Yote Notes – May 2, 2007

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@collegeofidaho.edu

ATHLETIC NEWS: Women’s Tennis, Golf

WOMEN’S TENNIS ENDS YEAR WITH WIN: In their lone home match of the 2007 season, the ACI women's tennis team was victorious last Wednesday over Treasure Valley Community College at the River City Racquet Club, winning 6-1. The Yotes took five of the six singles matches, which were played first due to the availability of courts and the threat of rain.  In fact, rain wiped out play at both No. 1 and No. 2 doubles. Mariah Armstrong (Sandpoint, Idaho / Sandpoint HS) notched her first win at No. 1 singles, topping Kasandra Andrews, 6-3, 6-4.  Kate Leadbetter (Grand Junction, Colo. / Fruita Monument HS) won at No. 2, Amanda McEldowney (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS) won at No. 4, with Jessica Brotherton (Payette, Idaho / Payette HS) and Penny Phimboun (Seattle, Wash. / Annie Wright Acad.) winning at No. 5 and No. 6 in their first matches of the season.  Brotherton and Tara Wensel (Nampa, Idaho / Vallivue HS) also notched an 8-1 victory at No. 3 doubles. The Lady Yotes finish their season with a 7-9 record, 5-9 against NCAA or NAIA teams.

GOLFERS POST BEST SCORES OF SEASON, FINISH EIGHTH AT REGIONALS: The ACI men's golf team finished eighth as the final round of the 2007 NAIA Region I Tournament came to a close Tuesday at Christina Lake Golf Club in Grand Forks, B.C. The Coyotes continued their stellar play with a final round 308 to finish the two-day event 76-over par (928).  ACI opened the tourney with a 315, then shot a 305 – their best round of the season. The Yotes finished second of the three Cascade Conference schools - behind Concordia, who placed fourth, and Corban, who placed ninth. Individually, John Pasley (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS) used a one-over 72 in his final round to finish at +13, good enough for 30th-place.  Both Ben Coate (Boise, Idaho / Capital HS) (+17) and Cris Tietsort (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS) (+22) had a pair of rounds in the 70s, including a second-round 73 by Tietsort. The University of British Columbia took home the team title, finishing with a one-under par 851 team-total.

TRACK: Yotes to compete in EOU Mini Meet in final tune-up for CCC Championships

LAST WEEK: at Bronco Twilight 

COMING UP: at Eastern Oregon Mini #2, La Grande, Ore., Friday.

COYOTES ADD MINI MEET TO SCHEDULE: The ACI track team will have one more meet prior to the Cascade Conference Championships on May 11-12 – as a small contingent of runners will race at Eastern Oregon on Friday. The key portion of the meet will be the running of 4 X 800 relays for both the men and women – as both EOU and ACI look to secure NAIA qualifying marks.

HOPPER HITS MARK IN 800 AS YOTES RUN WELL IN BOISE: Tyler Hopper (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS) met the NAIA "B" qualifying standard in the 800-meters tonight in school-record time as the ACI track team competed at the Bronco Twilight at Ed Jacoby Track on the Boise State campus on Friday night. The junior took second in the event in 1:53.67 - breaking his own school record and falling less than a second short of the "A" mark.  He also ran a strong race in the 1,500 - placing second in 3:57.29. Other strong men's performers were Jacob Haas (Portland, Ore. / Eastern Oregon U.), who won the 3,000 in 9:02.33, and Chris Rifer (Portland, Ore. / Sunset HS), who ran a season-best 1:59.46 in the 800. The women's side saw three school records broken, along with another outstanding performance from Shannon Edwards (Sherwood, Ore. / Eastern Oregon U.).  The senior won the 3,000-meters in 10:42.25 - nearly 12 seconds faster than her closest competitor. Katie Ball (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS) broke her own school record in the 1,500 (4:50.21), while Courtney Mitchell (Eagle, Idaho / Timberline HS) broke the mark in the 100 (13.24), and Emily McCutchan (Kuna, Idaho / Cole Valley Christian) recorded the longest triple jump leap (34' 3") by a Coyote.  Also running well was Stephanie Sparks (West Jordan, Utah / Juan Diego HS), who was five-hundredths of a second off the school record in the 800 (2:20.87).

YES, HAAS DID WIN: There was confusion at the finish line at Bronco Stadium following the men’s 3000-meter race. Although Jacob Haas took home the title for the Coyotes, the final results had Haas placing second. Upon further review, the original winner was actually a runner Haas was lapping at the tape – a runner who eventually placed seventh.

TOP TIMES OF THE YEAR:

Men’s

100-Meters Andy Swanson 11.80 Bronco Twilight 04/27/07

200-Meters Andy Swanson 23.76 Bronco Twilight 04/27/07

400-Meters Brian Crecelius 53.52 Al Manuel Open 03/31/07

800-Meters Tyler Hopper 1:53.67 Bronco Twilight 04/27/07

1500-Meters Tyler Hopper 3:55.78 Willamette Invite 04/06/07

3000-Meters Jacob Haas 9:02.33 Bronco Twilight 04/27/07

3000-Steeple Tyler Gross 10:37.43 Al Manuel Open 03/31/07

5000-Meters Jacob Haas 15:05.53 U. of Oregon Invite 04/20/07

10000-Meters Jacob Haas 32:50.51 Willamette Invite 04/06/07

400- Hurdles Rand Kline 1:00.19 Bronco Twilight 04/27/07

4 X 800-Meter Relay ACI “A” 7:57.33 EOU Mini 03/24/07

Women’s

100-Meters Courtney Mitchell 13.24 Bronco Twilight 04/27/07

200-Meters Courtney Mitchell 27.19 Springfest Relays 04/21/07

400-Meters Jayne Saunders 1:02.20 Springfest Relays 04/21/07

800-Meters Stephanie Sparks 2:20.87 Bronco Twilight 04/27/07

1500-Meters Katie Ball 4:50.21 Bronco Twilight 04/27/07

3000-Meters Shannon Edwards 10:42.25 Bronco Twilight 04/27/07

3000- Steeple Chantel Varland 13:08.96 Al Manuel Open 03/31/07

5000-Meters Shannon Edwards 17:43.19 U. of Oregon Invite 04/20/07

10000-Meters Shannon Edwards 39:42.19 Willamette Invite 04/06/07

Half Marathon Natalie Hatch 1:33:21 The Dalles Wheatfield 03/31/07

400- Hurdles Jayne Saunders 1:05.71 Bronco Twilight 04/27/07

4 X 400-Meter Relay ACI “A” 4:08.77 Bronco Twilight 04/27/07

4 X 800-Meter Relay ACI “A” 9:50.90 EOU Mini 03/24/07

Triple Jump Emily McCutchan 34’ 3” Bronco Twilight 04/27/07

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 (800 and 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 (28-13): Yotes need one win in Canada to secure host site for NAIA Region I Tournament

LAST WEEK: vs. Concordia (W 11-3, W 6-5, W 6-3, W 5-3)

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

INTERNET BROADCASTS: All four weekend games will be carried on the Internet with UBC announcer, Brent Mutis on the call. To access the broadcasts, head to www.mutis.ca and click on the Listen Live (there is a small fee to access the broadcasts).

YOTES HOLD TWO GAME LEAD WITH THREE LEFT: In a surprising move last week, the NAIA Region I powers-that-be made a determination that games between Lewis-Clark State and the five other regional teams would not count in the round-robin standings. In doing so, ACI vaulted from a 14-10 record in Region I play, to 14-4 – and a first-place tie with British Columbia. With the Yotes sweep of Concordia, coupled with Oregon Tech taking 2-of-3 from UBC, ACI holds a two game lead in the standings with three counting games left. If the Yotes win one of the counting games in Vancouver this weekend, ACI will play host to the NAIA Region I Tournament, May 10-12.

WHAT HAPPENED: The confusion in the standings dated back to a coaches meeting last September – in which the report the coaches’ provided ended up different than what was reported to the NAIA. After weeks of discussion between athletic directors and coaches, the change was made on Wednesday night. As a result, two games between UBC and Lewis-Clark State that were rained out in March will not be made up. However, a game between Concordia and Corban that was rained out will be made up, as it could determine the final berth to the postseason. Another twist is that L-C’s record in games against Region I teams will determine their spot in the regional playoffs – which the secured the No. 1 seed with sweeps of OIT and Corban on the road last week.

THE LAST TIME ACI HOSTED: If ACI were to host the Region I Tournament, it would be the first time the Yotes have played a home playoff game since 2002. That season, the Coyotes dropped the opening game to Concordia – then won four consecutive loser-out games to claim the title, including a pair of contests on the final day of the tourney against British Columbia.

WHAT THE HOST BERTH MEANS: Under the current format, the host team of the Region I Tournament has claimed the tourney title every season. 2000 – ACI, 2001 – Western Oregon, 2002 – ACI, 2003 – British Columbia, 2004 – Concordia, 2005 – British Columbia, 2006 – British Columbia.

21-STRAIGHT 25-WIN SEASONS: With their Game 1 win over Concordia on Saturday, the Yotes picked up their 25th win of the season – the 21st consecutive season that the ACI baseball team has won 25-or-more games.

COYOTES REMAIN OUT OF THE NAIA POLL: For the second-straight week, ACI remains outside of the NAIA Top-25. Despite winning four games last week, voters dropped the Coyotes from No. 29 to No. 30 (fifth team listed in the others receiving votes category). ACI received just 12 points in the latest poll , down from a season-high 259 points on March 9. L-C State received 19 of the 20 first-place votes and sits in the No. 1 spot, followed by Azusa Pacific (Calif.), Oklahoma City, Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.), and Spring Arbor (Mich.). 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.

TAYSOM NAMED PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Left-hander Carson Taysom (Pocatello, Idaho / Century HS) was named Cascade Conference and NAIA Region I Pitcher of the Week, as announced by Information Director, Sam Ghrist on Tuesday. The senior helped the Coyotes to a four-game sweep of Concordia over the weekend - getting a 6-3 victory in Sunday's opener.  Taysom went eight shutout innings, allowing just six hits and striking out five - without a walk, throwing 98 pitches. He is now 7-4 on the season with a 4.12 ERA - and upped his career strikeout total to 110.

ALUMNI IN PRO BALL: A pair of former Coyote players are starting their second month 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 rehabbing with the AAA Columbus Clippers in the International League – tossing five innings of one-run ball in his first outing. 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 – but has been put on the disabled list with a biceps injury.

BRITISH COLUMBIA A.K.A. DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE: Which British Columbia team the Yotes see this weekend in Vancouver could determine the host site of the regional tournament. The T-Birds (19-15, 16-6 Region I) dropped 3-of-4 games at then last-place Oregon Tech over the weekend, but responded Tuesday with a 1-0 victory at No. 1 ranked Lewis-Clark State – just L-C’s second 1-0 blanking in Lewiston in 31 years. UBC, which lost 3-of-4 to the Yotes in Caldwell, is led by outfielders Jon Syrnyk (.324 4 HR 26 RBI) and Nic Lendvoy (.347 2 HR 20 RBI), along with pitchers Brendan Rolfe (5-0 1.42 ERA) and Doug Grant (5-3 3.17 ERA). UBC holds the all-time series edge, 36-27, and has won 11-consecutive games against the Coyotes at Nat Bailey Stadium, dating back to the 2004 season.

REGIONAL TEAM STATISTICS: Batting Average – Lewis-Clark State .337, ACI .304, Corban .282, British Columbia .272, Oregon Tech .264, Concordia .262; Earned Run Average – LC-State 2.39, ACI 3.82, UBC 4.18, CU 5.67, OIT 6.51, CRB 7.02; Fielding Percentage – LC-State .972, CRB .964, UBC .958, ACI .955, CU .951, OIT .936.

SINGLE-SEASON AND CAREER RECORDS: So far this season, two Coyotes have reached the Top-10 on the single-season record sheet, while six different Yotes are among the Top-12 in the career book. Both Tyler Smith (Fruitland, Idaho / Lower Columbia CC) and Casey Oliver (Pocatello, Idaho / Coll. of Southern Idaho) have recorded four triples this season, tying them for seventh on the single-season list. On the career list, Pat Burke (Sisters, Ore. / Sisters HS) finds himself among the all-time leaders in six categories – No. 3 in doubles (50), No. 5 in at bats (674), No. 6 in hit by pitches (30) and games played (191), No. 7 in hits (218), and No. 12 in RBI (127), with Jason Roach (Sacramento, Calif. / Sacramento City CC) among the leaders in two categories – No. 5 in strikeouts (171) and No. 8 in wins (17). Others among the career leaders are Carson Taysom, who is No. 10 in wins (15), Oliver, who is No. 9 in triples (6) and No. 11 in stolen bases (38), Joey Zubizarreta (Boise, Idaho / Cochise CC), who is No. 7 in appearances (53), with Dane McGrady (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) ranking No. 6 in hit by pitches (30).

ZUBY HELPS YOTES WIN OPENING DH WITH CONCORDIA: ACI completed a key baseball doubleheader sweep over Concordia University Saturday at Simplot Stadium, stopping the Cavaliers 11-3 and 6-5. In the opener, a seven-run fifth inning broke open a 3-3 tie, as the Coyotes earned revenge from a Concordia three-game sweep in March.  Richie Snider (Sandpoint, Idaho / Porterville CC) put ACI ahead for good with a two-run single and Camron Hammond (St. Anthony, Idaho / South Fremont HS) followed with an RBI single in the frame, with Casey Oliver ripping a two-run single to cap the inning. Pat Burke and Oliver each had three hits in the game, with Snider going 2-for-2 with three RBI.  Luke Howarth (Boise, Idaho / Centennial HS) hit his first homer of the season in the win.  Joey Zubizarreta pitched two scoreless innings of relief to notch his fourth win of the season. Five different Cavalier players had two hits in the loss - as CU pounded out 12 hits, but stranded nine runners and had two others picked off. Game 2 saw Jason Roach pitch seven strong innings with the Yotes hanging on for the win.  Roach went seven-plus innings, allowing just four hits, striking out seven. However, leading 6-2, Zubizarreta, in his second inning of relief, allowed RBI singles to Kyle Waterland and Shawn Turner, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate.  But the junior got Mike Hall to line out to end the game, recording his third save of the season. Kent Bradshaw (Caldwell, Idaho / Tacoma CC) went 3-for-4 in the Game 2 win, including a perfect suicide squeeze bunt base hit.  Dane McGrady went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

ACI COMPLETES WEEKEND SWEEP: The Yotes completed the weekend sweep of Concordia, stopping the Cavaliers 6-3 and 5-3 at Simplot Stadium on Sunday. Carson Taysom made the most of Senior Day for the Yotes, tossing eight innings of shutout ball in the opener.  The Pocatello native allowed six hits and struck out five to notch his seventh win of the year. ACI got all the support they needed in the first inning, plating five runs.  A two-run double from Richie Snider and a two-run single from Adam Roach helped the Yote cause.  Snider went 2-for-4 with three RBI and Casey Oliver went 2-for-3 with a double and a triple in the win.  Jason Grisham went the distance for the Cavaliers, allowing just one run after the first, striking out four. Game 2 saw the Yotes take advantage of three CU errors in the win.  Jacob Garsez (Caldwell, Idaho / Columbia Basin CC) had a two-run double in the third inning which was the eventual game-winner. Concordia had the tying run at the plate in the seventh, but Snider came on in relief to retire back-to-back batters to record his second save of the season.  Tim Bourner (Buhl, Idaho / Treasure Valley CC), the first of seven ACI pitchers, pitched two scoreless innings to get his fourth win. 

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 233-153-1 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 (33-10): Lady Yotes clinch CCC title and berth at NAIA Region I Tournament

COMING UP: at Eastern Oregon (DH), Saturday, 1 p.m. (PDT)

LAST WEEK: at No. 13 Oregon Tech (W 5-4, L 6-5), at Southern Oregon (L 5-4, W 7-6)

CASCADE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS!!!: With their first-ever victory at Oregon Tech, the ACI softball team guaranteed themselves their first Cascade Conference championship and an automatic berth to the NAIA Region I Tournament, set for May 10-11.

PAST CCC CHAMPS: 1997 – Oregon Tech, 1998 – Oregon Tech, 1999 – Eastern Oregon, 2000 – Oregon Tech, 2001- Oregon Tech, 2002 – Oregon Tech, 2003 – Southern Oregon, 2004 – Southern Oregon, 2005 – Southern Oregon, 2006 – Oregon Tech, 2007 – ACI.

ON TO REGIONALS: The Coyotes will join three other teams – host Simon Fraser, along with Oregon Tech and Concordia at the four-team tourney. It will be held at Softball City in Surrey, B.C., the home of the Canadian National Softball Team. The winner of the double-elimination tournament will earn an automatic berth to the NAIA Women’s World Series in Decatur, Ala.

MORE ON THE TOURNAMENT: Games will begin next Thursday at 9:30 a.m. (PDT), with the Yotes expected to play the second game of the day (at 11:30 a.m.). The two winners will meet in the semifinals at 4 p.m. that afternoon, while the losers will play a knock-out game at 1:30 p.m. The championship round will take place on Friday. It is expected that the Yotes will stay at either the Aston Pacific Inn or the Best Western Peace Arch Inn – both in the Surrey-White Rock area. Ticket prices are $5.00 per day or $8.00 for a tournament pass (U.S. Dollars are taking at par with Canadian Dollars) – which includes a tournament program. It is expected that all games will have Live Stats available on the Internet, while the availability of Internet Broadcasts still up in the air.

PAST REGIONAL CHAMPS: 1997 – Pacific Lutheran, 1998 – Western Washington, 1999 – Eastern Oregon, 2000 – Simon Fraser, 2001 – Concordia, 2002-06 – Simon Fraser.

COYOTES TAKE OVER NO. 2 SPOT IN REGION: The ACI softball team was ranked second in the latest NAIA Region I rankings, the highest position for the Coyotes in program history. The Yotes trail just Simon Fraser in the poll, followed by Oregon Tech and Concordia. It is just the ninth time in six years that the Coyotes have been ranked in the weekly regional poll – as ACI was ranked fifth for two weeks last season, was ranked No. 4 in the first rankings of 2007, and at No. 3 for the previous three weeks. The final regional poll will be released next Monday (determining the seeding to the NAIA Region I Tournament), with the final national poll released May 9.

NATIONAL RANKINGS: With the move to No. 2 in the region, ACI is expected to make a jump in the NAIA poll this week. The Coyotes have been ranked in the Top-25 each of the last three weeks, with a high mark of No. 23 on April 11.

ONE MORE BATTLE WITH EASTERN: The Lady Yotes round out the regular-season with a doubleheader Saturday at rival Eastern Oregon. The Mountaineers (17-22, 7-11 CCC) were eliminated from the postseason race last weekend, but will be conducting Senior Day at Pioneer Park in La Grande. EOU is among the better offensive teams in the league – led by catcher Meghan Henderson (.359 4 HR 20 RBI) and third-baseman Hannah Kirk (.265 7 HR 22 RBI). Melodee Mildenberger (6-5 2.39 ERA) has been the Mounties top pitcher, however, Eastern has allowed 57 unearned runs, thanks to 79 errors from their defense. ACI swept an earlier series in Caldwell, 6-2 and 11-1, but EOU holds the all-time series edge, 25-8, including 8-2 in La Grande.

YOTES CLINCH SECOND WINNING SEASON: With a 33-10 record heading into the fnal weekend of the regular-season, 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 43 games prior to this season was 18-25 in 2006.

HIGH WATER MARK FOR PROGRAM: With a 14-4 mark and sitting atop the CCC standings, the Lady Yotes have set their highest mark above .500 ever. ACI moved to 24 games above .500 for the first time after Friday’s win at Oregon Tech – also setting a new school record with their tenth consecutive win.

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 turned things upside down, ending April with a 15-3 mark for the 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 hit at least one home run in 13 straight doubleheaders – beginning with their sweep of Great Falls on March 16 – ending Saturday at Southern Oregon. During that time, ACI surpassed the school record for homers in a season, pushing the total to 26 with their split at Oregon Tech.

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 walks, 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, hits, doubles, RBI, home runs, walks, 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 (105), stolen bases (77), sacrifice hits (39), hit by pitches (19), and walks (62), ranking second in hits (141 – three off the school record), third in games started (170), and fourth in both at bats (444) and games played (171). 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 (23), strikeouts (312), and shutouts (7), No. 2 in complete games (29) and doubles (22), No. 3 in RBI (67) and home runs (5), No. 4 in appearances (48), innings pitched (244), pitching games started (40), and complete games (29), No. 6 in both runs scored (47) and hits (85), and No. 11 in at bats (249). Stacy Smith (Draper, Utah / Juan Diego HS) ranks in the Top-10 in six categories – No. 1 in home runs (18), No. 4 in RBI (62), No. 5 in hit by pitches (6), No. 8 in hits (68), No. 9 in doubles (12), and No. 10 in runs scored (37). A.J. Cavanaugh (Covington, Wash. / Kentwood HS) is No. 2 all-time in home runs (9), No. 5 in RBI (51), No. 6 in doubles (15), No. 7 in hits (75), and No. 10 in at bats (250), while Haley Butcher (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) is No. 8 in doubles (13) and RBI (32), is No. 9 in runs scored (42), and No. 10 in hits (66). 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. 3 in home runs (4), and Nicole Illias (Beaverton, Ore. / Valley Catholic HS), who is No. 6 in home runs (4), and No. 10 in doubles (10) and RBI (27).

COYOTES SPLIT AT NO. 13 OREGON TECH: ACI secured their first-ever NAIA Region I Tournament berth with a doubleheader split at No. 13 ranked Oregon Tech on Friday. The Coyotes won the opener 5-4, thanks to a two-run Nicole Illias single in the sixth inning to plate the winning runs.  OIT won the nightcap, 6-5,  in nine innings as Kelsi Haylett tripled and scored the winner on a wild pitch. The win in the opener extended the Yotes to a school-record ten games.  Amy Rhoades launched her fifth homer of the season, as ACI jumped out to a 2-0 lead.  However, OIT would tally three runs in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead, thanks to a pair of wild pitches and an untimely Coyote error.  ACI would rally in the sixth, as an error prolonged the inning, allowing Illias to rip the eventual game-winning single. Katie Zillner picked up her 16th win of the season, setting a new school-record with her 23rd career win.  She also went over the 300 strikeout mark in her career.  Illias went 2-for-3 for the Yotes. Game 2 was a see-saw affair, with ACI taking a 4-2 lead in the fourth on a Stefanie Gonsalves (Weed, Calif. / Coll. of the Siskiyous) two-run homer.  After Tech tied the game in the fifth, the Yotes got a Zillner RBI single in the sixth to take a 5-4 lead.  However, starter Brooke Judy could not hold the lead, as a Brittney Shlee sacrifice fly in the seventh brought home Haylett with the tying run.  Haylett, who went 4-for-5 in Game 2, gapped a ball with one out in the ninth, then scored on a Chelsey Nokleby (Olympia, Wash. / River Ridge HS) wild pitch to end the game. Haley Butcher went 3-for-5 with a triple for the Lady Yotes, while Amanda Doherty went 3-for-4 with two RBI for the Techsters.

YOTES CLOSE OUT TRIP WITH WIN AT SOUTHERN: ACI closed out their trip with a split Saturday at Southern Oregon, dropping the opener, 5-4, but rallied to win the nightcap, 7-6, in Ashland, Ore. Southern won Game 1 thanks to a three-run Brin Tamblin home run in the sixth inning.  ACI had the potential tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position with one out in the seventh, but could not plate the runners. Game 2 saw the Yotes score five times in the sixth inning, erasing a Raider 4-2 lead.  Katie Zillner recorded the final two outs in the seventh with the tying run aboard to notch the save. Haley Butcher went 4-for-8 with three runs scored and Brooke Judy went 3-for-6 with three RBI in the doubleheader for the Yotes.  Heather Kirtley tied a school record by walking three times in the Game 2 win. Natalie Nielsen went 5-for-7 in the two games for SOU, which dropped the season series with the Yotes for the first time ever.

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.

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