Yote Notes – Apr. 25,
2007
Mike Safford Jr. – Sports
Info. Director
ATHLETIC NEWS: Recruiting Info
WOMEN’S SOCCER SIGNS FOUR: ACI women's soccer coach Niki Taylor announced the signing of four
freshmen to NAIA Letters of Intent for the upcoming 2007 season. Continuing on their playing careers with the Coyotes will be Boise
natives Colleen Smith, Amanda Barrieau,
and Kayla Williams, along with Caldwell's Jessica Heinrich. Smith was team captain of the Boise High team
that lost to Coeur d'Alene
in the 2006 5A state tournament. She earned All-Southern Idaho Conference
honors as a defender last year, while also competing for the Boise Capitals
Soccer Club - where they earned an Idaho State Cup championship in 2006. Barrieau was a
three-year member of the Eagle High program, where she helped her squad to the
2004 and 2005 5A state titles. The midfielder/forward also played for the
Boise Capitals - winning the State Cup in 2004 and in 2006 (alongside
Smith). "I am very excited to have
signed these four outstanding players," said the second-year head
coach. "I feel that Colleen and Amanda have the potential to make an
immediate impact on the ACI women's soccer program." Williams was a teammate of Smith at Boise
High - helping the team to the 2005 and 2006 state finals, while winning Idaho
State Cup titles in 2003 and 2005 as part of the Les Bois United Club. Heinrich
was a member of the Caldwell High program for for years,
earning All-Southern Idaho Conference honors in both soccer and track. "Jessica and Kayla are hard working
players who will also be in the mix next season," said Taylor.
ACI, who advanced to the Cascade Conference Tournament quarterfinals
last season, open up the 2007 season with a pair of home scrimmages against
Walla Walla CC and North Idaho CC in mid-August.
SOFTBALL SIGNS BK STANDOUT: ACI softball coach Al Mendiola has announced the signing
of incoming freshman Kalie Kurdy to an
NAIA Letter of Intent for the 2008 season.
Kurdy, from Bishop Kelly High in Boise, has helped her
team to back-to-back 4A state championships - with her 2007 squad currently
leading the Southern Idaho Conference with an 18-1 record. Playing
catcher, she is currently hitting .382 with six
home runs and 26 RBI, recording a .779 slugging percentage. "Kalie has
been instrumental to the success of the Bishop Kelly program for the past four
year," said BK head coach Wes Worrell. "She is athletic and
possesses all the tools to succeed at any level she aspires to play."
VOLLEYBALL INKS EAGLE MVP: ACI volleyball coach Liz Mendiola has announced the signing
of Madie Machurek to
an NAIA Letter of Intent for the upcoming 2007 season. Machurek was the
setter on an Eagle High School team which
finished the 2006 season with a 38-0 record, winning the Southern Idaho
Conference, District III, and 5A State Championship. For her efforts, Machurek
was named 5A SIC Player of the Year. “Madie is a
tremendous athlete and a gifted volleyball player who has the potential to
make an immediate impact for us,” said Mendiola. “She is a winner
who constantly pushes herself to be the best. We are thrilled Madie chose ACI." The freshman to be was recently named EHS
Athlete of the Year and was an definitely All-Star in
head coach Paul Schwager’s eyes. "Madie was the
heart and soul of our 2006 state championship team. She defines the word
competitor. Her leadership on and off the court helped our team to an
undefeated season, because of her will to do everything within her power to
help us win." The
two-time defending regional champion Coyotes
finished the 2006 season with a school-record 35 wins and finished ninth at the
NAIA Championships. ACI opens the season
in late August – meeting defending national champion National American, Point
Loma Nazarene, Great Falls,
and Westminster in the NAIA
Tournament of Champions in Salt Lake City.
GOLF: Coyotes sixth at both LC-State and
Westminster Invites
COMING UP: at NAIA Region I Championships, Christina Lake, B.C., Monday-Tuesday.
YOTES SIXTH AT WESTMINSTER
OPEN: The ACI men's golf team
finished sixth at the Westminster College Invitational at Wingpoint
Golf Club Monday and Tuesday in Salt
Lake City. As a
team, the Coyotes shot a 54-hole
total of 1,008 - as Cris Tietsort (Caldwell,
Idaho / Caldwell HS) led the
way with a 29-over par total of 245, good enough for
23rd place. Ben Coate (Boise, Idaho / Capital
HS) placed 24th with a 30-over 246, with John Pasley (Boise, Idaho
/ Boise HS),
who carded ACI's only sub-80 round in the tourney,
placing 25th with a 31-over 247. Rocky Mountain won the
event with a 20-over total of 884, two strokes ahead of Lewis-Clark State.
COYOTES SIXTH AT L-C: The ACI men's golf team
finished sixth in their first tournament of the 2007 spring season as the
Lewis-Clark State Invitational wrapped up this last Tuesday at the Lewiston
Country Club. The Coyotes
shot 335 as a team today, as both Cris Tietsort and John Pasley led the
way with six-over 78's. Tietsort was the top
overall finisher for ACI, placing 18th, with Pasley
in 25th - the only two Yotes in the Top-25.
Host Lewis-Clark State
took the team title, with Joey Lovell of the Warriors taking medalist honors,
shooting a 54-hole total of 217 (one-over par).
REGIONAL IN CANADA: The Yotes will round out the golf season Monday
and Tuesday at the NAIA Region I Tournament in Christina Lakes,
B.C. ACI will battle the golfers from
the seven Frontier Conference schools, Cascade Conference foes Concordia and Corban, along with Canadian independents British
Columbia, Simon Fraser, and Victoria.
FOR MORE
INFORMATION: For
more information on the ACI golf program, head to the official webpage of the Coyotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/golf.htm.
WOMEN’S TENNIS (6-9): Lady Yotes host TVCC after two
losses in Oregon
LAST
WEEK: vs. University of Oregon
(L 5-4), at Southern Oregon (L 7-2)
COMING
UP: vs. Treasure
Valley CC, Wednesday, 4 p.m. (River
City Racquet Club);
YOTES
SET FOR "HOME" MATCH: The ACI women's tennis team, which has played their first 15
matches of the 2007 season on the road, will finally play a match in the
Treasure Valley this week. ACI will meet Treasure Valley CC for
the first time this season, this time at the Yotes home away from home, the
River City Racquet Club in Nampa.
The teams were scheduled to play on both April 3 and April 17, however,
injuries for TVCC postponed the first match, and a thunderstorm postponed last
week's match.
COYOTES
DROP TWO IN OREGON: ACI dropped a pair of decisions in Ashland, Ore., Saturday,
losing a 5-4 match to the University
of Oregon and a 7-2 match to Southern Oregon. Against the Ducks, the Lady Yotes earned
victories at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles, as Kyla
Westerberg (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) and
Kate Leadbetter (Grand Junction, Colo. / Fruita Monument HS) won 8-2 at No. 1, and Tara Wensel (Nampa, Idaho / Vallivue
HS) and Melissa Rowe (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS) won 8-2
at No. 3. ACI led 4-1 after wins by Westerberg at No. 1 and Karin Hayashida (Caldwell,
Idaho / Caldwell HS) at No.
5, but could not notch the single point to gain the win. Against the Raiders, a
tough doubles flight hurt the Coyote
chances, as ACI dropped both the No. 2 and No. 3 matches in tiebreakers.
The Lady Yotes did get a pair of singles wins - as Leadbetter
won at No. 3 and Amanda McEldowney (Caldwell, Idaho
/ Linfield Coll.) won at No. 5.
LOOKING AT THE COYOTE NUMBERS: Three different singles players have
recorded 90-or-more game wins this season. No. 1 singles player, Kyla
Westerberg, leads the way with eight match wins and 126 game victories,
with No. 5 singles player, Kim Clements (Boise, Idaho
/ Bishop Kelly HS), right at her heels, having won six matches and 115
games. The third Lady Yote, Kate Leadbetter,
has won six matches and 108 games at No. 4 singles. Doubles
wise, Clements and Amanda McEldowney have won four
matches together and 45 games at No. 2 doubles, while Westerberg and Leadbetter have teamed for five wins and 51 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
162-115-1.
FOR MORE
INFORMATION: For
more information on the ACI women's tennis program, head to the official
webpage of the Coyotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wtennis.htm.
TRACK: Edwards, Haas qualify for NAIA
Championships, Yotes set to compete at Boise State
LAST WEEK: at University of Oregon
Invitational and Springfest Relays
COMING UP: at Bronco Twilight, Friday (Bronco
Stadium – Boise)
COYOTES HIT TWO NAIA MARKS IN EUGENE: Shannon Edwards (Sherwood, Ore. / Eastern
Oregon U.) set a new school record in the 5,000-meters, as all three ACI
runners who competed Friday at the University
of Oregon Invitational at
Hayward Field ran under NAIA qualifying marks.
Edwards became the first Coyote
to meet the NAIA "A" qualifying time this season - knocking three seconds
off her own school record in the 5,000, taking 17th in 17:43.19. Her time
is 22 seconds under the NAIA mark and is the fastest time in the Cascade
Conference this season and tenth-fastest time in the NAIA this spring. On the men's side, Jacob Haas (Portland, Ore. /
Eastern Oregon U.) met the NAIA "B" qualifying time in the 5,000
- running in 15:05.53, while Jesse Chlebeck (Eagan,
Minn. / Eagan HS), who has already qualified for nationals in the event,
finishing in 15:11.98. It marks the second-straight year that both
runners have met the NAIA provisional in the 5-K. Saturday, Tyler Hopper (Caldwell, Idaho /
Caldwell HS) ran a solid 1,500-meters (3:56.18), as did Katie Ball (Boise, Idaho
/ Boise HS)
(4:53.85) – but neither improved on previous times from the season.
TWO
RECORDS BROKE AT IDAHO STATE: A pair of women's track school records fell by the wayside
at the Springfest Relays, hosted by Idaho State,
in Pocatello,
on Saturday. Freshman Courtney Mitchell (Boise, Idaho
/ Timberline HS) broke her own school record in the 200-meters, running her
heat in 27.19, while Jayne Saunders (Emmett,
Idaho / Emmett HS) took a
tenth of a second off the 400-meter record, runner her race in 1:02.20. ACI had only nine runners (eight women, one man)
at the meet - as the competitors were notching marks for the Cascade Conference
Championships, coming up in three weeks.
THIS WEEK: The Coyotes
will compete for the final time before the CCC Championships,
and for the final time in the Treasure
Valley. A large contingent of runners will head to
Bronco Stadium in Boise for the Bronco Twilight
at Boise State.
It will be a good opportunity for the ACI 4X800-meter relay teams to try
and meet the NAIA provisional marks, while the Yotes will also find good
competition in the 3,000-meters.
TOP CONFERENCE MARKS: The last Cascade Conference top-time
list was released on April 22, with seven ACI men and nine ACI women recording
Top-10 marks. On the men’s side, Tyler Hopper
has the third-fastest time in the 1,500 (3:55.78) and the No. 5 time in the 800
(1:55.79). Among the leaders are Jacob
Haas, who is second in the 10,000 (32:50.51) and third in the 5,000 (15:05.53),
and Jesse Chlebeck, who is No. 4 in the 5,000 (15:05.67). Also in the Top-10 are Nick Schossow (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS) who is eighth in the 10,000
(37:09.78), Oliver Rosales (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue
HS) who is ninth in the 10,000 (37:21.78), Rand Kline (Caldwell, Idaho /
Caldwell HS) who is tenth in the 400-hurdles (1:00.26), and Chris Rifer (Portland, Ore. / Sunset HS) who
is tenth in the 800 (2:00.63). Shannon Edwards leads the way on the ladies
side, recording three top-times – No. 1 in the 5,000 (17:43.19), No. 2 in the
10,000 (39:42.19), No. 3 in the 1,500 (4:59.49). Katie Ball has the fastest
time in the league in the 1,500 (4:53.25), with Stephanie
Sparks (West Jordan, Utah
/ Juan Diego Catholic HS) recording the third-fastest time in the
800 (2:21.76). Rounding out the list are
Jayne Saunders (Emmett, Idaho / Emmett HS), who is third
in the 400-hurdles (1:05.95), seventh in the 800 (2:25.81), and tenth in the
400 (1:02.20), Emily McCutchan
(Eagle, Idaho / Cole Valley Christian,
who is third in the triple jump (33’ 8.75”), Natalie Hatch (Emmett, Idaho
/ Willamette U.), who is sixth in the 10,000 (49:44.98), Chantel Varland (Meridian, Idaho / Mountain View HS),
who is seventh in the 3,000-steeple (13:08.96), Ashley Miller (Vida, Ore. /
McKenzie HS), who is tenth in the 800 (2:28.24), and Lauren Plymire (Portland, Ore. / Eastern Oregon U.), who is tenth in the 5,000
(19:21.22).
NATIONAL QUALIFIERS AND
TIMES: NAIA “A”
qualifiers – Shannon Edwards (5,000-meters).
NAIA “B” qualifiers – Jayne Saunders (400-hurdles), Natalie Hatch (half-marathon) Tyler Hopper (1,500), Jesse Chlebeck (5,000), Jacob Hass (5,000).
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.
BASEBALL (24-13): Coyotes look to
rebound this weekend, hosting Concordia in regular-season home finale
LAST
WEEK: at No. 1 Lewis-Clark State (L 13-4, L
4-1, L 10-3)
COMING
UP: vs. Concordia (DH), Saturday, Noon; vs. Concordia (DH), Sunday, 11 a.m.
INTERNET BROADCASTS: The first game of each doubleheader
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.
Archives of previous broadcasts can be found at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/baseball/2007RADIO.htm.
COYOTES DROP OUT OF THE NAIA POLL: For the first time during the 2007
regular season, ACI has fallen out of the NAIA Top-25. After jumping two spots last week to No. 21,
the three-game setback at Lewis-Clark State dropped the Coyotes
to No. 29 (fourth team listed in the others receiving votes category). ACI received just 29 points in the latest
poll, down from a season-high 259 points on March 9. L-C State received 20 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.). This week’s regional top-six has L-C and ACI
at the top, followed by British Columbia, Concordia, Oregon
Tech, and Corban.
The regional ranking will be released each Monday, with the national
poll released on each Wednesday.
HOWARTH NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK: ACI continued to dominate the
Cascade Conference weekly awards, as Luke
Howarth (Boise, Idaho
/ Centennial HS) was named CCC Player of the Week. Howarth, a
sophomore, went 6-for-9 in the L-C
State series, recording
three stolen bases, two RBI, and three runs scored. It is the first time in his career that Howarth has been honored by the CCC.
YOTES CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT: For the 21st-straight season, ACI
has secured a berth in the postseason.
The Yotes have played playoff baseball every season since the College
reinstated the sport in 1987. With one
more win this season, the Coyotes
would record their 21st-consecutive 25-win season.
IF ONLY L-C GAMES DID NOT COUNT: A quick glance at the NAIA Region I
standings shows British Columbia holding a three and a half game lead over ACI
for the host berth for the regional tourney.
What hurts the Yotes chances is the fact that currently UBC and LC-State
will not make up two games rained out in Vancouver
in March – forcing ACI to possibly win their final six games to have any chance
in hosting the regional. However, it
would be a different story if games vs. L-C did not count in the regional
standings, as UBC and ACI would be tied atop the standings at 14-4, Concordia
would be 9-8, Corban at 5-15, and Oregon Tech at 5-16.
AGAINST L-C, AGAINST THE REST: The eight games against L-C this
season have been definitely hurt the Coyote
statistics this season. Against the
Warriors, the Yotes currently hit .180 as a team, having scored just 11 runs in
the eight games against the 14-time NAIA champs. In fact, only one Coyote
has a batting average above .250 against L-C.
In the 29 other games this season, ACI is hitting .330, averaging over
seven runs a game, with a team ERA of 2.95.
In those games, 14 different players have a batting average of
.250-or-better.
ALUMNI IN PRO BALL: A pair of former Coyote players are currently playing their second week
of the 2007 season in the professional ranks.
Jason Simontacchi, who pitched at ACI in 1996,
is on the disabled list with the Washington Nationals – battling a strained
groin. Simontacchi
is currently listed on the roster of the AAA Columbus Clippers. Another former Yote, Branden
Florence, is in his first full-season at AA, playing for the Reading Phillies in the Philadelphia
organization. Florence is hitting .350 with two doubles, a
triple, and four RBI in ten games so far this season..
STREAKY SEASON: It has been a season of streaks for
the Yotes – some good, some bad. An
11-game win streak was followed by an eight-game losing streak. ACI then broke that streak and ran off
nine-straight wins before dropping three last weekend at LC-State.
NEEDING WINS AGAINST CONCORDIA:ACI will look for a better result
the second time this season against Concordia
University, who will travel to Caldwell for a four-game weekend
series. The Cavaliers (15-22, 9-14
Region I) broke an eight-game losing streak on Tuesday, topping Pacific
University, 5-4 – but swept a three-game series from the Yotes in March. Eastern Oregon
transfer Cody Herrick (.368 2 HR 22 RBI) is CU’s
top-hitter, while Jimmy Rudig (.288 4 HR 23 RBI) did
the most damage against ACI, going 8-for-10 with ten RBI in the previous series
with the Coyotes. Bryan Goff (5-4 3.79 ERA) has been the Cavs top pitcher, having thrown five complete games this
season. ACI and Concordia have met 80
times previously, with the Coyotes
holding a 57-23 all-time series edge.
REGIONAL TEAM STATISTICS: Batting Average – Lewis-Clark State
.344, ACI .299, Corban .288, British Columbia .276,
Concordia .262, Oregon Tech .251; Earned Run Average – LC-State 2.49, ACI 3.81,
UBC 3.97, CU 5.74, OIT 6.13, CRB 7.07; Fielding Percentage – LC-State .973, CRB
.961, UBC .957, ACI .954, CU .950, OIT .932.
SENIORS FINAL HURRAH: Sunday’s games vs. Concordia will be
the final regular-season home games for seven ACI seniors. Pitchers Pat
Lyon (Bonners Ferry, Idaho / Bonners Ferry HS), Carson Taysom (Pocatello, Idaho
/ Century HS), and Jason Roach (Sacramento, Calif. / Sacramento City
CC), catcher Pat Burke (Sisters, Ore.
/ Sisters HS), shortstop Casey
Oliver (Pocatello, Idaho
/ Coll. of So. Idaho), and outfielders Drew
Cauffman (Mountain
Home, Idaho / Mountain Home HS) and Adam
Roach (Sacramento, Calif. / New
Mexico Highlands U.) will play in their final afternoon at Simplot Stadium.
YOTES TIE NAIA RECORD: A stat that flew by the radar of
many – as ACI tied an NAIA all-time record in a 9-0 victory over Corban on April 7.
The Coyotes were hit by eight
pitches from Warrior starter, Jordan Emery, joining three other teams (Central Washington, Pacific Lutheran, William
Woods) who have registered the same feat.
SINGLE-SEASON AND CAREER RECORDS: So far this season, one Coyote has reached the Top-10 on the single-season
record sheet, while six different Yotes are among the Top-12 in the career
book. Transfer Tyler Smith (Fruitland,
Idaho / Lower Columbia
CC) has recorded four triples this season, tying him for seventh on the
single-season list. On the career list,
Pat Burke finds himself among the all-time leaders in six categories – No. 3 in
doubles (49), No. 5 in at bats (665), No. 6 in hit by pitches (29), No. 7 in
games played (188) and hits (214), and No. 12 in RBI (125), with Jason Roach
among the leaders in two categories – No.
5 in strikeouts (164) and No. 9 in wins (16). Others among the career leaders are Carson Taysom, who is No. 12 in wins (14), Casey Oliver, who is
No. 11 in stolen bases (38), Joey Zubizarreta (Boise,
Idaho / Cochise CC), who is No. 7 in appearances (51), with Dane McGrady (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) ranking No. 6
in hit by pitches (29).
ERRORS HURT ACI FRIDAY LOSS TO L-C: A season-high six errors and eight
walks helped No. 1 ranked Lewis-Clark State erase an early ACI lead, as the
Warriors ended the Yotes nine-game win streak with a 13-4 victory at Harris
Field on Friday. A six-run sixth inning
by the Warriors blew a tight-game open, as L-C capitalized on six ACI free
passes, two wild pitches, a balk, and a dropped inning-ending pop up to take a
12-4 lead. The Coyotes
got to starter Chris Kissock early, as Casey Oliver
rapped a two-run homer in the first, his sixth of the season. After Beau
Mills launched his 22nd bomb of the season in the bottom of the frame, Tyler
Smith got the run back with a solo shot of his own in the top of the
second. However, L-C would tally single runs in the second, third,
fourth, and two in the fifth to retake the lead. Mills went 3-for-4 in the win, with Paul
Martin hitting a homer for L-C. Oliver was the lone Coyote with a multi-hit game.
BROCK THROWS WELL IN GAME 2: Mike Miller tossed a complete game
three-hitter as top-ranked Lewis-Clark
State scratched out a 4-1 victory over
ACI at a rainy Harris Field Saturday in Lewiston. The senior took a perfect game into the sixth
inning and got a pair of home runs behind him to improve to 3-0 this
season. He did not walk a batter and struck out six in the
performance. L-C got on the board in the
third when Brent Wyatt doubled home Mark Thompson with two outs. Paul
Martin would follow an inning later with a solo home run to centerfield.
ACI would
break up the perfect game in the sixth, as Bryan Champ singled. The Yotes
would have second and third and one out, but Mike Rivera threw out courtesy
runner Drew Cauffman at home plate after a deep fly
ball off the bat of Kent Bradshaw to end the threat. Coyote
starter, Andrew Brock went the distance, scattering just seven hits, but
allowed a two-run Zach Evangelho homer in the sixth
to make it 4-0. ACI would break through in the seventh, as Luke Howarth singled home Pat Burke, but Champ, representing the
tying run, struck out to end the threat.
HOWARTH GOES 3-FOR-3, BUT L-C
COMPLETES SWEEP: Despite a 3-for-3 afternoon from sophomore
Luke Howarth, No. 1 ranked Lewis-Clark State
completed a three-game sweep of ACI, stopping the Coyotes,
10-3, at Harris Field. Beau Mills hit a
three-run homer and Kyle Greene added a two-run shot in the first inning off
ACI starter, Carson Taysom, as the Warriors jumped
out to a 9-0 lead after three innings. Then No. 21 ranked ACI would mount rallies in
both the sixth and seventh inning off reliever Brad Schwartzenbach.
Howarth had an RBI single in the sixth, then stole
second, and scored on a Casey Oliver single to make it 9-2. Camron Hammond would single home a run an inning later to
cap the scoring. Matt Fitts allowed just two hits in five innings of work,
fanning five to pick up the win, as L-C completed an eight-game regular-season
sweep of their Idaho
rivals.
ABOUT THE SKIPPER: The 2007 season marks the
20th year in the ACI 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 229-153-1 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.
SOFTBALL (31-8): No. 25 Lady Yotes head into
crucial four-game road trip at No. 13 Oregon Tech and So. Oregon
COMING
UP: at No. 13 Oregon Tech (DH), Friday, 2
p.m. (PDT); at Southern Oregon (DH), Saturday,
11 a.m. (PDT)
LAST WEEK: vs. Northwest Christian (W 10-2, W
7-2)
STRANGE DOINGS IN THE NAIA RATING
SYSTEM: ACI has now
been ranked in the NAIA Top-25 for the past three weeks, as the latest national
poll was released this afternoon.
However, it is a mystery to many how the Coyotes
could go from No. 23 on April 11, gain nine points but drop to No. 24 on April
18, then lose six more points and fall to No. 25 – all while winning 18 of
their last 19 games, with the lone loss coming to No. 13 Oregon Tech. During the same stretch, OIT has won 9-of-14
games – including two losses to Concordia – whom the Yotes swept, and rose one
spot in the poll. Cal Baptist continues
to lead the poll, followed by Oklahoma
City, Simon Fraser, Point Loma Nazarene, and Trevecca Nazarene.
COYOTES MAINTAIN NO. 3 SPOT IN
REGION: The ACI
softball team was ranked third in the sixth NAIA Region I rankings – the fifth-straight
week that the Yotes have been at No. 3, despite holding a four-game lead in the
CCC standings. It is just the eighth
time in six years 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 the first rankings of 2007. The poll is released each Monday,
with the national poll released on Wednesday’s.
SMITH
NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK: After a dominating performance in
the Coyotes sweep Saturday of
Northwest Christian, Stacy Smith (Draper, Utah / Juan Diego Catholic HS)
was named Cascade Conference and NAIA Region I Player of the Week, announced
Monday evening. Smith became the first
Lady Yote to hit three home runs in a doubleheader, smashing two home runs in
the run-rule shortened 10-2 win, the following with a 275-foot blast to
centerfield in the 7-2 ACI win. She went
3-for-5 in the two games with six runs batted in – breaking her own school
record for home runs in a season (now has ten), and pushed her career longball total to 18.
YOTES
CLINCH SECOND WINNING SEASON: With a 31-8 record
heading into weekend play, the Lady Yotes have secured just their second
winning season in the six years of fastpitch
softball. Only the 2003 team, which
finished 18-17, finished above .500. The
best mark by an ACI softball team through 39 games prior to this season was 16-23
in 2005.
HIGH
WATER MARK FOR PROGRAM: With an 12-2
mark and sitting atop the CCC standings, the Lady Yotes have set their highest
mark above .500 ever. Following a 13-1 homestand, ACI moved to 23 games above .500 for the first
time, and currently hold a four-game lead on Oregon Tech in the loop standings.
WHAT
APRIL SWOON? The fourth month of the calendar year had
not been kind to the Lady Yotes in the first five seasons of softball. During the first five years, ACI has posted a
record of 28-73 during April (.277 win percentage) – with five of those
victories coming at the tail end April 2006.
Last season was the best April to date (9-13), a better mark than the
2002 (3-16), 2003 (7-11), 2004 (6-14), and 2005 (3-19) teams. However, the 2007 team has guaranteed a
winning April with an 13-1 mark so far this month.
HOME
COOKING WAS THE TONIC: Helping the Coyote
cause this April is the fact that ACI played their first 14 games of the month
on at Symms Field.
The Lady Yotes finished their home schedule with an 18-4 record, as ACI
is now 54-59 all-time at Symms Field.
RUN
RULE BECOMING THE YOTES FRIEND: Prior to the 2007
season, the Coyotes had 57 games
shortened by the eight-run mercy rule.
In those games, ACI had a 9-48 mark – including 16 losses by
eight-or-more runs during the 2004 season.
This year has been completely different, as the Lady Yotes have lost by
the mercy rule only once, which defeating opponents early on seven occasions.
HOME
RUNS ADDING UP: The Lady Yotes have hit at least one home
run in each of their last 12 doubleheaders – dating back to their sweep of
Great Falls on March 16. During that
time, ACI surpassed the school record for homers in a season, launching their
21st of the year on Saturday against Corban, and
pushing the total to 24 in the sweep of Northwest Christian.
RECORDS
BY THE WAYSIDE: During the 2007 season, so many
single-game and single-season records have been broken, that keeping track of
it is difficult. So far, ACI has tied or
broke nine individual game records (runs, RBI, doubles, home runs, total bases,
walks, sacrifice hits, putouts, and strikeouts), along with ten team game
records (runs, hits, RBI, doubles, home runs, victory margin, no hitters, one
hitters, consecutive wins, hitting streak).
Also by the wayside are the single-season marks for runs, home runs, and
RBI by a player and wins and strikeouts by a pitcher, with the team already
breaking the season mark for runs, doubles, RBI, home runs, sacrifice flies,
shutouts, and strikeouts.
CAREER
RECORDS: The 2007 Coyotes are
shaking up the career record book unlike any other team in school history. Leading the charge is senior Heather Kirtley
(Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS), who is in the career
Top-10 in nine categories. She holds the
school record for runs scored (102), stolen bases (75), sacrifice hits (39),
hit by pitches (18), and walks (58), ranking second in hits (141 – three off
the school record), third in games started (166), and fourth in both at bats
(433) and games played (167). Junior Katie Zillner (Emmett, Idaho / Chicago State U.) finds
the offensive record book in six categories and seven pitching categories –
ranking No. 1 in wins (22), strikeouts (299), and shutouts (7), No. 2 in
complete games (27) and doubles (22), No. 3 in RBI (65) and home runs (5), No.
4 in appearances (45), innings pitched (231), pitching games started (38), and complete
games (27), No. 6 in both runs scored (46) and hits (81), and No. 10 in at bats
(235). Stacy Smith ranks in the Top-10
in six categories – No. 1 in home runs (18), No. 4 in RBI (61), No. 5 in hit by
pitches (6), No. 8 in hits (65), No. 9 in doubles (11), and No. 10 in runs
scored (34). A.J. Cavanaugh (Covington,
Wash. / Kentwood HS) is No. 2 all-time in home runs (9), No. 5 in RBI (49),
No. 6 in doubles (14), No. 7 in hits (72), and No. 11 in at bats (233), while Haley Butcher (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) is No. 8 in doubles (12) and RBI (31), is
No. 9 in runs scored (38), and No. 10 in hits (59). Rounding out the group are Brooke Judy (Kuna, Idaho / Kuna HS), who is No. 5 in pitching wins (13), Amy Rhoades (Eagle, Idaho / Dixie State Coll.), who is No. 5 in home runs (4),
and Nicole Illias
(Beaverton, Ore. / Valley Catholic
HS), who is No. 5 in home runs (4), and No. 10 in doubles (10) and RBI
(24).
TECH
AND SOUTHERN STANDING IN YOTES WAY:
A chance at a Cascade Conference championship and a regional
playoff berth are on the line this weekend as ACI starts a six-game road trip
to end the regular-season. The Lady
Yotes open with No. 13 ranked Oregon
Tech on Friday afternoon, a team which has won eight of the last 12 CCC
championships. The Owls (28-8-1, 8-6 CCC)
are coming off a four-game split against the Willamette Valley schools – but feature
a potent offensive attack led by shortstop Amanda Doherty (.433 12 HR 39 RBI) ,
left fielder Kelsi Haylett
(.418, 20 SB), and utility player Jenni Bittle (.365 2 HR 34 RBI).
Bittle (12-5 2.07 ERA) and Keri Gesner (11-2
2.03 ERA) are the top arms for the Techsters. ACI has never won a game in Klamath Falls, with OIT leading the all-time
series, 22-3. Saturday, ACI heads to Southern Oregon,
where the Raiders (11-23, 6-6) are looking for revenge of a pair of Coyote routs earlier in the month. Southern has a solid offensive attack, led by
all-star candidates in catcher Natalie Nielsen (.353 3 HR 12 RBI) and second
baseman Brin Tamblin (.345
7 HR 19 RBI), but have struggled in the circle with a team ERA of 5.89. SOU leads the all-time series between the two
clubs, 19-8.
SMITH LEADS YOTES PAST NORTHWEST
CHRISTIAN: Stacy
Smith hit three home runs as the No. 24 ranked Albertson College
softball team extended their win streak to nine games with 10-2 and 7-2
victories over Northwest Christian at Symms Field. Smith hit a solo home run in the second
inning of Game 1, the followed with a towering three-run homer in the third, as
ACI built a 5-1 lead. The Yotes would take advantage of four Beacon errors
in the fourth inning to plate four runs, with a Heather Kirtley
RBI single in the fifth ending the game due to the mercy rule. Katie Zillner got
her 15th win of the season in the circle, allowing just four hits and striking
out nine. Game 2 saw NCC get RBI singles
from Kasey Sconce and Lisa Martinez to jump ahead 2-1, but the Yotes would
counter in the third inning. A two-run A.J. Cavanaugh double broke a 2-2
tie and Smith would hit a mammoth two-run shot to centerfield as the Coyotes took the lead for good. Brooke Judy pitched four-plus innings of
scoreless relief to notch her 13th win of the season, scattering just three
hits. Kirtley,
the lone senior on the ACI squad, went 5-for-6 with four runs scored in the twinbill
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.
- ACI -
