‘Yote Notes –
April 15, 2004
|
|
Mike Safford Jr.
– Sports Info. Director
msafford@albertson.edu
GENERAL
INFORMATION:
WEEKEND OF CHAMPIONS: The Second-Annual "Weekend
of Champions" will take place next Saturday and Sunday at Memorial Stadium
in Boise, as two of the premier baseball programs in the NAIA meet on the
diamond. Both Albertson College and Lewis-Clark State have won recent
national championships and have a long rivalry. Tickets for the event are
$10 per person per game, or $25 for a family per day, with the proceeds helping
the Albertson athletic department. To purchase tickets, contact Dave Hahn
at 459-5835 or Mike Safford at 459-5681.
WOMEN’S
TENNIS (1-8): Coyotes head to Alberta next week for NAIA Region I
Tournament
LAST WEEK: Idle
COMING UP: off until NAIA Region I
Championships, Edmonton, Alberta, April 23-24.
GOLF: Ladies
fourth, Men fifth at LC-State
COMING UP: at Westminster Invitational, Salt
Lake City, Monday-Tuesday
WOMEN PLAY WELL IN LEWISTON: In their first spring tournament
of the 2004 season, the Albertson women's golf team had a solid fourth-place
finish at the Lewis-Clark State Invitational at the Bryden Canyon Golf
Club. As a team, the Lady 'Yotes shot a three-round total of 1061, 56
shots behind champion, Rocky Mountain (ranked No. 5 in the NAIA). Roslyn
Folk had a solid tournament, shooting a 244 (84-80-80), good enough for third-place
in the medalist chart. Just behind her was Sarah Gallant, who shot
a 249 (86-81-82).
MEN TAKE FIFTH-PLACE: The Albertson men improved every
round, but dug an early hole en route to a fifth-place finish. Travis
Gibbens shot a final round 70 to move himself into fifth-place in the
tourney (75-72-70 217), but the 'Yotes total of 920 was 71 strokes behind the
University of Victoria.
OFF TO UTAH: Albertson will compete next Monday
and Tuesday at the Westminster Invitational.
BASEBALL (21-23): Zachary,
Stalling sweep Regional honors, Coyotes head to Canada for key series with UBC
LAST WEEK: vs. Western Baptist (W 4-2, W 9-2, W 9-0), at University
of Utah (L 4-2, L 6-4)
COMING UP: at British Columbia (DH), Saturday, Noon (PDT); at
British Columbia (DH), Sunday, 11 a.m. (PDT).
ON THE AIR: The Coyote series with British Columbia will be
heard on the internet at www.gothunderbirds.ca
with Darrell Weiner calling the action.
Next week’s four-game series against Lewis-Clark State will be heard
live on 1450 KIOV-AM with Mike Safford Jr. calling the action.
NAIA POLL: The fifth NAIA baseball poll of the regular-season
was released on Wednesday, with Oklahoma City holding the top spot for the
third consecutive week, earning 18 of the 25 first-place votes. Lewis-Clark State is second (with six
first-place votes), followed by Embry-Riddle (Fla.), Cumberland (Ky.), and
Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.). The lone
other NAIA Region I team in the rankings is British Columbia – ranked No.
27. The NAIA Region I coaches poll has
LC-State and UBC leading the way, followed by Concordia, Albertson, Eastern
Oregon, and Oregon Tech.
STALLING EARNS SECOND
PLAYER-OF-THE-WEEK AWARD: A great five-game
stretch helped sophomore Greg Stalling (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) earn
his second Cascade Conference and NAIA Region I Player-of-the-Week honor this
season. The Coyote third-baseman went
11-for-22 with five RBI, including three doubles, a triple, and eight runs
scored. The 2003 All-American has
recorded 18 games this season with two-or-more hits, and currently leads the
NAIA Region I in hits and runs scored.
ZACHARY BEATS BURROW OUT FOR
WEEKLY HONOR: The ‘Yotes had not one but two
pitchers in contention for accolades this week – with junior Matt Zachary (Bellevue,
Idaho / Treasure Valley CC) getting the nod over senior Brad Burrow (Taylorsville,
Utah / College of Southern Idaho) for Cascade Conference and NAIA Region I
Pitcher-of-the-Week. Zachary picked up
the win in Game 1 of the Western Baptist series, throwing a complete game five
hitter. The right-hander gave up just
one earned run while striking out a career-high ten – the second-highest total
by an Albertson pitcher this season.
Burrow was just as dominating in the series finale, throwing a three-hit
shutout to pick up his sixth win of the season. He did not allow a walk while striking out four.
STEALING FANCY: Albertson has used the stolen base as a primary
weapon to move runners around the diamond this season. The ‘Yotes have stolen
100 bases in their 44 games this season, an average of 2.27 swipes per
contest. This is just behind the pace
the 1998 national championship team set when they stole 152 bases – at a 2.41
per game clip. Jake McGrady (Boise,
Idaho / Borah HS) leads the NAIA Region I with 23 steals in 28 attempts,
while teammate Greg Stalling is right behind him with 19 steals. Derek Rose (Boise, Idaho / Boise
HS) with 12 steals and Bryan Lohrman (Salem, Ore. / Chemeketa CC)
with 11 steals are also in the regional top-five.
DEFENSE THE KEY IN WINS: A key to Albertson sweeping its first series of
the 2004 season was the solid play by the Coyote defense. In 117 chances against Western Baptist, the
‘Yotes committed just three errors – for a .974 fielding percentage, well above
their season average. The team turned
three double plays over the weekend, along with not allowing the Warriors to
steal a base.
ARMS HOLD WESTERN IN CHECK: Along with the defense, the four Coyote pitchers
that saw action in the series were nails.
Both Matt Zachary and Brad Burrow were one-man wrecking crews in their
complete game efforts, while both James Porter (Greenleaf, Idaho /
Northwest Nazarene) and Matt Bergstrom (Hermiston, Ore. /
Hermiston HS) did the deed in Game 2 of the series. Porter went the first four innings in the
9-2 win, giving up just one run on four hits, while fanning five. Bergstrom got the win, going the final five
frames, scattering six hits while striking out five.
COYOTES ANCHOR PLAYOFF SPOT
WITH SWEEP OF WESTERN: The victory solidified
Albertson’s spot in the NAIA Region I standings with four weeks left in the
regular-season. The Coyotes, who currently
sit in third-place in the six-team region, hold a one-game lead on Eastern
Oregon and a three and a half game lead on Oregon Tech. Albertson is three games out of second-place
and three and a half games out of the lead – with 11 games left within the region.
‘YOTES COME UP SHORT AGAINST
UTAH: Albertson finished its
non-NAIA schedule on Tuesday, dropping a doubleheader to the University of Utah
in Salt Lake City, 4-2 and 6-4. The
Coyotes had chances late in both games to take the lead, but ringing line
drives seemingly found their way into an opponents’ glove. Junior outfielder Sage Kendall (Parma,
Idaho / Parma HS) went 3-for-6 with three doubles in the twinbill, with Pat
Burke (Sisters, Ore. / Sisters HS) going 3-for-4 with two RBI
singles.
ALL-TIME AGAINST DIVISION I
TEAMS: The games against Utah made it
62 contests against NCAA Division I programs since the baseball team was
restarted in 1987. During that time,
Albertson has squared off against Brigham Young, Cal-State Northridge, Eastern Washington,
Gonzaga, Portland, Sacramento State, Texas Tech, Utah Valley State, Washington
State, and the Utes – with the Coyotes compiling a 18-44 record against those
ten teams.
DEPLETED CANADIANS TO HOST
COYOTES: When Albertson makes the
11-hour bus trip to Vancouver this weekend to meet British Columbia, it
will not be the same Thunderbird (22-15, 12-4 Region I) team they faced last
month. Head coach Terry McKaig has
watched his club drop 4-of-5 games, including 12-2 and 16-4 losses to
Lewis-Clark State. UBC took 3-of-4 from
the ‘Yotes the first time around – taking advantage of errors and walks to
score 34 runs in the series. Mark
Capone (.385, 27 RBI) is the T-Birds leading hitter, while Brad Ashman (6-1
2.40 ERA) has been stellar on the mound.
Albertson holds a 20-14 all-time edge in the series.
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 (6-21): Coyotes
hope first-ever radio games will break six-game skid against Concordia and
Western
LAST WEEK: vs. No. 19 Southern Oregon (L 12-1, L 8-3), vs.
Oregon Tech (L 14-5, L 12-0)
COMING UP: vs. Concordia (DH), Friday, 1 p.m.; vs. Western
Baptist (DH), Saturday, 11 a.m.; vs. Northwest Nazarene (DH), Tuesday, 3 p.m.
RADIO AND INTERNET BROADCASTS: Albertson
softball will make its radio debut on Friday afternoon, as the Lady ‘Yotes
twinbills with Concordia, Western Baptist, and Northwest Nazarene will be
carried live on 1450 KIOV-AM with Mike Safford Jr. calling the action. The ‘Yotes hope that an internet feed of the
games will be available on the Athletic Website – however, technical problems
have hampered the webcasts so far this season.
LOSING SKID BACK TO SIX GAMES: The
Albertson softball team struggled during the first four games of a 14-game
homestand last weekend – watching a losing streak eclipse five games for the
third time this season. The Lady ‘Yotes
dropped consecutive doubleheaders to Southern Oregon and Oregon Tech – falling to
2-11 in Cascade Conference play. The
team now sits four games out of the final playoff spot with just 12 league
games remaining.
BIG INNINGS HURTING LADY ‘YOTES: One
problem that has hurt the softballers this season is big innings from their
opponents. During the 21 losses that
the team has accrued this season, Coyote opponents have strung together
four-or-more runs on 17 occasions – including six different times over the
weekend (with Oregon Tech scoring nine runs in an inning, the most in a single
frame this season against Albertson).
On the flip side, the Lady ‘Yotes have had just one inning all season
with four-or-more runs – the first inning of a 8-0 win over Walla Walla in
which the team scored four runs.
SMALL PARK, WIND BLOWING OUT, EQUALS HOMERS: Southern
Oregon came into last Friday’s doubleheader without a home run in their first
24 games. It took three at bats to
change that statistic – as the Raiders used four longballs to take a 12-1 win
in Game 1 of the twinbill, then took Game 2, 8-3. Sophomore Lisa Stout (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS) went
2-for-5 in the doubleheader, while Anna Schroeder (Eagle, Idaho /
Eagle HS) drove in two runs with a single in Game 2.
NO STORMS THIS TIME, EXCEPT FOR THE TECH EXPRESS: Oregon
Tech broke out of a mid-season hitting funk on Saturday, pounding out 31 hits
in a 14-5 and 12-0 wins over the Coyotes.
Nikki Stevenson (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) had an RBI
triple in the Game 1 loss. It was the
first time that a Coyote-Owl softball game had not been delayed by weather –
thunderstorms in 2002 and 2003 delayed or shortened games between the teams.
CONFERENCE ONLY NUMBERS: Telltale
signs point to the struggle Albertson has had during Cascade Conference play
this season. The Lady ‘Yotes have
mustered just a .204 batting average in the 11 games – while their opposition
has smacked the yellow-green ball to the tune of a gaudy .409 average. Opposing teams have outscored the ‘Yotes
108-25 (an average score of 10-2), while being outhit 144-59. Albertson has yet to hit a homer in league
play, despite giving up 14 homers. The
Coyote pitching staff ranks last in the league in ERA (7.49), with last season’s
No. 2 pitcher Lindzi Wasko (Lakenheath, England / Lakenheath American
HS) trying to turn around a 15.47 ERA and an opposing batting average
against her of .573 in CCC play.
CONFERENCE NUMBERS: The
Lady ‘Yotes rank last in the Cascade Conference in batting average (.207 – 91 points
behind fifth-place), in earned run average (6.51 – 2.3 runs per game behind
fifth-place), and fielding percentage (.932).
Individually, Anna Schroeder ranks No. 3 in the league in stolen bases
(15) and No. 5 in batting average (.400).
MATHEWS NEARING CENTURY MARK: Junior
catcher Tiffany Mathews (Las Vegas, Nev. / Eldorado HS) is
nearing a milestone in her Coyote career.
The three-year member of the team needs just ten hits to become the
first Lady ‘Yotes to record 100 hits in a career. The 2003 All-Region selection is currently hitting .265, with a
team-high seven walks and seven RBI.
DON’T RUN AGAINST THE ‘YOTES: One
thing teams in the Cascade Conference have begun to figure out is the Coyote
catchers know a thing about being rally-killers. Albertson catchers have thrown out 48-percent of steal attempts
this season – a gaudy statistic.
Reserve catcher Tiffany Kerns (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS)
has been the biggest instigator, seeing 59-percent (13-of-22) of runners
returning to the dugout with their heads hung low. Tiffany Mathews is just as good, tossing out 40-percent (16-of-40)
of theft attempts.
THIS WEEKEND’S MATCH-UPS: Six
more games are on the docket as part of this never-ending homestand. Friday afternoon, Concordia comes to
town after having eight days off between games. The Cavaliers (18-13, 5-6 CCC) have won 2-of-3 games from the
Coyotes so far this season. Concordia
has won five of their last seven games, thanks to timely hitting from Julie
Pitman (.455 5 HR 22 RBI). Annelle
Huckins (5-5 1.69 ERA) and Kristen Donahue (6-6 2.54 ERA) have combined to
strikeout 154 batters in 150 innings of work.
Saturday, the power-laden Western Baptist squad returns to
Caldwell – the place they hit eight home runs in five games during the CCC
Preseason Touranment. The Warriors (16-13,
6-5) have also taken 2-of-3 games from the Lady ‘Yotes. The long ball has been the key for Western,
as the team leads the league with 27 round trippers – including eight from
Sabra Gamel (.365 8 HR 29 RBI). Next
Tuesday, Northwest Nazarene returns to Caldwell for the final two games
of their annual series. The Crusaders (10-23)
have already won more games this season than in their first two years of competition
combined. Adrian Herman (.404 3 HR 24
RBI) has been a terror at the plate, while compiling a 5-11 record and 3.93 ERA
in the circle. NNU has won three of the
five meetings this season between the teams.
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 Cascade Conference standings can
be found online at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/softball/stats/standings.htm.
-
ALBERTSON -