Student-athlete profile, Amy Thomas, Cal Baptist softball

AMY THOMAS

Cal Baptist University

Softball

The lowdown: The senior pitcher has helped the Lancers (37-3) to a No. 2 national ranking. Is 20-2 with an 0.75 ERA and 122 strikeouts and 85 hits allowed in 141 innings. Played her first two seasons at Cal State Dominguez Hills, then transferred as a junior which allowed her to play with older sister Candice. Earned GSAC, regional and national pitcher of the years honors last year as a junior when she went 28-2 with an 0.56 ERA and 187 strikeouts in 188 innings. Carries a 3.4 GPA.

Age: 21

Hometown: Barstow

High school: Barstow High School, 2004

Major: Kinesiology

Favorite athlete: Jon Garland (Hes an amazing pitcher).

Favorite team: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Role model: My mom because she is so strong and accomplishes everything she sets her mind to.

Most memorable sports moment: Receiving NAIA Pitcher of the Year last year at nationals. It came as a pleasant surprise to me, one I will never forget.

Most embarrassing sports moment: Running off the field when there were only two outs in the inning.

Person most influential in your athletic success: My parents both played huge roles in my success. My dad may have been the one on the field but my mom was at home working hard and pushing me on academics.

Best advice anyone has ever given you: Real pitchers paint the black.

Pre-game ritual or superstition: I need to pitch with a fake nail on my right index finger. My teammates think it is all in my head but I know it helps.

Cant miss TV show: One Tree Hill

Last good book you read: I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris. It gave me a whole different perspective on the Christian way of dating.

Favorite food: Italian (especially Olive Garden)

Favorite movie: The Notebook

Favorite vacation spot: Anywhere I can get a good deep tissue massage, and of course the beach just reading a good book.

Other hobbies: Yoga, pilates, volleyball, shopping and surfing.

Whats in your CD player/iPOD: Three Doors Down, Goo Goo Dolls, Josh Gracin, Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood.

 

What do you want to be doing in five years?: I would like to be a successful physical therapist helping others.

– Compiled by Michelle Gardner

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Student-athlete profile, Dustin Williams, SBVC baseball

DUSTIN WILLIAMS

San Bernardino Valley College

Baseball

The lowdown: The freshman shortstop has helped the Wolverines to a 15-11 mark, serving as an offensive catalyst out of the leadoff spot. Is hitting .308 with 22 RBI, 10 doubles, three triples, a home run 20 runs scored and 12 stolen bases. Earned first-team all-league honors and represented his school in the annual all-star game as a senior. Also carries a 3.0 GPA.

Age: 19

Hometown: Huntington Beach

High school: Riverside Rubidoux, 2006

Major: Business management

Favorite athlete: Jose Reyes

Favorite team: New York Yankees

Role model: Derek Jeter/Ozzie Smith

Most memorable sports moment: Hitting my first two career high school home runs in the same game against my old high Ramona.

Most embarrassing sports moment: I dove for a ball up the middle and landed on my face but it was a hrow down on a runner stealing second on ball four.

Person most influential in your athletic success: My mom.

Best advice anyone has given you: To stay focused on what I can do and not to let what anyone says affect the way I play.

Celebrity you most want to meet: Derek Jeter

Favorite food: Angel hair pasta with shrimp scampi

Cant miss TV show: Any Yankees game

Favorite movie: The Sandlot

Last good book you read: Beowolf

Whats in your CD player/iPod: Kanye Wests Colleg Dropout

Favorite vacation spot: Lake Havasu

Pre-game ritual or superstition: Clean my cleats and listen to Kanye West.

What would you like to be doing in five years? Playing pro ball.

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Chaffey softball team must overcome weak conference

Chaffey College softball coach Jimmy Rodriguez was more than a little miffed last Wednesday when College of the Desert called to forfeit a game it was supposed to be play at Chaffey in two hours.

Panthers athletic director Bob Olivera forced the Roadrunners hand and refused to accept the forfeit, telling the school to pick another day, any day.

The schools originally agreed on Tuesday but Desert came up with another excuse on why that wasnt good. The schools finally settled on April 14th.

It turns out it isnt the first time Desert has tried that stunt. It forferited to Antelope Valley on March 5, saying it didnt have enough players. But it was able to play three games two days later at a tournament hosted by Golden West.

What makes bailing on the games a little fishy is that Antelope Valley (26-4, 9-0) is the top team in the conference and Chaffey (20-14, 7-1) is second.

The whole season has been a difficult one for Rodriguez who has a solid team but would make the playoffs by default just because of the Foothill Conference is so weak.  SBVC, Victor and Rio Hondo are a combined 17-63. Add in third place Mt. San Jacinto and it is a still-woeful 28-79. Barstow (0-27, 0-9) started the season with a team but folded. Victor Valley and San Bernardino Valley havent been competitive.

The former SBVC coach bailed in the fall and the only reason the Wolverines have salvaged a season is that soccer coach Kristin Hauge, who played softball at Cal Poly Pomona when it had a team, stepped in.

It has been tough, Rodriguez said. We want to try and be competitive in the postseason but this makes it very difficult and our conference in losing credability.

Rodriguez said it will be tough in the end of the season to dole out all-conference honors since Deserts individual numbers would be misleading if it hadnt played the top two teams.

He also thinks statistics for games against Barstow should be throw out since not everyone played them.

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