April 2009 Archives

If the men's basketball team from either Cal Poly Pomona or Cal State San Bernardino wants to claim a national basketball championship in 2010, they'll have to do it in the northeast.

The NCAA, Division II Men's Basketball Committee has announced that Springfield, Mass. will host the 2010 and 2011 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Elite Eight.

The event will be held at the MassMutual Center, with American International College and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame serving as the hosts. The dates of the competition will be March 24, 25 and 27 in 2010 and March 23, 24 and 26 in 2011.

Springfield has hosted the event 20 times previously, including the last four years. With the addition of the next two years, Springfield will have hosted the event on 22 occasions; one more than the 21 times Evansville, Ind. has served as hosts.

The Broncos competed at that very venue just over a month ago, losing the national championship game to Findlay (Ohio) in overtime.

The site is not foreign to the Coyotes either. They advanced to the national semifinal in 2007, losing to eventual champion Barton (NC).

Last year the University of Redlands softball team was fortunate. 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).

The Cal State San Bernardino men's golf team, ranked No. 2 in the West Region and No. 8 in the nation, will make its 13^th appearance in the NCAA tournament when play begins Monday in the 2009 West/Northwest Super Regional outside Lincoln, Neb.

 

The Coyotes, winners of four 54-hole tournaments in 2008-09 and coming off a disappointing fourth place finish at the California Collegiate Athletic Association conference championship, are hoping the return of their No. 2 player will give the five-member team a big lift.

Ten West Region teams and 10 Northwest Region teams along with four individuals from non-qualifying teams in each region  will tee it up for three 18-hole rounds over three days at the Wilderness Ridge Golf Club. University of Nebraska-Kearney is hosting the NCAA Division II event.

Back in the fold for CSUSB is sophomore Kenny Pigman, who was the medalist  at the Grand Canyon University-Thunderbird Invitational in March with a 54-hole total of 205, 11 under par.  Pigman missed the final two tournaments of the regular season due to an academic issue that has now been resolved in his favor.

The lanky Norco resident ranks No. 5 in the West Region in stroke average at 73.04, just behind teammate Gene Webster Jr., of San Bernardino, fourth at 72.38. CSUSB senior Micah Burke of Los Angeles ranks No. 7 at 73.24 and junior Joe Alldis of Riverside is 10^th at 74.21.

Sonoma State, the back-to-back CCAA champion and ranked No. 1 in the West Region, is the team to beat in the West Regional. The winners of each regional plus the next four lowest scoring teams from either regional will advance to the national championship tournament in Blaine, Wash., on May 19-22 at Loomis Trail Golf Club.

The Coyotes have competed in 12 NCAA national championship tournaments, seven in Division II and five in Division III (1987-91) and have finished third three times (1997, 1998, 1988) and fourth twice (1987, 1990). This regional marks the fourth straight NCAA appearance by the Coyotes since Tom Mainez Jr. took over as head coach in early 2006.

The Coyotes won the West Regional in 2007 with a 54-hole score of 841 as then-freshman Webster took medalist honors with a score of 202 on rounds of 69, 66 and 67.

CSUSB has enjoyed its most successful regular season in the history of the program with four wins in 54-hole tournaments. The team finished in the top five in nine of its 10 tournaments in 2008-09.

Wilderness Ridge favors the long hitters, measuring 7,016 yards from the black tees and playing to a par-71. The longest par-5 is 576 yards. The shortest par-3 is 164 yards. Only three of the par-4s measure less than 400 yards.

Joining CSUSB and Sonoma State in the West Regional battle will be fellow CCAA members Chico State, Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State Stanislaus along with Western Washington, Grand Canyon, Hawaii-Hilo, Dixie State and Saint Martin's University.

UC San Diego, a non-qualifier in the team event, placed three individuals into the tournament based on stroke average and strength of schedule.

CSUSB golfers at a glance:

Gene Webster Jr., junior, San Bernardino - Webster has been a key player for the Coyotes for three seasons. He leads the team in stroke average (72.3) with five top-five finishes in tournaments this year. He twice shot 207 for 54-holes, nine-under-par and both times finished second. He was the 2007 NCAA West Regional medalist and a third-team all-American as a freshman and was CSUSB's co-Male Athlete of the Year that year. He was selected to the all-CCAA first team.

Micah Burke, senior, Los Angeles - Burke is finishing his four-year CSUSB career on a high note. He has a stroke average of 73.2 with five top10 finishes this season, including a second place finish at the CCAA conference championship with a 54-hole total of 209 on rounds of 71-70-68. He was the medalist at the 2008 Southern California Intercollegiate tournament. He was selected to the all-CCAA first team.

Kenny Pigman, sophomore, Norco - Pigman has been an impact player for the Coyotes in his first season at CSUSB. He is averaging 73 shots per round with five top-10 finishes including a tournament victory at the Grand Canyon Thunderbird where he shot 205 - 65, 70, 70. He transferred in from Riverside Community College.

            Joe Alldis, junior, Riverside - Alldis has improved his stroke average to 74.2 this season with two top-five finishes. His best effort was a 208 at the Grand Canyon Invitational last fall on rounds of 68, 69, 71 to finish third and help the Coyotes win the team title.

            Thomas Chu, junior, San Diego - Like Pigman, he is in his first year of play with CSUSB and is averaging 76.7 strokes a round. He has three top-20 finishes with a 12^th place at the InterWest Classic in Chico his best effort. He has shot 223 for 54 holes twice this season. He is a transfer from Palomar College.

            NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES: The Coyotes golf team of 1991 played in the NCAA Div. III national championship at a different course in Lincoln, Neb., finishing in fifth place. The keynote speaker at the pre-tournament banquet was none other than Dave Stockton of Redlands, the captain of the 1991 Ryder Cup team. Charles DeLorey finished seventh among individuals and earned all-America honors......CSUSB has competed in six NCAA Division II regionals as a team and finished in the top five all six times....Scott Householder of CSUSB won medalist honors at the 1997 NCAA Div. II national championship in Scottsdale, Ariz., shooting a 72-hole total of 273, 15-under-par, a record that still stands today......Lee Kinney of CSUSB was the runnerup at the 1998 NCAA Div. II tournament......The Coyotes have seven top-10 finishes in the NCAA championship tournament in their 12 appearances.....CSUSB's Eric Lippert was the D-2 West Region medalist in 1998 with a 209 for 54 holes on rounds of 73-70-66....when Gene Webster won medalist honors at the 2007 West Regional, he fired rounds of 69-66-67 for 202.....even when their team didn't qualify, five former CSUSB players earned individual berths in the NCAA regionals in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 - J.R. Reyes (twice), David Backus, Ryan Plummer, Robert Mink and Bryan Newman. Mink had the highest finish of any - 16^th in 2005.

 

The Humboldt State softball team was rewarded for
capturing the regular-season title by placing a conference-high five players on the California Collegiate Athletic Association's (CCAA) first team, including the league's Most Valuable Player and Coach of  the Year.

Humboldt State senior first baseman Natalie Galletly was named the CCAA's Most Valuable Player while Frank Cheek was chosen Coach of the Year. Sonoma State senior Lindsay Emmel was named Pitcher of the Year, Emiley McEwen of Cal State Dominguez Hills was tabbed Freshman of the Year and UC San Diego sophomore Kristyn Lesovsky was voted
Newcomer of the Year.

Galletly topped the CCAA in batting (.471), hits (48) and on-base percentage (.557), and was third in the conference in runs scored (25) and fourth in RBI (25), while leading the Lumberjacks to the top seed in this week's conference tournament. For the season, the Lumberjacks' senior is batting a team-best .420 with nine home runs and 43 RBI.

Emmel has enjoyed a solid season in the circle for Sonoma State, posting a 16-9 record, 1.70 ERA and 15 complete games, including an 8-6 mark and 2.16 ERA in CCAA play. While helping the Seawolves to their first-ever CCAA Tournament appearance, Emmel has logged 156 2/3
innings, struck out 165, walked just 51 and limited opposing batters to a .176 average. Her 88 strikeouts and .173 opponents' batting average in CCAA play topped the conference.

McEwen enjoyed a solid rookie season, posting a team-best .381 overall average with seven home runs and 35 RBI. She recorded a .337 average with three home runs and 19 RBI in 32 conference games. Lesovsky, a transfer from Florida Tech, made an impressive first impression in 2009, batting .384 with 11 doubles, six home runs and a .677 slugging percentage in CCAA play. Her .467 overall average and .568 on-base percentage is tops among all CCAA players, while her .730 slugging percentage ranks second.

In his 21st season, Cheek guided Humboldt State to its third straight CCAA regular-season title after the Lumberjacks posted a 37-16 overall record, including a 23-9 mark in conference play. This season marks the 12th time he has been named conference coach of the year (including Pacific West and Great Northwest Conference). In 2008,  Cheek led Humboldt State to its second national championship.


First Team
Marissa Slattery (HSU, C, Sr., Walnut, Calif.)
Natalie Galletly (HSU, 1B, Sr., San Ramon, Calif.)
Liz Vazquez (CSUDH, 2B, Sr., Carson, Calif.)
Ashlee Trotter (CSUMB, 3B, Sr., Salinas, Calif.)
Meghan Franksen (CSUS, SS, Sr., Ceres, Calif.)
Felicia Viveiros (HSU, DP, Fr., Castro Valley, Calif.)
Debbie Shisler (CSUSB, UT, Sr., Phoenix, Ariz.)
Nikki Ketteringham (HSU, OF, So., San Diego, Calif.)
Kristyn Lesovsky (UCSD, OF, So., Simi Valley, Calif.)
Lucia Rodriguez (CSUMB, OF, Jr., Rialto, Calif.)
Lindsay Emmel (SSU, P, Sr., Atascadero, Calif.)
Regina Farfan (CSUDH, P, Sr., Chino, Calif.)
Caitlin Klug (HSU, AL, Sr., Livermore, Calif.)
Kendra Wood (SFSU, AL, So., San Jose, Calif.)

Second Team
Shea Olds (CSUMB, C, So., Long Beach, Calif.)
Ashley Collinwood (CSUSB, 1B, Jr., Riverside, Calif.)
Kayla Ledford (SSU, 2B, So. Marysville, Calif.)
Erica McIntyre (CSUS, 3B, Jr., Fairfield, Calif.)
Emiley McEwen (CSUDH, SS, Fr., Anaheim, Calif.)
Nicole Cordova (SSU, DP, Sr., El Cerrito, Calif.)
Jennifer Arnold (CSUS, UT, Jr., Ceres, Calif.)
Gwen Cox (CSUC, OF, Sr., Loomis, Calif.)
Katie Garcia (CSUDH, OF, Jr., Riverside, Calif.)
Katie Jordan (CSUDH, OF, Jr., Huntington Beach, Calif.)
Jessica Gaumnitz (CSUS, P, Sr., Chowchilla, Calif.)
Ashley Jackson (SFSU, P, So., Vallejo, Calif.)
Jessica Boyle (CSUMB, AL, Sr., Salinas, Calif.)
Nichole Parada (HSU, AL, Fr., South Pasadena, Calif.)
Nicole Saari (UCSD, AL, Jr., Roseville, Calif.)

Most Valuable Player
Natalie Galletly, HSU

Pitcher of the Year
Lindsay Emmel, SSU

Freshman of the Year
Emiley McEwen, CSUDH

Newcomer of the Year
Kristyn Lesovsky, UCSD

Coach of the Year
Frank Cheek, HSU

UC Riverside Men's Basketball Coach Jim Wooldridge announced today that two student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Highlanders next season: Dwight Gordon, a 6-2 guard from Victory Valley Junior College (Victorville, CA) and Jessee Hazely, a 6-7 forward/center from Santa Margarita High School.
 
"We're excited about adding Dwight and Jessee to our program," said Wooldridge. "We wanted to add a scoring perimeter player to next year's team, and Dwight is considered one of the better scoring guards in the state of California.

"We also set our sights on bringing in a young big man. Jessee has proven himself to be one of the more talented and versatile bigs in the high school ranks in the state, and comes out of a very successful program. We think both of these players have bright futures ahead of them at UC Riverside."

Gordon is a two-time All-Conference honoree who averaged 21.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists as a sophomore at Victor Valley. He also connected on 57 percent of his field goal attempts, 36 percent of his three-pointers and 72 percent from the free throw line in earning First-Team All-State honors
 
In the final game of the 2008-09 season, he poured in 41 points on 14 of 18 shooting including 5 of 6 from three point range. The former Los Osos HS standout also led the Foothills Conference in scoring (21.1), rebounding (8.5), made free throws (187) and free throw attempts (261).
 
Hazely was a First-Team All-CIF Division III-AA performer as a senior at Santa Margarita High School after averaging a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double and leading the Eagles to the CIF-SS Division III-AA championship game.
 
The McDonalds All-America nominee averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds as a sophomore at Irvine Northwood High School before transferring to Santa Margarita where he helped the Eagles to a state title his junior year.

Chaffey College basketball standout Lamar Williams (Fontana HS) is headed to Division II Columbus State University in Georgia.

The 6-foot-2 sophomore guard averaged 12.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in helping the Panthers to a 27-7 record and berth in the Southern California Regional final.

His season high of 30 points came in as nonconference game against Santa Ana. His season high 13 rebounds came against Cypress, also in nonconference play.
Williams was the Panthers team captain and an All-Foothill Conference selection.

The Cougars went 8-19 in the rugged Peach Belt Conference last season so Williams will be able to step right in and contribute right away.

Cal State San Bernardino women's tennis players won four matches at the 109^th Ojai Tennis Invitational this past weekend, competing in the Independent College singles and doubles divisions.             However, none of the Coyotes players made it past the Round of 32.

            In singles, CSUSB won all three of its matches in the Round of 64. Senior Leslie Horn defeated Kyla Rowe of UC Santa Cruz, 6-3, 7-6 while freshman Janay Palicte downed Mean Dean of Occidental, 6-1, 6-0. Senior Dottie Elwell got past Nicole Harden of LaVerne, 6-1, 3-6, 10-5 (tiebreaker).

            In doubles, Elwell and Horn defeated the Occidental duo of Dean and Samantha Melero, 6-3, 6-0, to advance.

            In the round of 32 singles, Horn lost to the top player in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, Verena Priekscha of Cal State Stanislaus, 6-0, 6-0. Maria Klokotzky of Fresno Pacific downed Elwell, 6-0, 6-0. Bettina Radke of Hope International beat Palicte 6-1, 6-0.

            The doubles team of Elwell-Horn lost in the Round of 32 to Rachel Owens and Kristin Strimple of Point Loma Nazarene, 6-3, 6-0. The Owens-Strimple combo advanced to the championship match before losing.

            CSUSB's freshman doubles team of Palicte and Allison Brooks didn't make it out of the Round of 64, losing to the Chapman University team of Manon Pochet and Cassady Sirois, 6-3, 6-1.

            Palicte and Brooks finished the season with a 7-6 record in doubles while Palicte posted a 7-11 record in singles. Elwell finished the season with a 6-11 record in singles while Horn was 2-14 in singles.

            The Ojai pairing of Horn and Elwell in doubles was the first time they had played together all season.

Senior tennis standout Tori Damiani (Sacramento, CA) was named the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Female Athlete of the Week for her solid performance during the 2009 SCIAC Championship Tournament.

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.

The Big West  announced today that UC Riverside starter Paul Bargas is the Conference Pitcher of the Week for games played from April 20-26. The 6-1 junior pitched a complete-game, seven-hitter at Cal State Northridge Friday evening in a 9-0 win over the Matadors.

With the win, Bargas's record improved to 5-3 on the year with a 4.01 ERA. The Riverside native has allowed just five walks in 60.2 innings this season, and none over his last three starts.

The Highlanders, owners of a four-game winning streak, travel to San Diego on Tuesday, April 28 for a 3 pm meeting with the Toreros.

Pomona-Pitzer (33-5, 17-1) locked up the SCIAC baseball title with its 8-5 win over Cal Lutheran in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader in Thousand Oaks. The Sagehens are three games up on Cal Lu with three games to go and own the tiebreaker by beating them in two of out of three in the recently concluded series.

That is reason for celebration but the Sagehens have loftier goals. In 2007 they won a SCIAC title and earned the right to play in the West Region tournament where they went 1-2.

This season the team is ranked No. 1 in Division III with a load of players who were on that team. Just getting to the regional won't be good enough. This is a team with national championship aspirations.

As to the rest of the teams in the SCIAC, the conference has a possibility of getting another team in the regional as an at-large qualifier. Redlands, La Verne and Cal Lutheran are in the hunt so the last weekend of games will still mean something.

La Verne has the unenviable task of finishing with Pitzer. Cal Lutheran has Whittier and Redlands has Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

Stay tuned!

San Bernardino Valley College Athletic Director Dave Rubio said despite the budget crunch the school could be adding a sport for the 2009-2010 school year.

The sport being discussed is women's tennis. The move would be one way the school can address the gender equity inbalance the school is facing with an enrollment growing on the female side.

The sport wouldn't be a very expensive one to add and the school already has courts at the school that are pretty much going unused right now.

Five schools in the Foothill Conference currently field teams - Victor Valley, College of the Desert, Mt. San Jacinto, Rio Hondo and Antelope Valley. Several other schools in close proximity also field teams so it wouldn't be that hard to fill a schedule.

SBVC currently offers six sports for women - volleyball, cross country, soccer, basketball, softball and track.

Lynsey Padilla capped off her final home appearance at Wheeler Park with not one but two grand slams in the second game of a doubleheader sweep over Cal Lutheran Friday as the Leopards earned mercy-rule wins over the Regals by scores of 8-0 and 10-2.

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.

Freshman Courtney Wilhelms pitched a complete game and helped her own cause with two hits, driving in a run and scoring one Friday as Cal State San Bernardino knocked off Humboldt State, 4-2, in the opener of a CCAA conference softball doubleheader.

        The Lumberjacks, ranked No. 8 in the nation, No. 1 in the West Region and sitting in first place in the CCAA, came back to win the nightcap 3-2 on a two-run homer by Nikki Ketteringham and a run-scoring sacrifice fly by Marissa Slattery.

        The Coyotes are 22-32 on the season and 13-17 in the CCAA while HSU is 34-15 overall and 21-9 in the CCAA. The same two teams play the final conference doubleheader of the conference season at 11 a.m. Saturday at Coyote Softball Park on campus.

        In game one, HSU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI single by Geneva Perrine, but the Coyotes responded with two runs off Lumberjacks pitcher Gracie Perez (16-5) on  RBI singles by Priscilla Curiel and Wilhelms.

        HSU tied the game in the fifth as pinch runner Sammi Gilbert scored on an error, but CSUSB regained the lead 3-2, in the bottom of the fifth as the Coyotes loaded the bases and Tori Beaudette scored on a wild pitch by Perez. CSUSB added an insurance run in the sixth on a double by Wilhelms who then scored on a single to left by Maggie Karros.

        The Lumberjacks loaded the bases in the top of the seventh with one out but Wilhelms got out of the jam on two fly ball outs to left. The ‘Jacks stranded 12 runners and out-hit the Coyotes 8-6.

        In game two, CSUSB jumped on top 1-0 in the bottom of the first on Ashley Collinwood's sixth home run of the season off HSU starter Nichole Parada and made it 2-0 in the second on Jacquelyn Holtzclaw's RBI single. Perez came in to relieve Parada in the inning with the bases loaded and got Collinwood to hit into a force play at home to end the inning.

        Perez then pitched solidly, allowing just one hit while striking out six in 5.1 innings to earn her 16^th win of the season against five losses. Debbie Shisler went 4.2 innings, giving up Ketteringham's two run blast that tied the game.

        Humboldt pushed across the winning run in the sixth on singles by Caitlin Klug and Ashley Oltjenbruns, a wild pitch that advanced both runners and a sacrifice fly to left center by Slattery that brought home Klug. Perez retired the side in order in the sixth and struck out Curiel with two out and a runner on in the bottom of the seventh to end it.

        Natalie Galletly and Francesca West each had two hits in an 11-hit ‘Jacks attack and HSU stranded 11 runners, running the two for the two games to 23. The Coyotes stranded nine runners. Collinwood was two-for-three for CSUSB.

        Brianne Godfredson (1-4) took the loss after coming on in the top of the sixth.

Cal State L.A.'s baseball team made sure its final California Collegiate Athletic Association home game of the season was a successful one.

The Golden Eagles stormed back from an early 4-0 deficit and beat Cal Poly Pomona, 10-5, Friday in a CCAA contest at Reeder Field. Cal State L.A. (29-14, 20-10 CCAA) stretched its winning streak to five games with its second victory in two days over the Broncos (24-19, 14-16 CCAA). The Golden Eagles were 13-3 in their 16 conference games at Reeder Field in 2009.

Cal State L.A. will conclude CCAA play with two games at Cal Poly Pomona and four games at Sonoma State next week.

Nathan Pickett overcame a rocky second inning and went seven strong innings to pick up the win. He allowed all four of his runs in the second inning and also hit five batters in the first three innings before settling down. Pickett (3-2) hit three batters and walked another in the second inning alone, but he was able to leave the bases loaded and then blanked the Broncos on just four hits over the next five innings.

The Golden Eagles were held scoreless by Cal Poly Pomona freshman Geoff Broussard through the first five innings, although Broussard had to work hard and left eight Cal State L.A. runners on base during his five-inning stint. The Golden Eagles then struck for three runs in the sixth inning to make it 4-3 and erupted for seven runs in the seventh inning to take the lead for good.

Brian Dearth worked the final two innings for Cal State L.A. and allowed just one run on three hits.

Cal State L.A. had 15 hits in the game, while Cal Poly Pomona had 10. The two pitching staffs also combined for eight walks and seven hit batters.

Matt Miraldi and Brendan McQuaid had three hits each for the Golden Eagles, while Richard McDowell, Jeff Ringholm and Marcus Makia had two hits each for the Broncos.

The Broncos struck first in the second inning when they threatened to break open the game. Cal Poly Pomona did all its damage with two outs. Ringholm singled and Frank Klopp was hit by a pitch. Makia then hit a sharp grounder up the middle that eluded shortstop Jesus Campos and resulted in a two-run double. Villa and Erik Riedel were both hit by pitches to load the bases and Chris Brehm drew a walk to force in another run. Nick Tanos then picked up an infield single to drive in the fourth run.

The Golden Eagles trailed 4-0 into the sixth inning, but got a big break when Danne Quiroz reached on an infield error to lead off the frame. He took second on a wild pitch and Campos drew a walk. Chris Lloyd doubled in one run and Miraldi followed with a two-run single to make it 4-3.

Quiroz led off the seventh inning with a single and Campos reached when his sacrifice bunt was thrown errantly to first by pitcher Keith Powers, allowing pinch runner Michael Vinyard to score all the way from first to tie the game. Matzner followed with a double to score Campos and give the Golden Eagles their first lead at 5-4. Matzner went to third on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly by Lloyd to make it 6-4. Miraldi then tripled and scored on a double by McQuaid to make it 7-4. After Mario Ramirez was intentionally walked, Max Moya walked to load the bases. Travis Tartamella singled in one run and a second run scored when the ball was misplayed in left field, resulting in Cal Poly Pomona's third error of the inning. Vinyard drove in another run with a groundout to make it 10-4.

Cal Poly Pomona scored its final run in the eighth on a run-scoring single by Makia.

Cal State L.A. will conclude the four-game series with a doubleheader at Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday.

UC San Diego exploded for 12 runs in the seventh and eighth innings Friday en route to a 13-9 pasting of host Cal State San Bernardino in a CCAA conference baseball game at Arrowhead Credit Union Park.

The victory kept the Tritons - 28-11 overall and 22-8 in the CCAA - in sole possession of first place in the conference and evened the series with the Coyotes at 1-1 after CSUSB had won  Thursday's series opener 4-1. The Coyotes are now 19-21 overall and 13-16 in the conference.

The two teams will wind up their four-game series with a doubleheader at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Tritons ballpark.

Friday's game was 1-0 pitcher's duel for six innings as CSUSB starter Erick Carrillo allowed only one run on four hits entering the seventh but the Coyotes were being shutout by the combined offerings of Matt Rossman, the CCAA pitcher of the week, and Ryland MacFadyen.

Rossman had allowed four hits and struck out four in 3.1 innings before leaving the game after being hit by a batted ball in the face. The extent of his injury was not immediately known. MacFadyen then pitched 5.2 innings of relief, allowing only one run and one hit for his first victory of the season. Carrillo (3-6) took the loss.

The Tritons, ranked No. 6 in the nation and No. 1 in the West Region, went ahead 1-0 in the fourth on an RBI triple by Brandon Gregorich then scored three times in the seventh on two hits and an error to take a 4-0 lead.

UCSD then scored nine times in the eighth off three CSUSB pitchers. Tim Mort had a two-run double while Kellen Lee, Robert Sedin and Josh Tanner had RBI hits and Gregorich  continued the scoring with a bases-clearing double that produced three runs. Kyle Saul drove in Gregorich to conclude the scoring.

The Coyotes got their loan run in the ninth as Andrew Tapia walked advanced to third on a single by Jesus Beltran and scored as UCSD turned a double play. McFadyen retired the Coyotes on a ground ball to shortstop to end the game.

Gregorich and Tanner each had three hits in the game and Gregorich drove in four runs. Johnnie Haas had two of CSUSB's five hits.

The University of Redlands softball team won both games of its doubleheader against Whittier College in walk-off fashion,  9-1 and 11-3. With its win in the second game, the Maroon and Gray captured its fifth straight Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) championship.

 

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."

[

The Chaffey College baseball team scored five unearned runs and went on to beat San Bernardino Valley College 8-3.

The Panthers are closing in on another Foothill Conference title and winning the first in the three-game series was a big step.

The game featured quite a huge bruhaha in the first inning. Chafffey's Gerry Hernandez singled home a run but got caught between first and second and was tagged out. The ump missed the call and Hernandez was called safe.

That brought SBVC coach Bill Mierzwik out of the dugout to dispute the call. After the umpires talked a few minutes they overturned the original call and said Hernandez was out, which was the right call.

But overrule a call and you're guaranteed a visit from the other coach, which is what happened. Chaffey coach Jeff Harlow went out to argue and argue he did. It only took a few seconds for coach and umpire to be full throttle mode, chest to chest.

The two went at for a couple of minutes before Halrow left the field - without being tossed. I can't say that I have ever seen a baseball game with that heated of a dispute where someone wasn't tossed.

Harlow said the ump bumped him first which it did appear. But these days if you breath in the wrong direction you get tossed. Don't know how Harlow lived to see the rest of that one.

The teams play again Saturday at Chaffey - doubleheader at noon. With four teams jockeying for position the Wolverines need to play witha sense of urgency.

The Pomona-Pitzer baseball team is the newly minted No. 1 team in the country.

The Sagehens moved from first to third in the Collegiate Baseball poll released earlier in the week. They are No. 3 in the D3 baseball poll.

They are a sparkling 31-3 with 12 straight wins, the most impressive three in a row coming against a Chapman team that traditionally challenges for the Division III national title.

Sometimes that No. 1 ranking isn't a good thing because it tends to put a target on your back. But this Pitzer team is a pretty composed bunch that seems like it will be able to handle that sort of thing.

The Sagehens do face a formidable foe next in Cal Lutheran which is ranked 16th in one poll and 13th in the other. Pitzer has a two-game lead over the Kingsmen in the SCIAC so it should be a great series. Game time Friday is 3 p.m. at Pomona-Pitzer.

With the college baseball season coming to a close in less than two weeks and four teams fighting for first place in the Foothill Conference, it was understandable if things were a bit tense as Chaffey and San Bernardino Valley College squared off on Thursday.

The biggest explosion came in the first inning, but things settled down after that and the Panthers emerged with an 8-3 win over the Wolverines. The two teams meet again Saturday in a doubleheader at Chaffey starting at noon.

"This was big to win the first game," Chaffey coach Jeff Harlow said. "It's easier to lose two than win two, so the first game is huge, especially coming here and winning."

The Panthers (26-11, 16-3) came out of the gates strong, scoring in the first frame when Gerry Hernandez singled home Chris Lemus. But then came the fireworks.

Hernandez rounded first after the hit and was tagged out by SBVC first baseman Chris Sautia. Umpire Bill Barnes originally ruled Hernandez safe, which upset SBVC coach

Bill Mierzwik, who came out to argue. After the umpires conferred, Hernandez was called out, which set off Harlow and led to a heated altercation between the coach and umpire.

Harlow admitted he was surprised he wasn't tossed, but said the umpire bumped him first, and Mierzwik said he had planned to get tossed if the call wasn't changed in his favor.

Chaffey broke the game open, going up 4-2 on a towering home run by Willie Holmes in the seventh inning off starter Kevin Ryan. SBVC (22-15, 13-6) crept back, though, with an unearned run in the seventh to make it 4-3, but the  Panthers put the game away with four runs in the eighth, aided by two Wolverine errors.

That was more than enough for Chaffey's Colby Gurney (10-0), who scattered seven hits, struck out eight and gave up three runs before getting relief help in the ninth from Derrick Duran.

Catcher Nick Hartman had three of Chaffey's 11 hits. Holmes and Christopher Haas had two each. SBVC got three hits and two RBIs from sophomore third baseman James Frederick, and Evan Erickson had two hits.

"We have won the games we're supposed to win, but when it comes to playing the better teams, we haven't put all three facets of the game together," Mierzwik said. "We have to do that, because they're a good team."

  Citrus College swimming Head Coach Tim Kyle and sophomore swimmer Weston Locatell swept the Western State Conference Men's Swimming awards this past weekend. Kyle was named the Men's Coach of the Year, and Locatell was named the swimmer of the year.

Kyle helped lead the Fighting Owls to their best conference championships finish since 1997 this past weekend. Citrus grabbed 2^nd place at the WSC Championships, beating 3^rd place Cuesta College by a lone point. Kyle also coached Locatell and four relay teams to the State Championships which take place this weekend in Long Beach.

Locatell, who was an All-American last year, just got better this year, winning all three individual events he participated in at the WSC Championships. Locatell won the 200 IM, 100 Fly, and 200 Fly. Locatell also smashed the previous conference record in the 200 Fly, beating the previous record set in 1998 by over a full second. His time of 1:52.07 is also the fastest time in the State this year.

You can catch Locatell and company one final time this weekend as they participate in the 20009 California Community College Athletic Association State Championships held at the Belmont Plaza Hotel in Long Beach. Prelims begin on Thursday April 23^rd at 9:30 AM.

Cal State San Bernardino was unable to gain any ground Tuesday despite sub-par rounds by senior Micah Burke and junior Gene Webster and finished in a tie for fourth place at the California Collegiate Athletic Association championship tournament.

 

Burke shot a four-under-par 68 on the 6,741-yard, par-72 Hunter Ranch Golf Course Tuesday to finish second in the chase for medalist honors with a 54-hole total of 209, seven under par. Cal State Monterey Bay's Ricky Stockton took medalist honors with a score of 208.

Webster shot a one-under-par 71 to tie for fourth place at 213, three under par. It was his fifth top-five finish this season.

Sonoma State, ranked No. 2 in the West Region, successfully defended the team title it won in 2008 with a team score of 861 for 54 holes, three-under par for the tournament, finishing five shots ahead of Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State Stanislaus, who tied for second place at 866.

The Coyotes, ranked No. 1 in the region,  tied with region No. 3 Chico State for fourth at 868 followed by UC San Diego (889), Cal State East Bay, a guest at the tournament, at 897 and Cal State Dominguez at 903.

At least five of the teams in the event are assured of advancing to the NCAA West/Northwest Super Regional, May 2-5 at Wilderness Ridge Golf Club outside of Lincoln, Neb.,

CSUSB freshman BK Kim, subbing for the team's regular No. 2 player, Kenny Pigman, shot the third-best round for the team Tuesday, an even-par 72 to finish in 27^th spot with a 54-hole total of 225, one stroke back of No. 3 player Joe Alldis at 224. Kim recorded two eagles in the tournament, the most of any player.

Junior Thomas Chu closed with a 76 to finish in 29^th spot at 226.

Burke was successful across the board in his quest for the tournament title. He and Patrick Bauer of Sonoma State led all scorers on the par-3s, shooting two-under-par on those holes over the three rounds.

The Los Angeles resident registered 40 pars, second most among the 40 players in the tournament and he played the par-4s in one-under-par and the par-5s in 4-under-par. He had 11 birdies in the tournament.

It was the best finish of 2008-09 for Burke, whose previous best outing was a fifth place at the Cal State Northridge-Cullum Invitational last fall.

Webster had 38 pars, 10 birdies and was two-under on the par-4s and 1-under on the par-3s in the tournament.

CCAA GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

@ Hunter Ranch GC in Paso Robles

TEAM SCORES: 1. Sonoma State - 861; 2. (tie) Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State Stanislaus - 866;

4. (tie) CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO and Chico State - 868; 6. UC San Diego - 889; 7. Cal State East Bay( (897); 8. Cal State Dominguez Hills - 903.

            INDIVIDUALS : 1. Ricky Stockton (CS Monterey Bay) 71-70-67 - 208; 2. Micah Burke (Cal State San Bernardino) 71-70-68 - 209; 3. Patrick Bauer (Sonoma State) 66-71-73 - 210; 4. (tie) Gene Webster (Cal State San Bernardino) 72-70-71 - 213 and Bryan Kiss (Cal State Stanislaus) 68-71-74 - 213.

            COYOTE CARDS: 2. Micah Burke - 71-70-68 - 209; 4. Gene Webster 72-70-71 - 213; 23. Joe Alldis - 74-74-76 - 224' 28/ BK Kim - 75-78-72--225; 29. Thomas Chu - 73-77-76 - 226.

 

Junior right-hander Daniel Stenavich scattered seven hits and allowed one unearned run and Jesus Beltran drove in two runs Thursday as Cal State San Bernardino defeated No. 6-ranked UC San Diego, 4-1, in the opening game of their four-game CCAA baseball series.

        The victory improved the Coyotes to 19-20 on the season and 13-15 in the CCAA while UCSD, ranked No.1 in the West Region, is now 27-11 overall and 21-8 in the CCAA. The two teams meet at 3 p.m. Friday at Arrowhead Credit Union Park.

        Stenavich (4-1), a transfer from Southwestern College in Chula Vista, went the distance for his second complete game of the season, striking out five, walking none in a tidy 2 hours and 10 minutes. UCSD's ace      Tim Shibuya (6-3), who came into the game with a 1.53 ERA in 10 starts, yielded four runs, three earned, in eight innings and fanned five batters.

        Beltran and Cody Madison each had two hits for the Coyotes while Tim Mort, Matt Cantele and Evan Kehoe each had two hits for the Tritons, all singles. CSUSB's Chris Olsen had the game's only extra base hit, a double to drive in a run in the second.

        The win snapped a four-game Coyotes losing streak. CSUSB was 1-8 over its last nine games entering the contest.

        The Coyotes nicked Shibuya for a pair of runs in the second as Beltran led off with a single, was sacrificed to second and scored on a single to left center by Madison, who took second on the throw home.     Olsen then doubled to the wall in right to knock in Madison.

        CSUSB made it 3-0 in the third when Kyle Davis was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning then moved to second when Shibuya’s pickoff attempt sailed into foul territory. Brent Planck's single moved Davis to third and he scored on Beltran's sacrifice fly to right.

        The Tritons had their best shot at Stenavich in the fifth as Mort singled to center, Robert Sedin reached base on an error. With one out, Josh Tanner singled to right to load the bases then Vance Albitz brought Mort home with a sacrifice fly to center. Stenavich escaped further damage by getting Garrett Imeson to foul out to third.

        In the bottom of the fifth, Planck was hit by a pitch, took second on a groundout and scored on Beltran’s single through the left side, barely beating the throw home to make it 4-1.
        Stenavich allowed only three hits over the final four innings to collect the victory as the Tritons stranded seven runners.
 
 

The Big West Conference announced Wednesday that UCR's Brenda Martinez is the Big West Female Track Athlete of the Week for April 12-19.

The junior from Rancho Cucamonga broke the UCR and conference records in the 1500m over the weekend at the Mt. SAC Relays posting the fastest time in the nation so far this year for an American at 4:14.66. (Watch the race)

Martinez, who earned All-America honors during the indoor season in the mile, also owns the Big West Conference mark in the 800m which she set on June 7, 2008 at the Jim Bush Invitational.

The Highlanders men's and women's track and field teams travel to Des Moines, Iowa this week for the 2009 Drake Relays.

California Baptist University men's basketball Head Coach Tim Collins has announced the signing of prep standout Luke Evans for the 2009-10 season.  

Evans, a 6' 8", 220-pound post, prepped three varsity seasons at El Camino High in Oceanside, Calif., for CBU basketball alum Ray Johnson.  This past season, Evans averaged 24.4 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots per game in leading the Wildcats to the CIF-San Diego Section Division I Championship and the state tournament. He was named All-CIF first team and North County Player of the Year.

 

In the state tournament, Evans had 18 points and eight rebounds to lead the Wildcats' to an opening-round upset of Etiwanda High, ranked No. 6 in the state. 

 

He became Oceanside's single-single season scoring leader with 830 points, breaking Michael Watson's former standard of 630 set in 2001. In addition, Evans was named MVP in both of the senior All-Star Games he participated in, and he also received All-Academic honors with a 3.80 GPA.

 

Evans was a three-time All-Palomar League selection. He also earned All-CIF second team as a junior, leading the Wildcats to the second round of the state tournament. In the first round, Evans scored 30 points in a win over Clovis East High and then he had 22 points in the second round against Taft High. He finished his junior campaign averaging 15 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots.

 

In the summer of 2008 after his junior campaign, Evans participated in the Reebok All-American Camp in Philadelphia, advancing to the national showcase of 120 players from among 1,100 candidates in regional qualifying.

 

"I believe that Luke will immediately be an impact player in our program," said CBU Head Coach Tim Collins, who has led the Lancers to three straight 20-win seasons for just the second time in program history. "Luke is a quality student in the classroom and on the court, and he plays intelligently, which is critical to the style we play here. He has the potential to become an outstanding player in our conference, and we are honored by his accepting of this opportunity. In my opinion, he will be one of the best freshmen in the GSAC next season."

 

CBU returns eight players from last year's team that finished 22-9 overall in 2009 advancing the GSAC Tournament Semifinals for the second straight year. The Lancers were ranked No. 5 in the NAIA Top 25 Preseason Poll and after a 7-0 start were ranked No. 1 for the first time in program history.

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San Bernardino Valley College point guard Warren Fuselier has signed with Division I of Louisiana-Monroe which competes in the Sun Belt Conference.

Fuselier was the lone sophomore on a Wolverine team that won a Foothill Conference title and got to the State Tournament quarterfinal. He averaged 11.2 points and 4.5 assists and was the steady leader of the young SBVC squad.

Fuselier is from Baton Rouge so he will be returning to his home state. He spent his freshman year at Fullerton College and transferred to SBVC last year.

Division I schools typically sign their top high school kids first and the fact that Fuslier signed this early must mean the school really wanted him.Junior college kids are usally the last to sign so it is a good sign that the Warhawks locked him in early.

Monroe was just 10-20 to Fuselier won't be joining a program so loaded he will have to sit on the bench. So good for him!

Just three days before the start of the California Collegiate Athletic Association championship tournament, Cal State San Bernardino finds itself as the team to beat after being moved up to the No. 1 spot in the NCAA Division II West Region poll voted on by the NCAA championship committee.

    The Coyotes, winners of four tournaments in 2008-09 and winners in three of their last four events, will tee it up on Monday on the first day of the CCAA tournament at Hunter Ranch Golf Club in Paso Robles, facing seven other teams. The 54-hole tournament concludes on Tuesday.

     After spending most of the spring as the No. 2 team in the West, the Coyotes moved ahead of Sonoma State by finishing second in the Cal State Stanislaus-Hanny Invitational, eight shots ahead of the Seawolves.

      SSU would like to return the favor at the CCAA tournament and are ranked No. 2 in the West  Region followed by CCAA member Chico State, Western Washington, Hawaii-Hilo, Cal State Monterey Bay, Cal State Stanislaus, Grand Canyon, Dixie State and Saint Martin's.

      Five of the top 10 teams in the West are CCAA members.

      CSUSB has been in contention for the CCAA title in recent years but has not come up a winner yet but the team has finished as high a second.

      Senior Micah Burke leads the Coyotes and is coming off a solid outing at the Stanislaus tournament where he shot the low round of the day Tuesday -- a 71 in blustery weather that included six birdies and an eagle. Burke finished eighth overall while teammate Joe Alldis was fifth after rounds of 69, 73 and 76,

      The Coyotes were without one of their best players, Kenny Pigman, who won the Grand Canyon Thunderbird Invitational in late March with a 54-hole score of 205. The team is hoping Pigman will be back by Monday. If not, it appears freshman Nick Kelley will take his place.

      Gene Webster Jr., a junior, leads the team with the lowest stroke average, 72.5.

      After finishing 11th in the 2008-09 season opener in Blaine, Wash., the Coyotes have not finished worse than fourth in any tournament.

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.

The 2009 California Collegiate Athletic
Association (CCAA) men's golf championships open on Monday at the par-72, 6,741-yard Hunter Ranch Golf Course in Paso Robles, Calif.

The tournament format calls for 36 holes on Monday and the final 18 scheduled for Tuesday. Monday's opening round begins at 7:30 a.m.

The eight-team field includes Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State East Bay, Cal State Monterey Bay, Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State Stanislaus, Chico State, Sonoma State and UC San Diego.

Cal State  East Bay, which will join the conference beginning in 2009-10, is not eligible for the championship or individual honors.

Sonoma State enters this year's event as the defending CCAA Champion after posting a four-shot victory over Cal State Stanislaus. The Seawolves carded a 54-hole total of 6-under par 858.

Cal State Stanislaus senior Erick Justesen captured individual
medalist honors in 2008 after posting a 14-under par score of 202 to register an eight-shot victory over Sonoma State's Jarin Todd. It marked the second straight individual title for Justesen.

Cal State San Bernardino begins play as the CCAA's top-seeded team. The Coyotes are ranked No. 7 nationally in the latest Golfstat rankings and first in the West Region. Cal State San Bernardino enters the CCAA Championships playing well as it has won three of the last four tournaments it has played in.

Junior Gene Webster, Jr. is the Coyotes top player with a 72.54
stroke average and ranked fifth in the West Region.

Led by Todd, a two-time All-American, Sonoma State is ranked No. 8 nationally and second in the West Region. Todd is second in the West Region with a 71.35 stroke average.

The CCAA boasts five of the West Region's top 10 teams. In addition to Cal State San Bernardino and Sonoma State, Chico State (4th), Cal State Monterey Bay (6th), and Cal State Stanislaus (7th) are ranked among the region's top teams.

Chico State, led by junior Lucas Delgado, has two tournament
victories this season and is seeking its first CCAA team title.

Cal State Monterey Bay is in its second year as a CCAA member and is coming off a fourth-place showing in 2008. Senior Ricky Stockton is the Otters top player with a 72.71 stroke average and five Top 10  finishes.

Cal State Stanislaus, a three-time CCAA Champion, is seeking its first title since 2007. The Warriors, who are coming off a win at the Hanny/Stanislaus Invitational earlier this week, is led by junior Danny Hoff, who has a 75.00 stroke average and two Top 10 showings.

Team Champions
1999 Cal State Stanislaus
2000 Grand Canyon
2001 Cal State Stanislaus
2002 Cal State Bakersfield
2003 Cal State Bakersfield
2004 Cal State Bakersfield
2005 Cal State Bakersfield
2006 Cal State Bakersfield
2007 Cal State Stanislaus
2008 Sonoma State

Individual Champions
1999 Yascha Feld (Cal State Stanislaus)
2000 John Davis (Grand Canyon)
2001 Marc Lawless (Cal State Stanislaus)
2002 Jason Boyd (UC San Diego)
2003 Bill Noon (Cal State Bakersfield)
2004 D.J. Fernando (Cal State Bakersfield)
2005 Mark Baker (Cal State Bakersfield)
2006 Brady Baguio (Cal State Bakersfield)
2007 Erick Justesen (Cal State Stanislaus)
2008 Erick Justesen (Cal State Stanislaus)

Cal State San Bernardino's softball program picked up two outstanding local talents this week when Erica Prentice of Rim of the World High School and Jamie Leffingwell of Cajon High School signed national letters of intent to play for the Coyotes in 2009-10.

 

            Prentice, a pitcher with eye-popping stats who can play shortstop and hit for average, brings versatility and a strong right arm to the Coyotes while Leffingwell can play the outfield and drive in runs.

            Rim of the World has been a strong factor in the Desert Sky League with Prentice leading the way the past two seasons. She earned second-team all-CIF Southern Section honors in 2008, winning 18 games with a 0.45 earned run average and striking out 171 batters. She batted .476 with seven homers and 30 RBI.

            In 2007, Prentice recorded 16 wins with a 0.89 ERA and 273 strikeouts while batting .494.

            Thus far in 2009, she has five shutouts as the Scots have gotten off to a 7-2 start. She has 66 strikeouts in 37 innings with a 0.95 ERA. Teams are batting just .142 against her offerings. She is hitting .429. Her last outing was a one-hit, 2-0 shutout of Serrano High School.

            Leffingwell, a right-fielder, will be joining a team that has two of her former teammates at Cajon HS on the squad - sophomore centerfielder Priscilla Curiel and freshman third baseman Alex Mitchell. The Cowgirls are 12-4 this season with Leffingwell leading the team in runs batted in with 20. She has two home runs and is batting .302. The team is 4-0 in the San Andreas League thus far.

            In 2008, Leffingwell hit .381 on a team that went 23-7 and won the SAL with a 14-1 record. She had one home run, six doubles and 17 RBI and a .587 slugging percentage to go with a .453 on-base percentage.

           

 

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.

The Pomona-Pitzer baseball team is on a roll. The Sagehens took two from Whittier 16-5 and 10-5 on Saturday to improve to whopping 28-3 on the season. They are also 13-0 in conference play.They are ranked third in the country and it is easy to see why.

Pitzer made it all the way to the Division III West Region Tournament in 2007 when the core players were sophomores. Now they're seniors - two years older, two years wiser and physically more mature.

This team is better than that team. The bottom of its lineup is far better offensively and they have more pitching depth as well. Now the Sagehens just have to staty healthy.

The battle for the SCIAC title has come down to the last game of the season the last two years but that probably won't be the case this year with Sagehens making mincemeat of the opposition - no matter who it is.

It is also nice to see a school do well that puts so much emphasis on academics. There are no special exceptions when it comes to getting athletes admitted into the school. So you can be sure those players are more than just good athletes.

San Bernardino Valley College is looking for a head football coach.

Pat Meech is still with the program but is giving up the head coach responsibilities. In addition to serving as an assistant coach he is on the faculty as a physical education instructor. The change in job status was approved at Thursday's meeting of the Board of Trustees.

The timing makes a bad situation worse. The Wolverines are coming off a 0-10 season. They were the only winless team in Southern California and one of two in the state, the other being Contra Costa. Count the last five games of the 2007 season and SBVC will go into 2009 riding a 15-game losing skid.

Meech said family was the primary reason he decided to take a step back. He and wife Stephanie have two daughters ages 9 and 12.

``It is a combination of things but the biggest thing is my priority
at home. I want to spend time with my daughters and their school activities and it's hard to do that with all the time it takes to be a head coach.''

``Obviously the timing isn't good,'' athletic director Dave Rubio
said. ``I believe Pat has the best interest of the program in mind.''

Despite the change in his title Meech has been handling recruiting. He has tried to be honest with those athletes he is recruiting.

``I have told them that there is some reorganization going on but I have tried to emphasize the reasons why we're a still good option for them,'' he said.

Despite the lateness of the move Rubio is confident the school will still be able to bring in a strong candidate.

``I guess there were rumors out there because I have gotten calls from all over the country asking about the job,'' Rubio said. ``It's hard to say right now how fast we can fill it but we'll do the best we can.''

There is likely to be a lot more shuffling of the coaching staff as
well. Offensive coordinator Ric Lucore left during the offseason to take a job on staff at the University of Redlands. Defensive
coordinator Ted Clarke has also departed. Ernie Madrigal, J.T.
Thomas and Rick Pesquera remain on staff with a couple of others undecided.

The Wolverines went 13-37 in Meech's five years with a 5-5 mark in 2006 the only season in which the team did not finish with a losing record.

Last year the Wolverines weren't close that often. They averaged 19.3 points per game and gave up an average of 45.8 points. The only game decided by a touchdown or less was a 34-28 setback at Mt. San Jacinto. A tough nonconference schedule didn't help.

The San Bernardino Valley College football team is in a bind.

The Wolverines are looking for a head coach and it is already April so finding a successor to Pat Meech probably won't be easy.

Meech, who headed the program the last five years, has stepped down from the head job but will remain on staff as an assistant. He also is on the faculty as a physical education instructor. The change in his job status was approved at the Board of Trustees meeting Thursday night.

Athletic director Dave Rubio said Meech is still at the school teaching and recruiting so he doesn't expect the program to miss a beat in that respect.

But who knows if the players being brought in will fit the system of whatever coach is brought it.

The Wolverines will enter the 2009 campaign riding a 15-game losing streak. Given the recent setback they may be hard-pressed to break into the win column next season either.

California Baptist University has announced the two latest additions to its intercollegiate athletics' program--men's and women's distance track.

                                                                                                                                           

The Lancers will begin running only the distance events in the 2009-10 season, and current cross country coach Wade Watkins will oversee the program. The addition brings the number of sports offered by CBU to 22.

 

"Adding these sports provides a cost-effective complement to our cross country programs," said CBU Vice President for Student Services and interim Athletic Director Kent Dacus. "It also gives an additional opportunity for those athletes to participate in both cross country and the distance events on the track."

 

CBU will participate in both the indoor and outdoor seasons. The 2010 NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships are March 4-6, while the outdoor championships are May 27-29.

 

During the indoor season, the Lancers will participate in the 600 meters, 800 meters, 1,000 meters, mile, 3,000 meters, 5,000 meters, 3,000-meter race walk, 4x800-meter relay and distance medley relay events. During the outdoor season, the Lancers will participate in the 400 meters, 800 meters, 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters, 5,000-meter race walk, 3,000-meter steeplechase, 4x800-meter relay, half marathon and marathon.

 

The Lancers previously sponsored track and field, dropping the program in 2002. CBU rose to national prominence in the late 1990s running in every NAIA Indoor and Outdoor National Championship from 1996-2002 on the men's side. CBU finished fourth or better at the 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001 indoor championships and garnered the university's first-ever NAIA National Championship, winning the 1999 indoor title. The Lancers also finished in the top 10 in the 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001 outdoor championships.

 

The women ran in three indoor and three outdoor championships, earning three Top 25 finishes.

 

CBU won two straight GSAC Men's Track and Field titles in 1996-97 and is the only program other than Azusa Pacific or Point Loma Nazarene to win a GSAC men's track title.

 

By Michelle gardner

Staff Writer

Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball coach Greg Kamansky is just now catching his breath.
A whirlwind two weeks included playoff games in three different time zones and ended with a 56-53 overtime loss to Findlay (Ohio) in the Division II national championship game in Springfield, Mass., last Saturday.

The Broncos (25-8) returned on Sunday and celebrated with the student body on Thursday. Now, Kamansky is focused on recruiting. But you won't find him complaining.

"It has been an unbelievable experience," he said. "You think of the number of teams that play college basketball and very few get a chance to play for a national championship. And to think how far we went and the obstacles we overcame to get there. It is even more rewarding."

The Broncos are graduating four seniors, the key ones being All-American Larry Gordon and third-leading scorer Walter Thompson.

Before the team left for the Elite Eight, Kamansky stopped short of calling Gordon the best player to come out of the program. He didn't hesitate when asked again.

Gordon finished as the school's all-time leading rebounder and second-leading scorer behind only Jeff Bonds. He also finishes ranked second in field goals (527), second in free throws (385), third in games played (116), fifth in steals (133), seventh in blocks (52) and 10th in 3-point field goals (94).

What sets him apart from the other four All-Americans the school has produced is his showing in the postseason. He averaged 22 points and 11.3 rebounds and shot 67.6 percent from the field in the run.

"His legacy is complete," Kamansky said. "Big-time players step up in big-time games. He did it on the national stage."

Kamansky admits it will be hard to replace his most recent All-American. But the one thing the Broncos will have is a solid nucleus of veterans returning.

Last year Gordon was the only starter back. The Broncos will be set in the front court, returning Dwayne Fells, who started 18 games this season as a true freshman, as well as sophomore forward Tobias Jahn (9.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg), who came into his own over the second half of the season.

They will also have Kevin Ryan, the team's top recruit last year who had to redshirt because of a knee injury. They also landed an early signee in Justin Herold, a 6-foot-7 power forward out of Carrillo High School in Santa Rosa.

The core of other returning players will include second-leading scorer Austin Swift (10.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg), heady point guard Dahir Nasser (5.7 ppg, 2.7 apg) and much-improved reserve Robert Summers (7.1 ppg).

Cajon graduate Donnelle Booker will also be back in the fold. He sustained a season-ending knee injury in October and will be the most seasoned player in the program. The coach is hoping he can provide the same veteran leadership Gordon did.

Kamansky said the biggest need right now is in the backcourt. The Broncos typically carry fewer players than most teams but are looking for three or four more players.

"I like what we'll have coming back," he said. "Yes, we're losing Larry, but we have guys that have actually played together, which is unlike last year. A couple more guards and we'll be set.

"This is a great experience to build on."

Cal Poly Pomona coach Mike Ashman was looking for a way to strengthen both his starting rotation and his bullpen. He found it.

Freshman right-hander Casey McCarthy looked impressive in his starting debut, leading the Broncos to an 11-1 CCAA win over visiting Cal State San Bernardino on Friday at Scolinos Field.

It was the first start after 10 relief appearances for McCarthy (2-0), who survived a shaky first inning and allowed just one run and three hits in six innings.

"We have a couple of older guys I thought were better suited for the bullpen," Ashman said, "and we had a couple of younger pitchers we wanted to start getting more innings. It all worked out, at least today."

The Coyotes scored their only run in the first inning as Kyle Davis led off the game with a double and scored on a single by Jesus Beltran, but an unconventional double play helped McCarthy out of trouble.

Cal Poly turned four ground-ball double plays, two of those behind their starter. The first of those came in the second after the Coyotes loaded the bases with one out.

"He (McCarthy) was about one hitter away from coming out," Ashman said. "He really settled down and did a great job after that."

The Broncos then took control of the game with a seven-run third inning, all of those off Coyotes starter Bryan Hart (2-2). The inning featured a two-run double by Joe Villa and run-scoring singles by Jeff Ringholm and Richard McDowell.

Cal Poly Pomona was also aided by two wild pitches, a passed ball, a hit batter and an errant pick-off throw. The Coyotes were never in striking distance again.

"It wasn't so much a bad game as much as a bad inning," Cal State coach Don Parnell said. "That pretty much changed everything because now you have to play for the big inning, you're going with different pitchers."

Cal Poly racked up 13 hits, with Ringholm, the team's leading hitter, collecting three of them and scoring three runs. McDowell also had three hits.

Davis had two hits for the Coyotes, who won the series opener on Thursday, 6-5.

The game was crucial for both teams as they jockey for position to try and earn a berth in the four-team CCAA tournament with a month to go in the regular season.

The Coyotes (17-15, 12-9) started the day tied for fourth with Cal State Los Angeles, and the Broncos (17-15, 10-12) were eighth but still in striking distance.

"It's a pretty tight race," Parnell said. "No one is significantly better than anyone else."
"It's going to be all about who gets hot at the right time," Ashman said. "There are a handful of teams that have a shot."

The teams will play a doubleheader at noon today at Arrowhead Credit Union Park.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo named its men's basketball coach and it won't be one of the two who have headed the successful Division II programs locally.

It was Seattle University's Joe Callero getting the nod.

Both Cal Poly Pomona's Greg Kamansky and Cal State San Bernardino's Jeff Oliver would have been a good fit and Oliver actually played at the school.

Kamansky would likely be an attractive fit and has done an admirable job with limted resources and with the Broncos coming off a national runner-up finish, his stock has never been higher.

Senior forward Larry Gordon (Pomona) earned his second All-American honor this postseason when he was named a first-team Division II Bulletin's All-American.

 

            The Division II Bulletin is the monthly newsletter of Division II men's basketball.

 

            Gordon wrapped up his four-year career in style by leading Cal Poly Pomona to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Division II Elite Eight Championship. It marked the best finish in school history and Gordon was at the forefront.

 

            Gordon, the CCAA's Most Valuable Player, finished the season averaging 15.7 points and 10.4 rebounds a contest for the Broncos (25-8), who defeated three straight top-12 teams en route to last Saturday's title game against top-ranked and unbeaten Findlay. In postseason play, Gordon fired 67.6 percent from the floor - a whopping 14-percent higher than his season average of 53.8 percent.

 

            Gordon is the only player in Cal Poly Pomona history to have secured 1,500 points, 900 rebounds, 500 field goals, 375 free throws, 125 steals and 50 blocks. He is the school's all-time leading rebounder with 958, surpassing the 43-year old record held by Paul Scranton (935).

 

Gordon's honors this season include: NCAA Elite Eight All-Tournament team, NCAA West Region Most Valuable Player, Daktronics West Region First team, NABC West Region First Team, CCAA First-Team Selection, CCAA All-Tournament, CCAA Basketball Player of the Week (Dec. 15-21) and The Bulletin Preseason All-American

 

Last month, Gordon became just the fifth Bronco to be named an All-American -- joining Bill Leedom, Scranton, Terry Ross and Jeff Bonds - when he was named to the NABC All-American team.

 

Cal State San Bernardino and Chico State each shot 23 under par as a team to wind up as co-champions of the 2009 Grand Canyon University Thunderbird Invitational men's golf tournament at Palm Valley Country Club.

It was the third straight tournament victory for the Coyotes, ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Division II West Region, and their fourth win of the 2008-09 season. CSUSB is ranked No. 9 in the nation by Golfstat and No. 14 by the Golf Coaches Association of America.

CSUSB sophomore Kenny Pigman led the birdie parade for the Coyotes, taking medalist honors by shooting a two-under-par 70 Tuesday to wind up with a 54-hole total of 205, 11 under par on the par-72, 7,015-yard course near Phoenix.

The Coyotes and Wildcats each shot 841 for 54 holes to finish two shots ahead of Western New Mexico, which led by two shots after the first 36 holes. Nine of the 20 teams shot under par for the tournament, played under ideal conditions.

Pigman did his damage on the par-5s. He was 10 under par on the long holes, averaging 4.17 strokes. He also collected two eagles in the tournament. He shot 65 and 70 on Monday to tie for the individual lead after 36 holes.

CSUSB junior Gene Webster saved his best round of the year for last, firing a 65, seven-under-par on Tuesday to finish in a tie for second place with Kyle Souza of Chico State and Eric Frazzetta of Chico State at 207, nine-under-par. Webster led all players on the par-4s, going seven-under-par with a 3.77 stroke average and he tied for first in birdies made with 18.

Coyotes junior Joe Alldis played one of his most consistent tournaments ever, finishing at 211, five-under-par after rounds of 70-71-70 to tie for 13th place. Micah Burke was 39th overall at 219, three over par while Thomas Chu finished 57th at 223.

Sonoma State, ranked No. 1 in the West Region, finished fourth at 850, nine shots behind the Coyotes and Wildcats. Region No. 3 Western Washington tied for fifth with Grand Canyon at 855, 14 shots off the pace.

The Coyotes have now won back-to-back-to-back tournament titles having won the Southern California Intercollegiate in Mission Viejo and the Cal State Monterey Bay Otter Invitational and the GCU Thunderbird on successive weeks. CSUSB will play next in the Cal State Stanislaus tournament, their final tuneup for the CCAA championships to be played at Hunter Ranch in Paso Robles in late April.


TEAM FINAL -- 1. (tie) Cal State San Bernardino and Chico State (841 -- 23 under par); 3. Western New Mexico (843); 4. Sonoma State (850); 5. (tie) Grand Canyon and Western Washington (855); 7. Point Loma Nazarene (857); 8. Central Oklahoma (860); 9. Northern Kentucky (863); 10. Colorado-Colo. Springs (866); 11. Saint Martin's (880); 12. (tie) Fort Lewis College and Dixie State (882); 14. (tie) UC San Diego and Colorado State-Pueblo (883); 16. Notre Dame de Namur (891); 17. GCU White (895); 18. Nebraska Kearney (896); 19. Northwest Nazarene (899); 20. BYU Hawaii (932).

TOP INDIVIDUALS: 1. Kenny Pigman (CSUSB) 65-70-70 - 205; 2. (tie) Gene Webster (CSUSB) 70-72-65 -- 207; Kyle Souza (Chico State) 68-72-67 -- 207; Eric Frazzetta (Chico State) 70-68-69 -- 207; Brandon McCoy (Colo. State Pueblo) 68-69-70 -- 207; 6. (tie) Joon Lee (W.New Mexico) 208; Jarin Todd (Sonoma St.) 208; Jake Koppenberg (West. Wash) 208.

CSUSB COYOTE CARDS -- 1. Kenny Pigman -- 65-70-70 -- 205: 2. Gene Webster -- 70-72-65 -- 207; 13. Joe Alldis - 70-71-70 -- 211; 39. Micah Burke -- 71-74-74 -- 219; 57. Thomas Chu -- 74-73-76 -- 223.

California Baptist University cross country Head Coach Wade Watkins has announced the 2009 men's recruiting class.  

A total of 14 runners comprise Watkins' first full recruiting class. The program was reinstated as a varsity sport in the summer of 2008.

 

"If 2008 saw the resurgence of CBU cross country, then 2009 will show the growth from having a full year of being able to recruit some of the finest athletes within the state and from other states as well," said Watkins. "While the process is never ending, and we are always in search of new athletes, these outstanding young men will be the future of CBU cross country."

 

Mitchell Moore (La Habra HS)

Moore was a six-time All-Freeway League selection in cross country and track at La Habra (Calif.) High. An eight-time CIF participant, Moore has a PR of 15:01 (3 miles) and was the undefeated league champion and the Orange County Division III Champion. He also won the Woodbridge Senior Race.

 

Patrick Mynes (Corona HS)

A four-time CIF participant, Mynes was a three-time all-league selection. He also earned all-county honors and was a scholar-athlete. He has a PR of 15:10.

 

Sergio Rodriguez (Los Altos HS)

Rodriguez ran for head coach Jeff Hess, who trained under Watkins as a prep at Los Altos High. Rodriguez was a three-time CIF participant and a Miramonte League Champion and has a PR of 15:24.

 

Victor Delgado (Beaumont HS)

Delgado was a three-time CIF participant and was a state finalist in 2008. He finished fifth at the CIF Division III finals and was a three-time Mountain Pass League Champion. Delgado also won the Mt. SAC Division III Invitational and was named to the All-Riverside Team this past season. His PR is 15:30.

 

Chase Williams (Corona HS)

A prep teammate of Mynes, Williams was a four-time CIF participant and was a CIF individual participant in the 1,600-meters in 2008. Williams, who has a PR of 15:55, earned three all-league honors as well as earning scholar-athlete honors.

 

Daniel Knauer (Murrieta Valley HS)

Knauer ran four varsity seasons at Murrieta Valley High. With a PR of 15:20, Knauer earned all-county honors this past season and was a three-time all-league first team selection. This past season, he was named team MVP.

 

Mark Langworthy (Calvary Chapel-Murrieta HS)

A four-time scholar-athlete, Langworthy also was a three-time all-league selection. His PR is 15:56 and he made three CIF appearances.

 

Chris Cline (Hidden Valley HS, Grants Pass, Ore.)

A four-year varsity runner, Cline was a four-time Oregon State Meet participant. In 2008, he finished eighth at the state meet, helping the Mustangs win the state title. He was named all-conference and all-state second team. Cline also earned four scholar-athlete honors and participated in the prestigious Border Clash last November.

 

Jonathan Monteon (Don Lugo HS)

A three-time CIF participant with Don Lugo High in Chino, Calif., Monteon was also a scholar-athlete recipient.

 

Axel Ambriz (Concordia-Irvine)

A transfer from GSAC-rival Concordia, Ambriz is expected to be an important part of the program in 2009. In 2007 at Concordia, Ambriz helped lead the Eagles to the GSAC title, finishing 33^rd in the GSAC Meet, running a 27:08. He also ran at the 2007 NAIA Championships, where he finished 165^th, running a 26:47.8. His season best was 26:45.76 at the Willamette Invitational in Salem, Ore.

 

Coe Phillips (Ramona HS)

A local talent, Phillips prepped at nearby Ramona High, just blocks from the CBU campus.

 

Kevin Wunderly (Deer Valley HS)

Wunderly earned scholar-athlete honors at Deer Valley High in Northern California. He was also a New Balance Festival Champion this past fall.

 

Adrian Gracian (Canyon Springs HS)

 

Michael Doss (Big Bear HS)

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The University of La Verne golf team holds the #2 spot in the latest Golfstat Division III rankings released on April 1.

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.

STANDING OUT IN THE CROWD
Kenny Pigman
Cal State San Bernardino golf

Cal State San Bernardino sophomore Kenny Pigman has been the named the California Collegiate Athletic Association Golfer of the Week for the week of March 25-31.

Pigman, of Norco, won individual medalist honors at the Grand Canyon University Thunderbird Invitational that was held at the Palm Valley Golf Club in Goodyear, Ariz. on Monday and Tuesday.

Pigman claimed individual medalist honors after shooting rounds of 65-70-70 for an 11-under par 205. The Coyotes' sophomore posted a two-shot victory over teammate Gene Webster and Chico State's Kyle Souza and Eric Frazetta, who all finished with scores of 9-under par 207.

Cal State San Bernardino tied Chico State for first place in the 54-hole event after finishing with a 23-under par total of 841. The co-championship marked the Coyotes' third consecutive tournament victory and fourth overall during the 2008-09 season.

He is the third Cal State golfer to earn weekly honors following Gene Webster (Oct. 5-11) and Micah Burke (Oct. 26-31).