‘Yote Notes –
Mar. 4, 2004
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Mike Safford Jr.
– Sports Info. Director
msafford@albertson.edu
GENERAL
ATHLETIC NEWS:
NEXT C.A.A. DINNER: The next Coyote Athletic Association booster dinner will be at 6:30 p.m., March 22, in the Simplot Dining Hall. Cost is $8.00 at the door and RSVP's are being taken by Dave Hahn at 459-5835.
THANKS TO THE COYOTE CRAZIES: The athletic department would like to give a special thanks to the “Coyote Crazies” for their support during men’s and women’s basketball games this season. Albertson College fans proved to the entire Cascade Conference who the top fans in the league were. The ‘Yotes say, THANK YOU!
SKIING: Men
tenth, Women eighth after opening round of USCSA nationals
COMING UP: at USCSA National Championships,
Sugarloaf, Maine.
WOMEN IN EIGHTH AFTER GIANT SLALOM: Icy conditions on a World Cup course plagued many teams, but the Albertson College women hung tough, riding a solid performance from Cassie Marcial to an eighth-place finish in Wednesday’s giant slalom. Marcial finished 15th, good enough for All-America status in leading the Coyotes in the 19-team field.
MEN SIT IN TENTH: Justin Rackley led Albertson with a 26th-place finish as the men’s squad took home tenth-place after the giant slalom on Thursday. Icy conditions plagued the ‘Yotes, who had just two placers in the Top-50.
WHAT’S LEFT: Friday morning, the women complete
their season with two runs on the slalom course, with the men completing their
season on Saturday on the same course.
Albertson has won a total of 26 national titles in skiing in school
history.
WOMEN’S
TENNIS: Coyotes open in Lewiston this weekend
COMING UP: at Holiday Inn Express Challenge,
Lewiston – Saturday vs. Alberta, 8 a.m. (PST), vs. University of Idaho, 4 p.m.
(PST); Sunday vs. Lewis-Clark State, 10 a.m.
LAST YEAR: A year after losing in the NAIA
Region I championship match, the 2004 Albertson women's tennis program is
looking towards bigger and better things this season. With multiple
conference champions returning, the Coyotes look again to be one of the top
programs in the region.
OUTLOOK: Four players return with loads of
experience, led by No. 1 singles player and senior Lauren Writer.
She is joined on the ladder by the 2003 All-Conference player at No. 3 singles,
Anna Moylan, and Kathy Taylor, the 2003 All-Conference player at
No. 4 singles. The bottom three spots in the ladder are currently held by
senior Whitney Gibbon, freshman Maria Armstrong, and first-year
player, Andrea Ebert.
MEN’S BASKETBALL: Cascade Conference champs to
meet Tabor (Kan.) in NAIA Tournament first-round
LAST WEEK: defeated Northwest in CCC quarterfinals, 77-60;
defeated Western Baptist in CCC semifinals, 86-83; defeated No. 13 Oregon Tech
in CCC title game, 62-46.
COMING UP: at NAIA Division II National Tournament, Point
Lookout, Mo. – Wednesday vs. Tabor (Kan.), 3 p.m. (MST); with win Friday vs.
winner of Taylor (Ind.)-Daeman (N.Y.), 9:45 a.m. (MST); quarterfinal game Saturday
at Noon (MST); semifinal game March 15 at 5 p.m. (MST); national championship
game March 16 at 7:30 p.m. (MST)
RADIO: All NAIA Tournament contests will be broadcast
live on radio with Mike Safford Jr. calling the action for the
third-consecutive year. Join him this
week as the Coyotes begin their trek through the national tournament. Catch all of play-by-play on the “Home of
the Coyotes”, 1490 KCID-AM.
LIVE STATS: Coyote tournament will have live statistics
provided by the NAIA via the internet.
The tournament internet link from the College of the Ozarks is http://www.cofo.edu/naia/webcast.asp.
TRAVEL INFORMATION: Albertson will leave the Treasure Valley around 10
a.m. on Monday morning, via United Airlines Flight 1262 to Springfield, Mo.,
with a stop in Denver. From there, the ‘Yotes
will van to Branson for the duration of the tournament. The team will be staying at the Settle Inn
Resort and Conference Center – for room information, contact Karen Foutch at
(417) 335-8108. The team will be
departing the Ozarks following their last game.
ALBERTSON NABS NO. 3 SEED: With victories in each of their final six games,
and 19 of their last 21, the Albertson men’s basketball team was awarded the
No. 3 seed in the 32 team NAIA Division II National Tournament, to begin
Wednesday in Keeter Gymnasium, on the campus of the College of the Ozarks. The Coyotes return to the shores of Lake
Taneycomo for the second straight season and the third time in the last four
years. The No. 3 seed equals the
highest tourney start for Albertson – the 1996 national championship team
earned the No. 3 seed. The ‘Yotes were
the No. 7 seed in 1993 and were the No. 8 seed during the 1999 tournaments –
both in Nampa.
LOOKING AT THE TOP EIGHT
SEEDS: Of the top eight seeds in the 2004
national tournament, three teams come in on a roll, while five teams have
recently tasted defeat. Besides the ‘Yotes,
No. 2 seed Bellevue (Neb.) heads to the tournament on a 23-game win streak,
champions of the Midlands Collegiate Conference, with No. 6 seed Flagler (Fla.)
winning their last 15-in-a-row and earning the Florida Sun Conference title. The other five high seeds have recently seen
the wrong end of the scoreboard – beginning with top-seeded Jamestown (N.D.),
who lost to Dickinson State in the Dakota Athletic Conference title game. No. 4 William Jewell (Mo.) took home the
Heart of America Conference tournament crown, but lost their final
regular-season contest. No. 5 St.
Ambrose (Iowa) dropped two of their final three games, including a decision in
the semifinals of the Midwest Classic Tournament. Same can be said about No. 7 Marian (Ind.) and No. 8 Cedarville
(Ohio) – who lost in their respective conference tournaments.
OPENING GAME OPPONENT – TABOR
COLLEGE: With the No. 3 seed, Albertson
draws what the selection committee feels is the third-worst team in the field –
Tabor College of Hillsboro, Kansas.
However, the Blue Jays (16-15) do not represent a team in the bottom
echelon of the bracket – have earned berths to two of the past three NAIA
events, including a third-place finish in 1997. This year’s Tabor team got off to a horrendous start, losing
their first seven games by a 17-point margin.
However, the Jays got the ball rolling during the Kansas Collegiate
Athletic Conference slate, taking home the conference crown with a 14-4
record. They did, however, lose the
KCAC tourney title game to Sterling, 60-57.
Head coach Don Brubacher has three players averaging in double figures –
led by Tyson Ratzlaff (10.7 ppg, 4.5 apg).
Also in double figures are post Anthony Monson (10.3 ppg, .627 FG%) and
forward Brad Gattis (10.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg).
The team plays solid defense, holding KCAC opponents to just 61 points a
game. This will be the sixth Division
II tourney for the Jays, earning spots in the 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, and 2002
tournaments.
COYOTES VS. KANSAS CONFERENCE:
Over the past 50 years, Albertson has
never faced Tabor College, but has faced four of the remaining nine teams in
the league. The Coyotes defeated
Friends University in 1962, Ottawa University in 1998, and Bethany College in
1999, while losing to McPherson College in 1952. The remaining teams in the league are Bethel College, Kansas
Wesleyan, Sterling College, St. Mary’s College, and Southwestern College.
KANSAS CONFERENCE IN THE
TOURNEY: Outside of Tabor and Bethany College,
the Kansas Confernece has struggled at the NAIA Division II national
tournament. Three other teams have a
combined 1-5 record in four trips to nationals, with Bethany going 0-2 before a
spirited run to the 2003 title game.
Tabor has a 7-5 mark in their five previous trips to nationals.
IF THE ‘YOTES WIN: With a victory over Tabor, the Coyotes would
receive a day off in preparation for a 9:45 a.m. (MST) tip-off against the
winner of the Taylor (Ind.)-Daemen (N.Y.) contest. Albertson is familiar with Taylor (26-7) from Upland, Ind.,
having defeated the Trojans, 53-44, in the first-round of last season’s
national tournament. Long-time head
coach Paul Patterson has won 546 games at Taylor and takes his team to the
national tournament for the 11th time. Led
by Co-Mid Central Conference Player-of-the-Year Eric Ford (16.6 ppg), the
Trojans finished the regular-season ranked No. 18 in the NAIA. Daemen (22-9), from Amherst, N.Y., heads to
their second national tournament having won four games in a row, including the
America Mideast Conference championship game over Cedarville (Ohio),
82-77. Wildcat head coach Don Silveri
was named Coach-of-the-Year of the AMC Northern Division, while forward Darnell
Jackson (14.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg) was Co-MVP.
Daemen averaged nearly 79 points a game and shot 38-percent from outside
the three-point line. If Albertson were
to get to the quarterfinal round, they would meet seeded teams Flagler (Fla.)
or Dickinson State (N.D.), or unseeded teams Sioux Falls (S.D.) or King (Tenn.).
PERKES NAMED
PLAYER-OF-THE-YEAR: In one of the closest
votes in Cascade Conference history, senior Tom Perkes (Spokane,
Wash. / Big Bend CC) was named CCC Player-of-the-Year in a ballot of the
ten league coaches. The forward
received six of the ten first-place votes, outdistancing Shea Washington of
Southern Oregon. Perkes averaged 20
points and eight rebounds in conference play, leading the ‘Yotes to a 16-2
mark. He has now scored 1,255 points in
his career – No. 4 on the all-time list, and has made 33 free throws in a row.
OWEN TOP COACH IN THE LEAGUE: The head man finally got his well-deserved
honor. Mark Owen was a unanimous
choice by the CCC coaches as conference Coach-of-the-Year. The fourth-year leader has compiled a 97-41
record (.703 winning percentage) during his Albertson career, leading the
Coyotes to four 20-wins seasons and three NAIA Tournament berths.
GREEN EARNS WELL-DESERVED
HONORS: Hard work has definitely paid
off for point-guard Joe Green (Pocatello, Idaho / BYU-Idaho), who
was named to the All-Cascade Conference team, along with the CCC All-Defensive
team by the league coaches. The junior
heads into the tournament leading the NAIA in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.32),
while leading the ‘Yotes in steals per game (3.25) and assists per game (4.9). Green would need 13 steals in Branson to
break the all-time swipes record – with a full season left on the docket.
COSTELLO NEWCOMER-OF-THE-YEAR:
Transfer guard E.J. Costello (Pleasanton,
Calif. / Chabot CC) was not to be left out of the postseason accolades by
the conference – earning Newcomer-of-the-Year honors. The junior hit over 40-percent of his three-point attempts this
season, along with 84 treys – third in the league.
HARPER NETS 1,000 POINTS: It was a great week for senior Andy Harper (Idaho
Falls, Idaho / Columbia Basin CC) – earning his second-consecutive
honorable mention honor from the CCC, and becoming the 12th Coyote player to
score 1,000 points in a career. The
guard sits exactly on the 1,000 mark, netting two free throws late in the CCC
title game against Oregon Tech. Harper
ranks second on the ‘Yotes, averaging nearly 16 points a game.
PLAYOFF GAME INFORMATION: All Cascade Conference tournament games in the
J.A. Albertson Activities Center will begin at 7:30 p.m., starting with the
quarterfinal round on Feb. 25. Tickets
for the opener, along with subsequent games, can be purchased in advance in the
Albertson athletic department from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily – or by calling the
Coyote Ticket Office at 459-5681 or 459-5835.
Tickets will also be on sale following all playoff games.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE
COYOTES: For game stories, statistics,
and information regarding the Albertson men’s basketball program, head to the
official site Coyote Basketball: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mensbasketball.htm.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (8-17): Season
Review
LAST WEEK: lost to Eastern Oregon, 82-58 in first-round of
CCC Tournament
LADY ‘YOTES SEASON ENDED AT
EASTERN: The game was close in the
first five minutes – then Eastern Oregon flexed their muscles, taking a 39-24
halftime edge and ending the Albertson women’s basketball season with an 82-58
victory last Tuesday night. It is the
second consecutive season that the Lady ‘Yotes have failed to get out of the
opening round of the Cascade Conference tournament.
EASTERN, WARNER PACIFIC HEADED
TO NATIONALS: Eastern would go on to claim
the CCC Tournament title by defeating Oregon Tech, 78-63, and Warner Pacific,
82-62 – running their win streak to 19 games in a row. The Mountaineers earned a No. 4 seed in an
eight-team bracket at the NAIA Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa, playing
Dominican (Calif.) in the opening round.
Warner Pacific knocked out Evergreen and Northwest to claim the second
CCC seed to nationals, but earned a No. 7 seed and first-round date with
perennial power, Dakota Wesleyan.
FINAL CASCADE CONFERENCE
STATS: As a team, the Lady ‘Yotes led
the Cascade Conference in rebound margin (+5.6) and blocked shots per game
(3.88). Individually, Michelle
Dyreng (Fruit Heights, Utah / Snow CC) led the league in blocked
shots, with Kasey Hooter (Nampa, Idaho / Walla Walla CC) leading
the loop in field goal percentage (.609).
Hooter also ranked No. 2 in rebounds per game (9.4), with Heidi
Goicoechea (Burley, Idaho / Burley HS) finishing No. 2 in free throw
percentage (.819) and No. 5 in scoring average (14.8). Rounding out the group, Krystal Thacker (Elko,
Nev. / BYU-Idaho) ended the season No. 9 in assists per game (3.8) and Dani
Cotterell (Nampa, Idaho / Nampa HS) finished third in the league in
three-pointers made per game (2.52).
SINGLE-GAME RECORDS BROKEN: Two single-game records were broken by the 2003-04
team. Michelle Dyreng equaled the
all-time mark for field goal attempts in a game with 24 – against Great
Falls. The Lady ‘Yotes also established
a mark they would like to forget – 38 turnovers in a loss at Boise State.
TOP-TEN SINGLE-SEASON MARKS: Five different players have entered the
single-season top-ten record book at Albertson College. Kasey Hooter led the way, establishing a new
school-record for field goal percentage (.609), while recording the fourth-most
rebounds (9.35) per game in a season.
Michelle Dyreng ranks No. 4 in a season with 50 blocked shots, with
Krystal Thacker ranking ninth on the list with 96 assists. Heidi Goicoechea is on the single-season
list in six categories – fourth in free throw percentage (.819), sixth in
scoring average (14.79), eighth in three-pointers made (46), three-point
attempts (128), and three-point percentage (.359), and tenth in free throws
made (77). Finally, Dani Cotterell
finished the 2003-04 season No. 4 on the chart with 63 three-pointers made, No.
5 in three-point percentage (.373), and sixth in three-point attempts (169).
WILLIAMS ENDS CAREER ON HIGH
NOTE: The charismatic leader of the
‘Yotes, Carley Williams (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS) played in her
94th and final game in an Albertson uniform last week, good enough for No. 8 on
the all-time games played list. She
also ranks ninth all-time in three-point attempts (121) and tenth all-time in
three-pointers made (29).
ONE OF THE ALL-TIME BEST?: The records speak for themselves – four single
game records, one single-season record, and five career records. Heidi Goicoechea did it all for the Lady
‘Yotes over the last four years, part of it longevity, part of it an ever
improvement on the court, day after day.
The senior ended her Coyote career with career records for points scored
(1,393), field goal attempts (1,344), three-pointers made (214), three-pointers
attempted (656), and free throw percentage (.807). She ranks among the top-ten all-time in 12 other categories, to
go along with the school single-game scoring record (36 points), along with the
highest free throw percentage in a season (.857).
OTHERS ENDING THEIR CAREER IN
THE TOP-TEN: Three other seniors finished
their Coyote careers in the career top-ten.
Michelle Dyreng ranks third all-time in blocked shots (53), while Lindsey
Karren (Brigham City, Utah / Salt Lake CC) ranks No. 3 all-time in
rebound average (6.58) and ninth in free throw percentage (.651). Rounding out the group is Krystal Thacker,
who finds herself in the top-ten in 11 categories – led by a No. 4 finish in
free throw percentage (.766) and a No. 5 spot on the three-pointers made (67),
three-pointer attempts (258), assists (239), and steals (127) chart.
LOOKING TOWARDS NEXT YEAR: Although a total of eight seniors will be surely
be missed, Albertson will have a nice mix of players returning next
season. Starters Dani Cotterell and
Kasey Hooter will return, along with key reserves Kim Strunk (Twin
Falls, Idaho / Twin Falls HS) and Tabatha Hyer (Caldwell, Idaho /
Umpqua CC). Albertson will
hopefully regain the services of Melissa Murray (Eugene, Ore. / SW
Oregon CC), who missed the season with a knee injury.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE LADY ‘YOTES: For up-to-date statistics, stories, and
information about the Albertson women’s basketball team, head to the official
website for the Lady ‘Yotes – www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wmensbasketball.htm. For updated scores and standings from the
Cascade Conference women’s basketball season, head to www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wbasketball/stats/standings.htm.
BASEBALL (6-7): Coyotes
take 4-of-5 over weekend, series moved to Caldwell this weekend against Oregon
Tech
LAST WEEK: defeated
Central Washington, 4-0; won 3-of-4 against Whitworth (W 11-10, W 11-5, L 5-1,
W 4-3)
COMING UP: vs.
Oregon Tech (DH), Saturday, Noon; vs. Oregon Tech (DH), Sunday, Noon.
COYOTES REBOUND AT HOME: After struggling on the road during the first two
weeks of the 2004 season, the Albertson baseball team was in need of some home
cooking. During a four day stretch last
week, the Coyotes got the season turned around in a hurry, taking a single-game
from Central Washington, then winning 3-of-4 against Whitworth. Albertson has moved within one game of the
.500 mark to start March – with the 30-game NAIA Region I schedule staring the
club in the face.
BATS, ARMS COME ALIVE: The Coyote hitting and pitching statistics did not
look good heading into last weekend, but a solid effort upped the numbers
considerably. Albertson had hit just
.246 through their first eight games, but swung the stick to the tune of a .344
batting averaging in the five home tilts – raising the overall number nearly 40
points. The team ERA, which sat at a
gaudy 7.53 was also helped by the fact that the Coyotes hurlers shut down
opposition bats for four of the five games.
The 3.27 team ERA over the weekend drew the overall earned run average
down nearly two full points.
CARRYING A BIG STICK: Helping the Albertson attack last weekend were
five players who hit .385 or above – with each driving in at least three
runs. Tops on the Coyote chart was
junior Sage Kendall (Parma, Idaho / National American Univ.),
whose move to the outfield this season was helped by a 7-for-14 weekend,
including two doubles and four RBI. Jake
McGrady (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) split time between the outfield
and first base, going 7-for-15 at the plate, along with a clutch two-run single
in the win over Central Washington. Nate
Freese (Vancouver, Wash. / Skyview HS) hit 7-for-16 with five RBI –
along with a two-run triple that gave Albertson the lead for good in the 11-5
win over Whitworth.
NO FRESHMAN BLUES: The first month of the season has been a solid one
for true freshman catcher Pat Burke (Sisters, Ore. / Sisters HS). The young backstop has continued the trend
of good rookie hitters at Albertson, leading the team with a .364 batting
average through the first 13 games.
Burke is tied for the club lead with four doubles and has driven in
seven runs.
BURROW BLANKS CENTRAL: Right-hander Brad Burrow (Taylorsville,
Utah / College of Southern Idaho) continued his outstanding start to the
2004 season with eight shutout innings in the 4-0 win over Central
Washington. Burrow allowed only one
runner past second base in the win, scattering five hits and one walk. For the season, the senior has averaged
seven and two-thirds innings per start – going 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA.
COYOTES TOP CENTRAL IN SPEED BALL: Efficiency was the name of the game on Thursday
afternoon in the Coyotes home opener against Central Washington. In just 109 minutes, Albertson rode the arms
of Brad Burrow and Matt Bergstrom (Hermiston, Ore. / Hermiston HS) to
a 4-0 victory. The ‘Yotes jumped in
front 1-0 in the fourth on an RBI single by Brandon Freese (Vancouver,
Wash. / Chemeketa CC) – following a Derek Rose (Boise, Idaho /
Boise HS) double. The “rally train”
helped Albertson in the seventh, as the ‘Yotes ran off three runs – two on a
Jake McGrady single just inside the first base bag.
22 RUNS EQUAL TWO WINS: Double-digit runs in both games, along with a
27-hit attack equaled two wins for Albertson on Saturday against
Whitworth. The Coyotes scored eight
runs in a inning in both games – yet nearly dropped the opener. Whitworth rallied from the 8-0 deficit to
tie the score in the top of the ninth, only to see Greg Stalling (Boise,
Idaho / Borah HS) line a ball through the middle to win it. Pat Burke and Sage Kendall each had three
hits and two RBI in the opening win.
Game 2 saw the ‘Yotes trail 4-3 heading into the sixth – but scored
their second big inning of the day for the win. Nate Freese had a two-run triple and Kendall added a two-run
single in the inning.
PEN COMES THROUGH IN SPLIT: After Whitworth took a 5-1 victory in the Sunday
opener, Albertson used four pitchers to quell the Pirates in the nightcap,
4-3. Dominic DeLaPaz (Nampa,
Idaho / Nampa HS) capped his best day as a Coyote, throwing five and
two-thirds innings of relief, giving up just two runs and fanning five. Lars Alsager (Nampa, Idaho /
Skyview HS) got the ‘Yotes first save of the season with two solid innings
to close the game.
RECORDS CAN BE DECEIVING: Trailing the pack in the NAIA Region I heading
into the weekend is the Coyotes opponent, Oregon Tech. The Owls (1-9) were supposed to host the
Coyotes this weekend, but poor field conditions in Klamath Falls did not allow
play at Kiger Field, and the two teams flip-flopped their four-game
series. OIT opened their season losing
3-of-4 at Chico State, dropped a twinbill at Cal-State Hayward, then went 0-fer
in four games at the latest Lewis-Clark State tournament. The problem for the Owls, however, has been
close games – Tech is just 1-5 in games decided by two runs or less. The two teams have met 26 previous times,
with Albertson holding a 23-3 advantage, including wins in three of the four
games last season.
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
(1-0): Off to Richland go the Lady
‘Yotes after win over NNU, Gibbons now a mother of four
LAST WEEK:
defeated Northwest Nazarene, 7-4, Game 2 suspended
COMING UP: at
Royal Inn Invitational, Richland, Wash. – Friday vs. No. 20 Southern Oregon,
8:30 a.m.; vs. Utah Valley State, 1 p.m.; vs. Northwest Nazarene, 3:15 p.m.;
Saturday vs. No. 1 Simon Fraser, 10:45 a.m.; Sunday vs. Eastern Oregon, 10:45
a.m. (all times Pacific Standard Time)
SEASON OPENING WIN: After playing four exhibition games the previous
weekend in Utah, the Albertson softball team started the 2004 for real against
rival Northwest Nazarene – and coasted to a 7-4 victory. After spotting the Crusaders an early 1-0
lead, the Lady ‘Yotes scored three times in the opening frame, eventually
building a 6-1 lead in their 11th win in 12 tries against their Canyon County
sister school.
A HOME GAME, A ROAD SITE: What was supposed to be a February home game in
Caldwell turned out to be a home game on the road. Heavy rain in the Treasure Valley made the great Symms Field
surface a cranberry bog, making any sort of game impossible on the Albertson
campus. NNU came to the rescue, as
two-year-old Halle Field is equipped with a tarp – allowing the games to be
played.
GRIBBLE OPENS SEASON IN TOP FORM: After having an average freshman season, middle
infielder Angie Gribble (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) has
started the 2004 campaign like gangbusters.
Gribble tied a school record by driving in four runs in the victory over
NNU – ripping an RBI single and double, along with a two-run triple in the win. Including the exhibition games in Utah, the
sophomore two-sport athlete is hitting 7-for-10 with six RBI.
TOUCH THEM ALL: In
the three years of fastpitch softball, home runs have been at a premium at
Albertson College – despite having a launching pad of a home field. Of the six home runs that have been hit in
program history, the first player to hit multiple dingers is sophomore Katie
Theisen (Boise, Idaho / Centennial HS). The All-Region outfielder hit the first inside-the-park home run
in school history, roping a ball past a diving NNU rightfielder, and sprinting
around the bags safely. Theisen hit her
first career homer last season against Southern Oregon.
GAME SUSPENDED: First
the Thursday doubleheader was moved to Nampa, then darkness fell. After the Lady ‘Yotes won Game 1 and a
30-minute break between games, Northwest Nazarene jumped out quickly to a 5-0
lead. When play on the field was deemed
dangerous do to darkness, the two umpires called the game, and NNU “thought”
they had their first win of the season.
Unfortunately, the game had gone just four and a half innings – with the
‘Yotes (the home team) not getting an at bat in the fifth to make the game
official. After the fact, the two teams
decided that the game will be resumed in the bottom of the fifth when the two
teams meet on March 16.
GIBBONS GIVES BIRTH TO FOURTH CHILD: The start of the 2004 softball season has been a
special time for head coach Kelly Gibbons, as the third-year Coyote
leader has seen her team play exceptionally well. It is also a neat time for Gibbons’ family, as she gave birth on
Tuesday morning to her fourth child, a eight pound, nine ounce boy named Cole
Arthur. Congratulations to Scott and
Kelly on the new addition to the family.
OFF TO THE CENTRAL WASHINGTON INVITATIONAL: Albertson will be making an appearance at the
Royal Inn Invitational (a.k.a. Central Washington Invitational) for the third
consecutive season. The Coyotes are
guaranteed (weather permitting) to play five games during the three days in the
Columbia Basin. The tourney starts with
three games on Friday, opening with Cascade Conference foe, Southern Oregon. The Raiders (0-0) start the season ranked
No. 20 in the NAIA, but have not played a contest in 2004 – after having a
tournament in California cancelled due to rain. Gone is Brandi Brown, the most dominant pitcher in the CCC over
the past two seasons – and Southern has a new head man in Larry Binney, a
legend in Oregon prep softball. It is
the tenth meeting between the teams, with SOU holding a 6-3 all-time series
lead. Game 2 of the day is a rematch
with Northwest Nazarene, who have dropped doubleheaders to Eastern
Oregon and Utah Valley State over the last week. The Crusaders (0-5) are led by Adrian Herman (.385, 4 RBI) and
Erin Sanders (.400, 1 RBI) at the plate through their first five games. Albertson holds an 11-1 series edge. Rounding out the first day is the Coyotes
first game against Utah Valley State, a first-year NCAA Division I
club. The Wolverines (4-6) made the
jump from the junior college ranks and the Scenic West Conference this season
and is playing an independent schedule.
They are led by right-hander Erica Jones (20-7, 1.86 ERA in 2003), along
with shortstop Krissy Miller (.434, 9 HR 52 RBI). Saturday, the ‘Yotes will face their stiffest challenge of the
tournament, meeting NAIA defending champion Simon Fraser. The Clan (4-1) are ranked No. 1 in the NAIA
preseason poll and knocked off NCAA Division I Nevada-Las Vegas this
weekend. All-American pitcher Erin
Thomas is the most dominant thrower in the tournament. SFU has won the first eight meetings between
the teams over the past two seasons.
Albertson ends pool play against rival Eastern Oregon, who opened
the season with lopsided wins at Northwest Nazarene. The Mountaineers (2-0) have had mountains of success against the
Coyotes, winning 9-of-10 meetings.
Eastern returns slugger Beth Hull (4-for-8, 2 RBI vs. NNU), who has
stung the Coyotes for 18 RBI in her career.
THE COYOTES AT THE TOURNAMENT: During the first two trips to the CWU Invitational
– the Lady ‘Yotes compiled a 4-7 record, including an 0-2 mark in tournament
play. In 2002, Albertson went 2-4,
earning wins against Northwest Nazarene and Pacific, while last season, the
‘Yotes defeated NNU and Whitworth.
INTERNET
BROADCASTS: The first scheduled internet broadcasts of Coyote
softball will be the March 20th doubleheader with Walla Walla College. Games can be accessed at http://www.collegeofidaho.edu/webcam/Athletics.asx. Archives of games broadcast this year can be
found on the softball website.
MORE
INFORMATION: Updated information and statistics on the 2004
softball team can be found on Albertson softball official website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/fastpitch.htm. Up-to-date NAIA Region I standings can be
found online at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/softball/stats/standings.htm.
- ALBERTSON
-