Yote Notes – Mar. 28, 2007

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@collegeofidaho.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

ATHLETIC NEWS: Steak Feed

 

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.

 

SOFTBALL (16-7, 3-1 CCC): Lady Yotes sit atop Cascade Conference standings, head to Northwest Christian on Friday

 

COMING UP: at Northwest Christian (DH), Friday, 2 p.m. (PDT)

 

LAST WEEK: at Corban (L 6-5, W 7-1), at Concordia (W 3-0, W 3-0)

 

COYOTES RANKED THIRD IN REGIONAL POLL FOR FIRST TIME: The ACI softball team was ranked third in the second NAIA Region I rankings, released Monday afternoon – the highest mark attained in the six-year history of the program.  It is just the fourth time that the Coyotes have been ranked in the weekly regional poll – Simon Fraser is ranked No. 1, followed by Oregon Tech, ACI, and Concordia.  The Yotes were ranked fifth for two weeks last season and No. 4 in last week’s rankings. The poll is released each Monday, with the NAIA Top-25 released each Wednesday.

 

BEST START EVER: The 16-7 start by the Lady Yotes is their best ever through 23 games, eclipsing the 13-10 start by the 2003 team.  The 2002 team began 7-16, the 2004 went 6-17, the 2005 squad started 12-11, and last season, ACI began 10-13.

 

HIGH WATER MARK FOR PROGRAM: With a 3-1 mark and sitting in first place in the Cascade Conference, the Lady Yotes have set their highest mark above .500 ever.  Following their sweep at Concordia, ACI moved to nine games above .500 for the first time.

 

LONGEST WIN STREAK EQUALED, THEN SNAPPED: ACI had their win streak to five games, equaling the longest in school history, with a win last Tuesday at Northwest Nazarene – however, had it snapped on Friday at Corban.  The Coyotes have won five-straight games four different times – the final two games and the first three games between the 2002 and 2003 seasons,  and five in a row during the 2003, 2005, and now 2007 seasons.

 

STRIKEOUT RECORD BROKE AGAIN: Last week, Katie Zillner (Emmett, Idaho / Chicago State U.) set a school record by striking out 14 batters against Walla Walla College.  On Friday, she one-upped herself, fanning 15 Corban College Warriors in the Yotes 7-1 victory in Salem.  She went into double-digit strikeout mode again on Sunday, striking out ten batters in a two-hit shutout of Concordia – the tenth time in her career that she has struck out ten-or-more batters.  With her 106 strikeouts this season, Zillner has already moved into the No. 1 spot on the ACI career strikeout page, having fanned 240 batters in her two seasons with the Coyotes.

 

RECORD NABS PITCHER OF THE WEEK HONOR: By going 3-0 last week with a 0.41 ERA (allowing just one earned run in 17 innings pitched), Katie Zillner was named Cascade Conference and NAIA Region I Pitcher of the Week.  She also had a solid week at the plate, hitting a pair of home runs and recording nine RBI – giving her 25 RBI for the season.  It is the second time Zillner has earned Pitcher of the Week honors in her career – she has also won the Player of the Week honor on two occasions as well.

 

ANDERSON LEAVES PROGRAM: Senior second-baseman Anna Anderson (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) has left the program for personal reasons.  The four-year member of the Coyotes finished her career playing in 126 games, hitting .325 (120-for-369) with 64 stolen bases and 71 runs scored.

 

YOTES STEP ASIDE FROM CONFERENCE PLAY: ACI will take a brief respite from Cascade Conference play this weekend, traveling to Eugene, Ore., for a doubleheader Friday against Northwest Christian.  The Beacons (6-14) are in the process of becoming members of the CCC – playing an entire loop schedule this year, with none of the games counting in the standings.  Head coach Tim Hood has a solid team – paced by hitters Lisa Martinez (.308 3 RBI) and Charlie VanLoon (.222 1 HR 11 RBI), with VanLoon hitting a game-winning home run Friday at Southern Oregon.  ACI and NCC split a pair of games last season in Caldwell, with the Beacons holding the all-time series edge, 4-2, including 2-0 in Eugene.

 

CONFERENCE TEAM NUMBERS: Batting Average – Oregon Tech .326, ACI .304, Concordia .252, Southern Oregon .247, Eastern Oregon .247, Corban .204; Earned Run Average – OIT 2.07, CU 2.35, ACI 2.55, EOU 2.65, SOU 6.98, CRB 7.12; Fielding Percentage – CU .962, ACI .949, EOU .945, SOU .940, OIT .938, CRB .925.

 

COYOTES IN THE LEAGUE: Senior Heather Kirtley (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) currently leads all CCC players with 13 sacrifice hits and 13 stolen bases, while ranking second in the league in runs scored with 17.  Katie Zillner leads the league in RBI with 25, wins by a pitcher with nine, strikeouts by a pitcher with 106, and is tied for the league lead in hits with 26 and shutouts with three.

 

LADY YOTES SPLIT AT CORBAN: The 15-strikeout performance by Katie Zillner in Game 2 helped ACI manage a split of Corban in the CCC opener for both teams, as the Warriors took Game 1, 6-5, with the Yotes winning Game 2, 7-1. Stacy Smith (Draper, Utah / Juan Diego HS) provided all the offense ACI would need in the late game, smacking a three-run homer in the first.   Zillner went 2-for-4 with a double and RBI in the win, with A.J. Cavanaugh (Covington, Wash. / Kentwood HS) going 3-for-4 at the plate.  Game 1 saw the Warriors get two-run singles from Lindsey Batey and Erin Sailors in a four-run fifth inning to earn the victory. The Yotes scored three runs in the top of the seventh, but had the potential tying run thrown out at third base to end the game.  Heather Kirtley and Haley Butcher (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) each had two hits in the loss.

 

ACI SWEEPS CONCORDIA FOR FIRST TIME ON ROAD: After spending Saturday watching it rain (as the original doubleheader was washed out), the Lady Yotes came out with a vengeance on Sunday, as Katie Zillner tossed a two-hit shutout in the opener and Brooke Judy (Kuna, Idaho / Kuna HS) followed with a five-hit shutout in the late game, as ACI completed their first-ever sweep at Concordia University, stopping the Cavaliers, 3-0 and 3-0 at Delta Park.  The wins by the Lady Yotes moved ACI into first-place in the Cascade Conference standings after the first weekend of play. Zillner did it with her arm and bat in the opener, fanning ten Cavaliers to record her fifth-straight win. She provided all the offense the Yotes would need, launching a three-run homer in the fifth inning to give her the winning margin.  Judy was just as effective in Game 2, tossing her first career shutout. The freshman had just one walk and struck out five in the win. Nicole Illias (Beaverton, Ore. / Valley Catholic HS) went 2-for-3 with a RBI in the win.

 

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.  

 

BASEBALL (15-9, 6-6 Region I): No. 23 ranked Coyotes look to end losing streak vs. British Columbia

 

LAST WEEK: at Concordia (L 5-3, L 8-5, L 7-4), at Northwest Nazarene (L 10-6)

 

COMING UP: vs. British Columbia (DH), Saturday, Noon; vs. British Columbia (DH), Sunday, 11 a.m.

 

INTERNET BROADCASTS: The series between ACI and British Columbia will be carried live on the Internet via the ACI athletic website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/caa/radio.htm with Mike Safford calling the action. The games will also be broadcast on the Internet by British Columbia on www.mutis.ca (nominal fee required) with former T-Bird player, Brent Mutis, calling the action.

 

YOTES FALL TO NO. 23 IN NAIA POLL: ACI dropped eleven spots in the third Top-25 Coaches’ Poll, released by the national office on Wednesday, falling to No. 23.  It is, however, the third-straight week the Yotes have been in the Top-25.  Lewis-Clark State received 21 of the 23 first-place votes and sits in the No. 1 spot, followed by Azusa Pacific (Calif.), Oklahoma City, Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.), and Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.).  The regional top-six has L-C and ACI at the top, followed by British Columbia, Corban, Concordia, and Oregon Tech.  The regional ranking will be released on Monday’s, the national poll released on Wednesday’s.

 

COYOTES HAD BEST START IN 50 YEARS: The 15-2 start to the 2007 season by the Coyotes was their best start in the metal-bat era – eclipsing even the NAIA World Series’ teams of 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2002.  In fact, only two other ACI teams have had equal or better starts to the season, the 1957 team which opened 15-2, and the 1940 Northwest Conference Eastern Division championship team which opened with 22-straight wins.

 

YOTES HAVE HIT THE SKIDS: At the heels of an 11-game win streak, the Coyotes have lost seven consecutive games (three to Lewis-Clark State, three at Concordia, one at NNU) – the longest losing streak in 17 years.  The last time ACI had a longer losing streak was during the 1990 season – as the Yotes losing nine-straight games, including their longest game in program history, a 20-inning game at Hawaii Pacific.

 

TROUBLE AT CONCORDIA: The three games lost over the weekend by the Coyotes at Concordia added to their troubles at the ballpark known as “The Yard”.  ACI has lost 14 of their last 16 games on the Cavaliers home field – but have been in nearly every one of the games.  During that period, the Yotes are 2-9 in games in Portland decided by three runs or less.  Offensive production has been scarce in the Rose City, as ACI managed more than ten hits in just two of the 16 games.

 

NOT THE LONGEST STREAK: The nine-game streak in 1990 was not the longest losing streak by the Yotes.  At the end of the 1977 season and during the start of the 1978 campaign, the Coyotes dropped a total of 21-straight games.

 

CLARIFICATION ON REGIONAL STANDINGS: Over the past two weeks, coaches and administrators had questions regarding the NAIA Region I standings and qualification to the NAIA Region I Tournament.  Dr. Joel Schuldheisz, Region I chair, clarified the situation last week.  Each team in the Region I will play a three-game home-and-home series with each other, with all games counting in the regional standings.  The top-four teams in the final standings will advance to the Region I Tournament, however, Lewis-Clark State has forfeited the right to host the regional tournament if they win the Region I regular-season (the second-place team in the standings will host if L-C wins the Region).

 

COYOTES SET TO HOST BRITISH COLUMBIA: ACI completes its first time through the Region I schedule this weekend, hosting British Columbia in a four-game series.  The T-Birds (10-8, 8-2) have played well of late, winning five consecutive games, including the lone win against L-C State by a regional foe.  UBC is coming off their first-ever trip to the NAIA World Series, placing fourth last season and opened the year ranked No. 5 in the NAIA Top-25.  Terry McKaig, a former Coyote player, is the T-Bird skipper and has a solid crew – led offensively by third-baseman Brett Murray (.351 3 HR 6 RBI) and outfielder Jim Syrnyk (.234 2 HR 12 RBI), and on the mound by Brendan Rolfe (3-0 0.67 ERA) and Murray (1-1 3.12 ERA, 5 saves).  The two teams have met 59 times previously, with UBC holding a 35-24 all-time series edge.

 

STOPPING THE CANADIAN HEX: Not only will the Yotes be looking to end their seven-game losing streak, they will be looking to end a streak against UBC.  ACI dropped all ten games to the T-Birds last season, along with the final four games to their rivals from Canada in 2005 – 14 games overall.  ACI last topped the ‘Birds, 16-12, in Caldwell, on April 30, 2005.

 

REGIONAL TEAM STATISTICS: Batting Average – Lewis-Clark State .333, ACI .308, Corban .306, Oregon Tech .265, Concordia .263, British Columbia .254; Earned Run Average – LC-State 1.88, ACI 3.67, UBC 4.50, CU 5.93, OIT 6.25, CRB 6.44; Fielding Percentage – LC-State .972, CRB .966, UBC .955, CU .954, ACI .948, OIT .931.

 

REGIONAL STATS: Four different Coyotes are among the Top-5 in NAIA Region I individual statistics.  Jason Roach (Sacramento, Calif. / Sacramento City CC) leads the loop in strikeouts with 50 and is second in victories with five.  Casey Oliver (Pocatello, Idaho / College of Southern Idaho) is second in the Region I in stolen bases with 12, while Joey Zubizarreta (Boise, Idaho / Cochise CC) is third in appearances with ten.  Rounding out the group is catcher Pat Burke (Sisters, Ore. / Sisters HS), who is tied for fourth in RBI with 19 and tied for fourth with eight doubles.

 

RECAPPING THE CONCORDIA SERIES:  Jimmy Rudig had a two-run single in Game 1, then hit a grand slam home run in the nightcap, as Concordia University swept a doubleheader from the Yotes, 5-3 and 8-5, Sunday afternoon in Portland.  In Game 1, CU jumped on Yotes starter, Jason Roach, plating five runs in the first two innings - as Rudig's two-run single capping a three-run first inning. ACI would rally, getting a Bryan Champ (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) RBI double and a two-run Adam Roach (Sacramento, Calif. / New Mexico Highlands U.) single to cut the margin to 5-3, but the Coyotes could not get closer.  Game 2 saw the Cavs jump out to a 7-1 lead, as CU used a six-run third inning - prolonged by a Coyote error. Rudig would make ACI pay, smacking his first homer of the season, clearing the bases.  The Yotes would get a Casey Oliver homer, his fourth of the year, along with two hits each from Luke Howarth (Boise, Idaho / Centennial HS) and Tyler Smith (Fruitland, Idaho / Lower Columbia CC), but could not get over the hump.  Monday, Rudig continued to terrorize ACI pitching, going 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBI, as CU completed a three-game sweep with a 7-4 win.  The Cavs jumped out to a 7-0 lead against ACI starter, Andrew Brock (Burnaby, B.C. / Douglas CC), as the junior lasted five innings, allowing all seven Cavalier runs.  Freshman Ben Rodwell (Nampa, Idaho / Skyview HS) was solid in the final three innings, allowing just one hit.  The Yotes got a pair of doubles from Champ and a pair of singles from Howarth and brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh, but Kyle Well got Richie Snider (Sandpoint, Idaho / Porterville CC) to pop up to end the threat.

 

SLUGFEST GOES TO THE CRUSADERS: The Coyotes hit a pair of home runs, but it wasn't enough, as Northwest Nazarene claimed the final game of the season-long four game series, topping the Yotes, 10-6, at a windy Elmore Vail Field in Nampa on Tuesday.  NNU ran their win streak to a school-record six games, opening the game with a two-run home run by Zach Aaukhas in the first.  The Yotes would rally, getting a solo homer from Tyler Smith in the second and a pair of runs in the third to take the lead.  However, Harold Schultz would smack a three-run homer in the fourth and get a three-run Cole Smith double in the fifth to build a 8-3 edge. The Coyotes would close within 8-6 in the seventh on a long Richie Snider homer - but would leave the bases loaded in the seventh and ninth inning, as ACI stranded 13 men on the afternoon.  Pat Burke, Luke Howarth, Snider, and Smith each had two hits for the Coyotes in the loss, with Aaukhas going 3-for-4 in the win for NNU.  ACI did win the season series between the teams, three games to one.

 

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 217-149-1 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 ACI 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. 

 

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.

 

TRACK: Coyotes open outdoor season with strong meet at EOU, head to Montana for Al Manuel Open

 

LAST WEEK: at Eastern Oregon Mini (Men 4th, Women 3rd)

 

COMING UP: at Al Manuel Open, Missoula, Mont., Saturday

 

COYOTES OPEN UP AT EASTERN OREGON MINI: The ACI track team opened up its outdoor season last Saturday at the Eastern Oregon Mini in La Grande, winning four events.  The men's team took home the title in the 4x800-meter relay as Sam Hardy (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS), Jesse Chlebeck (Eagan, Minn. / Eagan HS), Chris Rifer (Portland, Ore. / Sunset HS), and Tyler Hopper (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS) won the event in 7:57.33, less than four seconds off the NAIA "B" qualifier.  The women's team had three winners - Emily McCutchan (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) in the triple jump (32-10), the 4x400-meter relay team of McCutchan, Courtney Mitchell (Boise, Idaho / Timberline HS), Katie Ball (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS), and Jayne Saunders (Emmett, Idaho / Emmett HS) in 4:12.24, and the 4x800-meter relay team of Stephanie Sparks (West Jordan, Utah / Juan Diego HS), Saunders, Molli Lee-Painter (Moscow, Idaho / Moscow HS), and Ball in 9:50.90.

 

FINAL MEET SCORING: Men - Eastern Oregon 91, Northwest Nazarene 50, Treasure Valley CC 28, ACI 16; Women - Eastern Oregon 214, Treasure Valley CC 48, ACI 40, Northwest Nazarene 10.

 

RECORDS FALL: ACI had four women's records fall at the meet - Courtney Mitchell in the 200-meters, Emily McCutchan in the triple jump, along with the 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams.  The men's team saw two records fall - Rand Kline (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS) in the 400-hurdles and the 4x800 relay team.

 

CONFERENCE BESTS: The Coyotes have a pair of marks among the Top-5 in the Cascade Conference - in fact, both marks lead the league.  Shannon Edwards (Sherwood, Ore. / Eastern Oregon Univ.) has the fastest time in the 1,500-meters (4:57.49), while the 4x400 relay team has the best mark in the CCC.

 

OFF TO MONTANA: ACI will take a good contingent of runners this weekend to the Al Manuel Open, hosted by the University of Montana in Missoula.  It will be the first time the Yotes have competed at this event.  ACI will compete against the host Grizzlies, along with Montana State, Eastern Oregon, University of Mary, and the University of Great Falls.

 

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

 

WOMEN’S TENNIS (5-7): Lady Yotes set to host first home match of season

 

LAST WEEK: Idle

 

COMING UP: vs. Lewis-Clark State, Saturday, 9 a.m. (River City Racquet Club)

 

YOTES SET FOR "HOME" MATCH: The ACI women's tennis team, which has played their first 12 matches of the 2007 season on the road, will finally play a match in the Treasure Valley this week.  ACI will meet Lewis-Clark State for the second time this season, this time at the Yotes home away from home, the River City Racquet Club in Nampa.  The Coyotes dropped a 9-0 decision to the No. 18 ranked Warriors in March.

 

LOOKING AT THE COYOTE NUMBERS: Three different singles players have recorded 90-or-more game wins this season.  No. 1 singles player, Kyla Westerberg (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS), leads the way with six match wins and 106 game victories, with No. 5 singles player, Kim Clements (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS), right at her heels, having won five matches and 103 games.  The third Lady Yote, Kate Leadbetter (Grand Junction, Colo. / Fruita Monument HS), has won five matches and 93 games at No. 4 singles.  Doubles wise, Clements and Amanda McEldowney (Caldwell, Idaho / Linfield Coll.) have won four matches together and 45 games at No. 2 doubles, while Westerberg and Leadbetter have teamed for four wins and 40 games won at No. 1.

 

ABOUT THE COACH: Head coach, Cisco Limbago, is in his 22nd season as Lady Yote head coach.  During his tenure, he has an overall record of 161-113-1.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the ACI women's tennis program, head to the offical webpage of the Coyotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wtennis.htm.