‘Yote Notes – April 8, 2003

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@albertson.edu

 

 

 

 

 

GENERAL ATHLETICS NEWS:

 

A WEEKEND OF CHAMPIONS: For more information, click on the icon above.

 

WEBSITE REDESIGN: Over the next few weeks, watch for changes on the interior pages within the Albertson athletic website, including new homepages for skiing (www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/skiing.htm) and softball (www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/fastpitch.htm).

 

MEN'S AND WOMEN'S GOLF:

OFF TO IDAHO STATE: Next Monday and Tuesday, the Coyote golfers begin three consecutive weeks of action, the men playing in the Von Elm Invitational in Blackfoot, the women in the Bengal Spring Classic in Pocatello, both hosted by Idaho State University.  The Albertson men opened up the 2003 spring slate with a dual win over Northwest Nazarene and an impressive second-place finish at the Lewis-Clark State Invitational.

 

 

WOMEN'S TENNIS (3-4):

 

BACK INTO THE SWING OF THINGS: After nearly a month without a match, the Coyotes head to the Puget Sound area this weekend for a Saturday match at Pacific Lutheran and a Sunday encounter with Bellevue CC.  Albertson is 3-4 in overall matches, 1-3 against Region I opponents.

 

 

BASEBALL (18-13): Coyotes begin string of ten straight home games after woeful 2-5 road trip

 

COMING UP: vs. Western Baptist (DH), Friday, 1 p.m.; vs. Western Baptist (DH), Saturday, Noon.

 

LAST WEEK: at University of Utah (W 2-1, L 10-8), at Concordia (L 2-1 in 10 innings, L 3-2, L 9-5, L 10-5), at Puget Sound (rained out), at Pacific Lutheran (W 11-5)

 

CONCORDIA PUTS ‘YOTES BEHIND THE EIGHT-BALL: The race for the host site of the 2003 NAIA Region I Tournament took a dramatic turn for the worse last weekend, as the Albertson baseball team was swept in a four-game series by Concordia in Portland.  The losses, coupled with a weekend sweep of Oregon Tech by front-runner British Columbia, has the ‘Yotes sitting in fourth-place in the regional standings, four and a half games out of the lead.  The silver lining for Albertson, however, is the fact that they play their next ten Region I games at home.

 

A FIRST-TIME FOR EVERYTHING: To say that Concordia had struggled against the Albertson hardballers in the past is an understatement.  Prior to the weekend series, the Cavaliers had won just 5-of-52 meetings between the teams – and two of those wins came during the 2002 season.  But things changed in a hurry, as Concordia won a pair of one-run thrillers in the rain on Saturday, then got the bats rolling on Sunday to pound their way to two wins.  The Cavs hit seven home runs in the series, over half the total Albertson had given up during the entire season up until their ill-fated trek to Oregon.

 

GONE FROM THE NATIONAL POLL: The slow free-fall for the Coyotes in the NAIA national poll ended this week – as Albertson fell from the national rankings for the first time this season.  The ‘Yotes started the year ranked No. 9, spent two weeks at No. 22, spent last week at No. 25, before dropping out of the rankings altogether.  Both Lewis-Clark State and British Columbia represent the NAIA Region I in the poll.

 

BATS SILENCED: The problems at the plate for the Coyotes in the Northwest Nazarene series were compounded at Concordia – as Albertson hit just .190 as a team.  The squad did not cash in on opportunities with runners in scoring position (5-for-24), and committed seven errors in the series.

 

MARIO MENDOZA MUST HAVE HAD A TALK: Four regulars in the Albertson line-up took a cue from the former major leaguer who is known best for his sub .200 career batting average, hence the proverbial “Mendoza Line.”  Senior Darren Uranga (Homedale, Idaho / Homedale HS) has been mired in a mid-season slump, going just 2-for-15 in the series.  The shortstop had just six hits in his last 37 at bats, prior to Tuesday’s game at Pacific Lutheran.  Both slugger Nick Snow (Everett, Wash. / Cal Poly-SLO) and freshman Nate Freese (Vancouver, Wash. / Skyview HS) each had one hit in ten at bats, while catcher Sage Kendall (Parma, Idaho / National American Univ.) went 0-for-10.

 

GREAT PITCHING DUAL: Lost in the weekend was a great pitching dual on Saturday afternoon between Concordia’s Michael Devaney and the ‘Yotes Taylor Blair (Sacramento, Calif. / Feather River CC).  The Cavs right-hander went all ten innings, giving up just one run on four hits, while the junior Blair went the distance for Albertson, giving up just three hits – but served up the game-winning home run with one out in the tenth inning.  The extra-inning affair took just over two hours to play.

 

BERGSTROM HAS SOLID OUTING AT UTAH: Although he struggled in his Sunday outing at Concordia, sophomore Matt Bergstrom (Hermiston, Ore. / Hermiston HS) threw a complete game eight-hitter at the University of Utah, as the Coyotes toppled their NCAA Division I opponent, 2-1.  Bergstrom allowed just one walk and only a first inning unearned run in picking up his second win of the 2003 season.

 

HOWELL HEATING UP: One bat that had been slumping for the Coyotes has livened back up over the past few games.  First-baseman Todd Howell (Marysville, Wash. / Skagit Valley CC) had a nice road trip with the bat, hitting .348 with two homers, three doubles, and eight RBI.  His home run provided the winning run in last Tuesday’s 2-1 victory over Utah.  In his last eight games, the senior is batting .385 with ten RBI – and ranks third in the Cascade Conference in doubles with eight doubles.

 

GARCIA EVER SO CONSISTENT: Hitting streak or no hitting streak, the most consistent person at the plate throughout the 2003 season so far is without a doubt, Dustin Garcia (Reno, Nev. / American River CC).  The senior leads the loop with a .381 batting average, along with 43 hits on the season – having recorded a base hit in 29 of the Coyotes 31 games.  “DGar” went 4-for-10 against Concordia, including four runs scored and his third home run of the season.

 

LATE RALLY SENDS COYOTES PAST PLU: A late inning surge ended a Coyote five-game losing streak, as Albertson topped Pacific Lutheran, 11-5, on Tuesday afternoon.  Trailing 5-2 headed into the eighth inning, the ‘Yotes erupted for seven runs to take control.  With one out, Jake McGrady (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) reached on a swinging bunt, taking second on a throwing error.  Darren Uranga doubled home the freshman, with Todd Howell following with another double to plate Uranga.  After a line-out and an intentional walk to slugger Nick Snow, Josh Orr (Winnemucca, Nev. / Lowry HS)  tied the game with a two-out bloop single.  Sage Kendall was plunked to load the bases, and Greg Stalling (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) followed with a two-run single.  Dustin Garcia added another two-run single to cap the big inning.  Dominic DeLaPaz (Nampa, Idaho / Nampa HS) pitched a scoreless seventh inning to pick up his first collegiate win.  Albertson improved to 7-0 all-time against the Lutes.

 

LOSING SKID AVERTED: The five-game losing streak for the Coyotes was the longest since the 1994 season, when the squad also dropped five straight.  The only other streak longer – a nine-game skid during the 1990 season, which included a 20-inning, 5-4 loss to Hawaii Pacific.

 

WESTERN BAPTIST COMING TO TOWN: Albertson begins a string of five consecutive NAIA Region I doubleheaders in the friendly confines of Simplot Stadium on Friday afternoon, hosting Western Baptist.  The Warriors (3-0, 13-10) have been plagued by rain all spring long, but managed to find sun on Tuesday, sweeping a doubleheader from Central Washington by scores of 8-7 and 6-5.  Western, who had their best season in school history last year before being eliminated in the playoffs by the Coyotes, leads the loop in hitting in 2003 with a .281 batting average.  Albertson took 4-of-5 meetings with the Warriors last season, and lead the all-time series, 45-4.

 

COYOTES ON THE INTERNET/RADIO: As of Wednesday morning, Albertson College, in conjunction with Sporting News Radio, KIOV 1450-AM, has teamed to bring the next 16 Coyote games on the radio and Internet, beginning this Friday with the doubleheader against Western Baptist.  Although the final schedule is not finalized, expect to hear Mike Safford Jr. call the first game of each doubleheader carried live on radio, with all games carried live on the Internet at www.kiov.com, a website with unlimited webstreams.  The Albertson athletic website will keep fans informed as to the date and times of this season’s radio broadcasts of Coyote baseball.   

 

MORE INFORMATION ON THE COYOTES: For game stories, statistics, and information regarding the Albertson baseball program, head to the official site Coyote baseball: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/baseball.htm.  Up to date regional scores and standings can also be found online at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/baseball/stats/standings.htm.

 

 

SOFTBALL (10-5): Theisen and Glenn earn Player-of-the-Week honors, ‘Yotes start eight-game road trip

 

COMING UP: at Walla Walla (DH), Thursday, 5 p.m.; at No. 1 Simon Fraser (DH), Saturday, Noon; at Concordia (DH), Sunday, 1 p.m.

 

LAST WEEK: at Northwest Nazarene (W 6-2, W 7-3), vs. No. 17 Southern Oregon (W 3-2, L 18-2), vs. Oregon Tech (W 2-0, L 2-0)

 

COYOTES CAP MOST SUCCESSFUL WEEK EVER: Just a second-year program, the Albertson softball team has taken baby steps in its progression as an intercollegiate team.  Last week, however, the team broke out of its shell and took a major stride.  A pair of wins over NCAA Division II Northwest Nazarene in bitter-cold temperatures got the ball rolling, but it was doubleheader splits with No. 17 ranked Southern Oregon and an Oregon Tech team that spent time in the national poll which put the Coyotes on the map.  Two weeks into the Cascade Conference season, and Albertson sits in a three-way tie for second place – just one game out of first in the loss column.

 

THEISEN EARNS REGIONAL HITTER-OF-THE-WEEK: An outstanding week from outfielder Katie Theisen (Meridian, Idaho / Centennial HS) earned the Coyotes their first-ever Cascade Conference and NAIA Region I Hitter-of-the-Week awards.  The freshman hit 10-for-20 in the six games played, recording two doubles, a triple, her first collegiate home run, and six RBI.  She went 3-for-4 in the 6-2 win at NNU, knocking in two runs with a single, double, and triple, then going 3-for-3 with two RBI, including a homer in the 3-2 win over Southern Oregon.  Theisen leads all CCC players with a .500 batting average, to go along with six doubles, nine stolen bases, and ten RBI.

 

GLENN PICKS UP CONFERENCE AWARD FOR THE SECOND TIME: Albertson made the sweep of the Cascade Conference awards, as right-hander Nicole Glenn (Nyssa, Ore. / BYU-Idaho) earned Pitcher-of-the-Week for the second time in the last three weeks.  The senior went 3-1 in her four games pitched, with a 1.62 ERA.  She picked up wins against NNU, Southern Oregon, and threw a four-hit shutout against OIT, her second shutout of the season and the fourth of her career.  On the season, Glenn now has a 7-4 mark with a 1.95 ERA – having struck out 34 batters while walking only seven.

 

CANYON COUNTY CLASH STILL ONE-SIDED: Somebody needs to tell the Northwest Nazarene softball team that the NCAA Division II is “supposed” to dominate “little” NAIA schools.  The Lady ‘Yotes made it 4-for-4 this season and extended their all-time mark against the Crusaders to 9-0 with a doubleheader sweep amid frigid conditions at the new NNU diamond.  Tiffany Mathews (Las Vegas, Nev. / Eldorado HS) opened the scoring in the third inning of Game 1, doubling home Victoria DeLaRosa (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS).  The ‘Yotes would score four times in the next frame, getting three singles to load the bases, with Katie Theisen singling home two runs, Kira Leaton (Boise, Idaho / Centennial HS) knocking one home on a sacrifice fly, and the fourth scoring on a wild pitch.  It would be all Nicole Glenn would need, giving up just two runs on six hits in the complete game win.  Game 2 saw Albertson rally from a 2-0 deficit with five third inning runs for the victory.  Leaton had the big blow, rapping a two-run single to give the Coyotes the lead for good.  Lindzi Wasko (Lakenheath, England, Lakenheath American HS) got the win in relief, giving up just one run in five innings of work.

 

SOUTHERN, OIT EACH DROP GAMES TO ALBERTSON: If the Lady ‘Yotes are to move up the ladder of success, they have to succeed in games against the top-tier teams in the region.  They did just that this week winning a game each against No. 17 ranked Southern Oregon and perennial power, Oregon Tech.  In the win over Southern, Kira Leaton executed a perfect suicide squeeze bunt with one out in the seventh inning to score Victoria DeLaRosa for the win.  Nicole Glenn threw a two-hitter, with Katie Theisen driving in the other two Coyote runs.  Theisen again came through against OIT, singling home the first run of the 2-0 win, with Tiffany Mathews lifting a sacrifice fly for the other.  Glenn threw a four-hitter, not walking a batter in the first-ever win for Albertson over the Owls.

 

UNLUCKY NUMBER 13: As good as the four wins were during the course of the week, an 18-2 loss to Southern Oregon in the nightcap of Saturday’s twinbill left a bitter taste in the mouth of the ‘Yotes.  The Raiders scored 13 runs (ten of which were unearned) in the opening frame of the game, including a tape-measure grand slam by All-America candidate, Brandi Brown, that cleared both fences at Symms Field, along with the adjacent road behind the centerfield wall.  In all, Southern recorded five school records in the win – with the 18 runs equaling the most runs a Coyote team has given up in a game.

 

THE STORM OF ALL STORMS: Sunday’s nightcap against Oregon Tech featured a multitude of sidebars – a solid pitching performance, great defense, and a nasty storm – all in just one hour’s time.  Both teams made stellar defensive stops during the first five innings of play, with the Owls Jennifer Harris holding a 2-0 lead over Nicole Glenn and the ‘Yotes when “The Big One” hit.  Thunder and lightning engulfed the field for 20 minutes before play was halted with two outs in the top of the sixth inning, and within five minutes of the stoppage, two inches of marble sized hail assaulted the playing surface – ruling out any hopes of a continuation of the contest.  The shortened victory ended a three-game losing streak for OIT.

 

A GOOD WEEK WITH THE BAT: A trio of Coyotes got their bats going this past week, in preparation for the upcoming eight-game road trip.  Victoria DeLaRosa shook off an early-season slump, going 5-for-13 in the six games with six runs scored.  Shortstop Angie Gribble (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) recorded hits in five of the six games, going 6-for-18 with her first extra-base hit of the year.  Also smacking the ball was sophomore catcher, Tiffany Mathews, who had three doubles as part of her 4-for-14 week.

 

LONG ROAD TRIP AHEAD: The Coyotes begin a stretch of 12 of their next 14 games away from home on Thursday when head to College Place, Wash., for an evening doubleheader with Walla Walla College.  The Wolves (0-6), an NCCAA member, have struggled this season against intercollegiate programs – having been outscored 71-11, including 6-0 and 10-2 decisions to the Coyotes.  Walla Walla has a 4-4 record, however, against local club programs.  Albertson holds a 3-1 all-time series lead against the Seventh-Day Adventist institution.  The road gets tougher, literally, as the team heads over the boarder to Canada for a Saturday showdown with Simon Fraser, the No. 1 ranked team in the NAIA.  The Clan (19-3) have won 14 consecutive games and have outscored Cascade Conference opponents 72-3 this year.  SFU defeated Albertson, 10-0, earlier this year at the Central Washington Invitational, improving their mark to 4-0 against the ‘Yotes.  The weekend exodus concludes on Sunday with a twinbill at Concordia.  The Cavaliers (2-13) have struggled out of the gate, having lost six games in a row, including their first four CCC tilts.  Albertson won 3-of-5 games with the Portland school last year.

 

INTERNET BROADCASTS: The next scheduled internet broadcast of the Coyotes will be on April 23 when Albertson hosts Northwest Nazarene in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. Games can be accessed at http://www.collegeofidaho.edu/webcam/Athletics.asx.  Archives of games broadcast this year be found on the softball website.  The athletic department apologizes for the lack of internet coverage last week, however, with the inclement weather, it was deemed necessary to keep the broadcast equipment locked up inside.

 

NEW SOFTBALL WEBSITE: Updated information and statistics on the 2003 softball team can be found at the brand new Albertson softball official website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/fastpitch.htm. 

 

CONFERENCE STANDINGS: Up-to-date NAIA Region I standings can be found online at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/softball/stats/standings.htm.

 

 

 

- ALBERTSON -