Yote Notes – Feb. 27, 2007

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@collegeofidaho.edu

ATHLETIC NEWS:

SOFTBALL DINNER/AUCTION: The 4th Annual ACI Softball Dinner-Auction is slated for March 10 on the ACI campus. For more information, including tickets, contact Al Mendiola at 459-5113.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL STEAK LUNCHEON: The 3rd Annual ACI Women's Basketball Steak Luncheon is set for April 4th at the Outback Steakhouse on Karcher Road in Nampa.  The event, which costs $15, will run from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and features a menu of steak and chicken, along with potatoes and salad.  All proceeds help the Lady Yotes in their fundraising efforts.  To purchase tickets, contact Reagan Rossi at 459-5855.

MEN’S BASKETBALL (19-7): Coyotes earn at-large berth to the NAIA Division II National Tournament

COMING UP: NAIA Division II National Championships, Point Lookout, Mo. – March 7-13 (Brackets released on March 1).

LAST WEEK: vs. Eastern Oregon (L 70-65)

COYOTES HEADED TO NAIA TOURNAMENT: The ACI men’s basketball team has clinched an at-large berth to the NAIA Division II National Tournament, to be held in Point Lookout, Mo., from March 7-13. The Coyotes will be the No. 6 or No. 7 at-large team in the 32-team tournament – the fifth time in the seven years under head coach Mark Owen, that ACI has reached the National Tournament.

MORE ON THE TOURNAMENT: The tourney berth is the 17th time that the Coyotes have advanced to Nationals, most in the Cascade Conference. ACI last qualified in 2005, when the dropped an 82-70 decision to Flagler (Fla.) in the first-round. The Yotes reached the pinnacle in 1996, winning the National Championship over Whitworth College, 81-72 – the only four-year men’s basketball national championship from the State of Idaho.

RADIO BROADCAST AT NATIONALS: All Coyote games from the NAIA Division II National Tournament will be broadcast live on 1490 KCID-AM with Mike Safford Jr. calling the play-by-play.

LIVE VIDEO OF COYOTE GAMES: All Coyote basketball games from the NAIA Tournament will have live video and audio available, thanks to a partnership between the NAIA and XOS Technologies. Fans can buy an all-tournament pass for $24.95 or single games for $7.95 by going to www.collegesportsdirect.com. Live audio, however, will not be available on the ACI Athletic Website.

LIVE STATS: Live stats will be available from the NAIA Tournament through the NAIA Website at www.naia.org.

TEAMS THAT HAVE QUALIFIED: Automatic Qualifiers – Bellevue (Neb.), MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.), Point Park (Pa.), Huntington (Ind.), Oregon Tech, Warner Pacific (Ore.), Kansas Wesleyan, Walsh (Ohio), Northwestern (Iowa), Sioux Falls (S.D.), Cedarville (Ohio), Mayville State (N.D.), Holy Names (Calif.), Evangel (Mo.), William Penn (Iowa), Aquinas (Mich.), Bluefield (Va.), Friends (Kan.), King (Tenn.), Trinity International (Ill.), Florida Memorial, Spalding (Ky.), Fisher (Mass.). At-Large Qualifiers – Indiana Wesleyan, Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio), St. Francis (Ind.), Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.), Northwest (Wash.), ACI, Cornerstone (Mich.), Northwood (Fla.). Host School – Ozarks (Mo.)

OF THE QUALIFIERS: Three teams in the 32-team field have records near or below .500 – Trinity International, Florida Memorial, and Fisher. Seven of the teams in the field have won previous NAIA titles – ACI in 1996, Cornerstone in 1999, Northwestern in 2001 and 2003, Evangel in 2002, Oregon Tech in 2004, Walsh in 2005, and the College of the Ozarks in 2006.

AGAINST TEAMS IN THE FIELD: Outside of the Cascade Conference teams in the tourney, the Yotes have met seven other teams in this years tourney. ACI is 3-1 all-time against Bellevue (last meeting in 2003), 2-1 against MidAmerica Nazarene (last in 1999), 1-0 against Walsh (1996), 0-1 against Northwestern (2001), 1-0 against Friends (1962), 1-0 against Mount Vernon Nazarene (1989), and is 1-1 vs. Dakota Wesleyan (last meeting in 2003).

HOME SWEET HOME: Big crowds for years have helped make the J.A. Albertson Activities Center one of the toughest gyms in the Northwest to play. Since the facility opened in 1991, ACI has posted a 176-40 all-time record on its hardwood (.815 win percentage), including a 101-24 mark in CCC play (.808 percentage). Caldwell has been a tough place in general for Coyote opponents, as ACI has posted a 294-49 mark at home since 1982 (.857 percentage), including a 56-game win streak at O’Connor Fieldhouse from Mar. 5, 1983 to Dec. 19, 1987.

20-WIN SEASONS: A first-round NAIA Tournament victory would give the Coyotes their sixth 20-win season under Mark Owen in seven seasons as head coach. From 1933 to 1982, Coyote team had just one 20-win season (Northwest Conference championship team of 1955) – but in the last 25 years, the Yotes have recorded 19 20-win seasons, 14 of them under NAIA Hall of Fame coach Marty Holly.

CAREER NUMBERS: Three different Coyotes are currently climbing the career record book lists. Josh Owen (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) currently ranks No. 1 in free throw percentage (.873, 178-of-204 attempts), is No. 3 all-time in three-point field goals made (183) and attempted (472), and is in the Top-15 in steals (116) and assists (217), and points scored (1,037). Senior Brandon Nielsen (Twin Falls, Idaho / Big Bend CC) is No. 6 in three-point attempts (393) and is in the Top-15 in three-pointers made (138), while fellow senior, Ike Stafford (Auburn, Wash. / Salt Lake CC) is No. 4 in three-point percentage (.451), and is in the Top-15 in three-pointers made (143) and attempted (317).

CHAMP NAMED DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Coyote guard Bryan Champ (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) was named last week Cascade Conference Defensive Player of the Year in balloting among the ten CCC coaches. The sophomore led the league with 66 steals – recording at least one steal in 25 of the Coyotes 26 games, ranking among the NAIA’s Top-10 in the category. It marks the second time in three seasons that the Yotes have won the award – current assistant coach Joe Green won the defensive honor in 2005.

YOTES LAND TWO ON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM: Also earning honors from the Cascade Conference were senior Ike Stafford and sophomore Craig McGee (Boise, Idaho / Centennial HS), who were selected to the All-CCC team. Stafford, who was an honorable mention selection a year ago, was named to the first-team after leading ACI in scoring average and three-pointers made. McGee was named to the honorable mention team after averaging 11 points and six rebounds a game. Warner Pacific guard Scott O’Gallagher was named Player of the Year, Oregon Tech coach Dan Miles was named Coach of the Year, and Concordia forward Matt Ochs was named Freshman of the Year.

YOTES DROP CCC QUARTERFINAL GAME: Mark Carollo scored 18 of his game-high 20 points in the first half, as Eastern Oregon upset the Coyotes, 70-65, in a Cascade Conference Postseason Tournament quarterfinal game last Wednesday. The win for the Mountaineers gave the No. 5 seed their first playoff win in recent memory and set a new school record for wins in a season.  After ACI ook a 9-5 lead early in the game on a Josh Owen four-point play, the Mounties used a 17-2 run, capped by a Vernon Cropper trey, to take a 22-11 edge.  After the Yotes would cut the margin to 30-28 with four minutes left, Eastern closed the half on a 13-2 spurt, with a Carollo four-point play with ten seconds left to balloon the margin to 43-30 at the break. EOU would take a 50-32 lead early in the second half, but the Yotes would rally, using a 14-4 run to cut the lead to eight.  They would get as close as 68-65 with 35-seconds left on a Brandon Nielsen three, but two Jeremy Templeton free throws sealed the upset. Templeton had 12 points and Paul Carollo added 12 points and 12 rebounds in the win for Eastern.  ACI got 13 points and eight rebounds from freshman Steffen Spinks (Manteca, Calif. / East Union HS), and 12 points from both Nielsen and Owen.

RECAP OF CCC TOURNAMENT: The opening round of the tournament had a big shocker, as Evergreen State upset top-seeded Oregon Tech, 89-83, joining Eastern Oregon, Northwest, and Warner Pacific in the semifinals. WP withstood the Evergreen upset big, 91-83, while Eastern rallied to defeat Northwest, 61-60. The title game had WP rally from a six-point halftime deficit to defeat EOU, 58-51.

100-POINT GAMES REACH FIVE: So far this season, ACI has topped the 100-point mark in a game on five occasions (129 vs. Montana-Western, 116 vs. Willamette, 111 vs. Evergreen State, 101 vs. Southern Oregon, 101 vs. Warner Pacific). It marks the first time since 1996 since the Coyotes have accomplished the feat, but still well off the school record for 100-point games in a season – seven, set during the 1990-91 season.

MORE INFORMATION ON THE COYOTES: For game stories, statistics, and information regarding the ACI men’s basketball program, head to the official site Coyote Basketball: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mensbasketball.htm.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (19-10): Lady Yotes season ends at Corban, three players named to All-CCC team

LAST WEEK: vs. Warner Pacific (W 74-62), at Corban (L 76-64)

COMING UP: Season Complete

LADY YOTES LOSE IN CCC SEMIFINALS: Jessi Norton scored 23 points and Corban College had a sizeable edge at the free throw line, as the Warriors defeated the Lady Yotes, 76-64, in a Cascade Conference Tournament semifinal at the C.E. Jeffers Center. Trailing 35-28 at the break, the Lady Yotes closed the gap to 39-38 early in the period, but Norton canned a three in the right corner to start a 9-0 Corban run to build the margin to 48-38 with 15 minutes left.  ACI would rally, scoring eight in a row to close within 48-46 with 11:51 left - as close as they would get the rest of the way.  After Corban built a 60-49 margin with 7:52 left, ACI had one last push, with a Denise Hill (Eugene, Ore. / Boise State U.) lay-up cutting the margin to 64-60.  The Yotes had two defensive stops, but missed four shots on the ensuing possessions and could not get over the hump.  The Warriors clinched the game at the foul line, outscoring the Coyotes, 30-11 at the stripe in the win. Jessica Steigleman had 15 points and Brianne Carras had 13 points and 13 rebounds in the win for Corban.  ACI was pld by 13 points and 12 rebounds from Hill, with Christon Vander Esch (Grangeville, Idaho / Treasure Valley CC) adding 12 points in the loss.

CORBAN-EASTERN OREGON HEAD TO NATIONALS: With the win on Friday, Corban joined Eastern Oregon as the two Cascade Conference teams to earn automatic berths to the NAIA Division II National Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa. Corban won the CCC Tournament title on Monday, topping Eastern, 59-58.

THREE COYOTES EARN ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS: Three ACI players were named to the All-Cascade Conference team, released on Friday afternoon. Both Whitney Clark (Jerome, Idaho / Northwest Nazarene U.) and Jori Grady (Roseburg, Ore. / Umpqua CC) were named to the All-CCC first-team, with Denise Hill earning honorable mention honors. Clark, a junior, earned three first-place votes from CCC coaches and was third in the balloting – leading the Yotes in scoring. Grady, a senior, who led the club in steals, earned All-CCC honors for the second-straight season – along with earning a spot on the CCC All-Defensive Team. Hill had a solid junior season for the Lady Yotes, recording a team-high seven double-doubles – including three in her final four games of the season.

END OF THE ROAD FOR SENIORS: The conclusion of the season meant the end of the line for the two seniors on the ACI roster. Jori Grady and Whitney Martin (Paul, Idaho / Boise State U.) will be missed by the ACI staff and by all of the Coyote fans. Thanks for the memories!

RECORD BREAKING SEASON: The 2006-07 season saw the Lady Yotes tie the second-longest win streak in school history (nine) and earn a No. 24 ranking in the NAIA poll – the first Top-25 appearance in five seasons. ACI also saw the record for steals in a game broken (11 steals by Christon Vander Esch against Willmette), while the mark for field goal percentage in a game was tied twice (5-for-5 by both Katee Brewer (Arco, Idaho / Butte County HS) and Allie Dreadfulwater (Grangeville, Idaho / Grangeville HS)). As a team, the Lady Yotes set a new mark for free throw percentage in a game (15-for-16 against Cascade), while setting a new single-season record for steals with 484.

RECORD BOOK UPDATED: The entire ACI women’s basketball record book has been updated, through the 2006-07 season – including game, season, and career records.

COYOTES GO OVER 100-WIN MARK: Playing at home has always been a big key for the Lady Yotes, as ACI ended the season with a 102-41 all-time record in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center. This year’s team excelled in Caldwell, completing the year with a 12-2 mark.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For up-to-date statistics, stories, and information about the ACI women’s basketball team, head to the official website for the Lady Yotes – www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wmensbasketball.htm.

ALPINE SKIING: Coyotes qualify for USCSA National Championships

LAST WEEK: at USCSA Western Regionals, Red Lodge Mont. – Women 2nd-place, Men 3rd-place

COMING UP: Idle until USCSA National Championships, Winter Park, Colo., March 5-10.

ALPINE TEAMS HEADED TO NATIONALS: The ACI alpine ski teams both qualified for the USCSA

National Championships over the weekend with Top-5 finishes at the Western Regionals in Red Lodge, Mont. The men’s team will head to Nationals for the fifth-consecutive year, while the women’s team will head to Nationals for the ninth-straight season.

BULLARD LEADS LADY YOTES TO SECOND PLACE FINISH: The Lady Yotes were unable to claim their second-straight regional title, finishing three team points behind Rocky Mountain in the race for the crown. In the giant slalom, ACI finished five seconds behind front-running Rocky Mountain, and two seconds behind rival, British Columbia.  Molly Bullard (Boring, Ore. / Sandy HS) led the way with a second-place finish for the Yotes, with sophomores Nicki Maxwell (Belfry, Mont. / Red Lodge HS) (17th place) and Jessica Wise (Reno, Nev. / Wooster HS) (21st place) comprising the ACI scoring effort. In the slalom, Bullard led the way for the Lady Yotes, winning the event by over two seconds – placing second in the alpine combined.

MEN GUT OUT A FOURTH PLACE FINISH: The ACI men did not have their best performance of the season, but it was good enough to move to the National Championships – as the Coyotes placed fifth (fourth in USCSA scoring teams) overall. In the giant slalom, the Yotes finished 20 seconds behind first-place Rocky Mountain, led by William Moss (Bountiful, Utah / Western State Coll.). ACI rebounded for a third-place finish in the slalom. The Yotes were paced by a 13th-place finish from Tom Elias (Bloomfield Hills, Mich. / Oakland Univ.) and a 14th-place finish from Matt Weaver (Aurora, Ohio / Aurora HS). 

ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS: The USCSA has announced its All-America scholar-athletes for the 2007 season, with five Coyotes earning the honor. Kevin Makinson (Richland, Wash. / Richland HS) was the lone male scholar-athlete, while Dove Rainbow (Sandpoint, Idaho / Sandpoint HS), Molly Bullard, Nicki Maxwell, and Jessica Wise all earned honors for the women. The ACI athletic department has 15 scholar-athletes honored by the USCSA and the NAIA thus far this season.

HISTORY: Since 1979, the ACI ski program (alpine, nordic, snowboard) has won a combined 21 NCSA or USCSA team national championships, along with 15 individual NCSA or USCSA national championships.  Current snowboarder Evan Williams is a two-time national champ - winning the 2005 Snowboardcross and 2006 Halfpipe championships.

NATIONAL RANKINGS: Both the ACI men and the ACI women were ranked No. 8 in the USCSA preseason poll, released in November.

ABOUT THE COACH: Ron Bonneau is in his 17th season as head coach for the ACI alpine ski programs.  During his tenure at ACI, the native of New Hampshire has seen the Coyote men's team qualify for the USCSA championships on nine occasions, with the women's team making appearances 12 times.  His 2004 women's squad finished second in the nation and fourth in the alpine combined.  The Yotes have seen much success in the 21st Century, as both the men's and women's programs, under Bonneau's direction, have won four-consecutive Northwest Collegiate Ski Conference championships, with the Lady Yotes taking home Western Region championships in 1999, 2003, and 2006.  His women's teams have advanced to eight-straight USCSA championships, finishing in the Top-8 on each occasion.  Bonneau, a graduae of Plymouth State College, replaced Tom Olson as the alpine coach in 1991 - and worked with Chris Melgaard on the nordic side, to claim the women's nordic national championships in 1994 and 1995.  During his tenure, Bonneau has coached five national champions, 30 All-Americans, and 60 All-America Scholar-Athletes

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the ACI alpine ski program, head to the official homepage of the Coyotes - www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/skiing.htm.

SWIMMING: Coyotes set to compete at NAIA Championships

OFF TO NATIONALS: For the second-straight season, the ACI swim team will be sending individual and relay qualifiers to the NAIA Championships, held this year in San Antonio, Texas. Last season, the men’s team finished 11th, while the women’s team failed to earn a team point.

NATIONAL MEET TEAMS: A total of 16 teams competed in both men’s and women’s swimming in the NAIA – ACI, Asbury (Ky.), Berea (Ky.), Biola (Calif.), British Columbia, California Baptist, Cumberlands (Ky.), Delhi (N.Y.), Illinois Tech, King (Tenn.), Lambuth (Tenn.), Lindenwood (Mo.), Morningside (Iowa), Savannah A&D (Ga.), Simon Fraser (B.C.), and Union (Ky.). Eight teams compete in women’s only events – Bruneau (Ga.), California State-East Bay, John Brown (Ark.), Mills (Calif.), Notre Dame (Ohio), Point Park (Pa.), Regina (Sask.), and Stephens (Mo.).

AUTOMATIC NATIONAL QUALIFIERS: The Coyotes qualified one men’s swimmer and three women’s swimmers in individual events, while the Yotes qualified three relay teams in each gender. Individuals - John Green (Pleasanton, Calif. / Foothill HS) (50-Free, 100-Free), Alphonsina Savell (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS) (100-Breast, 200-Breast, 100-Free), Elizabeth Peters (Woodburn, Ore. / Woodburn HS) (50-free, 100-free), Ellen Judd (Missoula, Mont. / Sentinel HS) (200-Breast).  Relays - Men's (200-Free, 400-Free, 200-Medley), Women's (200-Free, 400-Free, 200-Medley).

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the ACI swim teams, head to the official homepage of the Coyotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/swim.htm.

BASEBALL (7-2): Coyotes sweep Puget Sound, set to open Region I play with three-game set vs. Corban

LAST WEEK: vs. Puget Sound (W 10-5, W 5-4, W 7-0)

COMING UP: vs. Corban (DH), Friday, 1 p.m.; vs. Corban, Saturday, 11 a.m.

INTERNET BROADCAST: The first game of Friday’s doubleheader, along with Saturday’s single game are expected to be carried live on the ACI Athletic Website www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/caa/radio.htm with Mike Safford calling the play-by-play. Archives of previous games can be found online at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/baseball/2007Radio.htm.

VOTES IN NAIA POLL: The Coyotes earned 14 votes in the preseason NAIA Top-25 poll, released in November, good enough for a No. 34 ranking. Defending NAIA champion, Lewis-Clark State, was the No. 1 team in the poll, with rival British Columbia at No. 5. The first regular-season NAIA poll is expected to be released on Wednesday, Feb. 28.

AROUND THE REGION: Rain hampered teams trying to compete in the Yamhill County Baseball Classic last weekend, as Saturday and Sunday games were washed away. Concordia earned a victory over Linfield, but dropped a lopsided game to Pacific Lutheran, along with a pair of games at the University of Portland. British Columbia opened the week with three losses in Southern California (The Masters, UC-Riverside, Cal Poly-SLO), then dropped games at George Fox and Pacific Lutheran. Corban played just one game on the week and it was a win at Linfield, while Lewis-Clark State kept rolling, sweeping their own tournament with wins over Missouri-Western, Western Oregon, and Saint Martin’s. Oregon Tech was idle last week.

ABOUT CORBAN: ACI opens up NAIA Region I play this weekend, hosting a three-game series at Simplot Stadium against Corban College. The Warriors (4-5-1) are led by first-year head coach, Nate Mayben – and have notched wins this season against Simpson, Patten, and Linfield. They are paced on the mound by All-CCC pitcher Jordan Emery (0-2 7.50 ERA) and Scott Fitchett (0-1 9.28 ERA), while their offense is led by SS Ryan Heil (.550 2 RBI), 1B Brett Timmerman (.368 4 RBI), and 3B Darren Johnson (.333 5 RBI). As a team, Corban has swung the bat well thus far, compiling a .338 team batting average – but has struggled on the mound, as the staff ERA is 8.36. ACI won 5-of-6 meetings last year and holds a 62-9 all-time series edge, dating back to 1990.

ROACH CONTINUES TO IMPRESS: Leading the way for the Coyotes on the mound is Jason Roach (Sacramento, Calif. / Sacramento City CC), who has been dominant in his three starts this season. The senior has thrown six or more innings in each of his appearances, allowing two runs or less in each, while allowing just seven hits in 19 innings of work. Roach has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of over 4:1 (21 strikeouts to just five walks), with opposing batters hitting just .127 against the NAIA All-American.

LEFTIES STRUGGLING AGAINST YOTES: So far this season, left-handed batters have been dominated by ACI pitchers, as opposing lefties are just 10-for-88 at the plate, a paltry.114 batting average. The two biggest culprits on the Yotes are Jason Roach, who has retired 23 of the 24 lefties to face him this season, and Andrew Brock (Burnaby, B.C. / Douglas CC), who has set down all 15 left-handed batters he has faced this year. On the flip side, ACI batters have feasted on left-handed pitching, recording a .356 batting average.

OLIVER GOES DEEP TWICE: During the weekend series with Puget Sound, the wind was blowing out to left field – a rarity at Simplot Stadium. Taking full advantage of the jet stream was Casey Oliver (Pocatello, Idaho / Coll. of Southern Idaho), who hit a pair of solo home runs in the series. It marked the first time that an ACI had hit multiple home runs in a series since May of 2005 – when Charlie Strandlund went deep twice in a series at Concordia.

DEBUTS BY THE TRANSFERS: A pair of junior college transfers made their ACI debuts this weekend against Puget Sound. Richie Snider (Sandpoint, Idaho / Porterville CC) got the call at designated hitter, going 3-for-7 with a double – but also drew four walks. Also making a splash at the plate was Adam Roach (Sacramento, Calif. / New Mexico Highlands U.), who went 3-for-9 with three runs scored in the series – including a key three-run home run in the Sunday victory.

ABOUT THE SKIPPER: The 2007 season marks the 20th year in the Albertson College of Idaho baseball program for head coach Shawn Humberger, his seventh year as Coyote skipper. Last season, he led the squad to a 36-20 mark, their second-straight Cascade Conference championship, and a runner-up finish at the NAIA Region I Tournament. During his tenure, Humberger has compiled a 212-142-1 record, including a third-place finish at the 2002 NAIA College World Series. He has been named CCC Baseball Coach of the Year in 2002, 2005, and 2006, along with earning NAIA Region I Coach-of-the-Year and CCC Men's Coach-of-the-Year for all sports in 2002. A native of Twin Falls, Humberger graduated from Twin Falls High, played for the College of Southern Idaho for two seasons, and played at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas for one year. In 1984, Humberger was part of the CSI national championship junior-college team. In addition, he was named to the 1985 Junior College All-America team. Humberger, a 1989 Albertson graduate, also served as the facilities coordinator for the J.A. Albertson Activities Center for ten years, is a physical education instructor at the College, and coached Nampa's American Legion baseball program for eight seasons. 

RECAP OF PUGET SOUND SERIES: Day 1 – ACI 10, Puget Sound 5; ACI 5, Puget Sound 4: A pinch-hit, walk-off RBI double by Drew Echanis (Ontario, Ore. / Western Oregon U.) capped a two-run rally in the bottom of the eighth inning of Game 2, as ACI completed a sweep of Puget Sound, topping the Loggers 10-5 and 5-4 at a frigid Simplot Stadium. After UPS had taken a 4-3 lead in the top of the frame on a long Joe Newland home run, the Coyotes would rally against closer Shaun Kiriu.  Tyler Smith (Fruitland, Idaho / Lower Columbia CC) led off with a walk and moved to third on a Casey Oliver single, with Oliver moving to second when centerfielder Gregorio Beck misplayed the ball.  Pat Burke (Sisters, Ore. / Sisters HS) would tie that game with an infield out, with Echanis, hitting in the designated hitter spot after Richie Snider was lifted in the seventh for a pinch runner, ripping a ball into the left-centerfield gap to win the game. Joey Zubizarreta (Boise, Idaho / Cochise CC) got the win for the Yotes, tossing three innings of relief, allowing just the Newland home run.  Ryan Gutsafson got a no-decision for the Loggers (1-4-1), throwing a gutsy seven innings - allowing just two earned runs on ten hits. ACI used a six-run sixth inning to bust open a 2-0 game in the opener.  Oliver led off the frame with a solo homer to left field, followed by a Burke double, a Snider walk, and a Dane McGrady (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) bunt base hit.  Jacob Garsez (Caldwell, Idaho / Columbia Basin CC) laced a two-run single and the Yotes were in control. Jason Roach was stellar in his third start of the year, allowing one run on three hits in seven innings of work - striking out a season high ten batters.  UPS did make it interesting in the ninth, scoring four runs - three on a Michael Olsen home run, but the Coyotes hung on. Burke and Oliver each had four hits for the Coyotes in the twinbill, while Kiriu had four hits for the Loggers. Day 2 – ACI 7, Puget Sound 0: Three pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout and the Coyotes hit two home runs as the Yotes completed a three-game sweep of the University of Puget Sound with a 7-0 victory this Sunday at Simplot Stadium. Carson Taysom (Pocatello, Idaho / Century HS) went five innings of two-hit ball, striking out six to pick up his second win of the season.  The senior left-hander carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning.  Pat Lyon (Bonners Ferry, Idaho / Bonners Ferry HS) came on and retired six of the seven men he faced, with Tim Bourner (Buhl, Idaho / Treasure Valley CC) setting the Loggers in order in the eighth and ninth to preserve the Yotes third shutout of the year. ACI got on the board early, as a Burke infield single scored Oliver from third to make it 1-0 in the first.  After a walk, Adam Roach launched a three-run homer to left-center to give the Yotes all the runs they would need.  Oliver would add to the lead in the fifth, extending his hitting streak to ten games with a solo home run of his own, making in 6-0.  The Coyotes would cap the scoring in the seventh on a Camron Hammond (St. Anthony, Idaho / South Fremont HS) RBI double. Brian Champ (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) had the lone multi-hit day for the Coyotes, going 2-for-4 with a run scored and a pair of nice plays at third-base.

MORE INFORMATION ON THE COYOTES: For game stories, statistics, and information regarding the ACI baseball program, head to the official site Coyote baseball: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/baseball.htm. Up to date regional scores and standings can also be found online at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/baseball/stats/standings.htm.

SOFTBALL (6-4): Lady Yotes to host Idaho State in first-ever match-up between schools

COMING UP: vs. Idaho State (DH), Friday, 2 p.m.

LAST WEEK: at Menlo (W 8-3, W 8-2), vs. Whitworth (L 5-3, L 3-1, L 12-2)

NAIA NATIONAL POLL: The preseason NAIA Top-25 coaches poll was released on February 1, with just one Cascade Conference team in the rankings (No. 15 Oregon Tech). Region I foe, Simon Fraser, was also in the rankings at No. 3. ACI was ranked in the regional top-five for the first-time ever last season, coming in at No. 5 for two weeks.

CAPITOL CUP WASHED OUT: The Lady Yotes, along with CCC rivals Oregon Tech, Concordia, and Corban, all saw their games rained out in the Willamette Valley over the weekend – as the Capitol Cup was cancelled due to weather. Over two inches of rain fell on Saturday and Sunday in Portland – making it impossible for field conditions to be suitable.

AROUND THE CONFERENCE: The only CCC team to play last week was Southern Oregon, who traveled to Riverside, Calif. for a tournament hosted by Cal Baptist. The Raiders dropped a pair of lopsided games to both Dixie State and host Cal Baptist, while splitting a pair against Cal State-San Marcos – including their first win of the season in a 17-13 victory.

BEST START EVER: The Lady Yotes opened up the season with four consecutive wins to advance to the championship game of the Priscilla Benham Classic in Manteca, Calif. on Feb. 17. It broke the previous mark of three wins to open the season, set in 2003, and the six wins with just one loss broke the record for most wins with one loss to open the season, as the 2003 team opened 3-1.

A D-I TEAM IN CALDWELL?: It would never fly in football or basketball, but for the third-straight season, the Lady Yotes will host an NCAA Division I team in softball, as Idaho State comes to Caldwell for a Friday doubleheader, followed on Saturday with ISU playing doubleheader against Eastern Oregon at Symms Field. The last two years, Utah Valley State and ACI played home-and-home series – with the Lady Yotes notching their lone victory against a D-I opponent on Easter Sunday in 2006 (the Coyotes are 1-8 all-time against D-I teams).

ABOUT THE BENGALS: It is the first year of intercollegiate softball at ISU, with skipper Larry Stocking still looking for his first win in Pocatello. The Bengals (0-9) have played stiff competition (including Iowa, North Carolina, No. 2 ranked Arizona State) – but are in the midst of a two-week layoff. Boise native Heather Dixon (.333 4 HR 9 RBI) has been the top hitter so far this season, as ISU has a respectable .243 team batting average. Their problems have been in the field, as the Bengals boast a 10.00 team ERA, along with 18 errors in nine games.

HOT STARTS AT THE PLATE: Five different regulars have .350 or better batting averages after the first ten games of the season – as ACI has a team batting average of 3.01. Leading the way is fourth-year starter Anna Anderson (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS), who has hit safely in eight of the nine games – going 14-for-30 at plate with 11 runs scored and seven RBI. Heather Kirtley (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) is 9-for-21 at the bat, also with seven stolen bases. Transfer Amy Rhoades (Eagle, Idaho / Dixie State Coll.) is hitting .391 in eight games, with sluggers Katie Zillner (Emmett, Idaho / Chicago State U.) hitting .367 with eight RBI and Stacy Smith (Draper, Utah / Juan Diego HS) hitting .350 with two doubles and three RBI.

SACRIFICE MACHINE: With Anna Anderson getting aboard so frequently this season out of the leadoff role, No. 2 hitter Heather Kirtley has turned into a sacrifice machine. The senior has already recorded ten sacrifice hits in ten games – which ranks fourth on the single-season chart. Kirtley holds the school record for sacrifice hits in a career with 35.

ZILLNER A “K” MACHINE: All-Cascade Conference pitcher Katie Zillner has been solid in the circle to start the 2007 season, as opponents are hitting just .218 against the hard-throwing right-hander. “Z” has fanned 44 batters in 32 innings of work – moving her within 40 strikeouts of the all-time career school mark. She has already recorded seven games with ten-or-more strikeouts, along with ten games with eight-or-more strikeouts in her career – both ACI school records.

YOTES SWEEP MENLO: Katie Zillner got the win in the circle in Game 1 and launched a two-run home run in the nightcap, as Lady Yotes closed its California trip with 8-3 and 8-2 victories over Menlo College last Monday afternoon. The junior from Emmett fanned nine batters in the opener, but it was her two-run double in the four-run seventh inning that blew the game open.  She then hit a two-run homer to cap a five-run sixth inning in the nightcap, as ACI ran their record to 6-1, the best start in school history. Brooke Judy (Kuna, Idaho / Kuna HS got the win in Game 2, allowing just two hits in five innings of work, with Chelsey Nokleby (Olympia, Wash. / River Ridge HS) recording the final six outs preserve the win.

ACI GETS HOME GAMES, BUT DROPS THREE TO WHITWORTH: With the cancellation of the Capitol Cup, ACI reached an agreement with Whitworth College to get games in, with the Pirates traveling to Caldwell for a Saturday doubleheader and a single-game on Sunday afternoon. Saturday Recap - ACI pounded out 18 hits, but stranded 20 runners on base as Whitworth College swept a doubleheader from the Coyotes, 5-3 and 3-1 at a frigid Symms Field. In the opener, the Pirates rallied from a 3-1 deficit to force extra innings, scoring a pair of unearned runs in the top of the ninth inning to notch the victory.  ACI got RBI doubles from Katie Zillner and Haley Butcher in the third inning to build the two-run lead, but watched as Heather Case doubled home Jessie LaPlante with two outs in the seventh to tie the score.  In the ninth, the Yotes misplayed a ball in right, allowing the winning runs to score. The loss spoiled an outstanding start in the circle by Zillner, who tied a career-high 12 strikeouts Game 2 saw Whitworth score single runs in the second, third, and fourth innings, including a solo home run by Lacey Kerr, to lead 3-0.  ACI would get a Becky Camperud (Nampa, Idaho / Vallivue HS) RBI double in the fith, but the Yotes could not get closer, leaving at least one runner on base in each inning. Lindsey Davis led the Bucs with a 4-for-8 doubleheader, while Heather Kirtley went 3-for-4 in the nightcap for ACI. Sunday Recap - Sarah Froman went 3-for-4, including a three-run home run, as the Whits completed a three-game sweep of ACI on the softball diamond, topping the Lady Yotes, 12-2, at Symms Field. The Pirates, who qualified for last season's NCAA Division III national tournament, pounded out 12 hits against three Coyote pitchers in the win.  Froman's big blow came in a four-run second inning, chasing Coyote starter Katie Zillner. The Yotes mustered just three hits against Bucs starter Jessie LaPlante - scorng one run on an error and another on a Brooke Judy RBI single.

MORE INFORMATION ON THE COYOTES: For game stories, statistics, and information regarding the ACI softball program, head to the official site Coyote softball: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/fastpitch.htm.

WOMEN’S TENNIS (2-4): Lady Yotes head to Lewiston for NAIA Region I Challenge

LAST WEEK: Idle

COMING UP: at NAIA Region I Challenge, Lewiston, March 3-4 – vs. Southern Oregon, Saturday, 8 a.m. (PT), vs. Alberta, Saturday, 4 p.m. (PT), vs. Lewis-Clark State, Sunday, 10 a.m. (PT)

HEADED TO LEWISTON FOR REGIONAL PLAY: The Lady Yotes take their 2-4 record to Lewiston for the second time this season – this time to compete against the other three teams with women’s tennis in the NAIA Region I. ACI opens up play on Saturday against Southern Oregon, with the Raiders boasting a 3-0 mark this season. SOU has rattled off victories against Pacific, Lewis & Clark, and Willamette and holds a 10-7 all-time series edge on the Yotes. The squad plays its second match of Saturday against Alberta, the lone Canadian team in the NAIA tennis field. The Pandas of Edmonton, are 1-3 this season – defeating Biola, but dropping matches to Claremont-Mudd, Cal Baptist, and Hope International. ACI is 5-6 all-time against Alberta. Sunday, the Yotes rekindle their rivalry with Lewis-Clark State, ranked No. 16 in the NAIA poll. The Warriors have begun the season 2-2, winning matches against Whitman and MSU-Billings, while losing matches to Gonzaga and Idaho. LC-State has dominated the all-time series, winning 25 of the 27 previous matches.

ABOUT THE COACH: Head coach Cisco Limbago is in his 22nd year as the leader of the Lady Yotes.  The College of Idaho grad has compiled a 158-110-1 all-time coaching record.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the ACI women's tennis program, head to the official homepage of the Lady Yotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wtennis.htm.