RCC: May 2008 Archives
Fresno City College topped all other junior college athletic programs and has been named winner of the National Alliance of Two-Year Colleges Athletic Administrator's Cup for the 2007-2008 school year.
Fresno totaled 164 points as the top four schools were within seven points. It was followed by Cerritos (160), Sierra (159) and Mt. SAC (157).
Riverside Community College was sixth (139.5).
Other local schools finished in the middle portion of the 103 school rankings.
Chaffey was 41st with 40 points, getting all its points in the pool. The Panthers got 15.5 points in women's water polo, 14.5 in men's swimming and 10 in women's swimming.
San Bernardino Valley College was 47th (28.5), with 20 coming for its state championship in men's cross country and the other 8.5 coming in women's soccer which finished as the Foothill Conference runner-up.
The Chaffey College baseball team waited a little too long to make its move Friday. By the time it did, it was a little too late.
The Panthers fell to host Riverside Community College 7-6 in the opening game of a best-of-three Southern California Regional at Chaffey. The teams will play again at 11 a.m. today, with the deciding game to follow if Chaffey wins.
"We didn't cash in early when we had some chances and that was the difference," Panthers coach Jeff Harlow said. "We always play well at home and we feel we can come back at any time, but we dug ourselves too big a hole."
The Tigers (28-17), the fifth place team out of the Orange Empire Conference, surged out to a 7-1 lead, scoring six of those runs with two outs.
Cody Madison was the main contributor to RCC's early rallies, stroking a two-run home run in the third off Chaffey starter Andrew Schile to give the visitors a 3-0 lead.
He added a three-run double off reliever Julian Ramirez in the sixth that extended the Tigers' lead to 7-1.
Foothill Conference champion Chaffey (30-10) began its comeback in the bottom of the inning, aided by the control touble of Riverside starter Erick Carrillo.
Jonathan Peters singled and James Koerner and Josh Manzano worked walks to load the bases with none out. Carrillo came close to working out of the jam, enticing strikeouts from Mychal Johnson and Jonathan Costantino, both of whom swung at pitches in the dirt.
Gerry Hernandez showed a little more patience by working the count to 3-2 before walking, forcing home a run to cut the deficit to 7-2.
It became a game again seconds later when Ryan Delgado blasted a first-pitch slider from Carrillo over the right-center fence, a grand slam that cut the deficit to 7-6.
The Panthers were just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position before the blast and were just 2-for-14 in the game in that department.
"I was just looking for a pitch I could drive," said Delgado, who now has 11 home runs this season. "That felt could because it gave us some momentum."
Willie Holmes just missed tying the game seconds later, blasting an offering from reliever Sean Greer off the top of the center-field fence for a triple.
Anthony Delgado then walked and stole second, but the rally ended there when Madison chased down a deep fly ball off the bat of Peters.
The bullpens of the respective teams then restored order: Neither team had a 1-2-3 innings through the first seven, but both did in the eighth and ninth.
Schile (9-3), the conference pitcher of the year, took the loss. He gave up four runs and eight hits and struck out five while walking two, and exited with the Panthers down 4-1.
Ramirez pitched 4 and a third innings and held the Tigers scoreless over the three, retiring the final nine hitters he faced.
Carrillo (3-1) earned the win. He scattered seven hits, five walks and six strikeouts.
Right-hander Kyle Morgan, a freshman out of Redlands East Valley, retired nine of the 10 hitters he faced over three innings to notch his second save for RCC.
"We're coming in here tomorrow with the thought of winning two," Harlow said. "This team battles and never gives up. We showed that today."
RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- One can forgive the Chaffey College baseball team for heading into the playoffs with a bit of a chip on its shoulder.
The Panthers (30-9) come out of a weaker conference. They haven't had great success in the playoffs lately and they usually face a tough draw. Maybe they don't get enough respect.
They have a chance to gain some as they square off against defending state champion Riverside (27-17) in the best of three Southern California Regional the first game getting under way at 3 p.m. Friday.
Game two is slated for 11 a.m. Saturday, with the deciding game following if necessary.
It will also be a chance to strike a blow against a team that they go head-to-head with in recruiting.
"We have guys that tried out over there and got cut. So yes I would hope there is a little bit of incentive," Chaffey coach Jeff Harlow said. "They're from that dominant conference so it is a chance for us to make a statement."
Sophomore right-hander Andrew Schile (8-2, 2.94), the pitcher of the year in the Foothill Conference, will be on the mound for the Panthers, seeded seventh in the 18-team draw.
He doesn't think there is any extra pressure because of the opponent or the situation.
"It's the playoffs so you always want to win. We don't want to win more because it's RCC," he said. "But it will make it more rewarding if we do beat them."
The No. 10 Tigers were the fifth-place team out of the Orange Empire Conference, regarded as the toughest in the state. Last year's state championship series featured two schools from the conference, with Riverside downing Cypress for the title.
None in the Panther camp are surprised with the first-round matchup.
"We thought all long we would get them," sophomore catcher Mike Surina said. "We have been looking at it all season so we're not surprised. It will be fun because we all have played with and against a lot of their players."
It has been four years since the Panthers advanced past the first round. They cruised through conference play this season which probably isn't a good thing. They won the conference by three games and were so dominant they swept runner-up Rio Hondo - 15-0, 11-6 and 11-1.
This was the third straight conference title for the Panthers. Harlow, whose teams have made the playoffs five straight years, admits that Orange Empire teams are better prepared for the postseason because of the competition they see year-round.
Of Chaffey's 24 conference games, only six were decided by less than three runs.
"There's not a lot we can do about it," Harlow said. "We try and play the toughest preseason schedule we can get but facing that much competition is an advantage for them."
The Panthers had nine players earn all-conference honors. Joining Schile on the first team are freshman Willie Holmes (.408, 42 RBI), sophomore outfielder Mychal Johnson (.336, 42 runs), sophomore catcher Anthony Delgado (.384, 26 runs), sophomore third baseman Ryan Delgado (.329, 43 RBI) and sophomore first baseman Josh Manzano (.349 26 runs).
Second-team selections included sophomore left-hander Andrew Steinmeyer (5-1, 3.86), who will likely start one of the other games, freshman outfielder Jonathan Costantino (.359, 44 runs) and sophomore shortstop James Koerner (.336, 44 RBI).
Steinmeyer and Schile both pitched gems in their last outings. Harlow has also been pleased with the emergence of his relief crew, particularly sophomores Tim Redmon and Bret wolf and freshman Erik Bastio.
Top players for the Tigers are freshman second baseman Daniel Duran, sophomore outfielder Michael Hur and freshman third baseman Billy Hamilton (Carter HS).
Kaiser High grad Erick Carrillo (2-1, 4.03) and sophomore Peter Birdwell (2-1, 4.67) have drawn the majority of the starts. Redlands East Valley product Kyle Morgan (6-2, 2.27) has a team-high 22 appearances, all out of the bullpen.
The Chaffey baseball team has drawn a first-round playoff date with Riverside Community College.
Pairings for the best-of-three Southern California regionals were unveiled Sunday and the Foothill Conference champion Panthers (30-9) drew the No. 7 seed. Defending state champion Riverside (27-17) is No. 10, finishing fifth in the tough Orange Empire Conference.
Chaffey will host the series opener at 3 p.m. Friday with the second game at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
Coach Jeff Harlow wasn't surprised with that but was miffed that Cerritos (29-14) was one spot ahead of his team because his team beat the Falcons twice.
Swapping places with Cerritos would have meant getting Bakersfield (28-16), a more preferrable draw because it is a second-place team out of a considerably weaker conference.
"They didn't follow the criteria they should have," Harlow said. "We played that team and beat them twice. Why play them if it isn't going to matter? It's all political."
Tuesday's game's
Single-elimination games
No. 18 Santa Barbara at No. 15 Palomar
No. 17 Rio Hondo at No. 16 Ventura
Friday games
First game, best-of-three
Lowest remaining seed at No. 1 Santa Ana
No. 13 East Los Angeles at No. 4 Irvine Valley
No. 12 El Camino at No. 5 Southwestern
No. 11 Cypress at No. 8 College of the Canyons
No. 10 Riverside at No. 7 Chaffey
No. 11 Bakersfield at No. 6 Cerritos
No. 14 Long Beach City at No. 3 Orange Coast
Second-lowest seed at No. 2 Cuesta
