Yote Notes – April 10,
2008
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Mike Safford Jr. – Sports
Info. Director
msafford@collegeofidaho.edu
ATHLETIC NEWS: Golf
GOLFERS EARN TOP-TEN PERFORMANCES AT
FINAL CCC TOURNEY: A
seventh-place finish by Catherine
Everist (Portland, Ore. / Chicago
State U.) and a ninth-place finish by Ben
Coate (Boise, Idaho / Capital HS)
paced the Coyote men’s and women’s golf teams at the final Cascade Conference
Tournament of the season at Tokatee Golf Club.
As a team, the Coyote men finished fourth out of four teams, while the C
of I women did not record a team score (had only three golfers competing), but
would have finished third, just ten shots out of second, counting the top-three
competitors from each school. Everist
had a final round 95 to finish with a 61-over 277, 35 shots behind individual
champion, Lindsay Aho of Concordia. April
Patton (
SOCCER ALUMNI SET FOR TOURNAMENT: As part of the spring soccer Alumni
Weekend, Coyote men’s soccer coach Brian Smith is hosting a golf tournament on
Friday, May 2, at Warm Spring Golf Course in
BASEBALL (15-19, 7-5 Region I): Yotes set to begin second half of
Region I schedule with four-game series at Oregon Tech
LAST WEEK: at No. 2
COMING UP: at
CHANGES IN
REGIONAL/NATIONAL POLL: The NAIA Region I Coaches Poll
remained the same this week, as
IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY: If the Region I Tournament started
today, Lewis-Clark State would be the top seed, followed by British Columbia,
Concordia, and The C of I – with the event being held in Vancouver, B.C. However, a mere two games separate UBC, CU,
and the Yotes in the standings – with 12 counting games remaining.
CHAMP HAS BIG SERIES AT L-C: Coming off a 2-for-13 series at
British Columbia, Coyote third-baseman Bryan
Champ (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS)
broke out of the slump in a big way – going 8-for-15 in the three-game series
at Lewis-Clark State. The junior scored
a pair of runs, had a pair of RBI, and added a stolen base in
FIVE-HIT GAMES RARE: The five-hit game by Bryan Champ was
just the sixth time in the eight years head coach Shawn Humberger has been skipper that a Coyote has recorded at
least five safeties in a game. Last
season, Kent Bradshaw had five hits against Concordia in the NAIA Region I
Tournament, while in 2006, Luke Howarth (
YOTES SMACK THE BALL AGAINST L-C: For the first time this season, the
Yotes hit the ball well against
ZUBY BOUNCES BACK: Tuesday night, Joey Zubizarreta (
BOTTARI THRIVING IN RELIEVERS ROLE: Also pitching well was Jake Bottari (Wells,
STATESMAN RUNS STORY ON BORAH TRIO: The Idaho Statesman ran a piece regarding six college baseball players
who were all teammates on the 1999 Boise South Central Little League team that
advanced to the Little League World Series in
OFF TO OREGON TECH: The Yotes start the second half of
the Region I schedule the same way they started it, with a four-game series
against Oregon Tech. The Owls (14-20, 4-11 Region I) have played
well of late, have won 12 of their last 16 games – including 11 of their last
13 contests, and were helped out by Lewis-Clark State cancelling a series with
Tech in Klamath Falls (OIT is the lone Region I team yet to face L-C), picking
up a trio of victories instead against Patten.
The Owls are led offensively by Lee Eklund (.342 4 HR 17 RBI), Frank
Drake (.299 3 HR 16 RBI) and Ryson Mauricio (.331 1 HR 13 RBI) – and need to
improve on the .189 team batting average (and the five runs) they registered in
the first four games between the teams.
On the mound, Casey Burton (2-5 3.29 ERA) is Tech’s top hurler, while
Shea Bedortha (2-1 3.26 ERA) has pitched well out of the bullpen. The Yotes have won the past 13 meetings
between the clubs and hold a commanding 57-10 all-time series lead.
CASCADE CONFERENCE LEADERS: A total of eight different Coyotes
rank among the Top-5 in Cascade Conference only (C of I, Concordia, Corban,
Oregon Tech) statistics – five hitters and three pitchers. Brad
Carlsen (Reno, Nev. / Western Nevada
CC) leads the league in walks (20) and stolen bases (10), while ranking
second in runs scored (25), and fourth in RBI (18). Also leading the loop is Richie Snider (
REGION I TEAM STATISTICS: Batting Average – Lewis-Clark State
.362, Concordia .292, British Columbia .285, College of Idaho .279, Corban
.267, Oregon Tech .266; Earned Run Average – Lewis-Clark State 3.29, British
Columbia 4.57, Oregon Tech 4.70, College of Idaho 5.41, Concordia 6.25, Corban
6.95; Fielding Percentage – Lewis-Clark State .966, Concordia .956, Corban
.956, College of Idaho .949, British Columbia .948, Oregon Tech .937.
UPDATING THE RECORD BOOK: Three Coyotes have moved up the
ladder on the Yotes career record book list.
Dane McGrady is No. 4 all-time in hit by pitches (43), Joey Zubizarreta
is No. 6 in appearances (63), with Luke Howarth sitting in the No. 9 spot on the sacrifice hits (12) category.
SERIES AT L-C STATE: Tuesday (L-C 6, C of I 5; L-C 13, C of I 6):
The Yotes recorded 27 hits in the doubleheader, but could not manage a
victory, losing the opener in ten innings, 6-5, and dropping the nightcap,
13-6, at Harris Field in Lewiston. Game
1 saw Bryan Champ become the fourth C of I player in the last seven seasons to
record a five-hit game - scoring on a bases loaded walk in the sixth inning to
give the Coyotes a 5-4 lead. However, L-C would tie the game in the
seventh on a sacrifice fly, then win it in extra innings - as an error, a double,
and an intentional walk loaded the bases with no outs, giving Josh Ashenbrenner
a chance to be the hero, ripping an RBI single to end the game. The Yotes jumped out early to a 3-0 lead, as
an RBI single from Richie Snider and a two-run single from Alex O'Brien (Everett, Wash.
/ Everett CC) gave The C of I the edge. However, the Warriors got
three runs back in the bottom of the first and the teams played see-saw the
rest of the way. Brad Carlsen had three
hits, with Snider and O'Brien each recording two for the Yotes, while Kyle
Greene and Paul Martin each had three for the Warriors. Justin Mace got
the win for L-C, going four-plus innings of scoreless relief. Jake
Bottari pitched well in relief for the Yotes, going three scoreless frames. Game 2 was a tight game that got away from
the Yotes, as L-C used an eight-run seventh inning to break a 5-5 tie. The Coyotes scored a single run in the sixth
and two more in the seventh, tying the game on a Matt Mejia single - but the
go-ahead run was thrown out at home plate to end the inning. The Warriors
would respond against the Yote pen, sending 12 men to the plate, rapping out
seven hits and taking advantage of a walk and hit batter to blow the game open
- with Bernard Pena's two-run double being the big blow. Cody Brubaker and Snider each had three hits
in the loss for the Yotes, while Sean Halton went 3-for-3 for L-C. Joey
Zubizarreta was solid in relief for The C of I, allowing an unearned run
without a hit in three innings of work, striking out two. Wednesday (L-C 10, C of I 2): The
Warriors took advantage of nine walks, two errors, and two hit batters by The C
of I in a 10-2 win at Harris Field in
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 251-176-1 record, including a third-place finish at the 2002
NAIA 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 (14-13, 5-7): Yotes try to end April swoon with
games in
LAST WEEK: at No. 23 Oregon Tech (L 4-3, L
8-0), at Southern Oregon (L 4-1, L 12-8), at
COMING UP: at Corban (DH), Friday, 3 p.m. (PT);
at Concordia (DH), Saturday, 11 a.m. (PT); vs.
LADY YOTES TO DROP OUT OF NAIA POLL:
The NAIA released
its fourth Top-25 Coaches Poll of the regular-season, with the Lady Yotes
falling out of the Top-25 for the first time since midway through last
season. The Yotes were ranked for the
last nine tabulations, reaching as high as No. 14 in the final 2007 poll and
the 2008 preseason poll. Cal Baptist is
ranked No. 1 in the national poll, followed by Point Loma Nazarene (
REGIONAL RANKINGS: The fourth NAIA Region I Top-5
ranking was released on Monday, with Simon Fraser maintaining the top
spot. With the 0-4 road trip, The C of I
dropped two spots to No. 4 – with both Oregon Tech and Concordia leapfrogging
the Yotes.
PREVIOUS APRIL TROUBLES: Throughout the short history of C of
I softball, April has been the tough month for the Lady Yotes. During the first five years, the Coyotes
recorded just a 28-73 record in April – including winning just three games
during both the 2002 and 2005 seasons, so the 1-5 start to the month is nothing
new. However, The C of I would like to
rebound and repeat last season, when the Yotes went 15-3 during April.
COMPARING 2007 TO 2008: At this point of the season last
year, the Lady Yotes were sitting atop the CCC standings, and held a 23-8
record – nine more wins and five fewer losses.
Offense and defense have been the difference, as last year, the Lady
Yotes hit .307 on this date, with a .957 fielding percentage, while this
season, the team is hitting just .271 with a .936 fielding percentage. Run production is also down, as the Yotes
averaged 5.6 runs per game, while scoring just over four runs a game this
season. Pitching has been about the
same, with the 2008 team boasting a 2.40 ERA, compared to 2.45 last season.
FROM 13-5 TO 14-13: It’s easy to see why the Lady Yotes
have lost eight of their last nine games – as offensive production and pitching
have faltered in the last two weeks.
Through the first 18 games (following an 8-0 victory over Northwest
Christian), The C of I had a team batting average of .306, averaged five runs a
game, and had a CCC-best 1.47 ERA. Since
then, the Yotes have struggled at the plate, hitting just .207, scoring less
than three runs per game, with the team ERA ballooning to 4.13.
BUTCHER LEADING THE LOOP: Despite the rough stretch in the
season, Haley Butcher (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) has continued
to put up monster numbers, leading the Cascade Conference in batting average at
a .413 clip, while ranking second in the league in doubles with 11, and fourth
in hits (31) and stolen bases (6). Only
once in school history as a player batted over .400 for a season – as Tiffany
Mathews set the school record with a .416 average during the 2003 season.
ZILLNER’S WALK STREAK ENDED: With a walk to Oregon Tech’s Jenni
Bittle on Friday, Katie Zillner (
PLAYOFF PICTURE: With the first half of the season
nearly in the books (Concordia still has a doubleheader with Northwest
Christian to make up), the three teams that will join Simon Fraser in the
postseason party are still up in the air.
Oregon Tech leads the loop with a 10-2 record, with Concordia at 7-3,
and
SECOND HALF STARTS IN
CONFERENCE TEAM STATISTICS: Batting Average – Oregon Tech .310,
College of Idaho .271, Concordia .270, Eastern Oregon .267, Corban .253,
Southern Oregon .246, Northwest Christian .226; Earned Run Average –Oregon Tech
2.09, College of Idaho 2.40, Concordia
3.03, Corban 3.98, Northwest Christian 4.28, Eastern Oregon 4.42, Southern
Oregon 4.46; Fielding Percentage – Concordia .958, Corban .955, Oregon Tech
.954, Southern Oregon .942, College of Idaho. 936,
TECH TAKES COMMAND IN CCC WITH WINS
OVER YOTES: Sunceray Titus went 5-for-8 with
four runs scored and three RBI, helping Oregon Tech to a doubleheader sweep of
The C of I, topping the Lady Yotes 4-3 and 8-0, Friday in
SOUTHERN MAKES STATEMENT WITH SWEEP
OF C OF I: A
four-run sixth inning in Game 1 and a five-run sixth inning in Game 2 proved to
be the difference, as Southern Oregon completed a sweep of the Coyotes, winning
4-1 and 12-8, Saturday at University Field in Ashland, Ore. Game 1 was a pitchers dual between Alicia
Caudill and Katie Zillner - as the two hurlers fired zeros through five
innings. However, the Raiders got to Zillner in the sixth, as Christina
Simon hit a one-out home run and Samantha Sanitos chased the Yotes top hurler
with a two-run double later in the frame. Stacy
Smith had two hits for the Yotes in the loss, while Zillner struck out 12
batters. Caudill allowed just six hits and fanned seven in the win. Game 2 saw the Yotes blow an 8-2 lead, as
Haley Butcher went 3-for-4 with a two-run double in the first an a two-run
single in a six-run third inning. Southern would win it in the sixth, as
Joelle Riekeman, who hit for the cycle, laced a two-run double, part of a
4-for-4, five RBI game for the Raiders.
ABOUT THE COACH: Al Mendiola is
in his third year as head coach of The College of Idaho softball program and
has a 69-50 all-time record – already the all-time winningest coach in C of I
history. The native of
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: Six-pack of Yotes head to Chico
State Distance Carnival after fourth-place finish at All-Idaho Collegiate Cup
LAST
WEEK: at
All-Idaho Collegiate Cup (Men 4th of 6 teams, Women 4th
of 6 teams)
COMING
UP: at
YOTES
TAKE FOURTH AT ALL-IDAHO CUP: The C of
I track team ran well against the five other Idaho four-year schools at Bronco
Stadium in Boise last weekend, with Tyler Hopper (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell
HS) notching another NAIA “B”
qualifying mark. Hopper picked up a
victory in the 800 meters with a season-best time of 1:54.96, but hit the “B”
mark in the 1,500 – placing second in 3:57.96.
Also having a good meet Friday for the Yotes was Geoff Williams (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS), who was third in the 3,000-steeple, and Sam Finch (Redding, Calif. / Foothill
HS), while Saturday, Jesse Chlebeck (Eagan, Minn. / Eagan HS) was second in the 5,000-meters, with both Stephanie Helm (Challis, Idaho / Challis
HS) and Jayne Saunders (Emmett, Idaho / Emmett HS) each placing fourth – Helm in the 5,000 and Saunders in the 400-hurdles.
TEAM
RESULTS: The Coyotes defeated both
SIX
YOTES TO COMPETE AGAINST TOP DIVISION II RUNNERS: The Coyotes step it up another notch this weekend, as three men and three
women runners will trek to
TOP-FIVE
MARKS IN CASCADE CONFERENCE: Four different C of I men and eight different C of I women
rank in the top-five among Cascade Conference athletes in the latest top-time
report, released Tuesday by the league office - including four No. 1
rankings. On the men's side, Tyler Hopper holds second- fastest time of
the season in the 5,000-meters (15:01.19) and ranks third in the 800-meters
(1:56.34), and fourth in the 1,500-meters (3:57.96), while Sam
Finch is
second in the long jump (21-11), Jesse Chlebeck is No. 3 in the 3,000-meters (8:47.99), and Sam Hardy (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) is fifth in the 1,500-meters
(4:01.60). Two different women lead the loop - as Stephanie Sparks (
NATIONAL
QUALIFIERS: NAIA
"A" -
FOR
MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the Coyote track and field team, head to the
official homepage of the Yotes - www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/track.htm.
WOMEN’S TENNIS: Lady Yotes go 2-1 on the week, earn
split on trip to
LAST
WEEK: vs.
Treasure Valley CC (W 9-0), at
COMING
UP: Idle until
Apr. 17 at Treasure Valley CC, Apr. 19 vs.
C
OF I OPENS COLORADO TRIP WITH WIN: The C of I won their fourth-straight match, opening up their
Spring Break trip to Colorado with a 9-0 victory over Colorado Christian in
Grand Junction on Saturday afternoon.
The Lady Yotes dominated both singles and doubles play in posting their
second-straight sweep of an opponent. The top of the singles ladder was
dominant again - with Kyla Westerberg, Amanda
McEldowney (Caldwell, Idaho /
Linfield Coll.), and Kim Clements
(Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) posting
convincing wins.
WIN
STREAK ENDS AT FOUR: The Lady Yotes saw their four match win streak come to an end this
morning, losing a 9-0 decision to Mesa State College Sunday morning in
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Through eleven matches this season,
Kate Leadbetter leads the club with nine wins (six singles victories and three
doubles wins), with Amanda McEldowney and Kim Clements each winning eight. McEldowney leads the team with 93 singles
game wins, with both Kyla Westerberg (82) and Leadbetter (80) each over the 80
win mark.
NEW
TENNIS COURTS UPDATE: Construction has begun on new tennis courts on The C of I campus, with
the anticipation that they will be ready for the 2008-09 season. The
previous three courts, located between Hendren Hall and the
FOR
MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the Lady Yotes tennis program, head to the
homepage of C of I women's tennis at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wtennis.htm.