Yote Notes – March 27, 2008

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@collegeofidaho.edu

ATHLETIC NEWS:

ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS: Five members of The College of Idaho women's basketball team were named today to the All-Cascade Conference Academic Team, released this morning by the league office in Portland, Ore. Sophomores Kayla Brewer and Katee Brewer, junior Christon Vander Esch, and seniors Denise Hill and Magen Dufurrena were among the 23 players named to the team - with Vander Esch, Hill, and Dufurrena also earning Daktronics/NAIA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors last week. Member of the All-Academic Team must be of at least a sophomore status, maintain a 3.50 GPA, and play in at least half of the games.  Hill earned an exception of the last guideline, as she started the first ten games prior to a season-ending injury.

NAIA SCHOLAR-ATHLETES: College of Idaho men's basketball players J.R. Maggard and Craig McGee were named today to the Daktronics/NAIA All-America Scholar-Athlete Team, announced at the conclusion of the NAIA Division I Tournament in Kansas City, Mo. Maggard, a senior from Caldwell, and McGee, a junior from Boise, both met the criteria set forth by the NAIA - were at least a junior academically and maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher.  Both players were earlier named to the Cascade Conference All-Academic Team – two of only ten players honored. The two hoopsters push the C of I total of NAIA/USCSA scholar-athletes to 29 - tying the school record, with the entire spring sports season to go.

GOLFERS PLACE THIRD IN OREGON: The College of Idaho men's golf team placed third at the third Cascade Conference Qualifier of the season at Diamond Woods Golf Club in Corvallis, Ore. The Coyotes finished 179 shots behind first-place Concordia, however, when Northwest Christian's No. 4 golfer was not able to finish his final round, The C of I jumped up a spot in the final standings. Leading the Yote charge was Cris Tietsort, who was in 12th-place with a 30-over 246, having carded the best round of the tourney by a C of I player with a second round 80.  Also in the Top-15 was Ben Coate, who finished with a 33-over 249. On the women's side, Catherine Everist placed seventh overall, finishing with a 54-hole total of 287, including a first-round 92.  The Lady Yotes did not receive a team score, as they failed to field a full team. The four CCC teams will return to the course in two weeks at Tokatee Golf Club outside Eugene, Ore.

BASEBALL (14-13): Coyotes set for first-place battle in Canada with British Columbia

LAST WEEK: at Corban (L 4-2, W 5-2, W 4-0), vs. Simpson (W 7-5, W 13-2)

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

INTERNET BROADCAST AVAILABLE THIS WEEKEND: All four games of this weekend’s series with British Columbia will be broadcast live on the internet via http://tbirdbaseball.net with Bob Broughton providing the commentary. Click on the link at the top of the page to access the broadcast.

LYON NAMED PITCHER OF THE WEEK: With a pair of outstanding performances, C of I pitcher Pat Lyon (Bonners Ferry, Idaho / Bonners Ferry HS) was named Cascade Conference Pitcher of the Week, announced Monday by the league office, for the period from March 16-22. The senior picked up his first win of the year against Concordia in an 8-2 win, going seven innings, allowing just one run on six hits, following it up last Saturday with a complete game four-hitter in the 5-2 win over Corban. Lyon allowed just one hit over the final six innings to improve to 2-0 on the season.

HUMMER WINS NO. 250: With the Coyotes win over Simpson on Tuesday, head coach Shawn Humberger became the fourth coach in C of I history to win 250 games in his coaching career. He joins former baseball coach Tim Mooney, former basketball coach Marty Holly, and former football/basketball/baseball coach Clem Parberry in the club.

BROCK’S SHUTOUT A RARE ONE: On Saturday afternoon, Coyote hurler Andrew Brock (Burnaby, B.C. / Douglas CC) dominated the Corban batters tossing a nine inning shutout in the 4-0 victory over the Warriors. It marked the first time in four years that a C of I pitcher had recorded a nine inning complete game shutout. The previous outing was by Noah Grubenhoff in a 4-0 victory over Oregon Tech in the 2004 NAIA Region I Tournament. Prior to that, the Yotes had two nine inning complete game shutouts in the 2002 season – one each by Taylor Blair and Chris Eggleston. Incidentally, last season, Joey Zubizarreta (Boise, Idaho / Cochise CC) tossed ten shutout innings against Lewis-Clark State, however, the Yotes lost that game in 11 innings, 2-0.

HEINZ FIELD, PART TWO?: Conditions were not conducive for a lot of runs being scored at Warrior Field in Salem last weekend, as a week’s worth of rain fell in the Willamette Valley. A stiff win blew in from the outfield throughout the series, as the Yotes had six would-be home run balls caught at the fence – thanks to the stiff breeze. Furthermore, the outfield was waterlogged from the rain – with any ball hit in the gap stopping on a dime, with many players remarking that it reminded them of Heinz Field in Pittsburgh during this season’s infamous NFL game between the Steelers and Dolphins.

GAMBOA HEATING UP: Hitting the ball well over the last few games has been Gavin Gamboa (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS), who takes a five-game hitting streak into the British Columbia series. The true freshman is eight for his last 14 at the plate (.571), with three doubles and three RBI. During the stretch, Gamboa has seen his batting average climb from .250 to .333.

BARRY, MARSH-QUINLAN THROW WELL VS. SIMPSON: Using only four pitchers during the entire Corban series, the Coyotes had their entire bullpen available for the Simpson series. Taking the leading role for the Yotes were transfers Jason Barry (Castlegar, B.C. / U. of Northern Iowa) and Justin Marsh-Quinlan (Seabeck, Wash. / Olympic CC). Barry notched the win in Monday’s 7-5 decision, Barry pitched a season-high five and two-thirds innings of relief, allowing just one run on four hits with six strikeouts, while Marsh-Quinlan got the start in Tuesday’s 13-2 win, tossing four innings of two-hit ball, allowing one unearned run with three strikeouts.

BOTTARI IN THE CLOSERS ROLE: Getting to chance to work in the closer’s role over the last ten days has been Jake Bottari (Wells, Nev. / Western Nevada CC) – with solid results. The junior pitched a scoreless eighth inning at Corban, striking out two, while pitching perfect final innings against Simpson – including a 1-2-3 ninth inning to pick up his first save in Monday’s win.

RESERVES GET CHANCE VS. SIMPSON: The 13-2 win over Simpson allowed the Yotes to utilize their bench players for the first time in a while – with solid results. Leading the group was infielder Matt Mejia (Ontario, Ore. / Eastern Oregon U.), who went 2-for-3 with two RBI, while freshman outfielder Brett Ward (Nampa, Idaho / Nampa HS) went 1-for-2 with an RBI double. Rounding out the bunch was redshirt freshman catcher, Garrett Schultz (Belgrade, Mont. / Belgrade HS), who went 1-for-2 with a two-run double and scored two runs.

FIRST-PLACE BATTLE WITH UBC: The Yotes make their annual trek to Canada this weekend, traveling for a four-game series at British Columbia. The T-Birds (13-12, 8-0 Region I) have lost five games in row - having allowed ten or more runs in four straight games at Lewis-Clark State. UBC is led offensively by Mike Styrna (.373 1 HR 14 RBI), All-Region outfielder Jon Syrnyk (.338 1 HR 13 RBI), and Ryan Pilgrim (.324 3 HR 17 RBI), with pitchers Mark Hardy (3-3 2.79 ERA, 2 ShO), Josh Brink (2-1 4.46 ERA), and Greg Chong (2-0 1.88 ERA) leading the pitching staff. The two teams met eight times last season, with the Yotes holding a 5-3 series edge, but UBC holds a 38-29 all-time series edge.

REGIONAL/NATIONAL POLL: The third regular-season NAIA Region I poll was released on Monday, with Lewis-Clark State maintaining the top spot, followed by British Columbia, and the Yotes. Concordia, Corban, and Oregon Tech round out the rankings. L-C remained the No. 1 team in the NAIA Top-25 poll, followed by Lee (Tenn.), Lubbock Christian (Texas), Azusa Pacific (Calif.), and Oklahoma City. British Columbia was the only other Region I team in the poll, receiving four voter points

REGIONAL TEAM STATS: Batting Average – Lewis-Clark State .365, Concordia .289, College of Idaho .286, British Columbia .281, Corban .254, Oregon Tech .243; Earned Run Average – Lewis-Clark State 2.99, British Columbia 4.76, College of Idaho 4.96, Oregon Tech 5.38, Corban 5.38, Concordia 6.26; Fielding Percentage – Lewis-Clark State .967, Concordia .957, Corban .956, College of Idaho .954, British Columbia .953, Oregon Tech .930.

CORBAN SERIES: Friday - A Daniel Flores two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning broke a 2-2 tie, as Corban College took the opening game of a three-game series with The C of I on Friday, winning 4-2. The hosts jumped on C of I starter Joey Zubizarreta (Boise, Idaho / Cochise CC) in the first, as Scott Flux ripped a two-out, two-run double to take a 2-0 lead.  The Yotes would battle back against Jordan Emery, getting an RBI ground out from Jake Miller (Idaho Falls, Idaho / Treasure Valley CC) in the fifth after a Bryan Champ (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) leadoff double to make it 2-1, then getting an Alex O'Brien (Everett, Wash. / Everett CC) RBI groundout in the seventh after a Richie Snider (Sandpoint, Idaho / Porterville CC) leadoff double to tie the score. Saturday - Pat Lyon and Andrew Brock each tossed complete games, as the Yotes swept a doubleheader from Corban College, winning 5-2 and 4-0. The opener saw the host Warriors jump out to a 2-0 lead in the first - getting an RBI double from Flores and Flux RBI single to take the lead.  However, the Yotes would chip away - getting a Jordan Lanman (La Grande, Ore. / La Grande HS) infield single to score a run in the second, and an O'Brien sacrifice fly in the fourth to tie the score. The Yotes would take the lead for good in the sixth on an O'Brien RBI single, scoring Brad Carlsen (Reno, Nev. / Western Nevada CC) from second, then tack on a pair of insurance runs in the seventh. Lyon was stellar after the first, allowing just one hit over the final six innings to pick up his second straight win.  The senior did not walk a batter and had three strikeouts.  Game 2 was dominated on the mound by Brock, who scattered seven hits, allowing just one Warrior run to reach third base. The Coyotes took a 2-0 lead in the first on an RBI double by Cody Brubaker (Post Falls, Idaho / Spokane Falls CC), followed by an O'Brien RBI single, then notched single runs in the second and fourth to get the series win. Brubaker was 4-for-7 in the doubleheader, with Gavin Gamboa going 2-for-4 with two doubles and Jacob Garsez (Caldwell, Idaho / Columbia Basin CC) 2-for-3 with an RBI in Game 2 for the Yotes. 

SIMPSON SERIES: Monday - Jason Barry tossed five-plus innings of four-hit relief, striking out six, as The C of I rallied from a 4-2 deficit to post a 7-5 victory over Simpson University in Nampa. Barry, who had served as the Yotes closer the past few weeks, came into the game in the third inning and allowed two inherited runs to score, but settled down - giving the offense a chance to rally. The Coyotes would cut the deficit to 4-3 in the third on a Jordan Lanman RBI single, then take the lead for good in the fifth, getting an RBI infield single from Ray Morrison (Cumming, Ga. / Chattahoochee Valley CC) to score Cody Brubaker - tying the game at 4-4.  Morrison would steal second, allowing Alex O'Brien to score on the throw from third, with Devin Weaver (Boise, Idaho / Treasure Valley CC) lacing an RBI single to score Morrison to make it 6-4. It was enough for Barry, who allowed just four hits and one walk in his longest stint of the season.  Jake Bottari worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to pick up his first save of the year. All nine C of I position players had at least one hit in the win, with Gavin Gamboa going 2-for-4 with a two-run single in the first inning.  O'Brien and Brad Carlsen also had two hits for the Yotes. Tuesday - The Yotes won their fourth-straight game and moved back above the .500 mark for the season with a 13-2 victory over Simpson University in Nampa. The Coyotes scored multiple runs in each of the first five frames, as the game was called after six and a half innings by the NCAA mercy rule.  Justin Marsh-Quinlan went the first four frames for the Yotes, surrendering an unearned run on just two hits to get the win, improving to 3-1 on the season. The Yotes jumped ahead early, getting RBI singles from Carlsen and Brubaker in the first to lead 2-0, then after a two-run second, busted the game open with a four-run third, capped by a Bryan Champ two-run single.  Reserves got in the action for The C of I, as Brett Ward had an RBI double in the fourth and Garrett Schultz roped a two-run double in the fifth. Champ, Gavin Gamboa, Matt Mejia, and Nick Harris (Kuna, Idaho / Boise State U.) each had two of the Yotes 15 hits in the game

ABOUT THE COACH: The 2008 season marks the 21st year in The College of Idaho baseball program for head coach Shawn Humberger, his eighth year as Coyote skipper. Last season, he led the squad to a 31-17 mark, their third-straight Cascade Conference championship, and a runner-up finish at the NAIA Region I Tournament. During his tenure, Humberger has compiled a 250-170-1 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, 2006, and 2007, along with earning NAIA Region I Coach-of-the-Year and CCC Men's Coach-of-the-Year for all sports in 2002.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the Coyote baseball program, head to the official homepage of the Yotes – www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/baseball.htm.

SOFTBALL (12-5): Lady Yotes to conclude homestand with twinbills vs. NW Christian, Idaho State, and NNU

LAST WEEK: vs. Concordia (W 2-1, L 9-5), vs. Corban (W 10-0, W 6-3)

COMING UP: vs. Northwest Christian (DH), Friday, 3 p.m.; vs. Idaho State (DH), Saturday, 3 p.m.; vs. Northwest Nazarene (DH), Tuesday, 4:30 p.m.

LIVE STATS: All College of Idaho softball home games will feature Live Stats on the Internet, via the NAIA’s contract with DakStats. To access the game, head to http://www.dakstats.com/WebSync/Pages/Team/TeamSchedule.aspx?association=10&sg=WBA&sea=NAIWBA_2008&team=1400, and click on the corresponding “W” next to the game being played.

LADY YOTES RANKED 20TH IN LATEST POLL: The NAIA released its second Top-25 Coaches Poll of the regular-season, with the Lady Yotes ranked No. 20 in the nation. The C of I dropped two spots from their No. 18 perch in the first tabulation – but find themselves amongst the nation’s elite for the eighth-straight polling period. Lubbock Christian took over the No. 1 spot, followed by Cal Baptist and Point Loma Nazarene. Two other Northwest teams are in the poll, Simon Fraser at No. 11, with Concordia receiving four voter points. The national poll will be released every Wednesday for the remainder of the season.

REGIONAL RANKINGS: The second NAIA Region I Top-5 ranking was released on Monday, with Simon Fraser maintaining the top spot. The Lady Yotes were in the No. 2 spot, followed by Concordia, Oregon Tech, and Eastern Oregon.

ZILLNER’S BIG WEEK NOT ENOUGH FOR HONORS: It was a monster week in the circle for C of I standout pitcher, Katie Zillner (Emmett, Idaho / Chicago State U.), who dominated Concordia and Corban in two victories. The senior held CU to just three hits and one run (coming with two outs in the seventh), striking out 11 in a 2-1 win on Friday, then tossed a two-hit shutout against Corban – again striking out 11. Zillner did not walk a batter in either game, recording a 0.59 ERA, while becoming the first C of I pitcher to eclipse the 400 strikeout mark in a career, and upping her school record total of ten-or-more strikeout games to 20. Unfortunately, Zillner was not named CCC Pitcher of the Week, as Concordia’s Danielle Pulfrey got the award, despite a 2-1 record and a 1.33 ERA (and losing the head-to-head battle with Zillner).

CARRELL HAS BIG WEEKEND: Finding her niche as the leadoff batter in the Coyotes order, Donnae Carrell (Caldwell, Idaho / Middleton HS) did her job getting on base. The freshman went 5-for-10 with two walks in the four games, including a double and three RBI. She saw her batting average for the year rise to .320, while her on base percentage leads the team at .471.

HOME STREAK ENDS: It didn’t take long for The C of I to see their school record home win streak end, as Concordia won the nightcap of Friday’s twinbill. The streak ended at 12 games, but a new two-game streak was started against Corban. Over the last two years, The C of I has posted a 23-5 record at home.

LADY YOTES TIE DUBIOUS MARK: The key to the Friday loss to Concordia was struggles defensively. The Lady Yotes tied a school record with seven errors – leading to eight unearned runs in the 9-5 loss. Twice during the 2002 season the Yotes committed seven errors (3/2/02 vs. Seattle U. and 3/14/02 vs. Oregon Tech) – but had not committed fewer than five errors in the three seasons under Al Mendiola.

SCHEDULE CHANGE: The doubleheader scheduled for April 8 vs. Great Falls has tentatively been moved to April 15 at Noon in Caldwell.

NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN LOOKS TO RIGHT THE SHIP: A struggling Northwest Christian team heads to Caldwell in search of their first-ever Cascade Conference win. The Beacons (6-13, 0-4 CCC) have lost four in a row and hope to improve on a league worst batting average and fielding percentage. All is not bad for NCC, as third-baseman Cotie Howard (.308 1 HR 12 RBI) and shortstop Cassie Bishop (.293 2 HR 4 RBI) are prime offensive threats, with pitchers Darci Byrne (5-6 3.33 ERA) and Megan McLearn (0-6 5.07 ERA) eating up innings. They will have to figure out Coyote hurler Katie Zillner, who has allowed just six hits, while striking out 30 in her last three appearances against the Beacons. The Lady Yotes have won five-straight against NCC (including a 6-0 win in February at the Priscilla Benham Classic) and hold a 7-4 all-time series edge.

NON-CONFERENCE GAMES ROUND OUT HOMESTAND: The Yotes will battle NCAA foes to close out their ten-game homestand, as Division I Idaho State and Division II rival Northwest Nazarene come to Caldwell. Saturday marks the second-straight year that the Bengals (1-19) have made the trip west on I-84 to meet the Yotes, with ISU looking for better results, after being swept by The C of I at Symms Field last season. Outfielder Megan Miller (.367 5 RBI) and first-baseman Heather Dixon (.283 4 HR 13 RBI) are the hitting stars for the Bengals, who have defeated only Missouri-Kansas City this season, with Kandis Cleason (0-2 5.09 ERA) and Natasha Milosevic (1-7 7.27 ERA) the top pitchers. ISU has played an ambitious schedule, including games against Top-25 teams Northwestern, Hawaii, and Washington – and have lost a game with Utah Valley State, a team the Yotes split with earlier in the month. The two teams have met four previous times, with the series tied at 2-2. Tuesday, the Canyon County showdown in softball makes its annual appearance in Caldwell, as the Crusaders (3-25) look to buck the recent trend in the series – as NNU has lost the last seven games to the Yotes. Led by shortstop Haley Havern (.329 1 HR 9 RBI), catcher Katie Free (.290 6 RBI) and second-baseman Vanessa Shaw (.176 1 HR 7 RBI), the Crusaders are 3-3 in their last six games, including an upset of nationally-ranked Seattle and a doubleheader sweep of Corban. Rachel Bare (4-13 5.75 ERA) is the top pitcher for Julie Coert’s team, who trails the all-time series with the Coyotes, 7-27 – including a pair of losses in Nampa last month.

TEAM CONFERENCE NUMBERS: Batting Average – Oregon Tech .305, College of Idaho .297, Eastern Oregon .274, Corban .264, Concordia .252, Southern Oregon .236, Northwest Christian .235; Earned Run Average – College of Idaho 1.54, Oregon Tech 2.42, Concordia 2.96, Eastern Oregon 3.87, Northwest Christian 4.14, Corban 4.36, Southern Oregon 4.90; Fielding Percentage – Concordia .957, Oregon Tech .952, Southern Oregon .945, Corban .937, College of Idaho .936, Eastern Oregon .930, Northwest Christian .920.

INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCE NUMBERS: Batting Average – Jennifer Kollaer (CRB) .605, Haley Butcher (CI) .400, Dani Villyard (CI) .400, Nicole Illias (CU) .396, Megan Monaghan (EOU) .391. Home Runs – Jenni Bittle (OIT) 6, Megan Platz (EOU) 5, Villyard (CI) 4, Brittany Warren (OIT) 3; Runs Batted In – Bittle 20, Bess Fagan (OIT) 19, Kollaer 18, Villyard 15; Earned Run Average – Katie Zillner (CI) 1.14, Bittle 1.67, Danielle Pulfrey (CU) 1.95), Brooke Judy (CI) 2.10; Strikeouts – Pulfrey 101, Zillner 81, Erin Sailors (CRB) 57, Darci Byrne (NCC) 55.

RECAP OF WEEKEND GAMES: C of I vs. Concordia - The C of I and Concordia University split a softball doubleheader Friday at Symms Field, with the Lady Yotes winning the opener, 2-1, with the visiting Cavaliers taking the nightcap, 9-5. In Game 1, Katie Zillner was dominant in the circle for the Coyotes, allowing just one run on three hits, striking out 11.  The Lady Yotes got both of their runs in the fourth inning, as Haley Butcher (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) and Dani Villyard (Kent, Wash. / Kentlake HS) rapped back-to-back RBI doubles off CU starter, Danielle Pulfrey.  Pulfrey struck out ten batters in a losing effort. Zillner went 3-for-3 in the win for the Coyotes, while Rebecca Wirkkala had an RBI single in the loss for the Cavaliers. Game 2 was a wild affair, as CU took advantage of a school-record tying seven errors committed by the Lady Yotes, to salvage the split. The Cavs used a five-run fourth inning to open the scoring - loading the bases on a trio of C of I errors, then getting a two-run single from Sam Deline and a two-run triple from Kari Mabe to take the big lead.  Trailing 7-1 in the sixth, the Yotes made it interesting, as Villyard hit her team-leading fourth homer of the season, a two-run shot - part of a four-run frame, to close within two.  However, CU took advantage of two more C of I errors to get two runs back in then seventh and close out the win. Janelle Cristofaro got the win for the Cavaliers, retiring the first 13 batters of the game in a row, to improve to 2-2 on the season.  Deline and Mabe each had three hits in the victory, while Stacy Smith (Draper, Utah / Juan Diego HS) had two hits in the loss for the Lady Yotes, who had their 12-game home win streak snapped. C of I vs. Corban - Zillner tossed a two-hit shutout in the opener, while Smith hit a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning of Game 2, as the Lady Yotes swept a doubleheader from Corban College, winning 10-0 and 6-3 at Symms Field on Saturday. Zillner struck out 11 in her third shutout of the season. She retired the first ten batters in a row, before Jessie Jones reached on a bunt single in the mercy rule shortened game. The Coyotes scored in each frame - getting an RBI Dani Villyard single in the first, a Donnae Carrell sacrifice fly and a Kelsi Murdock (Kuna, Idaho / Kuna HS) RBI single in the second, as The C of I took a 3-0 lead.  They would bat around for six runs in the fourth, adding a single run in the fifth. All nine starters had at least one hit as part of a season-high 12 hit attack, with Carrell, Murdock, and Caylin LePire (Boise, Idaho / Mountain View HS) each recording two RBI. Game 2 was much tighter, as the Yotes jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on a Villyard RBI single and a Haley Butcher sacrifice fly.  However, the Warriors got a three-spot in the second - getting a bloop RBI single from Jennifer Childers, a Siriana Guest RBI single, and an Megan Gaylord RBI fielders choice, to take the lead. The Yotes would tie it in the bottom of the frame on a Carrell two-out RBI double, then take the lead for good on the long home run to left center by Smith. It was enough for Brooke Judy (Kuna, Idaho / Kuna HS), who pitched five shutout innings of relief, scattering five hits without a walk, fanning five to pick up her fourth win of the season. 

ABOUT THE COACH: Al Mendiola is in his third year as head coach of The College of Idaho softball program and has a 67-42 all-time record – already the all-time winningest coach in C of I history. The native of San Diego, Calif. has helped the Lady Yotes become a force in Northwest softball, leading The C of I to back-to-back playoff appearances, including the 2007 Cascade Conference championship. Following the season, Mendiola was honored as CCC and NAIA Region I Coach of the Year after the Coyotes set a school record with 37 wins, climbing to as high as No. 14 in the NAIA poll, an advanced to the regional title game. Outside of softball, Mendiola has also been the head coach of the Caldwell Silver Streaks American Legion baseball team since 1997 and has also assisted with the Boise Clippers men's fastpitch team. He was also an assistant coach for The C of I baseball team for seven years. A 1994 graduate of The C of I, Mendiola played two seasons of baseball for head coach Tim Mooney, earning honorable mention NAIA All-America honors as a senior.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the Coyote softball program, head to the official homepage of the Lady Yotes – www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/fastpitch.htm.

TRACK: Hopper, Gross hit NAIA marks as Yotes run well in Oregon

COMING UP: Idle until All-Idaho Cup, April 4-5 (at Bronco Stadium).

LAST WEEK: at Charles Bowles Invitational (Salem, Ore.)

HOPPER MEETS NAIA “B” MARK IN 5,000: Stretching out from his typical middle-distance events, senior Tyler Hopper (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS) made it 3-for-3 in outdoor events in 2008, winning the 5,000-meters at the Charles Bowles Invitational, hosted by Willamette University. The indoor All-American became the second Coyote to meet an NAIA qualifying time during the outdoor season, recording a provisional mark with a time of 15:01.19 – winning the race by 12 seconds. Hopper has advanced to the NAIA Outdoor Championships each of the last two years – reaching the 2006 finals in the 1,500.

GROSS WAS THE FIRST TO MEET NATIONAL MARK: Senior Tyler Gross (Buffalo, N.Y. / Springfield Griffith Institute) was the first Coyote this season to meet an NAIA “A” qualifying time, as he met the mark in the half-marathon. Gross competed in the Snake River Canyon Half Marathon outside of Lewiston on March 1, running the race in 1:07:07. He will compete at the national championships in the marathon.

SPARKS BREAKS 800 RECORD: A school record fell by the wayside in Salem, as Stephanie Sparks (West Jordan, Utah / Juan Diego HS) became the first Lady Yote to run under the 2:20 mark in the 800-meters, as she won her second race of the outdoor season. The sophomore ran a hand-held time of 2:19.70 (converted to 2:19.94), breaking the mark of 2:20.82, set by teammate Katie Ball (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS) in 2006. Also running well in the 800 was Jayne Saunders (Emmett, Idaho / Emmett HS), who placed third in 2:20.10.

OTHER QUALITY RUNS IN THE VALLEY: The Yotes got other solid performances in Oregon as Sam Hardy (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) recorded a personal best 4:01.60 in the 1,500-meters, placing sixth. Also running well was Stephanie Helm (Challis, Idaho / Challis HS), who placed third in the 1,500 with a 4:51.71, with Emily McCutchan (Eagle, Idaho / Cole Valley Christian HS), who was fourth in both the 100-hurdles (17.03) and 200-meters (27.40). Rounding out the top placers for the Coyotes was the women’s 4x400 relay team, which placed second in a season-best 4:08.54.

WEEK OFF TO PREPARE FOR IDAHO CUP: The Yotes will not compete in a meet this weekend, using it as a training week. Next weekend, The C of I will join the other Idaho collegiate track and field teams (Boise State, Idaho, Idaho State, Lewis-Clark State, and Northwest Nazarene) at Bronco Stadium in Boise for the first-ever All-Idaho Cup.

NATIONAL QUALIFIERS: NAIA “A” Qualifiers – Tyler Gross (Marathon); NAIA “B” Qualifiers – Tyler Hopper (5,000-meters).

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on The C of I track and field team, head to the homepage of the Coyotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/track.htm.