‘Yote Notes – March
11, 2002
GENERAL ATHLETICS NEWS:
HOLLY INDUCTED INTO THE NAIA HALL
OF FAME: Last evening in Branson, Mo., Albertson athletic
director and former men’s basketball coach Marty Holly was
inducted into the NAIA Hall-of-Fame.
Holly along with his wife, Cheryl, Albertson president, Dr. Kevin Learned, and many long-time supporters of the
Coyotes, made the trek east for the ceremonies, held at the Division II Final
Four banquet, on the “Branson Belle” showboat.
Inducting Holly into the Hall of Fame was ESPN commentator and
motivational speaker, Mark Adams.
SWIMMING TO BEGIN DURING 2003-04 SCHOOL YEAR: The Albertson College athletic department announced today that men’s and women’s swimming will become the institutions 13th and 14th intercollegiate sports, effective during the 2003-04 season. The Coyote swimmers, which will compete in the school’s aquatic center, adjoining the J.A. Albertson Activities Center, will be one of 19 schools in the NAIA that compete in the sport. “We are extremely excited to add swimming as our next intercollegiate sport,” said Marty Holly. “The Albertson squad will be the first collegiate swim team in the state of Idaho, now giving local seniors a place to swim at the next level close to home.” Board of Trustees member Jim Everett, the CEO of the Boise YMCA, gave Holly and the institution great insight into what a swim program could bring to Albertson. “Jim made it clear that not only are swimmers great athletes, they are great students,” Holly said. “That fits perfectly into what Albertson College is looking for in its student body.” When competition begins in the winter of 2003, the Coyotes will compete against Simon Fraser and The Evergreen State College, the closest NAIA schools with the sport. Dual meets will also be conducted against Seattle University and Central Washington, NCAA Division II members, along with the entire Northwest Conference (Lewis & Clark, Linfield, Pacific Lutheran, Puget Sound, Whitworth, Whitman, Willamette), all NCAA Division III members.
BOOSTER DINNER NEXT WEDNESDAY: The next
Coyote Athletic Association booster dinner is set for March 20 at 6 p.m., in
the Simplot Dining Hall. Cost of dinner
will be around $8.00, and RSVP’s can be made to the Athletic Department at
either 459-5512 or 459-5681. On the
docket will be spring sports and a congratulations to Marty Holly for his
induction in the NAIA Hall of Fame.
INTRAMURALS TO PLAY CHARITY GAME
AT NORTHWEST NAZARENE: The first Red vs.
Purple Intramural Basketball game between
Northwest Nazarene and Albertson will be held March 11 in Montgomery Fieldhouse
on the NNU campus. Proceeds from the event will go to charity, with the
'Yotes playing for the Caldwell Head Start Program. Tip-off is scheduled
for 7 p.m. and tickets can be purchased for $1.00 in the McCain Center or at
the door.
BASEBALL: 7-6-1
LAST WEEK: Split doubleheader with Northwest
Nazarene (W 5-2, L 4-3), doubleheader with Whitworth rained out.
THIS WEEK: Idle, next game Mar. 19 at
Northwest Nazarene, 4 p.m. (DH)
COYOTES SPLIT WITH NNU: A throwing error by Darren
Uranga (Homedale, Idaho / Homedale HS) allowed Josh McDonald to
score the winning run from third in the bottom of the eighth inning, as
Northwest Nazarene salvaged a split with Albertson College in a non-conference
doubleheader at Vail Field on Friday night. The Crusaders won the nightcap, 4-3, after the Coyotes
rode a great pitching performance from Nick Williams (Poulsbo, Wash.
/ Lower Columbia CC) to win the opener, 5-2. Albertson had built a 3-1 lead in the second game,
but NNU manufactured runs in the third and sixth innings to pull even. In
the eighth, McDonald led off with a double and reached third on a botched
sacrifice attempt, against reliever Andrew Hall (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle
HS). With one out, Tim Andra grounded a ball to Uranga at second, who
whirled around and threw wide of shortstop, trying to start the inning-ending
4-6-3 double play, giving the hosts the lead for good. James Porter was strong on the hill for Northwest
Nazarene (7-5), allowing just three hits and striking out nine over eight
innings. Only D.J. Eberlin (St. Maries, Idaho / St. Maries HS) recorded
two hits off the junior. In game one, a
three-run fourth inning sparked the Coyotes, keyed by an Aaron von Lindern
(Boise, Idaho / Capital HS) two-run double. Albertson added two
more runs in the fifth, thanks to an NNU error and a Josh Orr (Winnemucca,
Nev. / Lowry HS), and Williams did the rest. The senior allowed seven
hits, struck out three, and walked none in picking up his second win. Uranga was the hitting star for the squad, going
3-for-3 with a run scored.
NIPPY NIGHT: The game
was played on a clear but very cold night in Nampa. When the first game started, temperatures were around 35 degrees,
however, when the final pitch was thrown, the temperature was around 26
degrees. Factor in a breeze blowing in
from left field, and blankets, heaters, and longjohns were not enough for the
brave souls at the game. The second
game was the Coyotes fourth one-run game, and Albertson is now 0-4 in those
close encounters.
EBERLIN FINDS STROKE: Through
14 games, catcher D.J. Eberlin currently holds the longest hitting streak of
the season by the Coyotes, sitting at six games. The senior, noted for his glove and arm more than his bat, has
went 8-for-20 over the stretch, with two doubles an a RBI. Over the stretch, he has raised his batting
average 120 points.
BRUISED AND BATTERED: Injuries
continue to plague the Coyotes during the non-conference portion of the
season. Two of the top hitters for
Albertson last year will be lost for over a month. Jack Mitchell (Kennewick,
Wash. / Columbia Basin CC) will be out from 4-to-8 weeks after having
surgery to remove a chipped bone in his wrist.
All-American Scott Skeen (Bend,
Ore. / Oregon State) will also be out for the same extended period,
nursing a nagging shoulder injury.
Junior Todd Howell (Marysville,
Wash. / Skagit Valley CC) has also had his time at third base limited
to a shoulder injury. Reliever Ben Frank (Paul, Idaho / North Idaho CC) has not
seen action since the California trip due to tendonitis in his throwing shoulder. Finally, Aaron von Lindern took a pitch off
the side of his head in the loss to NNU on Friday, requiring stitches. Luckily for the freshman, he will have a
speedy recovery.
PITCHING HIGHS AND LOWS: Head
coach Shawn Humberger must be happy with the way
his pitching staff has started out the 2002 season. Starters combined have a 3.68 ERA, with relievers doing even
better, holding a miniscule 1.83 ERA.
Senior Eric Jensen (Mountain
Home, Idaho / Mountain Home HS) has not given up an earned run
in 7 2/3 innings and has a 0.63 ERA. A
startling fact, however, is the lack of run support Andrew Hall has
received. In 17 2/3 innings, Hall has
been the benefactor of just one Coyote run, that coming in his lone start
against Linfield. The freshman has
given up just one earned run in his last 13 innings pitched, but the defense
behind him has committed six errors, leading to a pair of losses in his stat
line.
TRYING TO BREAK OUT OF A SLUMP: Through
14 games, Albertson has recorded ten or more hits in a game just four
times. Last season, the Coyotes had 37
games with at least ten hits, and six with at least 20 hits. What is more shocking is that the team has
been held to five or less hits on five occasions this season, including three
of the past five games. In the entire
2001 season, the ‘Yotes had just six games with five or less hits. The 2002 team is batting .244 so far, with
four everyday players hitting below .200.
Incidentally, the lowest batting average for a season in school history
was .282, set by the 1995 squad.
WHERE IS HOME?: After
having Sunday’s doubleheader with Whitworth cancelled due to a snow squall that
came into the Treasure Valley around 6 a.m. that morning, the Coyotes will now
wait until April 13 to open the season at Simplot Stadium, a length of 33
games. Albertson was to have played a
four-game series with Saint Martin’s this weekend at home, but the NCAA
Division II school backed out of the trip at the last minute in January, citing
budget constraints. The ‘Yotes will
have the week off, before opening the NAIA Region I schedule next Tuesday at
Northwest Nazarene.
ON THE AIR AND INTERNET: Due to
technical difficulties at Simplot Stadium, no baseball games will be carried
live on the internet. However, all home
games will be available to listen to immediately following the game, in an
archived manner, on the baseball home page.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: For updated information and
statistics, visit the official website of the Coyote baseball team at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/baseball.htm
SOFTBALL: 4-14
LAST WEEK: Swept
doubleheader at Northwest Nazarene (W 8-4, W 5-2), doubleheader at Eastern
Oregon rained out.
THIS WEEK: at Eastern Oregon, Wednesday, 2
p.m. (DH – make up from Saturday)
PERFECT
AGAINST CANYON COUNTY: Playing in front of family and friends for the
first time, the Albertson College softball team took care of business on a
cold, blustery day, dispatching fellow first-year program and Canyon County
rival Northwest Nazarene 8-4 and 5-2 in a doubleheader at Skyview Softball
Complex. Kira Leaton (Boise,
Idaho / Centennial HS) went 4-for-6, with three RBI in the two games for
Albertson, as the Coyotes recorded their first two triples of the season, and
won for the third time in four games.
The Lady 'Yotes, who defeated NNU, 7-5, at the Central Washington
Invitational last weekend, scored three unearned runs in the first inning of
game one, thanks to a timely error by centerfielder Megan Shaw. With one
out and Victoria DeLaRosa (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) on
third and breaking home on the pitch, Tiffany Mathews (Las Vegas,
Nev. / Eldorado HS) laced a ball to Shaw which should have been an easy
double play. However, Shaw dropped the ball, letting DeLaRosa score, and
Albertson added two more runs. After
the Crusaders scored four unearned runs to take a 4-3 lead in the fourth, Melissa
Finlayson (Boise, Idaho / Capital HS) got the Coyotes even in the
fifth with an RBI triple, scoring Heather Keepers (Apache Junction,
Ariz. / Apache Junction HS). Albertson added four more runs in the
sixth, thanks in part to a Mathews two-run single. Nicole Glenn (Nyssa,
Ore. / BYU-Idaho) picked up the complete game win, giving up just four hits
and striking out five. In the night
cap, NNU strung together three hits in the first to take a 1-0 lead, but a big
four spot in the third gave Albertson the lead for good. Leaton cleared
the bases with a gap triple, and Jacqui Hall (Grangeville, Idaho /
Grangeville HS) followed with an RBI single, as the Coyotes made it 2-for-2
against the Crusaders. Albertson
actually led the game 12-2, as the squad batted around for seven runs in the
top of the sixth, but the game was called due to darkness with one out in the
bottom of the inning. Lindzi Wasko
(Lakenheath England / American HS) was magnificent in the circle,
allowing just two runs on six hits in the five-inning complete game.
SPEED
DEMONS: The small
ball that head coach Kelly Gibbons chatted about during the preseason
has come full circle. The Coyotes have
stolen 13 bases in their four wins without being caught. Victoria DeLaRosa leads the team with nine
steals in 11 attempts.
LEATON
ON A ROLL: With
the big day last week, Kira Leaton has seen her batting average jump to
.268. The freshman has went 7-for-10
over the last four games, and has committed just one error in 85 chances this
season.
MATHEWS
CONSISTENT: Catcher
Tiffany Mathews was touted as one of the key contact hitters for the Coyotes,
and so far this season she has not disappointed. The freshman from Las Vegas leads the team with a .308 batting
average and six RBI. Even more
impressive is her .375 batting average with runners in scoring position.
ACTION CLOSER TO HOME: After having its
doubleheader with Eastern Oregon postponed on Saturday Albertson heads
up I-84 to meet the Mountaineers (2-2) for the first time on Wednesday. Eastern opened up the 2002 season by
sweeping Lewis & Clark in Portland last weekend, before dropping a
doubleheader with Central Washington.
EOU, which finished last season at .500, hopes to return to the prominence
of 1999 and 2000, when the squad earned trips to the NAIA College World Series.
INTERNET BROADCASTS: The Albertson athletic department
is planning on broadcasting all softball home games on the internet. Sports information director Mike Safford Jr.,
who has called action at the 1997 NAIA Women’s College World Series, and games
at the NCAA Division III West Regional tournament the past three years, will
handle the play-by-play.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: Updated
information and statistics on the 2002 softball team can be found at the
Albertson softball official website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/softball/index.htm
LAST
WEEK: At Holiday
Inn Express Challenge, Lewiston, Idaho – defeated Seattle (5-2), lost to
Alberta (6-3), lost to Southern Oregon (7-2), lost to Lewis-Clark State (6-3)
THIS
WEEK: at Treasure
Valley CC (exhibition), Saturday, TBA.
LONG
WEEKEND NETS GOOD RESULTS: Although the team scores did not indicate success, the Albertson
College women’s tennis team fared well at the Holiday Inn Express Challenge in
Lewiston. The Coyotes, who had to play
four matches in two days, fought fatigue, but had good results. The squad got victories at No. 1 singles, No.
5 singles, and one at No. 6 singles, while the top-two doubles teams had
victories.
RINALDI,
GIBBON GO 3-1: Both
No. 1 singles player Catherine Rinaldi (Perth, Australia) and No.
5 player Whitney Gibbon (Spokane, Wash.) each went 3-1 over the
weekend. Rinaldi took home straight-set
victories over Seattle, Southern Oregon, and Alberta, but dropped a 6-2, 6-0
decision to Aibika Kalsarieva of Lewis-Clark State, the No. 4 ranked singles player in
the NAIA. Gibbon won a pair of
straight-set matches against Seattle and Alberta, won a three-set match against
Lewis-Clark State, and dropped a three-set affair against Southern Oregon.
WEATHER
PLAYS HAVOC: The
Coyotes first match of the tournament against Seattle was shorted to pro-sets
due to inclement weather in the Clearwater Valley. Both the No. 4 and No. 6 singles matches were not finished after
Albertson clinched the 5-2 victory. The
remainder of the matches were played outdoors at Lewiston and Clarkston High
Schools.
TOUGH
TIME AT TOP OF LADDER: Both Ashley Kunz (Boise, Idaho) and Lauren Writer (Boise,
Idaho) each fought through soreness at the No. 2 and No. 3 singles
positions over the weekend. Each player
retired in a late match-up due to cramps, as cold weather and fatigue set in.
EXHIBITIONS
TO COME: The
Coyotes are set to play a trio of exhibition matches against Treasure Valley
Community College before their next NAIA match in April. The first of three will be this Saturday in
Ontario, Ore. against the Chukars.
OFFICIAL
WEBSITE: Updated
information and statistics on the 2002 women’s tennis team can be found on the
official website of Albertson tennis – www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wtennis.htm
ALPINE SKIING:
UP NEXT: Women at
USCSA National Championships, Waterville Valley, N.H., Monday-Saturday
WOMEN HEADED TO NATIONALS: A group
of six women will make up the Albertson alpine team at the 2002 United States
Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association National Championships this week. The group of Kira Marsh (Salt
Lake City, Utah), Logan Thurber (Bennington,
Vt.), Melodie Buell (Ashland, Ore.), Kristen Dockery (Vail, Colo.), Sandi Betters (Nederland, Colo.), and Amanda Phleeger (Corvallis, Ore.) will try
to tackle 18 other institutions in the event.
The team will have its giant slalom races on Wednesday, with the slalom
event scheduled for Friday. Combined
times of the top-three finishers make up the final team score.
WHO’S WHO OF COLLEGE SKIING: There
are some big name schools that little Albertson College will be competing
against this week. Syracuse, Boston
College, Brown, Princeton, Buffalo, Massachusetts, Stanford, and Wyoming, are
just some of the institutions that will be fighting with the Coyotes for a spot
on top of the podium on Friday.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/ski/Default.htm