‘Yote Notes – Feb. 15, 2005

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@collegeofidaho.edu

 

 

 

 

 

PLAYOFF BASKETBALL TICKETS: Lady ‘Yotes could host Feb. 22, Coyotes will host game Feb. 23

MEN’S TICKET INFORMATION: The Albertson College men’s basketball team will host a first-round Cascade Conference playoff game on Feb. 23.  Letters will be mailed to season ticket holders on Wednesday regarding retaining seats for playoff games, while playoff tickets can be purchased in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center Sunday night from 3 to 7 p.m., Monday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m, or at the door on Wednesday night.

WOMEN’S TICKET INFORMATION: If the Albertson College women’s team hosts a first-round game on Feb. 22 – all seating in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center will be general admission.  Prices are $6.00 for adults, $4.00 for students/seniors, $2.00 for Albertson College students – hopefully to be subsidized by ASACI or another business.  If the Lady ‘Yotes host, tickets will be on sale in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center Sunday night from 3-7 p.m., Monday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Tuesday from 9 a.m. up until tip-off.

ALPINE SKIING: Coyote men and women each win third-consecutive Northwest Conference Ski Championship

COYOTES COMPLETE THREE-PEAT: The Albertson College men's and women's alpine ski teams completed a solid three-day event at Brundage Mountain by wrapping up their third-consecutive Northwest Conference championships.  The women's team won both giant slalom races and took second in Monday's slalom to top second-place British Columbia by 45 points.  The men's team won Saturday's GS and took second in Sunday's GS and Monday's slalom to top UBC by just 20 points.

FINAL NWC MEN’S STANDINGS: Albertson 140, British Columbia 120, University of Idaho 98, University of Washington 82, University of Oregon 78.

FINAL NWC WOMEN’S STANDINGS: Albertson 160, British Columbia 115, University of Puget Sound 96, University of Oregon 93, University of Idaho 75.

MARCIAL WINS SECOND INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCE TITLE: Helped by a pair of second-place finishes and a third-place finish this weekend, junior Cassie Marcial won her second career Northwest Conference Individual Conference title.  Marcial won the crown as a freshman in 2003, and placed second last year.  Teammate Molly Bullard, who won two of the individual events this weekend, finished second in the conference standings – despite having won six of her last seven starts.  Another Coyote, Emma Wilson, placed fourth in the conference standings.

SYLVESTER TOP MEN’S SKIER: Junior Matt Sylvester capped a consistent 2005 regular-season by finishing second in the individual standings, behind British Columbia standout Jaime Finlayson.  It was the third time in Sylvester’s career that he has finished the season in the top-ten (No. 10 in 2003, No. 3 in 2004).  Freshman William Moss completed an outstanding rookie campaign with a fourth-place finish overall.

RACES MOVED TO BRUNDAGE: Due to poor conditions at Bogus Basin, the Coyotes have moved the USCSA Western Region Championships to Brundage Mountain from Feb. 24-26.  Up to 15 of the top teams in the West will be on hand to determine spots to the USCSA championships, also at Brundage in March.

INDOOR TRACK: Coyotes head to University of Idaho for two-day meet

COMING UP: at Vandal Indoor Meet

FLUECKIGER LOOKS TO DOUBLE: Albertson College standout runner, David Flueckiger, looks to add two more NAIA automatic qualifying times to his resume this weekend at the Vandal Indoor Meet, hosted by the University of Idaho.  The junior has already posted qualifying times in the 800-meters and the 3,000-meters – with his 800-meter time the eighth-fastest time in the NAIA this season.  Flueckiger will compete Friday in the men’s mile and look to double on Saturday in the 1,000-meters.

OTHERS AT THE MEET: Women’s runner Shannon Edwards will also double – running the 3,000-meters on Friday night, while competing in the mile on Saturday.  Jacob Haas will be the other competitor for Albertson at the meet, competing in Saturday’s 5,000-meter event.

MEN’S BASKETBALL (19-7, 11-5 CCC): No. 18 Coyotes end regular-season with key games at Concordia and Western Baptist

 

LAST WEEK: vs. No. 6 Southern Oregon (L 74-65), vs. No. 10 Oregon Tech (L 91-82).

 

COMING UP: at Concordia, Friday, 8 p.m. (PST); at Western Baptist, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. (PST)

 

RADIO AND INTERNET 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.  Friday’s pregame show will begin around 8:45 p.m. (MST) with tip-off set for 9 p.m. (MST) at Concordia, while Saturday’s pregame will begin around 8:15 p.m. (MST), with tip-off set for 8:30 p.m. (MST) at Western Baptist – as the back-half of women-men doubleheaders.  Friday’s game will also be broadcast on the internet via the Cavalier Radio Network (www.gocugo.com) with Tod Pickett calling the action, while Saturday’s game will be broadcast on television in the Willamette Valley via Capitol Community Television, with Mike Allegre calling the play-by-play.

 

LIVE STATS: Live stats of Saturday’s Albertson-Western Baptist game can be accessed at http://www.wbc.edu/athlete/live/xlive.htm.

 

RADIO IN THE PLAYOFFS: All Albertson men’s playoff games will be carried live on 1490 KCID-AM in the Treasure Valley, beginning next Wednesday night.

 

NATIONAL POLL: With the weekend losses to Southern Oregon and Oregon Tech, the Albertson men’s basketball team dropped eight spots in the latest NAIA Division II poll to No. 18.  The Coyotes have been ranked in all nine regular-season polls this season, and have been ranked among the Top-20 in last 19 regular-season polls – dating back to December of 2003.  Southern Oregon jumped to No. 6, Oregon Tech moved to No. 10, and Western Baptist dropped one spot to No. 22.  The national Top-5 has Northwestern (Iowa) in the top-spot, followed by Cornerstone (Mich.), Concordia (Neb.), Walsh (Ohio), and William Jewell (Mo.).

 

PLAYOFF PICTURE: The playoff scenarios at the top of the Cascade Conference were made much simpler by the weekend sweep of Albertson in Caldwell.  First-place Southern Oregon meets second-place Oregon Tech on Saturday night at McNeal Pavilion, the winner claiming the regular-season championship and earning the first of two automatic berths to the NAIA Tournament (if Southern loses, they are the No. 2 seed; if OIT loses, they are the No. 2 seed with a Western Baptist loss).  In a similar situation, the winner of Saturday’s Albertson-Western Baptist game in Salem will be guaranteed at least No. 3 seed into the CCC playoffs (Western can be the No. 2 seed with two wins and an OIT loss to Southern), while the loser must settle for fourth-place.  Warner Pacific, Northwest, Evergreen, and Concordia have all clinched playoff berths, but are separated by one game in the standings – with head-to-head and record vs. teams .500 or better in conference play to determine the final playoff pairings.

 

IT DOESN’T HAPPEN OFTEN: It had been over eight years since the Coyotes had been swept at home in a weekend set in Cascade Conference play.  In fact, it was eight years and 11 days since Concordia and Eastern Oregon defeated the 1996-97 club on January 31 and February 1.  The losses were only the seventh and eighth CCC defeats of a Mark Owen coached Coyote team in Caldwell in his five-year tenure.  Albertson, however, still boasts a gaudy 160-32 (.833 percent) record in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center since it opened in 1991.

 

TOUGH LOSS TO TECH: Andre Lawrence scored 19 points and grabbed 17 rebounds as defending NAIA Division II national champion Oregon Tech upset Albertson, 91-82, on Senior Night.  OIT used an early 14-2 run to take control of the first half, building a 43-35 lead at the break.  The margin would bulge to 48-35 before the Coyotes fought back, using an 11-0 run, capped by one of E.J. Costello's (Pleasanton, Calif. / Chabot CC)  eight treys to tie the score at 56-56.  After the Coyotes took a 63-62 lead at the ten minute mark on a Derek Brown (Las Vegas, Nev. / Desert Pines HS) lay-up, the Owls clamped down on the defense, holding Albertson to just one field goal in a nine minute stretch, using the 13-2 run to close out the win.  Costello led five Albertson players in double-figures with 28 points, tying a career-high.

 

SOUTHERN ENDS HOME WIN STREAK AT 17: They beat the Coyotes last year – after 17 straight home wins, they beat them again.  Southern Oregon used a 17-6 run to open up the second half as then No. 9 ranked Raiders ended Albertson College's home win streak with a 74-65 victory before a packed house Friday night.  Leading 33-29 at the break, Southern got back-to-back three-pointers from Brad Coen, then a Coen four-point play, as the Raiders took a 50-35 lead with 15:53 left.  The Coyotes would rally, scoring ten straight to get within five - but Southern would persevere to get their eighth win over Albertson in 11 tries.  The Raiders hit 10-of-19 shots from outside the arc in the game, along with 22-of-25 from the line.  The hosts converted on 2-of-14 three-point attempts and just 7-of-8 from the line.  Steve Humphreys (Reno, Nev. / Lassen CC) led all scorers with 22 points, while three Raiders scored in double figures.

 

FRIED’S STRUGGLES HAVE BEEN HUMPHREYS GAINS: Over the last two weeks, Coyote center Richard Fried (Middleton, Idaho / Boise State) has hit a rough spot in a solid 2004-05 season.  The senior, who was averaging nearly 13 points and seven rebounds a game in mid-January, has averaged just 4.6 points and 1.0 rebounds in his last three games – playing just 11 minutes per contest.  During the same period, however, Steve Humphreys has excelled, averaging 17.3 points, 7.3 boards, and 3.6 blocks – playing 31 minutes a game.

 

GREEN’S RECORDS: The legacy of point-guard Joe Green (Pocatello, Idaho / BYU-Idaho) will be one for the ages when his playing career ends in the next month or so.  The senior has rewritten the Albertson record books for steals in a career (now at 288), is second all-time with 462 assists – while ranking No. 1 in the NAIA in assist-to-turnover ratio, No. 2 in three-point percentage, and is No. 3 in steals per game.  What is more amazing is that Green has started all 96 games in his career – having played in 3,486 of the 3,895 minutes of those games, equaling 89-percent, or an averaged of nearly 36 minutes per game.

 

MORE ON THE RECORD BOOK: Single-season top-ten’s are few and far between this season, as only three players have cracked the list this year.  Joe Green is No. 2 on the single-season list for steals with 99 (eight behind his school record set last year), while Rich Fried is tied for fifth in a season with 41 blocks.  Steve Humphreys rounds out the group, ranked eighth with his 39 blocked shots this year.  On the career watch, E.J. Costello now ranks No. 4 all-time with 156 three-pointers made and 396 three-point attempts.  He would also rank No. 10 in free throw percentage if he can reach the 150 necessary career attempts (needs six FTA to do so).  Steve Humphreys is now No. 3 on the career blocks list with 84, while Zach Rasmussen (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) is ninth all-time, having played in 99 career games.  Nearing the career list is Derek Brown, who has amassed 668 career points, 240 career rebounds, 203 career assists, and 102 career steals – in 96 career games.

 

PORTLAND STREAK ON THE LINE: Friday night, the Coyotes put another streak on the line, as they meet Concordia.  Albertson has won eight consecutive games in Portland – including victories this season against Cascade and Warner Pacific.  However, the Cavaliers (14-15, 7-9 CCC), whom the ‘Yotes dominated 84-61 in January, had a six-game win streak snapped on Saturday night by Warner Pacific.  Concordia has won three straight at home, including an upset of Western Baptist – thanks to the play of Brandon Erlandson (16.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and Jon Lee (12.3 ppg).  Two things have not gone the Cavs way this season – they are ninth in the league in field goal percentage, while their holding opponents to the ninth-worst field goal percentage.  It is the 46th meeting between the teams, with Albertson holding a 37-8 edge, including winning the last five.

 

WESTERN REMATCH: Senior Night in Salem will be an interesting one for the Coyotes, as they meet No. 22 ranked Western Baptist, with the No. 3 seed into the CCC Tournament on the line.  The Warriors (25-5, 11-5), who won their first 18 games of the season and spent two weeks as the No. 1 team in the NAIA, have gone just 7-5 over the last month.  Western, however, still has a 10-1 record in the C.E. Jeffers Center, and is led by All-Star candidates Eric Fiegi (28.0 ppg, 9.2 rpg) and Jeff Dunn (20.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg).  Fiegi had 22 points and nine rebounds, while Dunn had 27, in an Albertson 95-86 win in Caldwell on Jan. 25.  The Warriors lead the league in scoring offense, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and free throw percentage – but have given up 85 points a game during conference play.  It is the 56th meeting between the teams, with Albertson having won the past five – holding a 37-18 series edge.

 

CASCADE CONFERENCE LEADERS: Scoring Average – Eric Fiegi (WB) 28.0, Shea Washington (SOU) 20.6, Jeff Dunn (WB) 20.0, Joshua Garrett (CC) 17.9, Donny Woods (WPC) 17.5.  Rebound Average – Washington 10.0, Fiegi 9.2, Chad Fairbanks (EOU) 8.9, Woods 7.1, Jeff Williams (SOU) 6.9.  Field Goal Percentage – Stephen Ishmael (NU) .714, Fiegi .606, Richard Fried (ACI) .588, Washington .576, Barson Collins (ESC) .559.  Assists Average – Garrett 5.9, Joe Green (ACI) 5.8, Donny Woods (WP) 5.4, Michael Lay (CU) 4.4, Matt Larson (WB) 4.3.

 

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 (15-14, 9-7 CCC): Lady ‘Yotes can clinch home playoff game with win over Concordia or Western Baptist

 

LAST WEEK: vs. Southern Oregon (W 68-48), vs. No. 25 Oregon Tech (W 43-39).

 

COMING UP: at Concordia, Friday, 6 p.m. (PST); at Western Baptist, Saturday, 5:30 p.m. (PST)

 

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, with students Jordan Komoto and Jake McClean calling the play-by-play.  Friday’s pregame show will begin at 6:45 p.m. (MST) with tip-off set for 7 p.m. (MST) at Concordia, while Saturday’s pregame will begin at 6:15 p.m. (MST), with tip-off set for 6:30 p.m. (MST) at Western Baptist.  Friday’s game will also be broadcast on the internet via the Cavalier Radio Network (www.gocugo.com) with Tod Pickett calling the action, while Saturday’s game will be broadcast on television in the Willamette Valley via Capitol Community Television, with Mike Allegre calling the action.

 

LIVE STATS: Live stats of Saturday’s Albertson-Western Baptist game will can be accessed at http://www.wbc.edu/athlete/live/xlive.htm.

 

RADIO IN THE PLAYOFFS: All Albertson women’s road playoff games will be carried live on 1490 KCID-AM in the Treasure Valley.

 

HOME COURT IN THE PLAYOFFS?: Unlike a lot of the Cascade Conference women’s playoff scenarios, the Lady ‘Yotes have a simple route to their postseason destiny – just win one game.  A win in either of the Coyotes final two regular-season games this weekend, and Albertson will host a first-round playoff game in Caldwell for the first time since 2001.  The squad sits in fourth-place in the ten-team conference and holds a one-game lead on fifth-place Evergreen – while holding the tiebreak edge on the Geoducks (by virtue of descending order and the ‘Yotes victory over first-place Oregon Tech).  Even if the Lady ‘Yotes drop two on the road this weekend, it is still possible to earn a home date – that is if Evergreen loses one game and Concordia loses to Eastern Oregon.  Albertson cannot finish lower than fifth-place.

 

A STAPLE IN THE PLAYOFFS: With their spot in the playoff secured two weeks ago, the Coyotes have clinched their sixth consecutive postseason berth.  Albertson has now advanced to the CCC Tournament in nine of the ten seasons since women’s basketball was reinstated at the college in 1995.  The Coyotes have advanced to three NAIA Division II tournaments (1998 – first round, 2000 – quarterfinals, 2001 – championship game), but have never won a Cascade Conference postseason tournament (advanced to the finals in both 2000 and 2002).

 

OTHER PLAYOFF NOTES: Oregon Tech can win their first-ever women’s CCC championship and NAIA Tournament berth with a win over Southern Oregon on Saturday night.  A loss by OIT and Eastern Oregon can claim the title with wins over Western Baptist and Concordia.  Western Baptist can sneak into the No. 2 slot with wins over Eastern and the Lady ‘Yotes.  The bottom four teams – Cascade, Warner Pacific, Northwest, and Southern are all still alive for the final two playoff spots – which may be determined by descending order (wins against teams ranked atop the league).

 

LADY ‘YOTES UPSET OREGON TECH: Kasey Hooter (Nampa, Idaho / Walla Walla CC) recorded her 17th double-double of the season, as Albertson upset first-place Oregon Tech, 43-39, in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center, Saturday night.  The win for the Lady 'Yotes ended an OIT 16-game win streak and did not allow the Owls a chance to clinch their first-ever Cascade Conference championship.  Holding Tech to just 9-of-45 shooting for the game with a zone defense, Albertson mustered just enough offense to win.  Leading 40-39 inside the final minute, Angie Gribble (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) hit one of two free throws, then after an OIT miss, Hooter calmly buried two freebies to ice win over the No. 25 team in the nation.

 

POSITIVE LOW POINT TOTALS: The Coyotes and Owls combined for just 83 points in Saturday’s win – the second-lowest combined total in an Albertson victory in school history, behind the 45-32 victory over Eastern Oregon during the 1998-99 season.  It was the 27th time in school history that the Albertson women had held a team below 40-points in a game.

 

11/8/97  ACI 127, CSU-Monterey Bay 14    12/6/02 ACI 98, Walla Walla 33       1/30/04 ACI 67, Cascade 36

11/18/00 ACI 102, Maine-Fort Kent 17       2/10/04 ACI 97, Walla Walla 33       1/10/98 ACI 69, E. Oregon 37

11/21/99 ACI 98, Pacific Union 24             12/29/95 ACI 63, C. Notre Dame 34 1/15/99 ACI 58, W. Baptist 37

11/13/99 ACI 94, Warner Pacific 28           1/10/97 ACI 77, Northwest 34        11/19/99 ACI 93, Notre Dame 38

11/17/00 ACI 95, Maine-Machias 29          2/7/98 ACI 63, Western Baptist 34 1/7/00 ACI 78, Evergreen 38

11/9/97 ACI 92, Pacific Union 30              11/25/00 ACI 60, Menlo 34            1/26/96 ACI 52, E. Oregon 39

1/8/99 ACI 45, Eastern Oregon 32            1/30/01 ACI 78, E. Oregon 35         11/29/06 ACI 58, Colo. Springs 39

1/29/00 ACI 71, Evergreen 33                  2/16/01 ACI 80, Evergreen 36        1/6/01 ACI 63, Concordia 39

12/29/00 ACI 72, Pacific Union 33             12/28/01 ACI 99, Bethany 36         2/12/05 ACI 43, Oregon Tech 39

 

COYOTES SWEEP SOUTHERN: The Lady ‘Yotes completed only their second-ever season sweep of Southern Oregon on Friday night, topping the Raiders, 68-48.  Albertson forced 32 Southern turnovers, capitalizing on a season-high 27 steals.  The Coyotes used a 10-0 run midway through the first half to build a 30-15 lead and were never threatened.  Valissa Sneck (Kalispell, Mont. / Sheridan CC) led the way with 18 points and seven steals, while Desirae Boudreaux (Provo, Utah / Western Wyoming CC) and Whitney Martin (Rupert, Idaho / Boise State) came off the bench with 11 points each.

 

HOOTER CONTINUES TO CLIMB THE CHARTS: Kasey Hooter has put up gargantuan numbers this season – notching 364 rebounds in the 29 games this season – already No. 2 on the single-season chart – with two regular-season games remaining (and at least one playoff game) to break the record of 376.  Her 12.6 rebounds per game average is tops in the Cascade Conference and is No. 2 in the NAIA Division II – she is also ranks fifth in the nation in defensive rebounds per game and sixth in offensive rebounds per game.  Other parts of her game continue to excel – as Hooter ranks No. 28 in the NAIA in field goal percentage, while ranking No. 4 in the CCC in blocks per game (1.1) and No. 9 in scoring average.  Her 33 blocks this season are the fifth-most in a season for the Lady ‘Yotes, while the 41 career blocks are the fifth-most in school history.  Hooter has made 242-of-436 career shots, a .555 field goal percentage – tops in school history, while her 551 career rebounds are No. 7 all-time.

 

OTHER RECORDS IN JEOPARDY: Four players this season have cracked the single-season top-ten, including the aforementioned Kasey Hooter.  Point-guard Angie Gribble (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) is third on the single-season assist list with 134, while ranking 11th in three-pointers made and ninth in three-pointes attempted.  Gribble has 79 steals this season, No. 2 all-time, with teammate Valissa Sneck currently holding the school record with 83 steals.  Sneck is also seventh on the assist list and tenth on the single-season list for blocks.  Kim Strunk (Twin Falls, Idaho / Twin Falls HS) is also on the list, having made 121-of-148 free throws this season – third on the single-season list for made freebies and sixth for free throw attempts.

 

LIFE IN THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY: A season sweep of Friday’s opponent, Concordia, would cinch a home date in the playoffs.  The Cavaliers (14-13, 7-9 CCC) have won just three of their last 11 CCC counters, including a 3-4 mark at home in league play.  Concordia, however, boasts All-Star candidate Katie Atkins (15.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg), who was held to 11 points in the 69-50 Albertson win on Jan. 11.  The Lady ‘Yotes hold a 16-4 edge on the Cavs, including six-straight.  Saturday’s match-up at Western Baptist looks to be a doozie, similar to the 40-38 Western win in Caldwell.  The Warriors (21-7, 13-3) have won six in a row and are in position to secure home playoff spots in the first two rounds of the CCC playoffs.  Five players average in double figures for Western, led by Jessica Steigelman (13.1 ppg) and CCC Player of the Week Brianne Carras (10.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg).  Albertson holds a 14-8 edge in the series.

 

CONFERENCE LEADERS: Scoring Average – Nikki McElligott (OIT) 16.9, Christie Weaver (EOU) 16.8, Katie Atkins (CU) 15.8, Jaime Jo Cant (EOU) 15.3, Andi Peterson (SOU) 14.7.  Rebounding Average – Kasey Hooter (ACI) 12.6, McElligott 11.4, Atkins 8.3, Lisa Berger-Freeman (CC) 7.1, Brianne Carras (WB) 6.8.  Field Goal Percentage – Hooter .532, Kelly Clarke (NU) .484, Carras .483, Heidi Horobioski (EOU) .483, McElligott .469.  Assists Average – Vanessa Shelton (EOU) 5.8, Cassie Snyder (NU) 4.9, Angie Gribble (ACI) 4.6, Shara Brazzle (CC) 4.6,Tosha Wilson (WB) 4.4.

 
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 (1-0): Coyotes open season with win over NNU, head to rainy Southern California for six-game trip

 

LAST WEEK: vs. Northwest Nazarene (W 6-4)

 

COMING UP: at Westmont, Thursday, 2 p.m. (PST); vs. Bethany (in Santa Barbara), Friday, 1 p.m. (PST); vs. Bethany (in Santa Barbara), Saturday, 11 a.m.

 

ON THE AIR: A total of 21 Albertson College baseball games will be broadcast live on Sporting News Radio 1450 KIOV-AM with Mike Safford Jr. calling the action.  The next broadcast is set for March 5th with the Coyotes meeting Oregon Tech.  The games can also be heard on the internet at www.kiov.com.

 

COYOTES RALLY TO TOP NNU: Nate Freese (Vancouver, Wash. / Skyview HS) went 2-for-4 with three RBI, including the go-ahead RBI double in the seventh inning, as Albertson College opened the 2005 baseball season with a 6-4 win over Northwest Nazarene at Simplot Stadium last Tuesday.  Freese got the Coyotes on the board in the third, ripping a two-run single to left, scoring Jake McGrady (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) and Sage Kendall (Parma, Idaho / National American Univ.) - tying the game at 2-2.  Albertson would take the lead in the fourth on a Kendall RBI single, but NNU would grab a 4-3 lead in the fifth.  Tim Miller would score from second on a Greg Stalling (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) throwing error off a Harold Schultz grounder, with Schultz scampering home on a Tim Andra double.  The 'Yotes would get to Crusader reliever Gabe Stotz in the seventh, as Stalling rapped a one-out single and took second on a wild pitch.  He would steal third and score when the throw eluded third-baseman Steve Coogan to tie the game.  McGrady would follow with a single, take second on a wild pitch - setting the table for Freese, who cued a ball inside the bag at first for the game-winning double.

 

WELCOME TO CALDWELL, MR. STRANDLUND: The key to the victory for Albertson was the right arm of transfer Charlie Strandlund (Victoria, B.C. / College of Southern Idaho), who tossed four and a third innings of scoreless relief.  The junior got out of a first-and-third jam in the fifth with a ground out, then allowed just one runner to reach scoring position the rest of the way.  Strandlund scattered just three hits, walked one, and fanned three to get his first Coyote win.

 

NICE START TO THE SEASON WITH THE STICKS: Three players had multi-hit afternoons for the ‘Yotes, including Nate Freese, who logged three of the five RBI.  Jake McGrady went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, while Billy Arko (Mountain Home, Idaho / Mountain Home HS) went 2-for-4 with a run scored.  Of the three Coyotes making their debuts at the plate, only Nic Florence (Boise, Idaho / Cochise CC) broke through with a hit – a pinch-hit single in the eighth inning.

 

BLAIR MAKES A FULL RECOVERY: Tuesday’s game was huge from the standpoint that senior Taylor Blair (Sacramento, Calif. / American River CC) made his return on the mound.  The righty got the start and logged three innings, giving up just two hits, two runs, four walks, and three strikeouts in the no-decision.  It was the first appearance for Blair since May 8, 2003 – a 6-4 win at the NAIA Region I Tournament.

 

SEASON OPENERS: Since 1964, the Coyotes are now 17-17 in season opening games since 1964.  From 1964 to 1978, the College of Idaho went 5-10 in openers, while Tim Mooney’s clubs from 1987-2000 went 10-5.  Under Shawn Humberger, Albertson now has a 3-2 record to start the season.

 

BACK TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: For the first time since 2002, the Albertson baseball team will be competing in Southern California for their Winter Break trip.  The Coyotes made the trek south every year from 1987 to 2002 – except for the 1989 season, when the College of Idaho played games in the Bay Area.  The past two seasons, Albertson has played a pair of four-game series at San Francisco State.  During the previous 16 trips to SoCal, the ‘Yotes have compiled a 61-32-2 record – with only one losing record (a 2-5 mark during the 1994 season).  The Coyotes have just one undefeated trip (a rain shortened 2-0 mark during the 2000 season), while the club has lost just once on the trip on four occasions (including a 7-1 record in 1990).

 

WESTMONT HELPS COYOTES OUT WITH FIELD: The ‘Yotes will start the trip in Santa Barbara with a Thursday nine-inning game at Westmont – along with playing the next two games of their trip at Russ Carr Field on the Westmont campus.  The Warriors (1-7) have struggled out of the gate this season – including being swept in their Golden State Athletic Conference opening series by The Masters.  It is unlikely that Albertson will see Westmont’s top pitcher – Tyson Bagely (1-0 0.63 ERA, 24 K in 14.1 IP), because the Warriors open a three-game conference set with Azusa Pacific on Friday, but they will see their top two hitters – catcher Dominick Paluso (.375 2 HR 7 RBI, .833 SL%) and DH Erik Gaustad (.391 1 HR 6 RBI).  It is the first meeting between the teams since 2002, when Albertson recorded a win and a tie with the Warriors.  It is the eighth meeting between the teams, with the ‘Yotes holding a 5-1-1 edge.

 

ABOUT BETHANY: While utilizing Westmont’s Russ Carr Field, the ‘Yotes will play two nine-inning games against Bethany of Northern California.  The Bruins (1-8) started the season losing their first eight games, but broke through in the win column on Monday in a 1-0 win over Vanguard.  Top pitcher Jacob McKinley (1-3 1.87 ERA, 20 K in 21.1 IP) got the victory, throwing a three-hit shutout.  Bethany has struggled with the bats, however, as the team has a .209 batting average – led by catcher Mike Wilkes (.462 1 HR 3 RBI).  It is the first meeting between the two teams.

 

PROJECTED ROTATION: It is expected that Albertson will throw senior Matt Bergstrom (Hermiston, Ore. / Hermiston HS) in the opener against Westmont, while either Matt Zachary (Hailey, Idaho / Treasure Valley CC) or Charlie Strandlund will get the nod in Game 1 vs. Bethany.  The Saturday game with Bethany should see Taylor Blair get the start against the Bruins.  It is uncertain who the ‘Yote opponents will start.

 

MORE FROM CALIFORNIA, OFF TO LEWISTON: After having Sunday off, Albertson will play a pair of seven-inning games at Azusa Pacific on Monday afternoon, then finish off the road trip with a single nine-inning game at Concordia-Irvine.  The ‘Yotes will return home for two days, before heading north for the Guardian Heating and Plumbing Tournament in Lewiston – where the squad will play single games against Lewis-Clark State, British Columbia, Eastern Oregon, and Oregon Tech.

 

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 to open season Wednesday at Northwest Nazarene

 

COMING UP: at Northwest Nazarene (DH), Wednesday, 1:30 p.m.

 

INTERNET BROADCASTS: Depending on weather conditions, a delayed broadcast of Wednesday’s doubleheader at Northwest Nazarene will be available via the Albertson Athletic Website.  The first scheduled live internet broadcast 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.

 

SCHEDULE CHANGES: Along with the movement of the NNU doubleheader from last Thursday to this Wednesday, the Coyotes have seen the time change on one of their games at the Tucson Invitational.  The March 5 contest between Albertson and Trinity International (Ill.) has been moved up from a 4 p.m. start to a 2 p.m. start.

 

SEASON OPENER WEDNESDAY: The start to the 2005 softball season begins Wednesday in Nampa against Northwest Nazarene.  In their three previous season openers, the Lady ‘Yotes are 2-1 – having won two straight.  Albertson dropped the first game in program history, 3-0 to Point Loma Nazarene, in 2002, then has topped NNU in consecutive season openers, 7-1 and 7-4.

 

ABOUT THE CRUSADERS: The NCAA Division II school in Nampa is also beginning their fourth season of softball and hoping to recover from a 10-39 campaign in 2004.  NNU returns their top hitter and pitcher in junior Adrian Herman (.401 5 HR 32 RBI, 4-18 4.13 ERA), who was the Great Northwest Athletic Conference batting champ.  The Crusaders also return No. 2 pitcher Trisha DeSimone (5-17 5.20 ERA), but have only one other position player back (second-baseman Teri Setbacken).

 

COMPARING THE TWO PROGRAMS AFTER THREE YEARS: Building a competitive softball program has not been easy for both Albertson College and NNU.  For the Coyotes, the 2003 season was a look to the future, posting an 18-17 mark and a fourth-place finish in the Cascade Conference.  During the three-years combined, Albertson has a 40-86 record.  During the same span, things have been even tougher for Northwest Nazarene.  The Crusaders have not won more than ten games in a season and hold a 17-113 all-time record.

 

HISTORY OF THE RIVALRY: The doubleheader between the ‘Yotes and the Crusaders will be the 19th and 20th meetings between the teams since 2002.  Albertson has dominated the series, winning 14 of the 18 games – including the season series last year, four games to two.

 

GETTING THE NOD IN THE CIRCLE: Albertson plans to start senior Lindzi Wasko (Lakenheath, England / Lakenheath American HS) in Game 1 and freshman Ashley Bowman (Parma, Idaho / Parma HS) in Game 2.  However, the three other pitchers on the squad are each expected to get innings in the circle.

 

SOFTBALL CASINO NIGHT: The second-annual Albertson College fundraiser will be held on Friday, February 18, tentatively at the Nampa Civic Center.  For more information and tickets on the event - which will be a Casino Night theme, which drew 250 people last year, contact head coach Kelly McDonald at 459-5113.

 

THREE-DAY, SIX-GAME WEEKEND: Following the NNU games, Albertson will play six games in three days from Feb. 25-27.  The Lady ‘Yotes will travel to Spokane, Wash. to play two games against both Whitworth College and Eastern Oregon, before returning home that Sunday to open the Symms Field schedule against NCAA Division I opponent, Utah Valley State.

 

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 -