‘Yote Notes – Feb. 28, 2005

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@collegeofidaho.edu

 

 

 

 

 

ATHLETIC NEWS:

 

FLUECKIGER TO RUN AT NATIONALS: Coyote distance runner David Flueckiger will be the lone Coyote at the NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships this weekend in Johnson City, Tenn.  The junior will compete in the mile, with a semifinal heat set for 2:20 p.m. on Friday afternoon.

 

SKI TEAMS HEADED TO NATIONALS: The Albertson men’s and women’s ski teams qualified for the USCSA National Championships with solid performances at the Western Regionals at Brundage Mountain.  The men’s team finished fourth, while the women placed fifth – good enough to qualify.

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MENDIOLAS: Albertson head volleyball coach Liz Mendiola and her husband, baseball assistant Al Mendiola, were blessed this weekend with the birth of their second child – Micah.  Congratulations from the Coyotes.

 

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Coyotes look for Conference Tourney three-peat Tuesday night at Southern Oregon

 

LAST WEEK: Cascade Conference postseason tournament – quarterfinal vs. Evergreen State (W 64-59), semifinal at No. 6 Oregon Tech (W 66-62).

 

COMING UP: Cascade Conference postseason tournament – championship game at No. 11 Southern Oregon, 7:30 p.m. (PST) Winner earns CCC’s No. 2 berth to the NAIA Division II national tournament (Oregon Tech claimed the No. 1 berth with the regular-season title).

 

RADIO AND INTERNET BROADCASTS: All Albertson men’s basketball playoff games will be carried live on 1490 KCID-AM with Mike Safford Jr. calling the play-by-play, along with a simulcast via the Albertson Athletic Website.  Tuesday’s game will also be broadcast in Medford on 580 KCMX-AM with Pete Belcastro calling the play-by-play, with a simulcast via www.sousports.com.

 

LIVE STATS: Live stats of the Cascade Conference championship game will be available on the internet at www.sousports.com.

 

COYOTES CONTINUE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT MAGIC: Albertson has thrived in the Cascade Conference tourney under head coach Mark Owen, having won eight consecutive league playoff games and compiling an 11-1 record.  The lone loss was a 103-101 double-overtime game to Southern Oregon in 2002.  In their previous 11 CCC tournament appearances, the ‘Yotes have a combined 18-6 record, including titles in 1996, 2001, 2003, and 2004.

 

PREVIOUS CHAMPIONS:      1994   Northwest Nazarene  1995   Northwest Nazarene

1996   Albertson                1997   Western Baptist        1998   Western Baptist

1999   Southern Oregon      2000   Oregon Tech            2001   Albertson

2002   Western Baptist        2003   Albertson                2004   Albertson

 

ROAD WARRIORS, PART THREE? For the third time under Mark Owen, the Coyotes will be playing for the CCC title on hostile ground (Albertson beat Oregon Tech 64-46 in Caldwell last year).  The Purple and Gold took home the 2001 crown at Oregon Tech and the 2003 title at Concordia – currently boasting a perfect 6-0 record in road games in the tournament under Owen.

 

NAIA AT-LARGE PICTURE: According to the premier source of NAIA basketball, www.naiabasketball.net, the Coyotes are still alive for an at-large berth to the national tournament, even with a loss on Tuesday night.  Albertson would clinch a spot in the tourney with help from Concordia (Neb.) and Cedarville (Ohio), who would need to win their conference title games – allowing the ‘Yotes to be the final at-large selection.

 

IN THE TOURNEY: According to www.naiabasketball.net, the following teams have clinched an NAIA berth – St. Vincent (Pa.), Walsh (Ohio), Bluefield (N.C.), Tennessee Wesleyan, Dominican (Calif.), Oregon Tech, Trinity Christian (Ill.), Minot State (N.D.), Mayville State (S.D.), Embry-Riddle (Fla.), Northwestern (Iowa), William Jewell (Mo.), MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.), Tabor (Kan.), Indiana-Southeast, Ozarks (Mo.), St. Ambrose (Iowa), Fisher (Mass.), Southern Oregon, Concordia (Neb.), Huntington (Ind.), Taylor (Ind.), Cornerstone (Mich.), Indiana Tech, Western Baptist (Ore.).

 

ABOUT SOUTHERN OREGON: One of the top all-around teams and ‘Yote nemesis hosts Albertson on Tuesday night, No. 11 ranked Southern Oregon.  The Raiders (19-9) advanced to their second CCC title game with wins over Warner Pacific (62-58) and Western Baptist (90-85) – but has already secured a spot in the 32-team NAIA field.  Southern has won five consecutive CCC tournament home games, dating back to 1999, and has a 20-3 mark in McNeal Pavilion since the start of last season.  Cascade Conference Player of the Year, Shea Washington (20.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg), is a load to stop, as is sharpshooter Brad Coen (11.1 ppg), and CCC Newcomer of the Year, Jeff Williams (10.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg).

 

2004-05 COYOTES VS. RAIDERS: Southern Oregon has dominated Albertson, winning the last four meetings and 8-of-11.  Both games this season were close – the Coyotes leading with eight minutes to go in Ashland, before six late three-point baskets lifted the Raiders to an 84-73 victory.  In Caldwell, Southern built a 15-point second half lead that they would not relinquish, winning 74-65.  Shea Washington is averaging 18.5 points and ten boards vs. the Coyotes, with Brad Coen pouring in 16 per game.  It is the 47th meeting between the teams, with Albertson holding a 32-14 edge.

 

RECAP OF ‘YOTE WINS: Josh Owen (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS)hit a trey with 7:27 to give Albertson College the lead for good as the Coyotes opened the Cascade Conference Tournament with a 64-59 win over Evergreen on Wednesday night in Caldwell.  The visitors used a 13-2 run in the first half to build a 33-28 edge at halftime, however, the 'Yotes chipped away at the lead, tying the score at 44, 46, and 48, before Owen gave Albertson the lead at 51-50.  Free throws down the stretch by Rich Fried (Middleton, Idaho / Boise State), Steve Humphreys (Reno, Nev. / Lassen CC), and E.J. Costello (Pleasanton, Calif. / Chabot CC) kept the upset-minded Clams at bay. Humphreys led all scorers with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Costello had 14 points, and Fried 13.  Saturday night, Steve Humphreys hit a baseline jump shot with 56 seconds left, giving Albertson the lead for good, as the No. 21 ranked Coyotes upset No. 6 and top-seed Oregon Tech, 66-62.  Trailing 32-28 at the break, Albertson held the Owls without a field goal for nearly nine minutes in the second half, using a 16-1 run to build a 51-41 lead with nine minutes left.  OIT would not fold, using a 13-2 run of their own, capped by an Andre Lawrence floater with 3:31 left to give the hosts a 59-58 edge.  After the teams traded free throws, Lawrence, who led Tech with 22 points and 14 rebounds, missed the second of two freebies, leaving the game deadlocked at 62.  The ‘Yotes then worked the ball inside to Humphreys, who converted the five-footer giving Albertson the edge.  The Owls would miss two shots on the offensive end, and E.J. Costello hit two free throws to clinch the victory.  Humphreys led all scorers with 27 points, nine rebounds, and five blocked shots, with Costello scoring 14 for the victors, who ended a two-game skid to the Owls. 

 

GREEN NAMED TOP DEFENDER IN CCC: The legacy of point-guard Joe Green (Pocatello, Idaho / BYU-Idaho) will be one for the ages.  Add Cascade Conference Defensive Player of the Year to his resume, along with his second All-CCC selection – as the All-League teams were announced over the weekend.  The senior has rewritten the Albertson record books for steals in a career (now at 302), is second all-time with 490 assists – while ranking No. 1 in the NAIA in assist-to-turnover ratio and is No. 3 in steals per game. 

 

COSTELLO, HUMPHREYS ALSO HONORED: Both E.J. Costello and Steve Humphreys were both named this weekend to the All-CCC team as honorable mention selections.  Costello has come on strong over the final ten games of the regular-season, scoring in double figures in all ten games (a 17.8 average).  Humphreys has been the dominant player over the last seven games, averaging 20.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per night.  Costello leads the ‘Yotes with 83 made three-pointers, while Humphreys has a team-high 48 blocked shots.

 

 

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: Lady ‘Yotes to play for CCC Championship and NAIA Tournament berth at Western Baptist on Monday

 

LAST WEEK: Cascade Conference Tournament – quarterfinal vs. Evergreen (W 62-46), semifinal at No. 23 Oregon Tech (W 37-36).

 

COMING UP: Cascade Conference Tournament – championship game at Western Baptist, Monday, 7:30 p.m. (PST)

 

RADIO AND INTERNET BROADCAST: All remaining Albertson College women’s basketball postseason games will be broadcast live on 1490 KCID-AM with Mike Safford Jr. calling the action, along with a simulcast on the Albertson Athletic Website.  The game will also be broadcast live in Salem on 90.3 KWBX-FM with Mike Allegre calling the play-by-play.

 

LIVE STATS: Live stats of Monday’s game can be viewed online on the Western Baptist Athletics Website (www.wbc.edu/athletics).

 

COYOTES TO PLAY FOR THIRD CCC TITLE: For the third time in the ten-year history of the women’s basketball program, Albertson College will play for the Cascade Conference postseason championship and a trip to the NAIA Division II national tournament.  The Lady ‘Yotes lost to Northwest Nazarene in the 2000 CCC title game, and to Southern Oregon in the 2002 title game.

 

IF THE LADY ‘YOTES WIN: With a win, Albertson would make their fourth appearance in the NAIA tourney in Sioux City, Iowa.  The Coyotes advanced to the tournament in 1998 (losing in the first round), 2000 (advancing to the quarterfinals), and 2001 (losing to Northwestern of Iowa in the championship game).

 

ABOUT WESTERN BAPTIST: The Coyotes will meet Western Baptist in the title game on Monday.  The Warriors (23-9) had a six-game win streak snapped two weeks ago by both Eastern Oregon and Albertson, but topped Concordia (65-54) and Eastern (80-72) to sit one game of returning to the national tournament for the third time in four years.  The balanced Western attack is led by Freshman of the Year, Jessica Steigleman (13.3 ppg), while All-CCC point-guard Tosha Wilson (11.1 ppg, 4.2 apg) leads the league in steals.  The Warriors are the top free throw shooting club in the league (.741 percent), but are outrebounded by one board per game.

 

SEASON SERIES: Western took Game 1 of the 2004-05 series in Caldwell, 40-38.  A defensive struggle that was the lowest scoring game in Warrior school history, Jessi Schaumberg hit two free throws with 16 seconds left to lift Western.  Albertson came back on the final day of the regular-season to beat the Warriors in Salem, 68-57.  Valissa Sneck (Kalispell, Mont. / Sheridan CC) led the Coyotes with 20 points.  It is the 24th meeting between the teams, with Albertson leading 15-8.

 

TWO COYOTES ON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM: Senior post Kasey Hooter (Nampa, Idaho / Walla Walla CC) and junior wing Kim Strunk (Twin Falls, Idaho / Twin Falls HS) were named to the ten-person All-Cascade Conference team on Sunday night.  It is the second-such accolade for Hooter, who was an honorable mention selection last year.  Nikki McElligott of Oregon Tech was Player of the Year and Tom Loney of Oregon Tech was named Coach of the Year.

 

TOURNEY RECAP: Kasey Hooter recorded her 19th double-double of the season, scoring 19 points and grabbing 15 rebounds as the Albertson College women's basketball team opened the Cascade Conference postseason tournament with a 62-46 win over Evergreen on Tuesday night.  The victory for the Lady 'Yotes was their first playoff win since 2002 and their first home playoff win since the 1999-2000 season.  Albertson opened the game on a 11-3 run and never saw the lead fall lower than nine in the second half in winning their fifth-game in a row.  Kim Strunk had 15 points, including 9-of-9 shooting from the line, with Desirae Boudreaux (Provo, Utah / Western Wyoming CC) scoring five points, but pulling down 13 rebounds.  Three nights later, Strunk hit the second of two free throws with 36-seconds left, as the Lady ‘Yotes upset No. 23 ranked Oregon Tech, 37-36, at Danny Miles Court in a Cascade Conference tournament semifinal game.  Albertson jumped out to a 20-5 lead with 7:06 left in the first half, but did not score a field goal over the next 16 minutes, but led 27-17 with 11:31 left - after a Boudreaux jumper.  Tech rallied, tying the score for the only time in the game at 36-36 on a Samantha Gilbert lay-up with 1:22 left, but Strunk buried the freebie, and All-American Nikki McElligott missed a game-winning shot at the horn to end the contest.

 

LOWEST SCORING GAME IN SCHOOL HISTORY: The 73 points scored by the Coyotes was the lowest-combined scoring game in school history.  The previous mark was 77 in an Albertson 45-32 win over Eastern Oregon 1997.

 

LONGEST WIN STREAK SINCE?: With a weekend road sweep at Concordia and Western Baptist, the Albertson women’s basketball team extended its winning streak to four games heading into this week’s Cascade Conference postseason tournament.  The four-game streak is the longest for the team since winning five games in-a-row from Dec. 17, 2002 to January 4, 2003 – which is the longest win streak under head coach Reagan Rossi.

 

HOOTER BREAKS 400 REBOUND MARK:  Not only has Kasey Hooter moved into first-place on the single-season rebound list, she has become the first Lady ‘Yote to record over 400 boards in a single season.  Her 12.5 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 fifth in offensive rebounds per game.  Other parts of her game continue to excel – as Hooter leads the CCC in field goal percentage, while ranking No. 4 in the CCC in blocks per game (1.1) and No. 10 in scoring average.  Her 37 blocks this season are the fourth-most in a season for the Lady ‘Yotes, while the 45 career blocks are the fourth-most in school history.  Hooter has made 251-of-457 career shots, a .549 field goal percentage – tops in school history, while her 599 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. Valissa Sneck (Kalispell, Mont. / Sheridan CC) is tops on the single-season list for steals with 95, while among the top-ten in assists and free throw attempts.  Point-guard Angie Gribble (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) is third on the single-season assist list with 154, while ranking ninth in three-pointers made and eighth in three-pointers attempted.  Gribble also has 86 steals this season, No. 2 all-time.  Kim Strunk is also on the list, having made 138-of-168 free throws this season – third on the single-season list for made freebies and attempted.

 

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: Coyotes split games in Lewiston, open Regional play this weekend at home vs. Oregon Tech

LAST WEEK: at Guardian Heating and Plumbing Tournament, Lewiston – vs. No. 2 Lewis-Clark State (L 9-2), vs. British Columbia (L 5-2), vs. Eastern Oregon (W 16-9), vs. Oregon Tech (W 7-3).

COMING UP: at Northwest Nazarene, Tuesday, 4 p.m.; vs. Oregon Tech (DH), Saturday, Noon; vs. Oregon Tech (DH), Sunday, 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 Saturday and Sunday, with the Coyotes meeting Oregon Tech.  The games can also be heard on the internet at www.kiov.com.  Tuesday’s game vs. Northwest Nazarene will be carried live on 1140 KGEM-AM with George Dashiell calling the play-by-play.

BANANA BELT LIVES UP TO ITS NAME: After the Albertson baseball team was rained out of their entire Southern California road trip, the Coyotes went to the Banana Belt of Idaho for good weather.  The Guardian Heating and Plumbing tournament got all ten games in during the weekend, with balmy temperatures in the mid-50s.

COYOTES GET TWO WINS: After having defensive problems against Lewis-Clark State in a loss and bullpen woes against British Columbia, Albertson rebounded with the sticks against Eastern Oregon for their first road win of the year, the followed it up with good pitching in a victory over a much improved Oregon Tech squad.  The Coyotes head home with a 3-2 overall record.

RECAP OF THE WEEKEND: Lewis-Clark State 9, Albertson 2 – Josh Celigoy went 3-for-5 with four RBI as the No. 2 ranked Warriors got the win.  The Coyotes had trouble defensively, committing a season-high five errors in the contest.  Greg Stalling (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) had an RBI single for the Coyotes.  British Columbia 5, Albertson 2 – The ‘Yotes wasted a great pitching performance by Matt Bergstrom (Hermiston, Ore. / Hermiston HS), as UBC scored four eighth inning runs for the win.  Bergstrom allowed just four hits, one walk, and six strikeouts – surrendering a second inning home run to the T-Birds.  However, reliever Andrew Hall (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) issued back-to-back two-out RBI doubles to UBC, ending the ‘Yote chances.  Stalling and Charlie Strandlund (Victoria, B.C. / College of Southern Idaho) each had RBI singles.  Albertson 16, Eastern Oregon 9 – Strandlund and Nic Florence (Boise, Idaho / Cochise CC) each hit home runs, as the Coyotes outslugged Eastern.  Florence bomb, an eighth inning grand slam, gave Albertson an insurmountable lead.  The junior went 3-for-6 with five RBI in the game, with Robert Hamilton (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS) going 3-for-5 with two RBI.  Albertson 7, Oregon Tech 3 - Nate Freese (Vancouver, Wash. / Skyview HS) hit a two-run homer and freshman Joey Zubizarreta (Boise, Idaho / Cochise CC) pitched six strong innings as the topped Oregon Tech at Harris Field.  Freese went 2-for-4 at the plate, ripping his second collegiate home run in the third, giving the Coyotes a 3-1 lead.  The rest was left up to Zubizarreta, who gave up seven hits, walked one, and fanned three to get his first collegiate win.  Jeremy Feucht (Lewiston, Idaho / Lewiston HS), Carson Taysom (Pocatello, Idaho / Century HS), and Dominic De La Paz (Nampa, Idaho / Nampa HS) limited OIT to just one run over the final three innings to preserve the win.  Strandlund went 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI, with Drew Cauffman (Mountain Home, Idaho / Mountain Home HS) adding a RBI single as part of his 2-for-4 night.

WEEKEND PERFORMANCES: In Lewiston, the Coyotes saw ten different players record an RBI in a game.  Charlie Strandlund had a nice performance with the stick, going 4-for-12 with a double, homer, and three RBI – while stealing three bases.  Greg Stalling only hit 3-for-13, but all three hits drove in a run, and the junior also drew six walks.  On the mound, Dominic De La Paz appeared in three of the four games – tossing an inning of scoreless relief on each occasion.

GAME TWO VS. CRUSADERS: Albertson will play five games this week, beginning Tuesday with a single game at Northwest Nazarene.  The Coyotes defeated NNU 6-4 in the season opener in Caldwell on Feb. 8.  The Crusaders (5-4) are coming off a four-game sweep of Bethany College in California.  NNU is led by senior second-baseman Tim Andra (.412 1 HR 9 RBI) and hard-throwing righty Roger Evenson (1-1 2.21 ERA), who has 25 strikeouts with just one walk in 20 innings.  It is the 148th meeting between the teams, with Albertson holding a 112-35 edge.

OPENING UP REGIONAL PLAY: Albertson will open up NAIA Region I play on Saturday, hosting Oregon Tech in a four-game series.  The first three games will be nine inning contests that count in the regional standings, the fourth is a seven inning, non-conference game.  The Owls (3-3) look to be one of the more improved teams in the region this season – as they return NAIA Region I Player of the Year Ryan Wilson (.358 13 HR 47 RBI last year).  Wilson had five RBI on Saturday in a 7-1 victory over Lewis-Clark State.  Senior right-hander John Jefferson is OIT’s top pitcher – who tossed a complete game five-hitter in the LC-State win.  The Coyotes topped OIT on Sunday in Lewiston and now leads the all-time series 30-6.

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 head to Arizona in search of good weather and games
 
LAST WEEK: Whitworth Triangular, Spokane, Wash. – vs. Whitworth (L 13-0, L 3-0), vs. Eastern Oregon (L 7-0, W 2-1); vs. Utah Valley State (L 4-3, L 6-0)
 
FIRST DAY BLUES IN SPOKANE: Leaving Caldwell at 5:30 a.m. for a 1 p.m. doubleheader caught the Albertson College softball team off guard, as the Lady ‘Yotes struggled in Day 1 of the Whitworth Triangular.  The Coyotes opened up play against Whitworth, a team picked to finish second in the Division III Northwest Conference and dropped a 13-0 decision.  Albertson committed four errors in the game and managed just four hits – one of them being a Tiffany Kerns (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) double.  Eastern Oregon took the nightcap as well, 7-0, as four more errors led to five unearned runs.  Freshman Jen Ward (Nampa, Idaho / Skyview HS) had two of the Coyotes four hits.
 
LADIES TAKE MYTHICAL I-84 CUP: Albertson rebounded on Saturday, opening up play with a 2-1 victory over Eastern Oregon – hoisting the mythical I-84 Cup for only the second time in school history.  Tiffany Mathews (Las Vegas, Nev. / Eldorado HS) had two hits, including a double, while Nicole Rollins (Heyburn, Idaho / Burley HS) singled home Kira Leaton (Boise, Idaho / Centennial HS) with the winning run with two out in the seventh.  True freshman Tiana Siddoway (Rexburg, Idaho / Madison HS) shook off early jitters (a school-record four hit batters) to get the win, giving up just five hits and striking out two.   Albertson dropped the second game of the day, a 3-0 loss to Whitworth.  Anna Schroeder (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) went 2-for-4 in the loss.

 

UTAH VALLEY FLEXES D-I MUSCLE: Utah Valley State spoiled the home opener for the Albertson College softball team, sweeping the Coyotes 4-3 and 6-0 at Symms Field on Sunday.  The NAIA Lady 'Yotes took a 3-2 lead in Game 1 on a fifth-inning Kira Leaton single.  However, the NCAA Division I Wolverines tied the score in the sixth, then won it in the seventh on back-to-back triples from Rachel Hartgrove and Crystal Young.  Game 2 saw Utah Valley ride the back of pitcher Erika Jones, who tossed a three-hit shutout.  Amanda Kendiztor had a triple, an inside-the-park homer, and three RBI in the win.

 
SUNNY DAYS AHEAD: Albertson will make their first appearance in the Tucson Invitational Games – a 106 team tournament that stretches from February to late March in Arizona.  This will be the second trip for the Lady ‘Yotes outside of the Northwest – Albertson opened up the 2002 season with ten games in Southern California.
 
SIZING UP THE TUCSON FIELD: The Coyotes open up tournament play on Thursday with three games.  Up first is Clarke College of Dubuque, Iowa.  The Crusaders (25-23 in 2004) are the two-time defending Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference champions and return All-League player Melissa Riesberg (.296, 11 RBI).  They have advanced to back-to-back NCAA Division III regional tournaments.  Game 2 pits the Coyotes against Iowa Wesleyan out of Mount Pleasant, Iowa.  The Tigers (29-30 in 2004) finished fifth in the NAIA Midwest Classic Conference race – but lost three All-League players to graduation.  Rounding out Thursday is a game with Concordia-Irvine.  The Eagles (5-0 in 2005) have already beaten CCC rival Southern Oregon and are powered by the 1-2 punch of Bambi Finley (2 HR 8 RBI) and Tracy Clark (1 HR 7 RBI).  Friday opens with perennial NAIA power, Biola.  The Eagles (10-0 in 2005) are off to a resounding start, as Sarah Jensen (7-for-11, 4 RBI) and Katie Gustaveson (2-0 0.00 ERA, 18 K) have played very well.  Day 2 ends with Gallaudet of Washington, D.C.  The Bison (10-20 in 2004), an NCAA Division III team, return leading hitter Laura Lohmeyer (.402 2 HR 27 RBI).  The final day of action has games versus three NAIA teams.  Judson College of Elgin, Ill. will break in new coach Becky Bruns in Tucson.  Game 2 features Jamestown of North Dakota, a team that has qualified in the past to the NAIA Women’s World Series.  However, the Jimmies (23-29 in 2004) have a young club making their debut.  Rounding out the tourney is Trinity International of Deerfield, Ill.  The Crusaders (0-3 in 2005) lost three games over the weekend at the Southern Illinois-Edwardsville tournament, but are led by slugger Bryanne McClurg (2-for-8 HR, 3 RBI).
 

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 243-223-1 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. 

 

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 -