April 2009 Archives
Last year the University of Redlands softball team was fortunate.<WC1> <WC>The Bulldogs finished first in the SCIAC during the regular season, only to lose the tournament final and the automatic playoff bid to University of La Verne.
But the Bulldogs made it into the Division III West Region tournament with an at-large bid.
They are hoping it doesn't come down to that this season.
The Bulldogs host the four-team double-elimination event today and Saturday. No. 2 La Verne (27-13, 16-8) will face No. 3 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (26-12, 15-9) at 9 a.m. with No. 1 Redlands (27-10, 20-4) following against No. 4 Whittier (24-16, 11-13).
The loser's bracket game is slated for 2 p.m. with the winners following at 4:30 p.m. Action gets underway at 10 a.m. on Saturday with a loser's bracket game.
The Bulldogs, ranked No. 25 by the National Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association, went 4-0 against the Poets this season with two games ending early on the mercy rule.
Redlands leads the conference in hitting and fielding and ranks second to CMS in pitching.
Junior outfieler Kayla Peterson (.434) leads the team in hitting with sophomore first baseman Lizett Casillas (.419) and junior catcher Nicky Neumann (.383) among the other valuable offensive weapons. The Bulldogs have also gotten a boost from freshman Lindsay Henry (.393), named the SCIAC Rookie of the Year.
Junior Olivia Ellis (20-5, 1.70) and Amanda Doeppel (7-3, 1.93) have handled the bulk of the pitching.
The Leopards split both doubleheaders they played against the Athenas this season. Coach Julie Smith thinks her team is peaking at the right time.
It is led by senior outfielder Melissa Carlson (.462) who led the conference in hitting, runs scored and stolen bases. She earned SCIAC Player of the Year honors even though her team finished second.
Among the other La Verne standouts are freshman outfielder Diandra Burns (.443) and sophomore shortstop Ashley Paul (.384), also a starter on the basketball team.
"We're loose. We're confident. We're ready to go," she said. "I think we're in a good place right now."
Smith said the turning point for her team likely came halfway through the season when junior Sabrina Garcia (7-2, 2.68) joined the team. Sophomore Delaney Baylor (15-7, 2.36) had shouldered much of the load in the pitching circle but the team didn't have a consistent No. 2.
Garcia was at the school, having transferred from NAIA Hope International. She planned on playing next year but Smith enlisted her help midseason.
"It's in how you present it," she said. "I just told them she is giving up more than she's taking because she is giving up a year of eligibility to help us now."
Redlands won three of four games against La Verne and split four games against CMS.
CMS is led by junior pitcher Julia Cruz (13-5, 1.18) and senior pitcher Erika Weingart (10-6, 2.80) and sophomore outfielder Gizelle Pera (.379).
Damiani went undefeated during the two-day event, competing at No. 3 singles and No. 3 doubles. She played a pivotal role in the Bulldogs' share of the conference championship and upset of No. 7 Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in the tournament final.
Damiani joined forces with teammate junior Rachael Miller and posted doubles wins over Whittier (8-1), Cal Lutheran (8-2), and Pomona-Pitzer (8-5).
In singles, Damiani captured a 6-1, 6-3 victory over her opponent from Cal Lutheran during the semifinal round and then clinched the match win, conference championship, and NCAA automatic bid for the Bulldogs with her come-from-behind 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 showing against the Sagehens.
For her contributions during the season, Damiani earned First Team All-Conference honors.
The male athlete of the week was Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges' tennis player Larry Wang.
By capturing the 2009 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championship with sweeps over Whittier College and Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, the University of Redlands softball team looks forward to hosting the second annual SCIAC Postseason Softball Tournament on Friday, May 1, and Saturday, May 2, at the "Field of Dreams".
The double-elimination tournament begins at 9 a.m. on Friday with the second-seeded University of La Verne Leopards taking on the No. 3 Athenas of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges.
As the No. 1 seed, the Bulldogs face off against the No. 4 Poets of Whittier College at 11:30 a.m.
The losers compete again at 2 p.m., followed by a winners' duel at 4:30 p.m.
Play continues on Saturday with games at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and then at 3 p.m. if necessary.
Admission is free. Fans are reminded that pets are not permitted at the "Field of Dreams", per University of Redlands policy.
For additional information, please log onto http://www.goredlands.com/sports/sball/2008-09/SCIAC_Postseason.
Padilla, one of five seniors honored prior to the opening contest, erased a 2-0 Cal Lutheran lead in the bottom of the third with a bases-loaded homer off pitcher Lizzy Chacon over the centerfield wall to give the Leopards a 4-2 advantage. She repeated the feat in the bottom of the fifth with her second grand slam over the leftfield wall to propel the Leos to an 8-2 advantage.
The two homers briefly tied Padilla for the team lead in homers this season with her fifth and sixth round-trippers of the year, but senior Melissa Carlson closed out the contest with a walk-off blast in the bottom of the sixth to end the game 10-2. The homer allowed Carlson to re-claim the team lead in home runs with seven.
All told, Carlson went a combined 6-7 at the plate in the two games with 6 runs scored.
La Verne improves to 26-12 and 15-7 in conference play heading into its final regular season doubleheader tomorrow at Occidental.
Sabrina Garcia allowed two runs on four hits to earn the win on the mound for the Leopards and improve to 7-1.
Prior to the start of game one, the Bulldogs recognized senior second baseman/shortstop Dory Baga (Aiea, HI), senior outfielder Roxy Lambert (La Jolla, CA) and senior outfielder Jennie Fregoso (Bloomington, CA) for their years of service to the program.
Redlands wasted little time getting on the board as the team hung three runs on the Poets in the first inning. Junior outfielder Kayla Peterson (San Jose, CA) scored on a single by freshman catcher/third baseman Lindsay Henry (Lake Elsinore, CA) through the right side, and junior pitcher/designated player Amanda Doeppel (Monrovia, CA) pushed two across with a two-run single to right.
The Bulldog defense held in the top of the second before the Maroon and Gray overwhelmed Whittier in the bottom half of the second with five runs on six hits. Junior catcher Nicky Neumann (Fremont, CA), freshman shortstop Kai Masutani (Honolulu, HI), Peterson, sophomore first baseman/outfielder Lizett Casillas (Pomona, CA) and Baga accounted for Redlands' run total in the frame.
After a coach's visit at the pitcher's circle by Whittier, Poet pitcher Amanda Webster calmed down, holding the Bulldogs scoreless in the third and fourth. Whittier scored one run in the third, putting Redlands just out of reach of downing the Poets by means of the eight-run rule.
Baga led off the fifth and ended the game with a walk-off bomb over the leftfield fence, putting the team one step closer to SCIAC glory.
Peterson, Casillas, Baga and Henry all accumulated two hits while Baga completed the hardest half of hitting for the cycle with a home run and a triple.
Junior pitcher Olivia Ellis (Colfax, CA) pitched brilliantly, allowing just one run to cross in a five-strikeout, complete-game victory.
Webster surrendered nine runs, all of which were earned, in four full innings of work for the Poets.
The back end of the doubleheader started off with Redlands exploding offensively, as the Bulldogs scored one in the first and seven in the second.
Neumann doubled to start the bottom of the first, advanced to third on a stolen base and scored on a Peterson groundout to put the Maroon and Gray up early. A costly error by the Poet third baseman gave way to seven unearned runs as the Bulldog base runners capitalized on the extended inning, taking extra bases at will. Freshman outfielder Kirstie Bender (Lakewood, CA), senior outfielder Roxy Lambert (La Jolla, CA), freshman pitcher/outfielder Breanna Ruelas (Brawley, CA), Neumann, Casillas, Peterson and Baga all touched home plate during the seven-run inning.
Whittier answered with one run in the third on two hits, but Redlands returned the blow with a two-run home run by Neumann.
Once again, the Poets fought to keep the game at seven innings as Kellie Canida launched a two-run blast over the centerfield fence to pull Whittier within seven.
After two scoreless innings, the Bulldogs took advantage on an opportunity to put the game away. Neumann walked to start off the sixth, and Peterson singled to the shortstop to place two on for Casillas. Casillas ripped a shot to the gap in right centerfield, giving Neumann plenty of time to score the winning run.
Neumann headlined game two with four runs and four RBI on three hits. Peterson also paced the offense with a 3-for-4 performance at the dish, driving in two runs while scoring once. Also providing multi-hit outings were Casillas and Ruelas.
Ellis got the ball in the second bout as well, pitching a complete game. She struck out four and allowed three runs, all of which were earned.
Heather Dady shouldered the loss for the Poets despite giving up just one earned run.
Redlands (25-10, 18-4) rounds out its regular season with a doubleheader against Pomona-Pitzer Saturday afternoon in Claremont. Game time is set for 12 noon.
By Michelle Gardner
Staff Writer
Pomona-Pitzer senior Drew Hedman sprints to third base, where Frank Pericolosi is watching from the third-base coach's box. The Sagehens are about to score another run and they're already comfortably ahead.
"When you're done, there's a scout here to see you," the coach says to the player, then turns his attention back to the matter at hand.
It might not have been the best time to mention such a thing, but Pericolosi knows that his player can handle it. He's been doing so all season and it hasn't provided the least bit of distraction.
The Sagehens (31-3, 15-0), winners of 12 straight games, are nearing their second SCIAC title in three years but face a formidable challenge today against Cal Lutheran (27-7, 13-2).
The Sagehens are ranked No. 1 in one national poll and No. 3 in another. The contribution of Hedman has been a huge factor. The Redding native is hitting a whopping .533, but his other numbers are equally impressive.
He leads the SCIAC in runs scored (53), hits (72), home runs (21), RBIs (70) and total bases (152). His slugging percentage is a robust 1.126 and his on-base percentage is .605. He has more than twice as many walks (23) as strikeouts (9). The 21 home runs are a school single-season record.
Hedman knows he is being watched, but he doesn't let that get in his head.
"It's always been a dream of mine to get drafted, but it doesn't change how I approach the game," he said during a break in a recent practice. "I don't even think about that when I'm on the field."
Hedman's numbers warrant the attention, but getting drafted isn't a given when you play for a Division III school.
Pericolosi, in his seventh year, has had two players drafted during his tenure -- catcher Jose Cortes by the Phillies in 2003 and Jase Turner, Hedman's predecessor at first base, by the Cubs in 2005.
The University of Redlands and University of La Verne have been among the top of the heap in the SCIAC in recent years, but they haven't had much luck in the draft department.
Redlands hasn't had a player drafted in coach Scott Laverty's 10 years, and the last player drafted out of La Verne was pitcher Scott Lindeen, the SCIAC Player of the Year in 2005. He played just one year in the minor leagues and never made it out of rookie ball.
The most prominent player to come out of the SCIAC in the last decade is pitcher Jason Hirsh, who was drafted out of Cal Lutheran in the second round by the Houston Astros in 2003 and made his major- league debut in August of 2006.
Pericolosi certainly thinks his top player is worthy.
"I have to think someone will give him the chance," he said. "His hitting numbers speak for themselves, but his fielding is outstanding and his foot speed is above average for a first baseman. He has all the tools."
Pericolosi added that the Diamondbacks have shown the most interest, although that is hardly an indication of what might happen on draft day.
Other teams have turned out too, and they say the evaluation process isn't different than it is for a Division I player.
"You're looking at a lot of things," said one scout who took in the Sagehens against Chapman last weekend. "Bat speed, mechanics, how frequently the batter is making solid contact -- those things don't change.
"About the only thing that is different is that these guys aren't facing as good a pitching game-in, game-out."
Hedman set the stage for his senior season by competing for the Green Bay entry of the prestigious Northwoods League, a summer wood-bat college league that starts in early May and runs through August.
That gave him the chance to play with the top players throughout the country in all divisions and show that he can play without the aid of the aluminum bat. He responded by hitting a respectable .305 in 59 games.
"That was a great opportunity," Hedman said. "I was happy with how I played there, and it gave me a lot of confidence to hold my own against those guys."
While the draft is a definite goal, Hedman's priority right now is helping the Sagehens to the postseason. Pitzer won the SCIAC and advanced to the West Region in 2007, his sophomore year, but they went just 1-2 in that tournament. They're a more seasoned team this time around, though.
"Most of us have been there before and we know what it takes," he said.
"We're more experienced and we have more depth. Hopefully that will pay off."
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Junior second baseman James Kang stroked a two-run single in the sixth to boost the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens (29-3) to a 4-2 nonconference win over perennial Division III title contender Chapman University Friday at Hart Park.
That hit upped Pitzer's lead to 4-0 and it never looked back.
The Panthers (21-11) scored lone runs in the seventh and ninth against Sagehens starter David Colvin (5-0) who allowed just six hits and struck out four in going the distance.
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University of La Verne Interim Athletic Director Julie Kline announced today that the men's and women's tennis programs will be placed on hiatus at the conclusion of the 2009 season. Kline said the decision was based on issues related to appropriate facilities necessary for tennis within the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC). She also touched on an inability to provide student-athletes of both programs a level of participation and competition consistent with the established tenets and goals for intercollegiate athletics at La Verne. "It is our sincere hope that in the future we will reinstate both men's and women's tennis," Kline said. "In order to do so, we must be able to fully support these programs with facilities, which are at a minimum competitive with other SCIAC member schools, with full-time staffing for the programs, and with budgets which allow our coaches and student-athletes to compete at the highest levels." In an effort to compensate for the reduction of parking spaces due to construction of the new Campus Center, the university closed its campus tennis facility in August 2007 to convert it into a temporary parking lot. A new tennis facility is included in the partnership between the university and the City of La Verne to establish a joint-use sports complex on 28 acres of undeveloped land located a mile from the main campus. The La Verne City Council, acting in its capacity as the La Verne Redevelopment Agency, recently voted to approve an amendment to the original Disposition and Development Agreement, providing the university a five-year extension to complete the initial facilities. In her announcement, Kline emphasized that the decision to place the men's and women's tennis programs on hiatus was in no way intended to diminish the efforts and accomplishments of those involved. Over the years numerous student-athletes, coaches and support staff involved with the tennis program have excelled and represented the university admirably. She thanked her staff for their participation. | |
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Methodist (NC) ranks #1 in the poll followed by La Verne, Huntingdon (PA), Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Skidmore (NY) to round out the Top 5.
The Golfstat ranking is based on head-to-head competition between respective schools. The Leopards have an overall Division III mark of 255-2 and are 4-0 against Division III Top 25 teams thus far in 2009. La Verne has also posted four tournament wins this season.
Additionally, three Leopard players are ranked among the Top 10 in the Golfstat individual player rankings. Mitchell Fedorka is ranked #2 overall along with teammates Rizal Amin (#6) and Andrew Kramer (#9).
The Leopards also moved up one notch to #8 overall in the latest Golfworld/Nike Golf Division III Top 25 Poll.
La Verne will next compete at the West Region Invitational held April 5-7 in Austin, TX.
