiate Basketball Invitational on April 24-26.

The three-day event features eight teams of eight players representing NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA schools. Each team will play three games in the tournament, considered a showcase for pro scouts from various  pro leagues including the NBA.

An all-star game, featuring 20 players chosen from the 65 that will be playing in

the tournament, will be played on Saturday, April 26, at 8 p.m. central daylight time and be televised live on cable channel ESPNU.

            CBI will take place at Wadsworth High School in the town of Wadsworth, Ohio, located 16 miles from Akron and 40 miles from Cleveland. Wadsworth’s roots date back to its founding in 1814 and is named for a Revolutionary War hero named Elijah Wadsworth.

            “I am confident that this class of players will help make the public aware of the high level of talent at the NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA levels,” said CBI founder John McCarthy. “With approximately 1,000 colleges and universities within these divisions, the selection of players has truly been a challenging task. Narrowing this field to 65 players has been very difficult.”

            The three-day event exposes the players to professional team representatives, agents and national media while competing against many of the best non-Division I players in the nation.

            Each of the eight teams is sponsored by a Wadsworth business or organization and Pierce is on the Premier Pontiac-GMC team coached by Jim Tribbett of Chowan University in Murfreesboro, N.C. His teammates include 7-foot center Eder Araujo of Walsh College (NAIA), 6-8 forward Jeremy Black of Tampa, 6-3 guard Ryan Williams of Pace and 6-5 wing Sam Belt of Central Oklahoma.

            Other West Region Division II players playing in the tournament are: Rob Will, a 6-10 center from Seattle Pacific; 7-foot center Marko Lkoaric of Chaminade; guard Luke Cooper of West Region champion Alaska Anchorage;

            Also in the tournament are 6-5 guard Jonte Flowers and 6-8 forward John Smith from NCAA Div. II national champion Winona State.

            “This event is simply good for the game of basketball on several levels,” McCarthy said.

            Pierce’s team opens the tournament at 10 a.m. on April 24 against Renacci-Doraty Chevrolet led by Kolaric of Chaminade.

            Each team has a host family from the city of Wadsworth.

            Pierce averaged 12.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and nearly four assists per game for the Coyotes in 2007-08, helping them win a share of the California Collegiate Athletic Association title and a berth in the NCAA tournament. The team finished 22-8 on the season and ranked 14^th in the nation.

            He scored a team-high 13 points with three assists in the the Coyotes’ 67-63 loss to BYU-Hawaii in the West Region quarterfinals.

            He earned all-CCAA first-team, all-West Region first team and Division II Bulletin all-America honorable mention. He scored a career high 29 points against UC San Diego.

            At the Div. II all-star game in Springfield, Mass., Pierce acquitted himself quite well, dishing out six assists and making four steals for the West All-Stars while scoring four points, making two of four shots from the field.

            Pierce played at Cuyamaca Community College in San Diego for two seasons before coming to CSUSB at the start of the 2006-07 season, helping the Coyotes win the West Region title and advance to the Division II Final Four for the first time in the history of the men’s basketball program. He is a graduate of Helix High School in San Diego, the same school that produced NBA and former UCLA great Bill Walton.

CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO

Starting pitcher Cheyne Hann turned in another quality outing as he led the visiting Cal State San Bernardino baseball team to a 5-1 win over Cal State Monterey Bay in a CCAA series finale on Sunday.

Hann (5-1) went seven scoreless innings, scattering five hits and striking out five without a walk. Mike Leal picked up a save.

The Coyotes were led offensively by junior Johnnie Haas, who went 3-for-4 with a stolen base.

The Coyotes (18-19, 9-15) were clinging to a 2-1 lead but pushed across three runs in the ninth, aided by three Otter errrors.

CAL POLY POMONA

Chico State played small ball, beating Cal Poly Pomona 7-5 in CCAA play. The No. 16 Wildcats (27-9, 16-7) laid down six bunts, used the hit-and-run play three times and stole three bases to complete a four-game series sweep.

Starter Joel Garcia (3-1) logged five innings, allowing just one run. He allowed a run in the fifth, snapping a streak of 17 consecutive innings without an earned run, but still got the win.

The Broncos (7-24, 4-14) got three hits from Joe Villa.

Broncos starter Sheldon McGregor (1-4) went only one-and-a-third innings, allowing three runs on four hits with two walks.

VICTOR VALLEY BASEBALL

The Victor Valley College baseball team split a Foothill Conference doubleheader against Barstow.
The Rams (9-22-1, 4-11) lost the opener, 12-11, but salvaged a split with a 15-4 win in the nightcap.

Freshman Derek Richie had a triple in each game, accounting for three RBI. Blane Lloyd was 6-for-9 on the day with two doubles and two RBI.

Barstow’s Robert Ratliff hit the only home run of the day with a two-run blast in the fifth inning of Game 1. He was 3-for-5 on the day with four RBI.

Cal State San Bernardino’s men’s soccer team has nowhere to go but up when the 2008 season begins in late August and returning players are participating in spring drills and non-traditional season matches to help them get ready.

In the meantime, Head Coach Noah Kooiman has been on the recruiting trail to find replacements for the seven seniors that completed their eligibility on a disappointing note, posting a 5-13-2 record (2-10-2 in the CCAA) in 2007.

Already in the fold for next season are two stars from the Foothill Conference champion Rio Hondo College team that went 19-2-2 last season, 8-0 in the conference before losing to Palomar College in the state tournament. The team was ranked No. 3 in the Southern California region. Both signed national letters of intent to join the Coyotes.

One is Jeremiah Marquez of Whittier, co-captain of the Rio Hondo team who scored three goals and assisted on four others in 2007.

The other is Michael Cirrincione of Diamond Bar, also one of the team captains.

Kooiman is expecting big things from Obi Agwu, who impressed as a freshman with three goals and three assists along with central defender Jeff Meyer, another Rio Hondo product. Other returnees who figure prominently in next season’s plans are Jahmel McDermott, Albert Cabrera, Jorge Aguirre, Harry Cruz and Ryan Larson.

After losing goalkeeper Lucas Pepi to graduation, Kooiman is also looking at Arath De La Rocha and Jorge De Horta as Pepi’s replacement.

Cal State San Bernardino’s women’s soccer team made solid strides in 2007 under interim head coach Diego Bocanegra, posting an 8-8-4 record after three straight losing seasons, and the coach is hoping to continue that upward trend in the fall of 2008.

To do that, Bocanegra, who has since shed the interim tag and is now THE head coach, has recruited seven players that he thinks will bolster the team’s ability to play better than .500 ball but also compete for post-season play in the highly-competitive CCAA conference.

The team’s last post-season appearance was in 2003.

Eighteen members of last year’s team plus redshirts turned out for non-traditional spring season drills, including leading scorer and all-CCAA second team pick Katie Liby,  second-team all-CCAA goalkeeper Leslie Rhodes, and defender Ashley Salas, a CCAA honorable mention.

The seven recruits that have signed to play at CSUSB in 2008 are:

n                          Kristina Gomez, a forward or outside midfielder from Arrowhead Christian Academy in Redlands where she was first team all-CIF Southern Section three times and a member of the 2005 CIF champion team. She was first-team all-league all four years and the league MVP in 2006-07. Her focus of study will be business administration.

n                          Casey Hirsch, a central midfielder from Esperanza High School in Yorba Linda where she was second-team all-CIF Southern Section this past season and first-team all Sunset League on a team that was ranked No. 2 in the nation and No. 2 in the Southern Section. She served as team captain. She was the team’s offensive player of the year in 2006-07, the year the team reached the CIF semifinals. Her team won Sunset League titles in 2005-06 and 2007-08. She plans to major in business.

n                          Mackenzie Dill, an outside midfielder/forward from Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga, member of the 2007-08 Baseline League champion team. She was first-team all-league in 2006-07 and 2007-08 and an honorable mention in 2005-06. She plans to major in nursing. Her team went 17-5-5 in 2007-08.

n                          Jaclyn Clark, a central midfielder-defender from Los Osos High School and teammate of Dill, who also wants to major in nursing. She earned second-team all-Baseline League in 2007-08 scoring two goals and assisting on six others. The team was 9-0-1 in the league under coaches Joe Kulm and Matt Stevenson, both former CSUSB men’s soccer players.

n                          Jalissa Kluz, a defender from Rancho Cucamonga High School who earned first-team all-Baseline League in 2007-08 and second-team honors in 2006-07, was the team’s defensive MVP and captain for two years. She will major in education.

n                          Nina King, a central midfielder from Redlands High School where she was first-team all-Citrus Belt League in 2007-08. She scored nine goals and had three assists during the season. She has not declared a major.

n                          Ashley Cabrera, a defender from St. Lucy’s Priory in Glendora, a soccer travel ball player who did not compete for her high school. She plans to major in kinesiology.

The Coyotes will get an early indication of far they’ve come when they face Seattle Pacific University on Aug. 28 in the season-opener. The Falcons were 23-1 in 2007, losing their bid for a perfect season and a national title in the NCAA semifinals. Coach Chuck Sekyra was named the NCAA Division II Coach of the Year.

CSUSB will face another Great Northwest Athletic Conference team, Saint Martin’s, on Aug. 30 in Seattle.

                                    ---  ----

FUND-RAISER NOTE – The women’s soccer team will host a benefit golf tournament on Friday, April 18, at Sierra Lakes Golf Course in Fontana. Entry fee is $195 per golfer. A shotgun start is planned for 1 p.m. followed by dinner at 5:30 p.m. For more information, contact Coach Bocanegra at 909-537-7232 or email him at dbocaneg@csusb.edu

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Senior Dane Bagnell and sophomore Joe Alldis finished in a tie for 20th place among individuals to lead Cal State San Bernardino's men's golf team to a sixth-place finish Tuesday in the 19-team Grand Canyon Thunderbird Invitational at Palm Valley Country Club.

    Bagnell rebounded from an opening round 80 to shot 69 and 70, five-under-par for his final 36 holes to finish at 219 for 54 holes, the same as teammate Alldis who suffered through a first-round 78 and then posted rounds of 69 and 72 to finish with the same 219 score.

    The Coyotes team shot the second lowest final round of any team in the tournament, a collective 284, to move up from eighth place after Monday's first 36 holes.

    Gene Webster and Micah Burke each closed with one-under-par 71s and Bill Clayton was one-over at 73, one of the tightest groupings the team has experience all season. Webster wound up tied for 22nd place at 220, a stroke back of Bagnell and Alldis while Burke and Clayton tied at 222 for 54 holes.
 

   Alldis was six under par on the par-5s while Webster was three-under on the par-4s in the event. Bagnell had 12 birdies, only two fewer than the leader in that category.

    Wayland Baptist University won the tournament at 845, four shots ahead of second-round leader Central Oklahoma with host Grand Canyon third. Medalist honors went to Kevin Stinson of Wayland Baptist who shot a sizzling eight-under 64 on Tuesday to finish at 205, 11 under par for the event, played on the par-72, 7,015-yard Palm Valley layout.

                        GRAND CANYON THUNDERBIRD INVITATIONAL
                        @ Palm Valley Country Club near Phoenix, Ariz.
    TEAM SCORES: 1. Wayland Baptist -- 845; 2. Central Oklahome -- 849; 3. Grand Canyon -- 863; 4. Western Washington -- 864; 5. Point Loma Nazarene -- 870; 6. COYOTES -- 872; 7. Northern Kentucky -- 877; 8. Fort Lewis College -- 881; 9. Colorado-Colo. Springs -- 882; 10. Cal State Monterey Bay -- 883;
11. Notre Dame de Namur -- 891; 12. UC San Diego -- 895; 13. Dixie State -- 897; 14. Saint Martin's -- 902; 15. Nebraska-Kearney -- 913; 16. BYU-Hawaii -- 916; 17. Grand Canyon White -- 921; 18. Saint Cloud State -- 932; 19. Colo. State-Pueblo -- 934.
    INDIVIDUALS -- 1. Kevin Stinson (Wayland Baptist) -- 72-69-64-- 205; 2. (tie) Jeff Dagg (Wayland Baptist) -- 70-66-72 --208; Jake Koppenberg (Western Washington) 69-73-66 -- 208. 4. Colby Schum (Central Oklahoma) -- 68-72-69 -- 209; 5. Bently Nakasawa (Grand Canyon) -- 71-67-72 -- 210.
    CSUSB COYOTES CARDS -- T-20. Dane Bagnell (80-69-70 -- 219) and Joe Alldis (78-69-72 -- 219);
25. Gene Webster (72-77-71 -- 220); T-38. Micah Burke (75-76-71 -- 222) and Bill Clayton (74-75-73 -- 222.)