‘Yote Notes – Jan. 24, 2005

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@collegeofidaho.edu

 

 

 

 

 

ATHLETICS NEWS:  

EIGHTH ANNUAL HALL OF FAME INDUCTIONS, FEBRUARY 12: Arguably the best basketball team in the College of Idaho (and Albertson College) history will highlight the eighth Albertson College Athletic Hall of Fame inductions, sponsored by Wendy’s.  The 1954-55 men’s basketball team will become the second team to receive Hall of Fame status from the college.  The squad, coached by the late Sam Vokes, went 22-4 and lost to Montana State in the NAIA District 5 championship game.  The Coyotes became the first Northwest Conference team to have an undefeated regular season (15-0) – a feat that has been accomplished only once since.  They currently hold the school record with an 18-game win streak, while their four losses were to teams now in the NCAA Division I.  R.C. Owens, an Albertson Hall of Famer, will be one of nearly a dozen players from the team returning for the ceremonies – which include an induction luncheon at 12:30 p.m. and a basketball doubleheader against defending NAIA champion, Oregon Tech.  It is uncertain whether NBA Hall of Famer, Elgin Baylor – the leading scorer and freshman on the squad, will be in attendance.  Two others will be inducted into the Hall of Fame – soccer standout, Kevin Kramer, and multi-sport standout, Paul Hayman.  Kramer was a four-time All-NAIA District 2 defender from 1988-91 – the top defender in school history, according to longtime coach John Calpin.  Hayman has been an institution on campus since he was a Northwest Conference All-Star in football, basketball, baseball, and track during the mid 1930s.  To RSVP for the Hall of Fame luncheon, which costs $15.00, contact Dave Hahn at 459-5835.

TAILGATE PARTIES: The Albertson College alumni office will be hosting a tailgate party on February 12, from 5:30-7 p.m. - in Blatchley Hall, prior to the Oregon Tech game.  To RSVP, contact Mary Bitner at 459-5300.

BOOSTER BUS TO EASTERN OREGON: The Albertson College alumni office has offered a rooter bus for Coyote students and fans for the Feb. 4 games at Eastern Oregon.  The bus will leave campus at 4:30 p.m. and will return following the men’s game.  Cost is $10 and space is limited.  Contact Mary Bitner at 459-5300 to RSVP.

SOFTBALL STEAK AND CRAB FEED: The second-annual Albertson College steak and crab feed will be held on Friday, February 18, tentatively at the Nampa Civic Center.  For more information and tickets on the event, which drew 250 people last year, contact head coach Kelly McDonald at 459-5113.

INDOOR TRACK COMPETES THIS WEEKEND IN NAMPA: The Albertson College track team will make their first-ever appearance indoors, competing in the Athletes.com Invitational at the Jackson’s Indoor Facility.  Three Coyotes will be competing in the 3,000-meter event – Jacob Haas and David Flueckiger in the men’s race, and Shannon Edwards in the women’s race.  If the men complete the race in 8:48.04 or faster, they will automatically qualify for the NAIA Indoor Championships in Tennessee.  The provisional qualifying time for the men is 9:04.50.  For the women, Edwards must finish faster than 10:34.90 to earn an automatic spot, and faster than 10:49.00 for a provisional slot.

SKI TEAMS OPEN SEASON IN OREGON: The Coyote alpine ski teams battled tough conditions at Willamette Pass over the weekend – tough conditions in lack of snow.  The women’s team finished Saturday’s giant slalom race with a second-place finish, behind British Columbia, while the men finished third, behind British Columbia and Idaho.  No individual results were available, nor were there results available from Sunday’s giant slalom race.  The Coyotes will be back on the hill this weekend at Silver Mountain – competing in the first slalom qualifier in the Northwest Conference season.

MEN’S BASKETBALL (15-5, 7-3 CCC): Coyotes sweep weekend set, put 16-game home streak on line against No. 2 Western Baptist

 

LAST WEEK: vs. Evergreen (W 77-59), vs. Northwest (W 57-56)

 

COMING UP: vs. No. 2 Western Baptist, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.; at Cascade, Friday, 7:30 p.m. (PST); at Warner Pacific, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. (PST)

 

RADIO BROADCASTS: All 29 Albertson men’s basketball games will be broadcast live on 1490 KCID-AM with Mike Safford Jr. calling the action, along with a simulcast via the Albertson Athletic Website.  Broadcast time Tuesday night is 7:15 p.m. for the home game vs. No. 2 Western Baptist.  This weekend’s games in Portland will be women-men doubleheaders – with the women’s broadcast beginning at 6:15 p.m., with the men’s pregame set for 8:15 p.m.  Tuesday’s game with Western Baptist will also be heard live on 90.3 KWBX-FM in Salem with Mike Allegre calling the action (online at http://www.wbc.edu/radio/index.html).  Friday’s game with Cascade can also be heard online at www.cascade.edu/athletics with Stephen Berry and J.T. Watson calling the play-by-play.

 

LIVE STATS: Saturday night, the Warner Pacific-Albertson men’s game will have live stats available for fans on the internet.  Log onto www.warnerpacific.edu/athletics and click on the live stats icon at the top of the page to watch the game unfold.

 

NO. 2 RANKED TEAM HEADED FOR TUESDAY SHOWDOWN: To end the three-game homestand Tuesday night, the Albertson men’s basketball team must face Western Baptist, the No. 2 ranked team in the NAIA Division II.  The Warriors (22-2, 8-2 CCC) have been the talk of the Northwest – to the tune of 97.8 points per game, a .527 field goal percentage, and a .773 free throw percentage, all top marks in the NAIA.  Western has topped the 100-point mark ten times this season, and has failed to reach 80 points in a game only twice.  Justin Sherwood’s squad is complemented by All-American post Eric Fiegi (27.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg), who leads the NAIA in scoring, along with sharpshooter Jeff Dunn (19.9 ppg).  It is the 55th meeting between the teams, with Albertson holding a 36-18 advantage.

 

COULD WE HAVE A TURN BACK THE CLOCK NIGHT NEXT YEAR?: This will be the final regular-season meeting between Albertson College and Western Baptist College in Caldwell.  In May, Western will change the name of their institution to Corban College – but will retain the Warrior mascot.  Maybe the teams could have a retro-night next year, with Western Baptist meeting the College of Idaho?

 

‘YOTES HOPE TO CONTINUE TREND VS. WESTERN: Last season, Albertson swept three games from Western Baptist – including two heartstoppers in Caldwell.  The easiest of the three wins was an 83-73 victory in Salem, as E.J. Costello (Pleasanton, Calif. / Chabot CC) scored a career-high 28 points in the win.  Western would take the Coyotes to two overtimes in the 2004 regular-season finale, but Tom Perkes took a Jeff Dunn (who had 25 points in the game) charge with two seconds left to preserve an 88-86 win.  Costello had 23 points and Steve Humphreys (Reno, Nev. / Lassen CC) added a then career-high 21 points in the W.  The teams would hook up one final time in the CCC tournament semifinals, with Albertson prevailing 86-83.  Eric Fiegi had 21 points for Western, but it was Costello again, scoring 17 points in the Coyote win.  The ‘Yotes have won four straight and eight of their last nine meetings with the Warriors.

 

HOME HAS BEEN NICE TO THE ‘YOTES: A home court advantage has been key to the success of the Coyotes over nearly the last quarter century.  From the days at O’Connor Fieldhouse to the spacious Activities Center – wins by opponents have come few and far between – including a perfect 8-0 start to the 2004-05 season and current 16-game win streak.  Since the on-campus gymnasium was opened in the Fall of 1991, the ‘Yotes have compiled a 159-30 mark at home, a gaudy .841 win percentage – with an 89-16 mark in Cascade Conference play (.848 win percentage).  Under Mark Owen, the Coyotes are 52-10 at home (.839 percent) and have won 36-of-42 CCC games.  Only once in the last 23 years have the ‘Yotes lost more than three games at home.

 

MORE ON THE HOME COOKIN’: Dating back to the 1982-83 season, Albertson has an almost unfathomable 276-39 record at home (.876 win percentage) – including a 56-game home win streak from March 5, 1983 to Dec. 19, 1987.

 

‘YOTES HANG ON TO DEFEAT NORTHWEST: Richard Fried (Middleton, Idaho / Boise State Univ.) blocked Stephen Ishmael's potential game-winning shot and Joe Green (Pocatello, Idaho / BYU-Idaho) tracked down the rebound to run out the clock as the Albertson College men's basketball team outlasted Northwest University, 57-56, before 1,700 fans Saturday night in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.  The Coyotes took a 57-52 edge on a Steve Humphreys lay-up with two minutes left - but watched the Eagles rally.  Patrick Hillis converted a driving left-handed lay-up, then Ishmael stuck home a putback of an errant shot to cut the lead to one.  Derek Brown (Las Vegas, Nev. / Desert Pines HS) then missed a 1-and-1 for the 'Yotes with 14 seconds left, setting up Fried's heroics.  Northwest (14-9, 6-5) took a 29-19 edge at the six minute mark of the first half, only to see Albertson close the period on a 12-2 run to tie the score at 31-31.  After the Eagles took a 47-42 edge in the second half, the Coyotes responded, with Fried sticking home a putback to give Albertson their first lead at 48-47 - and they never trailed again.  Humphreys led all scorers with 22 points, six rebounds, and six blocks, while Josh Owen (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) added 11. 

 

EVERGREEN CHOPPED DOWN IN CALDWELL: E.J. Costello scored a season high 25 points, but it was the Albertson College defense that helped the Coyotes end a two-game losing streak, stopping Evergreen State, 77-59, Friday night in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.  The No. 14 ranked Coyotes forced 22 turnovers and held the Geoducks to just 38-percent shooting.  After Evergreen ran out to a 5-0 lead, the Coyotes responded - using a 15-2 burst to take a 19-9 edge, a lead that would never fall lower than seven.  Costello had 16 of his 25 points in the opening half, and finished the game 4-of-10 from outside the arc.  Derek Brown added 15 points, Josh Owen 11, and Rich Fried ten.  Dan McFaul (Moses Lake, Wash. / Big Bend CC) scored just five points, but contributed ten rebounds and a team-high five steals.

 

JOE GREEN, MR. NAIA: Senior Joe Green currently leads the Cascade Conference and the NAIA Division II in steals per game (4.2) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.43), while ranking second in the CCC and fourth in the nation in three-point percentage (.500) and second in the league and tenth in the NAIA in assists per game (6.0).  His 85 steals this season is fourth on the single-season list, just 22 behind the school-record he set last season.  Green now has 274 career steals – 76 more than his closest competitor, has 432 career assists (second only to Mark Owen), is ranked sixth all-time with a .429 three-point percentage, and has made 132 career treys – tenth-best in school history.

 

OFF TO THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY: The Coyotes will make the first of two trips to the Willamette Valley this weekend, hoping to change the fortunes of a 1-3 road start to Cascade Conference play.  Friday night, struggling Cascade hosts the Purple and Gold, hoping to end a ten-game losing streak.  The T-Birds (5-16, 0-10) have two of the top scorers in the league in Malik Edwards (17.0 ppg) and Joshua Garrett (17.0 ppg, 6.3 apg), but give up a league worst 84 points a game and allow opponents to shoot .485 percent from the floor.  Albertson got 18 points and ten rebounds from Dan McFaul in a New Years Eve 83-63 victory in Caldwell.  The ‘Yotes hold their longest current win streak with Cascade, having won ten straight against the ‘Birds, who are 2-35 all-time against Albertson.  Saturday, surging Warner Pacific looks to put on a better performance than the 1-for-17 three-point effort in a December 81-64 loss in Caldwell.  The Knights (14-8, 6-4) have won three in a row and 5-of-6 (only loss to No. 2 Western Baptist in overtime), including a win over No. 10 Oregon Tech.  Donny Woods (16.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 5.1 apg) and Joe Hoover (13.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg) lead the attack, helping Warner to a 7-2 home record.  Albertson has won four straight vs. the Knights, including a 69-64 win in Portland last year.  It is the 35th meeting between the teams, with the Coyotes holding a 25-9 edge.  

 

STREAKING IN THE ROSE CITY: Albertson has had much success in Portland over the last couple of seasons, as the ‘Yotes have won six straight games in the Rose City.  During the 2003 Cascade Conference tournament, the Coyotes used consecutive road wins over Warner Pacific, Cascade, and Concordia to earn a berth to the NAIA championships.  Last year, Albertson swept the same three teams on their home floors.

 

CASCADE CONFERENCE LEADERS: Scoring Average – Eric Fiegi (WB) 27.9, Shea Washington (SOU) 19.9, Jeff Dunn (WB) 19.9, Malik Edwards (CC) 17.0, Joshua Garrett (CC) 17.0.  Rebound Average – Washington 10.9, Fiegi 9.2, Chad Fairbanks (EOU) 8.8, Jeff Williams (SOU) 7.2, Alex Carlson (OIT) 6.7.  Field Goal Percentage – Stephen Ishmael (NU) .723, Fiegi .609, Richard Fried (ACI) .599, Washington .556, Damian Browne (EOU) .553.  Assists Average – Garrett 6.3, Joe Green (ACI) 6.0, Donny Woods (WP) 5.1, Michael Lay (CU) 4.6, Matt Larson (WB) 4.5.

 

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 (12-11, 6-4 CCC): Hooter named CCC Player-of-the-Week, Coyotes end homestand Tuesday vs. Western Baptist

 

LAST WEEK: vs. Evergreen (L 52-47), vs. Northwest (W 67-57)

 

COMING UP: vs. Western Baptist, Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.; at Cascade, Friday, 5:30 p.m. (PST); at Warner Pacific, Saturday, 5:30 p.m.

 

RADIO AND INTERNET BROADCASTS: Ten Albertson women’s basketball games will be broadcast live on 1490 KCID-AM with Mike Safford Jr. calling the action, along with a total of 22 games simulcast via the Albertson Athletic Website.  Internet broadcast time on Tuesday night is 5:25 p.m.– with Jordan Komoto and Jake McClean calling the play-by-play.  Both weekend games in Portland against Cascade and Warner Pacific will be carried live on radio and internet, beginning at 6:15 p.m.  Tuesday’s game with Western Baptist will also be heard live on 90.3 KWBX-FM in Salem with Mike Allegre calling the action (online at http://www.wbc.edu/radio/index.html).  Friday’s game with Cascade can also be heard online at www.cascade.edu/athletics with Stephen Berry and J.T. Watson calling the play-by-play.

 

LIVE STATS: Saturday night, the Warner Pacific-Albertson women’s game will have live stats available for fans on the internet.  Log onto www.warnerpacific.edu/athletics and click on the live stats icon at the top of the page to watch the game unfold.

 

HOOTER NAMED PLAYER-OF-THE-WEEK: It seems this simple for the 2004-05 Lady ‘Yotes – an opponent misses a shot, Kasey Hooter (Nampa, Idaho / Walla Walla CC) tracks down the rebound.  Over the weekend, the senior averaged 16.5 points and an astounding 21.5 rebounds in the two Coyote games, earning her first-ever Cascade Conference Player-of-the-Week honor.  Her 24 rebounds against Evergreen equaled her own school-record, also equaling the CCC mark.  Hooter now owns three of the top-eight rebound games in the 13-year history of the league.  She also tied a school record with 11 offensive rebounds in the Evergreen game.

 

REBOUDING AT ALBERTSON COLLEGE: The big rebound performances Kasey Hooter were the 29th and 30th time in the ten years of women’s basketball that a Lady ‘Yote player had recorded 15-or-more rebounds in a game.  Hooter leads the way with ten 15-or-more rebound games, with two-time All-Conference selection Kristen Bailey (2001-03) recording nine such games.  Two-time All-American Alyson Pincock (1999-01) had four 15-or-more rebound games.  The following are the top-ten individual rebound games in school history.

 

24      Kasey Hooter vs. Evergreen, 1/21/05                  18      Hooter vs. Concordia, 1/11/05       

24      Hooter vs. EOU, 1/7/05                                    18      Pincock vs. FPU, 12/30/00

21      Hooter vs. Great Falls, 11/13/04                        17      Hooter vs. SOU, 2/13/04

20      Kristen Bailey vs. OIT, 2/25/03                          17      Bailey vs. WBC, 1/5/02       

19      Hooter vs. Northwest, 1/22/05                          17      Bailey vs. Bethany, 12/28/01

19      Bailey vs. SOU, 1/4/02                                     17      Jeannie Thompson vs. NW, 1/12/02

19      Alyson Pincock vs. L&C, 12/9/00                                                                                                                                                    

HOOTER CONTINUES TO CLIMB THE CHARTS: The senior has notched 298 rebounds in the 23 games this season – already No. 3 on the single-season chart – with eight regular-season games remaining.  Her 13.0 rebounds per game average is tops in the Cascade Conference and is second in the NAIA – she is also ranks third in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (8.2) and fourth in offensive rebounds per game (4.8).  Other parts of her game continue to excel – as Hooter ranks No. 17 in the NAIA in field goal percentage (.551), while ranking No. 5 in the CCC in blocks per game (1.0) and No. 6 in scoring average (14.0).  Her 24 blocks this season are the sixth-most in a season for the Lady ‘Yotes, while the 32 career blocks are the seventh-most in school history.  Hooter has made 214-of-375 career shots, a .571 field goal percentage – tops in school history, while her 485 career rebounds are No. 8 on the all-time list.

 

LADY ‘YOTES STUMBLE VS. EVERGREEN: Evergreen State forced 27 Albertson College turnovers, as the Geoducks won for the first time ever in the Treasure Valley, grinding out a 52-47 win Friday night in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.   A 14-2 second half run built Evergreen a 43-32 lead with ten minutes left in the half, as the Clams tied a school record with their 11th victory of the season.  The Lady 'Yotes made a spirited run late, cutting the margin to 48-45 inside the final minute on a pair of Kim Strunk (Twin Falls, Idaho / Twin Falls HS) free throws.  However, Albertson turned the ball over twice and Evergreen canned 4-of-6 free throws for their fifth-straight win.  Kamrica Ary-Turner led Evergreen with 14 points, while the 'Yotes were led by the 12 of Valissa Sneck (Kalispell, Mont. / Sheridan CC), but tied the school record with 13 turnovers.

 

LOWEST HOME OUTPUT SINCE?: The 47 points scored by Albertson in the Evergreen game was the fewest tallied at home by the Lady ‘Yotes in 62 games.  The last time a Coyote women’s basketball team failed to score 47 points was on Jan. 15, 1999, when Western Baptist handed Albertson a 49-38 loss.  Only one other time, a 62-34 loss to Montana-Western in 1996, had the Lady ‘Yotes scored less than 47 points in a game at home.

 

COYOTES FIGURE OUT NORTHWEST: A game-opening 10-0 run gave the Albertson women’s basketball team the breathing room they would need, as the Coyotes went wire-to-wire in a 67-57 victory over Northwest.  The win ended a four-game losing streak to the Eagles, along with some redemption for a 77-74 loss on the road to Northwest in December.  Kasey Hooter led the way with her 14th double-double of the season – scoring 22 points and pulling down 19 rebounds.  Valissa Sneck added 15 points in the win, which moved the Coyotes back above the .500 mark at 12-11.

 

HOMESTAND ENDS TUESDAY VS. WESTERN: The three-game homestand and stretch of seven home games in nine outings ends Tuesday night against Western Baptist.  The Warriors (15-7, 7-3 CCC) have played well all season – with six of their seven losses coming to high-caliber opponents (Carroll and UM-Western, both ranked in the NAIA I poll, NCAA II Western Oregon, NCAA III George Fox, Eastern Oregon, and Oregon Tech).  Freshman of the Year candidate Jessica Steigelman (13.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg) has been a steady force for Dave Bale’s club, who has won the last two meetings with Albertson, including a 78-69 decision in Caldwell last year.  Western, which will be known as Corban College at this time next year, wins by playing defense – allowing opponents just 60 points a game.  It is the 22nd meeting between the teams, with Albertson holding a 14-7 edge.

 

OFF TO PORTLAND: Albertson will end the 2004-05 regular-season by playing five of their final seven games on the road, beginning this weekend in Portland.  Friday night, the Lady ‘Yotes meet an interesting Cascade team.  The T-Birds (7-14, 3-7) got back to their winning ways on Saturday, stopping Warner Pacific, 59-58.  Cascade was forced to forfeit a trio of league games two weeks ago because of a team rules violation – yet is still in the hunt for a CCC playoff berth.  Lisa Berger-Freeman (11.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg) is a force inside, having scored 24 points in a 72-70 loss in Caldwell in December.  The ‘Birds big weapon is Shara Brazzle (13.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.4 apg), who has the ability to take over a game.  It is the tenth meeting between the teams, with Albertson holding a 7-2 edge.  Saturday, Warner Pacific hosts the Lady ‘Yotes – as Albertson tries to win for only the second time in C.C. Perry gym since 1999.  The Knights (5-17, 2-8) lost their first seven CCC games – but recently logged wins over Concordia and Northwest.  Warner has the lowest team field goal percentage (.366) and rebound margin (-6.5) in the league – and average just 59 points a game.  All-CCC guard Angie Sun (13.7 ppg), however, is as dangerous of a shooter in the loop.  Albertson topped the Knights, 66-54, in December, and hold a 6-4 series advantage.

 

SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS: On the single-season record front, four records are in jeopardy of falling this season.  The first one to possibly fall will be the steals mark of 72, set by Jeannie Thompson in 2000.  Angie Gribble (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) has recorded 67 on the season – just five shy of the mark, while Valissa Sneck is just 11 steals behind.  As mentioned earlier, Kasey Hooter ranks third on the single-season rebound list, needing to average nine rebounds per game to pass Alyson Pincock’s mark of 376 boards in 2000.  Gribble has an outside shot of breaking the assist record – sitting 47 dishes away from the record with eight regular-season games left.  Rounding out the list is Kim Strunk, who has converted 105 free throws this season, fourth-most in school history.  She is 62 free throws shy of Pincock’s mark from the 2000 season.

 

CONFERENCE LEADERS: Scoring Average – Christie Weaver (EOU) 17.4, Nikki McElligott (OIT) 16.6, Katie Atkins (CU) 16.2, Jaime Jo Cant (EOU) 15.3, Heidi Horobioski (EOU) 14.6.  Rebounding Average – Kasey Hooter (ACI) 13.0, McElligott 11.3, Atkins 8.5, Lisa Berger-Freeman (CC) 7.3, Kelly Clarke (NU) 6.9.  Field Goal Percentage – Sammy Smith (CU) .609, Hooter .551, Horobioski .481, Sierra Tornga (NU) .475, McElligott .474.  Assists Average – Vanessa Shelton (EOU) 5.7, Cassie Snyder (NU) 5.1, Angie Gribble (ACI) 5.0, Shara Brazzle (CC) 4.4,Tosha Wilson (WB) 4.3.

 

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: Season Preview – Coyotes look to rebound after tough 2004 campaign

 

COMING UP: vs. Northwest Nazarene, Feb. 8, 1 p.m.

 

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE 2005 SEASON: The Albertson College baseball team enters the 2005 season with a lot of experience (nine players returning for their third year in the program, three others returning for their fourth year) and a lot of upside; but there are many questions still to be answered.  Here is a look at where the Coyote coaching staff sees the team, and a list of some main questions that will need to be answered.

 

SENIOR LADEN STARTING PITCHING: Senior captains Taylor Blair (Sacramento, Calif. / American River CC) and Matt Bergstrom (Hermiston, Ore. / Hermiston HS) will anchor the top of the Coyote rotation.  Blair returns for his senior season after red shirting in 2004 following “Tommy John” surgery.  In 2002, Taylor was the No. 1 starter on a staff that led the ‘Yotes to a third-place finish at the NAIA World Series.  He tied the Albertson College single-season shutout record that year, and currently ranks second on the career ERA and shutout list.  Bergstrom was the 2003 Cascade Conference Pitcher of the Year and led the pitching staff in strikeouts last season.  The development of a “nasty” split-finger fastball by Bergstrom toward the end of last season has the Coyote coaching staff looking forward to what they feel will be his best season yet.  Senior Matt Zachary (Hailey, Idaho / Treasure Valley CC) will also be a key part of the rotation.  Zachary showed great promise last season as the No. 3 starter for the Coyotes, posting the second-lowest ERA on the staff. 

 

MORE ON BLAIR: The senior went 7-2 with a 2.32 ERA as a sophomore, including a victory in the 2002 NAIA World Series, followed by a 4-2 mark with a 3.48 ERA in 2003.  Blair tossed a one-hitter against Oregon Tech during the 2002 season and a two-hitter against Northwest Nazarene in 2003.

 

NEWCOMERS ON THE MOUND: Transfer Charlie Strandlund (Victoria, B.C. / College of Southern Idaho) comes to Albertson College from the College of Southern Idaho where he was an All-Region selection – leading the region with a 0.74 ERA.  Strandlund reminds the Coyote coaches of Blair with his smooth delivery, ability to locate three quality pitches, and his bulldog attitude.  “We hope to have the luxury of being able to use Charlie as the closer,” stated head coach Shawn Humberger.  Also in the mix for valuable innings will be transfer Paul Erickson (Burlington, Wash. / Everett CC) and freshman Joey Zubizarreta (Boise, Idaho / Cochise CC).  Zubizarreta comes to Albertson after leading the Boise Senators to the 2004 Idaho American Legion State Championship. 

 

AROUND THE HORN: Two-time NAIA All-American Greg Stalling (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) will make the move from third-base to shortstop this year.  Stalling doesn’t possess the traditional shortstop arm strength, but makes up for it with his ability to play through the ball.  Second-base will be a battle between returners Drew Cauffman (Mountain Home, Idaho / Mountain Home HS), Billy Arko (Mountain Home, Idaho / Mountain Home HS), and newcomer Strandlund.  Strandlund will also see some time at first-base to take some strain off his arm.  Others competing for time at first will be two-way players Erickson and Zubizarreta, along with freshman Zach Park (Ontario, Ore. / Ontario HS).  The catchers gear will be worn by two returners – Nate Freese (Vancouver, Wash. / Skyview HS) and Pat Burke (Sisters, Ore. / Sisters HS).  Whoever isn’t behind the plate on a given day will probably find their bat in the line-up at one of the corner bags.  Robert Hamilton (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS) has proven to be a good defensive utility player and should see most of his time at third.

 

MORE ON STALLING: The junior is coming off an outstanding season, leading the NAIA Region I in batting average, on base percentage, stolen bases, hits, runs, and walks.  Stalling hit a remarkable .457 in the Coyotes 30 regional games, earning three NAIA Region I Player of the Week honors.

 

ROAMING THE OUTFIELD: The outfield should be very deep in 2005 with all three starters returning – leftfielder Josh Przybos (Boise, Idaho / Cochise CC), centerfielder Jake McGrady (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) and rightfielder Sage Kendall (Parma, Idaho / National American Univ.).  The off-season brought the addition of three more quality outfielders in Ren Lombardo (Boise, Idaho / Oregon State Univ.) – who is coming off an outstanding summer season with the Boise Gems and possesses the best overall tools of the outfielders, Nic Florence (Boise, Idaho / Cochise CC) – brother of former Coyote All-American Branden Florence, and Alex Tiede (American Falls, Idaho / American Falls HS).

 

WITH THE BAT: The 2005 Coyotes have the tools in place to be a good offensive team. “We can put speed at the top and bottom of the line-up, power-potential in the middle of the order, some tough-outs in the line-up, and we have the ability to manufacture runs with an execution offense,” says hitting coach Josh Hegstad.  Most of the speed will be provided by Stalling and McGrady who combined for 61 stolen bases last season.  The leading candidate for the ever important three-hole is Lombardo, who has shown good speed, pitch recognition and power.  Nate Freese is also a good fit in the three-hole because he is a tough out that can drive the ball in the gaps (17 doubles in 2004).  Plenty of power potential exists for the middle of the order in returner Brandon Freese (Vancouver, Wash. / Chemeketa CC) – who Hegstad feels will have an outstanding year after some off-season timing adjustments, Burke (4 HR’s and 11 doubles as a freshman in 2004), along with Erickson and Standlund – who both tied for the highest bat speed registered during the fall season, Kendall (14 doubles last season), and Park, who turned some heads with an outstanding fall season at the plate.

 

LOOKING AT THE SCHEDULE: The Coyotes are scheduled to play 22 games at home this season, including a pair of games against both Northwest Nazarene and preseason No. 3 ranked Lewis-Clark State.  After opening the season against NNU on Feb. 8, Albertson will embark for winter break to Southern California for six games in the sun, followed by a four-game tournament in Lewiston.  The club will play five of their first seven NAIA Region I counters at home, then finish the season with eight straight regional games.  No. 20 ranked Concordia is the defending region champ – but the Coyotes and British Columbia look to make waves in 2005.

 

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: Season Preview, Lady ‘Yotes to open vs. Northwest Nazarene in 18 days

 

COMING UP: at Northwest Nazarene (DH), Feb. 10, 1 p.m.

 

COYOTES LOOKING FOR IMPROVEMENT: Excitement his high for the 2005 Albertson College softball team, as the inaugural group of players have reached the pinnacle of their careers – their senior season.  With five players back for their fourth year in the program, along with starters returning at every position, the dismal 10-33 record of last year should be a thing of the past.

 

YOUNG PITCHING: Consistency in the pitching circle was one of the factors last season – as Albertson issued 145 walks, with just 111 strikeouts, contributing to a 5.95 team ERA.  Despite bringing back three pitchers with experience, two more have been added to the chart – both freshman with extensive resumes.  Parma native, Ashley Bowman, looks to make an early impact for the Lady ‘Yotes, having been the most dominant pitcher in Idaho’s 2A high school ranks for the past two seasons.  Her best season was in 2003, where she went 23-3 with a 0.16 ERA – leading her club to the state title.  Rexburg native, Tiana Siddoway, has also surprised head coach Kelly Gibbons-McDonald.  The freshman, who was named Eastern Idaho Pitcher of the Year after leading Madison High to the 4A state title last spring, gives Albertson something they have never had – a crafty left-hander with five pitches in her repertoire.

 

RETURNING PITCHING: Besides the freshman, Gibbons-McDonald looks for marked improvement from senior Lindzi Wasko (3-12, 8.55 ERA), junior Kerri Russell (3-12, 4.55 ERA), and sophomore Katie Pond (0-7, 7.88 ERA).  Russell was the leader of the staff last season, logging 103 innings – but gave up 14 home runs.  Wasko had a disappointing junior season, after going 6-3 with a 3.42 ERA in 2003 – but looked very good during Fall Ball.  Pond hopes to erase the freshman jitters of 2004, where she walked 36 batters in 37 innings, with just nine strikeouts.

 

BEST CATCHERS IN THE LEAGUE?: Albertson will once again have the best defensive group of catchers in the Cascade Conference.  Three-time All-Star Tiffany Mathews (.274, 10 RBI) will close a remarkable collegiate career in 2005.  Not only does the senior have more hits and doubles than any other player, she threw out 42-percent of would-be base-stealers – and has caught 63-of-159 runners stealing in her career.  Junior Tiffany Kerns (6 doubles, 6 RBI) is just as accurate behind the dish – throwing out 13-of-24 runners last year.  Kerns, who will also see time as a designated player, gives the Coyotes a long-ball threat.

 

AROUND THE HORN: The entire infield will be playing together for a second-season – with four-year starter Kira Leaton (career .263 hitter, 2 HR, 50 RBI) anchoring first-base.  The former All-Cascade Conference selection has scored more runs and driven in more runs than any other Coyote, while sporting a career .976 fielding percentage.  Manning second-base is honorable mention All-CCC selection, Anna Schroeder (.328, 14 RBI, 21 SB in 2004).  The sophomore had an outstanding rookie campaign, leading the team in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average.  Two-year starter, Angie Gribble (.189, 8 RBI in 2004), returns at shortstop – looking to erase the 22 errors committed in the field last season.  Junior Lisa Stout (.218, 4 RBI in 2004) will start the season at third-base – with senior Nicole Rollins (69 career games played) and freshman Christine Fancher pushing for playing time.  Junior Nikki Stevenson (.220, 4 RBI) will serve as a utility infielder – but be primarily used in a designated player role because of her solid bat, while freshman Jen Ward will back up Schroeder at second-base.

 

EXPERIENCED OUTFIELD: An experienced outfield returns for Gibbons-McDonald, including 2003 All-Region selection, Katie Theisen (.275, 2 HR, 13 RBI).  The junior rebounded from a tough start to last season to post solid numbers, including the first multi-home run season in school history.  Four-year starter Heather McClure (.192, 8 SB) did not commit an error last season – extending an errorless streak to 45 games and 71 chances.  Slapper Heather Kirtley (.227, 4 RBI) did her job in the nine-hole last year, with six walks, seven hit-by-pitches, and eight stolen bases.  Freshmen Nicole Becvar and Kelsi Murdock, both All-State players in high school, will serve in reserve outfield roles, as will sophomore Jillian Becker.

 

SOLID NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE: The Coyotes will play 28 non-conference games and three exhibition doubleheaders besides the rigors of the Cascade Conference schedule.  Albertson will meet Canyon County rival Northwest Nazarene six times, hoping to win the season series for the fourth consecutive year.  The Lady ‘Yotes will make a trips to Spokane, Wash., Billings, Mont., Orem, Utah, and a Winter Break trip to Tucson, Ariz.  While at the Tucson Spring Games, Albertson will play eight games in three days against NCAA and NAIA competition from coast-to-coast.  The team will also host national runner-up Simon Fraser in a May doubleheader. 

 

THE CASCADE CONFERENCE: Gibbons-McDonald believes Southern Oregon is the odds-on favorite to win their third-straight CCC crown.  The Raiders return four All-League players, including Pitcher of the Year, Miranda Gillespie.  CCC Player of the Year Amanda Doherty leads Oregon Tech, who has a new head coach in Gary Steward.  Eastern Oregon and Concordia look to improve, as will Western Baptist under new head coach Tarrah Brown.

 

ABOUT THE COACH: Albertson softball head coach Kelly Gibbons-McDonald is in her fourth season with the Coyotes.  Building the Lady ‘Yote program from scratch, the University of Idaho graduate saw her team post a winning record in just their sophomore season.  During her ten years at the collegiate level, she has compiled a 240-218-1 all-time record.  While at Washburn University in Kansas, she led the squad to NAIA Women’s College World Series berths in both 1988 and 1989, winning four district titles, and helping the college move in 1991 from the NAIA to the NCAA Division II.  Gibbons earned District 10 Coach of the Year honors in 1988, 1989, and 1990.  She also served as the Washburn head volleyball coach from 1987-97.  Since moving to the Treasure Valley, the Idaho Falls native coached two seasons at Nyssa (Ore.) High, along with one year at Bishop Kelly High in Boise – with all three teams advancing to their respective state tournaments. 

 

INTERNET BROADCASTS: The first scheduled internet broadcasts of Coyote softball will be the February 27th doubleheader with Utah Valley State.  Games can be accessed at http://www.collegeofidaho.edu/webcam/Athletics.asx.  Archives of past games broadcast can be found on the softball website. 

 

MORE INFORMATION: Updated information and statistics on the 2005 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 -