Yote Notes – Apr. 3,
2007
Mike Safford Jr. – Sports
Info. Director
ATHLETIC NEWS: Steak Feed, Tennis Schedule addition
WOMEN'S
BASKETBALL STEAK LUNCHEON: The 3rd Annual ACI Women's Basketball Steak Luncheon is set for this Wednesday,
April 4, 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.
WOMEN’S TENNIS ADDS
MATCH: The ACI
women's tennis team has added a match to their 2007 Spring Schedule, as the
Lady Yotes will meet Spokane
Community College on
Saturday afternoon. The Lady Yotes
(5-7), who had a match last Saturday canceled by Lewis-Clark State,
will now have a pair of matches this week. ACI will travel to Ontario on Thursday for
the first of two meetings with Treasure Valley CC, then
meet Spokane CC in Payette on Saturday. ACI
will host their only "home" match of the season on April 17 - when
Treasure Valley CC makes a return visit.
TRACK: Coyotes qualify two for NAIA Championships
LAST
WEEK: at Al Manuel Open, Missoula, Mont.
COMING
UP: at
Willamette Distance Carnival, Friday, Salem, Ore.; at Northwest Nazarene Open, Saturday, Nampa
SAUNDERS NOTCHES YOTES FIRST NAIA
PROVISIONAL TIME: It
took just two meets for the ACI track team to record their first qualifying
time for the NAIA Outdoor Championships in Fresno, Calif. Jayne
Saunders (Emmett, Idaho / Emmett HS) placed
fourth in the 400-hurdles Saturday at the Al Manuel Open in Missoula, Mont., meeting
the NAIA “B” Standard with her time of 1:05.95.
It is the second-straight year that the sophomore has qualified for
nationals in the event.
HATCH ALSO HEADED TO NATIONALS: A second Coyote
also earned a mark, but in a completely different place. Natalie
Hatch (Emmett,
Idaho / Willamette
U.) met the NAIA “B” Standard in
the half marathon, running at the Wheatfield race in The Dalles, Ore. Hatch ran the 13-plus mile race in 1:33:21,
just 21 seconds off the NAIA “A” mark.
It will be the senior’s first trip to Nationals.
HOPPER NEARLY PULLS OFF DOUBLE: In Missoula, Tyler Hopper (Caldwell, Idaho
/ Caldwell HS) started off his outdoor season with a bang, earning a
convincing win in the 1,500-meters and nearly legging out a win in the
800. The junior, competing against
primarily NCAA Division I competitors, won the 1,500 in 4:01.02 – running a
great tactical race. “One of the teams
sent a runner on a very quick second lap,” said head coach Pat McCurry. “Hopper went with him (not knowing he was a
rabbit), but quickly adjusted when the runner dropped out and was able to outkick the remaining runners.” Hopper had a great run in the 800, closing in
the final 30-meters, with two runners hitting the tape in identical 1:55.79
times. However, the film gave the win to
the host Grizzlies.
OTHER SOLID
PERFORMANCES: Other Coyote
men to run well included Sam Hardy (Eagle, Idaho
/ Eagle HS), who was fourth in the 800 (4:08.56), and Jesse Chlebeck (Eagan, Minn.
/ Eagan HS),
who was fourth in the 5,000 (15:33.27). The women saw Shannon Edwards (Sherwood, Ore.
/ Eastern Oregon U.) take fifth in the 5,000 (18:41.32), with Stephanie Sparks (West Jordan, Utah / Juan Diego Catholic HS) taking
fifth in the 800 (2:21.76).
SPLIT SQUAD THIS WEEK: The Yotes will have a split squad
this weekend, as the top ACI distance runners will head to Salem, Ore., for the
Willamette Distance Carnival on Friday night.
This will be the first true test for the Coyotes
to compete in optimal conditions, on a very good track, to earn NAIA qualifying
marks. The remaining runners will
compete on Saturday at the Northwest Nazarene Open in Nampa
– one of two meets that ACI will compete in the Treasure Valley.
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 (18-10): No. 23 Coyotes
head into second half of Region I play riding high after series win over British Columbia, open
ten-game road trip at Corban
LAST
WEEK: vs. British Columbia
(L 8-3, W 7-5, W 12-11, W 6-3)
COMING
UP: at Corban, Friday, 3 p.m. (PDT); at Corban (DH), Saturday, 11 a.m. (PDT)
INTERNET BROADCASTS: There will be no internet broadcast
during this weekend’s series between ACI and Corban College, due to the lack of phone line
at the Warriors home field. Archives of
previous ACI broadcasts can be found online at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/baseball/2007RADIO.htm.
YOTES AT NO. 23 IN LAST WEEK’S POLL: ACI dropped eleven spots in the third Top-25 Coaches’ Poll, released
by the national office last 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.).
This week’s regional top-six has L-C and ACI at the top, followed by British Columbia, Concordia,
Corban, and Oregon Tech. The regional ranking will be released each
Monday, with the national poll released on each Wednesday.
BETTER GET USED TO THE BUS: The Coyotes
will become road warriors over during the final month of the regular-season, as
ACI will play 14 of their final 18 games away from Simplot Stadium. The Yotes will play their next ten games on
opponents’ fields, and after a brief four-game home series in late April, will
finish the season with a four-game set on the road.
IT ALL BEGINS WITH CORBAN: ACI starts the second half of the
schedule with a three-game weekend series at Corban College. The Warriors (10-17-1, 4-10 Region I) have
lost five of their last six games, including a pair at home over the weekend to
Concordia. Leading the way offensively
is Jaime McGraw (.388, 14 SB), Craig Spicer (.352 1 HR 15 RBI), and Brett
Timmerman (.340, 19 RBI), while Scott Fitchett (2-3
4.89 ERA) has been the workhorse of the pitching staff, seeing action in a region-best
19 games this season. The Coyotes swept the three-game series in March,
outscoring the Warriors, 30-12. The two
teams have met 74 times previously, with ACI holding a 65-9 series edge.
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).
AT THE MIDWAY POINT: The Coyotes
sit alone in third-place in the NAIA Region I
standings after the first set of round-robin games. ACI is two games back of British Columbia for the right to host the
Regional Tournament, with Concordia just a half game back of the Yotes. Three games will have to be made up in the
second half due to weather – a single game between Corban
and Concordia, along with a pair of games between LC-State and UBC.
YOTES SWEEP DOUBLEHEADER FROM
CANADIANS: It had
been nearly five years since the Coyote
baseball team had swept a doubleheader from British Columbia – dating back to the 2002
season. That sweep was in the championship
round of the NAIA Region I Tournament at Simplot Stadium, as ACI came through
the losers bracket to win the regional. Chris Eggleston got the 8-5 win in the
opener, with Chris Rennaker and Taylor Blair
combining to beat UBC, 7-1, in the “if necessary” game. It is noted that the T-Birds had current
Colorado Rockies pitcher, Jeff Francis, on their roster. The last time ACI swept UBC in a
regular-season doubleheader was in 2001 – keyed by a Jack Mitchell walk-off
home run against Francis.
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 broke that streak on Saturday and take a
three-game win streak into next weekend’s series at Corban.
NOT THE LONGEST STREAK: The eight-game losing skid fell one
short of the longest losing streak in the modern era of ACI baseball – as the
1990 Yotes lost nine consecutive games.
The longest losing streak in program history was at the end of the 1977
season and during the start of the 1978 campaign, when the Coyotes dropped a total of 21-straight games.
REGIONAL TEAM STATISTICS: Batting Average – Lewis-Clark State .340, ACI .310, Corban .301, Concordia .277, British Columbia .265, Oregon
Tech .249; Earned Run Average – LC-State 1.94, ACI 4.02, UBC 4.90, CU 5.57, CRB
6.78, OIT 6.83; Fielding Percentage – LC-State .973, CRB .963, CU .954, UBC
.952, ACI .949, OIT .930.
CAREER RECORD BOOK: A total of four players are
currently in the Top-10 in the career record book for ACI baseball. Leading the group is Pat Burke (Sisters, Ore. /
Sisters HS), who finds himself amongst the leaders in five categories – No.
5 in doubles (45), No. 7 in at bats (633), No. 8 in hits (203), and No. 9 in
both hit by pitches (27) and games played (179). The three others are each in one category – Jason Roach (Sacramento, Calif. / Sacramento City CC) is No. 6 in strikeouts
(142), Joey Zubizarreta
(Boise, Idaho / Cochise CC) is
No. 10 in appearances, and Dane McGrady (Boise,
Idaho / Borah HS) is No. 10 in hit by pitches (25).
YOTES SPLIT DAY ONE OF B.C. SERIES: Tyler Smith (Fruitland, Idaho
/ Lower Columbia CC) broke a 4-4 tie with a seventh inning RBI single as
the Yotes split Saturday’s doubleheader with UBC, losing the opener, 8-3, but
winning Game 2, 7-5. The Yotes jumped on
UBC starter Brendan Rolfe in the second inning, plating four runs. ACI
got a pair of sacrifice flies to go along with RBI singles from Pat Burke and Bryan Champ (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) to
take the lead. The T-Birds would rally, scoring three in the fourth and a
single run on a Jon Syrnyk single in the seventh to
tie the score. However, the Yotes would battle right back, as Burke led
off the frame with a double and would move to third on a sacrifice bunt.
After Adam Roach (Sacramento,
Calif. / New Mexico Highlands U.)
was intentionally walked, Smith ripped a pitch through the right side to
give ACI the lead for good. Casey
Oliver (Pocatello,
Idaho / Coll. of Southern
Idaho) would deliver an RBI single
later in the inning that eventually provided the winning margin. Joey Zubizarreta
tossed three solid innings in relief to notch the win, allowing just one hit
and striking out three. Burke went 3-for-4 in the victory for the
Yotes. Game 1 saw great pitching and
hitting stars for the T-Birds to notch the win. Doug Grant was one out
away from a complete game, picking up the win. The senior took a
no-hitter into the fourth inning and a one-hitter into the sixth, as he
improved to 2-2. Syrnyk was the hitting star
for UBC, recording the Canadian club's first cycle since 2005. The
sophomore had a single in the first, an RBI double in the third, added a solo
home run in the fifth and a triple in the seventh. A five-run third
inning was the difference in the UBC win.
ABOUT THE SWEEP: The Yotes scored three runs in the
bottom of the ninth inning to win the opener and got a solid performance from Tim Bourner (Buhl, Idaho / Treasure Valley CC) on
the mound in the nightcap as the Coyotes
swept Sunday’s doubleheader from British Columbia, topping the Thunderbirds
12-11 and 6-3, at Simplot Stadium. Rallying
from four different deficits, UBC got a solo home run from catcher Brendan Kornberger leading off the ninth inning to break a 9-9
tie. They would add another run off ACI closer, Richie Snider (Sandpoint,
Idaho / Porterville CC), before Joey Zubizarreta
came in with the bases loaded and coaxed a strikeout and double play to end the
threat. A wild bottom of the ninth saw
Casey Oliver plunked on the back by UBC closer, Brett Murray. Drew Echanis (Ontario, Ore. / Western
Oregon U.)
then laced
a ball to right that was booted by Jon Syrnyk,
allowing Oliver to score from first to cut the margin to 11-10. Jacob Garsez (Caldwell, Idaho / Columbia Basin CC)
was hit by a pitch, and Camron Hammond (St. Anthony,
Idaho / South Fremont
HS) reached on a fielding error to load the bases. Luke Howarth (Boise,
Idaho / Centennial HS), who
was 4-for-4 in the game, lifted a sacrifice fly to tie the score. After Pat
Burke was intentionally walked, Brian Champ lifted a fly ball to left, with Garsez beating the throw home to end the game. Echanis went
3-for-4 with an RBI and Adam Roach went 2-for-5 with three RBI in the Yotes win
- as ACI registered a season-high 16 hits, helping the hosts pull within two
games of UBC in the regional standings. Carson Taysom (Pocatello, Idaho / Century HS) went the first five
innings, allowing just two earned runs in the no-decision. Kornberger went 3-for-4 for UBC, as the T-Birds also racked
up 16 hits. Bourner
was the story in Game 2, tossing six innings of two-run, five-hit ball,
striking out six batters to improve to 3-0 on the season. Drew Cauffman
(Mountain Home, Idaho / Mountain Home HS)
went 2-for-3 with two RBI in the win for ACI, with Jim Styrna
hitting his second home run of the year in the loss for UBC.
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 220-150-1
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 (18-7): No. 32 Lady Yotes
open 14-game homestand with doubleheader Tuesday
against Eastern Oregon
COMING
UP: vs. Eastern Oregon, Tuesday, 3 p.m.; vs. Southern Oregon, Friday, 2
p.m.; vs. No. 13 Oregon
Tech, Saturday, 11 a.m.
LAST WEEK: vs. Northwest Christian (W 6-0, W
5-1)
ON THE INTERNET: It is expected that all six games
this weekend will be carried live on the Internet via the ACI Athletic Website
(www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/caa/radio.htm)
with Mike Safford calling the play-by-play.
LADY YOTES RECEIVE VOTES IN NATIONAL
POLL: A season of
firsts for the ACI softball team added a new milestone last week, as the Lady
Yotes received votes in the NAIA Top-25 Coaches Poll for the first time. The squad received four votes by the national
raters, putting the Coyotes at No.
32 in the NAIA (the seventh team in the others’ receiving votes
category). The next NAIA poll will be
released on Wednesday afternoon.
COYOTES MAINTAIN NO. 3 SPOT IN
REGION: The ACI
softball team was ranked third in the third NAIA Region I rankings, released Monday
afternoon – the second-straight week that the Yotes have been at No. 3. It is just the fifth 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.
BEST
START EVER: The 18-7 start by the Lady Yotes is their
best ever through 25 games, eclipsing the 14-11 start by the 2003 team. The 2002 team began 7-18, the 2004 went 6-19,
the 2005 squad started 13-12, and last season, ACI began 12-13. ACI has also equaled the school record for
wins in a season with 18 – tying the 2003, 2005, and 2006 teams.
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 Northwest Christian, ACI moved to 11 games above .500 for the first time,
and currently hold a one-game lead over Southern Oregon
and Oregon Tech in the loop standings.
LONGEST
WIN STREAK EQUALED, THEN SNAPPED, THEN EQUALED: The
Lady Yotes have won ten of their last 11 games, equaling their longest win
streak in program history for the second time this season. ACI has won five-straight games five
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 and 2005 seasons, and now twice during 2007 season.
CAN
THEY AVOID THE APRIL SWOON? The fourth month of the
calendar year has not been kind to the Lady Yotes in the first five season of
softball. Overall, 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.
CAN
HOME COOKING BE THE TONIC: Helping the Coyote
cause this April is the fact that ACI will be playing their first 14 games of
the month on at Symms Field. The Lady Yotes have a 5-3 record at home this
season and will have a five-game home win streak on the line. Tuesday’s first game vs. Eastern will be the
100th game for ACI at home, with the Coyotes
posting a 41-58 all-time record at Symms Field.
ANOTHER
NO-NO: Friday afternoon, Katie Zillner (Emmett, Idaho
/Chicago State U.) became the first ACI ball player, male or female, to
throw two no-hitters in a career, as she tossed a seven inning no-no at
Northwest Christian. The junior allowed
one walk, hit one batter, and struck out five to pick up her sixth consecutive win
on the season. Zillner,
who threw a five inning no-hitter against Great
Falls, has allowed just one earned run in her last 35
innings of work – giving up just ten hits and striking out 56 batters during
the stretch.
HITTING
STREAK: Outfielder Heather Kirtley (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS)
equaled her own career-best by hitting safely in her last nine games. The senior has been on a hot streak during
that time, going 13-for-28 (.464) at the plate, while recording five walks,
five stolen bases, and scoring ten runs.
The longest hit streak by a Coyote
is 12 games, set by Katie Zillner, last season.
TRYING
TO BREAK THE MOUNTIE HEX: To say that Tuesday’s opponent, Eastern Oregon, has owned the Lady
Yotes in Caldwell,
would be an understatement. That is what makes the midweek doubleheader
against ACI’s I-84 rival so intriguing, as the
Mountaineers (10-9, 2-2 CCC) have won 12 of the 13 games between the two teams
at Symms Field, including nine-straight, dating back
to the lone Coyote win, a 6-1
decision on May 1, 2003. This years
Eastern squad can swing the bat, coming off an Arizona swing that saw the
Mounties score 47 runs in seven games, going 4-3 on the Spring Break trip. The attack is led by Michelle St. John (.286 4
HR 16 RBI), who had a pair of home runs and six RBI in a win last week against
St. Olaf (Minn.). The two teams have met 31 times previously,
with EOU holding a 25-6, although the Yotes won last season’s series, 4-3.
WEEKEND
SERIES WITH SOUTHERN AND TECH: The four games played
this weekend by the Lady Yotes will be a good measuring stick to see the
progress of the 2007 squad. ACI opens up
play with Southern
Oregon, a team that lost in the regional final last
season. The Raiders (9-19, 4-2) are just
a game back of the Coyotes in the
league race and have won 9-of-15 after an 0-13 start
(which included losses to nine NAIA Top-25 teams). Southern is led by sluggers Natalie Nielsen
(.366 2 HR 10 RBI) and Brin Tamblin
(.348 5 HR 14 RBI), and are coming off their first sweep of the season –
convincing victories over Corban. The pitching staff is anchored by
hard-throwing Melissa Wilt (3-5 5.25 ERA, 72 K). The two teams have met 25 times, with SOU
holding a 19-6 all-time series edge.
Saturday, Oregon Tech comes calling, holding an eight-game win streak over
ACI. The Owls (20-4-1, 4-2) are ranked
No. 13 in NAIA Top-25 Poll – thanks in part to Amanda Doherty (.466 9 HR 30
RBI), who has hit more home runs than any other player in OIT history. Homedale native, Kelsi
Haylett (.433 16 SB), is having an outstanding senior
season – with pitchers Keri Gesner (8-1 1.70 ERA) and Jenni
Bittle (9-3 2.02 ERA) holding opponents at bay. Tech has had the Coyotes
number the last five seasons, holding a 21-2 all-time series edge.
YOTES SWEEP NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN: Katie Zillner
tossed her second no-hitter of the season and the Lady Yote offense hit a pair
of home runs, as ACI swept a doubleheader at Northwest Christian Friday
afternoon, winning 6-0 and 5-1, at James Park.
A.J. Cavanaugh (Covington, Wash. / Kentwood
HS) gave her all the run support she needed in the second, launching her
first home run of the season. ACI added a pair of runs in the third and a
three-spot in the sixth for the win. Haley
Butcher (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) went 2-for-4 with an
RBI and Heather Kirtley went 1-for-4 with two runs
scored. Game 2 saw the Beacons, who will
join the Cascade Conference next season, get an RBI single from Charlie VanLoon in the first.
However, Brooke Judy (Kuna,
Idaho / Kuna HS) was stellar
out of the pen, allowing just four hits the rest of the way to pick up her
sixth win of the season. The Coyotes took the lead in the top of the second on a
two-run homer from Stacy Smith (Draper, Utah / Juan Diego Catholic HS), her
fourth of the season. They would add a run in the sixth and two more in
the seventh to earn the win. Smith went 2-for-3 in the win, with Stefanie Gonsalves
(Weed, Calif. / Coll. of the Siskiyous)
going 2-for-4, including a double, for the Yotes.
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 -
