‘Yote Notes –
Jan. 28, 2003
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Mike Safford Jr.
– Sports Info. Director
msafford@albertson.edu
GENERAL
ATHLETICS NEWS:
C.A.A. BOOSTER CLUB DINNERS SET
FOR NEXT MONTHS: The
first Coyote Athletic Association booster club dinners has been set for
Thursday, Feb. 20 – with playoff basketball, along with skiing and spring
sports the focus. The dinner will take
place in the Simplot Dining Hall on the Albertson campus at 7 p.m.
TAILGATE PARTY: The Albertson alumni office is
hosting another tailgate parties for Coyote boosters and fans prior to
the Friday doubleheaders ( Feb. 7). Festivities begin in Blatchley
Hall at 5:30 p.m., with food and drinks provided for a $5.00 donation.
Contact the alumni office to RSVP at 459-5300.
CHAMPION OF CHARACTER INSTITUTION:
Albertson College
is one of four Cascade Conference schools named as a "Champion of
Character" institution. It states that the college embodies the five
core values that the NAIA embraces - Respect, Responsibility, Sportsmanship,
Servant Leadership, and Integrity
ALPINE
SKIING:
COMING UP: Northwest Conference Qualifier #3,
Mount Spokane, Saturday and Sunday.
MOUNT HOOD KIND TO COYOTE WOMEN:
The Albertson women's ski team made it 4-for-4 this weekend, sweeping
both races (Mt. Hood Academy, a non-USCSA team, won both events) on the Oregon
snow. Cassie Marcial picked up fifth and sixth-place finishes,
with both Logan Thurber and Chelsea Shultz completing the Coyote
scoring team. The wins give Albertson a commanding lead in the Northwest
Conference standings.
'YOTE MEN HUMBLED: After
picking up team wins last weekend, the Albertson men finished behind Central
Oregon and British Columbia in this weekends slalom events. Sam Elias
finished fourth on Saturday, with Tyler Maxwell finishing fourth on
Sunday, but outside of a Maxwell seventh-place on Saturday - no Coyote made the
top-ten.
OFF TO MOUNT SPOKANE: Whereas
the Treasure Valley has been snowless this year, Mt. Spokane is the complete
opposite. Storm after storm has hit the bluff outside of Eastern
Washington's biggest city, and it should prove to have good conditions for the
third Northwest Conference Qualifier of the year.
MEN’S BASKETBALL (5-5 CCC, 12-11): ‘Yotes
get back on track, host Eastern, travel to Northwest & Evergreen this week
LAST WEEK: Defeated
No. 21 Concordia, 83-80; defeated Western Baptist, 85-67.
COMING UP: vs. Eastern Oregon, Tuesday, 8 p.m.; at Northwest,
Friday, 9 p.m. (MST); at Evergreen, Saturday, 9 p.m. (MST)
BACK ON TRACK: A pair of teams sitting above them in the Cascade
Conference race did not faze the Albertson men’s basketball team last week, as
the Coyote defeated both Concordia and Western Baptist to pull themselves even
in the loop race with eight games to go.
With the wins, the ‘Yotes sit in a three-way logjam for fifth-place, but
are just one game out of second in the race for two home playoff games in the
CCC postseason tournament.
TWO IN A ROW?: It had been over two months since the Coyotes had
put back-to-back wins on the board.
Prior to the weekend sweep, Albertson had not won two games in a row
since victories over Montana-Western and Montana Tech at the Fall Classic on
Nov. 15-16. It also marked the fourth
time in five seasons that the ‘Yotes have swept both Concordia and Western in
their trip to Caldwell.
HARPER LEADS ‘YOTES PAST NO.
21 CONCORDIA: Head coach Mark Owen tinkered
with his line-up on Friday night, hoping to get some spark out of his
guards. It worked, as junior Andy
Harper (Idaho Falls, Idaho / Columbia Basin CC) drilled five treys
as part of a 27 point night, as Albertson rallied for an important 83-80 win
over No. 21 ranked Concordia. Starting
four guards and one post, the ‘Yotes fell behind by nine at halftime, but used an
8-0 run early in the second half to draw close. Harper hit three three’s as part of a 17 point explosion in the
second half, with the Coyotes taking the lead at the ten minute mark and never
letting it go. Albertson held the
visitors to just 31-percent shooting in the period.
MORE ON THE CONCORDIA WIN: The victory for Albertson erased the evils of two
prior losses to the Cavs this season (80-79 on Nov. 21, 84-53 on Dec. 18). Sophomore Zach Rasmussen (Boise,
Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) came off the bench to equal a career-high with 12
points, including 5-of-6 shooting from the line. After going scoreless in the first half, Tom Perkes (Spokane,
Wash. / Big Bend CC) went 4-for-4 in the second half, scoring 12 points and
grabbing seven boards in the win.
REVENGE COMPLETE, ‘YOTES ROUT
WESTERN: The Coyotes did not ease up on
Saturday night, jumping out to a big first half lead by downing four of their
first five shots, as Western Baptist became the next victime of the Albertson
men, 85-67. Six early three-pointers
helped the ‘Yotes balloon the lead to 29-13, nine minutes into the contest –
and the team coasted from there. Four
players scored in double figures, including 14 points from Jon Thomas (Nampa,
Idaho / Gem State Academy) and 11 points and eight rebounds from Eric
Hare (San Miguel de Allende, Mexico / West Valley CC).
BIG BRUISES OUT OF WESTERN
GAME: Rumor has it that elbows are
sharp – just ask the Coyotes. In the
win over Western Baptist, two starters were sidelined during the game following
run-ins with an elbow. Tom Perkes
scored 21 points and ripped down 12 rebounds in the contest, his fifth
double-double of the season, but left the game with four minutes left after
taking a charge. During the collision,
the Warrior player, causing a large gash and an apparent break in the
cartilage, crushed Perkes’ nose. His
status is probable for games this week.
Also hampered was Andy Harper, who scored 17 points, on 5-of-10 shooting
from outside the arc, in the win.
Harper’s injuries were twofold – he ran into the elbow of teammate Eric
Hare, opening a would on his head that forced him to change uniforms during the
game, the suffered a deep thigh bruise while diving for a loose ball. His condition improved during the weekend
and should be available this week.
GUARDS STEP UP TO THE
CHALLENGE: Last week, the Albertson
guards were challenged by Mark Owen to step up their play over the
weekend. The regular rotation for the
‘Yotes shot 36-of-75 from the floor (.480 percent), their best back-to-back
performance of the conference season.
CONFERENCE NUMBERS: Albertson continues to lead the Cascade Conference
in overall field goal percentage (.481 – No. 16 in the NAIA) and free throw
percentage (.777 – No. 1 in the NAIA), and ranks No. 3 in three-point percentage
(.361). The ‘Yotes, along with Oregon
Tech, are the only teams in the league averaging over 1,000 fans per game. On an individual note, Tom Perkes leads the
league in foul shooting (.877 percent – No. 6 in the NAIA), is fourth in field
goal percentage (.586), and sixth in the loop in scoring average (19.3
ppg). His numbers are even better in
league play – hitting .927 percent of his foul shots, scoring 22.0 points a
game, and knocking home .623 percent of his field goals. Also among the league’s elite is Joe
Green (Pocatello, Idaho / BYU-Idaho), who is third in the CCC in
both assist-to-turnover ratio (2.38) and steals per game (2.6), seventh in
assists per game (4.0), and tenth in three-point percentage (.412). Andy Harper ranks fourth overall in
three-pointers made, but has made more treys (31) than anyone other conference
player in league play. Eric Hare ranks
No. 8 in the league in field goal percentage (.541) and Jon Thomas is fifth in
the loop in three-pointers made.
FINAL “LONG WEEK” OF THE
REGULAR SEASON: With four full weeks
left in the regular season, it is still anybody’s guess as to how the playoff
seeding will go the CCC tournament.
This week will help the Coyotes find out what they are made of, playing
three tilts in five days, including two away from home. Tuesday night, Albertson ends its five-game
homestand against rival Eastern Oregon.
The Mountaineers (2-8, 5-11) are much better than their record
indicates, as Art Furman’s bunch defeated Western Baptist on Friday, and held
their own against Warner Pacific, Evergreen, Concordia and most recently, No. 1
ranked Oregon Tech. Eastern is led by a
family affair, as cousins Larry Smith (20.5 ppg – No. 2 in the CCC) and Tyree
Jones (14.9 ppg, 7.8 apg) make up a very athletic backcourt. The Coyotes swept the season series last
year, have won five consecutive games against the Mountaineers in Caldwell, and
hold a 73-47 lead in the second-longest series in Albertson history. This weekend, the ‘Yotes make their lone
jaunt to Washington state – with a Friday test at Northwest. The Eagles (3-8, 9-14) have won both
meetings with the Coyotes this season, including an 81-75 decision in Caldwell
three weeks ago. In that game,
Northwest had a decisive 32-13 advantage in free throw attempts. Since then, however, Northwest has fell on
hard times, losing 6-of-7. They do,
however, boast one of the premier players in the league in forward Dan
Schneider (18.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg), a three-time All-Conference selection. Albertson has won eight of the 12 meetings
between the teams, but is 2-2 in the Northwest Pavilion. The short road trip ends Saturday with a
tussle against Evergreen, whom the ‘Yotes defeated 97-86 on Jan. 3. The Geoducks (6-5, 12-13) have rebounded
from a rocky 3-8 start, winning 6-of-7 games at one point to vault in the
league standings. Last week, the Clams
went 1-2 on the road – pulling out a 98-95 win at Southern Oregon. Leading scorer Mike Parker (20.2 ppg, 7.3
rpg, 3.3 stl, 3.0 apg, 2.9 bpg), who had 40 in the first meeting between the
teams this season, recorded a triple-double (21 points, 11 rebounds, 11 blocks)
at Cascade last week. With the win,
Albertson jumped ahead in the series with Evergreen, 4-3, dating back to the
1999-2000 season.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
|---TOTAL---| |---3-PTS---| |----REBOUNDS----| ## Player GP-GS Min--Avg FG-FGA Pct 3FG-FGA Pct FT-FTA Pct Off Def Tot Avg PF FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 32 Tom Perkes.......... 23-23 704 30.6 150-256 .586 15-46 .326 128-146 .877 48 109 157 6.8 78 4 38 62 14 17 443 19.3 14 Andy Harper......... 23-23 677 29.4 104-237 .439 50-139 .360 30-39 .769 17 56 73 3.2 64 3 79 47 3 22 288 12.5 34 Eric Hare........... 23-22 601 26.1 93-172 .541 3-10 .300 71-100 .710 43 85 128 5.6 61 2 22 42 7 22 260 11.3 12 Jon Thomas.......... 23-19 615 26.7 72-181 .398 43-132 .326 23-27 .852 12 47 59 2.6 21 0 34 37 0 10 210 9.1 20 Joe Green........... 23-23 831 36.1 61-144 .424 33-80 .412 26-35 .743 6 60 66 2.9 43 1 93 39 2 59 181 7.9 42 Justin McCarthy..... 23-4 504 21.9 54-101 .535 0-4 .000 37-60 .617 24 52 76 3.3 58 1 48 33 9 14 145 6.3 40 Gabe Sanchez........ 1-0 6 6.0 2-2 1.000 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 1 1 2 2.0 2 0 1 0 0 0 4 4.0 04 Casey Bair.......... 1-0 3 3.0 2-2 1.000 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 0 3 3 3.0 1 0 0 1 0 0 4 4.0 22 Zach Rasmussen...... 22-0 211 9.6 28-66 .424 14-31 .452 14-15 .933 14 18 32 1.5 18 0 12 9 2 6 84 3.8 10 Derek Brown......... 23-1 303 13.2 27-68 .397 11-32 .344 21-28 .750 4 26 30 1.3 34 0 32 29 3 14 86 3.7 24 Jake Reynolds....... 7-0 60 8.6 5-11 .455 3-8 .375 4-5 .800 2 4 6 0.9 2 0 2 3 0 1 17 2.4 50 Brian Jerrel........ 4-0 11 2.8 3-3 1.000 2-2 1.000 1-2 .500 1 3 4 1.0 0 0 0 2 0 0 9 2.2 30 Matt Barclay........ 8-0 48 6.0 6-13 .462 0-0 .000 1-1 1.000 4 6 10 1.2 2 0 5 1 0 1 13 1.6 44 Nick Estrella....... 8-0 19 2.4 2-2 1.000 1-1 1.000 0-0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 1 0 0 1 0 1 5 0.6 52 Marc Otten.......... 2-0 5 2.5 0-1 .000 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 0 0 0 0.0 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0.0 54 Mark Black.......... 1-0 2 2.0 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 0 1 1 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 TEAM................ 20 33 53 2.3 1 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total............... 23 4600 609-1259 .484 175-485 .361 356-458 .777 196 504 700 30.4 388 11 369 309 40 167 1749 76.0 Opponents........... 23 4600 603-1323 .456 151-434 .348 285-389 .733 255 507 762 33.1 424 - 323 335 55 145 1642 71.4
ON THE AIR: Listen to all three games this week (Tuesday vs.
Eastern Oregon, Friday at Northwest, Saturday at Evergreen) live on 1490
KCID-AM with Mike Safford Jr. calling the action. The pregame show begins
approximately ten minutes prior to the game each night. For those outside the Treasure Valley, the
games can also be heard via the Albertson athletic website at the following
address: www.collegeofidaho.edu/webcam/Athletics.asx.
CORPORATE SPONSORS AND EVENTS:
The ‘Yotes would like to thank Nagel Beverage,
the official supplier of Pepsi products to Albertson College, as the game
sponsor of Tuesday’s doubleheader against Eastern Oregon.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE
COYOTES: For game stories, statistics,
and information regarding the Albertson men’s basketball program, head to the
official site of Coyote basketball: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mensbasketball.htm.
CASCADE CONFERENCE HOTLINE: For up-to-date scores from the Cascade Conference,
call the Cascade Conference Hotline at (208) 459-5135. Each night, scores and updated standings are
posted on the Conference Standings page within the Albertson men’s basketball
website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mbasketball/stats/standings.htm.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (6-4 CCC, 12-12): Balanced attack leads to weekend sweep; three CCC games loom
ahead
LAST
WEEK: Defeated Concordia, 74-47; defeated Western
Baptist, 77-62.
COMING
UP: vs. Eastern Oregon, Tuesday, 6 p.m.; at
Northwest, Friday, 7 p.m. (PST); at Evergreen, Saturday, 7 p.m. (PST)
BACK
ON TRACK: The 2002-03 Albertson
women’s basketball team did not, in any way, want to break an ominous school
record for consecutive losses. They
broke the four-game losing streak by running past Concordia on Friday night,
then topped Western Baptist on Saturday – both teams that were tied with the
Lady ‘Yotes in the Cascade Conference standings at the start of the week. With the wins, the Coyotes sit in a
three-way tie for third-place in the league standings – with eight games to go.
THE
THREE HEARD ROUND THE WORLD: For
those in attendance on Saturday night – the aforementioned headline is
fitting. In the final seconds before
halftime, post Kristen
Bailey (Fountain Green, Utah /
Snow CC) swished home a 28-foot
three-pointer at the final horn – her first-ever three as a collegiate player
(dating back to her days in junior college).
The overjoyed post hippity-hopped and screamed her way into the locker
room with her teammates – amazed with the shot, and the 34-22 lead at the
break. The senior finished the night
with 19 points and 12 rebounds in the victory, her sixth double-double in the
past eight games (and eighth in the last ten games).
KARREN
HAS FIELD DAY VS. WESTERN: Also playing
strong against Western was forward Lindsey
Karren (Brigham City, Utah /
Salt Lake CC), who tallied career
highs in points and rebounds in the 77-62 win.
The junior scored 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field and 7-of-9
shooting from the line, to go along with 15 rebounds and four steals. It was the ninth time this year that Karren
had eclipsed the ten rebound mark in a game.
CONCORDIA
CONKED: Last season, Concordia
was a thorn in the side of the Lady ‘Yotes during the regular season, sweeping
the series. This season, the roles have
been reversed. Albertson saw 11 of the
13 players in uniform score on Friday, dominating the Cavaliers from the
opening tap in the 74-47 win. Krystal Thacker (Elko, Nev. / BYU-Idaho) continued her stellar play off the bench, scoring a
game-high 17 points and four steals.
Kristen Bailey played the least amount of minutes in her past seven
games and still scored 13 points, ripped down 13 boards, and swatted six shots. The Lady ‘Yotes got nice production from the
bench, outscoring the Cavs, 40-11, including seven points and six rebounds from
freshman Kim Strunk (Twin Falls, Idaho / Twin Falls HS) and four points and six boards from junior Sarah Wilkin (Twin Falls, Idaho / Southwestern Oregon CC).
HOT SHOOTING NIGHTS: The
shooting woes of late were exorcised last weekend as the ladies blistered the
twine. Albertson made 58-of-104 shots
from the field (.558 percent), along with 10-of-20 from outside the three-point
arc. The Lady ‘Yotes set a new season
high by knocking down 28-of-48 shots in the win over Western, or .583 percent.
NO
FRESHMAN NERVES: The freshman season for Dani Cotterell (Nampa, Idaho / Nampa HS) has been a very memorable one so far. She is averaging 11 points a game,
third-best on the team, including 21 in the win over Western on Saturday. Cotterell has hit 48 three-pointers this
year, tops on the team – including a streak of nine games with at least one
trey.
ONE
BLOCK AWAY FROM 100: Kristen Bailey continues
to dominate the paint, as her season total for blocks nears the century
mark. Through her first 22 games
(missed two with injury), Bailey has 99 blocks (nearly a 4.5 average). She also ranks in the NAIA Top-20 in
rebounds per game (10.4) – and averages one more board per game in CCC play
(11.4).
LONG
WEEK AHEAD: The Lady ‘Yotes end
their five-game homestand on Tuesday against Eastern Oregon, before heading
out on the road over the weekend. The
Mountaineers (5-5, 7-10) ended a four game losing streak with a 66-61 win over
Concordia on Saturday night. The squad
from La Grande is led by guards Jaime Jo Cant (15.8 ppg) and Tricia Haddock
(10.0 ppg) – with the outcome of most Eastern games are decided by the
duo. Albertson leads the all-time
series with EOU, 13-3, including a 92-71 victory in the Cascade Conference tournament
last February. The two-game road swing
heads to Northwest on Friday night – a rematch of a Coyote 69-60 win
earlier this month. The Eagles (1-10,
3-20) are a youthful bunch who have lost eight of their last nine – with the
lone win an overtime game against Evergreen.
No player averages in double figures, but forward Sierra Tornga (9.9
ppg) has scored 20-or-more points twice this season. Albertson is 15-1 all-time against Northwest. Saturday, the bus rolls south on I-5 to Evergreen, where the Geoducks (0-11, 3-20) have lost 13 games
in a row, outside of two wins over regional doormat, Walla Walla College. The Greeners, however, have been very
competitive at home this season – including an overtime win against Lewis &
Clark. Alicia Riddle (12.4 ppg) and
Shiante Reed (12.3 ppg) are the one-two punch for the Olympia, Wash. school
that has lost all ten meetings against Albertson, including an 81-54 loss
earlier this month.
INTERNET AND RADIO BROADCAST INFORMATION: Tuesday’s game with Eastern Oregon will be broadcast live on the Internet at www.collegeofidaho.edu/webcam/Athletics.asx with students Jordan Komoto and Jake McClean calling the action. Friday’s game at Northwest and Saturday’s game with Evergreen will be live on the Internet, along with 1490 KCID-AM with Mike Safford Jr. calling the play-by-play, beginning at 6:55 p.m. (MST)
MORE INFORMATION ON THE LADY
‘YOTES: For game stories, statistics,
and information regarding the Albertson women’s basketball program, head to the
official site of Lady ‘Yote basketball: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wmensbasketball.htm.
BASEBALL PREVIEW: 42-20-1 in
2002, 3rd in NAIA
One game away – that is how
close the Albertson College baseball program came to playing in their third
NAIA Championship game in the last five years during the 2002 College World
Series. One year later, a retooled and
reloaded Coyote squad hopes to make a return trip to Lewiston for a chance to
finish what started last season.
Pitching was the success to
last season’s 42-20-1 team – as the top three starters finished the season a
combined 23-6. However, six hurlers,
including most of the starting rotation, has graduated, leaving head coach Shawn
Humberger a void, but he likes what he sees. “Our pitching staff should be among the deepest in Coyote
history.”
Anchoring the rotation of the
preseason No. 9 ranked team in the NAIA is All-Cascade Conference selection, Taylor
Blair. The junior was nails during
the second half of the season, pitching a one-hitter against Oregon Tech, and
going the distance in a win over Mayville State at the College World
Series. His four shutouts in 2002
equaled a school record set by current St. Louis Cardinal pitcher, Jason
Simontacchi. Also returning is big
right-hander Matt Bergstrom. As
a freshman, Bergstrom came through when it counted – pitching a scoreless ninth
in a 6-5 win over Lewis-Clark State at Hawks Stadium in Boise, and going six
strong innings in a loser-out game vs. Concordia at the regional tournament.
Joining the two returners are
a stable of junior college transfers with experience. Both Brad Burrow and Noah Grubenhoff have earned
All-Region honors in their junior college ranks. “We will count on Burrow to log a lot of innings with his durable
arm,” said Humberger. “Grubenhoff has
nasty stuff – he should be a top end starter for us.” Also in the mix is Matt Zachary, whose upper-80s fastball
worked well at both Hawaii Pacific and Treasure Valley CC, along with Mike
Moser – one of the top closers in the NWAACC last season. “Zachary could develop into a No. 1 or No. 2
starter with his size and fastball,” said Humberger. “With Moser’s power curveball, sneaky fastball, and great
composure, he will be a valuable asset for the Coyotes.”
Not only do the coaches have to
rebuild the pitching staff, five of their nine everyday starters from last
season have graduated. “The big
questions for the 2003 team will be experience and injuries. With five freshmen who have a shot at
extended playing time, along with converting a catcher with limited experience
– things will take time.”
All-America candidate Darren
Uranga moves from second base to shortstop for his senior season, replacing
Baltimore Oriole farmhand Patrick Gonzalez.
Uranga, an All-Conference and All-College World Series team member, led
the 2002 team with 57 RBI, and has the chance to shatter most career offensive
records this season. Playing second
looks to be freshman Greg Stalling.
The Boise native had an outstanding prep career at Borah High, and
according to Humberger, “Has the tools to be another Darren Uranga.”
The Coyotes have options at
the corners. Left-handed hitter Jack
Mitchell returns to the line-up after missing last year with a wrist
injury. He will serve as the designated
hitter, along with spending time at first base. Also in the mix at first is a pair of returning outfielders –
senior Rob Reid and junior Josh Orr. Over at third, freshmen Nate Freese and Billy Arko
are battling for the starting job. Both
players have solid bats and should see lots of playing time. “Our defense will not be as good as it was
last year – but few Coyote teams have been or will be that good defensively
again. It will be, however, very
solid,” said Humberger.
With longtime starter D.J.
Eberlin since graduated, the Coyotes must find a new catcher – with a
twist. Everyday third-baseman Todd Howell was converted to a backstop during the off-season, and the coaching
staff feels he has the tools to be a good catcher. Transfer Sage
Kendall and senior Jay Schwandt will also
battle for time behind the dish.
Albertson lost two seniors
(two-time All-American Scott Skeen and All-World Series team member Cory
Acklus) from its outfield of 2002, but return speedy centerfielder, Dustin Garcia. The senior stole 25 bases and
had a nice season at the top of the Coyote batting order. Two freshmen are vying for time in left – Jake McGrady and Derek Rose. “The duo has had a nice
preseason and gives us a good lefty/righty combination in left field,” remarked
the skipper. Division I transfer Nick Snow is projected to see time in right or as a DH. “Snow should provide excellent power in the middle of the order
from the left side of the plate.”
After a season with below-average
offensive numbers, Humberger feels the 2003 team will be different. “We look to improve on last year’s offensive
numbers with speed at the top and bottom of our line-up (Rose, Garcia,
Stalling, McGrady), along with good power in the middle (Mitchell, Snow,
Uranga, Orr). Our offense should be
back to the Coyote standards of years past.”
The 2003 schedule is loaded with
high-caliber opponents. Opening with
five games in Northern California (highlighted by a three-game set at San
Francisco State), the Coyotes also play in two tournaments at Lewis-Clark State,
along with a doubleheader against the University of Utah. Home fans will be thrilled with 24 games in
the Treasure Valley – non-conference series with Whitworth, Puget Sound, and
Central Washington, along with the annual home and home match-up with Lewis-Clark
State. “Our challenging preseason
schedule should solve our experience problems in time for region play.”
Outside of the Coyotes and
LC-State – competition in the NAIA Region I will be fierce. Although British Columbia sent two pitchers
to the minor leagues, they have improved their offensive production. Both Concordia and Western Baptist continue
to make strides in their programs, while both Oregon Tech and Eastern Oregon
played well at the end of the 2002 season.
Only time will tell what Albertson will accomplish this
season. “I feel this team has the
ingredients to be very good,” said the third-year head coach. In the end, the Coyotes hope that Harris
Field in Lewiston will see Albertson in May – and a fifth College World Series
in the past six years.
- ALBERTSON -