Veteran Cal Poly baseball coach steps down

Cal Poly Pomona is looking for a new baseball coach.

After 15 years directing the Bronocs Mike Ashman is calling it quits effective Oct. 1. The school plans to name an interim coach for the 2011 season.

Ashman cited the desire to spend more time with family as well as a new baseball-related business endeavor.

“It’s just one of those jobs that never goes away, even when you go home,” he said. “You’re always worried about who you have to call, who you need to recruit, do you need to get a kid’s transcripts, what are you doing to fundraise.”

Ashman said he began thinking about resigning midway through last season, one in which they team sustained a myriad of injuries and finised 26-27 overall and sixth in the CCAA at 18-22.

He had planned on stepping down after the 2011 season but got a position of Director of Baseball at EM Speed and Power Training at its new facility in Rancho Cucamonga which needed his attention sooner. EM is a non-profit business that trains athletes in speed, strength, agility and specific sports training.

“It was a great opportunity to stay involved with baseball,” he said. “After meeting with the people there we decided it was in both of our interest to start as soon as possible.”

Ashman completes his Cal Poly career with a 358-419-4 overall record. His teams posted seven winning seasons and nine seasons of 25 wins or more.

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Cal State volleyball team ranked No. 2 in country

Four California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) women’s volleyball teams will begin the 2010 campaign with national Top 25 rankings beside their names after the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) released its preseason poll on Wednesday.

Cal State San Bernardino, which advanced to the 2009 NCAA Division II National Championship semifinals, is ranked No. 2, while UC San Diego is No. 8, Cal State L.A. No. 14 and Sonoma State No. 21.

All four teams competed in the 2009 NCAA Pacific Regional a year ago, which was won for the second year in a row by Cal State San Bernardino. The Coyotes defeated Cal State L.A. in three sets to claim the regional title.

Cal State San Bernardino is coming off one of its finest seasons in program history after recording a 33-2 overall record. For the second year in a row, the Coyotes’ season ended with a loss to eventual national champion Concordia-St. Paul. 

The Golden Bears, two-time defending national champions, top the 2010 AVCA preseason poll after totaling 788 points and collecting all 32 first-place votes. Concordia-St. Paul is coming off an undefeated season after posting a 37-0 record a year ago.

Following second-ranked Cal State San Bernardino, which tallied 760 points, is Tampa (729), Indianapolis (692) and Central Missouri (676), which rounds out the Top 5.

Entering her 20th season at Cal State San Bernardino, head coach Kim Cherniss welcomes back first-team All-American senior outside hitter Jane Chafeh.

First-year UC San Diego head coach Ricci Luyties takes over the reigns for Tom Black, who took the head job at Loyola Marymount, and inherits a talented team that includes honorable mention All-American junior libero Roxanne Brunsting.

Cal State L.A. finished 2009 with a 23-9 overall record and is led by All-CCAA first-team middle blocker Mary Laupepa. Junior outside hitter Keala Peterson leads a Sonoma State squad that went 23-8 and finished fourth in the CCAA with a 15-7 record.

The 2010 campaign is slated to begin Thursday, September 2 when Cal State East Bay plays at Alaska Anchorage, and Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State L.A. open play in the CPP/CSULA Labor Day Tournament. CCAA play is slated to commence on Friday, September 10 with a full schedule of contests.

2010 AVCA Preseason Top 25 Poll
RankSchool (Votes) 2009 Record

1.Concorida-St. Paul (32)37-0
2.Cal State San Bernardino33-2
3.Tampa31-3
4.Indianapolis38-2
5.Central Missouri34-5
6.Washburn33-5
7.West Texas A&M38-4
8.UC San Diego27-3
9.Minnesota Duluth23-9
10.Metro State26-8
11.Saint Leo30-4
12.Emporia State29-6
13.Nebraska-Kearney33-3
14.Cal State L.A.23-9
15.Southwest Minnesota State25-8
16.Lewis32-5
17.Wayne State (Neb.)29-8
18.Minnesota State26-7
19.Pittsburg State25-11
20.Hillsdale24-8
21.Sonoma State23-8
22.Flagler36-9
23.Hawaii-Hilo25-2
24.Alaska-Anchorage23-8
25.Truman24-13
  
 

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Cal State volleyball team favored again!

The Cal State San Bernardino women’s volleyball team is coming off two consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division II semifinals, so it should be no surprise the Coyotes are the coaches’ pick to repeat as CCAA champions.

Cal State is seeking its eighth conference title since 2001 and its fifth consecutive. The Coyotes received first-place votes from all the other schools.

The Coyotes totaled 121 points and 11 first-place votes. UC San Diego, which placed second a year ago, finished second in the poll. It collected 103 points and a first-place vote from Coyotes coach Kim Cherniss, since you can’t vote for your own team.

Cal State Los Angeles, the West Region runner-up a year ago, was third with 98 points, Sonoma State was fourth with 97 points and Chico State rounded out the top five with 82 points.

Cal State San Bernardino is coming off one of its finest seasons in program history, in which it compiled a 33-2 overall record and advanced to the NCAA national semifinals, where it lost in four sets to eventual national champion Concordia-St. Paul. It marked the second consecutive Coyotes season that ended with a loss to the Bears.

The Coyotes graduated just three players, including two starters. All-American Jane Chafeh of Fontana headlines the returning cast.

The Coyotes open the season with a tournament in Oregon on Sept. 3-4. They will play Central Washington, Western Washington, Western Oregon and Alaska-Anchorage.

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