‘Yote Notes –
April 21, 2004
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Mike Safford Jr.
– Sports Info. Director
msafford@albertson.edu
BASEBALL: A
“Weekend of Champions” vs. No. 2 Lewis-Clark State on tap for Coyote
hardballers
LAST WEEK: at No. 27 British Columbia (W 7-5, L 10-5, W 16-5,
L 9-4)
COMING UP: at Lewis-Clark State, Thursday, 6:30 p.m. (PDT);
at Lewis-Clark State, Friday, 6:30 p.m. (PDT); vs. Lewis-Clark State, Saturday,
4 p.m. (at Memorial Stadium); vs. Lewis-Clark State, Sunday, 2 p.m. (at
Memorial Stadium); at Eastern Oregon (DH), Tuesday, 1 p.m. (PDT)
ON THE AIR: All six games this week will be carried live on
Sporting News Radio, 1450 KIOV-AM with Mike Safford Jr. calling the
action. The two games in Lewiston will
air at 7:25 p.m. (MDT), while the weekend games will be at 3:55 p.m. on
Saturday and 1:55 p.m. on Sunday. The
doubleheader at Eastern Oregon will be carried live at 2 p.m. on Tuesday
afternoon.
INTERNET BROADCAST: Internet broadcast of the games can be heard via www.koze-sports.com with Brian Danner
calling the play-by-play
COYOTES TO HOST “WEEKEND OF
CHAMPIONS”: It’s LC-Week on the Albertson
campus, as the Coyote baseball team plays its annual four-game home-and-home
series with rival Lewis-Clark State.
Thursday and Friday, the venue is Harris Field in Lewiston, the host
site for the 2004 Avista NAIA World Series.
The site shifts to the Treasure Valley over the weekend, as the two
teams meet at Memorial Stadium for the third-consecutive year as part of a
“Weekend of Champions.” The games will
give fans who are not accustomed to college baseball a chance to see some rising
stars in a true professional environment.
TICKETS AND INFORMATION: Gates will open on Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday
at 1 p.m. at Memorial Stadium (on Glenwood, just north of the Western Idaho
Fairgrounds). Tickets are $5 for
adults, $3 for seniors and students, with a family pass available for $10
(Coyote Baseball season passes will be honored), with all seating general
admission. Concessions will be
available at the stadium.
RECAPPING THE PREVIOUS
“WEEKENDS”: Albertson has won two of the
previous three games at Memorial Stadium, with both wins in dramatic
fashion. In 2002, the ‘Yotes trailed
5-0 heading into the eighth inning, before rallying for six runs on seven hits
in the frame to secure the win – thanks to a Cory Acklus two-run single. Current Coyote, Matt Bergstrom (Hermiston,
Ore. / Hermiston HS) picked up his first career save in the game. Last year, the ‘Yotes did it again, rallying
from a 5-3 deficit in the bottom of the ninth to win, 6-5. Greg Stalling (Boise, Idaho /
Borah HS) capped the comeback – ripping a ball off the leftfield wall to
score Jake McGrady (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) with the
winner. LC-State finally broke into the
win column, taking Game 2 of the 2003 series, 10-3, thanks to two Emerson
Frostad (now with the Texas Rangers organization) home runs.
THE PINNACLE OF NORTHWEST
BASEBALL: By far the two most dominate
baseball programs in Northwest small-college baseball will meet this
weekend. Albertson College is no
stranger to the postseason, as the Coyotes have advanced to the playoffs in
each of the 17 years since the program was reinstated, including trips to the
1998, 1999, 2000, and 2002 NAIA World Series.
The ‘Yotes took home the 1998 national title, were national runners-up
in 1999, and finished third in 2002.
Lewis-Clark State has been an NAIA power for over two decades under the
leadership of Ed Cheff, winning 13 championships – including the 2000, 2002,
and 2003 titles. Jason Simontacchi (St.
Louis) from Albertson, along with Keith Foulke (Boston) and Steve Reed
(Colorado) from LC-State represent the schools in the major leagues.
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE BOISE
HAWKS: The Albertson athletic
department would like to thank Dan Walker and the Boise Hawks Baseball Club for
usage of Memorial Stadium this weekend.
The 15-year-old facility is the top-of-the-line baseball park in Idaho –
with the playing surface one of the top-ten in minor league baseball.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS: Lewis-Clark State (38-7) has been ranked in the
top-three nationally throughout the 2004 season – with four of their seven
losses coming at the hands of NCAA Division I competition. Pitching is the key for the Warriors, as
they lead the NAIA Region I with a staff ERA of 3.34 – led by junior transfer
Kyle Allen (5-1 2.36 ERA, 5 BB 41 K).
The bats have come alive in the recent weeks, as LC-State has scored
ten-or-more runs in 16 of their last 23 games – including seven games with
15-or-more runs. Sophomore Allen Balmer
(.390 2 HR 37 RBI) leads the club in hitting, followed closely by newcomer Brandon
Morris (.378 10 HR 37 RBI) and infielder Jose Rodriguez (.340 4 HR 40 RBI).
HISTORY AGAINST LC-STATE: Although the Albertson vs. Lewis-Clark State
series has become a big rivalry over the years, Ed Cheff has had his way with
his counterparts to the south – having won 73 of the 96 meetings between the
teams, including a 16-1 win in March. Shawn
Humberger has faced the Warriors 20 times during his four years as head
coach, with a 6-14 record against LC-State.
‘YOTES TAKE 2-OF-3 COUNTERS IN
CANADA: Albertson did what they had to
do to stay in the NAIA Region I race for home field advantage by taking 2-of-3
games at British Columbia over the weekend.
The ‘Yotes sit just one game behind both UBC and Concordia in the win
column for the right to host the regional, set for May 13-16. Matt Bergstrom pitched two and a third
innings of scoreless relief to get the save in Game 1 of the series, then
watched as Pat Burke (Sisters, Ore. / Sisters HS) went 6-for-11
with two RBI and Josh Orr (Winnemucca, Nev. / Lowry HS) go
6-for-15 with four RBI in the series to help the Coyote cause.
STEALING FANCY: Albertson has used the stolen base as a primary
weapon to move runners around the diamond this season. The ‘Yotes have stolen
113 bases in their 48 games this season, an average of 2.35 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 leads
the NAIA Region I with 26 steals in 32 attempts, while teammate Greg Stalling
is right behind him with 23 steals. Derek
Rose (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS) with 13 steals and Bryan Lohrman (Salem,
Ore. / Chemeketa CC) with 13 steals are also in the regional top-five.
SURGING EASTERN OREGON HOSTS
COYOTES ON TUESDAY: The Coyotes can help
their playoff position on Tuesday afternoon when they travel to La Grande for a
doubleheader against Eastern Oregon.
The Mountaineers (11-19, 10-12) are having their best season in over a
decade and are in position to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since
the late 1980s. Since joining the team
after Spring Break, Jessie Longoria (.545 5 HR 19 RBI) has sparked Eastern to
series wins over Oregon Tech and British Columbia – with the club winning
7-of-10 games. The first game of the
doubleheader will be the 102th all-time against the Mounties – with the ‘Yotes
holding an 87-13-1 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: Lady
‘Yotes win 4-of-6, break three records against NNU; Russell CCC
Pitcher-of-the-Week
LAST WEEK: vs. Concordia (W 4-3, L 6-5), vs. Western Baptist
(W 2-1, L 6-1); vs. Northwest Nazarene (W 3-1, W 13-5
COMING UP: vs. Eastern Oregon (DH), Saturday, 1 p.m.; vs.
No. 2 Simon Fraser, Monday, 1 p.m.
COYOTES HAVE TOP-NOTCH WEEK: The Lady ‘Yotes had their most productive
week of the 2004 season, recording a 4-2 mark against Concordia, Western
Baptist, and Northwest Nazarene. With
the wins, Albertson nearly doubled their season win total and kept an outside
shot at a playoff berth alive.
RUSSELL NAMED PITCHER-OF-THE-WEEK: For
her work against Concordia and Western Baptist, Kerri Russell (Melba,
Idaho / Melba HS) was named Cascade Conference and NAIA Region I
Pitcher-of-the-Week. The redshirt
sophomore took a shutout into the seventh inning of the 4-3 win over Concordia,
then gave up just one run and six hits in picking up the win in a 2-1 victory
over Western Baptist. Russell went 1-0
with a 2.05 ERA over the weekend, then picked up the Game 2 win over NNU.
COYOTES BREAK RECORDS IN THE RAIN: A pair
of rainstorms plagued the Tuesday doubleheader with NNU, but helped the Lady ‘Yotes
break three school records. In the 13-5
victory over their rivals, outfielder Heather McClure (Boise, Idaho /
Centennial HS) reached base four times and scored four runs – breaking the
single-game record of three (set on two occasions). At the same time, fellow outfielder Katie Theisen (Boise,
Idaho / Centennial HS) roped two triples – one off the top of the
centerfield fence, the other to the rightcenter gap, becoming the first Coyotes
with a multi three-bagger game.
Second-baseman Anna Schroeder (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS)
had a triple of her own, part of a five RBI afternoon – the first five RBI
game for a ‘Yote. Also tying a school
record was Kira Leaton (Boise, Idaho / Centennial HS), who went
4-for-4 in the game, including a couple of RBI.
WHERE DID THE BATS COME FROM?: The
numbers going into last week were on the minds of the Lady ‘Yotes – a .204 team
average, lost by an average score of 10-2, and a 7.49 ERA. Things were definitely different during the
last week, as the team hit .290, won by a 5-4 margin, and had a solid 2.91
ERA. Leading the rally was Katie
Theisen, who hit 8-for-19 in the six games, with two doubles, two triples, and
three RBI. Angie Gribble (Boise,
Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) went 7-for-17 at the plate, including an RBI
double against NNU – while celebrating her 20th birthday.
BIG INNINGS: Heading into the week,
the Lady ‘Yotes had scored four-or-more runs in an inning only one time all
year. Things changed quickly, as
Albertson scored four runs in the seventh inning of a come-from-behind 4-3 win
vs. Concordia. They then tacked on a
four-run second and third inning against NNU, and battled a 16-minute rain
delay for a season-high five-run sixth inning to win the game.
WASKO STYMIES NNU: Junior
right-hander Lindzi Wasko (Lakenheath, England, Lakenheath American
HS) had struggled over the past month – but turned it around on Tuesday
against NNU. Wasko took a no-hitter
into the sixth inning of the ‘Yotes 3-1 win, ending up with the third
two-hitter in school history. She now
has a 4-1 all-time mark against the Crusaders.
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 four hits to become the
first Lady ‘Yotes to record 100 hits in a career. The 2003 All-Region selection is currently hitting .286, with a
team-high nine walks and nine RBI.
LEATON REACHES MILESTONE: With
two RBI in the 13-5 win over Northwest Nazarene, Kira Leaton became the first
Lady ‘Yote to reach the 50 RBI mark in a career. She also has six triples in her career – which is tops in school
history, and is second all-time in hits with 85.
SCHROEDER CLOSING IN ON HITS, RUNS RECORD: Freshman
Anna Schroeder is nearing the single-season hits and runs record for the
Coyotes. The youngster has 33 hits on
the season, just seven away from the mark Victoria DeLaRosa set in 2002. That same season, DeLaRosa scored 22 runs –
Schroeder has scored 20 this season, in 15 fewer games. She also has stolen 19 bases this year, second
most in school history.
FINAL HOME GAMES OF THE SEASON: The
Lady ‘Yotes wrap up the 14-game homestand and their 2004 home schedule this
weekend with games against second-place Eastern Oregon and No. 2 ranked Simon
Fraser. Eastern (16-13, 9-8) took
3-of-4 games from Western Baptist and Concordia over the weekend and are poised
to make another playoff appearance. Left-handed
Shannon Rasmussen (10-6 1.82 ERA) has had a solid season in the circle, while slugger
Beth Hull (.354 2 HR 19 RBI) continues her outstanding career. Eastern has already topped the ‘Yotes twice
this season, 5-0 at the Central Washington Invite, and 8-0 at the CCC Preseason
Tournament. Monday, the Clan (20-2)
break a month-long game drought (as half of their team was training with the
Canadian Olympic Team), and look to take aim at the ‘Yotes. Head coach Mike Renney (also the Canadian
National and Olympic coach) looks for his team to win their second consecutive
NAIA title. Unfortunately no statistics
are available on SFU – although the team has defeated Albertson 8-0 and 14-0
this season.
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.
WOMEN’S
TENNIS: Coyotes head to Alberta for NAIA Region I Tournament
REGIONAL IN EDMONTON: The Lady 'Yote tennis team will
make their first-ever appearance in Canada, heading to Edmonton for the NAIA
Region I Tournament, hosted by the University of Alberta. Albertson, the
No. 4 seed in the four-team tournament, will meet Lewis-Clark State, Southern
Oregon, and the host Pandas in the round-robin affair, with the top-two teams
playing for the regional title and berth to the NAIA Championships in Mobile,
Ala.
GOLF: Ladies
third, Men fifth at Westminster Invite
WOMEN SHOOT LOWEST ROUND OF YEAR: For the second consecutive
tournament, the Albertson women's golf team scored a third-place finish, this
time at the Westminster Invitational at the Bountiful Ridge Golf Course.
During the 54-hole event, the squad posted its lowest 18-hole score, a 344,
during the second-round. Sarah Gallant (84-83-87, 254) posted a
fifth-place finish, with Roslyn Folk (84-82-90, 256) in seventh-place.
MEN TAKE FIFTH-PLACE: The Albertson men sat just five
strokes out of first after the opening round, however faltered in the final 36
holes, taking fifth-place in Utah. Travis Gibbens (75-79-76, 230)
finished eighth, while Jeff Masingill (71-83-79, 233) held a share of
the first-round lead, before dropping to 12th.
OFF TO REGIONALS: Albertson will compete next Monday
and Tuesday at the NAIA Region I Tournament in Moscow - with the winning team
and individual earning a spot in the NAIA Championships in Florida.