Baseball
Baseball Yote Notes - Edition 102.08.2010 COMING UP: at Regence Blue Shield of Idaho Tournament, Lewiston – Friday vs. Concordia, 10 a.m. (PT); Saturday vs. No. 7 Lewis-Clark State, 12:30 p.m. (PT), vs. Corban, 3 p.m.; Sunday vs. Concorida, 11 a.m. (PT)
OPENING SERIES IN LEWISTON: The Coyotes will open up the 2010 baseball season in the Banana Belt of Idaho, playing in a round-robin tournament at Harris Field in Lewiston. The C of I will meet fellow NAIA West rival Concordia on both Friday and Sunday, while meeting host Lewis-Clark State and Corban on Saturday. The Cavaliers (19-31 in 2009) are in rebuilding mode, returning just four starters and nine letterwinners from last season – but have slugger Tommy Whalen (.330 8 HR 22 RBI) behind the dish. The Yotes and CU have met 101 times, with The C of I holding a 70-31 series edge. L-C (40-15) had an off-year in 2009 to their standards, finishing in a tie for seventh at the NAIA World Series, a tournament they have won 16 times. The Warriors will be led offensively by All-American Josh Ashenbrenner (.435 4 HR 44 RBI) and on the mound by returner Colby Hawk (6-0 2.40 ERA) – although L-C had a potent recruiting class. The two teams have met 172 previous times, with the Warriors holding a 130-41-1 series edge. Corban (11-35) returns just four starters from last season, but are hoping for improvement from their 9-23 NAIA West record. Trevor Winsor (4-5 4.08 ERA) is the top returner for the Warriors. The two teams have met 93 times, with the Yotes holding an 81-12 series edge. HUMBERGER NEARING COACHING MILESTONE: Heading into the 2010 season, C of I head coach Shawn Humberger is closing in on the next milestone in his coaching career. Through his first nine seasons, Humberger has amassed a won-loss record of 294-203-1, needing just six wins to become the third coach in Coyote history (all sports) to record 300 wins. He would join his predecessor, Tim Mooney (526 wins), and longtime men’s basketball coach Marty Holly (423 wins) as the only members of the Coyote 300-win club. LAST SEASON / PLAYERS LOST: A year ago, the Coyotes finished with a 28-20 record – including a 23-8 record within in North Division play, finishing fourth at the NAIA West Tournament. The Yotes scored ten or more runs in a game 12 times last season, while holding their opponent to three runs or fewer on 22 occasions – climbing as high as No. 23 in the national poll. Of the 20 losses, eleven were to teams ranked in the Top-25. Seven everyday starters will be missed – including all-star outfielders Jake Miller, Luke Howarth, and Cody Brubaker, four-time All-Cascade Conference third-baseman Bryan Champ, and second-baseman Brad Carlsen, the Yotes leading hitter. The squad will also have to replace pitchers Andrew Brock, Jake Bottari, and Jason Barry – who combined to toss 167 innings in 2009. NAIA WEST PRESEASON RANKINGS: In November, the coaches of the eight teams in the NAIA West conducted the annual Preseason Poll, with the Coyotes picked second in the North Division and third overall. Leading the way was defending North Division and Tournament champ, British Columbia, followed by defending South Division champ, Oregon Tech. The Yotes were followed by Concordia, Patten, Corban, Bethany, and Simpson. The NAIA West poll will be released each Monday, beginning March 29. NAIA NATIONAL POLL: The NAIA released the Top-25 Preseason Coaches’ Poll last November, with defending national champ, Lubbock Christian (Texas), claiming the top spot. National runner-up Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) was second, followed by Oklahoma City, Southern Poly (Ga.), and Lee (Tenn.). Two teams from the Northwest were also in the poll – No. 7 Lewis-Clark State and No. 13 British Columbia. The national poll will be released each Tuesday afternoon throughout the season, beginning March 30. POSITION BY POSITION – PITCHERS: According to skipper Shawn Humberger, the 12 non-conference games over the first three weeks of the season will determine the weekend rotation and bullpen for the Coyotes this season. Early on, the squad will be short-handed, as two of their top arms – Jared Arehart (Idaho Falls, Idaho / Coll. of Southern Idaho) and Levi Mitchum (Yakima, Wash. / Yakima Valley CC) will be sidelined due to injury. Arehart had a solid rookie season for the Yotes, going 4-3 with a 3.50 ERA, while Mitchum ranked second in the NWAACC in strikeouts as a sophomore. This will allow others an opportunity to climb the ladder – including a pair of impressive left-handers in Izaac Garsez (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS) and Jacob Coats (Twin Falls, Idaho / Twin Falls HS). Garsez, a sophomore, had an outstanding offseason, while Coats was the Idaho Gatorade and Louisville Slugger Player of the Year in 2009. Returning right-handers Ben Rosen (Eagle River, Alaska / Lower Columbia CC) and Chad Yeggy (Boise, Idaho / Centennial HS) figure to be in the mix, coming off quality seasons. Rosen went 4-3 with a team-best 2.87 ERA, with Yeggy leading the staff with four saves – both earning All-CCC honors. Transfers Bobby Wassmann (Puyallup, Wash. / Pierce CC) and Wes Semonchuk (Boise, Idaho / Butte CC) will also be in the mix to start the season. POSITION BY POSITION – CATCHERS: The Yotes return a quality backstop in Jordan Lanman (La Grande, Ore. / La Grande HS), who was earned the CCC Gold Glove at catcher last season after handling 134 chances without an error and throwing out 36-percent of would-be base stealers. The junior also hit a career-best .310 last year. Providing depth at the position is fellow junior, Gavin Gamboa (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS), who will also see time at first-base, along with freshman Jarel Lewis (Boise, Idaho / Capital HS), a two-time 5A All-State selection in high school. POSITION BY POSITION – INFIELD: Look for many new faces to dot in the infield this season for the Yotes. However, slugger Diego Robles (Caldwell, Idaho / Tacoma CC) will be a familiar sight for C of I fans, manning one of the corner positions. Robles had an outstanding junior year, hitting .356 with five homers and 29 RBI. At first-base, two other returners – Gavin Gamboa and Ben Rosen, look to receive playing time, as will freshmen Jarel Lewis and Jesse Dodd (Eagle, Idaho / Loyola Marymount U.). Members of the quartet will also see time in the designated hitters’ role. Four others will vie for time up the middle – including returner, Ray Santiago (Ventura, Calif. / Oxnard CC), who saw time last season at shortstop and third-base. Redshirt freshman Cody Spencer (Hayden, Idaho / George Fox U.), along with transfers Jye Lanphere (Spokane, Wash. / Wenatchee Valley CC) and Brett Dvorak (Lake Stevens, Wash. / Bellevue CC) will also be in the mix at shortstop and second-base. POSITION BY POSITION – OUTFIELD: Having graduated an outfield that played together for two seasons, the pasture will have a big battle for the starting slots in 2010. Three players with experience return – Kyle Douglas (Post Falls, Idaho / Lewis-Clark State Coll.), Izaac Garsez, and Jared Arehart. Douglas spent most of last season as the Yotes designated hitter, hitting .340 on the year, while both Garsez and Arehart – two-way players, will see time in the outfield when they are not on the mound. Four others are in the mix – including Brett Ward (Nampa, Idaho / Nampa HS), who returns to the squad after a one-year hiatus, transfers Alex Reyes (Coeur d’Alene, Idaho / Tacoma CC) and Dan Harrington (Meridian, Idaho / Treasure Valley CC), and freshman Tyler Andazola (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS). LEAGUE/PLAYOFF STRUCTURE: The 2010 season will be the second year under the NAIA’s conference-direct qualification plan. Each conference (or unaffiliated grouping – such as the NAIA West) with six-or-more teams will receive an automatic berth to the 45-team NAIA World Series Opening Round, with nine five-team sectionals determining the teams to the Avista NAIA World Series in Lewiston this May. Although the CCC has just four baseball playing schools (C of I, Concordia, Corban, Oregon Tech), the four teams have joined forces with three California teams (Bethany, Patten, Simpson) and British Columbia to comprise the NAIA West – which has been allotted a postseason berth by the NAIA. The North Division will be comprised of the Yotes, UBC, Concordia, and Corban, while the South Division will be comprised of Oregon Tech, Bethany, Simpson, and Patten. Each team will play home-and-home four-game series within their division, while playing a home series and an away series against two of the teams from the other division. The two division champions, plus the next two highest rated teams in the NAIA West coaches’ poll, will play in the NAIA West Tournament (hosted by the highest-rated team in the final NAIA Coaches Poll of the regular season), with the winner advancing to World Series Opening Round. TEAMS TO BEAT: The preseason favorite to repeat as NAIA West champs is British Columbia, as the Thunderbirds (38-13 in 2009) return possibly the deepest pitching staff in the Northwest – including lefty Mark Hardy, who went 10-1 last year, and closer Shawn Hetherington, who had ten saves. Lead-off hitter Sammie Starr returns for the T-Birds, but they’ll have to replace the heart of their order, whom all graduated. Many think it may be the year that Oregon Tech hits the big stage on the diamond, as the Owls (33-23) are coming off their best season in years. OIT returns NAIA West Player of the Year, Ryson Mauricio, along with pitcher Neil Emerson, the CCC’s Newcomer of the Year. In the North Division, both Concordia and Corban are in rebuilding mode this season, each returning just four starters from last season. DOUBLEHEADER FORMAT: All home C of I doubleheaders (and games against North Division teams) will begin with a nine inning game, followed by a seven inning game. Games at South Division teams will be the opposite – a seven inning game followed by a nine inning game. HISTORY OF PROGRAM: The C of I baseball program has a rich history that dates back to the World War I era - filled with multiple championships and a tradition of outstanding players and scholarly athletes. The Coyotes were founding members of the Northwest Conference in 1926, and under the direction of Anson Cornell, won the NWC championship in 1926 and 1927. The C of I would add a NWC East Division title in 1940, then win NWC titles in 1948 and 1949, under longtime head coach Clem Parberry. The squad would also capture their first NAIA District title in 1966 - however a lack of funds would force the Coyotes to forfeit their spot in the Sectional Tournament in South Dakota. This pre-wood bat era saw two no-hitters tossed (Andy Burkey in 1947, Bob Perkins in 1958), along with a pair of single-season school records that still stand today (Highest Batting Average - .479 by Dave Edwards in 1974, Earned Run Average - 0.84 by Kirk Beckwith) - by the Yotes first two NAIA All-Americans. Unfortunately, the Coyote program went dormant from 1979-86, but returned with a bang in 1987, under the direction of C of I Athletic Hall of Fame member, Tim Mooney. In a 14 season span, Mooney brought the Coyotes from non-existence to one of the premier programs in the NAIA. During his tenure, the Yotes qualified for the postseason every year, reaching the Sectional Tournament for the first time in 1994. Four years later, The C of I reached the pinnacle, as the Yotes topped Lewis-Clark State to win the Sectional title, and capped the season off with a win over Indiana Tech to capture the 1998 NAIA World Series championship in Tulsa, Okla. Mooney wasn’t finished, leading the Coyotes back to the NAIA World Series, placing second in 1999 and fifth in 2000, eventually leaving the College with a 526-239-3 all-time record, including a 203-36 record in league play - while coaching 23 All-Americans and 26 players who went on to play professional baseball. Shawn Humberger took over the Coyote ship in 2000 and the club has not missed a beat - advancing to the playoffs in each of his first nine years as skipper, including a third-place finish at the NAIA World Series in 2002. The Coyotes won the final four Cascade Conference championships, while advancing to the NAIA West Tournament last year - with 13 different players earning All-America honors under Humberger. Since baseball returned to the College, The C of I has won at least 25 games in each season - a mark of yearly success. Since 1934, the Yotes have won over 1,250 games. ABOUT THE COACH: The 2010 season marks the 23rd year in The C of I baseball program for head coach Shawn Humberger, his tenth year as Coyote skipper. Last season, he led the squad to a 28-20 mark and a berth in the NAIA West Postseason Tournament During his tenure, Humberger has compiled a 294-203-1 record, including a third-place finish at the 2002 NAIA World Series. He has been named CCC Coach of the Year on six different occasions (2002, 2005, 2006. 2007, 2008, and 2009), along with earning NAIA Region I Coach-of-the-Year and CCC Men's Coach-of-the-Year for all sports in 2002. A native of Twin Falls, Humberger graduated from Twin Falls High, played for the College of Southern Idaho for two seasons, and played at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas for one year. In 1984, Humberger was part of the CSI national championship junior-college team. In addition, he was named to the 1985 Junior College All-America team. Humberger, a 1989 C of I graduate, also served as the facilities coordinator for the J.A. Albertson Activities Center for ten years, is a physical education instructor at the College, and coached Nampa's American Legion baseball program for eight seasons. He resides in Caldwell, along with his son, Riley - who is a freshman this season for the Coyotes. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on The C of I baseball program, head to the official homepage of the Coyotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/baseball.htm. Recent Headlines:02.04.2010 12.28.2009 09.08.2009 07.20.2009 |
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