May 2011 Archives
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Pomona-Pitzer are hosting the NCAA Division III national tennis championships all week. While the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps teams didn't fare well, individuals are more than holding their own.
Sophomore Alex Lane of CMS just steamrolled past his two foes, losing a grand total of three games. Have you ever watched a sporting event and one side was playing so well you felt sorry for the other? That was the case. Lane said after his second match he was playing with a chip on his shoulder after a loss in the team competition earlier in the week.
He looks like he is going to be hard to beat now.
Tommy Meyer of Pomona-Pitzer also advanced to the qaurterfinals with a pair of straight set wins.
Sophomore Kristin Lim of CMS has been the star on the women's side. She too is in the quarterfinals.
All the action today is at Pomona-Pitzer beginning at 9 a.m. There is no charge and its a great venue to wander around and watch competition on different courts in a relaxed atmosphere.
The Cal Poly Pomona baseball team came up short, losing to Sonoma State 8-5 at the NCAA Division II West Region title game at UC San Diego.
The Broncos (36-23) turned in a valiant effort, working their way out of the loser's bracket but it wasn't to be.
The Broncos had five players named to the All-Tournament team - pitcher Michael Parker, catcher Jenzen Torres, second baseman Allen Rodarte, outfielder TravisTaijeron and designated hitter Tyson Edwards.
When it comes down to the final game of a double-elimination event it's all about whose pitching stands up. That happened to be Sonoma State (36-20) which ended the game with Kenny Arnerich on the mound.
Arnerich pitched a complete game shutout in the Seawolves first game against San Diego. He went the last two and two-third innings and got the win.
But Cal Poly Pomona baseball is back on the map after several years of mediocrity.
Well the Cal Poly Pomona baseball team is still alive and kicking!
And this time the Broncos won in dramatic fashion at the NCAA Division II West Region Tournament at UC San Diego. Hours after fending off favored UC San Diego 6-5 the Broncos chalked up a 5-4 win over Sonoma State.
Cal Poly went up 4-0, only to have to Sonoma back to tie it at 4-all.
Sonoma loaded the bases in the eighth with one out and didn't score.
Then it loaded the bases again in the eighth, this time with no outs and again didn't score. When that happens it usually comes back to bite you. That is indeed what happened,
So then Cal Poly came up in the bottom of the ninth. The rally started with hits by Allen Rodarte and Jordan Whitman, A balk by Sonoma pitcher Ian Ocon put the runners at second and third, still with no out.
Then with a 1-2 count to Ryan Goodman, Ocon, still likely miffed by the balk, uncorked a wild pitch and Rodarte scored from third. Game over!
So now it's Cal Poly and Sonoma at noon on Sunday, winner advances to the College World Series, The Broncos have the momentum now.
But it will likely be pitcher-by-committee.
I wouldn't bet against the Broncos now.
Before the NCAA Division II West Region Tournament started Cal Poly Pomona coach Randy Betten said his team was ``playing with house money.'' His team was predicted to finish in the CCAA so advancing to the post-season was a victory in itself.
But the Broncos (35-22) battled their way through the loser's bracket, eliminating host UC San Diego 6-5. Now they are in the final against Sonoma State (35-19) but they'll have to beat the Seawolves twice. The first game is coming up in 45 or so minutes.
Michael Parker picked up the win in relief. He also got the win in the Broncos win on Thursday.
It was a good back-and-forth contest. The Broncos got the decisive run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Tyson Edwards that drove home Jenzen Torres who had doubled.
Edwards and Chris Miller had two hits each. Jordan Whitman and Ryan Goodman both had two-run doubles.
Junior shortstop Mile Santora started. He had missed five games with a pulled hamstring but came out of the game in the third after legging out a double. He is not in the starting lineup for the night game either.
Casey Yokubaitis (2-4, 4.50) will be on the mound for the Broncos while Joey Van Cleave (4-2, 3.60) will go for Sonoma.
This is a resilient Cal Poly team. So I wouldn't put it past them to win two!
The Cal State San Bernardino softball team suffered its second 3-1 loss to UC San Diego in as many days at the best-of-three NCAA Division II West Super Region and this one ended the season for the Coyotes.
Cal State had not never advanced this far so the team's showing is something of which it can be proud.
The Coyotes played far better than they did in Friday's loss. Their defense was stellar, they had more scoring opportunities and ace Cassidy Lee out-pitched her counterpart Camille Gaito for six innings.
But the Coyotes failure to make the most of their scoring chances proved costly. They had two runners to third in the first three innings and didn't score in either. They went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
They took a 1-0 lead into the seventh, only to have the the Tritons manufacture three in the seventh. Somehow those kind of losses hurt worse.
The Coyotes have just three seniors on their 13-player roster - Lee and outfielders Priscilla Curiel and Jacquelyn Holtzclaw. So this experience is something the team can build on in the future. Next year there will be no playoff rookies and maybe they can get over the hump next year.
The Cal Poly Pomona baseball and Cal State San Bernardino softball teams both had a tough day in their respective tournament on the campus of UC San Diego.
The Coyotes lost to the host Tritons 3-1 in the first game of the best-of-five Super Regional series. All three San Diego runs were unearned wit two Coyote errors figuring prominently.
Cal State's lone run came on a home run by Stefanie Pace.
The Coyotes hit some balls hard off San Diego pitcher Camille Gaito. In fact Gaito took a shot off the wrist and a shot off the thigh. It will be interesting to see how she comes back today.She is expected to pitch Game 2 while the Coyotes will go with Cassidy Lee, who did an admirable job on Friday.
The teams play at noon Saturday, then again at 4 if they were to forcea decisive game.
The news wasn't much better for the Broncos, who fell 10-2 to Sonoma State in NCAA Division II West Region play. Just not good night all around. They managed just four hits. Starter Kevin Bosson had a tough nigh, giving up nine runs and committing an error that compounded the problem..
Cal Poly trailed 6-0 before it got on the scoreboard.
Coach Randy Betten said Geoff Broussard will likely start a 1 p.m. game against UC San Diego. The Broncos need to win to force a 6 p.m. game the same night.
The Cal State San Bernardino softball team is trailing UC San Diego 3-1 in the sixth inning at the NCAA Division II West Super Region.
The culprit has been the Coyotes defense which has committed three errors and led to all the runs in the third being unearned.
Two of the errors have been by the first baseman on what were catchable throws from third and the other error was a dropped fly ball in right field. The game started with a show over the left side of the infield and that shadow now stretches over to the first base dugout. There is some speculation in the press box as to whether or not that posed a problem.
Stefanie Pace just homered to left in the sixth to get the Coyotes on the scoreboard but they aren't mounting much of an offense.
It's a best-of-three series so maybe they can shake off the defensive issues and have a better outing on Saturday in the noon game.
Cal Poly Pomona didn't play like a team that hadn't been in the playoffs in 19 years.
The Broncos chalked up a 10-4 win over Western Oregon in the NCAA Division II West Regional at UC San Diego. Cal Poly battled from a 4-1 deficit, evened the score in the sixth and put the pedal to the medal with six in the eighth.
Give Cal Poly starter Erick Ruvalcaba credit for battling back after a shaky start to give his team a chance.
Michael Parker was impressive on the mound after that, retiring 10 of the 11 hitters he faced. The exclamation point came when he struck out the side in the ninth.
The Broncos had 12 hits with Travis Taijeron getting three, two of those doubles.
Tyson Edwards had a two-run double that tied the game at 4 and a sacrifice fly that made it 5-4. Jordan Whitman also had a two-run double in the eighth.
The Broncos advance to face either Sonoma State or UC San Diego at 6 p.m. on Friday. Kevin Bosson will be the mound.
This is an underdog team playing with a lot of poise and confidence.
The Cal Poly Pomona Broncos have surged ahead 10-4 in the eighth at the NCAA Division II West Regional at UC San Diego.
Western Oregon is playing like the tournament newcomer, not a team that has won 10 straight conference titles. The Wolves have made two errors in this inning, contributing to a Cal Poly rally.
A sacrifice fly by Tyson Edwards made it 5-4 Broncos. Then an error gave the Broncos another run. Then a run-scoring single by Humberto Tovalin.
Jordan Whitman knocked home two with a double off the wall and he later scored on a sac fly by Ryan Goodman.
The Broncos are in good shape!
The Cal Poly Pomona Broncos are squaring off against Western Oregon in the NCAA Division II West Regional at UC San Diego. In the bottom of the fourth, its 3-1 Western Oregon.
The Broncos took the early lead as Ryan Goodman doubled and scored on one by Travis Taijeron in the first.
The Wolves came back and got three in the bottom of the inning off Broncos starter Erick Ruvalcaba. The Wolves had two on and two out with Bo Folkinga up. He hit a fly ball to right that looked like a catchable ball but it eluded Jordan Whitman and both runners scored.
It looked the wind might have gotten a hold of the ball but its a play a more experienced outfielder probably would have made. But Whitman was a pitcher last year and made the transition this year.
Another double knocked him Folkinga and it was 3-1.
The Broncos had two on and no out in the fourth but didn't score.
It's now the top of the fifth. Looks like Ruvalcaba has regrouped nicely.
The University of Redlands baseball team is headed to McMurry University in Abilene, Tex. for the NCAA Division III West Regional. It will be the first playoff appearance for the Bulldogs since 2006.
Redlands (29-11) will open tournament play at 5 p.m. on Wednesday against Trinity (Tex.).
Redlands, Concordia (Tex.), Linfield (Ore.), and Trinity all garnered automatic qualification to the NCAA tournament by winning their conference titles or tournaments. At-large qualifiers Texas-Tyler and Chapman round out the six-team field.
"We're excited and we're ready to go," Bulldogs coach Scott Laverty said. "This regional is going to have five of the top 15 teams in the country so who ever gets out of here is going to feel pretty good about their chances at nationals."
Laverty said senior Derek Johnson (12-2, 2.45), who leads all Division III in wins, will be his stater in the opener with sophomore Kyle Hart (9-2, 3.74) going in the second game.
It's that time of year when teams are battling for survival. A whole host of local teams were in action on Friday. Oh where to start . . .
The toughest loss of the day was that by the University of Redlands softball team which lost to host Texas-Tyler in a 15-inning extravanganza. The Bulldogs were on the brink of defeat until Sarah Beeman knocked in two runs with a double in the seventh and Redlands led 5-4.
Not so fast. Tyler then scored one. On they went.
In the ninth Lizett Casillas hit a grand slam home run, 9-5 visitors lead. Home team answeres with four. On they went.
Tyler eventually won it in the 15th on a solo home run. The Bulldogs played the equivalent of two games and must somehow find the energy to play a morning elimination game on Saturday.
It wasn't good news for the other local team playing there. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps lost to Louisiana College 8-3 and are one loss from being done.
On a brighter note, the Cal State San Bernardino softball team picked up a huge win in its regional playoff opener, upending defending national champion Hawaii Pacific 3-2 in eight innings behind the pitching of senior Cassidy Lee.
In baseball, Cal Poly Pomona remained alive, turning back Sonoma State 11-4 behind the hitting machine that is Travis Taijeron. The Broncos are in the loser's bracket playing Chico State in an elimination game.
In golf Claremont-Mudd-Scripps' Tain Lee finished second in the national championship tournament in Greensboro, N.C. He was ninth as a freshman and won it last year as a sophomore. That's quite a resume already.
University of Redlands was 10th, making its sixth top 10 finish in right years. University of La Verne was 15th.
The Cal State San Bernardino softball team is back in the NCAA playoffs for the only the second time and the first since 2008.
The seventh-seeded Coyotes (32-22) are headed to Kaneohe, Hawaii and will open play Friday against second-seeded and defending national champion Hawaii Pacific (37-10).
There will be two four-team double-elimination West Regionals, one hosted by Hawaii Pacific and the other by Chico State. The teams that emerge from each of those competitions will square off in a best-of-three series.
"We're excited," Coyotes coach Tacy Duncan <NO1>name is right <NO>said. "Our conference is very tough, so we feel like that has really prepared us for the postseason."
The Coyotes played the Sea Warriors, winners of the Pacific West Conference, on April 2 in a tournament on a neutral field and Hawaii Pacific emerged with an 8-6 win. Having seen the opponent is reason for Duncan to be optimistic.
"We played them in a close game and we didn't even use our best pitcher," Duncan said while referring to senior Cassidy Lee. "She has been pitching great and we're confident with her out there."
Cal State, led by All-CCAA selections Priscilla Curiel, Jacquelyn Holtzclaw, Jamie Leffingwell and Brittney Butler, is one of four teams from the CCAA to advance.
Sonoma State (36-20) is in the same bracket with the Coyotes and will face Dixie State (33-12) while Chico State (29-17) and UC San Diego (36-13) will compete at Chico. Western Washington (36-14) and Central Washington (33-14) round out the field at Chico.
The only other time the Coyotes competed in the regional they went 2-2 in the tournament held at Humboldt State.
Travis Taijeron of the Cal Poly Pomona baseball team was named by the College Baseball Lineup as a semifinalist for the 2011 Division II Tino Martinez Award. The honor will be presented to the most outstanding player in D-II college baseball.
The annual honor is named after the former University of Tampa Spartan, United States Olympian, first round draft pick and MLB All-Star, Tino Martinez.
Taijeron leads the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) in homeruns with 14, which puts him 18th nationally. In leading the Broncos to the conference tournament, which will be held in Stockton, Calif., this week, the senior outfielder hit .459 in the final month of the regular season.
The San Diego native is a three-time CCAA Player of the Week and his 30 career homeruns ranks second all-time in the CPP record books.
The 47 semi-finalists for the Tino Martinez Award represent 41 different schools from across the nation. Each of the eight geographic regions are represented, with a minimum of five players selected from each area.
Five players comprise the semifinalists from the Atlantic, East and West Regions, six student-athletes make up the list from the Midwest and Central, and six players have been included from the South, South Central and Southeast.
The finalists are scheduled to be named on Thursday, May 19. The winner will be announced after the conclusion of the DII Baseball Championship held in Cary, N.C., from May 28 to June 4.
Cal Poly Pomona right-hander Erick Ruvalcaba has been named the Wilson/California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 2 to May 9,
Ruvalcaba, a junior from Whittier, turned in a big-time effort in Friday's series opener against Cal State L.A. With the Broncos seeking a win to enhance their chances of earning a CCAA Tournament berth, Ruvalcaba hurled a complete-game three-hit shutout against the Golden Eagles.
In nine innings of work, Ruvalcaba walked two and struck two as he pitched the Broncos to a 6-0 victory that helped CPP earn a series split and a CCAA Tournament berth.
Cal Poly Pomona, seeded fourth in the CCAA Tournament, will face No. 1 seed UC San Diego Thursday at 3 p.m. The double-elimination tournament runs Thursday through Saturday at the University of the Pacific's Klein Family Field in Stockton.
Wilson/CCAA Pitcher of the Week
Jan. 31 - Feb. 6: Branden Petrangelo (San Francisco State);
Feb. 7-13: Daniel Simmons (UC San Diego);
Feb. 14-20: Tim Shibuya (UC San Diego);
Feb. 21-27: Scott Tully (Cal State Monterey Bay);
Feb. 28 - Mar. 6: Gabriel Asakura (Cal State L.A.);
Mar. 7-13: Nick Rodarte (Cal State L.A.);
Mar. 14-20: Aaron Appino (Cal State Monterey Bay);
Mar. 21-27: Andrew Stueve (Cal State Stanislaus);
Mar. 28 - Apr. 3: Vinny Pacchetti (Cal State Stanislaus);
Apr. 4-10: Gabriel Asakura (Cal State L.A.);
Apr. 11-17: Guido Knudson (UC San Diego);
Apr. 18-24: Aaron Brooks (Cal State San Bernardino);
Apr. 25-May 1: AJ Comaskey (San Francisco State);
May 2-9: Erick Ruvalcaba (Cal Poly Pomona).
The Chaffey College baseball team headed into the playoffs for the eighth straight year in better position than it has ever been in before. The Panthers were seeded No. 2 and were taking on a No. 15 Southwestern squad which was third in its conference and had to win a play-in game on Tuesday just to get a chance to face the Panthers.
And Chaffey had won 17 of its previous 19 games so it had been playing well.
But it was the Jaguars pulling off the upset 8-5 in the opener of a best-of-three series at Chaffey. The Panthers didn't play poorly but the visitors played slightly better.
Game two is at 11 a.m. today with a deciding game to follow if necessary.
So it's gut-check time for the Panthers.Even in winning efforts they have made things look difficult this season. Now their backs are really to the wall.
There is something about not getting over the hump at this school. It has happened in a lot of sports. But in the case of softball, that team typically just gets in and draws a No. 1 seed so it isn't supposed to win.
The men's basketball team has had some tough first round foes though it got over the hump this year.
We'll find out what the Panthers are made of today..
Sophomore Matt Whitehouse of UC Irvine was named the Big West Pitcher of the Week after a career outing Sunday to clinch a series win for the Anteaters.
Whitehouse, a Diamond Bar resident who graduated form Damien High School, hurled eight outstanding innings of three-hit ball in UC Irvine's 7-0 shutout of Cal State Bakersfield in the rubber game of the series.
He set career highs for innings pitched and strikeouts with seven and did not allow a walk in a 106-pitch effort.
The Roadrunners had scored a combined 11 runs in the previous two games before Whitehouse stifled their offense. He lowered his ERA to 1.54 and remained undefeated at 3-0 in five starts.
In 16 appearances, Whitehouse has limited the opposition to a .175 batting average. Whitehouse's Sunday win marks the second time the lefty's performance on the mound clinched a series win for the 'Eaters.
The Big West honor is the first for Whitehouse and fourth for the Anteaters this season.
Barstow College basketball standout Daquan Brown is headed to Fresno State. Brown was an All-Foothill Conference selection, averaging 11.7 points and 9.8 rebounds in helping the Vikings to their first playoff berth.
Brown, 21, also visited San Jose State, Pepperdine and Boise State before settling on the Bulldogs. He admits he liked Pepperdine but living in that area was going to be a little too costly. San Jose State seemed like an option since he has a teammate going there but it rained his entire visit.
"I took that as a sign," he said.
"Fresno State just seemed like the best place for me," he said.
Brown, who plans to major in criminology, had originally signed with Oklahoma State out of high school but didn't get through the academnic clearinghouse. He ended up at Barstow through the college's assistant coach Kenneth Roy who knew him from the AAU circuit.
"I thought my basketball career was over so it's nice to be going on to a Division I school," he said. "Everything worked out in th end."
Brown's decision gives the Vikings two Division I players. Earlier guard La Vanne Pennington decided on San Jose State. Give coach Reggie Howard credit for reviving a program that had been in the tank and moving quality players on to the next level as well.
About Michelle
Michelle Gardner has been a staff writer for The Sun and the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin since 2002 and has covered the local college sports scene since 2004. She ventured West after working at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale for eight years and is a graduate of the University of Florida.
E-mail Michelle here.
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